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imaprettygirl · 5 months ago

Text

A drop of ink, a blot spread across time

(Vintage au)

Plot summary: It was 1950s when pen pals were popular and almost everyone had one! You used to have a handful of them but the camaraderie between you and them faded as you got older. One day, you found a newspaper on your late great-grandpa's shelves in his bedroom. Excitedly, you flipped the papers to get to a specific page and bingo! There was a section for the addresses of people who are looking for a pen-friend much like yourself. After randomly choosing, you sent out your first letter and he replied back! However, you noticed something weird in the photo he sent...

Crds to @drinkthesky for the divider!

Men I deem fit: Alhaitham, Albedo, Imbibitor Lunae/Dan Heng, Dr Ratio, Diluc, Zhongli, Venti, Neuvillette, Scaramouche, Sunday.

(Fck alphabetical order, I can't do that sh*t)

The amber glow of the afternoon sun bathed the room as the open windows situated at the opposite of the door allowed sunlight streams to enter the room as its panes quivered in hushed symphony due to the beckoning of the hot air. If you moved closer to the windows, you could see dust particles illuminated by the natural light. Even after the passing of your great-grandfather, the bookish scent of his cologne still lingers in his bedroom along with his possessions which were either coated with a thin layer of dust or covered with a big white cloth.

The wooden floor creaked beneath you as you walked towards his bookshelves in hopes of finding pieces of classical literature and maybe learn a thing or two from it. You delicately traced your index finger through the long vertical rows of books, leaving a trail of dust on the pads of your digit. As you peruse through countless novels only to be unsatisfied until you saw a newspaper at the edge of the shelf, untouched by the dust that plagues the rest.

'How strange...' you thought to yourself as you rubbed your thumb and index finger against the surface of the paper to determine its texture: it was sandy and rough, definitely ancient but the format was similar to the ones your dad reads in the morning so it must be a freshly produced newspaper, albeit printed in a different quality of paper.

Or so you thought...

The newspapers in your hands gave you a glimmer of hope; it was an opportunity to find a pen friend! You used to have a few ones but stopped writing to them either because they used too much colloquial words or they had at least twenty spelling mistakes in each sentence which gave you a migraine whilst trying to make out if your correspondent was writing in a foreign language or not. But this time, maybe you could hit the jackpot and find an actually nice pen-pal. Excitedly, you flipped through the papers and stopped at the specific page which had a list of names along with their addresses under the bold heading:

'Pen-friends! Make new friends around the world!'

Your eyes scanned across the list of names, allowing your intuition to guess the personality of that stranger based on their names alone. But then, a specific name caught your eye- it was uncommon which was the main reason it stood out from the rest of the names which probably were taken from 'Top 10 best names for children of this year'. You took a closer look of the address below that person's name and turned out, both of you lived in the same area! A surge of enthusiasm rippled throughout your body and immediately tucked the newspaper into the inside pocket of your coat.

~~~~~♡~~~~~♡~~~~~♡~~~~~

The curtains of your living room slowly opened as you peeked your head out and pressed your face against the glass. A day had passed after you had sent your very first letter and heck, you even went a mile far by sending a photograph of your two cats to make a memorable first impression. Then- just like you had anticipated- the postman on his bike suddenly came into view and halted his vehicle by your mail-box and placed a letter inside. You clutched the folds of the curtains unable to contain the happiness blossoming inside you. As soon as the postman disappeared out of your eyesight, you rushed outside to take the letter out of the mailbox. The first thing that greeted your eyes was the immaculate handwriting and the scent emitted from the paper.

'How sweet of him...' you thought as you continued reading the letter in your mind. The paragraphs were neatly organized and made of outdated vocabulary that you wouldn't understand had you not taken an interest in classic literature. You could tell this man practiced utmost eloquence just by his letter alone. Overall, he wrote a few things about himself and asked you about your hobbies, what you like and blablabla.

But then, something struck within you concerning with the photograph he sent and notes written behind it:

"The construction of the mall is making my ears bleed. I cannot stand the constant sounds of the drills and other sounds coming from it. I daresay, you must be experiencing the same disturbance as we are only one street apart from each other. Perhaps we should plan to meet up after the mall opens. What do you think of it?"

The more you stared at the photograph and the note, the more confused you became. The picture showed the mall with the same as the one down the street but it was still in construction according to the photo. 'Huh?' A frown stretched across your face. That specific mall had been going on more nearly a century now to the point that the community had been urging the government to shut it down in order to build a more innovative one. Didn't it finish construction like a hundred years ago? But his photo told a whole new different story.

Suspicions rose inside of you as a spiral of questions revolved around your head- you found it difficult to process it. Not missing a beat, you hurried to your room to find that newspaper you took from your late great-grandfather's shelf. You mumbled in frustration when you couldn't find it; you swore you left it either on the desk or on the bed. Finally, you found it under the bed and oh my...

The letter was published a century back in time which meant that...

"T-The man I just sent a letter...was from the past...." The newspaper dropped from your hands. Your letter had ripped its way out of the fabric of time and went into the mailbox of a man who lived in the same area as you but different time period. He was in the past, you were in the future.

Still, a part of you felt curious about the interaction between two people of different dimensions. So you decided to reply back to his letter. What could go wrong...right?

To people who are more knowledgeable in time travel or parallel universes, pls don't attack me, I know what I wrote may or may not make sense for some of you but pls don't mind me 😭😭😭

And also, not proofread because I wrote this around midnight and I'm literally on the verge of dozing off- (Ik I have such healthy sleep cycles and I have to wake up at 6 am yayyy!! Sleep-deprived-students-core😘🙆🤗)

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gomzwrites · 1 year ago

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The taskforce 141 reactions to your display of jealousy

a/n: I’ve seen a fair amount of fics and writings that show them being jealous, but what if we are the ones that get jealous then? ;)

In this fic, the reader is more like in denial sort of jealousy + first time feeling jealous kind of thing. I decided to do a mix of displays from reader, Price and Ghost are subtle, Soap and Gaz are more direct!

I might do another one where it's more action-based and possessive like reader beating the strangers up or something

also the relationship between reader and tf141 is not exactly publicly known :) Notes:

dividers drawn by @gomzdraws (click for better resolution!)

reader's texts are in purple

Tags: xgn!reader, established relationship(basically already dating), incorrect military terms, implied nsfw but its sfw I swear, cursing

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Captain John Price

Captain Price has been going around giving meetings and distributing tasks as you follow along and help him carry the essential documents all day. In the last meeting, he will meet one of the operators to explain the upcoming missions. You decide to wait on the other side of the room as you watch the captain carry out his duty.

Everything was fine as the conversation went on. You may be standing at a distance, but you can faintly hear the discussion. You can tell he is quite impressed with the soldier’s skill, and the exchange was beginning to be less serious as they started talking about things that were out of topic. You watch from the corner of your eyes as the person starts leaning closer, even cracking jokes as they pat John’s shoulder.

Well, whoever that is, they sure know how to butter the captain up.

You thought for a moment before internal cursing as you shook your head.

Get a grip; he is the captain; surely he knows what he’s do-

Your thoughts stop as you watch the person lean in and whisper something to John’s ears, and you notice how the Captain shifted slightly and cleared his throat. The soldier proceeded to shuffle something into his back pants pocket before leaving, even winking at him before the door was closed.

What the fuck?

You furrow your brows as you watch Captain sigh, walk back to his desk, and take his seat. You waited until he gestured for you to come to him with his hand, and you decided to act naturally as you organised the messy papers and reports on his table.

This is not something you should be worried about in the first place, so don’t even bring it up. You say this to yourself internally as you take a seat next to him and read through the documents. But your mind keeps racing, and there's a burning feeling inside you, clouding your thoughts as you tap your finger softly on the table repeatedly.

"Y/N", the Captain said as he lifted your chin up. You followed his hand and slowly glanced up and stared at him with a hint of embarrassment. Did he find out what I was thinking already?

Yes, sir?

You answer back with the most steady voice you can muster at the moment. You watch as he softens his gaze and brushes your hair away. You recognise that look.

You’re not talking to the captain now; you’re talking to John.

He doesn't say a word as he takes out the paper from his back pocket and places it on the table. You try to maintain your composure and remain as calm as you can when you see a number scribbled on the paper, but you can't help but let out a cold glare at the paper for a second.

That piece of shi-

He taps your chin twice lightly as he grabs your attention again before running his hand down to your neck and resting it there. You know this signal, so you promptly hold out his favourite lighter that you carry around and light up his cigar. He hums appreciatively as he takes a drag and puffs out the smoke.

He looks back at you, silently telling you to keep your eyes on his as he takes the cigar out of his lips, twisting it between his fingers before he rolls and holds the cigar vertically, the evenly burned red-orange cherry side at the end facing downward. You follow curiously before watching him plant it firmly on the paper, twisting it until a hole appears as he smiles and kisses your cheek.

"You know I’ll only look at you, sweetheart," he whispers with his deep, husky tone as you blush and glance away.

You knew? You say it softly as he leans in and brushes your neck in slow circles as he nods and chuckles.

"Course I do, I know everything about you," he said before taking another drag from his cigar as he smirked and leaned in closer.

"You look like you were about to punch that person in the face; it’s pretty hot, actually," he says as he watches you shake your head and roll your eyes lightly.

Hot? Woah, who knew you liked me being violent?

You joke back as he kisses your ears softly, feeling his beard tickling you as you sigh. He gives you a dark look, dipping his voice another octave lower as he moves his hand from your neck slowly down to your hip.

Oh, I love it when you get all rowdy and rough, especially if you’re doing it because of me, like last night, hm?

That instantly makes you go red as you give a nervous laugh and squirm in your seat at the memory. He gives you an amused look as he puts his hand on your waist and pulls you in closer.

Well, it looks like tonight will be the same.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

John Soap MacTavish

You were idling around the base after just finishing healing from a previous mission. Technically, you’re not supposed to move around so much, but you were already getting bored as you stared up at the same ceiling for days. You know Soap has been helping you out immensely by practically moving into your room and keeping you company. But he went on a mission and won’t return until today, so you decided to sneak out of the room and brew yourself a cup of tea. You hum as you take in the smell and sigh.

This is certainly better than water, that’s for sure

you think to yourself before deciding to walk around and explore the base. Well, just glancing around to see if there’s anything new that has happened. That’s when you spotted a few jeeps with a group of people and a few regular faces you recognised: Ghost, Gaz, Price, and your boyfriend Soap getting down from the vehicle. You wanted to wave and call out to Soap before noticing someone else beside him, but what really caught your attention was the jacket the person was wearing; it was his jacket. Your favourite jacket of his.

You stop dead in your tracks from a distance as your grip on the tea mug tightens. You observe as Soap and the gang talk and laugh, you know like they always do post-mission, and yet something just doesn’t seem right for you as you fixate your gaze on the person that has been clinging to Soap, wrapping their hands around his arm as they also joke along. You can see Soap politely patting their arms away as he bumps their shoulder.

Right, he’s doing something about it. You thought to yourself before you quickly went back to your room. You knew Soap wouldn't do anything that would upset you, but yet you couldn’t shake that thought away—the thought of someone else whirling him away. You hate it; whatever it is that you’re feeling, it feels wrong, even toxic, but you just can’t help it. You know it's not his fault, and you’re well aware that he can’t control everyone’s actions. You decided to lie on your bed and pull the blanket over yourself as you tried to sleep it away.

Not long after, Soap knocks gently at your door and enters your room. He notices how you are facing the wall and bundled in a blanket, breathing normally, which indicates that you aren't sleeping despite your eyes being closed.

Heeeeeyyyy, how’s ma favourite cutie feeling, hm?

He asked in his usual light tone as he sat on your bed and petted your blanket. He stared at you as he leaned in and kissed your shoulder softly.

Ya awrite?

He asked as he noticed how you were quieter than usual. Your heart broke slightly as you noted how his tone became worried, so you turned around and gently brushed his cheek as you shook your head.

I'm okay, dear. Just tired. You lied as you smiled and watched as he took your hand and cupped his own face. “Anything ah can do for ye?”, He asks again with puppy eyes as you chuckle, pulls his face close to you, and kiss his lips softly. Cuddles. You whisper softly as he smiles and hugs you close. Ayeee, then it's cuddles you're gettin’

He says as he lays down beside you, nuzzles his neck on your shoulder, and pulls you close to him. You sigh happily as you let the jealous thoughts slowly dissolve away, but that doesn’t mean you forget about the incident.

A few days later, when you were doing laundry, you spotted his jacket again—the one that fuc—you mean, the other person—was wearing that time. You stared at it as you lifted it up from the basket, and instantly a whiff of perfume or cologne that you did not recognise got picked up by your nose. You frowned and glared at the jacket for a moment, seething in anger as you decided to toss it into the washer. After washing and drying it, you had an idea and opted to wear and keep it. Naw, this is my jacket now. You thought to yourself as you walked around the base with the jacket, a proud look clearly showing on your face as the jacket had a clearly huge "Soap" behind it.

Soap notices as he smirks and walks towards you, crossing his arm as he stands beside you. “Oi? Is that ma jacket?”, he says as he takes a good look at you, grinning ear to ear as he glances you up and down. He won’t lie, he never knew how good you looked wearing his stuff.

Your jacket? I have no idea what you’re talking about; it's mine now.

You replied back nonchalantly when you noticed that same person who was with Soap the other day staring at you from across the hall. You gave them a death glare as you turned and pulled Soap down by his collar, making him jolt forward as he gasped slightly at the sudden motion. You kept eye contact as you whispered to Soap.

Not only the jacket, but you’re mine as well

Your lips barely brush his ears slightly as Soap blushes and gives out a surprised laugh.

Well, well, well.

He replied back in a shocked tone as he watched the direction you were looking at before he gave an "ah" sound as he made the connection. He giggled as he stared back at you with a loving stare. “Hmm, didnae take yer a jealous one”, he says before holding you closer to him by the waist and kissing your forehead. Mmm, you give a grunt as you feign annoyance and glance away. He laughs as he nuzzles you close and gives you a hug. “Aw~ dun get mad at me, yer know I love ya, and only ya”, he kisses you on the neck softly to tickle you as you drop your frown and giggle at him to push him away playfully,

Oh fuck off, don't go all sappy on me now.

You roll your eyes as you try to wiggle your way out. “Nuh uh, I will show yer how much I love ya”, he says before he picks you up and tosses you over his shoulder. You let out a yelp as you move around and let out a whine. MacTavish! Put me down this instant! You say it with a laugh as he smacks your ass and shakes his head as he walks towards his room.

“Nope, ah won't, you're going to get all the love you missed.”

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Kyle Gaz Garrick

You wake up early after preparing yourself, walking slowly to the kitchen to carry out your routine. You like to start your day off with coffee, and on the other hand, Kyle likes to have tea in the morning. Jasmine tea with two teaspoons of sugar and some milk, just the way he likes it. So every morning for the past few months of dating, you always make sure to brew him his tea as well when you make coffee. You shuffle around the shelves as you look for his mug, being confused when you don't see it at the usual spot. You glance around before you hear Kyle speaking to someone on the other side of the place. You follow the voices and take a peek behind a wall as you watch him talk to someone with his mug in his hands already.

Hm, so he brewed it himself today? That’s odd, maybe because he woke up earlier.

You didn’t think much of it as you went back to the kitchen to make yourself a coffee and go on with your day.

The next day, you walk to the kitchen and find his mug, only to find it not there again. You frown as you try to rationalise your thoughts.

Okay, maybe he was in a hurry.

You think again as you shake those thoughts away and carry out your duties. But then it starts to bother you when the same thing happens again the next day and again for the following two days.

He never brought it up and neither one of you talked about it. You assume maybe you messed up the way you make his tea or maybe he changed his preference. But it still confuses you, and it hurts a little too; he could’ve told you if that's the case. However, something else is notable: he has been getting more headaches recently, and you’ve asked him about it.

Are you sure it's not something serious? How about going to the medical bay to check if everything’s alright?

No, no, it's fine; it's just stress.

You decided enough was enough as you woke up extra early today to question him in the kitchen about why he started making tea for himself. But then that's when you saw it—a figure that opened the top shelf and took his mug out. You recognise that person; it was one of the recruits Kyle has been speaking to lately. You immediately stepped forward and grabbed their hand as you spoke calmly.

What do you think you’re doing?

“Huh?”, The person gets caught off guard as they glance back at you, a frown forming on their face as they continue; it's almost as if they’re annoyed that they were stopped by you.

Erm, making coffee for my superior? Why? Because I can? So you’ve been doing this for the past few days? Yeah.

The recruit replied back with a proud look as they rested their hands on their hips, not hiding the fact that they were doing Gaz this favour for obvious reasons when the blush on their cheeks was prominent.

That’s when it clicked: he hasn’t been making tea himself, and the source of his headaches is because of this dumbass. Kyle can’t hold his caffeine; it always gives him a splitting headache. You also know how he has trouble rejecting kindness from others and has always kept silent about his actions. You sigh as you take the mug from the person.

Hey! What’s your problem? Give it ba-

You watch your tone.

Your sharp voice cuts through the air as you turn and stare down at them, leaning closer to the recruit as venom seeps out of your mouth.

Sergeant Gaz doesn’t take coffee; if you wanted to flirt with someone, at least be smart about it. Oh, wait, never mind about that... (You trail off as you firmly press your hand on their shoulder, gazing down as the recruit gulps and shivers nervously under your scrutiny.) You probably don’t even know he’s taken already; poor you. How did you end up here with such an empty head anyway? I thought everyone here was smart and observant; clearly, you’re not.

The recruit gasps as tears prick up in their corner, and they immediately falter and shamefully run away as you sigh.

Okay, maybe that was too far.

You mumbled before hearing something shuffling behind you. You felt your back warm up as Kyle hugged your shoulder from behind. You smile as you kiss his arm and stare up at him.

“I'm sorry; I should’ve told you about it.” His voice is a low whisper as you softly caress his arm soothingly. You know, you could’ve poured the coffee away or let me drink it. You speak gently as you slowly turn around to face him.

“I know, but I didn’t want to waste it or deny the coffee when someone had made it for me.” You sigh as you brush your hand on his cheek and continue.

Well, they won’t anymore, and only I will be the one making you tea from this day on. You give a smile when Kyle chuckles and kisses your forehead. “I’ll have to admit that watching you speak like that was pretty cool”, He said it with a smirk as you shook your head. Ah, so I wasn’t cool before? You tease him back as he quickly shakes his head and kisses your hands. “I didn’t say that.” He giggles as he sighs and rests his head on your shoulder. “Can you make me tea again? Just the way I like it?”, He whispers with a smile as you nod and kiss his cheek.

Always.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Simon Ghost Riley

It was one of the sparring sessions where Ghost and Soap were tasked with providing training and demonstrations to the new recruits. You decided to join and watch from the side and provide any needed assistance, but truthfully, you just wanted to watch Ghost. It's moments like these where you get to see him roll up his sleeves and flex his muscles. Sure, you get to see all of him whenever you’re in his bedroom, but watching him display himself confidently in public? That’s a different kind of look you will never get tired of.

The session went on normally, and most recruits were obedient and managed to replicate what Ghost and Soap have been demonstrating, with just a few slower soldiers that require more attention, which they supervise and guide on a one-to-one basis.

And there was this one recruit that Ghost has been teaching for some time now. You note how the recruit was standing slightly closer to him, and the way they looked at Ghost made you uneasy—not in a way that you think that person is going to hurt him, but in a way that you feel that the person has an ulterior motive. You don't miss the way the recruit brushed their hand across his arm, or how they were pressing their body against his in a way that was definitely unnecessary in the training, or how they deliberately messed up a step and let out that annoying giggle-

I'm overthinking.

You thought to yourself when you realised you were frowning and your hands were balled into a fist. You decided to step outside and take a breather as you tried to calm yourself. You sat on the bench alone as you breathed out and ran through your mind again.

Stop overthinking. They’re just training; Ghost is literally an adult. I don't have to fret over something like this, do I? Okay, what was that question? Of course I don't. Right, but why the hell did they stick so close anyway-

You drown in your own inner monologue as your eyebrows furrow, and you sigh again as you rest your head on your knees, all the while Ghost has been watching you at the corner.

He saw and noticed when you were staring just now. Well, you always do stare, and he likes it, but this time he felt your gaze was different, and from the way you stand with that tense shoulder and the way your hands were forming a fist, It didn't sit right with him, so he told Soap to take over the recruit, not even answering the "why" from the person as he quickly followed you when you left.

"Love…?" Ghost said as he cautiously stood behind you and looked down with a concerned expression, he watched as you glanced up and smiled at him.

That’s not a smile he knows.

Oh, hey Ghost! I'm just resting, don’t mind me.

"No, you’re not; I can see you thinking." Ghost replies back instantly as he takes a seat next to you and rubs your hands, softening his gaze as he leans in and rests his forehead on yours. "What is it, love?", Ghost asks as he takes in your demeanour. He watches as you clench your jaw and hold your breath, then glances away as you sigh, and then you look back at him again as you frown. He always likes observing you, and he can tell that you’re contemplating, so he gave your hand a squeeze to urge you to continue.

I just… I just didn't like how the recruit was acting around you; I don't know why.

You finally spit it out as you nervously grab his fingers and fiddle with them as you try to calm down. After saying it out loud, you do feel a little childish, and you don't know what his response will be either.

Ghost remained silent for a moment as he processed your words and thought back about the training. He did find the recruit slightly annoying because they’ve been deliberately repeating the same mistake over and over again, but he has not realised why they did so. Until now.

His thoughts click as he tilts his head slightly and looks back at you, now with a smirk growing as his mask shifts slightly.

"You’re jea-" No.

You cut him off as you turn away from him and face your back at him. He watches as redness forms at the tip of your ear. He chuckles as he leans in and rests his head on your head, kissing your hair slightly as he watches your pout which makes your cheeks get puffy.

Cute. So this is what you’re like when you’re jealous. He thought to himself before he raised his hand and pulled your cheek, causing you to gasp as you thrashed around.

What the-hey! Get off!

You complain back angrily as he does not stop and squishes your face after he pulls it a few more times. You protest more as you grab his hand until you can't help but giggle at him when you know he won’t stop.

Stop it! You’re going to make me have wrinkles!

He gives a soft huff of air as he shakes his head and grabs your right cheek with his thumb and index finger and bites it gently,

“I don't mind wrinkles”, he whispers as you let out a "hmph", grabbing his sleeve as you glare at him. He laughs again as he plants a kiss on the cheek he bit earlier.

I hate you.

I love you too.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

a/n: this is for all the Ghostie lovers out there to make up for the last fic <3 Im a firm believer that Ghost is silly in relationships, like come on man was putting out puns and jokes during the mission in the game! also bonus from my friends' reactions to Gaz's part:

Likes, reblogs and feedbacks are appreciated Have a good day/night! :D

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leonaquitaine · 1 year ago

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Virtual Photography Guide: Composition (Part 2)

Let's continue exploring composition with a few more guidelines used in real-life photography, together with some FFXIV examples!

Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds involves dividing the viewport into a 3x3 grid by drawing two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, resulting in nine equally sized rectangles. According to the rule, placing key elements of interest along these gridlines or at their intersections create harmonious compositions and draws the viewer's eye in a visually pleasing and balanced way:

Rule of Odds

The Rule of Odds suggests that using an odd number of elements, such as three or five, tends to be more visually interesting and engaging compared to an even number. The Rule of Odds can be used to create a sense of asymmetry, tension, and visual flow:

Rule of Space

The Rule of Space emphasizes leaving empty space or room within the frame, specifically in the direction that the subject or elements are moving or looking towards. It adds a sense of direction or movement and allows the viewer to engage with the image more effectively:

Golden Ratio

The Golden Ratio, also known as the Divine Proportion or Phi (Φ), is a mathematical concept and compositional guideline used in various art forms. It is a ratio of approximately 1.618:1 and is considered aesthetically pleasing to the human eye. In photography, dividing the frame into sections based on the Golden Ratio and positioning important subjects or focal points along these divisions creates a visually appealing and balanced composition. That way, compositions that feel harmonious and naturally pleasing:

So there you have it! while not comprehensive, these guidelines may help create shots that are engaging and pleasing to the eye.

You can now find this and all the previous guides and reference materials in our Discord server, Sights of Eorzea. Come check it out!

#ffxiv #gpose #aquitaine studio #Sights of Eorzea #gpose guide #ffxiv tutorial

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finleycannotdraw · 6 months ago

Note

yo, hi,

please rant about the use of colours/shots in dead boy detectives (if you want to), that would be amazing to read!

omg hell yeah i would love to. <3 buckle up everybody!

(there were some other people in the comments who wanted to hear more as well. for convenience's sake i'm going to keep it all in one post.)

I'm not going to talk about every single frame in the last post, because there are a lot, but I'll be sure to touch on all of the ones that have a good amount of depth beyond the dramatic lighting. (sorry, Angie shot.)

...this is going to get long.

so first, this one:

With Edwin's brown coat, Niko's green coat, the brown bushes in between them, and the trees behind Edwin, this shot is cohesive and satisfying. I drew the orange lines to sort of illustrate how your eye moves across the frame; the line of eye contact, the tree branch (dashed lines) almost parallel to that, the sidewalk/grass line, and the lapels/shadows/folds of their jackets all form a general diagonal streamlined snapshot. Then the black post behind Niko, the tree between them, and the tree trunk behind Edwin continue to divide the frame vertically and add to the additional invisible "line" created by their height difference. Finally, the sky behind Niko, as well as her hair, contrast heavily and very well with the darker colors of the tree behind Edwin, though there is still white on his side (the building) and brown on hers (tree branches). If you were to take a single diagonal line from the bottom left corner to the top right, you would get two incredibly distinctly colored sections, but they complement each other so well.

This whole scene is gorgeous because of the pale sky and water up against Niko's hair and the brown tree trunks with Edwin's jacket, but I also love it because it's so simply colored. We have the classic blue+orange color dynamic, but diluted down to very pale blue and very dark brown. This shot specifically features Edwin focused at the center (the blue lines show that he is standing mostly straight up, while the trees on the borders of the frame are all leaning inwards), with Niko crouched down to fit with the shape of the hillside (orange) AND the silhouetted rocks in the foreground. Then the hillside, the shadow on the water, the general cutoff of the tree branches, and the island in the distance (purple) frame the two of them in the middle without making a Point of it. It looks very natural, especially with the dark shadows around the border of the frame. (personally sort of brings to mind Wanderer Above The Sea of Fog).

I don't think I need to add any annotations to this one. The lighting is sharp and so are the shadows. The fog and the shine on the water, his hair, and the collar of his coat are starkly lit, while everything else, including his face, is deeply shadowed. Plus it's all an ominous, murky green. It's almost the opposite of Lilith coming out of her blood-red ocean. 10/10 frame, I have no words.

I gasped the first time I saw this shot. There are so many vertical lines (orange), which make the space feel thinner: the spike, the bulletin board(?) on the far left, both doorframes, the edges of the table and boxes, the tile on the wall on the right, Maxine herself... and then there are the diagonal lines, all sort of spreading out from Maxine, which includes the table edge, the shadows, and the wall tiles again. Then there's the fact that it's all so dark, but not quite pitch black. Once again we have a green/orange combo, and the light behind Maxine being so small in the whole frame makes it very effectively claustrophobic. We also never saw her enter this room from behind, which elevates her as threatening, because the camera work makes it seem as though we, the audience, are backing away from her as she enters, and then hiding from her as well. While I am devastated by the lack of a sapphic romance arc, I have to say I was blown away by the production of this scene.

I love this one because they're arranged so neatly around the book. I didn't draw a curve over their heads, but it's easy to visualize by following Monty's hairline up to Edwin's, and then Edwin's down to Charles' down to Crystal's. The height order is perfect. Then there's the black-brown-black-brown of Monty's jacket, Edwin's jacket, Charles' jacket, and Crystal's hair. The book itself helps frame their faces (diagonal blue lines), and their clothes fall into uniform with the vertical trees behind them, creating a satisfying, natural, unobtrusive background. This is definitely more visually appealing than a shot of them leaning over and looking down at the book/camera. It's also broken up very nicely by the greenery. Plus, none of their faces are shown from the same angle! Refreshing!

Poor Monty :( but hey, he gets a really awesome shot here! We're back to orange+blue, and the angle of this shot makes it look like the vertical trees behind him are positioned diagonally (orange) to follow the dark blue shadow behind his head. We also get two light sources: one of them is the moon, and the other one comes from the same place as the music. The moonlight (blue) sort of encircles his head and cuts off at the line of trees about halfway across the frame. Both the back of his hair and the far side of his face are illuminated, which is very effective in terms of bringing him into the foreground and making him the focus of the shot even though he's not in the middle of the frame. It's also balanced nicely by having background detail on the left, with the orange trees, but not on the right, where there's nothing but dark blue behind Monty. This is also a great shot when it comes to his hair and jacket, because the jacket is used to add to the framing of his face with the dark blue background, and his dark brown hair is lit sparingly, which ties in the left side of the frame.

Like the frame with Maxine, this one has a lot of shadow and a little bit of light, and again works with an orange/blue (or teal, really) color scheme, but this one is much friendlier. The windows are larger than the doorframe and Charles isn't actually blocking the light the way Maxine did. Instead, he's illuminated from the right by Edwin's orange lantern, and the shot is balanced by highlights (blue) that stop it from becoming cramped and stressful. There are stable vertical lines (purple) and rafters and shadows spreading out from the center (orange). Charles, though he is blocking the window, is wearing a white tank top, and his skin takes on the warmth from the lantern, so he's not in silhouette and he blends very nicely with the scene. I love that he's not at the center of the shot, but instead framed almost perfectly in the right window. (Another thing I love about this show is that the characters almost always interrupt the continuity of the background even when they're positioned to be framed by it. It makes the scenes feel much more natural even while they continue to be gorgeously directed from an artistic/stylistic point of view.)

This is one of the simpler ones, but it's perfect. The Night Nurse's hair and vest are the same brownish orange, and her shirt is the same as the walls, sticking with our tried and true brown/green (easy variation on orange/blue) color scheme. She is framed in the blackness of the doorway, but once again interrupts the white doorframe on the left side. Even the lamp and the board (?) on either side of the frame fill the negative space in a natural way. Also, the vertical lines of the board, doorframe, door, and lamp aren't perfectly spaced apart, which makes the whole shot feel more down-to-earth.

There is so much going on in this shot. The beams of light (orange) are emanating from behind Edwin in a shape sort of reminiscent of wings. The angles of light/shadow and the immediately obvious position of some of the mirrors (blue) also spreads out from behind him, reinforcing the wing imagery and focus. The background is lighter than the floor, and Edwin's clothes blend in with the floor and the reflecting highlights (green) in the mirrors. It's all balanced by shadows (purple), which aren't so much shadows as they are dark-colored mirrors and the blood on Edwin's face. This shot is an unsettling combination of chaos and order, increased by the strange phenomena of mirrors endlessly reflecting into each other, especially since Edwin doesn't show up in any of them. You'd expect him to look out of place, and he mostly does, but there's just enough immediate immersion with the color scheme and light angles to make him fit perfectly. And he wouldn't fit in this shot nearly as well if he were wearing his usual clothes. It's such a good way to introduce Despair. I love this scene.

Now I needed to include these two next to each other, because they're. They're the same scene. Maren is on the porch looking down at Crystal and the boys, but the color schemes and blocking are so starkly different. Maren is wearing black, and the house is washed-out yellow and maroon, both unfriendly colors in this scene. The windows all show the gray reflections of the dead tree instead of even a glimpse inside the house, immediately showing that Maren is hiding something. Then in the shot with Crystal and the boys, they're positioned behind her on the path. Edwin is next to the brown gate and gray stones, and Charles is sort of shadowing Crystal and framed by the green bushes. Crystal's shirt is flower-patterned to match the pink petals on the ground, and her red hair and purple jacket make the whole shot more vibrant and friendly-looking than Maren's, even though Maren is supposedly the one being helpful/friendly/hospitable. The first time I watched this episode I knew I couldn't trust Maren as soon as I saw her standing on her front porch. This scene is, as Charles would say, brills.

Okay, last one, I have to stop somewhere. (I have so many more. I have. SO many more. that i could talk about. but this post is so long already). There are three windows, evenly spaced, white light and curtains framed in them. Charles is in nearly full silhouette as he opens that chest; his head and the lid of the chest intersect with the vertical window frame, and his arm runs parallel to the middle bar. He also blocks a good portion of the leftmost window, while Edwin stands in front of the one on the right. He's fully framed by the window and standing farther back than Charles, not quite silhouetted but still very dark compared to the background. When he ducks down to inspect the cabinet, his head ends up in front of the wall between the two windows. This whole scene is an excellent display of blocking/framing/lighting, just in terms of where they end up holding any given position while they talk. Once again, there's nothing artificial or manufactured about their blocking. These aren't statement shots (all film projects have a few Really Good Shots, but they're often at extremely important, pivotal, or emotional times, instead of spread out through the storyline.), which makes them even better.

I might have to make another post and include shots with Jenny, the sprites, the Cat King, Esther, and more landscape shots. There is no shortage of stunning frames and scenes, and there's no reason not to dive into the production and hidden meanings.

TL;DR: this show is an ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE. Please watch it. :)

#dead boy detectives #edwin payne #charles rowland #crystal palace #niko sasaki #monty finch #monty the crow #film stills #cinematography #this. got away from me.#appreciation post #color schemes #film techniques #analysis #symbolism

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gazetto-no-ki · 1 month ago

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LIVE2024 HERESY LIMITED 【HETERODOXY Vol.3-IMMORTAL CREED-】 2024.09.12 Toyosu PIT - spice.eplus Live report

At every live show, the GazettE's vocalist RUKI always says, “First, thank you for sharing this time with us.” These words are not just a formality; they come from his heart, and during this two-hour performance, it became evident that this is the reality of their world. Thousands of fans filling the venue chose to share the same space and time with the GazettE, directly meeting the members’ gaze and creating an intense sense of unity. What seems like a "usual" sight for their live shows—a sea of fans and the band connecting deeply—is, in fact, a miraculous and irreplaceable experience. This night served as a profound testament to that truth, and it will surely stand as an enormous “trace” (shouseki) in the band’s future path.

In April of this year, the band’s bassist REITA passed away, and this was their first live performance after the memorial concert "HERESY LIMITED 'SIX GUN'S,'" held on May 27th. This show was part of their fan club exclusive series 'HETERODOXY' Vol. 3. Ahead of the performance, vocalist RUKI stated that the setlist would be chosen from across the three-disc best-of album they released about two years ago (the GazettE 20TH ANNIVERSARY BEST ALBUM HETERODOXY -DIVIDED 3 CONCEPTS-). He also explained that the title, "IMMORTAL CREED," carried the meaning of an "undying belief." In other words, the purpose of this concert was to reflect on the band’s journey so far, while reaffirming their unchanging commitment, no matter what happens. After watching the two-hour show, this became an undeniable conviction.

As the start time approached, the SE track "HETERODOXY" played, and five flags, adorned with the logo of their fan club ‘HERESY,’ slowly rose. With the five spirits gathered on stage, the intro to "Filth in the beauty" began, featuring graceful female vocals. This unexpected opening song sparked a cheer from the audience. When this single was released in 2006, its innovative blend of heavy rock and R&B created a buzz, and the floor shook with movement as fans jumped and headbanged at RUKI’s command. Applauding the sight, RUKI then transitioned the applause into clapping, signaling the start of "VENOMOUS SPIDER'S WEB." As the distorted guitar sound filled the venue, laser beams, like spider webs, crisscrossed the inside of Toyosu PIT. Uruha (Gt) and Aoi (Gt) exchanged guitar riffs while Kai (Dr) drove the beat forward, overwhelming the space with the band’s signature heaviness.

“Tokyo! Show me how cool you can be!” RUKI shouted as "VORTEX" began. Uruha had already taken the center stage platform, and RUKI moved fiercely from side to side, riling up the crowd with clapping and headbanging. In the powerful chorus, you could clearly hear REITA’s (Ba) voice, and the excitement in the room continued to rise. This unusually fast ignition of energy showed that the band truly craved the live performance setting, something RUKI hinted at in his next MC.

“Can I be honest with you? I’m so happy to see you. Really, live shows are a place where you can let out any feelings, any emotions, so feel free to do whatever. Show me any face you want. You don’t have to worry; we’ll lead you.”

Next, they performed "GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS," a hard-hitting, vertical-headbanging song, followed by "FADELESS," a catchy melody wrapped in loud rock. Both numbers combined the decadent theme of ‘falling from grace’ after losing wings, delivering a clear narrative. During the latter’s outro, the spotlight turned to the rhythm section, placing the focus on the bass, and chants of “REITA!” echoed through the venue, etching his presence into that space.

RUKI’s vocals, both smooth and on the verge of breaking with sharp shouts, were bathed in blue lighting and smoke, reminiscent of water's surface, as he walked unsteadily, expressing loneliness through "DRIPPING INSANITY." The song introduced a world of quiet sorrow. In "QUIET," where the powerful drumming felt like it could blow everything away, RUKI sang "For now it's goodbye" but didn’t complete the line "The habit of leaving an empty space by your side." This left the audience with a tightness in their chest. After the poignant guitar echoes faded completely, applause filled the venue. RUKI’s silhouette swayed like a shadow puppet under the heavy, drumbeat-like drumming of Kai, while Aoi unleashed the maddeningly beautiful intro phrase of "GODDESS." The performance, drenched in red light, ends with RUKI singing of a broken mind, and just as he repeats the words "Are you testing me?" the curtain lifts on "BABYLON'S TABOO." The red lights flickered like candy threads across the hall, while RUKI whispered the spell-like phrase "ADE DUE DAMBALLA," creating a dark and unsettling atmosphere akin to a ritual. The band's heavy, technical, and tricky performance was captivating. No matter how aggressively they stormed through the songs, the deep tracks that followed were always integral, forming the foundation of the GazettE’s profound world.

"After all, live shows are great. Standing here, I feel like this is a place where you can release any emotion. So, everyone, don’t hold back. Let it all out, everything, and follow us from here," RUKI said.

Emphasizing the word "everything," the band’s physical power began to push the emotions of everyone present. In "TWO OF A KIND," RUKI incited headbanging with calls of "Head! Head! Head!" while the audience unleashed their wild energy under the weighty and brisk sound. But it wasn’t just their bodies that trembled—the lyrics like "Knowing the same pain" and "Every time we share our scars" shook their hearts as well. Under the laser beams, "VERMIN" painted a thrilling sight as the crowd leaped high during the chorus, while REITA’s gritty bass lines intertwined with Uruha’s swirling guitar. When the intro to "ATTITUDE" kicked off, the crowd exploded into a massive sing-along and clapping to "Until die!" RUKI rallied the crowd, shouting, "Come on, shout from your gut! Make it reach!" as the guitarists quickly switched positions, driving the audience into a frenzy.

"You're doing great, Tokyo! Can you keep going? You can do more, right? This isn't all you’ve been holding back! Bring it on!" RUKI roared as the crushing low bass of "ABHOR GOD" reverberated through the venue, sparking a storm of headbanging. As the crowd clapped in unison, Uruha and Aoi stood side by side, strumming their riffs, electrifying the audience with their presence. The intense blast beats of Kai and RUKI’s death growl brought the madness of the final moments to a thrilling close.

Then, as RUKI shouted, "Can you handle the last one? The last one!" and Kai hit the bass drum with a steady four-on-the-floor beat, the audience instantly responded with claps and cheers. In perfect harmony with the crowd, the band launched into "TOMORROW NEVER DIES." When RUKI shouted, "I’m singing for you guys!" fists were raised high, and the front members of the band freely ran across the stage, filled with the joy of performing. As the crowd erupted into cheers before the final chorus, RUKI looked up to the sky, repeatedly asking, "Do you hear it!?" The voices from the audience grew louder with each repetition. Needless to say, by the end of the song, RUKI let out a roar, pouring out all of his feelings.

Though REITA’s physical presence couldn’t be seen, his sound, his spirit, and his soul were unmistakably there. Because through the GazettE’s songs, the memories and presence of REITA were etched into the hearts of everyone in the venue.

"First of all, I want to thank you for sharing this time with us. You all have your jobs and daily lives, yet you chose to come to our live show today, and I’m really grateful for that. Truly, I’m genuinely so happy. No matter what expression you have, show me your faces clearly. To be able to meet again on the day we promised—honestly, I think that’s such a blessing. Time is something that inevitably passes equally for everyone, but today, every single second, let’s make this an unforgettable and amazing moment together, you and us."

Responding to the encore, the band reappeared, and RUKI expressed his gratitude as always, speaking about the happiness of being able to gather for the live show, which was met with applause. He followed it with these touching words: "Memories, you know... they're treasures that will never disappear for a lifetime." Then, he began singing the deeply emotional "Anata no Tame no Kono Inochi." (This Life is for You) with heartfelt love and melodic grace.

As he called out, "Let me hear you!" a huge chorus erupted, and during another early song, "Akai One Piece", the crowd joined in with claps, fists, and headbanging, creating a truly spectacular scene. "Go wild and go home! Can you do it?" he shouted, as they launched into "INCUBUS," sending heavy bass through the venue and creating a sea of raised fists, shaking the hall. This led seamlessly into "Hyena," where REITA's shout echoed across the venue from the start. Although REITA's voice and bassline were not live, the overwhelming live experience born in that moment, with the drums, twin guitars, vocals, and the audience's chorus all coming together, seemed to possess a mysterious, superhuman power.

The last song RUKI signaled was "UNFINISHED," a track that unmistakably declared that the GazettE’s journey is far from over, and they have yet to reach their final or complete form. Aoi leaned against Uruha, layering their sound together, while RUKI brought the lyrics "I'll take your hand" to life by gesturing as if pulling the crowd’s hands into his own. The audience responded with all the voice they had, and the unforgettable stage reached its emotional finale.

"Thanks to all of you, we were able to create an unforgettable and amazing day. Thank you. And next year, thanks to your support, the GazettE will be entering its 23rd year. As a surprise, we've prepared a promise for when we can meet again. We'll be waiting for you like this once more. Please spend your precious time with us again. Thank you for giving us such an incredible day today and for always supporting us. Please continue to support the GazettE from here on. Let's meet again. I love you."

As RUKI spoke these raw and sincere words, he gazed across the floor filled with applause before leaving the stage. On his way out, Kai embraced the bass amp. The flyers distributed at the venue's exit announced the tour 'the GazettE LIVE 2025 23rd ANNIVERSARY TOUR Shouseki,' which will take place in January through March next year. The tour will begin at Nagoya's DIAMOND HALL on January 16, continue at Osaka's Namba Hatch on February 6, and culminate on March 10 at the Tokyo Garden Theater, marking the band's 23rd anniversary.

The title of the tour, "Shouseki" ('traces or a trail that will serve as proof in the future'), reflects their earnest desire to leave behind a solid mark as the GazettE continues its journey. What kind of "trail" they will create along the way will depend on the audience who loves them.

#immortal creed #2024 #the gazette

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laxmiree · 3 days ago

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[CN] MLQC’s Lucien - Strategy Game Date - English Translation (2/2)

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

My fingers inadvertently brush against his earlobe as I slowly drape my necklace on his face.

Like marking him as my guaranteed prize in advance, I grasp the chain and gently tug it, pulling him half a step closer to me.

The dazzling light settles back into my eyes, as if he has always meant to be mine.

Translation under the cut!

Previous: Part 1 & 2-> [Here]

=[Part 3]=

After I mention wanting to learn chess, Lucien unexpectedly takes me straight to the exhibition hall next to the banquet room.

Seven black and white checkered platforms of varying sizes divide the space vertically, connected by steps and reaching almost to the ceiling.

Towering above me, the black and white chess pieces are nearly life-sized. Like the legions of a mighty emperor arrayed for battle, they cast a majestic gaze down upon me, making me suddenly realize something.

MC: This... could this be a giant, three-dimensional chessboard?

Lucien: Hm, when the organizers created this exhibition hall, they probably wanted people to directly experience the spatial sense of three-dimensional chess.

Lucien picks up a remote control from the entrance and brightens the lights.

MC: So, if we're thinking like chess players, shouldn't we head up to the top level?

Lucien: [chuckles] Sometimes I wonder if this student has secretly seen my courseware.

He smiles and takes my hand, leading me up the steps. We weave between oversized chess pieces, finally reaching the top of the chessboard.

Lucien: Actually, looking from directly above, the rules for moving the pieces are generally similar to international classic chess.

Lucien: You've had some 'hands-on' experience with me before, so you should pick this up pretty quickly.

Lucien: The pieces in three-dimensional international chess can move vertically between adjacent boards. In addition to this, these small boards can rotate under corresponding rules.

He presses the remote, and a small chessboard begins to rotate horizontally until its black squares once again align with those of the adjacent larger board.

MC: Wow...! That's so interesting!

Lucien: [chuckles] Might as well give it a try.

I take the remote and, after a few shifts, gradually start to figure out the pattern.

MC: The smaller boards can only rotate if they're empty or have just one piece on them.

MC: But it seems like it can only move on the same side of the big chessboard and to the adjacent corners?

Lucien: [chuckles] As expected of a clever girl.

MC: Well, it's all thanks to the patient and guiding Teacher Lucien.

Lucien: Now then, rather than boring you with the rules, why don't we learn and gradually reinforce them through hands-on practice?

MC: So, are we going to jump right in and play a chess game?

Lucien: Mm, in an interesting way.

Lucien takes my hand and leads me to the level where the white chess pieces are arrayed.

Lucien: By entering the game personally, perhaps you'll be more immersed in it.

He smiles calmly and walks over to a white Queen piece. He extends his hand and pushes it aside, creating an empty space.

Lucien: Come on, give it a try.

Only at this moment do I belatedly understand the meaning of ‘entering the game personally'.

Gazing at each of the chess pieces solemnly arrayed around me, I take a deep breath and step into the center.

Like a coronation, the light crowns me. And amidst my nervousness, I also feel a thrill of excitement.

MC: Lucien, I'm ready.

Lucien: [chuckles] Okay, but you'll need to be cautious from now on.

Lucien: In chess, the Queen is the most powerful piece, and also the one most easily captured.

A voice that feels strangely familiar traverses the depths of distant memories, falling clearly upon my ears. I freeze for a moment, then a smile spreads on my face.

MC: Of course I know, especially since this is my first time on the 'battlefield’.

MC: However... I will do my best to fight a good battle.

Lucien: [chuckles] I'm honored to be your opponent.

With Lucien stepping onto the position of the black king, the instructional match begins.

To gain a more intuitive understanding, I open up the chessboard simulation that Lucien gave me.

Lucien: In three-dimensional chess, occupying and controlling the center layer is very important.

I suddenly recall the knight's jump in Carl's opening and skillfully push the white knight forward, seizing the initiative to start the game.

A flicker of surprise momentarily crosses Lucien's face, but he quickly smiles and moves to occupy the White Knight's most likely next landing spot.

After a few rounds, we soon converge on the strategic focal point—the center of the chessboard.

Lucien: The Queen piece can move along any horizontal row, vertical column, and diagonal line.

MC: Then I won't hold back.

Seeing my chance to capture Lucien's freshly placed pawn by moving between levels, I don’t hesitate. I walk over and gently push it.

A spotlight immediately illuminates this small victory of mine.

The display stand is already waiting nearby, and I proudly push the captured pawn onto it.

As Lucien explains the rules, the beams of light repeatedly light up, and I capture several more black pieces in succession.

MC: This feeling is just too addictive!

Lucien: Looks like this classmate is gradually discovering the joy of chess.

A subtle smile plays on Lucien’s lips, his expression brimming with lively interest as he appears engrossed in this entertaining and educational game.

At this moment, I notice Lucien standing diagonally across from me, just a step away.

According to the rules, I can checkmate this enemy king in just one step.

Suppressing my wildly beating heart, I casually start to speak as if it’s unintentional.

MC: What do chess players do at the moment of victory?

Lucien: They usually call out 'Checkmate' to tell the opponent, 'You've been ‘eaten’ by me'.*

MC: Ohhh~ Checkmate!~

Looking at him with his smiling eyes, seemingly unaware of his situation, I feel a bit giddy and rise slightly on my tiptoes.

Suddenly, tiny flecks of light glimmer across Lucien's face. Following his slightly narrowed gaze, I realize it's the light reflecting off my necklace.

The flecks of light dance just perfectly on his face, inexplicably arousing a desire within me.

I want to triumph over this genius, to have him celebrate for me, to have him witness my coronation.

Driven by this thought, I gently set the chessboard aside and take off my necklace.

My fingers inadvertently brush against his earlobe as I slowly drape the necklace on his face.

Like marking him as my guaranteed prize in advance, I grasp the chain and gently tug it, pulling him half a step closer to me.**

The dazzling light settles back into my eyes, as if he has always meant to be mine.

MC: Checkmate.

I look into his eyes and speak softly.

MC: Lucien, it seems like you're about to be ‘eaten’ by me now.

Lucien: Is that so?

Lucien: But... it seems my turn to make a move now

MC: …?

He raises an eyebrow, pushes the black Bishop aside, and moves along the line towards the King chess piece behind me.

Because I was focused on capturing pieces earlier, I didn't set up any defenses around my king. Now, I can only watch as Lucien advances towards it unimpeded-

As if in response to his words, the white king collapses in defeat.

Everything is happening so suddenly. A blinding beam of light abruptly shines just a few steps away, making me squint.

The chessboard, which just moments ago rested on the ground, now lies askew without me noticing, its tilted surface like a declaration of my defeat.

A golden chess piece rolls dejectedly towards the light until a large hand with defined knuckles picks it up.

Within the spotlight, Lucien holds the chess piece between his fingers and casually glances up.

Lucien: [the way his CN VA said this in english🤧] Game Over.

Lucien: Did this Miss Player enjoy the game to her heart's content?

The translucent colored glass refracts the cold light into his eyes, making him look like a proud and indifferent figure of high status.

It's as if, should he desire a win, the golden fruit of victory will naturally fall into his hand; and should I relish the challenge, he would be quite happy to help me experience that same joy.

Lucien has always been a good teacher.

Although the frustration of failure lingers in my heart, there is still a hidden sense of thrill that draws me toward him.

MC: Winning would make it even more enjoyable for me.

MC: However, losing might not be a bad thing either.

MC: That way, I can see how far I still have to go before I can beat you.

Lucien: [chuckles] That's very good.

Lucien: ‘Desire to win’ is the first step towards victory.

He gently caresses the chess piece in his hand, stretches his arms out even more languidly, and makes no attempt to hide his overflowing eagerness and anticipation.

Lucien: MC, do you still want to play?

MC: Of course.

He smiles ambiguously, his narrow eyes taking me in completely.

Lucien: Then, go ahead and beat me quickly.***

✂———————–

[T/N]

p.s. Did you catch all the references to S1 chapter 23 👀 Very interesting to see him saying essentially the same thing as Winter World Lucien/Ares, but more in casual tone and wording🤧 Also, as for the plot,… For now, I can only say that he's truly a black-bellied ‘beauty bait’ 😂 I will talk more about the plot at the end of the date~

*: In Chinese, 'capture' in chess is expressed as 吃掉 (chī diào), which literally means 'to eat up' or 'devour.' This creates an interesting double meaning in the MC's line, if you know what I mean🥴

**: The phrase used here is 囊中之物 (náng zhōng zhī wù), which literally translates to "something in the bag". It implies that something is already securely in one's possession, entirely under one's control, or easily obtainable—like something that's already been caught and placed in a bag or like a prize of a secured victory. By using this phrase, besides being overconfident she also expresses a desire to assert her “sovereignty” on him~

Also as for the line right after that (仿佛他本就是我的), a more literal translation would be that “as if he inherently/naturally/fundamentally belongs to me.”. like, him belonging to her just feel natural and inherent 🤧. That sounds awkward in EN so I use a more natural-sounding phrase sksksksks

***: Alternative translation: “Then, go ahead and win me quickly.” . 赢我 (literally, “win me”)can either be interpreted as him urging her to beat him in the game or literally ‘win’ him, with him still wearing her necklace a.k.a her stake on him, like a prize yet to be claimed… both can be true imo-

✂———————–

=[Part 4]=

Throughout our trip, Lucien's chess lessons continue to progress step by step.

Soon, it's the last day, and we're heading back to the guesthouse after completing our itinerary.

I rest boredly on Lucien's lap, thinking about how to properly wrap up the vacation.

Suddenly, an idea pops into my mind.

MC: Lucien.

Lucien: MC.

Our voices ring out at the same time, and then we both laugh together.

Lucien: [chuckles] You go first.

MC: I've been learning chess for a week. Shouldn't the teacher check the results?

Seeing me glance meaningfully at the chessboard on the desk, he catches my meaning with a knowing smile.

Lucien: It seems a chess match is inevitable then.

MC: Hee hee~ But since Professor Lucien often has a habit of going easy on me, I must give you a serious reminder…

MC: If you don't give it your all, then I won't play with you anymore.

Seeing my eager expression, Lucien smiles and winks.

Lucien: In that case, I'll probably give it my all even more than I would for the championship.

✂———————–

MC: Woo hoo, you're too amazing!

Lucien innocently arranges the chessboard, as if he wasn't the one who checkmated me three times in five minutes.

Lucien: Do you want to play another round?

MC: No, no, no more. If we keep playing, I might develop some psychological scars…

Lucien: [chuckles] In that case, why don't we go have some fun?

MC: Hm?

As Lucien draws open the floor-to-ceiling curtains, a bright orange-pink view suddenly floods my retinas.

Flamingo floaties, heart-shaped balloons, and red lip-shaped water balloons are arranged around the pool, creating a lively party atmosphere.

Lucien: We agreed to have a pool party on the first day we arrived here.

Lucien: It's just that a certain classmate was so engrossed in learning chess that she seems to have completely forgotten about this.

Hearing the pretend grievance in his tone, I laugh and pinch his nose.

MC: Could it be that a certain professor was playing such a fast game of chess just to get me to go have fun sooner?

Lucien doesn't say anything, but a smile plays on his lips as if in confirmation.

Lucien: You always keep your head down when we play chess. It seems like I haven't seen your eyes in a long time.*

✂———————–

A party should naturally have the vibe of a party.

By the time I arrive in the garden, having changed into my pink dress, Lucien is already waiting for me.

The beige suit hugs his elegant form, accentuating his sharp lines, while the light green tie adds a touch of freshness.

MC: This trip is totally worth it!~ I unexpectedly got to see so many different styles of Professor Lucien.

Lucien: Initially, I didn't quite understand why you didn't want to wear a swimsuit to the party, but now—

Lucien: Seeing such a lovely picture, I think I understand.

The summer breeze gently tousles his bangs, and I suddenly realize that his hair has grown longer without me noticing.**

I can’t help but reach up to fiddle with his hair a couple of times, but it doesn't feel like enough. So I take off my hair clip and stand on tiptoe toward him.

My fingertips twirl a strand of his hair. He seems to realize what I'm doing and gently leans down. His warm breath falls steadily on the corner of my lips, like a phantom of a kiss.

His naturally exquisite brows and eyes are now fully unveiled, making me smile with satisfaction.

MC: It's better this way~ I can see your eyes all the time now.

Those dark eyes freezes for a fleeting second, then the world held within his gaze curves into the faintest of smiles. For a moment, I'm completely spellbound by the sight.

"Pop!" The balloon bursts with a bang, and we both blink in surprise, then burst into laughter together.

Sunlight casts dappled light and shadow on the water's surface, and a giant flamingo float drifts towards us, like an invitation of some sort. So, I reach out my hand to Lucien.

MC: Are you ready?

Lucien: Although I don't know what MC is referring to, I think I'd be more than happy to entrust myself to you.

He places his hand on my palm, and I immediately hold it tightly.

MC: [laughs] Then I won't hold back-

I raise our intertwined hands high above our heads and take a big step forward, jumping towards the flamingo with all my might.

As we float in midair, the warm sunlight, woven with dappled shadows cast by the trees, rushes toward me, and a joyful exclamation escapes my lips.

His familiar gentle voice sounds by my ear as his strong arm pulls me close and protects me firmly in his embrace.

Bam-!

We feel a soft, bouncy sensation on our backs as we sink before being bounced back up.

Colorful balloons float in mid-air, while polka-dotted water balloons bobbing along with the waves, like a pop art canvas unfolding before one's eyes.

The splashing water droplets glint like the world’s own flash, capturing all the joy in that moment.

The flamingo drifts leisurely until the waves finally calm down, and I turn to look at the person beside me.

MC: Once you board my “pirate ship”, there's no easy escape!

Lucien: [chuckles] If you're using yourself as bait to lure me onto your pirate ship…

Lucien: Then it seems this pirate miss has ensnared herself in her own trap. After all, we're in the same boat now... [whispers] you can't escape either.

With a soft laugh, he deliberately tightens his arms around me.

MC: Hahaha! Don't underestimate me!

I feign a struggle to break free but discover something tangled around my arm—

Several bright red lipstick decorations each trailing a long red thread, winding messily and mischievously around our bodies.

I'm just about to take it off, but then an idea strikes me, and with a smile, I tilt my chin up.

MC: Shall we play a little game?

Under his noncommittal gaze, I loop a red thread around his fingertips, pressing one red lip against his chest. The other, I keep in my hand.

MC: Let's see who can snatch away the other's 'red lips' first. I may not be able to beat you at chess, but I'm still quite confident in this kind of little game—

Before I even finish speaking, I feel a sudden tug on my fingertip.

I turn my head in surprise and find that Lucien has already firmly grasped the “red lips” in my hand.

MC: ….

Isn't this too fast?!

I laugh in spite of myself as I turn my head back, meeting that gaze filled with a hint of smugness and mischief.

MC: [pouts] So you really have such a high desire to win.

Lucien: Of course.

He gives a subtle, almost imperceptible smile, and purposefully tightens his grip on the red lips, but doesn't take it away.

Lucien: But compared to winning, I find myself savoring this moment even more.

Lucien: A well-matched opponent... makes the competition itself more enjoyable.***

Gazing deeply into his calm, smiling eyes, I can't help but hook my finger around his tie, pulling myself closer to drown in their depths.

MC: But... when I really think about it…

MC: Lucien, have I ever won against you?

Lucien: [chuckles] What do you think?

His dark, ink-like eyes glimmer with interest, yet remain extraordinarily serious as they're waiting for my answer.

MC: I don't know.

MC: Sometimes I feel like I've never won, because it seems that even when I use all my strength, I'm only just engaging in a match with you, still a distance away from victory.

MC: Sometimes I feel like I've won, but those instances don't seem to count as ‘winning or losing’.

The shimmering light of the waves drowns in the depths of his tender gaze, making me fall into those eyes just by looking at them.

Lucien: [sincerely] You've won against me many times.

Lucien: Sometimes, even when I fight back with everything I have, I still can't overcome you.

He smiles, a little helplessly, yet with a hint of willing surrender in his expression.

MC: Am I really that powerful?

Lucien: [chuckles] Mm. Besides, whenever I'm playing with MC, the rules, the strategies, winning or losing… none of it holds any significance anymore.

Lucien: I think, maybe you're just naturally talented at turning everything into the world's most fun game, making people want to keep playing…

Before I know it, he has silently wound a red thread around us, like the unbreakable red thread of fate. Greedily, I wind it tighter, until my fingertips touch his.****

MC: So, can I take that to mean that Professor Lucien enjoys playing with me the most?

Lucien: [chuckles] If I said yes…

Lucien: [whispers hoarsely] Would you be willing to play with me forever, MC?

✂———————–

[T/N]

*: “You always keep your head down when we play chess. It seems like I haven't seen your eyes in a long time.”- By seeing her eyes, he confirms that she’s also ‘looking’ at him, paying attention to him. He's basically saying that she's so absorbed in chess that she seems to haven't looked at him for so long🥺 Although he's saying this in a lighthearted way, it also hints at his longing for her attention 🤧

**: This highlight how MC hasn't paid much attention that now his hair has grown longer without her noticing u.u

***: 旗鼓相当 (qí gǔ xiāng dāng) - "Evenly matched" or "well-matched." This idiom literally translates to battle flags and drums being of equal strength, symbolizing that both sides in a competition are equally capable or have the same chance of winning. It also implies mutual respect for the opponent, recognizing them as a worthy rival.

****: The red string/thread of fate! In the East, it conveys a sense of destined love. Lucien being the one who silently wounds it around them, he takes the initiative to establish the bond between them, but it is loosely at first, as if inviting her to be the one who tightens it. He’s not just forcing a bond; he’s creating an opportunity for her to choose how close they want to be. And longingly and greedily, she tightens the bond because she wants them to be as close as possible 🥺 Love is always a two-way street that requires active participation from two sides 🤧. Along with his “childish” proposal, you could also interpret it as a “trap” that he weaves for the two of them, but it’s one that neither of them wants to escape from 😂

✂———————–

[Moments- Emotional Expression]

Lucien's post: Sometimes, showing childishness can be seen as a way of expressing emotions.

MC: Do you also feel this way?

Lucien: Of course. In front of you, I often can't help but want to act a little spoiled.

[Reply 2]

Lucien's post: Sometimes, showing a ‘childish’ side can be seen as a way of expressing emotions.

MC: Does Professor Lucien like this way of expressing emotions?

Lucien: Mm, if lovers can freely show their childishness, it might mean their relationship has entered a new stage.

[Reply 3]

Lucien's post: Sometimes, showing a ‘childish’ side can be seen as a way of expressing emotions.

MC: I agree! Sometimes I want to act like a little kid in front of you~

Lucien: You have always been my little friend.

[T/N]

While "childishness" has a negative connotation in English, it carries a more neutral and sometimes even endearing connotation in Chinese. In this context, it conveys a sense of playfulness and innocence rather than pure immaturity👀

✂———————–

[Lux's Afterwords]

Not gonna lie, when I first read it, I felt a bit disappointed because this date seems to emphasize Lucien's victories despite being promoted as an "evenly matched game." 😂 However, after reading it a second time, I think I understand what the writers are trying to convey with this date (Also thank God at least they show this ‘evenly matched’ aspect in his Halloween date LOL).

I think this date is really trying to showcase Lucien's mischievous and “childish” side, reminiscent of his childhood before everything changed after the car accident 🤧 As we know from the R&S (that I shared before the beginning of the date- go read it if you haven't ahah), he was a gentle and quiet kid, yet there’s also that little “bad” streak in him. As a child, he loved teasing Fan Zihang (Zack in EN localization), and now he’s shifted that teasing to his girlfriend🤣 although there's still an obvious double standard like him still willing to go easy on her from time to time~

Just like what his reply in the moments said, a partner showing ‘childishness’ might mean that the relationship is entering a new stage. The fact that he can show this side of himself means he feels comfortable enough with MC to let his guard down. It’s like he’s letting her see a glimpse of the genuine him, the one who can be mischievous and has a high desire to win, just like he was as a kid. Perhaps…this is the kind of person he would have become if his parents were still alive. From being indifferent and distant, the snow is melting and he's entering a new spring in his life🤧

Then, reflecting on how the date mostly highlights his victories, I think Lucien’s not letting her win easily isn’t just about his mischief or his strong desire to win. He also hopes to challenge her with, make her understand, and eventually surpass his true capabilities 🥺. What MC says (“That way, I can see how far I still have to go before I can beat you.”) emphasizes this point. His display of true strength is meant to motivate her, not discourage her. He’s willing to give her a taste of victory, making the game more enjoyable regardless of winning or losing, and is even willing to teach her how to beat him. After all... an evenly matched opponent makes competition all the more enjoyable.

Furthermore, Lucien sincerely acknowledges that there are times when he can't win against her even when he fights with all of his might. Although it feels hollow if we only based it on the date alone, there are many, many instances of him ‘losing’ to her in previous dates and main stories- one instance that I can think of is this line from The Sea No Longer Distant MQ:

He feels as if she has left him far behind, as if she knows more things that he cannot comprehend.

He’s helpless to such outcomes, yet willing to surrender (coming from someone with such a strong desire to win... if this isn’t love, I don’t know what is). The result doesn’t matter as much as just enjoying the moment together🥺 Lastly, let's talk about his last line.

MC愿意永远和我一起玩下去吗? (Would you be willing to play with me forever, MC?)

With this date revolving around games and his ‘childishness’, the closing line is perfect ｡⁠:ﾟ⁠(⁠;⁠´⁠∩⁠`⁠;⁠)ﾟ⁠:⁠｡永远 (forever) is a heavy word, and it turns this seemingly playful line into something like an earnest yet almost childlike proposal 🥺. Through this, he’s expressing a wish for her lifelong companionship and commitment. There’s also an underlying vulnerability here—by asking for "forever”, Lucien hints at a deeper hope that she’ll stay by his side, to keep ‘playing’ with him until the end of life and more🤧

#his writers def makes MC to be more possessive to match his freak fr fr #'the one and only black swan queen I'll witness your coronation'#this line lives rent-free in my mind so it's nice to see it get referenced on this date!!!#mlqc lucien #mr love queen's choice #mlqc cn #mlqc spoiler #mlqc #mlqc translation #mr. love queen's choice #mr love lucien #mlqc xu mo #mlqc spoilers

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mysteryanimator · 2 days ago

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Breaking down Castlevania Nocturne Season 01 - Episode 06 "Gulity Men to be Judged" Olrox and Mizrak scenes (almost) shot by shot!

With episode 08's breakdown (which you can read here), I'm deciding to tackle episode 06! I'm glad people enjoyed my last breakdown as much as I did writing it! While I will try to be as in-depth as the last, I will try to keep it concise because there is a lot I want to cover with a 30-image limit AND I am not just covering the "I'm not in love with you" scene. I will be covering their other scenes in this episode because I cannot understate how extremely important specific shots are.

To preface this again, this is not the end-all-be-all for these scenes. This is just me making observations based on my media analysis and production studies and a deep passion for visual storytelling/storyboarding. I also consider myself an amateur, so please take what you will from this. My terminology may flip flop, and I will be super casual and informal in this analysis. However, I hope I still get my points across well!

Scenes will not just be "the curtain is blue because it is." Heavy moments with character interaction are important. They have very little time to go over this scene, they have a budget, they have a deadline, so every choice matters and it needs to push out a very specific message.

What is this? A close-up to start off this new scene?

I've talked before about how establishing shots are used to establish a new scene, which often than not is a big expansive shot of the area and of the characters/plot we're following. This still does that. In fact, this shot alone is giving us massive clues to what type of story we're getting. We're getting a much more closed-off private conversation that we shouldn't be privy to. We're getting a view of Macheoul from Olrox's inn, as if we're pulling away from the bustle of life just for a moment.

I'm going to be talking a lot about windows so let me set up the foundations to start us off. Symbolically, windows are important to get a deeper view into a person. Freedom, transparency in conversation, openness, and connection.

We're also getting a close-up of Mizrak and his eyes are cut off. Eyes are another symbolic way to showcase connection and openness but we're not seeing that. Intentionally. Contrasting things are happening. This is already alerting us that this is going to be a tense private scene where things are being bared out for us but things are still going to be closed off from being shared. Also a-ha that curtain being pulled off to the side, which previously it wasn't in episode 04. It is as if we're unveiling a bit more about these characters.

Now we get this long shot.

Hey, so fun fact, you know in the fan-animatic (which you can watch here I'm sorry for the self-plug lol, I was also writing this analysis when making that animatic), I had put in an absurd amount of divider/window themes it might've gotten really over the top (whoops). I was directly referencing those themes from this. Naturally, this inn room references 1750s architecture and how there is a lot of vertical and horizontal detailing, however, I will be excessively pointing them out in this breakdown, so let me also lay the foundations of how important these vertical lines are as well.

In a scene, you can make characters feel at a distance, divided and such not only by using physical distance between other characters and objects but implying it by having vertical lines between them. It can create invisible walls and borders, separating a character from the situation at hand.

Even when characters are really close to each other, putting a vertical line between them in the background can make all the difference. Example, you can a close distance physically, but they cannot connect on a deeper level because there's a metaphorical border by putting a vertical line between them in the background.

These borders pop up a lot in previous episodes surrounding Mizrak and Olrox. The only time it doesn't is in episode 08, where they're out in the open and Olrox unveils something he has guarded up until that point.

The gap between them for most of this scene is HUGE. This has to be established from the get-go to help build upon later scenes where the gap gets closed.

Olrox and Mizrak are both presenting closed-off poses. Mizrak is fully faced away, arms crossed, while Olrox has his leg crossed over himself as he reads, also not in any form facing Mizrak.

By the way, I want to point out, Olrox has the book the Abott uses to turn people into night creatures, he's reading it in Mizrak's presence. Olrox STOLE the book and presumably, Mizrak has seen it being used. Which, this whole scene gets alluded to in episode 4 around the time Olrox passes Mizrak the head. They both were planning to conspire together or at the very least, feed each other information from their side. They're both reluctant players of their team, seeing flaws in the plans of their 'leaders' as much as they do in their enemies. So without overstepping a line, Olrox and Mizrak forge a temporary alliance, which that line gets blurred by simple human emotions.

Close upppp

Oh my god guys he said the episode title !!! I think this goes without saying that each episode title is a line said from a character in the show, and that it is super important

We're still noticing this MASSIVE GAP between Olrox and Mizrak. Also, check that divide there. The vertical divides that are happening are the wooden wall detailing, the candle, more notably the window, that vertical line the biggest/important divide in the scene once again.

Mizrak is shoved into the corner of the screen, he's not important right now so he doesn't take up too much of a focus and, therefore is smaller. Which also means when Olrox follows up with the line "he's threatening you", there's less weight to the line because it's not the main focus, it's a joke. There's no real threat.

Which establishes another thing- their dynamic. In episode 03, Mizrak scoffs and chuckles "and you expect me to believe you care, vampire?" By Olrox chuckling out "he's threatening you" it shows us that this dynamic is reciprocated. They both make jabs at each other, which they know won't actually hurt them. This also means they know how to jab at each other and make it hurt. Foreshadowinggggg~

From here on out, Olrox gets a lot of close up shots, that are framed to JUST focus up on his face (and hand but I will talk about that later).

I'm going to end up skipping a few of Olrox's close up shots in this analysis because I'll end up repeating the same thing, but this is important. We need to see Olrox emote up close because he doesn't ever emote in a very 'animated' lively way. Compare how Richter/Annette/The Abbott and so many other characters emote, their hair and body drag with their face. Olrox does that super rarely because he controls himself. So here, when we get a sliver of his emotions, we're getting up close and personal with him.

Mid....shot? I'm going to be less picky about my terminology because what's important here is the message being conveyed to the audience.

Mizrak turns away from the window (not fully yet) to face him. I need to point out- that Mizrak is super pushed off to the side of the screen, but then his reflection is crossing over that divide.

So as mentioned, having a vertical line is intended to make the characters feel separated from each other. Having a character cross the border can mean they want to overcome the metaphorical walls that are being set up. For better or for worse, it depends of on the character's motives and the context of each respective shot.

Mizrak is passing through a divide to get insight into Olrox. The curtain, again, pushed and tied off to the side. A window. A view into the past. Which I need to make clear, only Mizrak's reflection crosses over the boundary, as if to let his inner self connect to Olrox. While physically, Mizrak keeps himself guarded in case.

By the way, Olrox is fully in his own box. A frame inside a frame if you will. This helps draw attention to a character BUT also fully isolates them. Mizrak, by this question, is calling out Olrox. It's an isolated incident solely caused by Olrox.

Olrox indulges him in this conversation, but he's not fully facing him. He periodically does, but never fully.

I want to point out, that we have gotten Olrox from a front view, and now we're getting a 3/4 view. The next will be a side profile of him, as if he's turning inwards.

By the way, horizontal lines can act to lead someone in a direction. Because this is a western show made for a western audience, most of the audience will read left to right. So naturally our eyes will start left of the screen and move right (unless there's a major focus placed else where). This also just helps in general to move from shot to shot as it will imply for us where to look next, for the upcoming shot. This is also indicated by the massive empty space on the right of Olrox.

So this shot. His eyes are purposefully covered up and Mizrak turns around. Also it looks very similar to the third shot of this whole entire scene but with those key differences I mentioned. It's to alert to us the tone of the section has shifted.

Right now, Olrox is beginning to open up about a vulnerable personal matter from his past, but we can't see him emote—not yet anyway. He will choose and decide when to invite us into his emotions. We see Mizrak reacting to him though. Still giving him that space, but he's now engaged into Olrox's conversation.

Ok skipping a shot forward, but this close-up of him closing the book is basically telling us his mission to dig further into the Abbott's plans is unimportant now. As is closing off the current story he's reading to tell Mizrak a story of his past.

Also followed by the line "He was proud to be Mohcian, with roots deep in the land and forest" as he balls his hand into a fist against the book.

Hands are a superrrr common thing to use for symbolic purposes. It can represent connection. Humanity. Strength. Many more than this list, but a lot of human symbolism and motifs tie down a lot to what Olrox's previous lover is like- along with what Mizrak is like.

Pspspspsps in episode 3, Mizrak's introduction is with his hands, might be a stretch though because that intro is also cross-symbolic. Regardless I thought it was important to at least flag

CLOSE UP SIDE VIEW.

This cut from his hand to his face honestly makes it so gut-wrenching because you're suddenly slapped with Olrox emoting. Olrox's side profile here is acting here that he cant fully face his past, he can't fully face Mizrak as he talks about his past love. Sure he will here and there look over to him, but he can't hold it.

Also, this is what Mizrak would be seeing. While yes, a close up shot so its not entirely a one for one POV shot, we can argue Mizrak is only focused on Olrox's face. We as an audience are forced to be focused on Olrox's face and his face only because of this camera shot. Who is not to say Mizrak is also a part of the audience. Especially since the next shot is of Mizrak looking at Olrox.

Mid shottttt

So cutaway shots like this can help with things like avoiding to keep animating Olrox talking/moving because that will eat up your deadlines, budgets, etc (I think, I can be wrong). This also gives us insight into Mizrak because we haven't seen him for a few shots and oh my god, Mizrak is emoting too.

Right now, Mizrak is pulled away from the window divide. He's giving him the space to talk. Divides are not always bad, again it depends on the context of the shot and what you want to portray.

Also, we're seeing Macheoul behind him. People get to walk freely, poor and rich, sinners and saints and all the people who sit in the middle of those divides. Until Ezerbet's plan becomes finalized. There are a lot of colonization themes in this show and this show is about fighting for freedom. In order to show what freedom is like, the privilege to have it, we must acknowledge the opposite.

We're doing it through Annette AND Olrox.

Mid shot again, featuring Olrox instead.

Now this is supposed to be a mirrored version Mizrak's shot because now Olrox is turned towards Mizrak here as well.

Mizrak mirrors the traits of Olrox's previous lover.

As Olrox talks about his previous lover, we as an audience begin to notice how Olrox's previous lover matches the themes of the show. Revolution. Fight for freedom. This also foreshadows that Mizrak will end up fighting with the revolutionaries, Annette, Maria, Richter.

Skipping one of Olrox's close ups to where Mizrak begins to prod at Olrox's story. He is a little bit too invested in Olrox's life.

MIZRAK CROSSES OVER THE BOUNDARY. THAT DIVIDE. The window divide that keeps them in their separate boxes, he's crossing it over to call him out. He leans forward, then leans back as if to prod him and then go back into his safe zone. His box.

This close-up cut is in between Olrox and Mizrak talking. It's supposed to completely throw us off because its so sudden because we're not expecting this AT ALL. Sure we know Olrox would get riled by this comment, but it's so fast its a literal blur, and this shot doesn't last that long either.

He's also choosing to run. Which in a way, make its slightly more terrifying. He has the ability to float, and (please correct me if I'm wrong) would be cheaper/faster for him to just float really fast. So the choice for him to use his feet to get to Mizrak is a conscious choice.

Which I won't lie, it brings me to this line.

"She said to me, if you would love me as a man, then live as a man, Travel as a man."

Said none other than Dracula himself in the first episode of the first Castlevania series. Olrox has a lot of times where he just chooses to walk/run, "travel as men do. Slowly." In turn, he's way more human still, despite his supernatural speed. There are also just a lot of parallels between Dracula and Olrox but I digress. It's pulling away from my analysis, but I thought it was a very important thing to note.

This is a low-angle shot. This shot is TENSE. Low angled shots are to make the character's seem powerful, larger then life because it puts the camera, in turn the audience, beneath what we're watching. At a lower place.

I'm here yet again to point out the divide. Mizrak even leans AWAY from the divide, as if to go back into his box. Olrox taunts the divide when he leans over. Not yet crossing it.

Until.

This close-up shot is so diabolical and it's so masterful.

Which, let's get this out of the way- It looks like they're about to kiss because they're that close to each other. We know they won't not, but it's the tension and the conversation we're having now just adds to it. We as an audience are now wondering what Olrox has planned for Mizrak because why is he that close? It is also not harmful bait either because we have them both naked in bed with each other prior. This is a set up for something bigger for season 2. (Or season 3... season 4... guys please stream Nocturne so we can get more seasons.)

Mizrak is pushed into his little box as Olrox stands over that divide and has an overwhelming huge visual weight over this scene. Mizrak, despite having very little of the screen, and being cornered by Olrox, is being very bold and questioning Olrox and his plans.

There are other ways to have someone feel like they have power over a scene besides a low-angle shot For instance, you can have them take an overwhelming amount of the screen so they feel big and powerful. To make someone appear weaker, you make them smaller in the scene (in other cases it'll make a character feel unimportant, like much earlier for that long shot, however in this case it is not). Right now, Olrox is trying to overwhelm Mizrak. This shot is suffocating, there is very little space between these two characters AND the visual breathing space for the eye to rest is almost nonexistent because Olrox takes up so much space. He's trying to read him and pull out his insecurities at this very moment. It won't work though. Olrox knows a lot about Mizrak. He has analyzed this man back and front, inside and out (I mean that metaphorically, but sure, you can take it literally too) but this is an impulse reaction, much like how Mizrak in episode 03 had an impulse reaction to pin Olrox to the wall.

Olrox feels threatened.

We don't know step by step what lead to the death of his lover, what drove Julia killing to him, but Olrox has opened up and Mizrak immediately begins prodding at his life the moment he mentions Julia killed his past love. How dare Mizrak tell him the person he would do anything for, that his death, was his fault. How dare Mizrak say Olrox would turn him. How dare Mizrak presume he loves him.

How dare Mizrak overstep the invisible boundary they've established.

Olrox moves off that divide back into his box.

BTW, side tangent:

I don't know if this was intentionally done but Mizrak's angle is really similar here, the key difference being his eyes and being shuffled into the corner more. Also, Olrox is there LMAO, but his eyes are cut off. It's like, in one truth being revealed, another one is being hidden. This is the very first shot of Mizrak we see in this section versus the very last time we see Mizrak in this section. Though this I'm a bit unsure about so I won't delve further than that.

Ok, tangent out of the way, the last shot for this scene!

This feels like a POV shot from Mizrak.

Front facing. Dead center. No fanfare at all. Blunt. Straight to the point. There's no hiding the truth. He is the subject of main focus.

Olrox is not lying, but it's not the full truth either, which is alluded to the fact the shot gives off the impression that it is symmetrical but it's not. Visually, the weight is so much heavier to the right, purely because of the bed, more of Olrox's face is exposed and the lights. The other side of Olrox is in the shadow and his hair covers up his eyes and parts of his body.

I'll split the shots into two without annotations just so you can see what I mean. Having this shot be split down the middle is wild because they feel soooo different from each other.

This one line is SO NUNANCED, there are so many layers to this (like an onion). So as we get a statement from Olrox saying he isn't in love with him. There is more then meets the eye, much like this shot. The front Olrox puts on.

Love is a very complex emotion, as is all emotions.

Regardless of love, the ending shot of this interaction is supposed to hit us like a brick wall. It forces us to face directly what Olrox is saying and we (including Mizrak) cannot turn away from what he has displayed. It feels heavy as Olrox's glowing eyes bore into us.

The scene concludes, and Lacrimosa, the song Edouard sings throughout the entire section, ends. I don't talk about music because I'm not well versed in that area, but I've gathered that Lacrimosa is a hymn sung in catholic masses. Lacrimosa literally means to weep. It's about mourning. I've seen it here and there about the Virgin Mary/Lady of Sorrows, things about mourning over sinners preparing to be judged for eternity.

We enter a scene, where Olrox mourns a lover, followed by Mizrak judging Olrox for what he did to preserve that love. His sin, his guilt.

Before we get into their later conversation, Mizrak and Olrox's reaction to the arrival of Ezerbet says a lot so I'll quickly touch on that.

Wow this mid shot honestly says a lot about the characters, how they pose and how they hold themselves, AND why they're even conspiring with each other in the first place. It's literally just for a second, its a still image except for the petals. You can recognise how, despite their very tense relationship with each other, they both share their disdain for Ezerbet's plan. No matter their differences. No matter the argument they had before.

Omg Myst what does this window divide mean? I hear no one asking, well, its almost like Mizrak is finally confronted with the vampire world, confronted that the vampire messiah is here, crossing over to look at what's happening. Crossing over to look into Olrox's world.

NOW, let's dive into their later encounter!

We're establishing a new scene, so this is our establishing shot. Looking onto the streets of Macheoul celebrating their Messiah, while we pull back into the private thoughts of Mizrak and Olrox once again. They're also back in their respective boxes, as you can see through the window's dividers.

We will never get to know what happened between the "I'm not in love with you" and this present moment, but they know to go back to their respective places, there's a much more pressing matter.

THIS SHOT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME FOR A PARTICULAR CALL BACK.

I'm calling this out, it's a reference to episode 04.

When they're both behind their respective partners, they look at them so forlornly, while the other recounts the horrors of their lives LOOKING DOWN. They're both also put at the same heights. Like Olrox is really tall, but for the sake of having these scenes parallel, he's sitting.

Also, the way Mizrak's head turns to look at Olrox in episode 06 gives me unbelievable psyche damage because he's looking at him so gently and Olrox never gets to see and it makes me ache so bad. I love animation y'all.

A massive theme of these two looking at each other from behind with such worry and pain, like episode 08. It will probably appear again in later seasons because it happens A LOT with these characters, so this won't be the last time.

Here we have a high angle close up shot! God this expression he makes breaks me.

While not as extreme as other examples in episode 04 or episode 08, its still a high angle regardless. This high-angle shot looks DOWN onto Olrox and makes him appear more vulnerable, to feel powerless. Couple that fact he pushed further to the side of the screen, taking up the same amount of space on the screen as the literal bed. He talks gently, but talks about the horrific events he's witnessed in the past. He's sidestepping for now. The argument they had, that doesn't matter now.

What matters is that he's going to basically relive it again if nothing is done about Ezerbet. People will die for the sake of power, for the sake of amassing a paradise that only cultivates for their personal needs.

Olrox's eyes poke through without the 'glow'. It just pops against the dark interior of the room. This allows for us, the viewer to be drawn to his eyes. How distraught he feels.

Did you accidentally miss that shot of him where he looks forlorn at Olrox, BAM, you're getting a close-up of it. (Also another cutaway to into not animating Olrox talking.)

Also, the line that they cut to going "They said were they doing it for their god." GOES TO MIZRAK. They could've cut to any line but they chose this line. Mizrak has been convincing himself for this entire season he's doing this for God, horrors and sins committed. It was for God. There's a difference between the Abbott's and Mizrak's justifications to do these things, the Abbott's more plainly put out and explored in season 01, which I won't explore here because then this analysis will get too long (and I haven't fully analyzed him yet so I could be wrong) but the Abbott fears what he has built is being torn apart and will sacrifice others to keep his position.

Mizrak. He has nowhere else to go. The world has abandoned him and God has saved him from whatever trial and tribulation he's gone through. Therefore he will do the same for others, as God has done for him.

The people in charge of this scene knew it was important for us to see Mizrak's reaction here. We need to see a more gentle version of Mizrak because prior, Mizrak had just been a very closed-off yet fiery stubborn man, who would literally growl at the people who he saw as a threat and would continue to do so. Not that long ago we saw him tearing into Olrox, indirectly telling him it was his fault that his lover died.

Yet now.

He's listening. He's here. He understands.

Which by the way, Mizrak always constantly has this very specific eye highlights in his eye, which (in my personal opinion) makes me drawn to looking at his eyes first whenever his face is shown on screen. This a very good example of being drawn to his eyes first because, amidst the darkness of the interior, you're drawn to his eyes. Then you notice how softly, how concerned he looks. Which is the main premise of this very specific shot. Mizrak, despite being guarded, can be gentle.

This close up shot allows us to transition to the next scene, cutting off Olrox's eyes in the reflection as we look out into the streets of Macheoul. We're now being pulled away from their private conversation, as we will now not be allowed to hear whatever Olrox will undoubtedly tell Mizrak and Mizrak to Olrox.

We now close off episode 06's breakdown!

I am honestly such a sucker for the division lines in a composition to portray distance even when people are close to each other. I am also a massive sucker for call backs and parallels, I literally cannot get enough of them. Like a WHOLE mood will shift completely if you shift character and camera placements.

Hopefully, my own opinions on the matter didn't sway you too much, so I'm hoping this implores you to rewatch Castlevania Nocturne! Look out for those key details not only in Mizrak and Olrox, but in a lot of characters in the show as well! Each character within a shot is framed in very particular ways for a reason. So we must wonder why and question it. I also hope this gives you a deeper appreciation for the work that goes into shows like these!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed reading as I did writing this!

#mystery talks #castlevania nocturne #castlevania #olrox #mizrak #olrox/mizrak #uhhhh insane hours here #long post #i actually ended up cutting a few shots from this LOL #rambles

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