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ask-de-writer · 1 year

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IMMORTALITY? A Grumpy Goat *tail* (Part 2 of 3) : MLP Fan Fiction

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IMMORTALITY?

A Grumpy Goat *tail* (Part 2 of 3)

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

7865 words

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Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.

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I will give Sawnax this. He stopped. He thought. “I do get the immortality? No tricks?”

I sighed in exasperation. “Yes. You get what is specified in the contract. You will live the span stated. Your mind will stay sharp. You will be able to eat what you want and enjoy what you wish within the ability of your body to perform.”

Sawnax nodded sourly. “Expected more, you know. Dark deals and magical diagrams. Special candles and all of that stuff.”

I agreed, “Lots of my customers do. The repeat customers know what to expect. If you WANT that stuff, showmanship is twenty bits plus expenses.”

“I ain't payin' no more. Be careful with that stuff until my contract is took care of. Then screw up all you want!” With that cheerful parting shot, Sawnax took off down the trail.

The Litch King and Coalsmoke came out of the back chamber.

The Litch King said cheerfully, “I did overhear what you said about me, Grumpy!”

As we all three snickered, Coalsmoke chuckled, “He was right though. Calling you up can be dangerous. Just look at poor Grumpy. You did that to him over a simple mistake that was not even his fault.”

I finished my giggle fit and handed the Litch King a copy of Sawnax's contract. He flipped right past the cover page. He knows that boiler plate by heart. As he started to read, his fleshless skull began to show, first amusement, then hilarity.

He put down the papers to hold his ribs as he rolled on the cave floor, laughing. “He really signed THAT!? Oh, my! We are going to have so much fun!”

I nodded happily. “I know, Clarence. He even insisted on most of it. I can't wait to see what happens!”

It is very little known, but the Litch King does have a first name. He is Clarence. Try to summon him by it and he WILL destroy you. His name is reserved for his few friends.

Coalsmoke retrieved the document from the cave floor. And began her own giggle fit. She settled to serious first. “You know, Grumpy, I am glad that I took the time to talk to you and ask your advice before we did anything.

“It has been a tremendous help.”

Still chuckling, I asked, “Glad to hear it, Coalsmoke. You are one of the few ponies welcome in my cave. Not simply because you are lovely, either. You are among the few who have treated me with respect. I appreciate that.

“By the Bye, how is husband number six doing?”

Sobered only a little, she replied, “He was not feeling well yesterday. Wheezing a bit. They put him in Ponyville General for overnight observation.”

I asked with casual interest, “Did you break out the Widow's hats, veils and scarves yet?”

Seriously, Coalsmoke replied, “No, Grumpy. I never do that. Only after I get the news of one passing away do I get out mourning things.”

Clarence nodded sagely. “That is wise, Coalsmoke, my dear. You go about your chosen way of life with great professionalism.”

She nodded courteously, one pro accepting the compliment of another.

I just asked, “Back to Daring Do and the Compass of Discord or shall we put our heads together on the Sawnax thing?”

Clarence said firmly, “Leave that to me. I promise that you will find it amusing. Reading for fun is not a common thing for me. Daring Do it is.”

Coalsmoke agreed, so we went back out into the afternoon sun and I reopened the book.

The rest of the afternoon was quiet except for my reading. I really like the Daring Do stories and can get a bit carried away by her adventures! So do my friends! Reading is fun! Reading with friends is even more so!

The next morning as I was sweeping the front ledge, I saw a pus green pony on the trail. One that I knew. A lawyer. Absolutely one whose soul already belonged to Clarence. I leaned in my doorway, already glamored to a rotting, maggot infested zombie. With Mortimer there was no point in wasting time with courtesy.

He stepped onto my nice clean ledge, fouling it with his mere presence. “Grumpeter Goat, I represent Sawnax, who is demanding his full refund plus indemnity.”

I replied acidly, “Mortimer Mollycoddle, I represent myself and I have just one question. Is Sawnax alive and is his mind clear?”

Drawing himself up, Mortimer replied haughtily, “He could hardly make the demand if he was not.”

“Then Claim refused. His contract specifies that he will live. It specifies that his mind shall remain intact. It specifies that he shall be able to enjoy those things and activities that he was at the time of signing.”

Frowning, his lip curled, Mortimer retorted, “He got a broken hind leg! That violates the agreement!”

Mildly, because I now knew the situation, I replied, “How did he break it?”

“Sawnax used to be a steeple chase champion. He tried to run a steeple chase and fell! By his understanding of the contract, he should have been able to recapture his old crown.”

“Wrong. As ALWAYS, Mortimer. He might have “understood” that but it is NOT what he signed! He was to be able to do and enjoy WHAT HE ALREADY COULD AT SIGNING. Trying to do something outside of his abilities at signing is not covered.”

I gave him my best, maggot leaking smile as I inquired, “Do you really want to take this farrago of nonsense before Judge Coldheart? I would love to!”

“But my client is in great pain and confined to a mobility cart!”

“Please learn to read, Mortician.” (Mortimer hates that nickname.) I lounged in the door and pointed out, “Neither pain or suffering is covered in any way.

“Speaking of ways, the path to Failure and Ponyville is right there. Please leave.” I pointed to the path.

I went inside to get a mop and bucket. I was still scrubbing compulsively at the portion of the ledge where Mortimer had been, when far more welcome company arrived.

Coalsmoke, properly dressed for mourning, in a black hat, veil and shawl, stepped onto my ledge. I took one look and asked, “What did he die of?”

Whistling softly but cheerfully for a moment, Coalsmoke replied, “Doctor's error. He was allergic to some common antibiotics. They administered the correct antibiotic. The doctor himself swabbed the injection site and administered the antibiotic.”

I really perked up my non-existent ears. “This must be good. If it was the right antibiotic, what happened?”

Grinning like a bandit finding a cache of diamonds, Coalsmoke replied, “It was the swab! He cleaned the site with an antibiotic swab!”

Clarence stuck his skull around the door and said, “I would have expected you to be tied up with insurance matters for the whole day!”

Coalsmoke did a little skippy-happy dance. “When the Ponyville General Horspital's agent saw the label of the swab and the chart cover with its warning label he caved on the spot! He called my insurance agent and I got my whole settlement package! Double indemnity!”

Clarence nodded vigorously, his long horn catching flashes of sunlight as he did. “Good! Now, let's see, Daring Do was just about to confront the Compass Bearer ~ ~” He handed me the book.

As we were settling in to begin the reading circle, Coalsmoke asked, “I met Mortician Mollycoddle while I was on the way up. What was that about?”

I grinned and realized that I was still wearing the glamor that I had set for Mort's visit. I was about to change it when Coalsmoke stopped me. “Don't change it, Grumpy. It's kind of cute.”

I told them about Mort's visit and Sawnx's leg.

Absolutely radiating innocence, Clarence observed, “You will never guess who is using a mobility cart that was last used by a victim of severe running boils. It is an absolute mystery how it was improperly cleaned.”

Giggling fit to burst, I found our place. Reading a well written story together with good friends is an excellent way to pass the time.

The next day, Coalsmoke was absent. That was expected. She had a funeral to attend. That of her latest and now late husband.

Neither Clarence or I wanted to read until she could get free to be here. Our Daring Do book was almost at the end of the adventure and we did not want her to miss it.

A pony in white robes with a golden stole and funny tall hat was toiling up the trail. Clarence absolutely lit up with delight. “A Celestian High Priest! I haven't been exorcised in ages! This should be more fun than almost anything!”

I did brighten up. Clarence was right. Not even Celestia likes the Celestian Church! She publishes regular articles and holds news conferences to denounce them. You would think that being denounced by the very one that they claim to worship would finish them. If you think so, you don't know ponies very well.

The priest stopped short at the sight before him as he came to my ledge. I had adopted the maggoty zombie glamor and Clarence just stayed himself, a skeletal alicorn, the Litch King.

High Priest Hortimer drew himself up and dipped an aspergil into a container of blessed water. He cast a sprinkle of the water at us. I just let him. The stuff is harmless.

He lit a Holy Candle and took out his book of Holy Truth. He began to intone parts of the text, chiming a gold looking bell as he finished each part. He ended by demanding, “IN CELESTIA'S HOLY NAME, BEGONE, SPIRITS OF EVIL!”

The Litch King looked sadly at me and said, “Oh dear. We have been exorcised, Grumpy. Whatever shall we do? Somehow I don't feel like leaving.”

I looked back at him. “I know what you mean, your Majesty. I was hoping for a real exorcism. Something with some muscle to it, not that toothless, weak jawed thing. It wasn't strong enough to suck.”

I invited, “Hortimer, old pony, quit trying that worthless religious garbage and come to the point of your visit.”

Exasperated, Hortimer drew himself up to his full height and stared down his nose at me. “Brother Sawnax has not only a broken leg, necessitating a mobility cart, he has begun to develop vile boils all over his rump! You must remove the curse at once.”

I looked blankly at High Priest Hortimer. “I could not do that if I wanted to! You yourself, using pure quotations from the Holy Truth of Celestia, have proved that I cannot do any such thing as cast an evil spell or lift one. It is all lies and deceptions. You said so yourself.

“Besides that, I did no such curse at all. Sawnax and I have a contract. I will not and have not violated it.”

I, of course, failed to mention entirely that Sawnax's comfort was not covered in the contract. Somehow, I also forgot to mention that Clarence HAD messed with Sawnax and might do more yet. Best place to hide some things is in plain sight. And the Litch King was right there, bones and all. Being studiously ignored by the High Priest.

Hortimer seemed to think that Clarence was a prop or an illusion. That had amusing possibilities. Hortimer beat me to it.

The High Priest stepped boldly forward, now that the ledge was exorcised, and tapped Clarence, the very real Litch King, on the horn. Clarence, hissing like a thousand damned snakes in boiling kettle and unable to die, snapped at Hortimer's extended forehoof and slapped him with a bony wing.

The impact knocked the High Priest off his feet, his Miter of Office flying from his head, revealing Hortimer's bald spot. His forelock wig was comically dangling from his horn about half way up. His priestly robe had scorched tooth marks in the foreleg.

Clarence said, in a voice like an avalanche of stones hitting a frozen lake, “You may thank your host, Grumpy Goat, that I have not violated his hospitality by destroying you.”

The fleshless alicorn skull grinned as he added, “That protection does not extend beyond his front ledge. However, as a favor to HIM, I will do no thing to you. This time.”

Whistling tunelessly, I took note of the permission to really mess with Hortimer. Me NOT being him and all.

I stuck in a hoof, though. “Low Priest, ol pony, I do have a contract with Sawnax, as I mentioned. As a sign of my good faith in this, I am going to tell you how to deal with his present problem. It really was Sawnax's own fault that he broke his leg. It has to heal and it will, with time.

“The boils are not a curse. They are the result of simple rotten housekeeping at Ponyville General. The last user of the mobility cart had the boils and it was not properly cleaned. The boils all have to be lanced, drained, cleaned and dressed. The mobility cart just needs proper cleaning. That's it. No curse from me at all.

“Now take your funny hat, silly wig and the rest. Go. While you still can.”

He got.

Only a little later, who should come skipping up the trail but Coalsmoke. Still properly attired for mourning but wearing the biggest smile. She greeted us with a cheery, “Hi, Grumpy! How are you, Clarence? Guess what happened at the funeral today! We had barely planted him and who should show but the doctor and HIS insurance agent! They had a really generous offer for an out of court malpractice and no publicity agreement!”

She stopped, looked at our expressions and grinned hugely. “Give, guys. I passed Hortimer on the way up and he only called me a whorse! You really got to him somehow.”

I had to grin. “Clarence gave me permission to play all that I want to with Hortimer. I don't think that he has figured it out yet. He will, soon enough.”

Clarence, faking disappointment horribly, said, “Grumpy told on the boils thing. He will be all healed at no charge to him, courtesy of Ponyville General.” Brightening, he went on, “Of course, lancing and draining that many boils will hurt like ~ ~ well, my place!”

I added, “Sawnax loves to sue ponies. He is having a Mobility Cart ramp installed at the Celestian church. He is cutting a corner, like always. It is just a little steep because that is cheaper.”

Clarence added thoughtfully, “Did you know that a really big swarm of hornets has just nested in the bell tower of the Celestian church? I think that they might find out all about it at next Celesday service, when they ring the noon bell.”

He looked expectantly at me. I filled in, “Hortimer will not get a single sting in the panic. Can't say the same for Sawnax. You promised not to do anything to Hortimer this time.

“Pity about all of that poison oak and poison ivy that they still have been too cheap to pay me to clear up for them.”

Grinning so widely that I was afraid that her head would fall off, Coalsmoke handed me our book and said, “Daring Do was just about to escape with the Compass of Discord. I think that we have light enough to finish up today!”

Coalsmoke was right. The sun was setting in a welter of gold, purple and reds as we came to the end. Appropriate. End of the book, end of the day.

Coalsmoke was sniffling at the tragic death of Withers, whose valiant self sacrifice allowed Daring Do to get away with the priceless Compass of Discord.

Clarence was chortling at the whole gory scene as the last of the Discordians were defeated.

I, personally, being more than a little on the greedy side, was delighted that the treasure was in proper hooves, regardless.

That is what is so great about the Daring Do tales. There is something for almost every taste to take away and feel good about.

The next few days, there was relative peace at my cave. I had a few little 100 bit contracts for small things. I refused a small gang of burglars who wanted me to make them invisible by night so that they could ply their trade in safety.

The list of things that I don't like is pretty long but those who rob or steal are right at the top of the list.

I was surprised when Clarence, whose memory goes back to creation, literally, suggested that we tip off Romaine, the Ponyville Prancer roving reporter about the Celestian church for Celesday (SUNday to anypony else) service. He remembered her from Nightmare Night at Caramel Treat's Sweets and rather liked her.*(for details, read Grumpy Goat's Nightmare Night!)* I know that he has slipped her several stories since then.

Coalsmoke brought us the SUNday late special edition detailing the Celestian church disaster!

TO BE CONTINUED

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#IMMORTALITY?#Part 2 of 3 #MLP Fan Fiction #The Annals of Grumpy Goat #Written by De Writer

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troutfishinginmusic · 3 years

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Guide: Lesser-known nu metal albums that hold up

Nu metal is a genre that’s easily derided. It was caricatured as over-the-top angst, baggy jeans and casual misogyny. It was one of the biggest genres when I was first discovering music.

There was plenty of bad music, but to say it was all bad would be inaccurate. It was extremely diverse compared to other metal scenes. It also put issues like child abuse to the forefront, showing survivors they were not alone. Nu metal took a genre that was showing signs of wear and reinvented it. While it soon became saturated by faceless bands (as every popularized genre eventually does), it was important.

As the genre regains popularity, there have been plenty of retrospective lists about bands like Slipknot, Deftones and Korn. There have even been lists detailing some of the lesser known bands. The podcast Roach Koach has done a great job reassessing the genre (It was the catalyst for me making this list). In no order, here are seven nu metal albums you might be less familiar with but are worth your time. These all roughly come from the genre’s original era of popularity. I’ve also put together a ranking of more established nu metal records at the end.

I love the first couple of Static-X albums, but Cannibal is truly a high-water mark. It’s catchy, concise and extremely heavy. While it has some more straight-ahead metal flourishes (guitar solos!?!), no one could mistake this for another band. And, if nothing else, Static-X is a definitive nu metal band. Cannibal seems to find Static-X revitalized after kicking out a problematic member. Vocalist Wayne Static (who died in 2014) knows exactly what he wants these songs to do. His barking delivery finds spaces in each of these spartan industrial rippers. It represents all the things I like about the genre.

Oracle represents somewhat of a break from the more straight-ahead nu metal sound of Spit, so it might not exactly fit on this list. But ultimately Kittie is forever tied to the genre (much like Deftones), even if they’ve branched out in other directions. Oracle doubles down on heaviness by incorporating death metal influences. Morgan Lander’s vocals kneecap a lot of her more melodically inclined nu peers. It also shows the band progressing, despite losing guitarist Fallon Bowman. When people dismiss the nu metal as an outlet for white male whining, though sometimes deserved, they overlook great albums like Oracle.

Apex Theory’s only album, Topsy-Turvy, is brimming with creativity. Much like System of a Down, which originally featured lead vocalist Ontronik Khachaturianon on drums, the band channels its Armenian heritage. Yet Apex Theory leans into something more melodic, mathy and possibly emo (in more of the At the Drive-In sense). Every aspect of this album feels so precise and thought out. Khachaturianon’s vocals can leap out like a barrage of stream of consciousness yet can just as easily smooth out. It might’ve been a bit too weird for radio but, in a world where SOAD broke, it certainly could’ve happened.

Apartment 26’s final album might be one of the strangest on this list. It’s apparent that it was made to be more “marketable.” Yet those touches make it even weirder. The production here is very polished, but this is still an album that incorporates swing jazz into metal through programmed horns. It’s that oddness, intentional or not, that benefits Music for the Massive. An added bonus is the great cover of “In Heaven” from David Lynch’s Eraserhead (the band’s name is a reference to the film). Apartment 26 easily surpasses its legacy as Geezer Butler’s son’s band on this album.

Taproot’s debut struck on something deeply vulnerable that the band has carried through on subsequent albums. What is often missing on those other albums, though, is the heaviness found on Gift. The band’s raw talent is on display here, recalling System of a Down’s debut. Like that album, influences peek through but the band sound fully formed and unique. Stephen Richards’ distinct vocals, while not for everyone, bend around every twist and turn of these knotty songs. The band moved away from the genre, but created some of its best work within it. Oh, and bonus points for instigating this.

Orgy’s goth-y, processed guitar crunch was often imitated (Deadsy, etc.) but has never exactly been replicated. Candyass in some ways seems like the obvious choice, but there are some awkward growing pains. And really Vapor Transmission is just as good and possibly better. The hooks are bigger, the band commits to the futuristic themes and vocalist Jay Gordon is at the top of his gender-bending industrial crooning game. Orgy remains notable in this era for poking holes in the genre’s inflated macho exterior at every turn. There’s something so transgressive about the way the band operated in nu metal.

New Killer America’s cover always caught my eye when I was a kid. Album art was and still is a big deal to me. I love how subtly gross this is. At the time it was more affecting than the over-the-top gore common on metal albums. It fits the music. Skrape wallows in heavy post-grunge sludge. As Ulrich Wild did on the Static-X albums, there’s a good balance struck between heaviness and accessibility. Skrape had a mysterious vibe that was missing from similar acts that had a tendency to over-share. Despite some awkward vocals/lyrics that come up, NKA is noteworthy.

Honorable Mention: Coal Chamber-Chamber Music, Powerman 5000-Tonight the Stars Revolt, Nothingface-Violence, Mushroomhead-XX, Sevendust-Animosity

Established Classics Ranking

1. Korn-Korn: This was the album that started the genre. Every element that other bands would copy is here. It also features some of the rawist emotion ever recorded (”Daddy”) and some great singles (”Blind,” “Clown”). Some of the lyrics are definitely dated, but there are few metal albums that are as influence and heavy (well, in terms of subject matter) as this.

2. Deftones-White Pony: This album defied every stereotype the genre had. It seamlessly incorporated trip-hop and post-rock influences without sacrificing any of the heaviness. This is the highpoint for a band that rarely has a misstep.

3. System of a Down-System of a Down: SOAD’s debut is heavy, political and completely left-field. It still sounds like nothing else. All of the band’s records are good to great, yet I love how the death metal influences poke out more on this one. That’s a personal preference I guess, I really could’ve picked any SOAD album.

4. Sepultura-Roots: This album is so unbelievably heavy. It’s such a bummer that Sepultura didn’t make a record with this lineup past this point. It’s political in a way a lot of nu metal wasn’t. It seamlessly incorporates the band’s Brazilin heritage. It up-ends any perception about the genre being light-weight.

5. Slipknot-Iowa: This is really the only album from this era that rivals Roots in terms of heaviness. The band draws from a different well than Sepultura, packing Iowa with horror movie imagery. Much of this was to no doubt channel vocalist Corey Taylor’s troubled childhood. There’s something so frantic and desperate captured on this album, which probably has to do with Ross Robinson producing it (he produced Korn’s debut, as well as a lot of other iconic records).

6. Incubus- S.C.I.E.N.C.E.: Few nu metal records are this legitimately fun. Every part of Incubus is bursting with stoned creativity here. It also channels its influences much better than its peers. Somehow metal riffs and bongos go together here. S.C.I.E.N.C.E. showed a more easygoing side of the genre that still retained all the heaviness.

7. Linkin Park- Meteora: Though Hybrid Theory has a lot of singles, I always preferred this one. I think the band forged a bit more of its identity here. It gets a bit heavier, yet retains all the pop smarts. Definitely worth revisiting if you’ve just re-listened to Hybrid Theory to celebrate its recent anniversary.

NOTE: Yeah, Limp Bizkit is not on this list. The band has some cool songs, but ultimately its albums are pretty scattered. Fred Durst is a lot for me to take. The rest of the band is amazingly talented, especially Wes Borland. If its exclusion is annoying to you, please make your own list.

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#numetal #staticx #korn #kittie #sepultura #taproot #linkinpark #deftones #systemofadown #apartment26

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storytellingfandom · 3 years

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Calculators and Key Changes ~ Part 3

Summary: Kazami blew into Republic City High like a hurricane. The students loved her, she changed how the arts program was run and rose it out of the ashes. She got along with most all of the staff, that is, except for one.

Lin would give her props for saving the arts program, but that’s as far as it went. The failed opera singer was obviously looking for what she’d see as an “easy” gig to get her back in the papers and then abandon her students. And she wasn’t going to offer praise for a one trick pony.

But when things shift, when there’s an understanding, can their students push the two titans of the school together to find their own happiness?

A/N: This is a completely self indulgent high school AU. I tried to write it in second person POV, but it didn’t flow well so it is third person with it being Lin x OC. Many props go to @kuvirasbrat for helping me get this shaped though <3

Wordcount: 2,820

The two had stayed on the roof until the sun started coming up. At one point, they’d leaned against each other and fell asleep, simply basking in the quiet company of one another. Lifting her head up, Kazami ran fingers through her hair, rubbing her hands against her eyes to try and get the sleep out of her system.

“I can’t believe we stayed out here all night.” Lin murmured, stretching from her spot.

“I can’t believe we didn’t freeze to death.” Kazami answered, pulling her blanket closer. “Coffee?”

“Coffee.” Lin agreed, with a nod. Standing, she held her hand down and helped Kazami up.

Smiling, Kazami followed after her and into the school, grateful for what warmth it offered them. Making their way back to Lin’s car, both women turned seat warmers on and eagerly waited for the heater to put their hands in front of.

Once thawed slightly, Lin pulled out of the school’s parking lot and headed towards the cafe that they both got coffee from. Slipping inside, Kazami shooed Lin’s money away.

“What’d you take?” Kazami asked, once she’d ordered.

“Oh you know already, just the usual.” Lin answered, confused by the question.

“But I don’t…”

“Then who’s been bringing me coffee with your name…?”

“Wait, you’re getting those too?!”

Sighing, they both hung their heads when they realized what was going on. Motioning Lin to order her coffee, the two both got pastries to eat before grabbing a table.

“I can’t believe they would pull something like that.” Lin muttered, tearing into her plain croissant.

“You can’t? Have you met some of our students?” Kazami asked, sipping the warm drink with a hum.

Nodding, there was a muttered “Fair enough…” around the pastry as the two sat quietly for a minute. Lin reached over and gently rested her hand on Kazami’s, stopping the other from her eating and grabbed her attention.

“Last night meant a lot to me. That you would share with me, and would listen to me, it means a lot.” Lin murmured, her thumb unconsciously brushing across the soft skin of Kazami’s hand.

Kazami smiled and squeezed the other’s hand. “It meant a lot to me too, Lin. The whole evening was something I really enjoyed.”

“So...it would be something that you might consider doing another time?” Lin asked, hoping that sounded smoother than it did in her head.

A wide grin crossed Kazami’s features as she nodded, bright blue eyes shining as she nodded. “I would love to. We have our first concert coming up though, so it may have to be after that.”

“I can wait, when is that anyways?” Lin asked, leaving her hand, but leaned back for her coffee.

“Next month, the real issue is hunting down people to help put up the risers and shell for the concert.” Inara answered, rolling her eyes fondly at the thought.

“I can help with that, just let me know when.” Lin answered, turning back to her croissant. “So, do we tell the kids?”

“Oh absolutely not, I think it’ll be much more fun to let them guess.” Kazami smirked over her coffee. “Why give them the satisfaction of it right away?”

“I knew there was a devious side to you deep down.” Lin chuckled, finishing her coffee.

“Only when I’m around you, Beifong.” Kazami grinned, finishing her pastry she wiped her hands on her napkin. “Right, shall we go hunt my car down? I think I’d like to get a nap in my own bed before I do some grading.”

“I always forget you teach advanced courses in music theory and history.” Lin said, standing and reached for her keys.

“I do, I like to think it’s more fun than Tenzin’s history class in any case.” Kazami answered as they slipped out of the cafe.

Lin chuckled and nodded. “It is, I’m sure. I can’t even make it through one of his classes. Poor kids”

Walking the short distance to where the pizza shop was, Kazami walked to her car and opened the trunk to toss the blanket in it. Turning back to Lin, she smiled softly at her and fiddled with her keys.

“You have my number so...text me over the weekend?” Kazami asked, looking up at her.

“I will.” Lin answered, moving to open her car door for her.

Smiling, Kazami leaned over and pressed a kiss to Lin’s cheek before slipping into her car.

Lin could feel the blush crossing over her cheeks as she shut the car door. Waving at her, she waited until the car pulled away before walking back to her car.

“You have it bad, Beifong. Really bad.”

*********

[To Lin Beifong] SMS: Hey! Just saw your message, just got up from that nap

[To Kazami Ikeda] SMS: Three hours is an impressive nap. Feel better?

[To Lin Beifong] SMS: Much, especially after a warm shower. What’re you up to?

[To Kazami Ikeda] SMS: Grading, kids had a test on Thursday. Advanced statistics, starting to think I’m torturing myself with this as much as the kids

[To Lin Beifong] MMS: A picture of Kazami’s dark wood coffee table with a mug of coffee and piles of papers is sent over.

[To Lin Beifong] SMS: You’re in good company. Did you get a nap in yourself at all?

[To Kazami Ikeda] SMS: Not yet, but I’m considering it. Would you mind giving me a call in a couple of hours?

[To Lin Beifong] SMS: I would love to be your alarm clock. How would you feel if it’s just piano chords?

[To Kazami Ikeda] SMS: Like I would hunt you down and beat you with this textbook

[To Lin Beifong] SMS: You’re no fun. Sleep well <3

*******

While Kazami had been busy with concert preparations, Lin tried to sneak in when there weren’t too many students around. It was little things that had changed between them, standing just a little bit closer together at lunch, showing up in each other's offices when they had a free period to sit quietly and grade or talk quietly and work on other projects.

Lin had decided to show up at the cafe early at the cafe the morning of the concert, smirking when she saw Asami in line. The girl had started to order their drinks when she saw Lin and immediately changed the order.

Busted.

“I thought Ms. Ikeda discouraged coffee first thing in the morning for her ensemble students, Ms. Sato.” Lin said, placing the order for her coffee before ordering Kazami’s as well.

“Oh! I, urm, I’m getting some tea.” Asami answered, squirming slightly in her spot. “Are you getting Ms. Ikeda’s coffee?”

“I might be.” Lin answered, reaching over when her order was called. Smirking to herself at the girl’s wide eyes, she grabbed the pastries she ordered as well. “I’ll see you later, Ms. Sato.”

********

Walking into the school, Lin made her way to the choir room and frowned when Kazami wasn’t there. Walking to the auditorium, she poked her head in and smiled when she saw Kazami dragging some things out of the theater tech’s closet.

“You could have waited for me, you know.” Lin said, setting the coffee and pastries down on top of the piano.

“I was hoping to get a headstart on this before you got here.” Kazami answered, pausing to put her hair up in a ponytail. Walking to the piano, she grabbed the coffee cup and sipped it. “Thank you for this, by the way.”

“No problem, I also managed to catch who it is that’s been bringing in the coffee for us.” Lin said, rolling the sleeves up on her dark green blouse.

Blue eyes moved and eyed the muscles in Lin’s arms. Biting her lower lip just slightly, she shook her head and brought her attention back to Lin. “Who’d you find?”

“Asami.” Lin answered, her ego growing at seeing Kazami sneaking a look. “Okay, show me where you want these risers.

“Right! Right, I have some tape down for that.” Kazami answered and walked over to them. “Once the risers are up then we can do the shell”

Nodding, Lin easily pulled the risers to the standing position and helped Kazami to push them into place. Locking them into place, she patiently helped to shove it over a few ticks to the right when Kazami found that it wasn’t centered. Once they were done with that, the ensemble kids started to show up. Some of the guys jogged over to help Lin in moving the shell pieces, making sure the pieces that went up were secure.

Taking a step back, Lin reached for her coffee and looked over at Kazami. “Well, what’d you think?”

“It’s perfect, thank you so much for your help.” Kazami beamed up at her.

Lin smiled, leaning against the piano just slightly and let fingers just barely brush against Kazami’s as they stood together. “Will I see you at lunch today?”

“I can’t today, unfortunately. I have to get the programs done for tonight.” Kazami answered, linking her pinky with Lin’s. “Once this is done I will sleep for a few days though.”

“No one would blame you for it either.” Lin answered, lingering a moment longer before pushing away from the piano. “I should let you guys get started.”

“Are you going to come tonight, Ms. Beifong?” One of the kids called out.

“We’ll see. Have a good one, guys.” Lin answered, waving them off.

***********

Kazami arrived at the school dressed in black dress. The sleeves sat just off of her shoulders, and came down to her elbows. The modest bodice showed just the barest hint of cleavage and cinched in at her waist, the skirt flaring out just slightly and fell down to her knees. Black stilettos carried her through the parking lot and into her choir room. Leaving the door open for the kids, she gathered what she would need to bring into the auditorium, sipping her tea to help ease the jitters that always came with concerts.

Warm ups were done, kids were lingering around the room until it was time to file into the auditorium in their formation for the risers. Lin had managed to sneak in, a bouquet of flowers largely hidden since she hid from the students that would have recognized her. She wasn’t sure how dressed up she was supposed to be and had settled on denim trousers and the emerald green silk blouse she’d worn for school that day. A delicate gold chain with a small charm on the end of it was wrapped around her neck, bun firmly in place.

When Kazami came on stage, Lin was floored. She’d never seen the woman dressed like this, her hair pinned in a braided twist, legs on full display. Spirits, how had she not noticed her legs before now? Shaking the thoughts from her brain for now, she clapped gently as the show started and smiled watching her students do something they enjoyed. The way Kazami moved, hands directing and timing the students perfectly. Swaying to the music, keeping them on beat, applauding them as they went.

She was lost in the music, it came to the director as easy as breathing it seemed like. The hours of hard work was evident from how good the students did, Lin had a new appreciation for what this was to them and what went into it to make it happen.

With the show over, she stood and made her way to the cafeteria where families were congregating. Making small talk with some of the families she knew, she smiled when she saw Kazami enter with some of her students and was easily swarmed by the kids and their parents. Finally managing to lock eyes with her, Lin felt her heart flutter in her chest when the woman lit up and finally managed to excuse herself.

“You came!” Kazami said, a grin on her face.

“I did, you were amazing, the kids did amazing.” Lin answered, a soft smile crossed her features.

“They did, didn’t they?” Kazami asked, watching them linger before eyes spotted the flowers. “So...who are those for?”

Lin smirked and handed her the bouquet of roses and panda lilies. “They’re for you. I guess.”

Grinning, Kazami pressed her face into the flowers and hummed and inhaled the scent. “These are amazing.”

“I’m glad you like them.” Lin smiled, watching the other woman. “Have you had dinner yet?”

“Not yet, did you have something in mind?” Kazami asked, cocking her head to the side.

“If you don’t have plans I thought I might take you out.” Lin answered, a hand resting in her pocket.

“I’d like that. As long as you don’t mind me changing my shoes in the car.” Kazami answered, shifting on her sore feet.

“I suppose I can allow that.” Lin answered, before nodding back to the students. “Go finish up.”

Twenty minutes later and Kazami was finally making it out to her car. Seeing Lin stand near it, she waved to her and opened the back door before throwing the high heels into it. Slipping into the ballet flats, she let out a groan as she stretched out her feet.

“Why do you wear those if they make you miserable by the end?” Lin asked as she turned to get into her car.

“Because they need to see me in the back. Where do you want to meet?” Kazami asked, leaning against her car door.

“How does Nartuk’s for Water Nation noodles sound?” Lin asked, figuring the simple food would be good for the tired looking director.

“Sounds perfect. See you in a few minutes.”

Dinner was a comfortable event for the two of them. The two of them laughing over the looks the students had been giving them lately, the whispers that were floating around. The restaurant sat right on the harbor, letting the light from the stars and the moon reflect off of it.

Walking out onto the patio, both women leaned against the railing watching the night sky. Lin had slipped her jaket over Kazami’s shoulders, noticing the slight shivers that the other woman had been having since they came outside.

“I love the moon when it’s full like this. It’s beautiful, don’t you think?” Kazami asked, blue eyes gazing up at it.

“Yeah...it is.” Lin murmured, her own striking green eyes watching the other women.

The blue of her eyes reflected the stars, lighting them up in a way that was ethereal and otherworldly. The two inched closer together until they were pressed against each other, Lin wrapping an arm around Kazami’s waist.

Kazami leaned into Lin, snuggling into the warmth that the other woman radiated. Turning in her embrace, she smiled up at her. “I’m really, really glad you came tonight.”

Smiling, Lin reached up and gently brushed some hair from Kazami’s face. “I am too.” A hand reached up, fingers trailing over Kazami’s high cheekbones and along her jawline. “I’d really like to kiss you now, if I could.”

Kazami felt her heart speed up and she nodded. “I’ve been waiting for you to do that for so long.”

Lin smiled and moved closer, both hands cupping Kazami’s face now before she leaned in and pressed her lips to the other woman’s. Her lips were soft under her own, moving in sync after a moment. Feeling the sparks under her skin, Lin moved an arm back down to wrap around the other’s waist to pull her closer.

Kazami had never experienced a kiss like this, where the fireworks blew up behind her eyes, the need to be closer to Lin. The wish for the moment to never end. Wen they both pulled away slowly, identical smiles on their faces as they grinned at each other.

“Spirits…” Kazami murmured, looking up at Lin.

Lin smiled and nodded, fingers gently moving over Kazami’s features. “So...do you think we should make this a regular thing?”

“I don’t know, I might need to test that one more time to confirm it.” Kazami murmured, going on her toes to press her lips to Lin’s again.

When the two pulled away again, they remained pressed together simply watching the sky. Neither knew what was in store for the future, but in this moment, they were happy. Not for the sake of everyone else, but for themselves for once. And in that bubble of time, that was enough.

“You know, we’re going to have to tell the students about us eventually.”

Fuck.

“After Christmas vacation we will.” Lin murmured against the top of her head. “The last thing I need is for them to lose their shit over this with the promise of vacation on the horizon as well.’

Joint laughter could be heard as the two moved to head back to their cars, their hearts full in the new found relationship that was blossoming.

#lin beifong #lin beifong x oc #lin beifong/oc #lok fanfiction #legend of korra fanfic #legend of korra fanfiction

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romewritingshop · 4 years

Text

Say you won’t let go

Fandom: Choices, Perfect Match

Relationship: Damien Nazario X F!MC (Name: Peach Park)

Warnings: Slight talk of smut, fluff, vomit, graphic death, alcohol drinking

Word Count Total: 2797

A/N: I’ve been in an emotional mood and so I was listening to Markiplier’s cover of ‘Say you won’t let go’. The song makes me so emotional and I thought Damien and Peach needed it. So I wrote this fic and posted it. I’d recommend listening to the instrumental or the lyrical version while reading. Instead of posting a sneak peek, I thought I could post the whole fic so here it is.

Markiplier Cover - Say you won’t let go

Instrumental Say you won’t let go

CHOICES MASTERLIST

Tagged: @ravenpuff02 @ephemeralsunsets

A low jazz voice hummed in the air of his office as Damien examined the evidence for his current case. This stalker was impressive in covering their tracks and Damien was struggling to connect the strings of graphic art and threatening love letters. His office was strewn with red tape and papers, almost as if his evidence board had come to life. Nadia Park’s case was proving to be his biggest challenge yet. He ran his hand through his hair and stood away from his desk, trying to see the case from a different angle.

A knock rang on the door as Damien grunted and opened the door, only to see the familiar dark hair that faded into light curls. The person turned to Damien and he held his breath in his neck. It was his client’s cousin, Peach Park, dressed in a fitted light pink button shirt that seemed to make her stature taller than she actually was. Accompanied with a bright orange pleated skirt that made her legs glow. She certainly looked amazing and different, she was usually dressed down in a t-shirt and jeans or a denim dress.

It was a welcome change and Damien gave a brisk nod to let Peach in. He assumed she wanted to see the progress of his case and he had no qualms about it. The client has a right after all, he glanced back through the door and noticed Nadia Park wasn’t there. He furrowed his eyebrows and turned between Peach and the empty hallway. Damien closed the door and took in Peach and realised that her face had more of a shine as usual. He felt a little hot under the collar but the window was closed. He had never been alone with Peach and no matter how many times he thought about it, he hadn’t believed it would happen. Until now that is.

“Hello Miss Park, what brings you to my office tonight?”

Deep down he hoped she came for him but a man can only dream. Remaining professional with her helped dampen his desire and need to know her more.

“How many times have I told you to call me Peach? If you don’t call me Peach, then I’ll start calling you, Mr. Nazario.”

As much as Damien would love to be called that, it also reminded him of how much older he was as he rubbed the back of his neck. He could never get over saying her name, he’d often repeat it to himself in the dead of night. He could never understand the power she had over him as he gave her a small smile.

“Sorry, Peach.”

“That’s better.”

“So do you want the run-down for what I’ve got so far?”

Damien went around her to grab a list of potential suspects when he felt her hand on his wrist. Damien almost audibly gasped at her sudden contact as he took in her slim fingers around his wrist.

“Actually Damien, I’m here for something else.”

Damien felt his heart rate increase steadily as his brain ran through different scenarios, some good but mostly bad. She probably doesn’t want Damien on the case anymore; she found out about Beitan; she doesn’t need him anymore. He must have gotten lost in his head as he felt a shake against his wrist. Damien escaped his mental hell to see Peach in front of him, a soft comforting smile. Her eyes were a cave full of life and wonders and Damien could feel himself getting lost in them.

“I wanted to ask if you were free to have a drink with me?”

Damien blinked as he slowly took in her words. A drink? With him? Was he dreaming? He hoped not as he repeated the words.

“A drink?”

A soft laugh came out as Peach smiled.

“Yes, a drink.”

He wasn’t meant to say that aloud as he felt his cheeks and ears heat up at her words. She had the softest sweetest laugh that reminded Damien of wind chimes blowing in the wind. He never felt like this with Alana and it really riled him up in the core of his soul. She took her wrist away to straighten her skirt and Damien was close to begging her to bring her touch back but he held back. It wouldn’t seem professional as she went on.

“You’ve been working so hard for my cousin, I thought I’d offer you a drink as a way to say thanks. And to probably give you a break from looking at photos all day.” His heart warmed at the fact that she was concerned for him. It was a redeeming quality of hers as she gave him one of her sweet smiles. “It’s on me the drink.”

Damien would’ve gladly given her his soul, even before she asked. Damien smiled and took Peach up on her offer, grabbing his jacket and keys and locking his office door.

Several hours later, Damien and Peach swayed from side to side, trudging up the steps to her apartment. The both of them giggling about the moving wallpaper and the rainbow cats. Damien could not remember anything as Peach reached into her clutch, pulling out her apartment key. She missed the keyhole three times and only managed to get it in with Damien’s help, They pushed the door open and stumbled in, Peach blindly tapped the walls for the switch. With pure luck she found them as she turned to Damien with a finger to her lips.

“Sh! You’re going to wake up Nadia!”

“Nadia doesn’t live with you!”

“I know! You’re going to wake her up!”

“Okay.”

The both of them wobbled against each other and just about reached the living room, Damien plopped himself on the sofa and Peach followed, falling face first onto Damien’s lap.

“Ah! My cojones!”

“What’s that?”

“My drawers!”

They giggled at the word and took a moment to breath. There was a comfortable silence as Damien ran his hands through her hair. It was coarse but she purred at the slow contact, he smiled in his drunken haze. It has been a while since he was in such a happy state as he glanced down at her but Peach had a slight grimace on her face. Her stomach grumbled as she pushed herself up to face him.

“I’m gonna vomit.”

Damien registered the word vomit and slowly got up, helping her stand and taking her to the bathroom. He could feel the alcohol muddling his brain as he just about opened the bathroom door. She dropped away from him and brought her face close to the toilet seat. Sounds of bile splashed against the water as Damien dropped to his knees beside her and grabbed her hair into a pony, with one hand. The other rubbed her back in an upwards motion to help her get the vomit out and Damien watched her hair.

He had seen worse things in his life but he’d take the sight of her vomiting over anything else. He cooed at her softly and once the groans of pain lowered, he grabbed some toilet roll for Peach to clean her mouth. After emptying her stomach, Peach took the tissue to clean her face and lifted her head to look back at Damien. He felt all the alcohol in his system flush as she threw him a loving smile that he felt she only gave to intimate lovers. She murmured a soft thank you that had Damien heart pump harder, she was sitting back and she brought her head close to his sternum. Damien placed a tentative hand on her arm as he hummed at the close contact. He shouldn’t take advantage of her like this but he wanted to indulge in his deep fantasy. He felt her lips brush against his button shirt as she spoke.

“Do you want to stay over tonight?”

Damien felt his heart melt at her sweet request. Many times a night he had dreamed about staying in Peach’s house, in her bed but he looked down at her drunken state. She wasn’t in the right state of mind and she was only a client. She was a client’s relative and Damien knew it would be overstepping boundaries. As much as he deeply wanted to, he knew he couldn’t so he shook his head softly.

“I think that you should get some rest.”

~~~~~~

Damien heard the train whistle of his kettle go off as he put away his newspaper and grabbed two coffee mugs, placing the filter paper on top and the beans. He poured the green coloured kettle into the mugs and got rid of the filter papers, letting the mugs sit and stew with the rich caffeine. He glanced at his bedroom door, hoping Peach wouldn’t get up and ruin his surprise but the door hadn’t moved. He grabbed the two mugs and walked out of the kitchen and straight into his bedroom, a warm smile grew on his face.

Peach was still asleep soundly as her curves heaved up and down slowly. The comforter was off her body and her body was spread into a misshapen starfish. Damien shook his head as Peach often loved spreading her body out and popping her behind into the air. He could never understand how she was able to sleep in that position but she looked adorable. Her mint green shorts had ridden up to show the zebra stripes of stretch marks on her back thigh and the bumpy surface. He went around the bed to his side, placing the coffee mugs on his bedside drawer and leaning on his arm to take a better look at Peach.

He brought his hand to the edge of her shorts and pulled it down slightly so Peach wouldn’t complain about her shorts riding up. She loved the way they felt but they often caused more harm than good as Damien smiled to himself about the complaints she’s made. Her navy blue camisole brought more prominence in her love handles and sleeping on her front, pushed her breasts together. She looked utterly stunning in the morning, it is because it was the first raw thing that Damien would see. He was so glad she was his.

As if sensing something, Peach forced her eyes open to see her love, Damien leaning beside her. A full chest of dark curls on display and dark horn rimmed glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. There was a slight softness near his stomach yet he still looked built and lean in the many years before they were together. His grey sweatpants hung low on his waist and that sweet trail of hair disappeared into the waistband of the pants. The both of them took in the other with unashamed, unjudging eyes as they gave a soft greeting to one another.

“Hi.”

Damien brought his lips to press a short kiss to the brow of her hair and reach behind him to present her with her mug of coffee. It had a picture of Damien on it and she was able to wake up even more. She pushed herself up slightly snuggled into Damien’s side, kissing his collarbone and wrapping her hands around the mug.

“Just what I need.”

“I know.”

She took a deep sip and exhaled blissfully, letting the warm coffee seep into her blood and liven her soul. Damien too took a sip of his coffee and purred with content at the sweet warmth.

“This is amazing.”

“Isn’t it?”

Damien curved his eyebrow up as if suggesting he was amazing. Peach rolled her eyes and took another sip.

“I meant the coffee.”

“What about the company?”

“Could be better.” Damien pinched the side of her waist as she yelped excitedly, before she nestled further. “It’s perfect. you’re perfect.”

“That I am.”

A few minutes later, they both had finished their coffee as Damien took his and her cup to place on the bedside table. He had a cheshire smile on his face as he brought his hand to her shoulder for her to lay down, he held himself over her as a few strands of hair drooped down. Peach smiled and brought her hands to his cheek, taking in the slightly overgrown beard.

“Now we’ve got a few minutes before the morning really starts.”

“What are you going to do about it, Nazario?”

“I’m going to have my way with you.”

“Think you can be quick about it, old man?”

Damien smirked as he slotted himself in between Peach’s legs as the hair on her legs tickled Damien’s waist. Damien loved Peach’s body hair, the way it would brush against the back of his thighs when she’d wrap her legs around his waist, it would send chills through his body. Peach is really his. Before he could lean in to kiss her, the door opened and small footsteps thumped in the room. Followed by high pitched squeals, tiny bodies jumped on the bed, latching onto Damien and Peach.

Small round faces and bright eyes as a boy and girl jumped with unbelievable hyperness. Damien and Peach’s kids: Sofía and Gael. Both were seven and six years of age, they had Damien’s looks but Peach’s excitable personality. Damien rolled off of Peach and sat up on the bed, taking his daughter into his arms and Peach took Gael into hers. Damien turned to Peach and raised an eyebrow at her, as if blaming her for their kids interrupting their moment.

She rolled her eyes and brought Gael close, kissing his forehead and cheeks. He repeated many ‘I love yous’ and ‘Mummys’ while Sofía watched her dad with curiosity. She had her excitable moments but at this current moment, she was just like her dad. Perceptive and clever as she spoke up in spanish.

“Papa, qué hacías?” Dad, what were you doing?

Damien glanced nervously from his daughter to Peach, who watched the both of them with amusement.

“Nada, Princesa.” Nothing, Princess.

Peach stood up from the bed and arched her back, stretching the knots made in her sleep. She got both her kids to go out the room and told them to get dressed so that they could go to school. Damien watched his love care so deeply and once the kids went to the other room, Peach stood in the doorway of their bedroom. Their kids are the best thing that has ever happened to him and he could never dream about anyone else. Damien got up to Peach and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his chest.

“I wanna dance with you right now.” Peach laughed her sweet laugh as she swayed along with Damien. “I love you and I wanna stay with you until we’re grey and old.”

“I think that’s already starting to happen. I can see a little grey in your beard.”

At that she rubbed her palm over his cheek, fingers brushing against his lip. Damien opened his mouth and took a bite at her finger before placing a soft kiss and nuzzling his head into her shoulder. She was the one for him, her soft smile and bright eyes gave light to Damien’s life. He was so glad to bare his soul to her.

~~~~~~

“NO!”

It was too late as Damien pushed against the restraining hold of Hayden. Harley had Peach in his grasp and he pressed his fingers deep in her neck, a loud crunch of bones echoed in the room. They were back at EROS and just as they were about to break free and blow the facility up, Cecile had activated the hive mind control which took over the minds of all the matches. Hayden included. Damien felt his heart smash to pieces and time moved slowly, as Peach’s round body fell to the ground. There were no emotions for Damien to express the scene in front of him as he stared at Peach. Her bright hue was gone and replaced by a grey sickening colour and death claimed her bright lively soul. The love of his life was gone right before him, he closed his eyes to purge the uncomfortable thoughts of Peach.

~~~~~~

Damien opened his eyes to see himself in a clear tiled room, not the EROS facility or at home with Peach. Soon he heard the loud taps of heels and found the devil in front him. A smartly dressed woman with piercing green eyes and angry red hair: Cecile Contreras. She looked down at Damien with a sickening smile and turned her face forward to the screen behind Damien.

“Response is good. Up the dosage and add twenty milligrams of delysid. You’re doing very good, Damien. We’re close to creating the perfect match.”

#Damien #damien nazario #damien nazario x mc #damien x mc #Damien Elvis Nazario #perfect match #choices fanfiction #choices perfect match #choices fic #choices #damien nazario x fmc

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a-very-fond-farewell · 4 years

Text

The forbidden crack! Untamed prompts: 18/?

University AU: “Negative Space”

[ok so, self projection is a bitch, but I am petty to myself on a regular basis so it’s ok]

[title is from the Japanese concept “ma”, which Wikipedia describes as:

“a Japanese word which can be roughly translated as ‘gap’, ‘space’, ‘pause’ or ‘the space between two structural parts.’ In traditional Japanese arts and culture, ma is more carefully defined as the suggestion of an interval. It is best described as a consciousness of a sense of place, with the ‘intervals’ suggested often being more than simple gaps, instead focusing on the intention of a negative space in an art piece.

Ma is not necessarily an art concept created by compositional elements, such as the literal existence of a negative space. Instead, the intention is often to create the perception of an interval in the viewer experiencing the elements forming an art piece, making maless reliant on the existence of a gap, and more closely related to the perceived experience of a gap.

Ma has also been described as ‘an emptiness full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled’, and as ‘the silence between the notes which make the music’.”

Fun fact: “ma” also means “but” in Italian, which is what usually follows whatever intrusive thought may plague my mind. Eg: “I may be useless now, BUT just you wait until I get some dopamine to get me through this shitty times.”]

Wei Ying never asked for much in his life. He’s content with cleaning classrooms and toilets and nobody can beat him at wiping the marble floors if he works hard enough. Granny Wen, his supervisor, is slightly impressed with his ability to make the wood shine for ages to come. His nephew Jin Ling sometimes comes to check on him when he’s done with senior classes or cram school in the evening, and together they sit down and listen to whatever his older friends in music production came up with during the day. Jiang Cheng occasionally would ask him to keep him company while he grades papers and they bitch about ZiXuan and his inability to dote on their sister. The cafeteria ladies are always nice to him and they give him extra congee because they worry for his questionable consumption of spice products.

He’s fine, really.

So why can’t he stop wandering over to the science building these days? Looking for a clean board to use, for an equation to finally solve? Even if in the end he just takes the chalk in hand and simply stares down at the inky surface in front of him, unable to write. His mind working on a software too advanced for the hardware that constitutes his brain.

Thirteen years. It has been already thirteen years and yet it feels like yesterday, or like it never happened at all. Like it has yet to be. Time blindness is a bitch to deal with, yet dyscalculia and ADHD makes a joke out of you when you love math on a visceral level... but you burned too bright too fast and now you function on no data and with an even shittier signal. Having a burnout at 23 should have taught him humility instead of pride, but Wei Ying has always worked out of spite and certain habits are difficult to forget.

Couldn’t put the number in the right order, switching digits left and right since he was young? Fine. Numbers were concepts anyway, entire civilizations working their magic without even knowing what “zero” stood for. A brain steaming with a million ideas per second? Good. New connections brimming with ideas he could use to better the world.

It worked fine until he let himself down. Until he became a useless empty lighter, a wet match tossed out, carbon monoxide in the air.

Dropped out before finishing his very ambitious, highly dangerous for his psyche, thesis project. Aunt Yu never forgave him for that, not after paying for his advanced classes, not after trusting Uncle Jiang and supporting him despite his many flaws. What good is being first of your class every year, poster child of a teaching system done right, graduating bachelor at 21, if you can’t finish your master at 23 and get your PhD at 25 and start teaching by 27 and drive yourself insane in the process?

Wei Ying dropped out and didn’t finish his master, didn’t enroll in the teaching program, and let everyone down. His Uncle and Aunt looking down on him, whether out of pity or shame. Jiang Cheng may have been the one leaving him behind, but he used to be the one saying “you should have tried harder”. YanLi worrying over him when she should have focused on her career first. Jin Ling growing up with stories of his uncle “not being worth the money put into his education”, taught to not disappoint and make his family proud. The Jin side, that is.

And now the kid comes crawling in defeat to him instead of Jiang Cheng after bombing a test in high school. And they chat of what he would like to do and how much he likes sports and how much he despises the idea of getting a scholarship for that and being called stupid or something by his classmates. And he cries when he thinks Wei Ying cannot see him as he leaves the campus late at night.

Wei Ying didn’t even want to solve that impossible theorem he fixated on in his early twenties. His thesis project was inconsequential in the great scheme of things and his professor only wanted him to be his one trick pony in the end. No. Wei Ying wanted to teach math in elementary school, hell... even in kindergarten. He wanted to change the approach to the subject. Because numbers cannot be taught like language is and there are many ways to teach how to sum up digits and divide quantities and there are no rules on how to make sense of space either.

But how can he teach when even time eludes his senses?

Something that nobody can define, but certainly most perceive as linear... but not him. Not since his brain fried up in his attempt to function like a normal human being.

After thirteen years nothing has changed.

Until one day he hears something else aside from his usual intrusive thoughts and burdensome memories. A melody so quiet he almost mistakes it for the wind, coming from the music building.

He walks slowly, night surrounding him like the embrace of a friend as he makes his way to the traditional musical instruments room. The one where Jin Ling’s friends meet sometimes as they wait for the younger boy to join them. Wei Ying holds his breath as he spies through the gap of the door left ajar, neon light slicing his face like moonbeams as he peeks in and recognizes Jin Ling’s friends and another figure sitting on the ground, guqin on their knees.

But before he can lean in and breathe in the vibrant sounds all around, the door opens and music theory Professor Lan finds Wei Ying clutching his mop for dear life.

They said the man could see colors within the notes, that he despises language outside of his class or office and that only his brother, the history of art TA, could convince him to talk every now and then.

If numbers were created to measure space, Wei Ying firmly believed music had been invented to make sense of time and count its seconds in rhythm and notes, pauses and beats. Yet, time seems to stretch to a stop as the janitor focuses all of his attention on professor Lan’s stern face and his heart quickens its pace.

Wei Ying takes a rushed breath and dives right in with a weird sense of hope pumping in his veins. A small, timid voice whispering that life is not made to be atoned, but to move on and grow.

One step at a time.

“I’m Wei Ying, Professor Lan. May I listen while you play?”

Yes, maybe it will be enough just to let time flow at its pace.

Whatever rhythm that may be.

[some hcs down below]

WWX does not magically solve the math theorem. he may or may not help kids figure out how to use numbers on the long run tho. no, he will still work as a janitor and there’s nothing wrong with that.

yes, LWJ is autistic and stimms and finds WWX’s honesty soothing. yes, you can add your hcs on the matter. he has synesthesia, but more on the grapheme-color side of the deal than anything else and he sees certain letters/numbers/notes in different colors. people think he can see colors in music, but they misunderstood and thought he could recognize different hues while listening to music instead of reading it.

JC has grown since his uni years and doesn’t resent WWX anymore. he teaches astrophysics as a TA and doesn’t pressure his brother to pick his studies up anymore. WWX has mixed feelings about this: he feels he’s a lost cause, to the point not even his brother spurs him to best himself anymore, but he is grateful for the patience anyway.

LXC is the official LWJ translator of the campus along with their cousins SiZhui and JinGyi. he bonds with WWX and JC over how tired they are, seldom staring at flies roaming above them in the cafeteria bc none of them can even move. he lives on caffeine and regrets, but he’s getting better as he develops a love for his plant babies and tries to not let them die on a daily basis.

Wen Ning and Wen Qing are little overachievers and adrenaline junkies, hence their competitive streak on their way to their third master degree just for funsies. they scare people with how driven they are, but the juniors love them.

NMJ is the one to go to if you need to get away with murder, but JGY will actually be the one helping you dispose of the body. the fact that they both work in criminal law is somewhat both reassuring and disquieting. they hate each other and yet cannot stop hang out, they are close to 40 and need the rivalry to keep going anyway. nothing beats a good nemesis. not even sex. maybe.

NHS has failed his entrance exam to become a nurse too many times to count, but he is determined to see the end of it. even if he could potentially work in the family business, but he doesn’t know anything about managing an empire of bricks and he doesn’t care. if NMJ could run away, well, so can he.

MianMian is Wei Ying’s bestie and has the biggest crush on JGY’s sister A-Su the kindergarten teacher, but since they are childhood besties she doesn’t know how to approach her. she is Jin Ling’s idol and a certified boxer and refers to herself as a useless bisexual. Wei Ying boxes with her sometimes, she always win.

YanLi is an equestrian mum, but in the best way possible: she coaches children for shows and teaches them horses should be loved and feared equally and that if you want to shoot arrows from a running horse you should always, ALWAYS let go of the stirrups the moment the beast gets too unhinged to ride. JC fears her, WWX is only glad she didn’t train police dogs for a living.

ZiXuan actually loves his wife, but WWX and JC question his career choices and the fact that he’s a retired lawyer spending his family fortune while he’s a stay-at-home dad and does all the housework. WWX and JC believe he should give their sister a better life and work his ass off to deserve her, but he does make amazing rice cakes and keeps up with Jin Ling’s studies and is very supportive of his dreams.

A-Qing and Song Lan are siblings and sometimes bring JC food from the campus cafeteria where they both work at, while Xiao XingChen and his carer Xue Yang work with LXC for a project on accessibility for visually impaired visitors of the local museum. JC and LXC work to make Song Lan and Xiao XingChen fall for each other, but the youngsters are too protective to let them play matchmaker so easily.

[this is all for now. please, if you want, add your own headcanons!]

#mdzs #cql #the untamed #mo dao zu shi #mdzs/au: modern #mdzs/au: uni #the forbidden crack! untamed prompts #nieyao #xicheng #wangxian

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fulcrum-agent · 5 years

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Dysphoria

I’m going to talk about some things that I need to get out there a bit more than I generally do. So today, I’m going to discuss my gender identity, gender dysphoria, and what it’s doing to me emotionally and mentally. Before I end up falling into a repeat of March.

People on both sides of the fence in regards to gender and sexuality (meaning both the LGBTQ+ community and the “straights”/”cis” world) aren’t going to like everything I’m about to say here. But the past few days and weeks, I’ve been feeling the same kind of horrible pressure I had largely freed myself from a year ago, some of it is almost as oppressive as when I was a teenager.

It’s not just going to be anecdotal information, not just “feels” - I involve science in everything.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why the LGBTQ+ community can get upset about the use of science with gender identity and sexuality. A lot of really bad science has been done in an attempt at erasure and vilification. But that shouldn’t lead to discounting the good science that is starting to make its way into the fore.

All that out of the way, let’s get started.

Taking a trip in the Way Back Machine, when I was in utero, mum wasn’t keen on getting ultrasounds. It wasn’t something that was well covered by her insurance, and she had issues with the gel they use for them. So the doctors were more heavily relying on other methods to determine gender, and the few ultrasounds mum could afford weren’t very conclusive due to positioning. This was back in the late 70s/early 80s, and the tech wasn’t as good as it is now.

The vast majority of markers pointed towards the concept that I was a baby boy. The pregnancy and much of the social stuff surrounding it were treated like I was going to be a boy. There was a stupid amount of pastel blue involved.

As it turned out, not only were their predicted due dates off dramatically (an entirely separate story there), but physically, I was a female baby; it was so expected that I’d be male, they had no female names handy, so they used the name of the type of piano they bought for me (spoilers: I’ve always hated my birth name because of this).

Essentially, I’ve had gender issues since birth. One of my doctors expects that I’ve had PCOS nearly my entire life, possibly even before puberty, since my testosterone levels even in utero were higher than they should be.

While I personally had almost 0 concepts of gender and the societal bullshit around till around puberty, it still affected me all the damn time.

I was almost immediately labelled a tomboy, because I was physically active - climbing trees, playing sports, wanting to do martial arts, and I also liked things like GI Joe and He-man while having an obsession with dinosaurs and science. However, people who viewed me as a tomboy would get confused by the fact that I also liked dance, music, My Little Pony (this was before bronies), and dolls like Jem and Barbie.

Back at the dawn of the 80s, things were rather black and white when it came to gender norms.

Despite the people around me having issues with my “gender weirdness”, I was perfectly fine till around 11, when puberty started.

Much to my distress, my body became extremely feminine. Before I was even 12, I was more than an A cup, and I started getting curvy hips and rear. For some reason, I really just did not like the way my body was starting to look, yet I had tonnes of people telling me how “lucky” I was, and how I should dress to compliment my form.

I also was absofuckinglutely not okay with menstruation. It was beyond the typical uneasiness about this new thing, about learning how to manage it - there was visceral hate I didn’t understand. It didn’t help that having my period made me ill, something that only got worse and worse as I got older. Between the dysphoria related anxiety/depression and the actual physical problems, I wanted nothing to do with menstruation and decided I wanted a hysterectomy even before I had my first procreation systems problems. I also realised before I was out of high school that I really wanted a breast reduction; increasing back and shoulder problems were what I thought the root of it was, but I realise now I actually just wanted a more androgynous body, even back then.

Throughout part of junior high, and all of high school, my friends who were female were always being pushy about making me dress like a girl, and to weaponise the body I was “so lucky to have”. At the start of junior high, I dressed like a goth skater boy - in part because I was slowly building a gothic wardrobe, and in part cus men's clothes were just super comfortable. And cheaper - most of the stuff I was buying with saved lunch money, so buying boy’s/men’s clothes was also something of a financial strategy.

Despite often feeling awkward about my body, by the time high school landed, I had just given in to the pressure. I dressed like a little goth princess, I wore push-up bras (even though I was already a D cup at that point), most everything I wore either accentuated my breasts by being tight or super low cut. On one level, fashion was always fun for me, I nearly became a fashion designer before realising how horrid that industry is, so the putting together outfits and such was fun - it was when I was actually wearing them that I could feel super awkward.

Once I moved from Salt Lake to San Diego, I was able to ditch a lot of that. No one knew who I was, I didn’t know anyone else, and SoCal was a lot more chill about things than Utah could ever hope to be. I still would sometimes dress the goth princess, but my default style swerved back towards skater/raver in cuts. I wore rave pants and tank tops with men’s graphic button downs.

While I was in San Diego, I met a transman and transwoman who were both chill with explaining gender transitions to me. I suspected someone I knew in SLC was along those lines (I was wrong, they were intersexed, and parents made terrible decisions for them). While I was aware that I didn’t want to transition entirely to being male, I knew there was something along those lines that I needed. Sadly, I didn’t meet any non-binary people, and no one really ever brought up the concept to me while I was in SoCal.

About ten years ago, after I had gotten sick and had to move back in with my mum, on the Eastern Seaboard, I met an incredibly knowledgeable transwoman who pointed out to me that androgyny isn’t just an art style but also was gender. She was the first to explain to me what being non-binary was the full spectrum of non-binary - from being gender fluid to androgyne to flat non-binary.

For once in my life, I felt normal as far as gender was concerned. I wasn’t some weird tomboy, I didn’t have to conform to what I’d been told to while growing up, I wasn’t weird for having certain previously odd dreams. It all made sense.

At this point, I’d already done a lot of research on what all transgender, the emerging science behind it, the process of transitioning, chest binding. But at that point, I did a lot more research into non-binary aspects of gender; there’s not nearly as much as there is on MtF/FtM transgenders, but there was a fair bit.

Since I was having problems with depoprovera actually helping with the PCOS and nixing menstruation, I decided that I wanted to do low dose HRT. It took a lot to get to a facility to do so, but I managed to start that in 2015. I was also hoping that if I was right about my hunch, that a number of other medical issues I have could be affected for the better. There’s a lot of emerging science pointing to the fact that transfolk have chemical imbalances - their chemical make up doesn’t really match that of their birth gender; about how HRT helps move their different hormonal chemicals to the range their body actually needs; how many times transfolk feel better physically once their HRT reaches stable levels, and how often times being on HRT reduces or eliminates different chronic medical issues.

Locally, there was no facility that could manage HRT. Even with the hard science in my hand, local doctors couldn’t wrap their heads around it, so I couldn’t even “cheat” and have a mainstream endocrinologist manage it for me. Most didn’t even want to look at the science. I still have to go to Philadelphia for HRT, and half the science I take with me is still relatively new to the Mazzoni Centre.

Getting HRT was the lesser struggle. Although I had started addressing the need for a breast reduction clear back in 2012, insurance coverage in general on reductions is trash. A certain amount of mass has to be removed for them to cover it, which often times cannot be accurately gauged before the surgery; much of the time, a person needing a reduction would go under, get mass removed, only for it to be too little for insurance coverage, leaving them with a $7,000 bill.

The only surefire way to have them cover it entirely for almost the entire decade I was working on this was a full mastectomy, whether or not it was related to cancer. For a while, I was very on the fence about a full mastectomy, because I didn’t want to transition to being male - I wanted a body that was just a hell of a lot more boyish than mine’s been since puberty.

Eventually, I came to be at peace with the idea of this, thanks to people like the fabulous Elliott Alexzander, who promote non-binary fashion and are also male-bodied. Seeing someone who had absolutely no breasts rock women’s fashion helped immensely.

I did finally luck out, however. By the time I was okay with the concept of having to have a full mastectomy to get insurance to cover the surgery, a WPATH certified surgeon had moved into the area. With his help, I was able to get what he termed a hybrid top surgery, 100% covered by my insurance, due to gender dysphoria.

While recovery was rough, as it became painfully apparent that the boyfriend who lived with me at the time had massive issues with all of it, despite having been warned back in 2013 that I was going to be doing all of this. He’d always been lowkey abusive, often in ways that evaded mum seeing him be so, but that escalated rapidly after the surgery, to the point where even mum could see it; I had an HRT check up not long after the surgery, and the nurse who roomed me asked if I was okay, or if I needed help - the abuse had become that apparent, and constant. (Yes, the relationship was terminated, though it took 3 or 4 more months for him to find a place and move out.)

For most of the time since the top surgery, I’ve not had my dysphoria trigger all that much; at most, I have a lowkey fear of some crazy, conservative, Christian redneck here is going to decide they don’t like how I look, and try beating me up - or worse. This has already happened once since the surgery: some loon was sitting on his porch at like 2 AM, and I was out on a walk; I had my headphones in, and music on, so I couldn’t hear everything he said, but caught something about how I was a vile dyke, and he started coming down off his porch at me - I ended up just looking at him as if he were less than a gnat, while continuing to walk, and he backed off. The power of looking like you don’t give any fucks.

Recently, I’ve been having more and more dysphoria, due to people just not getting that I as a person am non-binary. I have pronoun preferences. Ignoring them isn’t okay. I actually have to have my characters all have small breasts still because I get the same sense of dysphoria I’ve had for my entire life when they’re much past an A cup. I’m not going to wear a dress when I don’t want to, and I’m not going to wear an a-shirt/muscle shirt when I don’t want to. I’m not going to forgo mixing and matching men and women’s clothes for someone else’s comfort.

Generally, I’m not one to get aggressive about this stuff, because I don’t believe that aggression helps the LGBTQ+ community (or any community) considering its aggression that creates the situations we find ourselves in right now. I’m more about educating someone politely, giving them time to adjust, to remember that for me as a person, it’s They (or Xe) and not She. Let those who know me offline adjust to the fact that no, you can’t use my birth name, you have to use the name that I go by (even though that’s about as variable as David Bowie during his early musical career). You can prefer people with more curves, but you can’t tell me that I can’t be okay when you want me to be curvier, in a game or out.

Initial microaggressions are fine. Persistent ones after the fact aren’t.

If I ask you to stop doing something because it’s causing dysphoria, you don’t get to shrug it off, and just continue to do it. You don’t get to ignore the fact that what you’re doing is harmful to me, just because opening your eyes to who I actually am is inconvenient to your current world order. You don’t get to invalidate me as a person because you think your religious doctrine is against who and what I am (spoilers: nearly every religion on the planet preaches love as its highest law - and doing any of this shit to anyone violates that tenant of your faith).

You don’t have to entirely understand the why of all this. You don’t have to be savvy on all the different points on the gender spectrum. You don’t have to know the science behind it.

What you have to understand is that your actions are harmful and that if you want to be a better person, you have to stop those harmful actions. Not just because they’re harmful to me, not just because you care about me, but to just be a better person overall - to avoid doing this to anyone and everyone.

If that’s asking too much, well:

EDIT: It occurs to me that I should probably mention that it doesn’t bother me when people refer to my characters by their gendered pronouns. Ashe, Claire, Fia, and Vaylin can be referenced by she/her while Rel, Saber, and Kym’a can be referenced as he/him. Vieno will probably lean more towards they/them. The only one it’s a hard must be they/them with is Dwynd, because when I made her, it was an outlet for being completely out of the non-binary closet when I couldn’t yet be RL.

#A Moonlit Original #ashe.txt #personal #admin #long post #thanks for coming to my TEDtalk #gender #gender dysphoria #transgender #non-binary #non-xiv #non-ffxiv #non-final fantasy #non-ff

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malivalcyas · 5 years

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( lalisa manoban, cisfemale, she/her, 22. ) — MALIVALAYA SIRINAT, better known to the media as LOKI has been working for the yōkai for around FOUR YEARS. rumor has it, she can be impish & corporeal but also caustic & machiavellian which is why she makes the perfect BURGLAR.

listen i’ve been looking for a good thief rp probably since i was born & i’m not even being dramatic. hi i’m bliss and i’m ..... so heckin excited to be here ! tbh this is the first kpop fc i’ve ever played but i was vulnerable and a friend pushed me off the ledge into the deep abyss that is youtube & .... i had a religious experience over lisa so here we are. alright i’ll put a bit about my lil gremilin mali under the cut and all you have to do is give that little heart down there some love & i’ll come to you for plots ! heads up it might be poopy bc i’m surviving solely on cold medicine & i just took another shot of nyquil . so i’m gonna try & knock this out before that kicks in lol

mali is what we in the states like to call an unhappy little accident. her mother never really wanted to be a mother but shit happens when you party naked and lo and behold 9 months after her first missed period, mali popped out like a screaming little demon.

she wasn’t really cut out to be a mother and mali was nothing but an inconvenience to the plans she had laid for herself so mali was shipped off to live with her grandparents until her mother decided she had need of her.

she was raised in the circus. she started off doing the high flying arts like the trapeze and tightrope walking but is also a bit of a contortionist.

which was all fine and dandy until her grandparents died in a work related accident when she was 15. but it was all great bc her mom decided to pop back into her life at that precise time right ??

wrong

her mother started using her to help her run cons, lift wallets, all that great fun stuff. but it turned out mali was a natural at it.

they worked their way around europe, running one con or another which mostly involved mali’s mom grifting her way into a situation and mali being the one to lift the goods

she had a bit of a head for flinging herself off of buildings on cables and stuff like that. total adrenaline junkie. not really into the finesse of grifting but she could do it when need be.

it was a great little system until her mom picked the wrong mark to play a long con on. nothing went wrong, per se, her mother still walked out with more money than she could shake a stick at but mali came out the real winner when she ran away with his most prized posession; his daughter. and also gained her freedom from her mother in the process

it was a fun filled year and honestly i should probably change when she joined up with the yokai but i committed to 4 years and mama didn’t raise no quitter so we’re just going to pretend time is a little more liquid in this universe ksksks

they eventually split up and mali joined up with the yokai bc demons should always travel in packs and practice the use of the Buddy System.

why? don’t ask. she’s keeping it a secret. but rumor has it she lifted the wrong wallet from the wrong person and found herself in a spot of trouble that they’re helping her out of.

code name loki bc honestly she’s such a little shit.

her mask looks something like this. somewhat simple so it doesn’t get in the way when she needs to move quick. doesn’t obstruct her vision. doesn’t cover much of her face which in her opinion is unremarkable aside from the scar that cuts through her right eyebrow which the mask manages to cover.

personality wise she’s such a smart ass. the sass is real with this one.

physically she’s canon. but her hair varies between blonde and the wicked ash blue pony lisa sports in the kill this love vid bc UNF. shes got some tattoos! which i have yet to figure out the specifics on.

as for plots ..... just fuck me up thanks. i v much enjoy angst but also a good brotp.

#is that thunder in the distance or is it the sound of me running away after making you all wait 4 days for this trash?#heists:intro

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dustysculptures · 6 years

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BronyCon Report 2018

With the last lingering bits of BronyCon still slithering in my system. I’m finally able to get back to business.

First off, I have less than a dozen Starlight Glimmer charms left from the con. I’m considering putting it up on my Etsy Store as the one & only item for sale this weekend. They will only be on sale for a week so be sure ‘em before they’re out~

Also, due to time constraints, I didn’t post an official 'Featured at Bronycon’ in time for the convention, so here it is posted above!

In case you missed it on my Twitter, here’s the Poniko () & Gari Adventures from Bronycon. (w/ a sketch of Limestone pie waking up):

Let me start off by saying, thankyou thankyou thankyou to everyone who stopped by the booth & offered kind words to me. Even if I don’t seem like it, I’m forever & always a bundle of nerves & panic when it comes to BronyCon. There’s always so much to do & so many points of failure, it makes me go nuts for a couple weeks!

But all of that is laid to rest once the set goes up, the lights come on, and guests ushered in. We got prints & pins, sculptures & plushies. T-shirt designs that go as high as the ceiling. Lets not forget the dakis. Oh god nvm lets forget those. Its a show! About adorable ponies! What’s not to like?

@ubros - Hotdiggitydang was it a blast meeting you! It was a year in the making as I’d skipped last year but I finally got to see you in your full European glory! We laughed, celebrated with pizza & oddities! Then you dumped 8 pounds of Swedish candy on me D: Wouldn’t trade it for the world! I WILL see you next year yes? You’d better come!!

@asksweetcream - Fancy seeing you here? (…) Moi? Oh nothing just seeing how many hugs I could get out from you~ (It was close to a dozen) (…) Don’t tire yourself & Boiler3 out too much sweetie there’s so much more cons left to go ^^

@earthsong9405 EEEEEEEE! Can you believe? 4 years its been since we shared that fateful booth? I’m sooo happy to see you there, flying solo too! Goodness! Next time we gotta do the aquarium or that Dick’s Last Resort! You’d get a kick outta it!

@dojerodesigns Listen. Forget what I said. I had a wonderful time with you & yours and would do it again in a heart beat. I’m very appreciative you thought to invite me to your shindig ^^

HoneySweetStudios - Honestly one of the sweeties & coolest booth neighbors I’ve had. Keeping each other company through the con lulls was a good way to keep up the spirit when the gates came flooding with patrons. Also, BEES?!?

@fisherpon - I wish you the bestest of luck on your trip to SEAsia~! I hope you enjoyed my sketch! it was done quick but Derpy is always my go to for that sort of thing ^3^

WandererD Gosh dang it man! I missed your panel & from what I hear, it sounds great. So glad I could take you to the new Shake Shack & I need to tell you about Land of the Lustrous & more Steven Universe! HUUUUUUUR!

This is one of those moments where if you could rewind & do it again, I would do it & hang more with you. So much to talk & so little time. Why isn’t there a DVR for life yet?

@fleebites & RainyPaints - As some patron passed my booth, they had this gorgeous Queen Chrysalis print in their possession. It was love at first site: I had to have it. As it turns out, I had to have about half the posters from your booth as well. I was very happy to talk to you about Asian dialects & wish you the best of luck on your game developing venture! The art already looks beautiful, I know you can do it!

@askstalkerloo & @noodlefreak88 - I was finally able to get you that Stalkerloo that was meant to be yours oh so many years ago! Quest complete! I’m very excited for what you have planned for the future!

Cadmiumcrab - Having the minister hold the Elements of Harmony book painted by you certainly adds that apropos touch to a brony wedding. I’d never thought to contribute to a wedding in such a manner. Hopefully see you around soon!

@joeyh3 & @deadparrot222 - Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by & chat for a spell. It does my soul well to see your faces every year & touch base with you guys. I’ll be seeing you next year right?

@ithry - I don’t know what psychic powers you possess to know I did sketch commissions but somehow you got two of them! Honestly, it was kinda cool to see you on the vendor side of things. I hope that’s been working out for you!

Graphic-Lee - Super cool meeting you to talk sculpting! I hope to hear more from you soon! Btw who was your booth mate? I believe it was Spirit but idk. Point me to them if you can!

@aleximusprime - One) Great to see you vending. Two) Hilarious to see all our meme merch sell out so fast! So glad you’re doing well~

Notable absentees: Chipperpony - I saw the name but the booth empty! I was so saaaad~! Maybe see you next year? Maybe?

@whitediamondsltd - There was a small bustle about where you were but upon hearing the info, I know you’re doing far more important things. Don’t let BronyCon distract you, you do what you need to.

BronyCon has always been a tentpole for dustysculptures. Being about half way through the year its a good gauge to see how I’m doing as a sculptor & how you guys are doing as well. There are also the milestones only achieved thanks to BronyCon: My first vendor opportunity, my first panel hosting, even my one time daily deviation was me putting together all the BronyCon ponies. So to see it leave next year will be a hard pill to swallow for sure. But like all good things are bound to end eventually. We’d joked about it from the beginning, the tenuous balance this community had in the beginning won through sheer exuberance & fraternity. Its hard to see the event go.

But I know we’ll make its send off a good one. We’re a community. Some would say the best one! Out lasting Homestuck & striving past Undertale, we’ve got a lot left in us. I know that should BronyCon go, there will be others. Should those go to then we will have each other & the memories we shared.

So until Next year Baltimore! Until next year BronyCon! For forever and a day~

~dusty

#bronycon #my little pony #mlp:fim #update #dustysculptures

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mythaura-blog · 6 years

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Hey all! Welcome to our December development update. Here is what lies under the cut.

What’s new

NPCs on Mythaura

New Monsters and New Item Patreon Illustrations

FAQ

Community spotlight

This month, we have been working on basic back end set up. Login and register systems are currently being built and tested. We’ve had some continuous trouble with our current server, so we’ve found it best for development to move to a new server. We’re currently in the process of shifting everything over - there may be some downtime on the Beast Demo, we will give everyone a heads up on our social media channels when that time comes!

On the topic of the Demo - we are planning some new and exciting usability features for Demo V3. • Link generation for sharing After creating a Beast, a link will be generated. The link will be a url to your creation. You can also import a link from another creation. • Lock and unlock options Options can be locked and unlocked by clicking the lock symbol. This will ensure your option will not change even when clicking randomize. • Shift Special order Shift Special options by moving the arrows. This will change the layering order of Specials without having to choose options again, making it easier to customize.

• Loading animation A simple loading animation to appear before the Beasts image is generated. Some other additions would be an "Age" option which changes the Beasts base to the Young Base or the Grown Base. And the categorization of the Base area and Special Markings area so it's a little easier to tell options apart.

The young bases for the three starter Beasts - Dragon, Griffin and Unicorn have been completed. We are planning to have all Young bases and their 125 colors and the current catalog of Special Markings available for the next Demo V3 update.

The Hybrid bases are being worked on and will be ready for the next demo update - here are the sketches for the young Quetzal, Hippogriff and Kirin!

We’ll have news very soon about when Demo V3 will drop. For now, I can share that work has started on the next Hybrid Beasts. Here is a quick sneak peak.

Every shop you visit in Mythaura is run by a shopkeep. These shopkeepers have their own unique personalities, quests and dialogue. They will interact with you, the player, through dialogue boxes. Some moments will give you different options to respond to the NPC and the NPCs portrait will change to different expressions depending on their mood and dialogue. For example; if a player hands in a completed quest, the NPC portrait will change to a pleased expression. Each character will play a large role within the story and game play.

This month our amazing Tier 3+ supporters on Patreon voted in a poll to choose the first NPC players will interact with on site out of three options. Acting as a tutorial guide, they will welcome the player into the world, introduce them to the currency, explain factions, walk players through creating their first Beast and finally leading them into the full game. This is an early look at the Mythaura “Welcome” NPC!

“A cheerful elderly Quetzal. He is a travelling merchant who sells interesting items he found while on the road. His bird is his best bud.”

Next month, patrons will decide on the Quetzal Traveller’s coloring, define their personality, their shop and their name. We’ll have more to share on the NPC system and other characters that will feature in Mythaura soon!

Tier 4 and 5 Patreon rewards have the opportunity to work with the artists to create their own Monsters and Items that will appear in-game. Here are the illustrations that have been created this month. Many thanks to our incredibly creative supporters! Monsters: Lunar Bone Thief - Created with Fizzywits Vitterfolk - Created with Malis (Work in progress! The Vitterfolk’s final illustration will be completed soon)

Items: Crystallion - Created with Aku Reine Plushie - Created with TwinFishes Coelacanth - Created with Frillshark Pahoehoe Flower - Created with Mezzo

FAQ

So many pet games have been ruined by multi accounts, botters & scammers. I'd like to know what your policies will be on these since I am wary of investing in another site that doesn't have the staff or motivation to keep a clean playing field for all. - Anonymous

Those are completely valid concerns. As with any multiplayer online game, there will inevitability be those who will exploit it in some way or another. We will take our security and code of conduct very seriously, any player found violating that will be restricted or banned.

How many times can you create a beast from scratch? Only when you first join or are there other ways to do so? (Through an item for example) - Anonymous

You will create your first Beast upon joining Mythaura - a Dragon, Griffin or Unicorn. You’ll be able to choose any of the 125 colors on the wheel to customize their Base, Bottom and Top areas on their bodies. At the moment, this will be the only time you will be able to create a Beast from scratch. We are definitely not ruling out any other options! At this point it’s too early to say for sure.

Will there be a way to keep beasts as their 'baby' forms? - katjoyy

Yes! I realize that some people might prefer the young Beast artworks to their grown versions. There will be a method in the game to keep them from growing up - whether through consumable items or another means.

I know there is crowd funding, but will you be using Kickstarter at any point? I am more familiar with them, as I feel many are, and would rather fund through there (Dappervolk Funded within Hours.. or minuets??) I'd love to know, thanks! - bobbybi

Our first priority before planning the final crowdfunding push is delivering on an alpha and beta. We are 100% focused on building Mythaura the best it can be now and our Patreon is helping out a great deal to reach that goal.

I love Mythaura so much already, I can't explain it in words! I can't wait to see it reach it's max potential. I just wanted to know if there would be a feeding or age mechanic that would cause your creature to pass on eventually. I only ask, because I dislike the game mechanic cause death is no fun. - Anonymous

Thank you so much! Your support means the world ❤ There will be no death mechanic. We expect players to put a lot of time and effort into customizing their Beasts and it would feel like a waste to have them pass on eventually. Rest easy knowing that your Beasts will be immortal.

In the future, would you be open to beast/monster/item suggestions from users? - Anonymous

We are always open to suggestions! I am actively listening on all our social media channels. I take any and all suggestions to heart and note them down. But if you’re super eager to have your ideas made into reality, Tier 4 and 5 Patreon rewards can have their suggestions made into actual items in-game.

Okay so, you're making a Virtual Pet game. What do you have planned that will set you apart from other games like Flight Rising and even Neopets? I see the graphics are looking good, but do you have something else new that you intend to bring to the table with this? - formerlybees

As a long time fan and player of virtual pet games, I can say that we have a number of new ideas we are planning to bring into the genre. Some ideas inspired by other virtual pet games and some inspired by other MMOs. We have some incredibly ambitious ideas planned out that I wish I could tell you about, but we need to see if we can actually build them and get it all working!

Hi, I'm very curious as to what you look for in a portfolio for artists/writers? I'm very new to submitting portfolios and unfortunately art school doesn't really teach you this sort of thing. Thanks in advance! - rexcaliburr

For Mythaura specifically - Artists that show pieces with 2D cel-shaded style similar to our own and demonstrate cohesive anatomy for animal-like creatures. Just a couple of their best polished pieces will deliver the best first impression! For writers, a small section of writing that best showcases your creative flair and perhaps links to your previous works if any.

For artists, I recommend checking out the Dear Art Director tumblr. It’s helped me out a lot personally when I was freelancing.

Any update on best boy reine's final art work? - twinfishieslove

No update as of yet! You’ll have to gaze upon his glorious mugshot for now.

(In all seriousness, the Beast bases come first and are rather time consuming!)

Hey grif! Which, personally, if your favourite species - dragondrawsdragons

Hmm, good question. I’m rather partial to my namesake. Who can’t not love a half bird of prey, half lion?! I’ll give an honorable mention to Hippogriffs, albatross ponies are fun too.

Our community feature for this month is showcasing the artistic talents of the Mythaura Discord community. Check it out!

I wish I could fit more in! I am so impressed by the art I get to see there almost everyday. It’s an absolute treat.

Every month we will be showcasing some community creations. If you’d like to share your Mythaura inspired artworks, make sure to tag them with #mythaura on both Tumblr and Twitter. We’d love to see them.

If you would like to chat with other members of the community and members of the Mythaura team - Click here to join us on the official Mythaura Discord!

That’s it for this month. To finish, I’ll leave you with this super adorable sketch of a Beast family drawn by the very talented Luci!

Have a happy new year!

❤ Grif

#mythaura #virtual pet #virtual pet site #virtual pet sim #virtual pet rpg #petsite #pet site #dragon #griffin #unicorn #game #gamedev #development update

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extradan · 6 years

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Hey I like your art a ton and I was wondering just how long you have been drawing and working to improve as an artist.

Oh my gosh haha thank you so much for liking my art!

I have been drawing for the longest time, I think ever since kindergarten, well at least the artistic dedication!

I used to draw my when i was in middle school, starting from fourth grade i have been drawing more and more frequently until fifth grade in which I was drawing on a daily base, back then I would also be sitting and making animations on flash, which unfortunately I dont have backups of

but from middle school, up to high school 2012, my art never improved, it was just all the same all the time, I was back then on ritalin and I decided to start my first pony blog, while updating my blog, I couldnt consider yet Tumblr being part of the effective social websites that I go on as nobody was following me and I had no one to intreact with back, tumblr would be the thing i would check once every few days, it was nothing to me but a mere another google plus, until i was sponsored by catfood-mcfly back when he was running the Herpy Derpy blog, and thats where I got recognized and I was determined to continue my activity on tumblr as an ask blog, and I have gotten to become more interactive with people, being inspired by the many of the art I have been seeing from following other people, I would adopt and experiment with what I saw mostly shines through their art, and 2012 was the year I have made the biggest change in my art throughout the months, whitin 6-8 months I have improved by a ton! tumblr was a very resourceful to the evolution of my art! and I also made so many friends and I have as well learned to become a better person! I am a better person of who I used to be in the past, and i am still improving! there are still a lot of things I need to work about myself as a person!

Also stepping out of drawing in flash and starting doing my stuff in sai was revolutionary to my art, flash back then wasnt recognized fully as an animators program by macromedia and neither by adobe, as they saw it an all purpose program for making goptimized ames and ads, only until all browsers and webpages grew out of flash and flash officially was blocked by all browsers since you could have implanted malicious codes into flash files, only then flash recognized as an art and animation tool for creators.

So moving to sai allowed me to build sketches and bodies easily and paint and yadda yadda and it was all great and helped boosting my art upwards

Flash limited my improvement as I wasnt drawing sketches on flash since you couldnt just lower the opacity of the layer you drew the sketch on, you would have to go through several actions to achieve that, but you would be lowering the opacity of your selected drawing and not the layer, I couldnt also paint on flash and flash ever since the stone age had those horrible vector tools that SUCKED DICK unless you do stretching and smoothing and fixing, in my opinion at least, they did improve the vector system a bit BUT IT STILL SUCKS, i prefer bitmap brushes more, which why I prefer Toon Boom harmony as a program for animators.

If you have been back in the days, you could have watched me go through a several phases! like drawing like atryl, raikissu’s shading and coloring styles, florecentmoo’s shading techniques and eye pupil style, and I uhh.. dont remember the rest, but theres have been a lot of artists out there whom I adopted artistic traits like:

theflyingtacoz, kittentoots(drunk fluttershy), w300, Santi, belaboy, dr idiot, inzergue (big impact on my current style), David (the guy who now works on mighty magiswords along with kyle), fungasm, colorlesscupcake (known as caek now), ahappypichu (a pretty powerful current impact on how i paint my art today), uhh, also “pinkie in private” which, to this day, drawing the way the draw the cheek for their characters, and some other artists I that I couldnt come up in my mind but I did adapt a trait or two from.

My current big inspirations are artists who work on OK KO and as fake as it might sound, my own fiance! yes!! they have been an inspiration for me for quite a while even back at 2012, but to how I viewed it, I never really dared to adopt anything from them because I was so out of their league, and my art was still shaping and i already had ideas that I wouldnt think would work if i mixed some of their’s, but now that my art have been developed and has a solid state of how it looks, they inspire me so much!!

Drawing ponies was probably the best practice I have ever had that thanks to that I have pushed so far in the art that I do, ponies are so simplified!! and easy to draw! it allowed me to produce more and that means that it allowed me to experience differently with each time!

It helped me improve with a lot of stuff like gesture, facial and painting and other other minor stuff! drawing ponies was such a booster seat for me!

But unfortunately, from drawing ponies alot you wont learn how to draw humans, which understanding muscle, action line, figure and bones is so crucial for drawing, anything really! understanding how the body works is extremely fundamental and its there for you to know how to manipulate the drawings your making, of any specie, its not there to just teach you how to draw the anatomy of the human body, that will only serve as a plus.

I have learned a lot from ponies but how bodies work and draw clothes lmafo, to this day I cant draw clothes for days

in 2014 I ordered a really good book and I have polished my anatomy and human drawing skills, I yet dont know some stuff because i stopped practicing because of varios reason like relationship, access and physical health.

In the begging of the year I acquired a cintiq and it been nothing but dreadful to me, but im using it because i spent.. so much money on it.. and i have been so concerned about bringing it to my home country as well.. but it has the adventage of a screen so...

its just, I dont have a low enough desktop or high enough chair to draw on it, its always above my shoulder no matter the angle and it puts so much weight on my shoulders, the thing is heavy too so its not something you could lean on your legs while you draw, neither it is portable, it made work much more harder and difficult and I wasnt drawing as frequesnt because my time wasnt so so enjoyable, my 2015 as well become a dreadful year to me and I was feeling guilty and shitty everyday, and it was my fault because it was all my doing and i let myself feel that way, and I had barely the stamina to work on my art ever over the year, I also lost my passion and motivation to draw and basically it dragged also to 2016, I drew a few commissions but I didnt produce much art neither, then I flew over the united states and I didnt have acess to drawing for 4 months as i was away from my equipment, my fiance had the equipment, but that means that I would have to use their computer for all the dedicated hours I use to work on my art and they would have nothing but a mere phone to entertain themselves, also our time togehter was really precious and every minute counted, so we rathered having fun other than doing work work work

2017 came and I still had the sense of drawing lost in me, I would draw whenever i would have a piece of paper available to me since I find fun in that, since im comfortable and cozy and i dont have to concentrate the entirety of my body weight on my hand and arm as i draw, but I would never draw on the cintiq unless its a miracle or if had a crazy comic idea in mind that i had and MUST HAD executed, i almost didnt draw anything in 2017, and neither in this year but the ok ko drawing i have recently created, but I found a new comfortable focus and its doing 3d, I am using my mouse to do everything and i dont have to feel my horrible chair scraping againt my butt like sandpaper, and I dont to feel like my shoulders are about to give up, I did try Tam’s 13hd and it was so much more comfortable and nice to draw on as i could put it on the bed or on my legs, but I cant afford another expensive piece of equipment, especially not in this generation of technology, wacom fucking sucks but no other brand is willing to be their competitive because tablet is not the purchase the average person would make.

Another reason why I have been so held on drawing and using the cintiq, which was probably the most major thing was it’s total, hot flaming shitty garbage diarrhea poopy stank abysmal horrible disgusting nasty dumbass smelly drivers which made every chance i had to draw a miss because i would battle myself from 30 minutes to over a hour fixing my tablet to draw a single thing, and its been like that every time i would turn my cintiq on! the situation was severe and everytime i would find a solution, it would be later suppressed, it was so harsh that i had a few months in which nothing I would do would make the drivers function, i was basically tabletless, so many, and a lot of opportunities for me to create a piece of drawing was flushed in the toilet with the rest, and so it was a deeper burden on my passion, determination and motivation to draw.

But yeah, now im doing 3d and it feels like a fresh hobby to me since I felt that im not going anywhere in and with my art (even though I yet have to learn how to draw bodies better, let alone drawing limbs, feet and CLOTHES!!)

and now the future has yet to be revealed!

#kawaii-corvid

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marketingatlightspeedreadin-blog · 6 years

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Games You Might Not Have Tried #11 – Find New Games – Extra Credits

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I sure hope you folks enjoy watching these as much as I like making ’em, because… I don’t know, these are fun! These episodes always take us a couple of months to put together, so by the time each one comes out, James has already got a new batch of games to recommend. Anyway! You know the drill. We don’t promise that all these games are good, just that they’re different.

Their design is interesting in some way, even if the most interesting thing about them is how they failed to achieve what they’re setting out to do. Anyway, enough talk. Have at you! Zero Time Dilemma. Years ago, we recommended 999 in one of these episodes. It’s been quite the journey since then, but now the franchise (or at least this chapter of it) is coming to a close, and the story is perhaps one of the best yet in the series. The graphics… not so much, but don’t let that deter you. This game may handily demonstrate just how much better 2D graphics can look, and that switching to 3D isn’t always the best choice, but, if you’ve followed the series so far, you owe it to yourself to finish this one out. And if you haven’t checked these games out yet, well, maybe get on that. Inside. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention this one.

Brought to you by the creators of Limbo, this is a dark and mysterious run through a puzzle-filled testing facility. James didn’t find it quite as compelling as Limbo, but it’s still a solid title, and the atmosphere alone is worth your time if you want to learn how to build that sort of oppressive feeling into your own games. Reverse Crawl. James just tore through this one. It’s one of those, “just one more battle” type games that’ll have you so sucked in that you won’t realize the sun is rising and, oops, you didn’t sleep. The really interesting thing about this game is that it takes the “Heroes of Might and Magic” or “Kings Bounty” formula, and does away with the exploration.

Now, that might sound terrible – James felt that way too, at first. I mean, exploration kind of seems like the lifeblood of those games. But by doing away with the exploration, Reverse Crawl is able to make the combat much tighter, with specifically designed encounters and a progression system that really makes the player consider what they want to be able to play with. Add to that the fact that the player can’t just barge into battle with a ridiculously broken combination of units, but instead has to pick from a wide variety of pre-made unit groupings for each encounter, and you get a tightly designed experience.

You can even beat it in one night if you don’t sleep. I don’t recommend it, but, I’m just saying, you could. ([evil laugh]) (And this, my distinguished gentlebots,) (is the new SteamWorld!) SteamWorld Heist. Since we’re talking strategy games, let’s talk about this pleasantly surprising little gem. This is a game that takes all the conventions of our isometric or top-down tactics games, and puts them on a 2D plane. And it works! It works because the designers considered how 2D might change the formula, what they might be able to do with the design in 2D that’d be harder in one of those other formats. And the conclusion they came to was to make you aim manually.

Yep, this is a tactics game like any other, but sort of like Valkyria Chronicles, when it comes time to shoot, you’ve gotta eyeball it. With no reticle to guide you, this makes variables like cover become a much more interesting and interactive element of the game than we saw even in games like XCOM. So, if you’re looking for a quirky tactics game, or even just like thinking about how we can push the formula, you might want to check out SteamWorld Heist. (And of course it all went according to plan…) Now, a whole lot of you asked if we could talk about some tablet and mobile games on one of these lists, so let me just throw a slew of those at you before we get back to the weird PC games. Let’s start with Galactic Keep. Galactic Keep is exactly what I always wanted a storybook adventure to be when I was young. It takes some of the work done in Steve Jackson’s excellent Sorcery series to the next level and really makes you feel like you’re playing a solo tabletop role-playing module.

Seriously. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt more like I was at the Barrier Peaks without a GM screen on the table. Out There. This game has no combat, and yet, it is brutal. It’s a roguelike survival adventure where you are the last surviving member of humanity trying to make it home. Its vignettes are excellently written, but unlike most story driven games, you will not easily reach the end of this story. I think it’s the very fact that Out There presents a harsh universe where you will die time and again before ever being able to see one of its many endings that kept drawing James back. If you like sci-fi, if you like roguelikes, if you like narrative and are interested in a brutal challenge that never once involves firing a blaster, you better check this out.

Icebound Concordance. Speaking of writing, here is a game that is all about writing. Or rather, it’s all about rewriting. The game itself is a conversation with an AI built from the mind of a writer, and you are there to help it edit and rewrite its last book. That’s pretty interesting in its own right, but then you get to the real bit: the Icebound Compendium. If you’re willing to pony up $25 to pick up the companion book, you are in for something…

Novel. I can’t say much about the Compendium without spoiling things, but, suffice it to say that periodically throughout the game you will be prompted to search through the book for pages related to some of what’s going on on-screen. Then, the game will use your iPad camera to scan the pages and to make the book itself come to life. My only complaint here is that the book itself is poorly made. The cover fell off the binding of James’ copy before it even got through the mail. Of course, that’s a sample size of one James, so hopefully yours will be sturdier. (♪ This is the Guild of Dungeoneering,) (♪ On our quest, we’re never fearing…) The Guild of Dungeoneering.

This game is here simply as an example of what a difference platform can make. James found this to be a mediocre strategy title when he first played it on PC, but on a tablet, its lighter shorter sessions and more casual strategy experience really works. If you want a relaxing strategy game to play on the go, it’s worth trying. Really though, this game is worth buying for the songs alone. (♪ The Guild of Dungeoneering!) (♪ Curse and swear, but don’t despair,) (♪ The way out appears to be over there,) (♪ I think we’re lost, but what do we care?) (♪ The Guild of Dungeoneering!) Templar Battleforce.

I haven’t tried this game on PC, but the mobile version was exactly what James was looking for in a slightly more hardcore tactics game. If you want to play Space Hulk, but the actual modern Space Hulk video game didn’t cut it for you, get Templar Battleforce. It’s everything Space Hulk should be. It’s got an interesting class system, a varied advancement tree, multiple ways to customize units of the same class, and yet the levels are short enough to play on the go. Alright, that’s enough mobile games. Let’s return to the PC, and let’s get weird.

Cat Lady. We so rarely get to recommend adventure games, so I’m glad we get to talk about this piece of weirdness. There are a lot of counter-intuitive design decisions in this game: sometimes on purpose, sometimes as pitfalls of the old-school adventure game ethos, but if you’re looking for something surreal, creepy, and dark, Cat Lady has you covered. The art style perfectly fits the madness, feeling at times like Monty Python channeling Poe.

And the decision to do away with the mouse entirely in an old-school adventure game and streamline things by going with a keyboard interface alone? That’ll put you on a “Games You Might Not Have Tried” list. Fran Bow. We can’t talk about horror games without talking Fran Bow. If you want disturbing and strange, this game has it in spades, but it’s the ambiguity of this game that I love. I’ll try not to spoil anything, but let’s just say, the game leaves itself open for interpretation, and I think that’s great. Too often, horror stories try to explain all their nightmarish surreality, and in doing so, kill the horror. That’s not to say that horror stories shouldn’t make sense, but leaving your nightmare world as an ambiguous metaphor is often so much better than feeling like you have to tie up all the loose ends by saying something like, “See? It was a dream all along!” Fran Bow is an excellent example of this.

Killing Time at Lightspeed. I love the premise of this game. You’ve left Earth. You’re traveling away at light speed, but you can still see your Facebook feed. But here’s the catch: at relativistic speed, every time you hit refresh, a year has passed. You can touch base for one snapshot of everyone’s lives back home then it whirls past and time moves on – for them, if not for you. My only complaint is that most of the time, most of my friends back home simply talked about the news, and for me at least, that’s not how social networks work. That’s a big part of it to be sure, but it’s in the background of all the tiny day-to-day things that people post. I would have loved to have more emphasis on the personal, on the relationships of people and their daily lives, as that backdrop would have given the big events of the world that much more impact, seeing how they affected the people I loved even as I whipped away from them at the speed of light.

Anyway, neat game. Try it out. And finally, Quadrilateral Cowboy. What happens when you mix stealth capers with command line hacking and a PS1 visual aesthetic? Well, you get Quadrilateral Cowboy. Your mileage may vary with the art style, but there is something so cyberpunk about actually hooking up a computer to a jack and having to turn off a security laser with a series of semicolon delineated commands. Am I alone, though, in this making me long for a multiplayer game where one player plays the stealth action hero, and the other one plays their off-site hacker buddy? Like, unlocking the doors and shutting off security cameras in the nick of time with a command-line interface? That would be rad. Somebody, get on that. Anyway, I think that’ll do it for today. Thank you for watching; recommend some of your own weird favorites in the comments below, and we will see you next week..

For More Info : Visit Here : Light Speed Reading

#Reading speed test #Speed read test #Read faster #Read fast #Speed read #Mental Photography #reading at light speed

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artdjgblog · 4 years

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Innerview: ? / STEP Inside Design

December 2006

Poster: DJG Design

Note: Interview about winning the STEP 100 for a poster.

01) Do you personally like DeVotchKa’s music? In other words, were you personally attached to this design? Or to the band?

First of all, if I wasn’t personally attached to my work then I would quit design altogether. This is why I skipped the whole real job format and stuck to my own no-money-making, yet, wealth-of-design-freedom GUNS… (A Little History) I was attending a concert by the great M. Ward a couple years ago in Omah, NE and was blown away by his opening act. It’s rare to experience something truly pure and straight from the source in person. I felt an intense passion and power displayed by DeVotchKa that night. Something that really came from deep inside the heart/gut and I longed to be a part of that. Immediately I wanted to marry my design to this band (I know this all sounds pretty big cheese, but I really feel an attachment with things that possess an actual soul). After the show I chickened-out at the idea of approaching the band. So, I stuck to my quiet ways and waited for them to come to my town. Eventually, they came to Kansas City, MO as an opening act again. I didn’t have enough notice to make anything for the show so I waited some more. They came back half a year later, headlining just a few blocks away from my house (this was my design chance that you now see in this magazine). And ironically, DeVotchKa is getting ready to take stage just forty minutes away from my fledgling writer fingers. Originally I was scheduled to attend tonight. Sadly, a lack of funds, a sick wife, house guests, a mountain of work and a Monday night keep me locked in the basement. DeVotchKa is blasting on my speakers and I can’t think of a better alternate place to be this evening. Oh well, the last DeVotchKa show was absolutely perfect and I’d like to leave that impression for a while longer. Trust me, the show was way better than my poster that represented it. 02) What inspired you to make this design? The majority of the time a client can be linked to my posters. But, sometimes I just make them for the heck of it. Usually this is on occasion for bands/musicians that I really enjoy and wish to help spread the word about (and, I just like to make things). I found that some of my more memorable/enjoyable posters come this way. I DO work with a couple of venues/people first-hand, and carry a great relationship. However, for some shows it can be quite a shoestring to get to the bottom of making posters officially. I realize that some designers might think I’m working around the system a bit and possibly stepping on toes. But what’s the matter with just making something for the heart of it? There is no harm in that. It’s like when I was a ten and spent my hours penciling a life-sized, detailed drawing to commemorate Batman. It’s the exact same thing to me…me just really enjoying something and paying a tribute to it. The posters are also a self-promotion and more importantly help the venue and artists out. Everybody is a winner in my book. The Design Gods know I don’t make any money at the dang thing…all of those in declining favor can do ME a favor and find real world problems to moan over. Another thing is that I simply don’t have the time or resources to make the hundreds (or thousands) of posters that some promoters might request with a big show. I’ve had more praise than problem with making posters without permission…but, I bet some of the real hot-shot guys would hang me for it. Now, there’s a poster to get worked-up ugly over! Anyway, inspiration came from me liking DeVotchKa’s music along with my want to sit in the basement with a bad back…to pay them back in the only way I half-way know how to. 03) Was there anything or one that influenced you? People have an easy-hard time wrapping questions like this one around my work. Like I said previously, I just felt like making this. I sat down and interpreted what DeVotchKa meant to me at that moment. Any other moment it would have been different. For instance, I made a poster for their show tonight. It consists of hand-cut, ornate, spray painted type that is overlapping 47 crudely-drawn, prancing ponies on lime green paper. It’s not very much like this poster (the one STEP picked), other that it’s really nothing special and it captures what I felt to be a moment in DeVotchKa’s music…or at least when I was listening/creating. It’s just where I felt like going at the time of departure. This image came and I grinned…problem solved. If I have to really work at something, then it becomes work. And you can always spot the ones that didn’t work for me. On influences…I got bushes and buckets of them (that’s another interview). In general I can’t go anywhere or do anything without absorbing in everything…it can be good and bad. I can read peeled billboards and restroom scribbles with ease, but I have a hard time with restaurant menus. Graphic design and so-called art saved and ruined me. But, it’s the only thing I really like to do (other than watch movies and listen to music…and eat junk). It’s important to me to just try and soak-up lots of things…especially the little, ordinary elementary things. A crummy day job has to be worked to keep the basement lights on. Though, I keep the actual design lights on 24-7. With a limited leash on my actual time to work on design, I don’t have time to mess around. This is where outside daily absorption comes in handy. Let’s say I need a centaur (like in this poster)…well, I just grab one from the place I keep the centaurs in my head. Which, is basically my Dad’s arms spread-out to coax a big ol’ bull into a pen…right before the bull kicks Dad in the gut and then he busts a fence board over that bull’s head. Growing up on a farm taught me to pay attention…and never make my dad angry. And I keep stockpiles of all types of things at arm’s length to reach and grab and just make and do. I like to have a good time with it. I don’t really consider it work. 04) Does the conglomerative nature of DeVotchKa’s music influence the collage-like nature of the design, with all of its parts and motifs? Why did you choose this particular aesthetic? Very rarely do I make a premeditated aesthetic design choice. I’m very strict with not restricting myself. A lot of the time I’ll just have the idea in my head. I do-do sketches…but, they always ramble on and I tend to always go back to that initial idea in my head. So, then it’s all about putting clothes on it. Simply, I just go. It’s exciting to have an idea and then watch it grow. I’m sure that if America could design their children before pregnancy/birth (maybe even pick them off the shelf), we sure would. Personally, I like the purity of letting something develop. My designs are my babies. I like to hold hands with them and when they grow-up they are chosen to represent some design competition…and then I’m asked to bail them out by way of trying to answer questions. It can be pretty embarrassing. I like to just let them speak for themselves. But, people like answers. Yeah, I’ve been called a collage artist, an assembler. Mainly because the bulk of the designs are build with my hands. The computer is just a production tool for me (and a late night time saver/savior). I’m instantly encouraged to push things further if such “collage-like” labels arise. I have got to stay ahead of myself because I’m my only competition. But in the end, isn’t all design “collage-like” in some fashion? I guess the way I built this design ended up marrying to DeVotchKa’s music properly. Honestly, I never really thought about it. It just felt good and right to me. I suppose it did to you too? 05) What are you most satisfied with regarding the design? This is a funny question. It sounds like I’m dying or going away (which, is sorta true in the grand scheme). I guess I’m just happy with the silly idea of being able to find a bit of time in life to do something like this. To slow it all down to the speed of a little Exacto blade slice, pencil scratch or thumb-print. Sitting by my self is very important to me. It helps me. A lot of people get bored when they are alone. I’ve never understood that. Some of my more wholesome life moments have come by way of sitting on my rear, making things for the heck of it. But, I don’t want to get into all that artsy junkyard talk. It DOES mean a lot to me whenever the work reflects well to others. I don’t care what you/they get from it. Just the fact that it speaked a spark of something, of anything, means so much to me. It’s nice to hand out brain smiles. Something of me has got to have some personality because me in person is pretty boorish (and not good to look at). Overall, I don’t find this design to be special or original. It’s probably been done a billion times before…and better. Posters are the same as pop songs. But, this is my blood…my pop song with a twist…and a wink. 06) I noticed the messiness, the thumb-prints, the smudges. It gave it a nice kind of die-hard fan making a logo for their favorite band feeling. Was there a reason for this kind of aesthetic technique? Is this particular to or for the band and/or is this a DJG style? Is it to go along with the feel of DeVotchKa’s Music? As a child with many acres to roam in the country, I was dirty all the time. That’s carried over to now when I roam for answers at the design table. The difference is that thankfully my mom doesn’t hose me off at the back door anymore. (Fast Forward) In design school we didn’t jump to the computer right away. One day my friends were grumbling about how they couldn’t wait to start designing on computers. I told them that I was going to take the more hands-on approach…the route that didn’t need computers. I was dead serious. All of those previous years building things by hand and getting dirty, conditioned me to think this way. I even thought that typography was creating the layout of land by building map sculptures by hand (boy, was I disappointed). My friends thought I was a complete idiot and tried to set me straight. It’s really funny now because most of them aren’t even doing graphic design anymore and I sit and make most things with my hands and really love it. While learning computers I didn’t like how I couldn’t physically touch what I was working with. I couldn’t get around the screen barrier confidently. And the bulk of computer graphics and design firms felt so lifeless and seemed to lack passion and soul. I preferred something that felt like a human being was responsible for it. Computers are appreciated greatly, but they are just a tool. Smudges, marks, thumb-prints and so-ons are evidence of a human element. Hardly do I ever remove those elements. There is something pure, matter-of-fact, cave-like and very of-the-moment about them. They help narrate the story and reveal the process of life. Is this a DJG style? Well, I don’t know what that means. I’ll answer yes, I suppose. It’s nothing I strive to achieve or be known for branding sake. Each new day to me is a new style on my brain and soul. Whether its design, music or movies, I long for the attraction of immediacy (I suppose I’m using this word correctly?)…to me, its something that feels lived-in and instantly speaks in its own way. But, has a down-to-Earth familiarity to it that makes you want to really listen and come back for more. It’s something authentic and with a soul that shows it’s been spit-shined. I feel this way especially about the work of Saul Steinberg, Henryk Tomaszewski, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, ElliottbSmith…and…child drawings, folk art, hand-drawn type/signs, cuts, scribbles and marks. (to name a few). …and I don’t trust a man with clean hands. Or a man that won’t let his kids dig up the yard. 07) What is the explanation behind the cows? The Wine bottle? Why is the poor wine-bottle-girl stepping on her own head? Those are centaurs, not cows. While most centaurs have the body of a horse, mine have a cow!…and with big horns on their heads (at least in this depiction). I also tend to make my animals pretty meaty. I keep them well-fed! For some reason I couldn’t get the centaurs out of my head with this poster. I draw it to the whole animal instinct in human nature. Even better is that the wine bottle woman is a centaur too. She wears a skirt made of her ex-lovers’ hides, trophies of the ones she’s conquered (except for the couple that are getting away with some dignity left). She definitely means business. To flip it around, the centaurs can also represent the idea of climbing a mountain of struggle…it could be relationships, bad luck, a loss of faith or addiction. It’s all subjective, really. I enjoy hearing what others interpret from the design(s). The lead singer for DeVotchKa drinks from a wine bottle in-between each song. This image in my head from their live sets must explain the wine reference. I get the sense that he’s been through some battlefields with the ladies. With the woman spilling the skull under her heels…well, the band has a song called “Death by Blonde” (or something like that). I always get a good giggle at that mangled face on a stick! I don’t know much more about how it came along. I just sat and spit it up. I cut the start and the finish ribbons and was happy with the run. 08) It seems as if you are referencing some mythology here. What is it? Did you create it? Or is it something the band references? I’m no scholar in mythology (or anything for that matter), so it’s definitely just a piece that I’ve pieced together in my own head and on paper…to make it part of my mythology. I just like a design that says something. Each design of mine tries to tell a story. It must be talking to you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. (I’m sorry to answer this question so short) 09) What motivates you? What makes/how do you define good design? An aspect of motivation to me (like I’ve said before) is the ability to slow things down and sit alone…to simply make things. I’ve always been a big supporter of my own time. I get so much out of design by way of discovery. Not just for design-sake, rather it’s important for me to do it to help understand myself a bit more. If there is anybody to shovel and burn the coal in my world, well it’s definitely gotta be me. Though, all that time alone has caused me to acquire a major case of social inadequacies (among other things). But, I’ve always carried a heavy backpack ever since I can remember. I’ve also had to make many sacrifices in other areas of life. And I’ve also gained so much and am learning to manage things a bit better as I earn some years. Still, there are times when I’ve wanted to slice my design limb off, or maybe just do things for myself completely. Maybe I’m just too dramatic or need a vacation? I’m also my only competition/enemy. Even though my work ethic, excitement, goals, and bulky portfolio are over-exhaustive (to you and to me)…I still think I’m the laziest guy in my room. (I’ve touched base on the following too…) Good design to me is defined by something that moves me…something with heart and identifiable to the human spirit. True, it’s all subjective, but there is a fine line too. I’m just not a big fan of snobs and elitists. Most of the time I’d rather talk with an every-day person, struggling to work two jobs as a school lunch cook-office cleaner, than a group of fancy-pants designers with clean fingernails…it just feels more real to me. And I don’t mean to offend anybody here. Awkward as I may be…I will talk with anybody. I DO love talking about my work with interested people. But it’s good for me to get away from the work and talk about everyday things (I know I’m running circles right now, sorry). Good design has also got to have something to say, and the majority of the time it’s gotta have great humor! I like to get a giggle. It brightens my day to see something and say, “Look at that! It’s great!” And most of the time I’m referring to a crumpled shopping list, a great hand-made thrift store find, handwriting samples or a child’s drawing. I do have my art and graphic design heroes, but there is great everyday stuff that makes up the design of the real world. Whenever I go to most gallery shows, art and design ends up feeling lifeless to me for several days. A college professor once told me that there is no good and bad design, only smart and stupid. I tend to keep that in mind. I’m sure you are bored with this by now and are scratching at what I’m probably not really saying right now. Sorry to ramble on. But, I trust it helps understand a bit for you…it does for me. I thank you so much for your time, patience and interest. -djg

#innerviews

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xmelamo · 6 years

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2017 Roundup

(The end of the year is always when I remember that I have a blog but never use it for actual writing.)

I feel like it’s natural for most artists or designers to never truly feel satisfied with their work or where they are in their professional career, perhaps because we put our work out in the world and are subjected to constant comparison and criticism. Besides that feeling, I also was hit with the crushing blow of a quarter-life crisis, making me feel incredibly small and even more insecure with where I’m at.

It’s such a nagging, negative feeling, but I know that I am not alone in feeling this way, and at the end of the day I am lucky enough to be able to do what I love for a living. And after some reflection on my accomplishments this year, I can continue on with my goals for the next year.

1. Actually taking on some freelance projects that I liked

I’ve never been shy about turning down freelance work because, frankly, I’ve never enjoyed doing it. I’ve been burned, treated poorly, and underpaid more often than not, and over the course of a couple years I thought that freelancing might not be for me (which was a real downer because I eventually want to be a freelance letterer for advertising and editorial). Despite the negative experiences, I’ve still done a few projects this year (one still in progress!) that I’m actually excited about and were fun to collaborate on. I also enrolled in Lauren Hom’s Passion to Paid class, which had some great insight on how to properly handle a freelance business and came with a community of other creatives who are super supportive of each other. I haven’t been completely deterred from freelancing yet, so perhaps next year will change my attitude toward this type of work.

2. Spending time on set and art directing

Something I never got to do when my title had “art director” in it was actually go to photoshoots, and I am so happy that changed this year. I got to do three on-set projects in a studio and one in natural light, and I learned what it was like to work with a prop stylist, stop-motion artist, and digital techs/photographers. I only got to work with talent once (and I was one of the models haha), so I’d love to be able to art direct more talent (instead of just objects) in the future.

3. I’m getting published!

Even though I’ve lettered professionally for Disney for over 2 years, I have never felt like my work was worthy of being seen as “legitimate” typographic art. I didn’t really have any personal work that I felt excited about either. After being rejected for the CA Type Annual earlier this year, I decided to submit for an Australian-based type book called Typism because it was free to enter. After getting a shortlist email, I found out I was one of 192 selected entries out of over 3,000! This will be my first published work ever, and I am excited to receive a copy when it comes out in March. (Psssst, you can preorder a discounted copy with free shipping right now too!)

4. Branding and rebranding

A blessing and a curse of my job at DCPI was that I became known as the go-to lettering girl. It was awesome because I really got to work on my technical lettering skills, and I had a lot of room to experiment with all those types of projects being thrown my way, but sometimes I felt like I was being pigeon-holed. I made it known that I also really enjoyed branding, and I eventually had three major opportunities for that. First (and previously written about) was Club Mickey Mouse, which was more like a rebrand because I was given a starting point to update. The second was the logo for Disney Pets, which was a total whirlwind because it only had a 5-day turnaround. The third unfortunately has not come out yet, so I can’t say what it is—only that I actually got to help come up with an identity system and some packaging applications in addition to the logo.

5. Getting invited to Cal Poly’s senior review

I will generally give a portfolio review to anyone who makes an effort to reach out to me over email, but this was the very first time I was face-to-face giving reviews. I was so nervous but incredibly excited to go back to my alma mater, and I really enjoyed talking to this year’s seniors and going through their books. Sometimes I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing half the time, and I joked that my reviews would be like the blind leading the blind. But then I remembered that I know much more now than I did when I was in their shoes three years ago, and it motivated me to give the best and most thorough feedback that I could.

6. More personal projects

2016 was when I got hired at DCPI and found myself doing lettering as part of my day job. It was so exciting and creatively stimulating that I ended up not doing any personal lettering work, which wasn’t what I had planned to do at all. This year, I made an effort to draw more on my own and have my own voice as an artist, and I think I’m finally starting to get there. I’m still exploring my personal style, and I never really want to be known as a one-trick pony, but I’m looking forward to finding my voice as a lettering artist in the coming year.

Even though it’s always difficult for me to feel like I’m doing well, I am still incredibly appreciative for the opportunities I’ve had. I’m looking forward to progressing more next year. Cheers to baby steps.

#2017 #reflection #career

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