#northern darkness zine

[theresattrpgforthat]

I’ve been a big fan of northern fantasy, but especially viking sagas, epics and of course the Eda, are there any games that fall into genres similar to the Volsung Saga or The Epic of Ragnar Lodbrok?

THEME: Viking Sagas

Hello! The following recommendations are either based on Norse Fantasy, Viking Fantasy, or historical Norse societies. Some are more realistic than others, but they run the gamut from light-hearted to serious, and from fantastical to realistic.

9 Lives to Valhalla, by Gem Room Games.

9 Lives to Valhalla is a frenetic, gleefully ultraviolent ttrpg about death metal viking cats earning their seat in Valhalla through glorious violence and death (all 9 of them)!

Nine lives to stalk the earth! Nine times to die with sword in paw! Nine Lives to Valhalla!

You are a death metal viking cat, earning your place in the drinking halls of Valhalla by casting a wake of blood and carnage upon the blighted earth in each of your 9 lives. Guided personally by DEATH, your merry band will leave a wake of ruin ending only at the hands of a truly worthy foe. Find treasures, trade with merchants, mercenaries, or ghosts, and follow DEATH to seek worthy foes, fiendish traps, and ensure your place among the greatest warriors of catkind!

This is absolutely the kind of game you want to pull out for players who want to dive into violence with glee. This is a death-metal dark-fantasy world, with dangerous opponents, a pantheon of cat gods, tons of character abilities, and GM advice on how to design your own foes on the fly. If you want a game that indulges a party of murder hobos and sends nods to the pop-culture tropes of Vikings, you might want to check out 9 Lives To Valhalla. 

Ydalir, by Loreshaper Games.

Ullr took something that is rightly yours. He reigns in his court, Ýdalir, and that is where he has taken your treasure. It may be your beloved, a prized possession or tool, or even your honor—and you will get it back.

One player will take on the role of GM. They will guide the saga as it unfolds. They will tell players when to roll, and what the threshold is. The other players will make heroes seeking to reclaim what Ullr stole from them—they may be after the same object or several different things, but getting them back is a shared quest. 

This is a one-page bluffing game, in which you don’t have to tell the truth about what you rolled. However, other players can take on the role of Ullr call your bluff. If you lied (or failed), you suffer a Loss, while if you tell the truth, you gain a Focus, which forces other players to tell the truth, or reveal their next roll and gives your player a step up in the future. If you like the idea of characters bluffing their way past a God to get their treasures back, or you just want a small game interacting with Norse mythology, you might want to check out this game.

Runecairn, by Odin’s Beard RPG.

In a long forgotten age, a raging war shattered and devastated the worlds of gods and men. Now green life blooms amidst the ruins of the lost worlds. Wondrous and terrible beings roam the Nine Realms. Civilization stumbles forward, fresh and reaching.

Strap on your bearded axe and linden wood shield, delve into the forsaken barrow and cleanse the draugr within. They will overwhelm you at first so prepare to die. But when you wake up at the bonfire, you'll know what to expect for your next attempt. Parry their attacks, disarm them, and hack them to pieces. Defeat the mad jotunn within and claim the soul remnant they protect.

Death is not the end.

Runecairn: Core Rules is a 44-page, black and white tabletop RPG zine, which includes a Norse fantasy setting, a full game system, and character creation rules for adventures set after Ragnarok destroyed most of the Nine Realms of Norse mythology. Runecairn is based on Cairn by Yochai Gal, with streamlined rules, fast character creation, and gameplay based on exploration and player choice.

This game is designed for the OSR gamer, which means that death is likely and character creation is quick. This game has quite a few supplements that you can pick up to enhance your play, from the Advanced Rules, (solo play, advanced character options), Beneath the Broken Sword (an introductory dungeon crawl), and Wardensaga, a package that contains everything in one place. If you’re interested in a rules-set that is easy to pick up and carries time-honoured nods to the fantasy game, with a Norse Mythology twist, I recommend Runecairn.

Blood Feud, by Bläckfisk Publishing.

Blood Feud is a game about toxic masculinity: certain common attitudes and behaviors among men, that cause great harm to them and to others around them. This is a game about people being nasty to each other and about figuring out why.

It’s also a game about vikings of pre-christian Scandinavia; about honor and blood feuds, courage and brutality, corruption and consequences. Above all it is a game about what it means to be a man in such a world—and what consequences that has on the communities they live in.

The goal of the game is to explore and experience toxic masculinity, while at the same time creating a thoughtful drama about relationships, competition and social consequences. Blood Feud is decidedly different from the other games on this list in that it takes away fantastical elements and focuses on the intertwined relationships of Vikings through a critical lens. It does this using the well-matched Powered by the Apocalypse system, which is a hallmark for dramatic role-players. If you’re interested in Viking life as well as exploring public and private relationships, you should absolutely check this game out.

Iron Edda: World of Metal and Bone, by Tracy Barnett.

Dwarven Destroyers stretch shadows across Midgard, a harbinger of war to come. Brave human warriors abandon clan and holdfast to bond themselves to the bones of dead giants, hoping to push back the Destroyers. Strangers from others lands appear in Midgard, bringing with them strange powers, and tales of war abroad.

Seers advise and divine the future, but the fate of the world is murky and dim. Jarls, thralls, and warriors fight in common cause, shouting “victory or Valhalla!” as they charge into battle. Ragnarok has come, and you live in a World of Metal and Bone. Will you dine with the gods in Valhalla, or dance with the dishonoured dead?

Another Powered by the Apocalypse game, World of Metal and Bone lets you tell stories of brave warriors, Jarls, Bone-bonded giants, and their defense of their holdfasts. Based on Dungeon World, this game includes something that not a lot of PbtA games have - established lore. There’s not much of it, but characters are presented with names that follow the naming conventions of different cultures and locations, and the book begins by presenting the reader with different factions and neighbouring countries.

If you’re interested in this setting but you would like a different system, Iron Edda Accelerated is in the same world but uses the FATE rules system instead. There’s also Iron Edda Reforged, a side-story game about building a neighbourhood community and taking down the gods - although this is less Norse Mythology and more a modern-day post-apocalypse.

Godtale, by Bläckfisk Publishing.

GODTALE is a Norse mythological micro RPG about escapades and rivalries, about cunning and vainglory. You portray aesir, asynjur and vanir of your own creation. Together you go on adventures in the Nine Realms. But each of you wants to be the deity who earns the most glory—not infrequently at the expense of your companions.

Godtale is a game in which you can win or lose. You will compete against your fellow players to gain the most Glory by the end of the game. You do so by overcoming Trials, using your Domains, Attributes, and Possessions to do so. You must also be careful not to accumulate too much Pride, which will negatively affect your dice rolls.

As for the GM, this little game provides a few pieces of advice on running the game, as well as some roll tables to give the characters interesting Trials. Overall, this game is quick, simple, and a great way to establish new myths about the deities of the Norse Pantheon - maybe even a great way to set the stage for another game on this list!

In The Time of Monsters, by Possum Creek Games.

It was the final age — the old world was dying, and the new world was struggling to be born. Every day Ragnarok drew closer, the end of the world heralded by churning seas and raging skies. The gods grew rotten and weak, their greedy eyes sunken into rotting skulls. The great heroes were reduced to grist in the mill of war. It was the final age before all things ended, and as the world-tree rotted, everyone knew … Now is the time of monsters.

In The Time Of Monsters is a tactical combat TTRPG about bloodsoaked heroes vying for power at the end of the world. It's inspired by Norse Mythology, Lancer, and Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. 

Jay Dragon is more known for games that are diceless or centred on storytelling, but this game seems to be a divergence from this pattern. This is meant to be tactical, it’s meant to be combat-focused, and it carries the familiar character elements of stats, special abilities, and inventory. That being said, characters will also answer questions about where they got their weapons and magic items and what they want in regards to the end of the world. 

If you're looking to tell dramatic fables about tragic warriors on a grid while rolling dice and getting big numbers, this is the game for you. If you’re looking for an adventure to drop into this game, you can check out Ullr’s Revenge, a third-party supplement written by Ripley Caldwell.

#dnd #game recommendations #norse mythology #vikings #indie ttrpgs #tabletop games

[isawken]

haha heyyyyy jesties

this year has been rough stuff. and the problem is nothing life shattering has happened so i don’t even get to have a spectacular mental breakdown. it’s just been a lot of grind and disappointment and struggle to keep up or have any energy to do anything other than the bare minimum. to everyone who reached out to me with love or kindness or memes and waited weeks or more for a response i love you. and i’m so sorry for my total absence of personhood. i’ve never gotten a dm even if it’s just a silly post and an “i thought of you” that i didn’t like. and your patience with me is appreciated more than you know.

i have some stuff i want to work on. some hobbies i want to pick up again. some friendships i want to recultivate. some pieces of my life i want to try to rekindle. i used to have so much creative energy and impulse. did you know i used to make zines? i fuckin loved making zines. the tactile experience of cutting up thick paper and punching holes and using thread to bind em and filling it with vague thoughts and little collages and splashes of acrylic paint. that shit ruled. about a month ago i tried making one for the first time in years. i cut up some old paper and dusted off the ol' hole punch. this time instead of my usual embroidery thread i used necklace chain to bind it. i was proud of that idea. when it came time to put stuff in it i choked. i had no creative thought. i forced myself to cover the first page with orange and yellow crayola markers. but that was it. i had nothing other than that. just hasty sloppy color thoughtlessly and restlessly thrown down. a dull background promised to a more interesting foreground that never came.

that shit did not rule.

in 1883 in pecos texas the first recorded rodeo takes place. in 2001 rob smets attends the PBR world finals in jeans and a sports jersey bearing sponsor logos. in 1780 joseph grimaldi makes his stage debut at 2 years old at london’s famed drury lane. in the many, many years before any white person ever laid eyes on it, a man in what you’d now call northern arizona paints his body in black and white stripes and puts corn husks in his hair. in 1557 ivan the terrible acts as pallbearer to a man who walked naked in the streets of moscow, even in the dead of winter. 1568 the gelosi acting company coalesces in italy to perform the hot new style of live improv entertainment. in 2017 the ringling bro’s circus performs its last show, 146 years after the titular brothers first formed it. all of these moments (and more!) live in my head rolling around like marbles and one day i’ll tell you all why.

i’ve been on mood stabilizers for so long it’s hard for me to tell if this has just been a really long depressive swing or if this is just how i am now. if this is just what getting older is like. i don’t really think it is. i am like 90% sure this will not last. but the two questions that follow are always 1. how do i get out of it, and 2. what if it is tho xD?

i recently went down to southeastern ohio to visit my family. went up the mountain at 1 am saturday night to help my gramma grab the 8 year old boy she’s been helping to take care of from his strung out mother. the next day i saw my various other relations, aunts and cousins however many times removed. i hung out with my second cousin. same age as me, with two twin girls, 4 years old. she’s a great mom. and enjoys it, too. got a decent husband with a good job. obviously i don’t know her struggles. not like we talk often. but she seemed overall pleased when she spoke about her life. i told her about my work from home job and my loving partner of 8 years and my plans for the future. she told me i was living the dream. and like. i kind of am. so why do i wake up every morning in various states of hangover (it's the mental illness)

i live in one of the cloudiest cities in these united states. my house is about 500 square feet. it’s dark at 5pm now. i already miss the sun. i want to get sunburned again. i want to be sweaty. i want to put talcum powder in my skort. i want to get through this winter without having to rub snow on my face to stave off more serious impulses. i want to check the 5 items off my to do list.

all of my want is like a song stuck in my head.

i miss that stickbug meme

i should dress up like a clown again

maybe tomorrow i’ll just lay under my weighted blanket for 5 hours

or maybe i’ll actually do something i like to do and feel good and real and human about it. who knows. only time will tell. and in the meantime. thanks if you read this <3

#hi and welcome to my bi-yearly Personal Rambling Long Post #a serious big fr thank u to those of you who are patient when i dont respond for long stretches of time. it means the world to me :o)

[forgottenvice]

Where the Sun Sleeps

Here's my fic for @moshanganthology Go check out the zine it's got so much good stuff in it

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/49527919">Ao3</a>

Every day the sun would travel across the sky and every night it would disappear. Mobei-Jun, Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom, never gave it much thought. Until the month of his coronation when it failed to rise. The black sky is considered an ill omen, and if he is to take his rightful place upon the throne, he must find out why. His only lead comes from Shang Qinghua, a young man who claims he knows where the sun sleeps and promises to lead the prince there. As they set out on their adventure, it becomes clear that there is more to his guide than he first thought. Especially when everything seems just a bit brighter when Shang Qinghua smiles.

Mobei-Jun was destined to be King. 

He’d been born to the role, Crown Prince of the North since his first cry. His education had been directed accordingly, instruction in the art of politics, war, and defence of his kingdom from outside nations and traitors alike. 

His father taught him how to use his position as a weapon, emphasizing his status and control. 

Such lessons continued even after his Father’s death with new teachers; treachery and bitter experience. His uncle, Linguang-Jun, had taken over as regent and in doing so left the prince to pick his battles and bide his time. 

The late king’s brother had been lauded for stepping up, but it was clear to the young prince that the man had only done so to tighten his grip on power. Often citing Mobei-Jun’s youth and inexperience to deny him his place on the throne. 

But such a poor excuse was not to last past the prince’s twenty-first birthday, the day of his official coronation. 

A day that approached quickly. 

Mobei-Jun had been patient, and soon that patience would pay off. The planning had gone smoothly and there was an undercurrent of excitement running through the staff as the preparations began in earnest. 

It was to be a season-long affair, starting with an influx of visitors to the Capital. Travellers from far and wide would pour into the city: dignitaries, merchants and of course, the common people. All would join the celebrations until the day he was to take his birthright. 

The young prince had grown into a stoic man, holding his emotions close so they could not be used against him, but even he could not resist smiling with anticipation, everything was going to work out exactly as it was supposed to. 

Until it didn’t. 

The first day of celebration began as any other, Mobei-Jun’s first action of the day was to pull back his curtains and greet the sun, but when he did, only the cool starry sky of night met his salutation. 

Perhaps he was early, excitement pushing his awakening up by an hour or two, but when he found the castle staff in a panic, it was clear that that had not been the case. 

Dark days were not unheard of; poor weather, or smoke from summer fires had blocked out the sun on occasion, but even then it would shine a blood red behind the smoke and clouds. 

The starry sky was clear, pinpricks of light twinkling merrily as if the night was never meant to end. 

Servants were told to continue their duties, even while uncertainty stained every step. Mobei-Jun went immediately to consult the royal scholars. The astronomers had not predicted any such eclipse, but still they assured the prince the sun should return by the next morn. 

The opening ceremony continued as planned, and Mobei-Jun relayed the scholar’s predictions to his people, allowing the festivities to begin as if nothing was amiss. 

But when he greeted the second dawn of darkness, Mobei-Jun had a sinking feeling settle in his gut. One that the people seemed to share, more had gathered in the palace courtyard, not for revelry, but for answers. 

A tense uneasiness filled the city streets, tallow and pitch could act as remedy for a day, but what of longer?

The travellers flooding the capital switched from cheerful partygoers to fearful refugees, driven to worry without the daylight they had once taken for granted. A single question passed every set of lips. 

Where had the sun gone?

There were no good theories and even bringing scholars to face the crowd provided no reassurance. As the second sunless day rolled into a third, Mobei-Jun saw his fragile hope vanish alongside the missing sun. 

People had gathered on the palace grounds once again demanding answers. 

Mobei-Jun had none.

He stood above the crowd upon the palatial balcony, a place from which the Northern Kings had addressed their subjects for centuries, now it was only a vantage point from which to watch their faith in his leadership crumble. Fear and uncertainty were thrown into flickering relief by the lamps and torches amongst the crowd. 

He was to be King, but he was lost, feeling more like a scapegoat than a ruler. This was no foe to be conquered, no traitor to be hung, he was woefully unprepared to placate the turbulent crowd. 

Before he could conjure answers, his uncle appeared next to him with a mysterious robed figure. 

“Please listen.”

Linguang-Jun was a charismatic speaker in a way Mobei-Jun could never replicate. His voice projected over the crowd, silencing their complaints with camaraderie and a pull to hear his next words. 

“The sages have been consulted.” He then stepped to the side, letting the cloaked man face the people. 

“It is an ill omen to spend a day with black sky, and we have suffered three. The gods are angry, if we do not placate their wrath it will bring our lands to ruin.” The man looked pointedly at Mobei-Jun. 

The prince bristled, clenching his teeth and glaring at his uncle. Linguang-Jun had raised his hands to the crowd in a parody of comfort. 

“No one is more disappointed by this omen than myself, but perhaps in a few years the fates will show the crown prince favour once more. I shall continue on as regent until they do.”

His false sincerity had cold fury surging through Mobei-Jun’s veins. 

“We cannot ignore the signs nephew, this is the will of the gods,” Of course Linguan Jun was only a religious man when it suited him. 

“Unless you can personally bring back the sun, what else can be done?”

Silence had overtaken the crowd and Mobei-Jun could feel everything he’d worked for slipping from his grasp. 

“Then I’ll do it.”

Linguang-Jun frowned, but Mobei-Jun mirrored his actions, turning to the crowd. 

“I, Mobei-Jun, Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom, vow to find the sun and return it to the sky.” Adrenaline chose his words, steeling his nerves as he challenged his uncle. 

“And I will do so before my coronation, to earn back the god’s favour and remove all doubts to my place as king.”

The words hung over the silent crowd as heavily as his intent, after a moment, his declaration was met with a raucous cheer, and he felt grimly satisfied at the way his uncle frowned. 

It was a short lived satisfaction. It took less than an hour to realize the flaw in his plan:

He had no idea where to start. 

He couldn’t guess as to why the sun had gone. Had he truly lost the god’s favour?

He’d never been particularly devout, but the prospect of losing the power he’d worked for hadn’t given him the chance to consider the feasibility of his quest. 

He’d consulted the scholars, the astronomers, and even the treacherous sages, but none had answers. The sickly sweet smile his uncle had given him when he’d left their consultation let him know that Linguang-Jun had reached the same conclusion. 

Mobei-Jun wandered the castle, his thoughts spiralling, grasping for impossible solutions as the darkness of the last few days began to suffocate him. 

His rumination was broken by a timid voice. 

“M-My King?” 

He stilled, turning to find an unfamiliar man at his side. 

The unassuming man fidgeted beneath his gaze, it was clear he did not belong in the palace—neither a servant nor guard, but too plainly dressed to be a visiting ambassador or dignitary. 

Mobei-Jun towered above most people, but the man seemed even shorter the way he was cowering. Most visitors were at least polite enough to gawk at royalty from a distance. 

“What are you doing here?” The man tensed, his shoulders rising as a guilty look crossed his face. He dropped to his knees prostrating. 

“Apologies, my King, apologies. This serva—”

“Prince.”

“What?” The man blinked at him owlishly, the expression made him look foolish. 

“I am no king yet, it is improper to address me as such.” He didn’t need to give his uncle more reason to condemn him. 

“Oh.” Dark eyes widened in understanding and the man stilled just long enough for Mobei-Jun to inspect him. His robes were plain, but the style was complex, a design unfamiliar to the prince. The colour was a muddy yellow, reflecting the torchlight in a way that still managed to make the dark hall seem brighter. 

“What are you doing here?” The man flinched under inspection, only remembering himself after a moment. 

“Right! I’m here about the sun!” He scrambled for words, “I-I know where it—where you can find it!”

That grabbed Mobei-Jun’s attention, he’d gotten nowhere with scholars and sages. 

“Tell me.”

“Well—I—uh,” 

Mobei-Jun watched him intently, but his patience wearing razor thin.

“Out with it.”

“There—THERE’S A CAVE! Yes, that’s it, a cave. Several weeks travel from here. It’s where the sun sleeps at night.”

“The sun…sleeps?” Mobei-Jun raised an eyebrow, he’d never considered what happened to the sun at night, he simply assumed it travelled somewhere beyond the horizon, beyond his kingdom, beyond his concern. 

Except now it very much was his concern. 

“Yes! Everything needs to sleep right? Even you my Kin—Prince! Even you, my prince!” It seemed like such a simple answer, Mobei-Jun was not sure the man could be trusted.

“You’ve seen it?”

The man nodded rapidly.

“It descends to the earth every night to sleep among the mountains.”

He eyed the cowering man trying to gauge a motive. His conviction was commendable; more powerful men had fled under the scrutiny of the Crown Prince. In the end that conviction, and his lack of options, convinced Mobei-Jun. 

“What is your name?”

“Shang Qinghua, my Ki—er my Prince.”

“Then Shang Qinghua, you will take me to this cave.”

Shang Qinghua’s head whipped up to meet the prince’s eyes, they seemed brighter than before, torchlight reflecting gold only for a moment. Then Shang Qinghua’s forehead was pressed to the ground once more. 

“Of course, my King.”

<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/49527919">read the rest</a>

#Moshang #Moshang Anthology #my writing #where the sun sleeps #fairy tale fic #northern lights anthology

[autumnslance]

Writer's Game: First Sentences

Rules: post the first sentence of your last ten fics. If you haven't written ten fics, share as many first-sentences as you have.

Tagged by @elveny! ♥️

Tagging: @driftward @mintibunny @yzeltia @scrollsfromarebornrealm @chysgoda @punchelf @gunbun @dragons-bones @theepicreboot @thebmatt @rinzukodas @phaedra-mero @eremiss @anomaliewrites @raelly-writing and whoever else would like to (also y'all should check these folks out).

Many of these are shippy nonsense, as my pairing sparks joy. I’ve been writing a lot of drabbles and microfics lately, though some things I’d only count as captions more than fics.

I seem to like shorter, snappy openers (especially compared to many of my longer sentences in a given fic), often with or entirely a little dialogue.

1 “Bearing Sins of the Past”, the current (as of 3/13/23) fic in progress on Ao3.

“You say Ser Alberic is missing?” the old lady knight asked as Aeryn warmed herself by the fire.

2 “A Little Lady’s Realization” a microfic about dresses and faith.

*Sigh* “I suppose my ‘princess’ must insist on keeping this new dress as well?”

3 “Linkpearls” a Year of the OTP prompt response.

When Aeryn answered the chiming linkpearl, Thancred’s familiar voice crackled on the other side of the line. “I received your letter.”

4 “Dual Perspectives” also a Year of the OTP prompt response. This line appears first in both sections.

Whenever I look at you, I see Light and Hope.

5 “Misunderstanding” a little pre-Endwalker culture clash.

“Everything all right?” Thancred asked, waiting a bit further along the trail as Estinien and Aeryn caught up.

6 An untitled blurb about languages I should clean up and move from Tumblr to Ao3.

Nanamo had a headache.

7 “Northern Lights” another drabble, about fashion in cold weather

“These northern lights are still impressive after everything.”

8 “This Home Wrested Forth” from the Dark Knight zine, Sidurgu’s 2nd person POV.

Your clan fled the Empire, crossing Ilsabard in search of homelike climes.

9 “Scholarly” a prompt response for Roevember 2022, Felina of the Night’s Blessed reminiscing.

While many important books had been taken to the Crystarium, or copied for inclusion to the Cabinet of Curiosity, a good number of tomes yet remained in the Bookman’s Shelves, a hidden and hard to reach library of history and magical theories.

10 “Mountain” also from Roevember 2022, Felina and Runar at the base of Mt Gulg.

The waiting was the worst part.

Bonus: Current first couple lines of that long promised Shadowbringers Thancred WIP...

“Let expanse contract—Eon become instant! Throw wide the gates that we may pass!”

One moment Thancred was presenting his proposal to the assembled Alliance leaders and his colleagues, the Admiral expressing her approval which was convincing the rest. The next moment, he was clutching his head in agony, hearing as if from a great distance his fellow Scions crying out, while the others called to them in confusion.

#final fantasy xiv #lyn prompts #lyn writing #lyn meta #shippy nonsense #thancred waters #sidurgu orl #Crystal Exarch #Aeryn Striker #Felina

[elhoimleafar]

Join our unique Mawiyah Kai El-Jamah Bomani (New Orleans) on this magnificent virtual class on Sex Magick

https://elhoimleafar.com/oursorceryhour

Mawiyah Kai El-Jamah Bomani is an award-winning writer, educator, and spirit woman. Mawiyah is an 8th-generation Witch, Egun Medium, and Priestess of OYA in the Yoruba system of spirituality. She is also Editor-In-Chief of the culture and Afrikan Traditional Spirituality e-zine, Oya N'Soro.

Mawiyah is the host of FishHeadsinRedGravy, a podcast dedicated to celebrating marginalized people of the esoteric/occult world. Her writings have appeared in numerous magazines, including The Crab Orchard Review, Dark Eros, and Catch the Fire.

She has written several plays, including Spring Chickens, which won her the Southern Black Theatre Festival's 2012-2013 Playwright of the Year Award. She is also the Critical Mass 8 Literary Award winner and a KAT Artist Residency recipient.

Mawiyah currently lives, writes, and conducts Orisa rituals, spiritual consultations, workshops, house cleansings, and divinations in both northern and southern Louisiana. Visit her at www.MawiyahKaiElJamahBomani.com

Follow her on Instagram @mawiyahbomani ❤️🌹

#new Orleans #witchcraft #magick #magic #witches #wiccan #pagan #wicca #paganism #obeah #black witch #black magic #black sorcery #calabash #lucumi #hoodoo #hoodoo spells

[travelers-encore-zine]

Meet the Contributors of the OWTE Fanzine!

[Image Description: A digital recreation of the Outer Wilds ship log screen with a single log opened in the center and its corresponding message box at the bottom of the screen. The log's denotation color is a bright orange reminiscent of the Outer Wilds title card and it is labeled "Rylan St. Cyr" with artwork provided by the named contributor centered in the log box. There is a sublog connected to the central log labeled "Artist" with an icon representing the contributor centered in the sublog box. In the top right corner of the screen is a pixel art recreation of the Outer Wilds Ventures logo with the words "Outer Wilds Travelers' Encore Fanzine" written below, and to the left and top left are two logs currently obscured off-screen, the one on the left marked with the unread log icon and connected to the opened log by a lined arrow pointed towards the obscured log.

Text within the message box is written as follows:

"Tumblr: abimee

I'm a hobby artist from the lonely woods of northern Wisconsin who originally began by making illustrations for local fish & game newspapers, and now enjoys producing fanart online for various video games! Outer Wilds brought together a nostalgia for that life in the northwoods and my curiosity of the universe, and i'm very excited to be making a piece for this zine!"

Image Description of art within the log box: A sketched, monochrome six-panel comic of two figures interacting. Panel 1: the first figure — seen from the shoulders up — is a chubby, light-skinned humanoid with long, pointed ears and darker hair pulled into two ponytails. They're wearing a swimsuit, and also have swim goggles perched on their forehead. They're looking off to the viewer's right. They say "First! We need deep, deep water! Deep enough to swim in!" with a serious expression and a finger pointed up. Panel 2: the view pans over to the second figure, also seen from the shoulders up and facing the viewer. They're a slim, dark-skinned person with similarly pointed ears, as well as light wavy hair pulled into a ponytail. They're also wearing a swimsuit. They respond with "And how far out is that?", wearing a subtly bemused expression and looking off to the viewer's left. Panels 3 and 4 show the first figure from behind, wading into deeper water. Panel 5: the first figure, now in deep enough water that only their head sticks out, pats the surface of the water with a smile and says "Mhm! Here!" to indicate its seemingly suitable depth. Panel 6: a wider view of both figures. The first smiles up at the second, still nothing but their head poking out of the water. The second stares down at them with a blank expression, the water only coming up to their belly.

Image Description of art within the sublog box: Flat color drawing of a person with long brown hair leaned over a laptop playing a video game. The angle is drawn looking over the person's left shoulder from behind.

End Image Description.]

#OWTE Fanzine #outer wilds

[highendphasers]

Tag people you want to get to know better:

Tagging: anybody who wants to do this! i love all of my mutuals

@i-believe-in-u tagged me for this!! thank u so much <3

Relationship status: taken taken taken by my looovely boyfriend (who i am going to marry someday!)

Favorite color: i like most reds, but dark red/maroon is my favorite

Favorite food: i dont really have a favorite food D: lately though i have been seriously craving tteokbokki ever since i had it from this one korean place. i will say though, i'm a big fan of pork!!

Song stuck in your head: northern downpour by p!atd

Last thing you googled: tteokbokki to make sure i was spelling it right LMAO

Time: 3:49 pm!

Dream trip: travelling to northern italy and then greece with my boyfriend!

Last book you read: mmm i read a few pages of 1984 while clearing out my bookshelf?

Last book you enjoyed reading: dune!

Last book you hated reading: it was so long ago i honestly don't even remember it anymore :sob:

Bonus!

Favorite to cook/bake: chocolate chip cookies!

Favorite craft to do in your free time: i've been trying to make mini-zines a lot lately... but i draw in general and sketch on old papers

Most niche dislike: oh god uhhhh. i really really really hate it when people are in the car and when they want to show you something they put their arm across you to point out of the window

Opinion on circus(es): animal exploitation isn't cool whatsoever, but circuses with puppetry and acrobatics i love!

Do you have a sense of direction: if i've been living somewhere long enough but unfortunately thats it </3

#tag game

[wcarterarts246]

Blog Post 9 (Chapter 8 review/weekly reflection)

For this week’s reading we continued with chapter 8 of our book which talked about typography on screen. Essentially it overviewed all of the aspects of type such as: fonts, sizing, and spacing to make sure that any text you apply on a digital format is readable on screens of all shapes and sizes. Especially worrying about legibility in differing resolutions, which is where I learned what exactly anti-aliasing and hinting actually is. Until now they were just keywords that I knew but couldn’t really define. Anyhow, some key takeaways that I got from this chapter is the effectiveness in simplicity, especially for body text because shrinkage leads to great loss of detail which can easily muddy the type. That and also the fact that the use of only capital letters slows down reading and comprehension, which I honestly neve really thought about. So keeping a healthy mix of upper and lowercase letters while only using capitals for emphasis and points of focus is vital.

To recap all that happened this week and prior is that we have completed the “zine” project and handed them in this Monday then soon after announced our new project. Firstly, the artist I chose for my zine was Sore Popitz, a female German designer who worked in advertisement and magazine design then later painted for her late career. I chose her because I was attracted to her simple, unique, and very effective art style which was able to communicate so much with so little by using well placed text and minimalistic figures. The process of making the zine was one of the more enjoyable ones I’ve done so far in this class, especially with how the result looked in the end. Although, I was a bit devastated when I noticed a few small type errors in the body/info text right before I was handing it in (which I am honestly surprised I didn’t catch beforehand). Besides that, we started work on our new project which is creating a poster to represent a national park of our choice, of which I chose the “Gates of the Arctic” up in Alaska. My idea so far is to create something with a lot of perspective/focus to create this sense of depth due to how far and dense this park is. Either that or to make use of some of the wonderful phenomena such as the dark gray mountains, the snow, the winding rivers, or the northern lights that occasionally appear

[folkhorrorrevival]

'The Hellebore Guide to Occult Britain and Northern Ireland ' and 'The Atlas of Dark Destinations' ~ Book Reviews

‘The Hellebore Guide to Occult Britain and Northern Ireland ‘ and ‘The Atlas of Dark Destinations’ ~ Book Reviews

The Hellebore Guide is produced by the same team that created the very popular Hellebore zine that has blossomed in the recent renaissance of indie specialist-interest zines and the revival of attention to occulture and folklore. They have taken their sphere of interest and distinctive design aesthetic forward into book format with this very handy and beguiling gazetteer of British ritual,…

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#art #Atlas of Dark Destinations #Blog #Book Reviews #books #dark tourism #Folk Horror #Folk Horror Revival #The Hellebore Guide to Occult Britain

[kumeko]

A/N: For the @invinciblezine Calamity’s Advent Zine! I’m not 100% happy about how this ended up. I always wanted to write a dark route, Corrin turns into a tyrant after a scene in the Conquest route and instead I wrote more of Corrin’s slowly collapsing state throughout the conquest route. XD Maybe I’ll revisit that idea in the future.

…

…

…

…

Corrin knew what it felt like for the world to turn upside down, to lose her footing and stumble when nothing was as it should be. From the moment she’d left the Northern Fortress, it was a feeling she’d felt constantly. After all, everything she’d known was a lie. Her family couldn’t be called hers, Nohr had never been her home, and even her body wasn’t entirely human.

 After all of that, she’d thought it was impossible to get surprised anymore. That there was nothing left that could shock her to her core. That wasn’t the case, sadly. Somewhere above her, the gods were laughing. Standing at the lake’s edge, she grabbed Azura’s shoulder for stability. “What?”

 “We have to kill Garon,” Azura repeated softly, her eyes downcast. In the moonlight, she looked ethereal, her gossamer dress silver. Nothing about her felt solid, neither her words nor her skin, and Corrin tightened her grip unconsciously. Maybe she could chalk this up as a dream.  “And the only way to prove his true identity—”

 “Is to put him on Hoshido’s throne,” Corrin finished hollowly, turning away to stare at the lake. A gentle fog covered most of the water, and the parts closest to her reflected the endless stars. In another time, she’d have stared at the night sky with her family, chatting happily. Now she was faced with the choice of tearing them apart. Taking a deep breath, she sat down on the dewy grass and tried to calm her racing heart. “He really is a demon?”

“Yes.” Azura gracefully knelt beside her, tucking her skirt under her knees as she sat on the damp ground.

 It’ll stain, Corrin thought idly. Jacob will be furious. Life used to be so simple in the Northern Fortress, when all she’d wanted was to prove she was good enough for Garon so she could finally join her siblings. When she’d only had one set of family, and not two. Xander had warned her once that she might not be ready for the outside world, that it was crueler than she could imagine locked away.

 He’d been right. She wasn’t ready. She never had been. Yet it was too late to go back. Curling her hands into the dirt, she quietly muttered, “You know, I should have known he wasn’t my father.”

 Azura rested her hand on top of hers, gently urging her to continue. “How could you?”

 “I mean…” Corrin cracked a lopsided smile, leaning back to stare at the moon. “What sort of father keeps their child locked away? And it couldn’t have been strength or age—Elise wasn’t trapped with me. But I wanted to believe.” Her voice cracked. “I wanted to belong.”

 Azura clasped her hands to her chest, looking down at the grass, at the moonlight glinting off the dewdrops. “It’s hard to belong. I don’t think I ever have.”

 From the moment they’d met, Corrin had known they were kindred spirits. She just hadn’t realized how much. Corrin held up a hand above her, studying it. “We don’t even look the same, but then again…no one really looks like Garon.”

 “He isn’t what he used to be,” Azura pointed out sadly. There was a trace of familiarity in her tone and Corrin wondered how deep it ran. “He’s…changed much.”

 “That’s what Xander says too, but…” Corrin glanced at Azura. She was beautiful, bathed in the moonlight. It wasn’t just her—all of her siblings were. Camilla was gorgeous, Elise cute, Leo and Xander handsome in wildly different ways. No matter how much she looked at them, she couldn’t find Garon in them, couldn’t find his cruelty in their words or actions. The reverse also held true. She couldn’t find their kindness in Garon, couldn’t find their justice in his actions. “Do you take after your mother?”

 Azura’s eyes widen before a sad smile crosses her face. “I’ve been told we look alike. I can’t remember her well.”

 “Me neither.” Corrin chuckled mirthlessly, leaning forward to peer at her reflection in the glasslike water. There was nothing of Mikoto in her hair, her eyes, her frame. Maybe she took after her father, but she didn’t resemble her Hoshido siblings in the slightest. She remembered Mikoto’s arms around her, her last ragged whisper, and she bit back a sob. “And now I never will.”

 She felt untethered, disconnected from the world. Even for all her years caged, she’d never felt as lost as she did now.

  “You know, you’re lucky,” Azura murmured, squeezing Corrin’s hand. When she looked back in askance, Azura continued, “Camilla, Xander—your siblings, they truly care for you. Blood-related or not, they love you. And,” she paused, her eyes lowering. “Even in Hoshido, they miss you.”

 Corrin turned her hand, squeezing her back. “They miss you too.”

 “Maybe, but not as much as they miss you. They’ve spent years waiting for you.” Azura shook her head. There was nothing self-deprecating about her tone, only honest truth, and that was what made it sting the most. That someone as amazing as Azura thought like that about herself. “Even now, it’s you they’re fighting for.”

 “They’re fighting for you too. After the war—” Corrin cut herself, realization sinking in. “The Hoshido throne. We have to conquer Hoshido.” She looked at Azura, pained. “We have to fight them.”

 Azura nodded, averting her eyes. She must have realized this before. “We have to defeat them.”

 Corrin gazed at the lake once more. Ryoma was proud, Takumi bitter, and Hinoka fearless. There was a chance she could convince Sakura to surrender, but the other three—they wouldn’t back down without a fight. Especially now that Corrin had slapped their hand away, had rejected their kindness and love for Nohr. “They might die.”

 Azura said nothing. Her nails dug into Corrin’s skin.

 “I…” Corrin’s heart was in her throat, her eyes already watery. Could she kill them? She had to, didn’t she? It was the only way she could get Garon on the throne, the only way she could kill him and bring peace. Her chest throbbed, her palms sweaty.

 Xander had warned her, so long ago, that she had to be tough to survive outside. She just hadn’t realized how tough.

 Corrin closed her eyes. Ryoma’s grip had been firm, but gentle. Hinoka had a playful, competitive streak. Takumi had been bitter, so terribly angry and bitter, but in time, in time he might have come to accept her. To love her. Just like Sakura, who despite her shyness, had made sure Corrin felt welcome.

 Mikoto’s body had rapidly cooled in her arms after the explosion, her words so kind and forgiving. Corrin would remember that sensation for the rest of her life. Now, she’d have to remember Ryoma, remember Hinoka and Takumi and every other Hoshidan she would have to kill in this war. This wasn’t like with Ice Tribe’s rebellion or Garon’s order to kill all dancers. All of Leo’s tricks couldn’t change the truth here: one way or another, people would die.

 “I have to conquer Hoshido,” she uttered softly, steeling herself. She wondered how many times a person could face heartbreak before they crumble, just how many pieces a heart can shatter into before it can’t be put back together again. “Maybe I’m more like Garon than I thought, using and killing others to get what I want. A tyrant.”

 “You’re not,” Azura defended, shaking her head.

 “I might have to kill my siblings.” Corrin paused, before correcting, “Your siblings.”

 “They were never mine to begin with,” Azura replied sadly, her hand curling on her chest. “Besides…I was forced out of Hoshido, remember? I doubt they want me back.”

 Corrin frowned, not buying a word of it. If Azura could only realize how they had looked at her, the love that had shown in Ryoma’s, Hinoka’s, and Sakura’s eyes, she wouldn’t say such things. “Even then, you don’t want them to die, do you?”

 “Never,” Azura admitted reluctantly, closing her eyes. “Never.”

 “Then—”

 “But we have to stop Garon.” Azura opened her eyes and clenched her jaw, looking more determined than Corrin had ever seen her. “He’ll only bring ruin to everything he touches…it doesn’t matter what I want, this is more important than that.”

 Was it? But Corrin couldn’t say the words. Deep in her heart, she knew it was true. For the sake of Nohr, for the sake of Hoshido, sacrifices had to be made. Her siblings had to be thrown on the altar to protect the country they loved. Curling her hand into a fist, Corrin quietly replied, “I’ll do it, so—”

 “Not alone.” Cutting her off, Azura squeezed Corrin’s hand one last time before standing up. “I will not let you walk this path by yourself. Not when I suggested it. The blood on your hands is on mine as well.”

 It shouldn’t have sounded as reassuring as it had. Corrin looked up at Azura, feeling like she was stepping on quicksand, and shiver ran up her spine at the path they were taking.

 -x-

 Corrin silently stared at the plain tent before her, its flap closed. Despite being the royal tactics chamber, it looked as simple as the other tents in the war camp. Unlike Hoshido and its golden tents, there weren’t the resources to make something similar in Nohr. It was hard enough funding the army without tossing in ornamental trinkets. Besides, even if there were, she wasn’t sure they would make it. Xander and Leo had always been of the practical sort. How the tent looked made no difference to what they did inside it.

 Elise, on the other hand, would have decorated it with flowers. A smile tugged on her face at the thought and Corrin relaxed slightly before ducking her head and entering. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, making out her two brothers standing around a large table. Spread across it was a familiar map, Nohr and Hoshido covered with small figurines indicating the allotment of troops.

 Noticing her, Xander turned and gave a solemn smile. As usual, his posture was a little stiff from years of being the crown prince. “You made it.”

 “I thought we had to send a search party,” Leo quipped with a teasing smile.

 “I wasn’t lost,” Corrin protested, her smile instantly turning into a frown. Her shoulders remained relaxed though; this was familiar, this was safe. This was her family, when all was said and done. As she approached them, she pointed at Leo’s collar. “And your collar is inside out.���

 “Seriously?” Leo swore softly under his breath as he tugged on his cape. He was lucky Camilla wasn’t around to hear that. “Every. Damn. Time.”

 Xander chuckled. It sounded rusty, like he was out of practice. “Leo, this happens far too often. Why do you even wear that?”

 When Leo merely glowered his reply, Corrin teasingly guessed, “Aesthetic?”

 “No.” Immediately, Leo snorted indignantly, and she had a feeling she’d guessed right. He scowled at her. “Nothing as frivolous as that. It is for decorum.”

 “Decorum, huh?” Corrin stretched out the word, a mocking grin on her face.

 “Have Niles assist you, at least,” Xander suggested, ending the discussion before it turned into an argument. He had always been diplomatic like that. “Or Odin, if he is capable.”

  “I feel like that’d make it worse,” she muttered under her breath. If there was something both sets of her siblings shared it common, it was picking really strange retainers. Hinoka’s were especially odd, but Leo’s weren’t far behind. Niles never ceased his dark humour and teasing, and Odin, well, he often felt out of touch with reality.

“Nonsense, I can manage something as simple as this myself,” Leo refuted, adjusting his cape, right-collar out now. His ears were red, a tell-tale sign of embarrassment he could never hide. Turning back to the table, he gestured at the pieces, “Anyways, we have more important matters to discuss.”

 Corrin snorted at the obvious topic change. Xander accepted it gracefully, as usual. Walking around the table, he leaned forward and studied the troops. “Our upcoming battle. They are all in their current locations?”

 “As of this morning’s update,” Leo confirmed, idly picking up a wooden knight. He rolled it on his hand. “For the most part, we are holding them in check. We need to add extra pressure to push them back.”

 The smile dropped from her face as Corrin glanced down at the table. The map was overrun with battalions. She swallowed, her heart beating in her ears. Each piece represented a hundred. Were there even that many people in Nohr? In Hoshido? A single move could alter the fate of thousands.

 “We seem to be evenly matched, which is better than I expected considering their upper hand in numbers, resources, and location.” Xander frowned, his brow knitting as he examined the battle lines.

 “But not in strength,” Leo added, smirking cockily.

 “Don’t get too overconfident,” Xander warned, picking up a soldier that was taller than the others. “There are Hoshidans who can match us blow for blow; it will not be as simple as you think.”

 Corrin stared at the soldier, realization dawning. “Is that Ryoma?”

 “We needed a way to distinguish the Hoshido royal family.” Xander pointed at three points on the board where there was an archer, a Pegasus knight, and priestess, all of which were taller than the others of their class. It was her entire family in a wooden block set.

 Leo set down his soldier and picked up Takumi. He snorted inelegantly. “This one’s just an archer, I highly doubt he’s a threat.”

 “Leo.” Xander sighed, rubbing his forehead. “I’m just a swordsman. A weapon can be deadly in the right hands.”

 “There is nothing just about you,” Leo retorted, setting the piece down. “Though you might be right. We just don’t have enough information on them.”

 “Information…” Corrin repeated, picking up Sakura and rolling the piece in her hand. If they had enough information, could they clear the battle without killing? It was a possibility, however slim. Noticing the silence around her, she looked up and realized they were staring at her expectantly. Surprised, she stepped back. “Me?”

 “Well, you were with them for a while,” Leo pointed out, rolling his eyes. “You know more than we do.”

 “The information would be very helpful, though I understand if it’s too hard for you right now,” Xander added supportively, walking around to squeeze her shoulder. It was rare for him to play brother and not crown prince.

 “Quit babying her.” Despite his harsh words, Leo didn’t push her. Instead, he glanced at the tent entrance. “Maybe Azura could help—”

 “I can do it,” Corrin blurted out immediately. Azura couldn’t be dragged into this any deeper than she already was. The betrayal would be less, coming from her lips rather than Azura’s. It would still be a betrayal, nonetheless. Her heart sank, remembering their kindness and how she was trampling on it now.

 Xander hummed approvingly. “Good.”

 -x-

 “Corrin!” Hinoka gasped, the Yato buried hilt-deep into her chest. Blood dripped down her chest, splattering darkly against the earth. “Why?”

 Corrin woke up, drenched in sweat. That was a dream. Only a dream. There was a sticky sensation on her hands, the false memory of Hinoka’s blood, and she wiped them off on her blanket. The feeling wouldn’t leave, even though it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. It had only been a dream.

 “Shit.” She covered her eyes with the back of her hand, breathing heavily as she tried to get her bearings. Every night, it was one sibling or the other. Her hands were stained red, her sword piercing their body, and a single accusatory why lingered in the air before she woke. A dream that felt all too real. She could only hope that she hadn’t gained foresight.

 There would be no sleeping further tonight. Her heart calmed and Corrin slipped out of her tent quietly. She didn’t want Jakob to notice her absence; only one of them had to lose their sleep. Around her was a tent city, small lanterns here and there giving her the vague shape of the army’s campground. It was a dark, moonless night. Everyone else was asleep, as they should be.

 Quietly, Corrin walked a familiar path through the tents, stopping in front of her friends’ and families’ tents. The layout was the same at every stop, Xander’s planning meticulous. First was Elise’s chambers, Elise silently polishing her armour as she kept watch. By now, Corrin was certain all of the retainers knew of her nightly check-ups. Niles stood guard at Leo’s tent, his lips tugging into a lazy smirk at the sight of her. Laslow was nodding off at Xander’s, no doubt covering for Peri’s shift as well.

 Her last stop was Camilla’s tent, with the steadfast Beruka watching from the shadows. Corrin sighed with relief. It had only been a dream, after all.

 -x-

 Corrin watched as Camilla tightened the straps of her saddle, her delicate arms far stronger than they appeared. Considering the hefty axe she preferred, they had to be. Far above them, Selena was already in the air with her dragon, circling around warily as she kept an eye out for any enemies. Beruka was impossible to spot. It felt like such an ordinary thing, as though her sister was leaving for another scouting mission, when it was anything but.

 “Are you sure about this?” Corrin asked softly.

 Camilla tightened her strap one last time before gently patting her wyvern’s tough hide. The sun had only set minutes ago and already almost all of its rays were gone, bathing them in darkness. Above them, the stars hadn’t appeared yet, this twilight hour one without any heavenly witnesses. Smiling, she turned to Corrin. “About what, sweetie?”

 “This, all of it.” Corrin rubbed her arm, her eyes flickering from Camilla to the ground. Shame crept into her voice. “You don’t have to do this, you know. Beruka can carry it out without you. I can send someone else.”

 “My Beruka is very good at assassinations and sneaking around,” Camilla concurred, hand on her hip as she stared up at the sky. There was a gentle smile on her face, as though she was talking about Elise sneaking treats and not her retainer’s capabilities in murder. “However, you gave me this task.” She turned around, stepping toward Corrin and reaching out. Her right-hand caressed Corrin’s cheek. Expression tender, she finished, “And I never turn down anything my darling family asks.”

 And that was the crux of it, that the one who’d decided Camilla should go on this assassination mission was Corrin. That the one who had looked at the map, at all the small soldiers, and discovered the quickest way forward was through subterfuge and sabotage was herself. It had been her decision, and yet the consequences wouldn’t occur by her own doing. She covered Camilla’s hand with her own, pained. “I’m sorry.”

 “It’s fine, this isn’t my first assassination.” Camilla chuckled. Her hair flowed in the wind, covering her face. Despite her square shoulders, she sounded tired. “And it won’t be my last. Some battles are better done quietly, when no one can witness them. I don’t mind, as long as I can protect all of you.”

 “Camilla…” Corrin hugged her sister and closed her eyes. There had been times, when she had been younger and Camilla had visited for longer than a day, that she’d spot a dragon leaving the castle in the middle of the night. Had it been her sister, even then? Or Jakob or someone else she knew and cared about, someone else whose job it was to clean up secretly. It wasn’t hard to imagine Camilla’s axe in the darkness, coated in thick red liquid. “I won’t—” ask for any other missions, Corrin almost added, cutting herself off before she could lie.

 Because there was no way that could be the truth. Not in a war like this. Not when she wanted to minimize casualties. If only she was stronger, better, smarter. If only she wasn’t so weak that she had to rely on her family like this.

 “Don’t cry, sweetie.” Camilla pulled herself away, still wearing that gentle expression. It was a mirror image of Mikoto’s and maybe she’d been wrong, maybe Corrin had known what a mother was like all this time. “Just smile for me, that’s all I need.”

 Corrin steeled her heart, pushing away her regrets as she smiled. “Come back safely.”

 -x-

 Pulling a sword out of a body was hard. It took a certain amount of strength and finesse depending on where in the body she stabbed. It was easier in the arms and legs. A single strong yank was enough to free her weapon then. In the torso, however, it took a saw-like motion, it took grunting and sweating and listening to a person choke in their own blood, their hand limply reaching out to grab her.

 It was a sensation she wished she didn’t understand. It was a sensation she wished was imprinted in her skin and bones, engraved into her until she could never forget. Corrin knew how blood sprayed when she cut a body, where to strike to minimize the splatter. How it looked when she flicked it off her sword. How long it took a person to die, the wet sound as they tried to take a breath.

 It was terrifying, the facts she was learning about the human body.

 “Corrin?”

 Elise’s voice shook her out of her thoughts and Corrin scanned her surroundings. The battle might be over, but there could be Hoshidan stragglers lurking about, one careless mistake away from striking her down. Around her were damaged houses, windows broken and plumes of smoke escaping crumbling walls. Despite her orders to not endanger civilian life, she still found village after village like this and she could never tell if her soldiers were disobeying her or if Iago had overruled her orders. It didn’t matter. In the end, the result was the same: Hoshidans without a home. Children without parents. Dead bodies strewn across the street and not all of them were soldiers.

 Still keeping a tight grip on her sword, Corrin replied, “It’s safe, Elise.”

 Behind her, low-heeled shoes clacked against a cobbled road. Elise walked slowly, her staff clutched tightly as she nervously looked at each soldier. Her long, golden braids were speckled with blood, her usually immaculate dress dirty and crinkled. The healing stations must have overflowed today and Corrin felt a pang of sympathy.

 “It’s okay, they’re all dead,” Corrin reassured her, approaching to meet her halfway. “You’re safe.”

 Elise paled, her skin taking on a sickly shine. “They are?” She looked around her, her eyes sad. “All of them?”

 “Yes.” Corrin bit her cheek. Whether it was Nohr or Hoshido, the soldiers were too proud, all too many of them preferring to die on their feet than to surrender and live. “What’re you doing here, Elise?”

 “Oh.” Elise’s shoulders sank and she loosened her grip on her staff. “I…I thought I could save someone. Anyone, really.” She looked up at Corrin, giving a troubled smile. “Not just our soldiers.”

 Corrin’s eyes widened. “Really?”

 “Yeah.” Elise brightened slightly, remembering her past successes. “I actually saved a whole bunch of Hoshido soldiers!” She held out her hands, increasing the gap between them as though to indicate how many. “They might be prisoners, but they’re alive.”

 “That’s great, Elise!” Corrin forced a smile as she wrapped her arms around her sister, hugging her tightly.

 It was good news. It was great news. And if her heart didn’t feel light at it, if she sensed something dark lurking in the edges of her sight, well, she’d just become more cynical these days.

 -x-

 Azura was drawn to water in a way she couldn’t entirely explain. It was more than just her connection to that other world or even to her late mother. Lakes were a safe spot, a place she could sit, think, and be a little less afraid. Whenever they camped by a lake, she would invariably end up in front of it, sinking her toes into the shallow banks as she calmed down.

 It seemed she wasn’t the only one drawn to it. Azura wasn’t entirely surprised when she spotted Corrin at the lake’s edge, hugging herself as she stared down at the waters. They’d been bumping into one another here more and more these days and Azura found she welcomed the company. There was something comforting about her friend.

 “Corrin,” she greeted, standing beside her. Their reflections rippled in the water.

 “Azura,” Corrin croaked, eyes red-rimmed.

 “What’s wrong?” Immediately, Azura touched Corrin’s arm. Her skin felt cold to the touch—just how long had she been here? And had she always been so pale, so gaunt?

 “I…” Corrin averted her gaze, her eyes firmly locked onto the water. She didn’t shy away from Azura’s touch at least. “Elise had been healing Hoshido soldiers lately.” She laughed wetly. “Prisoners of war, but alive.”

 Azura could already guess where this was headed. With Garon, it wasn’t hard to know just how he’d react to that news.

 “Garon doesn’t take prisoners. Iago had me carry out the execution.” Corrin’s voice grew fainter and fainter and had she always looked this small? “Though none of that surprised me.”

 “Oh Corrin.” Azura worried her lip, hesitating before gingerly wrapping an arm around Corrin. She had never been one for physical affection or even good at it, but Corrin had done so much for her and she had to help her friend now. “I’m sorry.”

 “The worst part was that it wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be.” Corrin’s tired voice carried a trace of desperation and she hunched over slightly, curling into herself. “I used to vomit in the bushes and now I just…” She turned to Azura, scared. “Maybe I really am like Garon. A monster.”

 “You’re not,” Azura refuted automatically, wrapping both arms around Corrin now to draw her into a proper hug. “You’re not.”

 Corrin laughed weakly. “I’m fighting to save Hoshido and Nohr, but all I find are corpses. Just who am I saving?”

 You saved me, Azura almost said, but what was one life in comparison to thousands? Whatever Hoshidans survived, they did so out of sight, away from their host army. Azura had always known that the path before them stood on the bodies of innocents, but it was one thing to know it, another to experience it. For all of Corrin’s strengths, it was something impossible to prepare for.

 And what lay ahead was even worse. Corrin shuddered in her arms, crying soundlessly. They were days away from the capital, from Takumi, Ryoma, Hinoka, and Sakura. If Corrin could break this deeply from strangers, she would be shattered by the time they reached the throne.

 Not for the first time, Azura wished she had some prowess in the battlefield. Her hands weren’t strong enough to take this duty out of Corrin’s. All she had was her voice, her song, and so she hummed softly into the night air, pushing a little power to calm Corrin.

 “It’ll be okay,” she sang, stroking Corrin’s back. “I’ll be with you.”

 At the very least, she could keep her promise. They were both bloodstained, and if this path led to hell, well, they’d go hand in hand.

#fire emblem fates #corrin #azura #camilla #leo #xander #elise #fire emblem #fanfic

[overlordmortiroth]

Blurgh reads a Black Metal Zine in the graveyard! \m/

(He just likes the pictures ^_^ <3  )

Ink illustration for UK Black Metal Zine ‘Northern Darkness’, back in 2015!                                

#black metal #Black Metal Cat #blackmetalcat #zine #zineart #homemadezine #diyzine #cemetary #graveyard #gothic #goth #gothart #gothicart #gothcat #gothiccat #metalcat #metalart #metal cat #comiccat #cartooncat #cartoon #comic #ink #comicart #comicartist #metalhead #metal head #webcomic #cat

[freyjawriter24]

My poetry from the Dust Zine

So earlier today I rediscovered the result of my contribution to a His Dark Materials fandom publication called Dust (in 2016). Please do use this link to go and read the full thing, because there are 12 other contributors there who deserve your time, but I wanted to repost my poems from the zine here, too, just in case. So here you go:

Dust

It is not the sort found In corners of dark rooms Or on the top shelf of An undisturbed bookcase. It is closer to the kind found In sunbeams. It dances, It is golden. It shines. It is beautiful. It is deadly. Our existence hinges on it. You wouldn’t have thought That something so tiny, so Invisible, seemingly insignificant Could blow us apart so easily. Separated by more than just Space and time. Forever. We Are doomed to be worlds apart.

His Bright Colours

Everything here is golden. The way the sunlight dances off her hair, The compass in her hands, The Dust.

Everything here is silver. The glint of light on the knife, The shine of dusk on snow, The glimmer of an angel.

Everything here is colour. That first portal between worlds; The Northern Lights, Where the witches play.

Everything here is black. The spectres, the night. A world without her. My hair.

#My writing #dust zine #dust #His Dark Materials #hdm #poetry #fanfiction #Poems #His Bright Colours #i wrote these sometime in mid-2016 and we're now in april 2020 and so much has changed #but this was lovely to rediscover after all this time #and i'm thankful for that #please do go and read the other contributors' work #there's some beautiful stuff in there

[ofcloudsandstars]

Aries Season Celestial Calendar

Actually I’ve decided to just post some work and art that I’ve done for the zine sporadically here like I am too tired and overwhelmed to do a whole zine sorry you all had to witness this haha Especially today on the equinox a LOT is happening so I can’t even blame myself for trying to push a production through a mercury retrograde and this celestial CLIMAX going on in the heavens right now. I have to focus on myself.  Anyway for a fuller detail (It is a bit epically long BUT it goes into a lot of info for each day and what the transits mean) please click the read more Happy Aries season May the Odds ever be in your favor 

This new zodiac cycle is the fire cracker we might all need to get us started off on the right foot. (especially to jump start us out of the thick mud-like slow pace energy the previous pisces season put us through. This past pisces season along with mercury rx in pisces was forcing everyone to STOP whether they liked it or not and reflect on our goals and what steps we need to re examine in order to move forward in our paths.) It starts off with intense energy with the full moon in libra begging us to focus on finding balance and support with close ones. We have a few moments when mars and pluto trine which will give us opportunities to ram through obstacles yet also with certain factors like jupiter going into retrograde, we need to rely on our planning and hard work instead of luck to get us there. It wraps up again at the very end of the season with the full moon in libra once more in hopes that we have achieved some harmony in our journey forwards.

 Will this aries season be as aggressive as the previous one in 2018 when mars and saturn were conjunct the whole time and mercury was retrograding in aries?? Thankfully I think not yet though this season seems to bring a few challenges, we also have a few days where we are given the energy and tools to progress. If you use your energy wisely you will get A LOT done in this season.

______________________

Week 1:

March 20th ~

- Spring Equinox Aries season begins on the spring equinox (in the northern hemisphere). The days are equally light and dark and moving towards the brighter days of the year. The spring equinox celebrates the inner child, new beginnings and springing forward with plans.

- Sun enters Aries A time for action, excitement, light hearted fun and competitiveness

- Sun conjunct Chiron They will be conjunct in aries at 1 degree This will amplify the need to find love for ourselves and uphold our power. If you might be unbalanced in this area it might either make you feel unempowered or you might feel the need to over assert yourself maybe even aggressively. If you feel pain in those areas where you feel you lack power now is the time asking you to address that.

- Mercury in Pisces sextiles Saturn in Capricorn This combination will give us a strong need to re-examine our direction with our goals. We might feel a strong urge to do some mental spring cleaning and reorganize our lives and ourselves. Mercury is still in retrograde so this energy will be directed inwards. With the sun conjunct chiron we might be prone to overthinking our previous steps and mistakes yet its good to be aware of this combination so we can take the moment to shed what no longer serves us and not dwell on our past.

- Mars in Taurus trines Pluto in Capricorn   Though the past two combinations might give us a lot to work with internally, this one will give us a lot of power externally. This trine is beneficial in giving you a surge of goal-directed energy. Today we might feel ambitious, assertive and direct in achieving our desires. Though mars and pluto might be an intense pair, this energy flow will still allow us to maintain harmony especially with the force of the full moon in Libra. If you have any obstacles or challenging situations that has hindered you for some time this is a time where we will feel the boost to ram through them. An excellent day for road opening magic whether you need it for external affairs or internal shadow work. This is an actual firecracker of energy to start off the spring and aries season off with power.

 21st ~

-Full Moon in Libra The moon reaches its fullness somewhere at 1AM GMT which will make it appear full on the equinox as well. However as this energy stays for two days, with the incredible combinations of other aspects on this day makes this an incredible day for celebration and cherishing close friends and lovers. This will be an amazing day for love magic and manifesting if you are looking to sow seeds for any creative projects.

 -Venus in Aquarius sextiles Jupiter in Sagittarius Venus and Jupiter is the best pair for partying, celebrating and love making. Especially if you decide to do some love magic on this full moon, your spells will be especially blessed. This energy will make you feel warm and blessed and rather generous. Especially with Venus in Aquarius, socializing and making new friends or building up your community will be favored on this day. If you are dating or looking for someone special, any romantic or sexual pursuits will be blessed on this day.If you want to travel, today would be the day. The only slightly negative thing to watch out for under this influence would be a tendency towards excess such as spending too much or indulging in too much.

 -Venus in Aquarius square Mars in Taurus Squares can amplify energy yet also cause some difficulties. This transit especially with lucky Jupiter involved in a great combo with Venus could amp up the sex drive to exhilerating levels. If you have a few relationship difficulties or underlying sexual or competitive tension this square would unfortunately bring it out. However if you do suffer from some built up sexual or creative tension today would be best to release it on the full moon or get it out by channeling it into a creative project.

______________________

Week 2:

26 ~

Venus enters Pisces Love becomes all-embracing when venus transits pisces. We are able to forgive and understand. Compassion is key and we look for pleasures in places that are tender, understanding and dream-like. Pisces is ruled by Neptune the planet of dreams and illusions. We will find inspiration in our own dreams, messages from the astral and find pleasures in the ethereal.

 27 ~

Venus in Pisces sextile Uranus in Taurus The need to enjoy creative outlets or entertainment that is new and fun will be heighten today. Especially in the realm of things that are sensual as Uranus passes through the earthy Taurus. This will be another exciting day for our social and or love lives. We can make breakthroughs or birth brand new creations in our creative works. This is a great day for manifestation magic, creating charms or pouring our energy into our creative projects and adding excitement to our partnerships. Our unique expressions will be heightened today and it will be an opportunity to attract those of like-mind. This will be beneficial to those whom are more shy or don't gather much attention. Unlike the full moon on the 21st this may not be the best day to make new friends and lovers, though this transit might bring instant attraction, the connection might be fleeting. Therefore it could lead to friends-in-the-moment situations or one night stands, which some may like, yet others may find disappointing in the long run. Best to just focus on adding to what's already there.  

 28 ~

Mercury moves direct in Pisces Finally out of retrograde we might feel like we are mentally breaking free of the sleepy state the rx has brought us into. We still have until the 16th until it leaves shadow and breaks forward.

 29 ~

Eros moves into Leo This little asteroid that trails along Mars describes our desires, sexual nature and creativity. As it moves into Leo (the king of creativity!) we might find ourselves able to create more and have a strong desire to keep our passions alive or seek out passionate affairs. Leo rules the heart and Eros transiting this sign asks us to open our hearts to our own creative forces. Eros will show us where our love and desires have been repressed and will awaken the urge to create and connect with the youthful nature of the heart.

 ______________________

Week 3:

31 ~

Mars enters Gemini This will be a fun transit if you are looking to trying new things or exploring new pursuits yet unfortunately a messy transit for everyone else trying to achieve certain goals. Mars which rules our drive and motivation moving into gemini means less focus and our interests becoming more diversified leaving us scattered and even our goals unmet.

 April 2 ~

Mercury in Pisces conjunct Neptune in Pisces

This conjunction will bring our attention to all things spiritual and mysterious. The occult, secrets and spiritual affairs will seem really interesting and it will be an ideal time to take up studies in artistic or divinatory subjects because of our enhanced imagination and psychic powers. Valuable insights will be gained throuhg dreaming, meditation and practicing occult fields like astrology and tarot.

 5 ~

New moon in Aries Aries season started off asking us to re-examine our power and break through any obstacles in our way. This new moon will be a fresh start once the debris of all that was blocking us has been shoved away. This new moon will bring out our inner warrior to charge towards our dreams and fight for them! Magic on this day should be to plant seeds for the year to come.

 ______________________

Week 4:

7 ~

Mercury in Pisces Sextiles Saturn in Capricorn This energy comes back around a second time yet this time mercury is no longer in retrograde and it will shed new light on how we need to organise ourselves to move forward externally. With the boost of the new moon gaining light we will focus this energy on redirecting ourselves in the direction we need. This is a great day for shadow work and self examination.

 10 ~

Jupiter Retrograde The planet of luck and expansion is lovely either while it retrogrades or moves direct. While it retrogrades it gives us the opportunity to explore our personal philosophies and expand from within. It's a lovely time to meditate and reflect on our lives, our morals, ethics and higher purposes. We might feel like we are growing from the inside out. However it's not a great time to rely on luck or travel and particularly its a great time to avoid trifling with the order of things or social justice as we might mispeak or get into more trouble than usual. Do not go out to seek new ventures, instead rest and reflect. Mercury in Pisces sextiles Pluto in Capricorn

This beneficial flow of energy between mercury and pluto will help uncover secrets, perhaps reveal the nature behind the obstacles that were blocking us and give us a more magnetic and pursuasive allure in our communications. Combined with Jupiter's RX we can discover new paths or methods to our longterm goals from within. This is a great day for research and finding steps that are key to reaching our goals and understanding any systems of power that are in place.

 Sun in Aries squares Saturn in Capricorn

This day will feel heavy as it can bring up a lot of challenges which can unfortunately result to pessimism or depression. Our egos may suffer since it'll be an obstacle to obtain any goals and we may feel restricted by certain responsiblities yet it's a test of character. We must strive to meet our responsibilities now or else they will catch up in a worse outcome down the track. We might get a lot of pressure from work, school or other authority figures, yet we can succeed by showing patience, determination and a strong work ethic. This is NOT a time to rely on luck as Jupiter enters retrograde today, and this aspect will amplify the feeling that the world feels out to get us. Though the pressure might make us want to run and avoid it all it won't be wise once the karma will catch up to us later and bring heavier consequences. The longer the procrastination the worst the outcome. The sooner you get through the tasks thrown at you the quicker you will survive this obstacle. If you had made charms while Venus was sextiling Jupiter at the beginning of Aries season than this can benefit you now for good luck.

 Venus in Pisces conjuncts Neptune in Pisces

This transit will unfortunately (with everything else going on today) make it difficult to get motivated with work or other routine duties as this combination makes it easy to laze about and daydream. Though once you get some down time it would be ideal to indulge in a creative hobby or escape in a good film to unwind from the stress of the day.

 12 ~

Mercury in Pisces squares Jupiter rx in Sagittarius

Today might force you to focus on what's going on within. The square might make it hard to stay on track so it's good to focus on smaller details. A lack of concentration or inability to focus can lead to some major errors of judgement or mistakes. Mercury is about communication and with expansive Jupiter retrograding you need to pay attention to how you can express yourself and perhaps overshare or misspeak on a topic that can land you in hot water during this transit.

Venus in Pisces sextiles Saturn in Capricorn

this combination will increase the desire for stability in close partnerships. You'll need to feel loved and supported. and weak friendships or romantic flings will not be appealing for you. This is not a great time for love magic or any romantic affairs. Instead focus within and find the means to support yourself emotionally.

 13 ~

Sun in Aries squares Pluto in Capricorn

This combination will increase everyones need for control which can lead to ego conflicts with authority figures. A conflict can lead to extreme or destructive behavior or can force you into a corner where you have to either defend your position or make a major change. This experience can be intense and trigger deeply buried psychological issues involving losing control, death, abuse or persecution. These can even be past life related or link to traumas experienced in this life time. It's a good day for shadow work and to reason with ourselves to understand why we need to be in control. Through that we can evolve to a higher level and let things go and feel less threatened. Instead of a death this can lead to a transformation which can give us a sense of inner power. You can then channel this new sense of inner power into success through ambition or hard work.

______________________

Final Week:

 14 ~

Sun in Aries trines Jupiter Rx in Sagittarius

The force of the sun trining with jupiter in retrograde can give us a need to expand within and discover ourselves at a deeper soul level. With Venus's energy in harmony with Pluto we might find pleasure in things that connect us to otherworlds or our soul and these energies will make this day great for trance meditation, dream oracling or soul journies. Opportunities can come in the form of personal and spiritual growth if we work on self reflection.

Venus in Pisces sextiles Pluto in Capricorn

With this transit close relationships will deepen to a soul level. Companionships will become more important as we will feel a longing to share love with someone worth our time. For some this might be a moment where we could get deeply infatuated with someone or develop an obsessive crush. Any new romance could be an exhilerating experience. Close friendships could deepen into spiritual bonds.

 15 ~

Venus in Pisces squares Jupiter Rx Sagittarius

Today might be a challenging day to get work done or stay present. Venus squaring jupiter creates challenges in being responsible (with self control and finances), focusing on and completing tasks yet jupiter in retrograde can turn that tension inwards. If you can take the time off it would be a great day to do dream magic and explore our inner worlds through smoking blends and journaling, but if you have to be out and about it'll be best to carry stones such as hematite and smokey quartz to keep focus.

 16 ~

Mercury out of shadow Mercury finally moves direct!

 17 ~

Mercury enters Aries With mercury back in motion it springs forward in Aries! Mercury in Aries is quick thinking, impulsive and spontaneous. We will reach decisions quickly and be more direct. It's time to take all that we've gathered in self reflection during the retrograde and restful shadow period and apply it now as we push forward with our goals.

 19 ~

Full Moon in Libra The last day of Aries season wraps up with the full moon returning in Libra to restabalize balance as we transition our way into the blissful Taurus season. Aries season is like the canon launching us forward (whether we are ready or not) and also is one of the most chaotic solar transits, yet this year has a lot of helpful energetic tools to offer. With the Full Moon returning to Libra it helps bring closure to what seeds we've sown last cycle or helps us revisit any loose ties before moving forward.

  It’s finally Taurus Season (4/20 an appropriate date) and it begins with the full moon now in Scorpio and Juno moving into Cancer. 

#Aries season #spring equinox #celestial calendar #aries #astrology #calendar #2019 #full moon #libra

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | Q&A with DETH P. SUN

Influenced by the works of Richard Scarry, Charles Schultz, and the likes of Tove Jannson, artist Deth P. Sun’s interest in art and zines started early on–from drawing everything in an encyclopedia to creating his first zine in high school. From that point on, Deth has been a prolific painter, zine maker, and doodler, focused on making his art on his own terms. With his central hero– a genderless cat – Deth explores various  natural and strange worlds through a subtle narrative, created by his brushwork, ambiguity, and color palettes. 

Find out more about Deth’s art, his wordless storytelling, and what inspires him by taking the leap below. 

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Introduce yourself?   My name is Deth P. Sun, I’m an artist living in a tiny coastal town in Northern California, but most of my adult life was spent in the Bay Area, primarily in Oakland and Berkeley. I tell people I’m Cambodian, which is mostly true.

When did you begin having an interest in art and painting? How or why do you think you gravitated towards this profession? I’ve always enjoyed drawing, I think I kind of like getting better at it and learning about new things that are centered around that. It’s one of the cheaper hobbies to get started in as a kid. It’s not really a thing I think about too much these days. Mostly I wonder how my life was set by my 17 year old self.

How do you describe your work to people who maybe unfamiliar with it? Until I moved to this town I live in now, I kind of never had to. Mostly because I don’t meet new people outside of my circle. I just tell people I’m a graphic artist. If they want more info I just stare at them blankly because I think it’s kind of rude to ask strangers what they do for a living.

There are various aspects to your paintings from being narrative and storytelling to those that feature various painted objects and natural things. Can you tell us a little bit about the narrative elements of your works and how that came about? Yeah, I just like suggesting that there’s a narrative with my work, which isn’t that hard as long as you don’t stray too much from your pallette or reuse images to find in each painting. I kind of like seeing a whole set of paintings, that’s when you sense that there is a story.

When did you protagonist character start to take shape? How did that evolve and come-about? I’ve just always drew a character like that. Probably in high school. It’s been so long I don’t really remember. It probably came from my sketchbook. Most of my sketchbooks are kind of boring because it was just me repeatedly drawing the same stuff until I got better at it. I think I was trying to draw a cat and I drew something else that I liked.

In some of your other works, you paint collections of items from food, mushrooms, crystals to swords and old style cell phones. How did these paintings originate for you? Were you finding yourself sketching certain things that you read about or were you just obsessed with a certain object that week? My parents taught themselves English using Richard Scarry books so they were the first books I had my hands on. It’s just pages and pages of him drawing things with words describing what they were underneath. When I was younger I had this project where I’d take an encyclopedia and try drawing everything in it. I think I only got to M. Also when I was kid while drawing in my sketchbook I would just run out of stuff to draw so I’d go room to room drawing everything in each room.

It was just a thing to kill time.

How has where you live and its landscape influenced the work you create?  What’s your favorite thing about residing there? I guess it does a little, but I think I drew the stuff and then when I got here, I liked it a lot, so I ended up on this tiny coastal town on the bluffs. I started drawing weird epic landscapes after watching a bunch of Swedish films a few years ago.

What was your last adventure or walk through your neighborhood that showed up in one of your work, thematically or just visually? One time a friend invited me to a barbeque. They lived near the train tracks a couple of miles from me, so I walked up the tracks passed the cemetery and over a few tressel bridges. It was really nice walk. Met a turtle. They had to come down and get me because I didn’t know the path to their house, and it was getting dark.

What IS your favorite thing to draw or paint? Do you have an UNfavorite thing to draw or paint? I like drawing pineapples. I hate when strangers ask me to draw them. I want to punch them in the face.

When did you start picking up the paint brush and taking your works to the canvas? What do you enjoy about painting vs. drawing? The first time I painted was in my high school art class, I think like most other Americans. I was using tempera, so it sucked. But I started buying acrylic soon after. I think painting and drawing is kind of the same thing, or least I just paint like I’m drawing. I don’t think it was a strange transition.

What’s a typical day like for you at home and in the studio? What’s your process like? I fill out internet orders sometimes, or a wholesale order. Sometimes I draw. Mostly I get up and look at my email and go, “I have a lot of stuff to do and this is gonna suck”. I don’t really multitask, so it’s usually me filling out orders for 8 hours and trying to get to the post office before 4:30 while watching dumb shit on the internet, or me helping a friend screen print in my garage, or if I have a show just ignoring everything else in life and painting for two months.

A few years ago I kind of got burnt out of making a living with just painting. So I was like maybe I should make more t-shirts and prints. So I ended up moving to Fort Bragg and screenprinting more stuff and making more drawings toward that. But now my days are filled with me screen printing and filling out small orders or hanging out on my computer photoshopping all day. So now I’m in some other kind of hell.

What are your go-to art tools? A Pilot Hi-Tec C (They’re called G-Tec 4s in other places) pen. I use the .4, but should probably switch to .5. You have to have a light touch with them or else they’ll jam. 

Right now I enjoy using Mitsubishi pencils, but the cheap Mirado Black Warrior pencil you can get at most stationary store is just as good.

Been filling a sketchbook using Opaque markers. Posca’s are pretty good, but the color choices are limited, so I started buying Molotow. The Molotow’s can be refilled so they might end up being a better value.

Lately I’ve been painting with cheap $2 craft paints mostly because I don’t like mixing colors. Just bought a few of the Martha Stewart’s at Michaels. I still buy Golden and Liquitex, but it’s nice to mix in other stuff.

Not only do you draw and paint, you are always printing and creating zines of your works. Do you remember your very first zine you made? Are you working on a new zine? The first zine I made was pretty horrible. It was staple at the top corner, and I gave it out to my friends when I was in high school. I put everything precious in a box before I left for college and when I came back my dad had threw it out. At the time I was pretty bummed, but now I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that. I’m always working on something. Sometimes things take a really long time. I drew everything I ate while in England and Scotland several years ago and just now getting it all together. I’ve gotten rejected from a bunch of zine fairs, so there really isn’t a urgency to get it finished. I’m thinking of making one for the tiny town I’m in, and other that’s like a newspaper, but filled with just my gibberish drawing of words.

Do you have a favorite zine maker out there you’d like to share with folks? I’m pretty excited to  be tabling at Comics Art Brooklyn. Last year  I sat nearby Evan Cohen (http://www.evanmcohen.com) who I had just bought zines online from a few weeks before so that was kind of unexpected. He makes rad work. There was a few other artists there whose work I enjoyed. I came home with a lot of nice prints which I never really get from strangers. Stuff from Natalie Andrewson, Tiny Splendor, most everything Peow Studios publishes, and Jen Tong. I like this zine called Terror House by Sammy Harkham that I’d buy a few to give out to friends and the zines my friend, Evah Fan makes.

What are you constantly inspired by? And who are some of your early and current art influences? I think what keeps me going is random problem solving with how I paint. Or maybe the natural world. I don’t really know if I’m being totally honest.   I grew up reading Peanuts. It has it’s good moments. I think I became comfortable with not always having to be in the up. I really like Tove Jannson’s work.. I’m not a fan Tintin, but I like the way Hergé uses color and lines. I was lucky enough to come to the Bay Area while the Mission School was around and Yoshitoma Nara had a few shows, so it made it okay for me to make paintings the way I do.

What do you do when you are not painting, drawing or making zines? How do you find yourself unwinding? I watch a lot of dumb shit on youtube and take long walks. Each week I go to a game night where I do board games (Catan, Ticket to Ride, Dixit, Pirates Cove are in the usual rotation). I like to cook and have people over. I actually unwind by drawing and watching a lot of basketball while listening to basketball podcasts.

What advice would you offer to an aspiring artist who might wanna follow in your footsteps? Be nice to everyone you meet ever. Always try to learn. Don’t get caught up in what people think of you or your work. Know that if you keep on doing something you’ll get better at it. Pick up different hobbies. Make friends with other artists. Be open to all opportunities. Get used to rejection.

What’s your best Art School tip that you want to share with folks? Some random wisdom you learned through your personal journey or just while making art? You know I don’t know if I’m the best person to get advice from since I sort of carved out this weird existence. When you’re young, it’s easy to get caught up in weird things and maybe a person should just get caught up in those things. I do meet old school mates who have regrets about how their time in art school was spent, but I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way of doing it. I think there really isn’t any rush, and also if you feel like you “failed” you can always just get back up because no one is really paying attention.

I think I hear a lot from folks who worry that they’re too old to try painting or doing art for a living. And I’d hear this from someone who’s like 25 or 30. But there really isn’t a deadline to any of this stuff and also no one really knows how old anyone is. I think everyone’s trying to get to some sort of finish line, but really just existing and making work is all there is.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an artist? In an alternate universe, what career would Deth find himself doing? I’d probably be working in tech if I’m being honest with myself.

What’s a question you never get asked in an interview that you wanna ask yourself and answer? There really isn’t.

What are your favorite style of VANS? My favorite Vans were the slip ons with a grey herring bone pattern on them. I had 4 or 5 pairs, but I think they switched to a smaller pattern because I couldn’t find them again.

What’s coming up for you the rest of the year or into the next? Comic Arts Brooklyn (http://comicartsbrooklyn.com), a solo show in January at Spoke Art (https://spoke-art.com) in San Francisco. I’ll have stuff at a print fair in Oakland (https://www.oaklandprintfair.com), and an art book fair in Berlin (http://www.friendswithbooks.org/content/about) through Vanilla Studios (http://vanillastud.io).

FOLLOW DETH | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | SHOP

#Art #Vans #Vans Art #Deth P. Sun #Art School #interview #painting #drawing

[djtop10s]

Lists from a 1992 DJ zine

GET DOWN FOR THE WEEKS 9/26-10/9 DISCO FAMILY PLAN. MINNEAPOLIS UNDERGROUND MUSIC CHART. THE ESSENTIAL 20 This list covers a spectrum from House to Techno 1. DOMINATOR - Human Resource on R&S 2. GOD of ABRAHAM - MNO on AM/PM 3. SUCH A FEELING - Bizarre Inc. on VS 4. THE SNOW - Coll on Torso Dance 5. THE RIOT EP - on Underground Resistance 6. ANYTHING YOU LIKE - B1 on SSR 7. EVERYBODY'S FREE - Rozalla 8. DIRECT ME - Reese Project on Network 9. XEROXED - Zero Zero 10. LIFT EVERY VOICE - Mass Order 11. DEEPER - Susan Clark 12. VORTEX - Final Exposure on Plus 8 13. F.U. - F.U.S.E. on Plus 8 14. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME - Utah Saints 15. EPILEPSIA - Epilepsia on Hit House 16. VAMP (rmx) - Outlander on R&S 17. ARTIFICIAL FANTASY - Meng Syndicate 18. MENTASM (rmx) - Second Phase on R&S 19. TRONIKHOUSE EP - on R&S 20. MEDITATION - Meditation on Beat Box This List was compiled from the top twenty lists submitted by the contributors below being local DJ's, radio people, & retailers who specialize in dance music. Songs are listed by title, the artist, and then its label, if known. Get down. Get down. Get down. Week 1 CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Cole/Depth Probe Jon Schultz/Saloon Gregg Wolfe/DJ Dance Shop Jeremia Wells/DJ Dance Shop Thomas Spiegel/mobile DJ Ron Clark/Audiocon Rod Smith/Northern Lights John Tasche/WMMR Craig Thron/Let It Be Melissa Rasmussen/Girl/Boy Bar Woody McBride/DFP Ryan Peck/DFP THE TOTALLY STOKED MENTAL TRACK OF THE WEEK - EPILEPSIA BY EPILEPSIA ON HIT HOUSE RECORDS HOUSE TECHNO TRANCE SMASH SEXISM FIGHT RACISM END QUEER BASHING FEATURED PLAYLISTS KEVIN COLE/DEPTH PROBE 1. ZEROXED - Zero Zero 2. ANYTHING YOU LIKE - B1 3. A CASE OF FUNK - Nightmares on Wax 4. EPILEPSIA - Epilepsi 5. THE BURIAL - Sound Clash 6. DOMINATOR - Human Resource 7. ARTIFICIAL FANTASY - Meng Syndicate 8. F.U. - F.U.S.E. 9. THE SNOW - Coil 10. FREE/FAITH - Rozalla JOHN SCHULTZ/SALOON 1. DIRECT ME - Reese Project 2. DEEPER - Susan Clark 3. EVERYBODY'S FREE - Rozalla 4. THE PROMISE - Subject 13 5. GIVE ME YOUR LOVE - Be Noir 6. THE SNOW - Coil 7. OPEN YOUR HEART - Cybil Jefferies 8. INTOXICATION - Rythem to Rythem 9. SUCH A FEELING - Bizarre Inc. 10. BOOM - The Grid KAVA SUPREME/BOING! - SALOON 1. DOMINATOR - Human Resource 2. THE DUNGEON - Ibiza 3. TRONIKHOUSE EP 4. DETROIT 909 - KGB 5. DARKNESS - Holy Noise 6. OH SHIT 7. STOPPIN' US - Gypseymen 8. GOD OF ABRAHAM - MNO 9. HYPNOTIZE ME - House to House 10. BULL FROG (rmx) - GTO DJ MISS MISS/GIRL/BOY BAR 1. UNITY - Unity 2. THE PROMISE - Subject 13 3. DIRECT ME - Reese Project 4. MIDNIGHT - Orbital 5. KEEP ON LOVIN' ME - Soul City Orchestra 6. THE AFTERMATH - Nightmares on Wax 7. WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME - Utah Saints 8. SOMEBODY KNEW - MK 9. V FOR VENDETTA - Fred 10. WEAR YOUR LOVE LIKE HEAVEN - Definition of Sound THOMAS SPIEGEL 1. ODURO - Watanabe 2. AIN'T NO WAY - Cheryl Pepsi Riley 3. LIFT EVERY VOICE - Mass Order 4. LOVE INJECTION - QXI 5. COOL HOUSE EP - Test Pressing 6. STRAIT TRIPPIN - Terrace 7. NO HEARTACHE NO PAIN - Sharvoni 8. COME INTO MY LIFE - Sonia Collins 9. MY BABY - Tony Shannon 10. FREE YOUR MIND - DAC THE PLAN'S 11 (DJ LIGHT BRIGHT - DJ GROOVE SPOT 1. Epilepsia - Epilepsia on Hit House 2. Riot EP on Underground Resistance 3. Artificial Fantasy - Meng Syndicate on Hit House 4. Dominator - Human Resource on R&S 5. Anything You Like - B1 on SSR 6. Tune - Silver on R&S 7. Lift Every Voice - Mass Order white label 8. Direct Me - Reese Project on Network 9. Tronikhouse Ep on R&S 10. Bull Frog (rmx) - GTO on Beat Box 11. Cataclist Hillbilly - white label YIKES! The content and format of the DISCO FAMILY PLAN IS [copyright symbol] and is protected by Murphy's Law. --- [all typos verbatim!]

[menaonmymind-blog]

The Arab Spring

The Arab Spring was a series of pro-democracy uprisings that enveloped several largely Muslim countries, including Tunisia, Morocco, Syria, Libya, Egypt and Bahrain. The events in these nations generally began in the spring of 2011, which led to the name. However, the political and social impact of these popular uprisings remains significant today, years after many of them ended. What Is the Arab Spring you may ask? The Arab Spring was a loosely related group of protests that ultimately resulted in regime changes in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Not all of the movements, however, could be deemed successful—at least if the end goal was increased democracy and cultural freedom.In fact, for many countries enveloped by the revolts of the Arab Spring, the period since has been hallmarked by increased instability and oppression.Given the significant impact of the Arab Spring throughout northern Africa and the Middle East, it’s easy to forget the series of large-scale political and social movements arguably began with a single act of defiance. The Arab Spring began in December 2010 when Tunisian street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest the arbitrary seizing of his vegetable stand by police over failure to obtain a permit. Bouazizi’s sacrificial act served as a catalyst for the so-called Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia.The street protests that ensued in Tunis, the country’s capital, eventually prompted authoritarian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to abdicate his position and flee to Saudi Arabia. He had ruled the country with an iron fist for more than 20 years. Activists in other countries in the region were inspired by the regime change in Tunisia—the country’s first democratic parliamentary elections were held in October 2011—and began to protest similar authoritarian governments in their own nations.The participants in these grassroots movements sought increased social freedoms and greater participation in the political process. Notably, this includes the Tahrir Square uprisings in Cairo, Egypt and similar protests in Bahrain.However, in some cases, these protests morphed into full-scale civil wars, as evidenced in countries such as Libya, Syria and Yemen. While the uprising in Tunisia led to some improvements in the country from a human-rights perspective, not all of the nations that witnessed such social and political upheaval in the spring of 2011 changed for the better.Most notably, in Egypt, where early changes arising from the Arab Spring gave many hope after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, authoritarian rule has apparently returned. Following the controversial election of Mohamed Morsi in 2012, a coup led by defense minister Abdel Fattah el-Sisi installed the latter as president in 2013, and he remains in power today. In Libya, meanwhile, authoritarian dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in October 2011, during a violent civil war, and he was tortured (literally dragged through the streets) and executed by opposition fighters. Video footage of his death was seen by millions online.However, since Gaddafi’s downfall, Libya has remained in a state of civil war, and two opposing governments effectively rule separate regions of the country. Libya’s civilian population has suffered significantly during the years of political upheaval, with violence in the streets and access to food, resources and healthcare services severely limited. This has contributed, in part, to the ongoing worldwide refugee crisis, which has seen thousands flee Libya, most often by boat across the Mediterranean Sea, with hopes of new opportunities in Europe. Similarly, the civil war that began in Syria in the aftermath of the Arab Spring lasted for several years, forcing many to leave the country to seek refuge in Turkey, Greece and throughout Western Europe. For a time, the militant group ISIS had declared a caliphate—a nation governed by Islamic law—in northeastern Syria.The group executed thousands of people, and many others fled the region in fear of their lives.Yet, although ISIS has largely been defeated in Syria, the oppressive regime of long-time dictator Bashar al Assad remains in power in the country.In addition, the ongoing civil war in Yemen can also be traced to the Arab Spring. The country’s infrastructure has suffered significant damage, and the conflict has devolved into tribal warfare.And in Bahrain, peaceful pro-democracy protests in the capital Manama in 2011 and 2012 were violently suppressed by the government of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Officially, the country has a constitutional monarchy form of government, but personal freedoms remain limited.The plight of the Bahraini people was dramatically portrayed in the documentary Shouting in the Dark, which was released in 2012.