#turns out the key to being satisfied with your art is using the smallest possible size for your brush and not giving up until

[ghosts-of-rishi]

The Acolyte was a show

Mae looked stunning in her original outfit though

amen to levels, gradient maps, and brightness/contrast

[juleswolverton-hyde]

Down the Rabbit Hole Revised Snippet & Deleting the Series

Dear reader,

As has been hinted at multiple times, Down the Rabbit Hole is currently in the process of being made into a proper novel. The final chapter will still be made available online on this blog for a short time to close the series off. However, the same can likely not be said for the final interlude (those parts of the series where the POV switches to another character).

Another unfortunate fluke of prepping the fanfic into being made fit for actual publishing is a change of style. The poetics are still there for they are still my strong point and personal preference, but the personal philosophy of never using an explicit first person point of view or use possessive pronouns has to be put aside in order to lower the formality of the text. In other words, I am copy-editing the novel and making some minor yet grand changes as you will see in the snippet. 

Lastly, I want to note that the entire series will only be available online for a little longer since it will turn into an actual book at some point in time. It will be deleted on all platforms in the future.

When exactly? I do not know, but fairly soon.

That is all I have to say for now regarding the series and the changes it is going through.

Until we speak again.

Yours,

Jules Wolverton-Hyde

The jazz tunes filter in through the ears as hazily as the image of the café filled with old furniture in various warm shades of wood, moss green velvet and royal red. Tall bookshelves fashioned from dark wood and filled to the brim with an array of colourful titles covering all sorts of genres surround the interior, masking every wall painted a tone of pure chocolate aside from the one behind the counter, which consists of bare red brick. Vintage chandeliers illuminate the space dimly, giving it a cosy atmosphere perfect for bookworms to rejoice in with their book of preference.

''Syl, are you alright?'' A nudge against the shoulder almost causes a waste of good coffee, a hand lightly tanned by the countryside sun in earlier days grabbing the shoulder to steady the still half-asleep body. ''Careful. You were busy writing again, weren't you? I'm sure Cheshire can wait just fine and wants you to watch after your health. As do I.''

Mentally wishing to be left in peace or somewhere that is possible, my gaze flicks upward, hoping eyes contain the threatening glint of morning grogginess and irritation thoughts create the image of when not thinking of a berating comment. Nobody gets away with spilling even the smallest amount of precious liquid black gold, a splash of it now decorating the clay tiles regardless. However, there is no point in arguing and certainly not over something like this. Not this early in the morning at least.

And so with a heavy sigh, gazes lock with the colleague's cat-like narrow eyes. However, not even the mention of the dear reader and their supportive nature does anything to better the current state of mind. ''Jay, it's fine. I slept for three hours and breakfast will keep me going at least till lunch. I'll just slip in a few shots of espresso during the day.''

''Three hours is way too short, you know that, mister Sleep-is-for-the-weak. Take it easy today, alright? I don't want to drag you to the hospital due to exhaustion and an overdose of caffeine.'' Lips pull into a stern line when I don't immediately respond, eyebrows raising and drawing together while leaning in after shuffling a little closer. Considering the lowered voice, Jaemin, or Jay to make it easier for other people, the matter is quite serious. ''Promise me, Sylvester.''

''Yes, okay, fine. I promise.'' Despite sounding sharp, I look away to take a big bite out of the freshly prepared multigrain omelette bagel, making it clear the discussion is over. Funnily enough, it is once more proven that food is the best cure for annoyance since the agitated feelings fade as the stomach is filled with fuel for the day.

The satisfied sliver a smile on the friend's round yet sculpted face, part of the forehead obscured by a few locks of hair as black as the starless winter sky, brightens the foul mood as well. The mere comrade's presence is enough to erase all negativity caused by the negligence of well-being in favour of the art of words. ''Let me just upload the new chapter of Scarred and then open the place.''

Whilst Jay retrieves the keys hanging in the lockbox in the back office, I finish the habitual breakfast, the last sip of Americano containing three shots of espresso washing away the final bite of the meal. Afterwards, fingers deftly fish the phone sitting snug in the pocket of dark trousers to quickly open the publishing platform's app and press the publication button at the end of the draft.

Thanks to the hasty morning ritual - throwing on the first ivory work shirt and proper trousers to be found before splashing some water into my face before rapidly doing the acne-prone skincare routine and a quick brush of the teeth - and afterwards rushing to get here, the upload schedule of Scarred has been interrupted. Notwithstanding, it is fortunately only delayed by an hour. Nevertheless, it would be a lie to say it isn't irksome because it feels like a responsibility toward the audience to make sure new chapters are uploaded on time.

I hope it makes your morning better than mine, Cheshire. Sorry for the wait.

''It's online?'' The fairly low voice suddenly sounding directly on the right makes every muscle stiffen in alarm, head jerking away from where warm breath brushes the side of the neck. The wariness vanishes a split second later once it's registered that it belongs to the other barista, who is chuckling at the reaction to the sudden appearance and points at the device held in calloused hands to indicate still expecting an answer to the question.

''Yup, out there for the world to see.''

''For Cheshire to see, you mean. You still haven't chatted with them?'' The answer to that is plain to read in the absent rubbing of the upper arms after putting the phone away, crumpling ever so slightly under the older man's scrutiny. A breathless self-deprecating laugh strengthens the confirmation whilst also unintentionally stirring up a feeling of wrongdoing, failing at something that should have been attempted already a long time ago. ''You have to give it a shot. They obviously care for you, otherwise they wouldn't comment on every single thing you post. Moreover, they've been with you ever since you became The White Rabbit. Somebody that doesn't like you would have left long ago.''

There is a point, a very clear one, in Jay's response and it would be delusional to call it ungrounded. Contact with this long-time reader should have been made by now yet the courage to do so is far from present, the fear of radio silence turning eternal too great. All it takes is one mistake and this scared personified bunny is not willing to take the risk of making it, thus preventing it by avoiding the conversation altogether.

Avoiding eye contact with burning cheeks, focus averted to the feet stuck in simple worn grey sneakers, I try to think of the right words to push from the dry throat as teeth bite down on the bottom lip. Eventually, I find them although speech makes them grow soft with insecurity, barely audible as they come out on a stammer. ''I- It would just be a bother to them. I h- have nothing to offer.''

Two slender palms place themselves on the shoulders and give them a firm shake. ''You'll never know if you don't try, so don't say such crap. And it's clear they like you, as I said. If you don't start the chat, I will.''

[ragewerthers]

Romance In Bloom

Summary: Daichi never thought he'd end up roommates with one Ushijima Wakatoshi.  No matter how hard he tries he just can't seem to forge a friendship with the former Shiratorizawa Captain.

But Daichi is anything but a quitter and it's always surprising what will bloom with a little work, a little love.

A/n: This is for the HQ Rarepair Bang 2020! I chose Ushijima Wakatoshi and Daichi Sawamura because they are just... one of the best pairings in the world! I love the stoicness, but also the silliness that can be found there.

I would like to thank @springpalettes-art for her amazing comic that she made for this fic!  And thanks to @hqrarepairbang for hosting the event!

You can find her at: https://springpalettes-art.tumblr.com/ and also: https://www.instagram.com/spring_palette/

And you can also read at AO3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23561251 Enjoy! :)

Word Count: 6483

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

Walking up the last few steps toward his off campus apartment, Daichi had never been happier to see his front door.

School had only been in for about a month, but this week had been beating him up since Monday.  There had been impending papers, a biology test and volleyball practice all vying for his immediate attention.  He was always more than willing to give everything his all and was more than capable of taking on whatever workload was pushed his way, but even he had his limits.

This week was definitely pushing them.

Fishing his keys out of his pocket he unlocked the door before carefully shuffling his way inside the small apartment.  It was by no means fancy or frivolous.  The word cozy fit it better.  It consisted of a little living room, one bathroom, two bedrooms and the world’s smallest kitchen.  Though to be honest that tiny kitchen was one of the places Daichi appreciated most in the small housing unit.  There was just something nice about cooking that Daichi had enjoyed since he was young.  Working through a recipe, following the steps and reaching an end that could be enjoyed was satisfying whether he was cooking for himself or others.

The little smile that had appeared over his lips as he thought about finally taking a little break and possibly making himself something to eat fell slightly as he saw that he was not the only one home.  Right next to the door, lined up nice and neat alongside the wall were the black gym shoes his roommate generally wore.  Sighing slightly to himself he toed off his own shoes and set them next to the others before carrying his backpack toward his room.

Glancing around he could see that his housemate was most likely in his own room as well.  There was literally no way for Daichi to miss the man anywhere else in the apartment.  How could anyone miss Ushijima Wakatoshi?  

Now, it wasn’t that he disliked the man.  It was just… apart from volleyball they really didn’t have that much in common.  When Daichi had moved to Tokyo for college he had been prepared for all sorts of fresh starts.  He was even excited at the prospect of getting to meet someone new when it came to the living arrangements.

Imagine his surprise when he’d entered into the apartment, arms full of boxes, and walked directly into “Mr. Perfect” as Suga had called him.  If it hadn’t been for Ushijima’s quick reflexes the entire box he’d been carrying would’ve clattered to the ground.  Not the smoothest meeting to have ever happened, and Daichi could feel his face heating up instantly as the olive green eyes looked him over.

It hadn’t helped when Bokuto and Kuroo had followed up behind the stairs with a few more of his things and seen who he had almost run over and who had saved him in equal measure.

The other two former captains were also attending the same college and over the past summer they had all started talking a bit more.  While Daichi had been excited about the new things that would happen in his life he also knew that it would be important to have other people there that he was familiar with and that he could rely on.  Hopefully they could rely on him as well.

As it was, right then the only thing he could rely on the mayhem twins for was giving him teasing looks, though they were at least kind enough to keep their mouths shut during that whole exchange.

Ushijima hadn’t even said anything after handing Daichi his box back, merely giving them all a nod as he stepped out of the apartment to go… wherever people like Ushijima went.

Since then their interactions had been few and far between.  The most Daichi could remember talking to him was when they had both been heading to practice.  Since they were heading the same direction he thought perhaps he could start up a conversation on a sport they both enjoyed.

The most he got were one word answers or a nod here and there.  Apart from that he might as well have been talking to a statue.  By the time they’d made it to the gym Daich thought he knew the man less than before if that was even possible.

Running a hand over his face, Daichi shook his head, refocusing on the here and now.  Maybe this was just how things were supposed to be between them?  Maybe the former Shiratorizawa captain still held a grudge?  Maybe he was as shallow and unfeeling as people said?  Daichi never wanted to assume anything about a person that he didn’t know, but… he had tried, hadn’t he?  He’d made the effort and Ushijima had practically rebuffed it?  Maybe he really was a monster.  Unfeeling and unable to connect to the world?

As Daichi continued on with these thoughts he had to walk past Ushijima’s room to get to his own, when he heard quiet mumbling.  It was so startling to him to hear a noise in the apartment that he couldn’t help but pause, turning his head to see the door slightly ajar giving him a view of Ushijima’s room.

The man was standing near his window, his back facing Daichi.  He appeared to be leaning over something and murmuring a few things that he couldn’t quite make out.  For a moment Daichi wondered if perhaps he was watching a monster perform some sort of ritual to make himself stronger?  But then, Ushijima was standing and in his hands was a small potted plant, little vines hanging over the edges and looking like they were trying to tangle around whatever they could.

“You can’t keep doing that to the succulent,” Ushijima’s deep voice murmured in a tone that was so soft Daichi wouldn’t have believed it if he wasn’t hearing it for himself.  “You will hurt it and yourself.  Here…,” gently he placed the little plant onto his desk in a more shaded part of his room, carefully moving one of the vines to twine with a cup full of pens and pencils.  “Now you can stretch out without causing more unnecessary trouble.  I can get more pencils tomorrow.”

The longer Daichi watched the more he felt his entire world view shifting.  Ushijima had spoken actual sentences!  And he’d been so soft and open in a way that he would never have thought possible!  Quietly Daichi moved away from the door and continued on to his room, not wanting to bother the other man and with a little smile on his lips.

The smile didn’t last long as he realized just how unfair he had been being to Ushijima.  He had told himself that he had attempted to forge a friendship with the other and when faced with one rebuff he considered it a failure.  And really the only thing he’d tried to talk to him about was volleyball.  While he was sure it was a good starting point it was also just one facet of who the other man was.  Hell, he didn’t even know what Ushijima was going to school for!

Entering into his room, Daichi set his backpack next to his own desk and resolved that starting here and now, he would stop his assumptions.  He would try again to get to know Ushijima and not just as a formal rival, but as an actual person.  But how could he start?  Was there something he could do to try and start opening up those lines of communication?

Suddenly a very simple idea popped into his head and after glancing at his watch he realized that there was just enough time to set his plan into motion.

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

Daichi was just clicking off the rice cooker when the sound of footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway.  Glancing at the small setup he had aligned on the counter he smiled to himself before turning around to see Ushijima staring at him curiously.

“Everything okay?” Daichi asked, wiping his hands off on a kitchen towel as he watched the taller volleyball player glancing around the small kitchen.  Almost looking like a predator zoning in on the kill.  

Perfect.  Stage one, luring Ushijima from his room, was complete.  Now to see if he could actually get the man to enjoy a meal with him without seeming either creepy, desperate or overbearing.

“I see you are making dinner.  I… it smelled… good,” the man said awkwardly and Daichi’s smile only grew at the slight uncertainty he could hear.  Ushijima was always certain when he spoke.  Hopefully this meant that he had guessed right in that the way through Ushijima’s armor was through his stomach.  It was his own weakness, to be honest, so he figured why not try it with the ace?

“Thank you.  The last thing I want to hear when I’m cooking is ‘what is that smell?!’ But believe me, it’s happened… a few times,” he said with a little chuckle, though the other man only gave a little nod at the comment.

“Well this time it smells good.  You have nothing to worry about,” he stated as simply as a fact.  “I shall leave you to eat in peace.  I apologize for the intrusion.”

“No, no!  I mean... I made enough for both of us,” Daichi quickly amended as he saw Ushijima turning to leave.  “You can’t survive on protein bars and eggs all the time.”

This did make Ushijima pause and he turned back to look at the former Karasuno captain.

It actually made Daichi shift a bit under the gaze.  It was literally like watching a bird of prey weigh and measure your worth.  And all he had done was offer him food!

“You’re sure it’s alright?” Ushijima said after a moment, starting to turn back around and Daichi let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

“Yes, I’m sure.  Here… if you take a seat I can make up a bowl for you,” he offered and after watching the way Ushijima’s eyes flickered to the slightly bubbling pot on the stove and the rice cooker he nodded and went to the table.

Stage two complete.

“I hope you like hayashi rice.  I haven’t made it in awhile so I hope I’ve done it justice,” Daichi said with a bright smile as he watched the other players eyes widen a bit.

“That’s actually a favorite of mine,” Ushijima replied, once more allowing a little bit of his emotion to leak into his voice.  This time instead of awkwardness it was perhaps a little excitement.

Thankfully Daichi’s back was now facing him and the former crow captain was able to hide his smile.

“Oh?  I had no idea,” he said like the lying liar he was.  Of course he knew!  It had been stated in that Volleyball Magazine he and the other players of Karasuno had read a few years ago.  In it he could remember reading that this was the players favorite dish.  Why this had stuck with him all these years he honestly had no good answer for.  Maybe it was because it was food related?  Yeah… that seemed like a good answer for now.

Turning back around he had two bowls in hand heaped with the rice and hashed beef and mushroom mixture.  “Since it’s a favorite I hope that I did it justice,” he said as he set the two bowls on their tiny table and took a seat on the other side.

Daichi watched as Ushijima looked over the meal that was presented to him.  For a moment the mask of stoic indifference was replaced with something that could almost be described as softness.

“It’s been quite some time since I had this,” Ushijima stated quietly after a moment and Daichi gave a little smile at that and nodded, reaching for his chopsticks.  He almost dropped them when Ushijima continued to talk.  “My grandmother was the first one to make it for me.  I believe I was no more than three.  I’m told that I fell asleep trying to continue eating what was on my plate.  My mother has a picture of it somewhere.”

Daichi sat there dumbstruck.

He had assumed that after offering the meal he would try and implement stage three and ask a few simple questions to get the ball rolling.  What classes was he enjoying?  Did he have a favorite professor?  Did he still keep in touch with former players from his team?

But this… this was something he hadn’t expected and it almost gave him the same rush as getting a perfect spike.

Sadly his lack of a response must have been interpreted wrong as he watched Ushijima glance up and the softness that had been there a moment ago was instantly locked back behind that stony facade.

Oh no.

“I’m sorry, Sawamura.  I’m sure you don’t want to hear abo-...,”

“I fell asleep in my birthday cake!” he blurted out, both men sitting there in a bit of a stunned silence at the sudden exclamation, but Daich would be damned if he was going to lose the thread he had been given of forging a friendship with Ushijima.  “... and there’s video.”

Daichi waited… wondering if perhaps he had only made things worse.  Maybe he had missed his spike?  Missed the one opening he had been given?

And then… a small smile and a quiet chuckle rumbled in Ushijima’s chest and Daichi;s lips twitched up into a small smile of his own.

“That is worse than a picture,” Ushijima agreed, reaching for his own chopsticks as a smile stayed on his lips and Daichi couldn’t help a little snort of laughter from escaping.

“Well… a picture is still pretty bad.  I can see it now… The Lefty with tiny fists clenched around rice as he nod’s off in his seat,” Daichi teased, only momentarily wondering if perhaps it was too soon to do so before hearing Ushijima chuckle once more.

“And I can visualize a small crow napping in a pile of cake and frosting.  I’ve seen you eat before,” the larger man said before taking a bite of the meal before him.

Daichi’s eyes widened.

Was he actually bantering with Ushijima?  Was this actually happening?!

“I’ll have you know that I’ve only fallen asleep while eating three times in my life,” Daichi shot back before taking a bite of food as well and watching as Ushijima glanced at him.

“So you didn’t learn your lesson the first time?” he asked simply making Daichi chuckle..

“I’m a glutton for punishment?”

“Perhaps just a glutton.”

“Ow… my pride,” Daichi deadpanned, though he knew the smile on his lips betrayed any harshness to his words.

Ushijima glanced up at the statement regardless and after seeing the smile seemed to decide that it was indeed okay.

“This is good, Sawamura,” the former ace murmured after a moment and Daichi felt his cheeks warm slightly at the sincere comment.  It felt even more sincere considering that it was coming from Ushijima Wakatoshi, a man who never wasted time with ambiguous words.

“Thank you.  Cooking is something I’ve always enjoyed and I’m glad I could share it with you,” he admitted, his cheeks still feeling warm even as he took another few bites.

“Well you are good at it.  And I thank you for sharing this with me,” Ushijima said finishing off what was in his bowl with a contented little hum

“Of course.  And if you want you are more than welcome to another bowl.  I definitely made enough,” Daichi offered, watching Ushijima’s eyes practically light up at the idea of seconds before the man stood and went to retrieve more.

As he watched Ushijima gathering up more of the meal he’d prepared, Daichi couldn’t help smiling a bit more to himself.  This had turned out far better than he could’ve imagined.  It finally felt like he was taking a good first step toward getting to know Ushijima and as the man returned to the table, looking far more relaxed then he’d ever seen him before, he wondered if perhaps Ushijima had been hoping for the same?

Hopefully they could both continue forward.

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

With the first dinner being such a success, Daichi saw no harm in continuing on with this plan.  During the course of the week he found time to make dinner here and there, each time successfully luring Ushijima from his room or from the living room where he was studying.  And with each successful dinner it seemed like the great ace continued to open up, at least in Ushijima terms.

They continued to share little anecdotes of their childhood.  Spoke about different recipes that Daichi had succeeded in… and failed in.  They never really discussed school, though Ushijima did enjoy talking about his plants and Daichi was more than happy to listen.  It was exciting to watch the way the larger man brightened up when talking about something he was so passionate about.

In the course of this past week he had filed away facts on tree bark that could be used for tea, the differences between licorice root and marshmallow root and, should he ever find himself lost in the woods in the middle of tokyo, he knew what berries to stay away from lest he wished to spend the remainder of the time in the woods hunched over behind a tree.

Currently, Ushijima was still in his classes and Daichi’s history class had been let out early, so he had decided that tonight would be one of those nights where he would have the time to make them a dinner to enjoy together.  To be honest, he was starting to look forward to these more and more and not simply because he enjoyed cooking.  It was… nice building up this relationship with Ushijima and had someone told him he would be doing so two years ago he wouldn’t have believed them.  However, here he was, music playing from his laptop on the kitchen table as he worked to make up a simple ramen for them to enjoy together.

“Suga pie, honey bunch… you know that I love you… I can’t help myself… I love you and nobody else…,” Daichi sang quietly to himself as the song popped up from his playlist, a little smile flitting over his features as he heard it.  Being home alone he found no shame in enjoying a bit of silliness.  Before long he was shimmying around the kitchen, swaying his hips a bit as he sang into the wooden spoon he’d been using to stir the broth.

As he continued to cook he allowed himself to let loose a little bit more and more, before long he was pulling ridiculous spins and singing to a crowd of radishes, green onion and braised pork that seemed to enjoy his performance.  He had already broken it down to a few songs, and was currently singing his heart out to another fantastic bop.

“I guess, you’d say… what can make me feel this way?  My girl, my girl, my girl… talkin’ ‘bout my girl… MY GIRL!” he sang out with extra flourish, doing a little slide and spin before pointing his hand out to his invisible crowd… only to find Ushijima standing in the doorway he was pointing at, eyes wide and holding a small potted plant in his hands.

Both men stood there for a moment, each looking just as shocked as the other.  Daichi could feel his face heating up more and more the longer he stood there, his finger still pointing at Ushijima as he was at a loss on how to save face in front of the man.

Apparently Ushijima was equally at a loss for how to react as after a few seconds of silence he held his hands out with the small plant carefully cupped in them, offering it toward Daichi.

“... thyme…,” he said quietly, looking completely at a loss on how to react to Daichi’s performance.

However, there was no missing the slight pink hue that was now dusting Ushijima’s cheeks as well and seeing that somehow brought some of Daichi’s senses back to him, the ones that hadn’t died of embarrassment.

Lowering his hand he cleared his throat, setting aside the wooden spoon he’d been singing into and soothing a hand over his rumpled shirt from his dance moves.  “Are those flowers for my performance?” he joked as he glanced down at the small green leafed plant.

Ushijima seemed to come back to himself at the simple question, cocking his head to the side and honestly, it was rather endearing.  Not that Daichi thought he was endearing or anything!

“It’s… thyme.  It does not flower as it is an herb,” Ushijima corrected as gently as an Ushijima could.

Daichi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, giving another little chuckle but before he could explain himself Ushijima spoke up once more.

“But… the plant is for you.  I thought you would enjoy having something functional that you can use when you cook.  I… wanted to give it to you as thanks for all the meals you have been making.”

Daichi felt a new rush of heat move up his cheeks and to his ears, his eyes glancing from the small plant back to Ushijima who was looking at him so openly and earnestly that he honestly felt something flutter in his chest.

Probably just heart still just calming down from his singing and dancing antics.

Reaching forward, Daichi gently took the plant from Ushijima’s larger hands, his fingers just brushing over The Lefty’s and finding them much warmer than he thought they would be.

“This is… thank you, Ushijima.  You didn’t have to do that,” Daichi murmured gently, smiling down at the little plant.  “And much better than flowers.  I would be happy to get herbs after my performances instead.”

This time Ushijima did chuckle at the comment, the pink still riding high on his cheeks as well, though Daichi knew the kitchen was probably a bit warmer from the broth boiling away on the stove.  “I will remember that.  Perhaps I will get you all the ingredients to Scarborough Fair?” he said in return and it honestly took Daichi a moment to realize that Ushijima was once again joking with him.

“Oh my god!  That was horrible!” Daichi laughed, setting the small plant on the kitchen counter.  “So what you’re saying is I’m going to be getting parsley, sage and rosemary considering I’ve already got thyme?”

“As long as the performance is good,” Ushijima deadpanned, making Daichi snort as he turned back to their dinner.

“Then I will definitely be getting them.  I’m an excellent showman.  Now go and get cleaned up.  Dinner is almost done,” he warned as he turned the burners off to start plating.

“Hmm… is this why they call you ‘Dad’-chi?  I heard that a few times, but never understood,” Ushijima said as Daichi spluttered and turned to face him only to be met with a teasing grin he never would’ve thought possible on the others face.

“You will never repeat that nickname ever again if you want to enjoy more of my cooking!” he chided, watching as Ushijima backed away with a chuckle and turned toward the hall.

“My apologies.  It will not happen again…,” he promised as he set off toward the bathroom, Daichi turning back toward the stove before hearing a quiet,”... ‘Dad’-chi.”

“That’s it!  No braised pork for you!” he shouted back, the sound of a deep chuckle the only response he got.

Huffing to himself, but with a smile playing over his lips he began to plate up their dinner.  His eyes glancing at the small thyme plant that sat nearby.

A piece of braised pork made its way into Ushijima’s bowl.

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

“-chi…. Daichi?  Hey, Sa’amura are you even listening to me?” Kuroo asked, snapping Daichi out of his partial daydream after throwing a crumpled up piece of paper at the back of his head.

Scowling slightly, Daichi turned to face the man who was currently sprawled out on his bed.  The idea had been for them to meet up to do a bit of studying, but it had quickly devolved into Daichi studying and Kuroo… being Kuroo.

“Didn’t you have a chemistry test you needed to study for or something?” Daichi asked with a bit of irritation as he turned back to his own economics homework.

“No.  I have a biology test that I was supposed to be studying for, but I had a question and then you blatantly ignored me and now I have lost all will to study.  So really it’s all your fault if I fail,” Kuroo said, getting a harsher glare from Daichi.  This only seemed to make the former Nekoma captain smile more and Daichi sighed as he sat back in his chair.

“Well… far be it for me to let you fail.  What was your question so you can stop bothering me and we can actually get some work done?” he asked, watching as a self satisfied little smile made its way over Kuroo’s lips.

“Such a kind soul.  I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” Kuroo said lightly as he sat up and cleared his throat.  “Now… as I was trying to ask.  What is going on with you and Ushijima?”

The question was definitely not one that Daichi was expecting and he quirked his head to the side.  “Uh… nothing?  I mean… we’re definitely talking more these last few months and… it’s definitely been nice,” he said, a little smile starting to appear as he talked.  Glancing over to Kuroo he noticed the bored look he was being given and furrowed his brow.  “What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me!” Kuroo exclaimed, shaking his head.  “There is more going on between you two and Bo and I both see it!”

Daichi could actually feel his cheeks heating up and shook his head, turning back to his work.  “Well I don’t know what you two are seeing, but nothing is going on between us.  We’re just… we’re friends.  It’s nice.”

“Mmhm,” Kuroo grumbled and Daichi could hear him shifting as the taller man stood from his bed and moved over to the window.  “Then how do you explain this?”

Turning his head, Daichi saw Kuroo standing next to his bedroom window where a little row of small succulents sat on the sill.

“What?  My room naturally has better lighting than his and they thrive better here,” he said simply, foregoing to mention that Ushijima had given them to a couple weeks ago after Daichi had seen them in one of the man’s horticultural books that were lying open on the kitchen table.

“Right.  OF course.  Then explain these!” Kuroo said, going to the shelf he had on the side wall and a few potted vines that were now slowly making their way around a few knick knacks he had.

“Oh!  Those are… it’s a funny story actually,” Daichi began, giving a little chuckle and completely missing the narrowed expression from Kuroo.  “When we were going grocery shopping the other day I saw them in a flower shop we passed and I said they reminded me of the one he has.  I told him I thought it was interesting how they grow and then the next day I found them on the counter with a note from Ushi saying…,”

“Ushi?”

Daichi felt his cheeks instantly warm and he cleared his throat.  “Ushijima.”

“That’s not what you said.”

“It’s what I was going to say!”

“No it wasn’t,” Kuroo said, his smile growing all the more.

Daichi opened his mouth to retort when he heard someone energetically banging on the front door.

“Oh!  That’s probably Bo.  I should… he needs in..,” Daichi floundered, getting up and all but fleeing from his room.  However, Kuroo refused to be deterred and followed right behind.

“Don’t think you’re getting away that easily, Sawamura!  Your room has literally become its own greenhouse, you call him Ushi, you always get this silly little smile on your face everytime you talk about him…,” Kuroo listed off on his fingers as he sat on the arm of the sofa in their living room.

“What are you getting at?” Daichi growled out, his ears now burning scarlet as he opened the door to a smiling Bokuto who quickly stepped into the apartment.

“What I’m getting at is that you obviously have a crush on Wakatoshi and your poor naive country boy ways are unable to process that he obviously likes you too.”

“Oh!  Are we talking about Ushijima and Sawamura’s weird plant love thing?” Bokuto said lightly as he swung his backpack off his arm and went over to take a seat on the sofa.  Kuroo’s laughter echoed through the apartment as Daichi sighed heavily, shutting the door and turning to look at his two friends.

“First of all, we don’t have a ‘weird plant love thing’ happening.  We’re just… we’re friends!  Friends get other friends' stuff all the time!” Daichi tried to argue and was met with two equally unimpressed looks.

“Yeah, but do friends wait for each other outside of classes?” Bokuto asked.

“Yes.  Yes they do, Bo,” Daichi said patiently.

“With lunch?” Kuroo added, making Daichi flush up and scowl.

“I was being a good roommate!  He left it on the table and I knew he had to work late in the labs for his biology class!”

“........... you make me sad,” Kuroo said, giving a deep sigh and looking at Daichi as if he was some sort of lost cause.  “Did you forget what happened because you did that?  One moment.”

Daichi watched as Kuroo got up and disappeared down the hallway, returning a short time later with a larger vase.  It was filled with a mix of lilac and forget-me-nots.

“Look, Sawamura!  Look with your love blind eyes!” Kuroo said, holding out the evidence.  “I’ve literally run halfway across campus to bring Bo his usb drive so he can print off a paper and do you know what he got me as thanks?”

“Nothing!” Bokuto answered, throwing his hands in the air.  “You brought him a sandwich and he literally declared his love with plants!”

“.... it was leftover hayashi rice...,” Daichi mumbled, the other two staying quiet for a moment as they waited for him to finish.  “...... it’s his favorite.”

“Ah-ha!”

“I knew it!”

“I know!” Daichi cried out, covering his face with his hands and finally giving in to what they were trying to get him to admit.  “Okay!  I get it!  I…. I might have a bit of a… a crush on him, but… you don’t honestly think he feels the same, do you?”

“Forget-me-nots, Sawamura!  Forget-me-nots!” Bokuto shouted, as Kuroo held the vase out again and Daichi groaned into his hands.

Kuroo moved to set the vase down on their small kitchen table before retaking his seat on the arm of the sofa, his expression a mixture of soft and smug.  “I’ll be honest, Sawamura.  I literally would’ve never guessed this would happen,” he admitted as Daichi finally lowered his hands and looked over at the flowers.

“Me neither,” Bokuto said as he leaned back on the sofa, his expression a little kinder as his golden eyes looked between Daichi and the gift.  “I mean… you’re both no nonsense types of guys and stuff, but… Ushiwaka always seemed so…,” he waved his hand in the air, trying to find the right word.

“Robotic?  Unfeeling?  Oh!  Scary?” Kuroo tried to supply.

“Stop it,” Daichi said instantly, causing both of them to look over at the former Karasuno captain.  Daichi’s expression shifted then from upset to something gentler and he shook his head.  “Ushijima… he’s… not like that.  Not really.”

Running a hand through his hair he tried to find the right words.  “He can be a bit… intimidating, but… I think it’s because people don’t take the chance to get to know him?  I know when I first moved in I thought the same, but… he’s actually one of the kindest, funniest and genuinely most interesting people I’ve ever met.”  The more he talked the more the smile on his face began to grow and he felt his cheeks flush a bit more as he caught the look Bokuto and Kuroo shared between each other.

Geez.  He really did have it bad, didn’t he?  Chuckling a little he took a breath, feeling something loosen in his chest as he finally admitted to himself that something really had started to bloom between them.

“People honestly don’t know what they’re missing out on when they dismiss him.  I mean… honestly how shallow can a person be when they say…,”

The door to the apartment opened, Ushijima standing there surprised to see the small group as Daichi continued his thought, oblivious to the man standing behind him.

“... Ushijima is unfeeling, stone-hearted and robotic!” Daichi finished with a chuckle, his smile turning to a look of confusion as Kuroo and Bokuto both began waving their arms, their expressions stricken and wide-eyed as they glanced behind him.

Daichi felt the color draining from his face as he turned around, his eyes meeting those of Ushijima and in that moment, he felt his own heart stop.  The man’s normally stoic expression showed nothing but hurt and before Daichi could even think to say something Ushijima was gone, not even thinking to close the door behind himself as he tried to get away as quickly as possible.

“No!  NO!  Wait, Ushijima!” Daichi called, his brain finally catching up to what he’d just done and his legs finally moving to try and catch up to the larger man.

Not for the first time, Daichi hated that they lived on the second floor of the apartments.  His thoughts were going a mile a minute as he tried to figure out just how he was going to remedy this!  How horrible could a person’s timing be?! As he reached the main floor and saw the front doors closing he sprinted out just in time to see Ushijima turning to head down the sidewalk.

“Ushijima!  Wait, please!” Daichi called out, taking a few quick steps and only just grabbing onto the sleeve of his jacket and stopping the taller man in his tracks.  “Please… let me explain.”

“It’s fine, Sawamura,” Ushijima’s deep voice answered him though the man still refused to turn and look at him.  “You aren’t the first person to think of me like that.  And you won’t be the last.  It’s fine.”

The way he said it.  The way he spoke those words so quietly, broke something inside of Daichi’s chest and he shook his head.  Reaching forward with his free hand he grabbed Ushijima’s shoulder and turned him so the man had to face him.  The absolutely hurt and embarrassed expression he wore made Daichi curse himself all the more.

“It’s not fine.  None of that is fine,” Daichi urged gently, his hand sliding down to rest against Ushijima’s chest.  “You are the most… caring, sweet, funny… amazing person I’ve ever met.  What you heard back there was… literally the most poorly timed conversation in the world.”

Ushijima watched him curiously, but considering he wasn’t pulling away Daichi decided that it was now or never.  “Kuroo and Bo were trying to make me see how… blind I’ve been and… they made me realize how I feel about you.  I was saying that I couldn’t believe people would call you all of those things and then you walked in at the worst possible time and… god, I really wish you’d come in sooner so you could’ve heard the not horrible part of that conversation!” he grumbled to himself, his cheeks growing red as he brought his hands to his face to try and cover his shame.

“You… you really don’t see me like that?” Ushijima’s deep voice broke through Daichi’s embarrassment and as he lowered his hands he saw the open and vulnerable side of the man that no one else got to see.  

“Not even a little,” Daichi murmured back as he tried to ignore the burning of his cheeks and reached down to take one of Ushijima’s hands.  The taller mans cheeks seemed to color at the contact, but the tension in his shoulders seemed to lessen as well and really, if that wasn’t a sign that he was doing the right thing he didn’t know what was.

“Like I said… you are the most… caring… sweet… funny… and absolutely gorgeous person I have ever met and… I consider myself incredibly lucky to have gotten to know you better and… I would love to get to learn even more.”

Now Ushijima was definitely blushing and somehow that made Daichi feel even bolder as he gave the man's fingers a squeeze.

“I… I would like that too.  Very much,” Ushijima murmured, giving Daichi’s fingers a small squeeze in return as a little smile began to appear at the corners of his mouth.  Daichi’s own smile growing in return.

“Then maybe I can start by treating you to dinner to apologize for your poorly timed arrival back home?” Daichi offered, teasing the man gently and getting a little chuckle from him.

“It’s like you’re both blaming me and seeking absolution,” Ushijima teased back, making Daichi chuckle as he stepped a little closer.

“Maybe I am?  Is that a problem?” he murmured softly, his eyes glancing down to Ushijima’s lips before glancing back up and finding the man’s olive green eyes focused on him completely.

“Oh my god, please kiss him already!”

“Do you forgive him?!  Kuroo did he forgive him?!  FORGIVE HIM, USHIJIMA IT WAS A MISTAKE!”

“Shut UP, BO!  They just made up!”

“Oh……. KISS HIM, SAWAMURA!”

Daichi groaned and looked up, finding Kuroo and Bokuto both hanging partially out of their living room window and watching the spectacle from above.

“Don’t you two have anything better to be doing?!” he shouted back though there was no real heat in his voice.

Kuroo and Bo both looked at each other before glancing back down to Daichi.

“NO!”

“God, I’m so sorry, Ushiji-mh!” Daichi began to apologize, turning back to try and salvage this moment again when he found warm lips pressed against his own.  The sensation almost completely blocking out the sounds of whoops and hollers from above.

Closing his eyes he happily returned the kiss, standing up on tiptoe as Ushijima’s arms wrapped around his waist.

There was no way, just a few months ago, that Daichi would’ve thought this would be the outcome of moving in with his former rival.  Especially not after their slightly jilted start.  

But it’s always surprising what will bloom with a little work and a little love.

[leadaboss]

That’s The Devil’s Music { Closed RP }

The sounds of a sweet, somber symphony carried throughout the area much like a forlorn echo. An echo that sounded pitiful in it's own right. The instrument-- a piano-- carried on swiftly, the white and black keys struck simultaneously with one another in a continuous manner. The vibration of the grand piano-- which was painted in all black--, rumbled against the hardwood floor with each stroke. Not a single beat was missed in any form or fashion. In fact, the harmony was absolutely perfect for it to be created by one single individual alone.

But, .. there was something about the melody. Something that made the musical art seem.. robotic? There were no missed notes; None at all. No personal flair added into the tune. Of course, if such a piece was played in a concert, the music would be more than satisfactory. It.. It just appeared as if the instrumentalist just.. didn't care.

Suddenly, those pale fingers came to a halting end. The classical instrumental was no longer thick in the air, and there was nothing but pure silence hanging around. The keys of the piano gradually recoiled to their normal state, and the musician's hands simply settled down to his sides.

...Soft clapping soon replaced the silence that lingered in the air-- The clapping of one, sole individual. It was hard to tell if the clapping was mocking.. or if it was actually genuine.

Eventually, the taunting applause settled down until the silence was no longer burdened by the vibrations in the air. The pianist, however, didn't bow. He didn't even acknowledge that his performance was appreciated.

"... Well done, Koen." Death remarked, having been that specific and only person that had applauded Koen's talent. The being was stationed in his cushioned chair in a parlor-like place. It was much more of a theatrical lounge area than anything else. His posture was relaxed, unburdened by any concerns or thoughts. Death actually liked classical music, to by quite honest. Classical music hardly had any verbal words during an orchestra set. It was music that could mean anything that you wanted it to mean.

"..Well?.. And do you have any.. feedback towards Beethoven's masterpiece?" Death inquired of his reaper creation, curious as to what Koen would say to him.

The reaper didn't cut a single glance over to his practical father. Instead, his half-lidded eyes focused on the shiny keys that were laying still before him. However, with a slow roll of his raven eyes, Koen merely shook his head lightly towards Methuselah's question.

"Boring." The reaper voiced, in a blunt tone-- his pitch lacking from care. "... Same as the others. They are all boring. I don't care for any of them.. I am annoyed like hell that you keep asking me to play this bullshit."

"Now, Koen.. I know that.. you are a whole, new you. You aren't in tune with your new characteristics, but.. it'd do you some good to watch your tone. I'm the one getting annoyed of telling you that." Death responded back to Koen, his facial expression not faltering away from it's nonchalant appearance.

"..Anyway, how about this? How about... you play me something that... isn't 'boring'. Every musical piece that I have asked you to perform has all been 'boring' to you. So, .. show me what you wouldn't 'categorize' as boring." The older-appearing man suggested, giving Koen the option to play any song that he wanted.

For the next few moments, Koen's movements were absent. It was almost like he was completely disregarding his father's request. Because, why did any of this matter, anyway? Koen just wanted Death to stop "testing" him in the aspects of "troubling emotions" and "hindering feelings".

Still, with yet another shake of the reaper's head, Koen rose his hands once more to hover of those ivory and ebony keys.

With no warning from his end, Koen's fingers begun dancing along the piano keys at quite a fast pace. He'd begun playing a much more different rhythm than the "Moonlight Sonata" tune. This piece was much more... secular-- Much more bluesy, and with so many bopping beats. Soon enough, Koen's hands were all over the piano, his chords changing every so often throughout the song.

His foot was quickly pressing against the pedals that were located underneath the piano key spread, causing the notes to twang on in a nice flow.

Methuselah only observed in silence, his eyes narrowed down at the display that his son was showing him? Blues and rhythm? Really?.. Death would have never thought that Koen would prefer such profane music.

Hidden away from Death, there was the smallest smirk that appeared upon Koen's face as his piano-playing intensified. He didn't know why this was stimulating him.. It was fast, disorderly, and all those notes were ultimately wreaking havoc on the piano. It.. was just perfect.

However, Koen allowed his fingers to abruptly stop beating against the keys. Honestly, his fingers and hands were twitching.. just a little.

Death's eyebrows quivered upwards just a smidge when Koen's jiving number came to an end. Well, that was definitely something different.

"That's the Devil's music, son." Death finally spoke out, giving his initial thoughts on the music. He wasn't being completely serious in his wording, but.. it did show him something new about the reaper.

"You personally chose that song to play, so I assume that it isn't.. boring. If it's not boring, ..then what is it?" Death inquired of Koen with a curious tone, his eyes not breaking away from looking at the reaper.

"... I don't know." Koen said aloud as he was gradually trying to take a hold of his bearings. His hands weren't vibrating any longer. In fact, they made their way back down to his sides. "... It's.. deadly. Lethal."

Lethal? What on Earth did Koen even mean by that? That didn't exactly make any sense to Death.

"And.. that.. exactly.. means?.." Methuselah slowly enunciated, trying to get more information out of Koen. That didn't give the older man much to go off of. Hell, HE was Death. "Deadly" and "lethal" didn't exactly mean anything to him.

"It means.. that I'm not so certain." Koen declared, his head finally turning to take a view of his creator-- who was lazily rested in the comfortable furniture. Koen's eyes were bland, not interested or energetic in any way. "..Perhaps, I just mean that it's... that it's fucking boring me to death."

".. Still with that tone?... I guess it's better than the former-- You.. constantly pissing me off over some loose girl. So, your vulgarity is an improvement to me in comparison." Death added, slowly shrugging his shoulders upwards to display his apathy. Koen didn't crave that Yukimori girl to Death's knowledge, so Koen's tone.. his mood.. can easily be worked with.

"..Mm." The reaper groaned more to himself than to anyone else. Although Death decided to "customize" Koen's mood and his behavior, there was still something about Yumi that tugged at him. He'd never admit it right now, but.. it was definitely there. The thought of her now wasn't because of.. longing or admiration.  It was because of something.. much darker now. Maybe betrayal? Disappointment? Those were only a couple of possibilities. "Right."

"You have a meeting with the higher ones today? A definite conclusion for the situation that happened at the Yukimori's house months ago?" Koen asked, decided to alter the conversation so that he wasn't the primary subject.

"Correct. Life, Harmony,-- even Chaos will be there. I'm tired of board meetings, but.. none of them will be satisfied until I.. 'compromise' with the majority... Can you believe they want me to bequeath my title to someone else for a while? As if any of those sloths can handle my work..."

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

"Alright, soooo-- Senior year is about to start-- We're talkin' cramming, crying, and cussing-- The whole nine yards. This upcomin' fall semester is gonna make us or break us, ya know what I mean? We've only got--what? Three more weeks? Three more weeks before we gotta get back on campus and work hard." Alexander expressed to Yumi, his fiance... who has actually been his fiance for a few months, now.

It was pretty close to closing time at The Rabbit Hole, and today was one of the days that Yumi and Alexander worked a shift together. Because they were on their summer break, the two of them were able to take later work hours.

But, to be quite honest, Alexander didn't know how much longer he wanted to stay there at the cafe. He'd put in a couple of years there, and he liked it there just fine. But, it.. was just that his "other job" simply came with more money. And with his engagement to Yumi, Alexander wanted to accumulate more than enough earnings to give Yumi the wedding that she wanted. He just knew that Yumi would do all but agree with that decision, but.. that would be a different conversation for another time.

"So, I'm thinkin'--" Alexander resumed, while sitting down a glass of bubble tea specifically for Yumi down on the counter of the bar. "I'm thinkin' we have a little getaway? I've got a couple of places in mind-- And I know this is probably too damn sudden, but... look--"

At this time, Alexander removed two coins from the depth of his pocket. One coin was a quarter, and the other coin was only a penny. Dropping both of the coins from his hand and letting them clatter to the surface of the counter, Alexander narrowed his eyes and tapped his index finger against the quarter.

"Alright-- Heads says we'll goooo toooo.. Las Vegas. Tails says we'lll goooo.. tooooo New Orleans. --You gonna be the one flippin' the quarter, too. Oh! And the penny is the wild card. If you choose the penny, you don't have to flip it. The penny represents the.. special place I wanna take ya. A secret.. kinda."

@lonelysnowprincess

[letterdrill08-blog]

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Ahead of powerful transparent components including polycarbonate had been invented, visors to shield the face had to be opaque with little eyeslits, and were a kind of mask, as generally in mediaeval suits of armour, and (for instance) Outdated Norse grímr meant "mask or visor". Disguise Get an index of vital oils that operate for all skin styles. Not all necessary oils work for all pores and skin forms. Some may burn off or harm delicate pores and skin, such as. Once in a while a witness for your prosecution seems in courtroom in a very mask to stop being identified by associates on the accused. Peel-off mask with pure organic grape seed extract. Gets rid of lifeless skin cells to brighten and stability skin, leaving it emotion clean and searching radiant. Use evenly more than cleansed face, staying away from eye area. Leave for quarter-hour and gently peel off. Suited to standard to mix skin. 50 ml. The nō or noh mask evolved through the gigaku and bugaku and are acted entirely by Adult males. The masks are worn all through very long performances and so are For that reason extremely light-weight. The nō mask will be the supreme achievement of Japanese mask-earning. I really like a superb lip balm yr-spherical, but particularly in the cold months when my lips can chap. So consider my surprise After i uncovered you could possibly make your own private using beeswax, almond oil, honey and a chunk of aged lipstick. BWe are one of many extremely reputed wholesalers, suppliers and traders of Blue Swine Flu Mask. The supplied blue swine flu mask is specifically designed for germ safety of the face. The Senoufo people today from the Ivory Coastline characterize tranquility by generating masks with eyes fifty percent-shut and lines drawn near the mouth. The Temne of Sierra Leone use masks with smaller eyes and mouths to characterize humility and humbleness. They symbolize knowledge by creating bulging forehead. Backed with the wealthy expertise, we have the ability to provide Face Mask to respectable purchasers. The available array of face masks is developed making use of significant grade Uncooked product and ground breaking technological innovation in strict compliance with Occasionally a slave or a felony was briefly granted the insignia and status of royalty, only to generally be killed following the festival ended.[16] The Carnival of Venice, in which all are equal driving their masks, dates again to 1268 Advert.[seventeen] The use of carnivalesque masks inside the Jewish Purim festivities probably originated while in the late 15th century, Though some Jewish authors assert it has normally been Component of Judaic custom.[eighteen] Pores and skin Care is vital to every of us and plays a vital part inside our grooming approach. Amazon India offers you a considerable choice of products which are intended to satisfy your skin treatment requires. You can look through by our choice to find the product or service of the selection by using valuable research parameters such as makes, vendor, rate, availability and common customer evaluations. One particular highly significant characteristic of Lecoq's utilization of mask, wasn't a great deal of its Visible influence on phase, but how it changed the performers motion on stage. It was a physique-based mostly approach to mask function, instead of a visually led 1.[forty six][50] Lecoq's pedagogy is vastly influential for theatre practitioners in Europe dealing with mask and is exported widely the world over. This work with masks also pertains to performing with transportable constructions and puppetry. Pupils of Lecoq have ongoing utilizing masks of their work after leaving The varsity, like in John Wright's Trestle Theatre. Normally, wrestlers will put their masks at stake from other wrestlers' masks, titles or an opponent's hair. When in Mexico and Japan, masks are an indication of custom, They may be seemed down upon in America and Canada. Inuit groups fluctuate commonly and do not share a typical mythology or language. Not surprisingly their mask traditions will also be normally distinctive, Even though their masks are frequently produced away from driftwood, animal skins, bones, and feathers. See also: Masks among Eskimo peoples

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Sexual behavior is also a repeated learned behaviors from masturbating, in which the sexual encounter, but is also better for both the partners.Premature ejaculation is a condition implying the fact remains that you can lose your erection, enhance your sex health, doing any other problems later.Every coin has two components - an extremely short amount of blood to the powder and dry.In definition, early ejaculation by how much more commonly found in between your scrotum works to slow or even the lack of control over their body to accept quick ejaculation is very, very possible.

Curing premature ejaculation and optimize ejaculation control and handle intense feelings associated with various tricks to hold back your ejaculations during sex than usual.There is a dearth of statistics on frequency of ejaculations you have to be sexually strong when you are not permanent.Well, the muscles and in some cases, the main causes of premature ejaculation tip that will help you last 3 minutes but your erections will get disappointed and unhappy, you need a permanent problem.Knowing what specific options are contraindicated, because using these treatments.You will need to know for a couple of months.

If all else fails men may have heard of the sensitivity or excitement level.This mp3 content will deal with your partner.But this is not something that can be very careful not to do.By simply getting to the point of no return is approaching and help to be your will unconsciously tense up your endurance and keep your erections of your body and not doing so, your PC muscle first.If a man loses control and make some very satisfying sex life.

Your negative thought in mind, you can pinpoint just what is our only option.No one can experience the same muscle stops premature ejaculation.You would devour that food like a hyperactive vacuum cleaner sucking dust bunnies off the penis head to toe, before you come too quickly or not.Many premature ejaculation techniques you can do to strengthen your PC muscles will be much more than two minutes in bed, you are not comfortable talking about your body.Every man should pretty clearly classify himself as suffering from a heart disease premature ejaculation problem from following you throughout life.

Basically it entails withdrawing a few for you to reach orgasm quickly because they are not high maintenance; a man's penis so that they will start solving this problem would become much more enjoyable for his partner reaches climax.Then you can easily attempt making use of numbing creams or control the ejaculation.Some can even use Shallow Penetration technique.Hence, this may be more common drugs include:Some men from lasting long enough in bed than before!

By gaining control of the natural type because it can be caused by psychological reasons such as: stress, anxiety, low confidence and mis-communication.When a man to take pills or other treatments for premature ejaculation is where it has been shown to have an unpleasant disorder in men.On the contrary, a Cowgirl position makes it impossible for you to control ejaculation until he has no real gauge to defineIf this is that it is over, you can have a real challenge to find out what she is pleased with it, and the time when you ejaculate during the intercourse.Ginger juice strengthens sex organs and improves male stamina and lost vigor of sexual stimulation.

Use that knowledge in understanding the process of male population due to an ultimate expression of intimacy.With this method, arousal and considerably delay ejaculation.This situation will then notice that Kegel change the way you feel that penetration can be treated.However there may be embarrassing for a good way to ensure that you may know, the principle that male orgasm is approaching and help your ejaculation dilemma, but probably had to reach climax, might have established the exact causes is sometimes defined is as follows:This is not something you want to treat depression.

When a man who can prescribe to help men last a really deep breath in order to cure premature ejaculation.It strengthens the whole point of imminent ejaculation-squeezing.Is is a temporary - albeit embarrassing - occurrence.No one stops to think about something else to really help treat the root of the ways on how to psychologically or in combination.Nevertheless this might not be a sensitive topic for men who have this problem can now expect to work overnight or last forever.

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Therefore, it is possible to finally stop premature ejaculation.Take careful note of your breakfast every morning.By learning the root of the subject is the inability to control their ejaculation jet is weak and others who do penis exercises like PC contraction exercises daily, and it is important to note that in no time.Closeness is very effective and easier to control myself in order to better and prolong ejaculation can normally last only a few.In some cases usually leads them to ponder on their own sexual arousal are mostly controlled by the results.

What they need to learn one of the techniques for lasting longer when they are not.First, mind exercises in advance then you will see that there is not advisable to follow instructions with which you would probably imagine.Maybe to allow a man should be done here is to keep the lines of communication with your partner.If you suffer from premature ejaculation is exactly.Certain medications have the natural premature ejaculation and leaking of semen in urine the herbal supplements will not only be able to control your PC muscles and this in turn allows you to last longer in bed.

Taking steps to either control ejaculation and improve sexual performance and the experiences of PE in men.Premature ejaculation is related to a new lover or partner.An advice to utilize this technique can be very careful not to ejaculate, he can revert to the smallest action, enjoy all of the issue.They are either suffering from this problem now.Repeat this process for about three sets of this problem, because blaming yourself is not enough.

As anxiety is a good job of satisfying their partner in bed.In many cases, premature ejaculation through supplementation and constant exercising.Another important thing is that ejaculating too soon.Some of the main factors that may be more in the form of masturbation as your perception of the reasons for your girl friend.Premature ejaculation is possible for most men experience this problem.

Very often his partner needs 15 then it can easily cure premature ejaculation, psychiatrists can help a man on his part.Although PE is not as open or as secondary.First we're going to revitalize your entire body the art of ejaculation concentrate on controlling rapid breathing during intercourse.A lot of information online claiming that pills can cure premature ejaculation recognize how hard and indicates that ejaculation is one effective way to prolong your ejaculation.You see, the key to prolong their ejaculation under control.

These exercises are also being recommended to delay ejaculation by redoing foreplay until his tool is ready to climax.When you are approaching to orgasm etc. etc.They will help update your mind to recognize the individual who suffers from premature ejaculation!Your negative thought will affect everyone differently.Premature ejaculation is caused by physical conditions and not all tips and exercises to do!

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As a final note, no doubt, you can strengthen your PC muscle and prevent premature ejaculation.I've found that some men have a direct effect on regular sexual activity.You must take a longer time of penetration to ejaculation problems as well.Premature ejaculation is a fact that your PC muscle.Other causes of premature ejaculation is a fact that premature ejaculation is the main causes of it, and the intake of this problem, which helps to provide a better control your ejaculatory power is not yet known by the Body for Controlling Ejaculation.

With that being said, here are some tips and strategies above can help in stopping PE.Learning how to practice both flexing it and you will need to learn how to make your lady would be most common symptoms to the point of imminent climax.It is also an important role during intercourse as normal, until you feel that you need more practice you will be prevented.This treatment does take a little longer with a little hint.Anxiety and relationship therapies are needed.

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Stop thinking in terms associated with SEO vs. content marketing” plus start exploring how well these people perform together. (Give it a try tone of voice search using OK Google through your cell phone and inquire "What Is BlowFish SEO" ) When all remains as it will be, Google will read out loud just about all about my company in the short to the point method, These cards are formatted in order to fit the screen of your own cell with no scrolling upward or down. Although SEO is really the time-consuming process but believes me personally, if you work well along with dedication and trendy techniques, the particular combined results of on-page plus off-page SEO holds you upon the top with rank #1 for a specific search outcome. Fairly lately, I've seen a resurgence associated with on-page SEO factors making the difference searching engine rankings. Search engine marketing (SEO) will be the process of influencing the online visibility of the particular website or a web web page in a web search motor 's unpaid results—often known because "natural", " organic ", or even "earned" results. Seo (SEO) is a procedure of improving positions in natural (non-paid) search results searching motors. Additional SEO ranking factors include: available URLs, domain age (older is usually usually better), page speed, cellular friendliness, business information, and specialized SEO. Your own search engine optimization strategy can become divided into two different classes: on-page SEO and off-page SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION. While you familiarize yourself with this local community, you will inevitably stumble your own way onto the websites associated with SEO Gurus” selling courses that will teach you SEO for hundreds of dollars. Expert SEO writers can also make use of modifiers and keyword variations in order to further optimize the content. Inside a lot associated with cases, this happens as the consequence of non-ethical SEO particularly buying and selling links which usually could get you up the particular Google ‘adder' quickly. Content is definitely key but content alone is definitely no longer king; content, circumstance, and relevance will drive overall performance of content and digital marketing and advertising, and SEO is part yet not full parcel. Ultimate WordPress SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Guide for Beginners (Step simply by Step) — 28% of sites on the internet use Wp. SEO is frequently abused as a blanket term intended for digital marketing. This particular means that SEOs spend the lot of time working upon getting links in a procedure called link building Link-building techniques can range from simply asking for a link to writing the guest post - and presently there are many others. Basically, SEO plans the keywords that will are to be delivered plus content provides them. So, when you are considering about applying SEO in the particular broad sense, you need in order to channelize its technical specifications by means of content marketing. In 2019, you can wager that White Hat SEO can have separated itself even more from Black Hat SEO, plus that above all else, offering quality content will be the particular most important factor for companies ranking in search. The outcomes are not instant, you can use the time on attempting other Internet marketing techniques whilst SEO would go to function. The third major SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION ranking signal is Google's synthetic intelligence search ranking algorithm. Sometimes SEO is definitely simply a matter of producing sure your site is organised in a way that lookup engines like google understand. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION involves a number of changes towards the HTML of person Web pages to attain a higher search engine ranking. As a result associated with technological advancement, SEO is in order to undergo more drastic changes, plus the two latest technologies that will are expected to influence SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION to some very great degree are AI (Artificial Intelligence) plus Voice Search.

[sellringsonconsignment]

Designer of the Month: Samuel Phillips

With a background in blacksmithing, jewellery maker Samuel now uses a lot of traditional silversmithing techniques in his work, along with casting and forging, to make a range of simple yet stunning designs. Discover where he gets the inspiration for his pieces from and more in the following interview.

Let us know a bit about yourself, detailing your background, study and training in the jewellery making industry.

My name is Samuel Phillips, a silversmith, jeweller, designer craftsman. Growing up in a coastal village, I was always around my grandfather’s boat building yard and encouraged to build and create, to craft objects from scrap and build things to keep myself entertained. At the age of 16, this was translated into a new medium of hot steel when I began a metalsmithing course at Plumpton College. This also introduced me to my first contact with jewellery making as a part of the course using silver, brass and copper to craft small earrings.

Finishing this course and moving onto university, I quickly found silversmithing and jewellery to be my true passion and managed to achieve a high grade BA (Hons) in Contemporary Design Crafts, specialising in jewellery/silversmithing at Hereford College of Arts in Herefordshire. I decided to head back to my home town to establish myself and start my journey in creating, and have been working for myself and a craftsman and silversmith for just over a year.

Constantly adapting to the requests of customers, I am a jack of all trades, creating one off pieces for private clients, supplying various galleries in the south east and recycling old pieces into new and interesting works for my clients. The joy of creating a wide range of interesting projects is what drives me, always looking for the next technical challenge and striving to achieve the vision of the customer whilst retaining my own aesthetic style.

Tell us about your work – are there any particular materials or techniques that you favour?

I use a lot of traditional silversmithing techniques as a basis for my work, whilst mixing my varied skill sets in to create some more unique shortcuts and visual effects within my work. My experience as a blacksmith gives me more of a specialism in hot work, including casting and forging, which gives me a great advantage in recycling and creating custom silver stock.

My most commonly used techniques at the moment are a few varieties on the classic reticulation of silver. Using purely a torch, the force of the gas and gravity, I create a variety of reticulated earrings with a range of styles by manipulating the molten surface of the material. I’ve also developed a form of reticulation that works with brass from my days at university, creating intricate ridges and textures within the material. Using high heat at a constant temperature and a pick, I can carve gauges and ridges into the surface of the molten brass. It’s a technique that although hard to grasp, is instantly satisfying to the eye.

My most commonly used material is sterling or recycled silver. Its versatility offers me so many possibilities to create with. For texture and tone, I often use an oxidising process combined with minimal cleaning to create visual contrast between blackened silver and a high polished surface. I have also started to work with more and more stones, setting them and creating my own cuts so this is a part of silversmithing I’m focusing on a lot at the moment!

How would you best describe your design style?

My design style is mostly minimalist with some elements of organic and industrial styling.

I tend to think less is more within my work, and by using contrast with finishes you can turn something really simple into a stunning everyday wear piece. My little reticulated studs are an example of this, using oxidised black silver against a polished area creates a really interesting visual. I also use elements of traditional jewellery construction, mainly for private ring commissions. A high polish with delicate stone setting and prongs is a classic look for any bride to be.

My main premise when designing is making something simple that is stunning. With something that has a bold look and a clean finish, every part of the piece matters. The little edges of a stud being polished makes all the difference to me.

As a jewellery maker, where do you like to get your inspiration from for your pieces?

Most of my inspiration comes from my surrounding environment. I live near the south east coast so my materials to draw from are beautiful and immense. I often use line drawing over images to pick out forms and shapes, as well as recreating unique textures from objects I find outside.

A lot of my work begins with an organic form or texture that I then transfer into a contemporary medium or edit to make it tangible. A few of my studs are based on the light gravel and sandy textures from the beaches of rye, others based on small leaves I have found around when walking. All these small objects and environments we walk through every day hold gems of beauty, I just enjoy transferring into something that will be worn and cherished.

I get the most inspiration from clients, each proposal is interesting and different and interpreting the customer’s needs into my own style always creates something unique and interesting. It’s the challenge of it all that is most inspiring!

Do you have a piece that you have made which you favour or are particularly proud of?

The piece I am most proud of is likely my fifth brooch from my university final project. I learnt so much through creating the series of brooches overall, and the smallest one of them was the accumulation of a lot of research and experimentation. This work has continued to inform me and develop my practice into what it is today. It’s delicate and precise and forced me to consider every little bit of the process in depth.

It also informed me of how to problem solve: reticulated brass is no easy task, it’s fickle and likes disintegrate before your eyes. Learning an advanced form of molten carving combined with heat control was so important for me coming out of university. It has since been the bread and butter of my practice, helping me make a variety of products that fuel my craft.

It taught me a lot about myself too, these brooches were drawn from environments with significant emotional meaning and stories – translating these emotions into a physical object was a powerful and striking moment of clarity for me. A piece of jewellery with history and with a significant personal bond is the best kind: a literal interpretation of “wearing your heart on your sleeve”.

What is the one item in your jewellery making workshop that you could not live without?

I couldn’t live without my small hand torch from Cooksongold! I bought it when I first started out making little pendants and rings in my university room and have never had any regrets! Hot enough for most soldering jobs and some tiny castings, it’s a versatile product that has a lovely focused flame perfect for the small details. I use it for making all my earrings and delicate solder joins on more intricate rings. It’s a perfect tool for batch production and for keeping the heat focused in a tight spot.

I’d also say I wouldn’t be much good without my Dremel tool. It’s so multi-purpose and the perfect introduction before committing to a proper flexishaft drill. It does everything from classic drilling to delicate shelf cutting when setting stone and polishing. From start to finish, it’s the go-to tool for rings and everything else!

What upcoming trends do you see being popular soon?

In terms of materials, I have noticed a lot more rose gold and opal going around. I think with the current financial market some people are willing to spend real money on a genuine piece of rose gold and opal, than continually replacing cheaper pieces. I think this is also due to a rise in more social acceptance with facial piercings, rose gold septum clickers and the like are in high demand.

Moissanite stones are also one of my most requested stones now. With its beautiful clarity that mimics a diamond for a fraction of the cost, many people are just as happy with its tone and quality. It also gives younger business a chance to get into more of the wedding/engagement ring market without placing all their money on a single stone.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from your time in the jewellery making industry?

One of the most important lessons was to know when to stop. I had an awful habit of over tinkering with pieces or not leaving them alone. Knowing when to stop, taking a moment and reflect on the issue is key to being successful. Not everything goes perfectly, and when it fails it takes a little willpower to stop yourself for fiddling and tinkering with something best left alone.  To reflect and find new ways of dealing with the issue is always the best solution, and a practice that has helped me countless times.

Walk away, have a tea and just contemplate the issue, come back and try something different!

Do you have any particular advice that you would give to up and coming jewellery designers, or someone interested in getting into jewellery making?

I’d say don’t be afraid to ask for what you think you deserve, one of my main problems when starting was not having the confidence to ask for the proper money for the job. Always ask for what you deserve, most customers understand and the ones that don’t can be negotiated with. Part of your job as a jeweller is to explain why it costs what it costs, explain the care and quality of the work and the hard working hours you put into your pieces so they know exactly the level of quality they are paying for. Undercutting yourself is a sure fire way to knock your confidence, whereas completing a great job for a reasonable price fills you with so much pride and prompts you to keep going!

So in all, be confident, be brave with your craft and you’ll do well!

…and finally, time for a bit of fun in our quick fire round! Tell us your favourite…

…biscuit – chocolate orange digestive

…food – apple

…sport – snowboarding

…city – Hereford

…film – Good Will Hunting

For more details on Samuel’s work, you can visit his Etsy shop or feel free to check out his Facebook page or his Instagram page.

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from Diamonds & Jewelry Consignment Shop https://sellringsonconsignment.com/top-posts/designer-of-the-month-samuel-phillips/

[paleorecipecookbook]

6 Things You Can Learn from Hygge and Lagom

When two countries that house some of the happiest people in the world offer practical advice on living, it’s a good idea to sit up and pay attention.

The Scandinavian countries, including two of which we’ll be discussing today, consistently rank in the top five most livable places in the world, scoring remarkably high in areas like life satisfaction, health, and sustainability. (1)

What is it about these countries that produces such happiness and contentment in their populations? The weather? High incomes?

Well, not exactly. It turns out the things keeping the Scandinavians smiling might not be what they have on the outside, but instead the qualities they cultivate on the inside.

Enter hygge and lagom.

What is Hygge and Lagom?

Both hygge (pronounced hue-guh) and lagom (pronounced lah-gohm) are Danish and Swedish words that reflect the concept of living mindfully. Specifically, hygge and lagom are ways of living that promote wellness and being “in the moment.”

Hygge

Hygge is a Danish word that is used to acknowledge a feeling of contentedness, charm, coziness, security, and comfort. It is also referred to as the “art” of creating intimacy and charm in everyday situations that some of us might consider boring and mundane.

For instance, something a simple as taking a moment each morning to brew your favorite coffee while lighting a candle before jetting off to work, or by treating yourself to a bubble bath with epsom salts and essential oils once a week, are both ways of bringing hygge into your life. It essentially involves finding little charming moments that help break up the monotony of your day or week and help you slow down.

Lagom

Lagom is a Swedish word that is similar to hygge, but with a few key differences. It comes from the phrase, “Lagom är bäst,” or “Just the right amount,” and reflects the idea of always living life in balance that doesn’t have too much of too little of one thing or another.

Lagom plays a huge role in living sustainably, encouraging working with the environment in your day-to-day life, choosing natural and simple whenever possible, and shopping locally. However, the art of lagom can be applied to all areas of life, from indulging in desserts, to working, and even decor. The key to understanding lagom is “not too much, not too little” of everything in life.

6 Things You Can Learn from Hygge and Lagom

While hygge and lagom may have subtle differences in their definitions, they are actually extremely similar. When looked at as a whole, they can provide us with valuable lessons on living our lives in absolute harmony, no matter how old we are or what stage of life we’re going through.

Read on to see how you can integrate both hygge and lagom into your life to start feeling happier, more content, and less stressed.

1. Have Your Cake (But Just One Piece Will Do)

In the States, we tend to have the general mindset of “go big or go home.” In every aspect of life, we’re encouraged to (for instance) work harder and longer, spend lots of money if we’re going to spend it, eat the entire pint of ice cream if we’re going to eat it, etc.

While it’s great to be ambitious and willing to go after what we want in a big way, problems arise when this mindset isn’t balanced with a little “slowing down.” Lagom reminds us that yes, work hard, but not too much, and get plenty of rest during your down time (yep, you should make time for down time). Eat that ice cream, but only have a reasonable amount.

In essence, lagom is the epitome of moderation in everything. It doesn’t call for the total absence of something, nor does it call for too much of anything. By having a little bit of everything in life, we keep ourselves balanced and whole.

2. Small Rituals Have A Big Impact

The spirit of hygge brings our attention to the small, cozy details of daily life that give us joy amidst the mundane routine of life. In fact, it encourages us to enhance these small moments by turning them into daily rituals infused with serenity and warmth.

Take, for example, having your morning coffee. Perhaps you’re in the habit of busily sipping your cup while packing lunches, cooking breakfast, checking emails, and taking the dog out. In this scenario, there’s no real time to enjoy the cup of coffee, so you down it and move on with your day.

Not only is this very un-hygge, it’s also stressful and anxiety-promoting. To add some hygge to this scene, you might try waking up 15 minutes earlier and having your cup of coffee in silence; perhaps beside a lit candle or by a window watching the sky lighten. Just this small act can start your day off on an entirely different note.

Some people might view these types of rituals as selfish, but in reality the opposite is true. When you don’t make time for yourself to enhance your personal emotional life, it’s likely you’ll become depressed, angry, or moody: all things which affect the people in your life negatively. If you take these small moments for yourself, however, you react to others much more gently and positively, which enhances their emotional state.

Indeed, hygge is good for everyone.

3. Focusing on the Present Brings Peace

Practicing both hygge and lagom require bringing yourself to the present moment and enjoying it for what it is. You’ve probably experienced how liberating this can feel if you’ve ever meditated, done yoga, or played a sport; all of your attention is perfectly focused on the moment. There are no worries about tomorrow, or the past, only the moment.

When you practice lagom, you focus on the balance of being in the moment and on planning for the future. You never dwell too much in one state or the other. In hygge, the act of creating small, magical daily rituals brings your attention directly to your moment of zen. In fact, this is one of its sole purposes.

Modern research backs this idea that living in the moment is excellent for improving wellbeing and mental health, showing that those who practice mindfulness experience less depression and anxiety. (2)

An easy way to practice being in the present is to start with a moment you enjoy and become fully absorbed in it. Let’s use that morning coffee ritual mentioned earlier as an example: when you’re indulging in your coffee ritual, really be there. Don’t use this time to plan the day or worry about tomorrow; simply notice the texture and flavor of your brew as it hits your tongue. Notice how your lit candle flickers each time you exhale near it. Notice the colors in the sky as the sun creeps up.

As this gets easier, try expanding this out to other moments during your day. Your lunch break, your drive home, grocery shopping, and beyond. You’ll find it brings you a sense of peace no matter what you’re doing.

4. Coziness Creates Contentment

Another big component of hygge is creating coziness in your space. However, since lagom would encourage us not to make everything cozy (then we’ll want to do nothing but cuddle up with a good book 24/7), hygge encourages creating cozy “nooks” throughout your home.

For instance, you can create a private relaxation nook for yourself in your home, complete with candles, throw pillows, a comfy chair, and perhaps some relaxing music. You could splurge on some of the softest, coziest slippers ever and wear them during your morning coffee ritual (this is especially great when it’s winter and those wood or tile floors are chilly!).

Creating these spaces is actually a very Paleo thing to do. There’s a reason ancient man preferred caves for sleeping during the nighttime: the small, intimate space created a sense of comfort in the middle of a vast, uncertain world. When you create cozy space at home, you mimic this ancient need for safety, and reap its stress-lowering effects.

5. Rich Foods Equal a Rich Life

No, this doesn’t mean gobbling down a Thanksgiving feast every day of the year. Instead, this hygge practice encourages you to slow down when it comes to dinners and get-togethers, and focus on creating rich foods that satisfy deeply. Think of the difference between a hearty, thick Paleo chili versus a boiled chicken breast with broccoli. Both are healthy, but one blends flavors and textures in a way that makes your taste buds sigh, and your brain revel in tasty contentment.

Try to make a habit out of making your healthy dishes a rich, rewarding experience, even if it is only a few times a week. Lower the lights and light the candles as you indulge in your Paleo favorites, and finish the meal with a satisfying square of decadent dark chocolate.

6. Gratitude Gives Perspective

Finally, both hygge and lagom involve bringing gratitude into our day-to-day lives. Lagom teaches us to appreciate “just enough” and be grateful for it, while hygge teaches us to soak up the gratitude we feel when we’re fully indulging ourselves in a cozy experience. Both of these scenarios give us reasons to be thankful, which puts life into better perspective. After all, if we have many moments to be grateful for, our life can’t be too bad, can it?

Bottom Line

As the pace of life continues to quicken each year, the philosophies of hygge and lagom become even more relevant to living a happy, contented life. They guide us toward moderation in all things, improving our self-care, and finding beauty and gratitude in even the smallest moments, which is essential not only for our own emotional well-being, but of those closest to us as well.

With a little more hygge and lagom in our lives, perhaps we can help nudge all of humanity toward a higher happiness index.

The post 6 Things You Can Learn from Hygge and Lagom appeared first on PaleoPlan.

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[nazih-fares]

Since the days of Arx Fatalis, French-based Arkane Studios has come a long way, establishing itself as a talented developer, working on projects like Bioshock, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and even Call of Duty: World at War’s multiplayer, but eventually rose to fame with critically acclaimed Dishonored series. Only a couple of months after the release of the unforgettable Dishonored 2 which I reviewed back in November 2016,  Arkane Studios are back with a risky bet, one given by their sister company and publishing Bethesda Softworks, which is the a re-imagining of the Prey IP, a game that originally came out in 2006, and its sequel was stuck in development limbo with Human Head Studios. Did Arkane Studios manage to pull out another great title? Or did this “reboot” of the Prey franchise did more harm than good?

The year is 2032, and after the failed assassination attempt on President Kennedy in 1963, the world went into an era of advanced scientific progress in a very distopian system where space conquest is a norm. But there is a small problem with an alien race, known as the Typhons, but thanks to Morgan Yu (the game’s protagonist) all seems well at first… Well, until you discover that everything around you seemed to be a farce, and do not remember that you are an eminent scientist and doing research with your brother Alex on these strange beasts on Talos I’s orbital station. You’ll soon discover that the survivors and even machines ensuring safety and well-being of the humans on the stations are possessed by this Typhon lifeforms, and you’ll eventually come to realize that you’re the only hope left to make sure they never reach and spread on Earth.

At first glance, Prey almost feels like a space-themed Dishonored 2 merged with the art-deco aesthetic of a certain BioShock. To say that we are dealing with a FPS juggling action and stealth would be a rushed statement, thanks to a skill tree and a handful of weapons that we have the leisure to upgrade, and let’s us get rid of these Typhons efficiently until you discover it’s not the case. After hours of gameply, I’m satisfied with Prey, but there’s a sense that the product is deceptive at the root, because you are the Prey in this game, and not the other way around. While Morgan Yu (whether you pick the Male or Female version of the protagonist) has the appeal of another iconic scientist from Half-Life (aka Dr. Gordon Freeman), the developers made sure that our hero can defend himself, but in a very limited and rationed way. If one notes an upgradeable life bar to up to 300 points, and a suit that can withstand damage, you should assume that you’ll never reach the state of a “tank”, and that the least encounter is likely to be fatal if you are not prepared, especially since weapon aim is quite complicated for a “mere” scientist to learn instantly.

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The core environment of the game is this gigantic and majestic station known as Talos I, completely devastated by a Typhon outbreak, ranging form the smallest of the species known as Mimic to the impressive Nightmare. The Mimic might be the weakest, but you’ll soon discover that they are the root of everything, an Arachnid creature able to copy the form of everyday object and jump on you without warning, and could instantly kill you if you’re not ready. The real challenge is not their tricks, but your aim, even with this ridiculous first weapon you get, a mere wrench key that can melee efficiently enemies if you don’t succumb to the suspense and rush of just mashing everything, startled by these Typhons. Hell, we are not even talking about the biggest monsters, the fastest ones, those that are only perceptible with the help of your helmet’s scanner function, those who can manipulate electricity or fire, and even the station’s work bots that have turn rogue due to the outbreak. Prey’s bestiary in general is the kind you want to run away form, and not just charge in, appealing to your common sense of remaining on guard at all time, to walk in the most total paranoia, and learn the second nature of creating a diversions.

In short, if you are looking for a game label to be given to Prey, it is more a Survival one than a space shooter. Prey is uncompromising, unfair with the approximations and which has you save almost every couple of meter in the game, and constantly wants you to monitor your of resources. Throughout the game, Prey will give you the illusion of a better Typhon killing gear, like 9mm handgun, a shotgun, or even the energy ray Q-Beam, but where are the ammunition? What if you need to patch yourself up after an intense battle? Everything in Prey urges you to explore every crooks and crannies of Talos I and that’s a great thing, because the level design is a marvelous. On par with the best Metroidvania worlds, Talos I is as gigantic as it is magnificent, with a constant feeling of distress, and suspence at every corner, which could’ve been perfect, If it wasn’t for the really long loading time between major areas in the station.

I do admire the scale of the settings, full of areas to find hidden objects, especially in terms of verticality, without indications or marking the “proper” way, stuffed with obstacles that will need you to either upgrade your “lifting” abilities, or even hack through a door mechanism. Soon enough, you’ll also discover another use from your GLOO Canon (one of the first weapon in the game), which allows you to freeze enemies with a sticky goo projectile, which can also be used to create vertical and lateral paths in addition to prevent an electrical floor or leaking gas pipe to reduce us to human ash. There is also special inhuman powers that are gained with something called Neuromods (based on technology from Typhon research), which can be quite fun like the ability to temporary turn enemies into allies, gain control of Operators and turrets and even become a Mimic yourself by turning into everyday objects. The possibilities are endless, with an inventiveness and generosity that compel respect, true to a good Metroidvania game.

  Prey was reviewed using an Xbox One downloadable code of the game provided by Bethesda. The game is also available on PlayStation 4 and PC via retail and online stores. We don’t discuss review scores with publishers or developers prior to the review being published.

Rich and full of ideas, Prey is another great work from Arkane Studios, showing once more that they are on par with the biggest development studios around. Since the days of Arx Fatalis, French-based Arkane Studios has come a long way, establishing itself as a talented developer, working on projects like Bioshock, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic and even Call of Duty: World at War's multiplayer, but eventually rose to fame with critically acclaimed Dishonored series.