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clownfuckery · 6 years

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A Monster for a Mate - Chapter 2

PENNYWISE X OC / RATED M

A/N: Pennywise and Luseres finally meet! Thank you so much for the likes and reblogs, they mean a lot to me! :)

Previous Chapters:

Prologue | Chapter 1

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1. Welcome to Derry!

“Welcome to Derry Town House. Do you have a reservation?”

“I don’t. Do you have rooms available?”

“We do. May I have your name please?”

“Luseres Dietrich”

The pretty young clerk gave me an odd look.

“Could you spell that for me please?”

I did. She tapped away at her keyboard, every now and then looking up at me from the somewhat dated monitor. She gave me a generic smile, the type that clerks learn to master wonderfully: Those mechanical twitches of the corners of the mouth that serve only to reassure the costumer that they notice them there.

“King, queen, or double, ma’am?”

“King. Do you have any suites?”

“We do. Our upper floor rooms have a sitting room and a nicely sized jacuzzi tub in the bathroom. They have a balcony. Not large, but they fit a lounge chair. The suites face Kansas Street, looking toward Old Cape and the airport. A pretty sight this time of year”

“That will do. Can you book me for a week?”

“Ayuh, I can do that” the young woman replied, in her pleasant Yankee twang. Her blonde hair was half pulled back by two butterfly hair clips, the ones I remembered wearing in my teens. She looked to be no more than twenty-three.

“Summer job?” I asked, unable to help myself. This time, her smile was genuine.

“Every year” she said “I grew up here, but I go to NYU. Been working at the Town House since I was 16”

“You must love your home town. I mean, to come back”

“I do. There is no other place like Derry for me. Not in the whole world. What brings you to Derry? You’re here for business or pleasure?”

“Solitude, I hope” I answered before realizing it. Her brow furrowed in curiosity. “I mean, I’ve been told by a…” friend? Hardly from it. The Man in Black who left me standing in the middle of Main Street and walked away into nothing? “…an acquaintance that is familiar with the place that he loves coming here” Or through here.

The clerk was studying me now, as if seeing me for the first time since I walked through the glass double doors and crossed the faded Turkish rug.

“Wait… have I seen you somewhere?” she asked suddenly, and I felt my back go rigid.

Shit.

“Um… I d-don’t s-ee where or how-w” I stammered. God, please don’t let her watch the news. She did go to NYU, did she not? She must have seen me when I appeared on the Today show, being introduced as the new Christine. I swallowed hard, and she must not have noticed my apprehension, because she shrugged.

“Maybe you have a long-lost twin at NYU” she joked, and I forced myself to laugh along.

“You never know who may look like who” I said, returning the shrug and putting my hands in my pockets to keep them from shaking.

“How are we looking at that room?” I asked, suddenly wanting nothing more than a bed and ten hours of sleep.

“All I need is you ID and credit card to put on file” she said pleasantly, folding her arms on the desk.

I reached down into my purse and retrieved my wallet. I handed her my driver’s license and American Express. After a minute or two of her tapping away, she went to fetch the papers from the printer. I took the opportunity to look around. I noticed a fireplace that hosted a real log, but no trace of it having been used in a long time. Padded couches and plants adorned the lobby. Above me, a mural was painted onto the ceiling, depicting images of logging men, perhaps from the town’s past. I was still fixed upon the mural, hearing the sound of axes upon massive tree trunks, the shouts of “TIMBER!” and the sudden crack of trees snapping, the huge, earth-shaking thud as they…

“Here you go” the clerk’s voice brought me back to reality, and I shook my head slightly. For a second I had felt like I could really hear the sounds of this town, the echoes of long ago.

“How old is this town?” I asked as I took the pen from her hand and scribbled my signature.

“Oh, going on past three hundred years. Nothing really happens in Derry. Not like in places such as Bangor close by. I mean, business has boomed since I was a little girl, but not really big like some would expect. I guess Derry is in its own little world, and for all its faults and antiquatedness, people prefer it that way. By the way, is that even a word?”

“Antiquatedness?” I chuckled. I returned the pen and she handed me back my cards.

“Yeah”

“You’re the NYU student. You should know. What’s your major?”

“Classic Literature. Hmm. My professor would be having a cow right about now” she said seemingly dumbfounded and a little amused. She stuck two card keys into the scanners, then placed them in a holder and handed them to me. “Your room is 629, on our top floor. When you get off the elevator, make a left and it is the second to the last room on your right. Menus for room service and wifi password are in your room. Dial 0 if you need to get in contact with the front desk. I’ll be here till nine tonight. Is there anything else I can do for you, ma’am?”

“What time does the bar close?”

“At ten on weekdays, same as the restaurant. Yes, I know, a little too early, but I don’t make the rules” she laughed, seeing my surprise “but they serve great cocktails. The bartender is a childhood friend of mine. Gary is his name. Dinner food is not all that great, but the restaurant serves the most amazing breakfast. Best bacon this side of Maine, if you don’t mind me saying. Lunch is okay. There are better restaurants that serve lunch and dinner at Mall Road. The Jade of the Orient is one of my favorites. Amazing chicken tenders. Can’t get anything that good in New York”

“Any other bars in town?”

“Just one: The Falcon, by the bus station. It usually pulls an exclusive type of crowd. You know, LGBT. But it’s the best place to get a drink, be in great company, and not have to worry about men groping you or putting something in your drink”

“That’s good to know” I mused, and I reached for my purse and luggage. Her eyebrows rose the moment she noticed my Louis Vuitton suitcase. I looked completely out of place in a small New England town.

“Let me call you a bell boy” she said, reaching for the phone. I instantly waved the offer off.

“Oh no, I got it. I brought only one”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Positive.” I had only taken two steps away when her voice stopped me again.

“Um… can I ask you something?” Her voice shook with uneasiness.

Oh crap, she recognized me. She’ll tell everyone and there go my plans for peace and quiet. ‘Scarlett Gregorian’s in town!’ she’ll scream through the streets. Was it too late to cancel my reservation? I steeled myself and turned with the most generic smile I could muster.

“Sure”

“Your last name. Dietrich. That’s German, right?”

I sighed loudly. My eyes closed at the flood of relief that washed through me. She, on the other hand, took it differently.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude”

“No, no. I thought…. Never mind. Yes, it’s German. My parents are”

“Oh, but…” she stopped herself, and her cheeks flushed red. She was embarrassed. I knew exactly what she meant to ask, and I laughed.

“My adoptive parents are German” I explained.

She looked at me with a mixture of relief and awe. “Where are you from? You look so… exotic”

“Argentinian by birth but Armenian by blood” I stated matter-of-factly.

“Wow. Armenian,” she breathed the word as if it were a wonder. “Don’t they have some of the most ancient and rare blood types on the planet? I learned that in Ancient History class”

“Oh, you have no idea. By the way, antiquatedness is a real word” I smiled at her, winked, and made for the elevator. She laughed heartily.

“Welcome to Derry!” I heard her call out as the elevator doors closed.

2. The Falcon Bar

Sleep never came. By 9 I was simply laying on top of the bedding, staring up at the intricate pattern on the ceiling. There was something in the air, something I could not place. I felt it the moment I dropped my bags and threw myself on the somewhat stiff bed. I let out a sigh, breathed in… and there it was. It seemed to hang heavily, not entirely a scent, but a feeling. For some strange reason, I imagined a mortuary shroud that hung over the entire town. I shook it off, laughing at myself for being an idiot. I had lived under watchful eyes for so long I no longer knew what it felt to be totally alone. But why wasn’t I overjoyed? Shouldn’t I be jumping on the bed until my knees trembled like jelly and my legs gave way? Shouldn’t I be screaming from the balcony that I was free at last, laughing to the wind?

On a whim, I threw my legs over the bed and reached for my suitcase. I donned a low-cut body suit, a pair of ripped skinny jeans, and black pumps. A few minutes later, my cosmetics were dumped all over the bathroom sink and I emerged ready for a night out. I stuffed my room key, driver’s license and credit card into the hidden pocket inside my trench coat, threw it on, and left the suite. It was 9:40 when I sat on one of the stools of the bar downstairs and ordered a cocktail.

“You sure that’ll be enough? We close in twenty” the bartender said when he put it down.

“Gary, right?” I asked, taking a sip. The hotel clerk wasn’t kidding, the cocktail was divine.

“Yeah. You’re new in town. Stacy told me”

“Stac…?”

“What was it that I told you?” a voice behind me said. I turned to find the clerk, now dressed for her own night out, walking up to the bar and sitting beside me. Gary placed a Blue Moon in front of her.

“Hello, Stacy” I smiled, tipping my cocktail.

“Hello, Luseres” she replied, doing the same with her Belgian white.

“No butterfly hair clips now, I see” I chuckled, motioning to her short halter dress, fishnet stockings, spike heeled booties, and leather coat. Her blonde hair now hung loose, and she wore red lipstick. She looked like a perfect Newyorker.

“Not after 9” she winked “I would ask if your room was to your satisfaction, but I’m not on the clock”

“That you would, and the room is fine. No questionable white stains on my sheets”

She and Gary laughed.

“So where are you going?” she asked.

“Nowhere. Just came down for a drink”

Stacy and Gary gave me a look.

“There’s no way you’re going to waste looking like a total knockout on the restaurant bar. Come with us, we’ll take you to the Falcon. Gary and I are actually going on a double date to the movies, but we can walk you there. Get you introduced”

“I know a few of my friends are there tonight. Good fellas. Come on, get some air. You sure didn’t come all the way to Derry for a cocktail twenty minutes before the restaurant closes, now did ya?”

I nodded, looking into my glass. Perhaps hanging out with a bunch of gay fellows, drinking merrily and laughing at their perfectly timed jokes was exactly what I needed. Anything to lift the haze that seemed to settle over my head.

“Sounds like fun” I said, downing the cocktail.

The Falcon was everything that was promised. From the moment I entered through the small door, there was a perfect ambiance of cheerful camaraderie. The clientele was mostly exclusively male. The few women there sat in pairs or were mixed in with the men. A small platform in the corner hosted a small band. The place was only half full.

“Wait till midnight, this place will be packed” Stacy whispered as we made our way inside. Gary motioned to three young men at the bar, and I was introduced to Jayson, Riley, and Paul. Paul, an accountant from Bangor, was Gary’s cousin. Jayson was a manager at one of the mall shops, and Paul said he lived in Portland. He shook my hand almost too eagerly. I could feel his transfixed gaze on me as Gary and Stacy said their goodbyes and left.

“Oh my god” Paul finally burst after we were seated “it’s you”

Oh shit.

“Who?” I asked innocently. The other two looked at him confused.

“Don’t pretend. You’re Scarlett Gregorian. Guys, she’s the girl in The Phantom. We went to see it at the Merrill, remember? It’s her. Christine Daae”

“Holy shit!” cried Riley, taking one good look at me “you ain’t kidding!”

“Oh my god, I love you” swooned Jayson “you were a vision. The way you sang Think of Me, it was like… angels were blessing us from above” he clutched his chest and looked up as if entranced.

I laughed. “Thanks guys, but please, don’t tell anyone. I came here to get away from it all”

They all nodded in understanding. “Your secret is safe with us” winked Riley.

“Oh, and don’t call me Scarlett. Call me Luseres. Lus for short. It’s my real name”

“I knew Scarlett Gregorian was a stage name. Nobody has names like that nowadays” laughed Paul.

The drinks flowed. Conversation with those guys was effortless. They loved pop culture, the arts, and were surprisingly well versed in Derry history. They loved their hometown, a sentiment I found was shared by all who seemed to feel fortunate enough to grow and live in Derry. They talked of white Christmases, vibrant springs, and warm lazy summer days spent splashing around in the quarry or playing in a place they called The Barrens. It wasn’t until they began talking about the social atmosphere of the town that their faces fell.

“A friend of ours was killed three months ago, not far from here. Some homophobic assholes attacked him and his boyfriend” Riley finally said.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry”

“You see, Derry is not entirely… welcoming of us” Jayson explained “and there seems to be a lot of tragic events and freak crimes that happen every few years. It’s weird, really”

Paul nodded. “In the eighties, a bunch of kids went missing. Some bodies were recovered, some not. They finally found out that it was a high school kid who went crazy and started killing his classmates”

“Jesus” I winced.

“It got so bad, they had a curfew and everything. My momma told me that kids couldn’t be outside past 7. And you know what the weirdest thing is?”

I looked at them expectantly.

“It never made national news. Nothing that happens in Derry ever catches national attention. It all just seems to be… buried” Jayson said.

I stirred my vodka tonic, staring at the ice cubes clinking inside the glass. If Derry was in fact a portal to another dimension, it was no wonder that weird shit would happen in the town. I remembered how I felt back at the hotel, that heavy feeling that seemed to press me down, almost stifling. It seemed like a presence looked down on Derry, manipulating and constricting. I could almost feel someone watching me. I felt a shiver go down my spine, and I shuddered.

“Well, it seems I picked the wrong town to hide in” I joked, almost sarcastically.

All three laughed. “Nah, you’re ok. Aside from the homophobia and missing kids, Derry is the best place to be” said Paul.

“What was your friend’s name?”

“Adrian. Adrian Mellon”

I raised my glass. “To Adrian”

“To Adrian!” they echoed loudly, and to my surprise, everyone in the bar raised their glasses.

“We love you forever, Adrian!” a guy in the back shouted, and we all downed our drinks.

“Well, enough of that sad talk. Let’s drink!” exclaimed Riley, and he called for a refill. Elmer, the owner, was a kind, older man who poured and mixed drinks to perfection. He flirted with me, asked constantly if I was enjoying myself, and made sure to engage in small talk with every patron that walked through his door.

By midnight, the place was full and alive. The band now played today’s hits and a space was cleared in the middle for dancing. I was literally pulled by my new three friends, but before I knew it, I was singing Rihanna songs at the top of my lungs, and danced until my feet could go no more. I ended the night barefoot at the pool table, kicking everyone’s ass at 8-ball.

Silently I thanked Stacy, the pretty hotel clerk, and her friend Gary for walking me there.

3. The Call of the Siren

2:45 a.m. 

We walked down the clean, pristine boardwalk that ran down the length of the Canal. Antique light posts lined down the path, bathing the small park in ethereal light. It was now close to 3 a.m. The bar had closed down at 2, and without a moan from the packed establishment, everyone had simply gathered up their things and filed out in small groups, dispersing into the darkened town. For a moment I wondered how everyone seemed to simply feel at ease, considering the murder that happened recently and the hostility that seemed to be prominent in the small town. The memory of Adrian Mellon was alive in the bar, but once outside in the crisp night air, the danger was forgotten. Riley, Jayson, and I chatted away. Paul walked ahead, dancing down the boardwalk.

“’Cause Uptown Funk will give it ya… Saturday night and we in the spot…” he belted as he stinky-legged past benches and rose bushes.

“Shut up, you twit” Riley called out. Paul gave him the finger. We all laughed. We eventually reached a roofed bridge built out of red painted beams. The laughing, singing, and stinky-legging stopped abruptly.

“They call it the Kissing Bridge” Jayson said “It’s for carving names and sucking face”

“And bumping uglies” Paul said, but there was no humor in his voice.

“This is where it happened” Riley said, barely above a whisper “they threw him down and…” his voice broke.

I examined the bridge. It was something out of stock photography. A perfect, triangular roof topped the structure and window shutters lined the length of the bridge. Beneath, the sound of gentle running water drifted up like a lullaby. It was impossible to imagine that the scene of such a heinous, horrific murder had happened at such a beautiful location. Or in this town. In the short hours since my arrival, the thought had already been established in my mind that Derry was the most beautiful place I had ever seen.

I walked up to the entrance of the bridge, and noticed the small lights that were placed strategically at three equally-spaced places on the roof. For a second, I wondered what was on the other side…

“Lus…” Jayson said. I turned to him and noticed his hands in his pockets and his feet shuffling on the gravel. “Could you… sing? Here? Please?”

I smiled at the thought. It was a beautiful sentiment.

“What would you like me to sing?” I asked softly.

“Think of Me” Paul called. All three looked at one another and nodded in agreement.

I walked to the edge where the boardwalk and the entrance to the bridge met, oblivious to the fact that I was standing on the exact spot where Adrian Mellon had leaned over backwards before plunging down to meet his greatest horror. I drew in a breath, feeling the cool stillness of the Maine night air, looking up at the star-studded sky. Orion, the hunter, was most prominent. I looked within to the far recesses of my mind, that locked vault of painful memories from whence my singing voice came. I was immediately engulfed by that fully familiar yet inexplicable sadness that had walked beside me since my childhood, and I let 12-year-old Luseres come through.

“Think of me  Think of me fondly  When we've said goodbye  Remember me  Once in a while  Please promise me you'll try…”

They were crying, all three of them. Riley choked up a sob, Paul dabbed his eyes with the back of his hand, and Jayson placed an arm around each. As I sang, I became aware of shuffling in the bushes around and under the bridge. Pairs of heads popped up in the dark: Couples, startled by the sudden song that drifted in the air, had ceased their lustful exertions and looked around curious. I sang louder.

“We never said our love was evergreen  Or as unchanging as the sea  But if you can still remember  Stop and think of me…”

I walked down the boardwalk slowly, stopping ever so often at the railing and singing out into the night. Below, the Canal hummed gently, the soft rush of water that drifted upwards and carried my voice downstream. And then, I slowly felt the air change, as if a vibration seemed to echo back at me from deep within the ground. Maybe it was Adrian, or maybe, no, it felt different. It felt… Inhuman. Like a deep, groaning rumble that reached out to me from the other side of the Canal.

“Think of all the things we've shared and seen  Don't think about the way things might have been…”

As the lyrics poured out of me of their own accord, I began to survey the area around me. My eyes were fixed on the opposite bank, on the silhouettes of trees and plant growth. There was nothing but black and grey shadows. I shook away the feeling, and then, as I drew in a breath to sing the next stanza, the song drowned in my throat.

There was someone watching me on the other side, from a semi-hidden position, crouched between two bushes. I could see the paleness of his face from where I stood. On closer inspection, I noticed that his skin was more than pale, it was ghastly white. He seemed to be smiling, then I realized that the grin was only painted on his features, a smile that from the distance seemed to reach his eyes in two undulating lines. Tufts of wispy red hair protruded from his head. The white clothes that covered his entire body seemed to shine like silver in the darkness. With a gasp, I realized it was a clown. He waved at me.

“Lus?” it was Jayson who pulled me out of my shock. I let out a long breath, and found my voice again.

“Think of me  Think of me waking silent and resigned  Imagine me trying too hard  To put you from my mind…”

I was leaning slightly over the railing, and unbeknownst to me, I was no longer singing to the three men behind me, I was singing to my secret audience on the opposite bank. I was transfixed, feeling myself being pulled by a magnet. I belted out the last stanza, letting my voice float straight toward him as if it were a siren song.

“Recall those days  Look back on all those times  Think of the things we'll never do  There will never be a day  When I won't think of you!…”

The clown stood slowly. The silver white silk of his suit glistened in the darkness, and as he came to full height, I took notice of the single red balloon in his right hand. He stretched out his hand and offered it to me as I brought the song to its melancholic yet triumphant climax.

“Flowers fade  The fruits of summer fade  They have their seasons  So do we  But please promise me that sometimes  You will think…

I paused for a second, and felt my heart swell.

“Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ho!  Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ho! Ho-oh-oh-oh-ohhhh- of me!”

The clown let go of the red balloon with a most exaggerated gesture. He twirled and threw his hands up in the air in a show of pure delight. I curtsied to him, and when I looked up, he was gone.

Only the balloon remained, floating upwards into the darkness.

“That was amazing!” Riley cheered. Paul and Jayson clapped, and they all embraced me.

“Did you see him?” I asked.

“Who?” asked Paul.

“The clown. He was really into it” I laughed, looking up at the sky. The red balloon had now drifted out of view.

All three looked at me completely puzzled.

“What clown?”

End of Chapter 2

CLICK HERE FOR CHAPTER 3

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Tagged: @hello-helianthus

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diversegaminglists · 6 years

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Games with Dual-Wielding

This turned out to be hard to research for some reason.

Only Dual-Wielding:

Alphadia Genesis

Bahamut Lagoon

Bloodrayne Franchise

Bujingai aka Swordmaster aka The Forsaken City

Brave Fencer Musashi & Musashi Samurai Legend

Darksiders 2

Devil May Cry 2: Lucia’s Disc

God of War Franchise

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Trilogy

Viking: Battle for Asgard

Dual-wielding weapon options:

Assassin’s Creed 2 (Double Hidden Blade)

Assassin’s Creed 3

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Assasin’s Creed: Origins (Twin swords)

Baldur’s Gate 2 (please note the original version of BG1 doesn’t have dual-wielding unless you covert it to BG2′s engine)

Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition Franchise

Blackguards Franchise

Bloodborne

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain:

Bravely Default Franchise

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Dark Souls Franchise (including Demon Souls)

Devil May Cry 3

Disgaea 4

Dragon Age: Origins

Final Fantasy II

Final Fantasy III

Final Fantasy VI (The Genji Glove allows dual-wielding)

The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

Gothic 3

Guild Wars 2

Infinity Blade II

Kid Icarus: Uprising

Kingdom Hearts 2

The Last Remnant (Trainable skill)

Live A Live

Mega Man ZX

Might and Magic 6 & 7

Monster Hunter Franchise

Ninja Gaiden Sigma

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle

Path of Exile

Planescape: Torment

Rune Factory 3

Rune Factory Oceans

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2

Star Wars: Jedi Academy

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2

Way of the Samurai 2, 3 & 4

Wizardry 8

Dual-wielding guns:

Advent Rising

Alpha Protocol

Blood (temporary power up)

Call of Juarez

Contral Franchise

Counter-Strike

Cross Edge

Crysis Franchise

The Darkness Franchise

Deadfall Adventures

Devil May Cry Franchise

Dino Crisis 2

Drake of the 99 Dragons

E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy

F.E.A.R 1

GoldenEye

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Unlockable skill)

Halo 2 & 3

Heavy Metal: F.A.K.K. 2

Hitman Franchise

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii Edition - Requiring 2 wii motes!)

Infernal

Just Cause 2

Killing Floor Franchise

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris

Left 4 Dead Franchise

The Matrix: Path of Neo

Max Payne Franchise

PAYDAY 2

The Punisher

Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Rise of the Triad

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Saints Row Franchise (Unlockable dual pistols/smgs)

Serious Sam 2

Shadow Man

Shadow Warrior

Side Mier’s Pirates! (2004)

Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2

Star Wars: The Old Republic (Bounty Hunter and Smuggler spec)

The Suffering

Sunset Riders

TimeSpliters Franchise

Tomb Raider Franchise - Up to the 2013 reboot Lara’s default starting pistols were her most iconic weapons, but not all of her guns are dual-wielded.

Total Overdose

True Crime Franchise

Wet

Wolfenstein Franchise (post 2009 reboot)

Specific characters/classes only:

.hack Franchise (Twin Blade, Tribal Grapplers & Macabre Dancers classes)

Borderlands 2 (Gunzerker)

Borderlands: The PreSequel (Nisha spec)

Diablo 2 (Barbarian & Assassin)

Diablo 3 (Barbarian, Monk, & Demon Hunter)

Disgaea Franchise (Prinnies)

Dragon Age 2 (Rogues)

Dragon Age: Inquisition (Rogues)

Dynasty Warriors (I went crosseyed looking at the character list to sort through)

The Elder Scrolls: Online

Final Fantasy IV (Yang & Edge)

Final Fantasy IV: Interlude (Yang, Edge,Tsukinowa, Ursula )

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (Yang & Edge)

Final Fantasy V (Ninja)

Final Fantasy X-2 (Gunner and Thief)

Final Fantasy XI (Ninja, Dancer, Thief & Blue Mage)

Final Fantasy XIII (Sazh)

Final Fantasy XIV (Monk & Ninja)

Final Fantasy Tactics (Ninja)

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (Ninja)

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (Ninja)

The First Templar (Marie)

Guild Wars (Daggers)

Hellgate: London (Blademaster)

Heroes of the Storm

Killer Instinct

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Roxas)

Jade Empire (Crimson Tears & Tang's Vengeance styles allow the player to DW, the party members Black Whirlwind, Sky and Death’s Hand all DW)

League of Legends

Onechanbara Franchise (Aya & Kagura)

Overwatch

Nethack

Persona 2 (Baofu)

Persona 4 (Yosuke)

Rohan Online (Human Knight, Dhan Assassin & Dekan Dragon Fighter)

Rift

RuneScape

Samurai Warriors

Shadow Hearts: From The New World (Shania)

Skies of Arcadia (Vyse)

Soul Calibur

Star Ocean (Phia Melle)

Star Ocean: The Second Story (Ashton)

Star Wars: The Old Republic (Jedi Knight/Sith Warrior spec)

Suikoden II (The Hero)

Suikoden IV (The Hero)

Suikoden Tierkreis

Tales of Destiny 2 (Judas)

Tales of Hearts (Kunzite)

Tales of Innocence (Spada Belforma)

Tales of Pirates (MMO)(Crusaders)

Tales of Symphonia (Lloyd)

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Richter)

Tales of Xilia 2 (Ludger)

Tales of Zestiria (Rosa)

Tenchu Franchise (Ayame)

Vindictus (Lann & Vella)

World of Warcraft (Warriors, Rogues, Shamans, Demon Hunters & Death Knights)

Xenoblade (Fiora)

Special Mentions:

Bayonetta Franchise - Technically Bayonetta has two weapon slots: Her hands and her feet. However, as her gun-based weapons come in pairs, this means she can wield four of them at once.

Bravely Default: End Layer - Features the Centaur class asterisk which can quintuple wield!

Fire Emblem: Several games have characters with dual-wielding sprites, but it is only cosmetic.

#dual-wielding #double stab #list actually

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cuteflowergirldressesonsale · 4 years

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The irregular neckline lengthens the band of the worthy and bridesmaid dresses 2020^#%#&^#

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joannechocolat · 7 years

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Scent and memory

(And here’s the piece...)

My earliest memories are of scent. The corner shop in which I was born, with its atmosphere of fresh cardboard and old newspapers, and the coal fire that smoked, and the cellar in which my grandfather kept potatoes and pickles and home-brewed wine. The scent of the Mustela baby lotion that my mother used on my skin, and which she always brought home from France. The blue-green reek of the tidal flats on the island of Noirmoutier, where my family had a house; and which to me was the smell of the sea, so that every other coast seemed to me to be missing some essential ingredient.

Scent awakens memory; it speaks to the other senses; it seems to exist outside of time; it sometimes even awakens the dead. My grandfather’s pipe tobacco, Clan, has such a sweet and distinctive scent that, twenty years after his death, it still evokes his presence. And its colour is a faded red, like the fisherman’s smock he used to wear when we went sailing together, and the colour still smells of sunshine, and wind, and a hundred happy memories.

To me, most scents have colours. It’s a form of synaesthesia, in which the brain confuses stimuli, converting sounds to shapes, or sounds, or tastes, giving colours to days of the week, or in my case, converting colours to scent, so that sometimes I find it difficult to separate one from the other. Perhaps this is why, in my house, there are so many brightly-coloured things; and why I always like to keep my favourite perfumes close by, alongside my books and my paintings.

Perfume is my greatest indulgence. Not chocolate, not shoes, but bottles of scent; dozens - no, hundreds - of bottles, each one containing a genie that, when uncorked, can work everyday miracles of memory and mood. Some perfumes are little capsules of time; like the Ô de Lancôme I wore the year I first met my husband – I was sixteen, at sixth-form college - and its colour is the same bright-green as the pullover I used to wear, a fresh and vibrant citrus scent that still brings back those happy days more clearly than a photograph. Or Guerlain’s Chamade, with its dark chypre base, which I wore at university – being an impoverished student then, I couldn’t afford the eau de parfum, but used the bath oil as perfume instead and thought myself very sophisticated. Or Yves Rocher’s Ispahan, which somehow smells of our first home, a rather run-down terrace house, with colourful murals on the walls and a perpetual fog of patchouli and frankincense.

Our sense of smell is the first of our senses to develop. As infants, it is the sense of smell that first connects us to the world. I remember, in the maternity ward, when my daughter was born, holding her – just a few hours old – up to a vase of freesias standing by the bedside. Her reaction was immediate; her little head turned; her mouth opened in an immediate and instinctive desire to explore and to experience.

As adults, we can too often become jaded by the multitude of sense–impressions coming at us all the time. Traffic, televisions, radios, billboards, mobile phones, the constant comings and goings of other people – all can contribute to a sensory overload that can lead to stress and confusion.

But close your eyes, relax, and the sense of smell comes back into its own. Scent speaks directly to the subconscious, sometimes evoking whole scenes that even photographs cannot convey. It has strong emotional associations, too; often linked with memory. Nothing brings back the past like a scent; nothing speaks so clearly and directly to the heart.

I once held a writing seminar in a women’s prison near my home. The women were all different ages and from wildly different backgrounds; at first I struggled to find a way to engage their creativity. Then I asked: “What smells do you miss?” Each reply was a story. By the end of the day, I had poetry; short fiction; essays; letters to the dead. The next time I came, I brought perfume samples. In that sterile and utilitarian environment, each one was like an oasis.

Another time, a friend of mine suffered a stroke that left her completely paralysed, unable to speak or to swallow. I knew she dreamed of food and drink, so I brought her the closest things I could find; fruit-scented lip salves from the Body Shop; pomegranate bath bombs from Lush; chocolate-scented lotions to rub into her hands and feet. On her birthday, I made her a virtual birthday cake – a cocktail of scents in a bottle. I used dark chocolate, Kahlua, cinnamon and black pepper. It was inedible, but smelt divine. She kept it by her bed for six months, until she was be able to eat again – in spite of her doctor’s prediction that this might never happen. Such is the positive power of scent and the energy it can harness.

I first became aware of perfumes through my great-Aunt Marie, an elegant old Parisienne, who had once known Chagall and Edith Piaf, and who until the day she died, always dressed in pink and white, and never wore any perfume other than Chanel Number 5. I remember the glass-stoppered bottle that stood on her dressing-room table, and the scent of impossible flowers, like something out of a distant dream. She was the one who taught me that scent is the oldest magic there is; a scent can change your identity; can bring back the ghosts of long-lost loves; like a fairy godmother, transform the most timid of wallflowers into a heroine, just for one night. Chanel Number 5 still brings her back, and she was the one who encouraged me to haunt perfume departments, to collect samples and bath oils, to discover the scents that would help me express my personality.

Nowadays, I tend to use scent much as I would my wardrobe. I have so many bottles that my husband bought me a cabinet as a gift, in which I keep all my perfume bottles, neatly categorized and ready to use. The top shelf is for gourmand fragrances, with their notes of gingerbread; vanilla; honey and chocolate. Muegler’s Angel; Rochas’ Tocade; Kurkadjian’s Absolue du Soir. The second is for florals; Chanel no. 19; Fracas; Trésor; Paris. The third, for herbal and citrus scents; Jo Malone’s Lime Basil; Acqua de Parma; Guerlain’s Mitsouko. The bottom shelf is for orientals: Habit Rouge; Coromandel; L’Autre; the lovely creamy sandalwood of Chanel’s Bois des Iles.

Every morning I choose a scent according to my mood. Wistful; exuberant; romantic; brave. Some days I look for an old friend; on other days I need a breath of fresh air. When I’m writing a new book, I often choose a scent on behalf of my protagonist. I wear it much in the same way that method actors sometimes use scent to get into character. Vianne Rocher was Aqua de Parma; Blueeyedboy was l’Heure Bleue; the seductive Zozie de l’Alba was scented with Guerlain’s Habit Rouge. The book I’m writing right now smells of a new Chanel perfume, Boy: a light and lovely unisex blend of lavender and vanilla, with which I’ve recently become more than a little obsessed.

For me, the most important aspect of attraction has always been about feeling good. There is a tangible radiance to well-being that no cosmetic can duplicate. That’s why I tend to give more thought to the scent I wear than to clothes or makeup, or even shoes. My wardrobe is made up of bottles, neatly lined up in my scent cabinet. Some are old friends; some, new discoveries. Each one fits me perfectly, tailored to my changing moods.

My little black dress is Coromandel; I wear it with heels and attitude. My sexy number is Bois des Iles, with its creamy sandalwood scent. Francis Kurkadjian’s Acqua Universalis is my favourite pair of jeans; almost, but not quite unisex, fresh and informal and effortless. I wear Fracas when I want to turn heads; with its blast of tuberose, it’s my strapless Oscar frock. Yves Rocher’s Ispahan is the hippy dress I can’t bear to throw out; I still have half a bottle (it’s now sadly discontinued) that I wear on special occasions. Houbigant’s Chantilly is there in the mornings for when I want to feel sixteen again. I wore it throughout my teenage years, and it always takes me back.

Besides, at 52, whatever I wear, it’s getting less and less likely that people will say in all honesty: “You look fabulous.” But very often, people do say (as did a grumpy Head Porter on a recent trip to my old college, startled out of his apathy by a passing whiff of Guerlain’s Samsara); “You smell fabulous.” Because beauty isn’t about how you look, but how you make other people feel. And whatever can make a Head Porter smile, on a dull autumn day in Cambridge, is surely a power to conjure with.

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bonniejstarks · 4 years

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BEAUTY ADVENT CALENDARS 2019: BECAUSE DECEMBER 1ST IS NEAR…

Nope, not jaded about beauty advent calendars yet. Sure, they’re often just samples stuffed into festive packaging, but some smart brands include full-sized surprises as well. Either way, I’m still as charmed and tempted as much as ever. So here’s a round-up of all the daily-gift options I’d have if the beauty-advent-calendar fairy were inclined to surprise me with them all. What? You think it’s so easy to pick one?

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art deco

ArtDeco 2019 Beauty Advent Calendar; available in Canada at Shoppers Drug Mart

One of the few beauty advent calendars offered at Canadian drugstores, the annual ArtDeco Beauty Advent Calendar ($89 CAD at shoppersdrugmart.com) offers 24 days of discovery. A solid German brand, it’s available in 70 countries, including Canada and the United States, and known for good quality, reasonable prices and its customizable, refillable-palette approach to eye and face colour.

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the body shop

The Body Shop gets credit for being one of the first in the beauty/bodycare space to offer this gift idea in the early 2000s, when a clever employee in Sweden thought to offer as a holiday special a bag containing 24 smaller bags that each contained a mini Body Shop product. The first formal advent calendar from The Body Shop debuted in Northern Europe in the late 2000s, then finally landed in the UK and Canada in 2013, and in the USA about a year or so after that. The brand has always offered three options at three price points, a wallet-considerate approach I’ve always appreciated. This year’s theme is Dream Big, and designed to encourage young girls to aspire to a life and career without limits.

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Beauty Advent Calendar (in stores in Canada; online in USA)

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas beauty advent calendar ($69 CAD at The Body Shop stores and $70 USD at thebodyshop.com), featuring 24 bath and body items, is the most wallet friendly of the three. It’s available at The Body Shop stores in Canada but sold out online. In the US, it’s available online only.

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Deluxe Beauty Advent Calendar (online only)

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Deluxe beauty advent calendar ($99 CAD and $110 USD at thebodyshop.com) features 25 joy-inducing items, some in full sizes, a mix of hair, bath-and-body and makeup treats. And it’s available online only.

The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Ultimate Beauty Advent Calendar (online only)

Also an online exclusive, The Body Shop 2019 Dream Big This Christmas Ultimate beauty advent calendar ($169 CAD and $170 USD at thebodyshop.com) contains MORE, in a mix of mini and full sizes in fragrance, hair, bath-and-body and makeup.

bare minerals

Bare Minerals 24 Days of Clean Beauty

The Bare Minerals 24 Days of Clean Beauty advent calendar ($99 USD at bareminerals.com) is a lovely, universally flattering collection designed to bestow a healthy, rosy glow. Sadly, it’s no longer available to Canadians via sephora.com now that the holiday bonus sale is over. Aaargh!

charlotte tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Glittering Galaxy of Makeup Magic

The Charlotte Tilbury Glittering Galaxy of Makeup Magic advent calendar($250 CAD and $200 USD at charlottetilbury.com) is sold out at Sephora as well, but it’s just-as-easily accessible via the official Charlotte Tilbury website. A mix of travel- and full-sized items, it includes a full-sized Pillow Talk Matte Revolution lipstick, full-sized Color Chameleon creamy eye shadow pencil in Champagne Diamonds, full-sized Superstar Lips Glossy Lipstick in Sexy Lips, and a full-sized Eyes to Mesmerise cream shadow in Gold, as well as minis of Charlotte’s skincare favourites.

clarins

Clarins 2019 12-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

This 12-Day Clarins 2019 Advent Calendar ($92 CAD at thebay.com and $60 USD at clarinsusa.com) is one I’d appreciate most this year, actually. There’s something reassuring about a collection of skincare from this trusted and highly respected French brand. Most of the items are easy to fit into any existing regimen. Two are full-sized – a lip oil and a Hydra-Essentiel Moisturizing Eye Mask; six are sample-sized, such as the Toning Lotion with Chamomile and Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream; and four are minis, such as the Wonder Perfect Mascara 4D and the popular Clarins Beauty Flash Balm.

Clarins 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

Hold the phone, I was wrong: this 24-Day Clarins 2019 Advent Calendar ($140 CAD at clarins.ca and $100 USD at clarinsusa.com) is the one I’d appreciate most! Includes a full-sized mascara, full-sized Jolie Rouge lipstick, full-sized Beauty Flash Balm, full-sized Hydra-Essentiel lip balm, and a mix of sample- and travel-sized skin and body care to try.

clinique

Clinique 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

Okay, the Clinique 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar ($88 CAD at thebay.com) is tied for first place in calendars I’d most appreciate. I like so many of the products included, such as the Fresh Pressed Vitamin C, Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, Lash Power mascara (brilliant tube technology I tested on a ride under the Canadian side of Niagara Falls), and so. much. more. I can’t seem to find a US retailer, though – apologies if it appeals to you but is already sold out there.

kiehl’s

Kiehls 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar

Yep, it’s a three-way tie for most appreciated beauty advent calendar this year. The Kiehl’s 2019 24-Day Beauty Advent Calendar ($120 CAD at thebay.com and $90 USD at kiehls.com) is chock full of face and body care that could result in a bit of a Kiehl’s addiction for the recipient. Ultra Facial Cream, Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, Midnight Recovery Concentrate… so many good things.

l’occitane en provence

L’Occitane En Provence 2019 Signature Advent Calendar

The L’Occitane 2019 Signature Advent Calendar ($64 at loccitane.com) is just so pretty and gift-able. Lots of L’Occitane favourites: shower gel, shampoo, soap, body lotion, face care, and enough wee tubes of hand cream to stock every purse for the year.

L’Occitane en Provence 2019 Luxury Advent Calendar

Then there’s the L’Occitane en Provence 2019 Luxury Advent Calendar ($109 at loccitane.com) housed in a fun, multi-drawer set-up that you might consider re-purposing when the holiday season comes around again (one of our beautygeeks friends, Miki, fills the previous year’s advent-calendar packaging with candy and little toys for her kids the following year). This version contains more face care, such as the Immortelle Essential Water, Foaming Cleansing Cream, Precious Cream, Divine Cream and Overnight Reset Oil-in-Serum so the lucky recipient (no judgement if it’s you!) can try the whole range.

nyx cosmetics

NYX 2019 Love Lust Disco 24-Day Advent Calendar

Another one of my favourites of the year is the NYX 2019 Love Lust Disco 24-Day Advent Calendar ($65 CAD at shoppersdrugmart.ca and nyxcosmetics.ca, and $60 USD at nyxcosmetics.com). That it’s all about bestselling NYX lip colour is vastly appealing; it’s just so easy to try a different lip colour each day! The Love Lust Disco advent calendar contains “mid-size versions” of a range of gloss, cream lipstick and liquid lip finishes in striking nudes, berries, pinks and reds.

squish candies

Squish Candies 2019 Advent Calendar – there is also a Vegan option!

Sometimes, candy really is the sweetest gift, especially in the little portion-controlled servings you’ll find in the Squish Candies 2019 Advent Calendar ($39 at squishcandies.ca and $39 at squishcandies.com). There’s a vegan calendar too!

The only problem with all these advent calendars is that it’s really, really tough to choose between them! Good luck with that.

now you

Out of all these, which do you think would be most gift-able?

And which would you have to get for yourself? (“All” is a perfectly acceptable answer.)

Is there one you’re considering that I haven’t mentioned here?

Have you already bought one? Or two?

shoppity shop-shop

iBought✓ PRsamples✓ affiliatelinks✓ *shoppersdrugmart.ca, artdeco.com, nyxcosmetics.ca, nyxcosmetics.com, squishcandies.ca and squishcandies.com are non-affiliate links ©2019BEAUTYGEEKS imabeautygeek.com

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nofomoartworld · 7 years

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Hyperallergic: From a Jade Suit to Bronze Dildos, Ancient Tomb Luxuries of the Han Dynasty Elite

Exceedingly wealthy, the royalty of the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) lived indulgently, and these aristocrats were determined to enjoy their accustomed luxuries in the afterlife as well. While their strong affinity for the extravagant is largely unrecorded in historical texts, modern archaeology has immensely helped to shed light on these lifestyles from 2,000 years ago. Since 2009, archaeologists have uncovered thousands of telling treasures buried in royal tombs that date to the Jiangdu kingdom. They found not only exquisite mortuary objects and finely crafted domestic wares but also artifacts that speak to the body’s needs and desires — including a number of ancient sex toys.

Over 160 of these artifacts from various excavated sites are now on view in Tomb Treasures: New Discoveries from China’s Han Dynasty, an ongoing exhibition at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum. Most of these works have never been seen outside of China; many are rare findings, from a lavish suit with jade tiles sewn with gold thread — actually worn by the deceased — to an elaborate jade coffin painted in lacquer. The hard material was believed to be able to protect the body from decay; jade articles may even have been placed in orifices to prevent the loss of their inner essences.

“The Han, like the Egyptians, also conceived of a soul dualism, or a vital essence, one on earth in the body (po) and one in the ethereal beyond (hun), that could linger on into eternity — even immortality,” co-curator Jay Xu said, “as long as it was properly cared for, and you had the right funerary rites, and regalia and retinue to keep the spirit alive and entertained, and also adequately nourished after death.”

The royal tombs that housed these material splendors were essentially palaces in their own right, comprising sprawling subterranean architectural spaces compete with bedrooms, kitchens, storage areas, and even bathrooms. On view in the museum is a stone toilet — a finely crafted one, and advanced in design, too, featuring stepping stones above a hole for squatting and a rail for support. A vast number of the exhibited tomb artifacts are functional, indicating how they were intended for “use” in the afterlife. Craftsmen, to give another example, also designed one particularly ornate set of bronze bells that chime beautiful notes, meant to guide dance performances that would keep the elite entertained in the afterlife.

Toilet model, unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Chu, Tuolan Mountain, Xuzhou, Jiangsu (2nd century BCE) (photo © Xuzhou Museum)

Urinal (2nd century BCE), unearthed from Tomb 1, Lianying site, Yizheng, Jiangsu, Western Han period (photo © Yizheng Museum)

The Han, as Xu said, “relied on image-making and mystical ornamentation to transfer these possessions into the next world. Think of the tomb itself as a kind of ‘will’ or a registry for the deceased, in addition to the ‘real’ objects.”

These registries were extensive, featuring everything from weaponry to cosmetic box sets to smokeless lamps. On some individuals’s list of wants were bronze objects that may surprise some viewers today, considering how nudity was often considered taboo in traditional Chinese artwork. The exhibition features two bronze dildos that could be both worn and used, sculpted with fine detail. These love aids, according to Xu, were relatively common among elites and were high quality goods, made of expensive bronze. Although considered toys, they were also, as he described, tools.

“When I say ‘tool,’ I also mean that these phalluses had a larger purpose than sheer physical pleasure,” Xu said. “The Han believed that the balance of yin and yang, the female and male spiritual principles, could be achieved during sex. Basically, sex was a pathway to longevity in body and spirit, since these powerful forces could be combined during intercourse to achieve a kind of universal harmony. In this regard, sex, especially if it was pleasurable and lasted for a sufficient amount of time, had a real spiritual dimension.” The small, weighty objects may seem like frivolous inclusions at first glance, but they speak lengths of the Han’s vision of the afterlife as a realm that should promise everlasting happiness and self-love.

Coffin, unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Chu, Shizi Mountain, Xuzhou, Jiangsu (2nd century BCE) (photo © Xuzhou Museum)

Phallus, unearthed from Tomb 11, Lianying site, Yizheng, Jiangsu. West-ern Han period (2nd century BCE) (photo © Yizheng Museum)

Belt hook in the shape of a rabbit, unearthed from Tomb 9, Dayun Mountain, Xuyi, Jiangsu, Western Han period (2nd century BCE) (photo © Nanjing Musuem)

Set of mat weights in the shape of figures listening to music, unearthed from Tomb 1, Dayun Mountain, Xuyi, Jiangsu (2nd century BCE) (photo © Nanjing Museum)

Set of archer figurines, unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Chu, Beidong Mountain, Xuzhou, Jiangsu (2nd century BCE) (photo © Xuzhou Museum)

Lamp in the shape of a deer, unearthed from Tomb 1, Dayun Mountain, Xuyi, Jiangsu (2nd century BCE) (photo © Nanjing Museum)

Pendant in the shape of a cicada, unearthed from the Tomb of the King of Chu, Shizi Mountain, Xuzhou, Jiangsu (2nd century BCE) (photo © Xuzhou Museum)

Installation view of Tomb Treasures: New Discoveries from China’s Han Dynasty at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (photo courtesy Asian Art Museum)

Tomb Treasures: New Discoveries from China’s Han Dynasty continues at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (200 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA) through May 28.

The post From a Jade Suit to Bronze Dildos, Ancient Tomb Luxuries of the Han Dynasty Elite appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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