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glowingbadger · 3 years

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You may have a little Lorenz Prompt as promised. As a treat. Here goes~

Lorenz taking thorough notes to surprise his s/o (is it the blog owner? the reader? some random character? It doesn't matter~!) with the most lovely, romantic date imaginable based around everything they like. He wouldn't put in this much effort to TRULY impress someone, but you're worth every step and more.

Enjoy where this takes your thoughts~!

(and pls don't eat it, Tumblr)

Y'know what, I've had a shitty day and I just finished writing some darker content- so I am going to ~indulge~. Normally I try to make my Reader character as broadly relatable as possible, but today we're going with MY preferences and interests because I WANT A NICE DATE WITH LORENZ GODDAMNIT

Lorenz (FE3H) x GN Reader - perfect date

Fluff - SFW

Today simply has to be flawless- the Gloucester heir will not accept any less. Not when it comes to you. Of course, Lorenz holds himself to high standards in all things, but the thought of providing anything less than perfection for you is one that pains him to even consider. Especially now that he'd finally gotten the courage- or, rather, found the right and proper time to ask you to spend the day with him.

You approach him at the Monastery gates not long after noon that day, and find your pace slowing as you eye him before he's noticed you. Without his usual elegant set of armor, you can appreciate the way constant marching and training has toned his slender frame- and appreciate it, you most certainly do. Though he soon turns to face you, and your eyes dart back up from a rather ignoble place to meet his instead.

"You're as radiant as ever, I see," he says with a warm smile. He offers you an arm and you take it, replying with a grin,

"You've already got me for the day, Lorenz, there's no need for flattery."

"'Flattery' implies a measure of falsehood," he says with confidence, leading you towards town, "and I could never bring myself to lie to one so lovely."

As your time together proceeds, you can't help but feel that, some way, somehow, Lorenz has some kind of psychic insight into your preferences. Everywhere you turn, whatever your heart could desire is immediately available and set before you with hardly any negotiation at play. At the first flower stall you find, Lorenz takes a moment to exchange words with the owner while you admire the sprawling array of colorful blooms; and by the time he's returned, he's holding a woven crown of delicate little white flowers. With an admiring smile, he carefully places it on your head, a hand trailing down a lock of your hair as he pulls away to observe you.

With a shy grin, you perform an exaggerated curtsy, prompting Lorenz to laugh fondly and take you by the hand. He twirls you slowly under his arm, watching you all the while, then says,

"They suit you every bit as wonderfully as I'd thought."

"They're my favorites," you reply.

"I know- erm, that is- I know of a superb bakery down the block this way," Lorenz seems a bit red in the face, but you chalk that up to nerves.

He's not wrong though- this bakery is something else. The selection and quality of ingredients is on an entirely new level compared to the Monastery's dining hall, and you find yourself overwhelmed even reading down the list of items posted to the wall. By your third pass over the full range of options, the words are starting to dance in your eyes- but a warm touch at your arm shakes your focus. Lorenz leans close to be heard over the rapidly growing crowd at the bakery's counter,

"Might I make a recommendation?" you nod, and he goes on, "I happen to have it on good authority that there's an item not included on this menu that you may like. It incorporates three different treatments of Brigid cocoa, if that is of any interest to you."

Your eyes light up and you can practically feel the rich sweetness across your tongue already.

"That sounds incredible," you reply, enraptured by the very thought. When you start to ask how he'd heard of such a thing, Lorenz has already turned to speak to the worker taking orders, and your words drown among the crowd of customers. The speed at which he acquires this mythical pastry only fills your mind with more questions. How did he manage to purchase an off-menu item so quickly? Wouldn't the cost of something requiring those many luxurious imported ingredients be astronomical?

But then, Lorenz returns to your side and guides you out of the crowded shop, and the sight of the delectable chocolatey treat in his hands dashes all other thoughts from your mind. He hands it to you wrapped in a handkerchief, and you can't help but immediately plunge in for a bite.

"Mmmm-!" you wear an expression of pure bliss as your mouth fills with sweet, savory chocolate, "Oh- Lorenz, it's so good!"

When you glance up at him, he's watching you with a strangely heavy expression. Once more, his fair complexion is painted a light red. You tilt your head curiously, and he seems to resurface from whatever thoughts had taken him for the moment.

"Here- you should try some," you break off a piece and hold it up to him.

"Are- are you certain? I had intended for you to enjoy it to your heart's content," he stammers out, evidently still a bit flushed.

"I want you to get to have some too. Please?" You hate to resort to puppy eyes with him, but it's hard to argue with the results. He leans forward and accepts the piece of pastry from your hand. You don't shy away from him in the slightest, and so a brief brush of his lower lip along the tip of your finger simply can't be avoided. Lorenz does his best to move past this without acknowledgement, and you two enjoy your treat together as you take in the bustle of the town around you.

The day continues in kind, with Lorenz apparently having painstakingly arranged every element of this date from start to finish. At a local seller of antiques and luxury goods, he secures permission to view and explore rare and dazzling paintings from around the world. Here, he's rather uncharacteristically reserved. Wandering the storage area like your own personal art museum, he watches you with evident warmth as you exclaim at the rich and varied pigments, the innovative expressions of human form, and so on.

After this, he brings you to a tavern at the far end of town, where he's reserved the second floor exclusively for you two to enjoy a quiet, intimate meal together. By this point, you've finally gotten around to considering just how much gold must have gone into this singular date.

"Lorenz," you say cautiously, "are you sure it's okay to go through all of this and spend so much just for-"

He raises a hand to cut you off, then replies,

"I assure you that it is," he takes your hand in his, holding it warmly from across your private table, "wealth has no value that we ourselves do not assign to it, and I have chosen to spend it on your pleasure. I can think of no greater use for a bit of coin."

The rest of the early evening is filled with pleasant chat and the occasional subtle sweet-talk. As you discuss everything you've seen and experienced that day, Lorenz engages you with surprisingly astute comments and observations. He's always at his best when he feels permitted to simply talk with you, as one person to another, free of the pressures and expectations of his birthright that he shoulders without a thought.

The sun is steadily lowering behind the hills and walls of the surrounding town by the time you make your way back together. As you walk hand in hand watching the Monastery gates rise ahead of you, Lorenz clears his throat abruptly and says,

"If I may steal you away for just a little while longer, there was... actually someone I thought you'd like to meet."

"Oh? What an honor," you say with a smile, "Do I get any hints?"

Lorenz gives a good-natured chuckle and says,

"Only that I think you'll get along splendidly."

And of all places throughout Garreg Mach's grounds, you begin to recognize that he is leading you towards the stables. You've met Lorenz's horse before- a lovely mare with a calm and agreeable temperment. If not her, then...

"Eloise?" Lorenz calls out in a gentle voice, "Eloise, come say hello- Ellie? Come now, don't tell me you've chosen tonight to become bashful..." at his call, a svelte black cat with delicate little white paws comes trotting out to meet you. Your heart positively aches and melts at the sight of her eagerly approaching Lorenz with clear comfort and familiarity.

"Lorenz, you... have a cat?" You say with obvious disbelief.

"She's one of the Monastery's strays, to be clear," he says, "She helps with the mice in the stables. Evidently, she had become quite fond of my preferred horse- and so eventually became fond of me as well."

Fond seems an understatement- she very clearly adores him. With a chorus of happy little mews, she circles his legs and rubs against him until he crouches down to offer her his hand. As he does, a shred of parchment flutters from his pocket onto the ground. Eloise targets it like a seasoned warrior and pounces at it with gusto. With a laugh, you kneel down to retrieve whatever this paper she's captured might be.

"Now Eloise, none of that- you must behave genteel-like with guests."

As he firmly lectures the cat, you glance at the paper in your hand. Nearly every inch of it is covered in an elegant, curling script that you imagine must belong to Lorenz. It looks like a... list of some kind. As your eyes scan down the page, you begin to recognize a pattern. Your favorite flowers, favorite desserts, favorite types of books and places around town- plus, to the side, the word "cats?" underlined several times. For a moment, you simply cover your mouth to hold in a snort of laughter. Then, you come to kneel beside Lorenz as he's failing to convince his feline friend to stop swatting at his hair.

"So- you've been taking very thorough notes lately." you say, nudging his arm playfully. He turns to face you with an immediate look of panic. Lavender eyes widen and glance down to the parchment in your hand, then back to you. He visibly deflates and says,

"Goddess- you must find me such a fool-"

You press your lips firmly to his before he can say another word. With a soft noise of surprise, his eyes flutter shut and he leans into your kiss. His lips are wonderfully soft, and the subtle scent of his cologne surrounds your senses as you tilt your head to seal your lips to his more firmly. You're not certain how long you remain like this, but only the dull ache of kneeling on the dirt and the incessant sound of Eloise bapping her paw against the paper in your hand bring you back to your surroundings. When you part from him, you brush aside the silky curtain of his hair to run your hand along his face, and say,

"I had a wonderful time today, Lorenz- and it means the world to me that you put so much thought into this. But next time, you don't have to study so hard, okay?"

For a moment, he seems speechless. Then, he gives a shy chuckle.

"You have bested me yet again, it would seem. How can I ever hope to become a man worthy of you when you are ever more lovely with each passing day?"

Eloise gives an insistent chirp and rubs once more against his leg, evidently tired of distractions from the attention she feels she's owed. Your smile widens, and you scratch her ear fondly.

"I think there's at least two of us who like you just as you are, Lorenz."

#no one's gonna read this why is it so long #fe3h #feh #lorenz hellman gloucester #lorenz x reader #fire emblem #fire emblem x reader #fire emblem imagines #fire emblem fic #fluff #fire emblem three houses #fire emblem fluff

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symbianosgames · 7 years

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A good voice actor can make you game's narrative and characters come alive with emotion and power. They can take chunks of text and turn them into a vivid story that will really stand out in the player's memory.

A bad voice actor can destroy all of your hard work on story and character development.

Wayne June falls very much in the former category. This prolific voice actor's deep, sonorous narration is as important to Darkest Dungeon's appeal as its characteristic visuals, its mental afflictions, and its vicious difficulty. The writing in Darkest Dungeon was extremely well done, but it was June's unique tone and delivery that gave the developer's words their dark power.

How do voiceover artists like Wayne June work? And how can you find such a person to work on your game? We decided to ask him how he works, and for any tips and insights he had for game devs looking to hire and work with voice actors.

WORKING WITH RED HOOK

Red Hook Studios, the creators of Darkest Dungeon, found June through a shared interest in the writer H. P. Lovecraft.

Chris Bourassa had been familiar with some previous work of mine, a series of audiobooks in the 'Weird Fiction' genre by Lovecraft," says June. "Since the concept for Darkest Dungeon has a rather Lovecraftian flavor, he thought I'd be a good fit."

"I love Gothic horror, grew up on monsters and scifi, so the concept of Darkest Dungeons grabbed me."

June was immediately impressed by Darkest Dungeon. "I love Gothic horror, grew up on monsters and Sci-Fi, so the concept grabbed me," he says. "The scriptwriting was nothing short of stupendous, I had a preview glimpse of the concept art and found that inspiring. "

He had done voice work on audio books, TV documentaries and promos... Go see his website to get a sense of the full range. But this was his first game project. He recorded himself in his own home studio, and shared cleaned-up versions of the audio files with the developer.

Red Hook hit the jackpot with June. What can other game developers do to help ensure an equally positive experience? How do you look into finding someone whose vocal talents enriches your work like June's did for Darkest Dungeon? How do you get them interested in working with your game, and what do they need to come aboard? How do you guide them to get the words just right?

KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT

When searching for a professional voice actor, it helps to have a very good idea of what you have in mind for your game.

Do you want someone with a cute voice, or someone who can make the dread halls come alive with malice? Knowing exactly what you want can not only guide you to find the right voice actor, but gives you an idea on what to suggest while giving directions to the person you eventually hire.

[embedded content] Wayne June's rendition of Poe's "The City in The Sea"

CAST YOUR NETS WIDE, BUT LOOK FOR EXPERIENCE

You could very well have already heard someone who's a perfect fit for your game in some other medium besides games. A good voice actor for your video game might not necessarily have worked in games before, as many of them do all kinds of different work.

The voice business is extremely wide-ranging," says June. "Here's a list of just some of the areas using highly specialized voice talent: Animation, Cartoons, Videogames, Audiobooks, Corporate Training Videos, Dubbing, eLearning, Webinars, Tutorials, Documentary Films…"

"Hire experience. There's a difference between, 'Yeah, I could do that' and 'Yes, I've done that.'"

June says that there are quality voice actors in all manner of different places, but he cautions developers to look for experience: "There are those among us whose range covers several of these areas, I work regularly in over a dozen of them, but no one person is likely to be appropriate for it all; the demands of the industry are just too far flung.

"There's a difference between, 'Yeah, I could do that' and 'Yes, I've done that,'" he insists. "Hire experience. Also, it may be helpful to get referrals from someone in your industry."

BE WARY OF BARGAINS

"You get what you pay for," warns June.

"As in every other industry, rapidly changing technology has changed everything," he says. "The availability of affordable recording devices has flooded the market with those wielding minimal experience and skill. You're going to come across sites that look great with '$49 voice productions' and 'freelancers' offering 'five dollar voiceovers'. Really? Good luck with that nightmare."

EXPECT PROFESSIONALISM. PROJECT PROFESSIONALISM.

You may be looking for quality talent to hire, but a voice actor is also sizing you up as their prospective employer.

"A major factor in the appeal of any prospective job is the perceived level of professionalism," says June. "In business, you want someone competent, serious, committed -- prepared, with clear objectives and a plan as to how to accomplish them."

A professional actor is going to want assurances that you have the skills necessary to pull off the game you have in mind, and that their time isn't going to be wasted on a project that may go nowhere. June says one of the things that drew him to Darkest Dungeon was a sense that Red Hook knew what they wanted and what they were doing: "Everything was extremely organized; very well planned and executed."

[embedded content] Final release trailer of Darkest Dungeon

LISTEN CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU HIRE

When a voice actor seems interested in the position you're offering, it's up to you to determine if they're right for your project as well.

"Ask for demos, ask for a custom audition, ask for recording studio specs," advises June. "Listen closely to the responses and before making a decision, be convinced that during the interview and audition process, your prospective subcontractor has been listening to you!"

It is up to the developer to determine if the voice actor is right for your project, and no matter how much experience or talent they might have, the only way you'll know for sure that they'll work out is if you listen to them yourself. Getting samples of them reading the work you've sent can solidify whether they're right for your project. (Ask for brief samples--don't expect them to record hours of material to simply aid you in your hiring decisions.)

EVALUATE A VOICE ACTOR (AND THEIR EQUIPMENT) FOR THE JOB

It can help to ask what kind of equipment a voice actor intends to use on your project as well.

Professional-grade equipment can help make for better recordings with fewer issues. June himself maintains an impressive setup. "I have a recording studio in my home with an acoustically treated booth (to deal with reflections of frequencies from hard surfaces) and use a program called Pro-Tools to record on a custom built computer maximized for audio production," he says. "I have a collection of microphones on hand from which to choose for any given project, including large-diaphragm condensers with multiple polar patterns and a supercardioid shotgun interference mic."

June continues, "I have a selection of plug-ins (software components that add options for manipulating dynamics, equalization, employing noise reduction, or adding effects such as reverb, delay, mic modeling, etc.) and I maintain a constantly growing library of sound effects and production music for sound design."

June was able to streamline the production process by editing the material before submitting it. "In the case of Darkest Dungeon, my editing included cleaning up mistakes and noises, evening out the dynamics and maintaining an overall consistent signal level," he says.

Equipment will not make an unprofessional actor suddenly work well, but a solid voice actor with high-quality equipment can help a developer get cleaner audio to work with for the end product.

PROVIDING MATERIAL TO VOICE ACTORS

Once you've made the hire, what all should you provide to the voice actor--just the lines you want them to read, or all of the surrounding context?

"I'm of the opinion a full script is best." says June.

A full script shows that you have the entire story down, which not only shows a serious commitment from you as the developer, but also helps the voice actor get a feel for the project as a whole. If you come in with snippets and undeveloped concepts, you also run the risk of looking unprofessional.

That's not to say that you cannot involve a voice actor in an early stage of the project. You can treat the voice actor like a consultant on the project to help guide you in nailing down your narrative style... but there will be a cost.

"If you're looking for the help of a voice actor in concept development, you'll be requiring more of a time investment, says June. "For example, if you're submitting multiple scripts before settling on a clear concept and finished script, for example, you can expect to pay for that."

The text of dialogue and narration isn't the only thing that can give voiceover artists a better sense of your game. "Reference audio, notes, story boards,spreadsheets are all effective," says June.

COORDINATING THE RECORDING PROCESS

Once a project is accepted, it's up to the developer to determine how closely they need to be involved in the recording process. Developers should determine if they wish to direct the voice actor live during recording or provide notes and feedback after the recording.

"A session can be set up to have a client physically present to act as director," says June. "Another option is to set up a 'phone patch' into the session so that the session can be monitored and direction provided. This can also be done by Skype, Google Hang-Out or with an ISDN connection or software such as Source-Connect."

Naturally, a more hands-on approach may effect the price. "A less expensive and often preferred arrangement is to establish understanding pre-production, and have the actual session self-directed by the voice actor," says June.

Detailed notes in the script can help the voice actor get a sense of what emotion or effect is required for a scene. It will also help the voice actor keep the emotion in mind when they go to work, which is nice given how much work it still takes with all of that direction in place.

FEEDBACK PROCESS

"I record the scripts, usually giving three to five different 'takes' of a given line to provide choices," says June. "It took multiple takes to narrow the choices down to the three to five that I sent. Plus, all initial recordings include unintentional and unwanted elements, like tripping over words, stomach grumbles, even passing planes and neighborhood dogs... my acoustic treatment is sound absorbing, not sound blocking! It can take many hours to get one hour of finished audio, depending on a particular day's challenges."

It takes a great deal of effort to provide lines even with direction, so a developer keeping careful notes on what they want in a given scene is key. Being able to communicate that with notes may not be possible given the way some developers wishes to work, but in the interest of cost, it can be worthwhile to learn to direct using notes. Barring that, find some other way to help the voice actor see the world and characters as you see them, using storyboards, references, or any other means that works for the both of you. Anything you can do to help them get the words right makes their job easier, and will help you get the quality acting you need.

"A solid concept, proper casting, and effective communication will smooth the process," says June. "Know what you want to hear, choose someone you trust and have reason to believe has the ability to provide that, and use any and all means to get across your ideas."

If done well, your words will resonate in the player's ears long after the game is over.

#IFTTT #Blogger

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