#the idea was inspired by that scene at the end of the butterfly effect movie

[carolsdrawing]

Rey and Ben finding each other in a modern AU 

(click for better quality)

#Rey #Ben Solo #Reylo #SW #Reylo fanart #my art #the idea was inspired by that scene at the end of the butterfly effect movie #you know which one? #that movie is pretty cool #I struggled SO MUCH with this one #first I couldn't figure out the colours then I couldn't figure out Rey's face then I couldn't figure out the colours again ashdkjasdhka #but I like the end result that's what matters #the blue ribbon was a last minute addition and it's like a red string of fate but blue because lightsaber lol

[captainunderkrupp]

I've been sitting on this AU for several months now, developing it with the help of some friends on the Trollstopia server... and as I wanted to use it for the upcoming Creek Week, especially since I've been working more on it, so I might as well announce it now :3

Rock Creek AU. Explanations, warnings, and more art under the cut.

So a bit under a year ago, after TWT came out, I found several AUs where Creek ended up in Volcano Rock City and interacting with Barb somehow. They were all very interesting, but none of them really hit my specific tastes for what I might want out of that sort of story... so I was inspired to start developing my own!

The basic question, of course, is: What if Creek had somehow ended up in rock troll territory after the first movie? And this fun little project of me speculating, having fun drawing different designs and looks for him, and figuring out how he interacted with the rock trolls we know and love, and I ended up throwing him into VRC for two years, between the first and second movies, and just kept writing down ideas and thinking about it. It's now kind of a monster of an AU, but one that I'm very excited about.

In fact, I'm currently working on what is going to be a very long fic that I'm not sure when it will be done, though I can say it may still be a few months out. I was planning on finishing it before announcing this AU at all, but... I couldn't resist the urge to use him in the Creek Week prompts, so here we are :)

Anyway. Here are some basics for this AU specifically:

It starts out as if he ended up heading toward rock territory instead of wandering back toward Pop Village, like is implied in TTBGO.

He's found by the rock trolls and brought in to Volcano Rock City. He spends lots of time too sick to do anything except be miserable, though when he gets better he starts doing his usual thing, trying to work into other trolls' good graces for his own status in what he now thinks of as his new home, since he assumes he won't be welcome back with the pop trolls...

But the rock trolls are not easily trusting of pop trolls in general, even if he insists he's different. So Barb decides she wants to see how he may be affected by their kingdom's string… 

And may misadventures besides, some of which will affect only him, but others which may cause a butterfly effect through all the kingdoms!

This story will contain:

references to trollstopia and TTBGO. there are characters from both shows that affect the main plot and interact with him.

lots and lots of headcanons about different trolls. as this is an AU, they may not match up with my usual HCs about them, but I do enjoy meta and extrapolating directly from canon.

the theory that creek has relatives, branch, cybil, and rosiepuff. he also gathers some of his own found family in a few rock trolls as he develops.

no main shipping. creek will have his own crushes and entanglements, but please do not expect any specific ships to become endgame with him in this story. there may be side character relationships, however.

OCs. there is at least one OC central to a good part of the plot, and another that will make more than one appearance. also, some of the characters are underdeveloped, to the point that I may have to develop them into basically OCs to make them usable for this fic.

a complex redemption arc. one of the main things I find interesting about creek is how he became an antagonist, and how he could redeem himself. I don't tend to enjoy most fandoms' modern definition of a redemption arc, so please expect some twists and turns with how I redeem him.

DARK THEMES. while the general AU can be discussed without touching these themes, the fic itself may be rated between teen and mature, and will have plenty of warnings. I will try to make the darkest of the scenes I am currently writing skippable, but this is your warning.

ANY OF THESE THINGS CAN CHANGE. the main points should all still apply to the final fic, but details may shift as I keep working on this WIP.

So that’s the basics of the AU! Feel free to send me questions, though I may be a tad slow answering them since I’ve been so busy with fandom events and commissions, hehe. And thank you for reading!

#dreamworks trolls #trolls world tour #creek #jasper speaks #fluiditywrites #fluiditydraws #art tag #trolls oc #twt #trolls au #i have. a lot made for this au #that ive been holding back cuz i wanna get the fic out first #XD #rock creek au

[kitty-does-stuff]

Hardcore Henry Lore (Aka for Payday fans wondering what Hardcore Henry means for the world of payday)

Now this isn’t a perfect breakdown of everything, if you want full context you should watch the movie & then read Hardcore Akan (aka the one issue vcomic tie-in). But this should go over the whole backstory & lead up along with answer stuff like basic ages of Akan & Jimmy

Since this is rather long it is going under the cut, if I am missing anything lmk.

Also warning that this spoils all of hardcore henry.

The Timeline

The events of the Hardcore Henry world notblely start on April 26, 1986, aka the chernobyl disaster, during the disaster Akan’s mother was starting to give birth, with how things are told within the comic she died due to a pill that those going to the disaster were given to trick them into killing themselfs, that she took after being told by her husband that it would save her. 

The newborn Akan was taken in by a doctor working at chernobyl, that within this world was the one at fault for the disaster, the man (Dr. Akanov) was likely the one that named Akan, given that the first name seems based on the last name.

It is likely that during the 80’s that Jimmy is old enough to watch the news & remember details about it, mainly this is likely due to a joke he makes about watching a news story in the 80’s

Sometime around here is when Henry may have been born.

During Akan’s childhood & teen years he us bullied by his peers due to how he looks and likely some traits he showed around others his age, in his late teen years before going to university he convincses his father to no longer use animal testing at his labs & as a whole behaves in ways that make it hard for his father to later believe his crimes

Within university Akan is still bullied but he is able to join an underground animal fighting ring, said group as a twist that the animals (only seen with frogs) were made into cyborgs, this means it’s likely that Akan himself had talent with robotics & making cyborgs. During this time he does nearly get a girlfriend but he unwisely took her to the fighting ring & she did not approve of the animal abuse.

Shortly after schooling Akan became a part of the clubbing & partying scene, likely starting with selling others drugs before he ended up making his own, which was meant to be one that would activate at the same time no matter when tooken, he was very sure in this drug so took himself (either meaning he was overconfident or skilled at drug making).

Sadly the drug did not do it was meant to and instead more- melted, those that took it, Akan being the only person that took it that lived, though after making up from his coma he had the power to move things with his mind (likely he always had this power, the drug just made it show itself).

After this he learned what his father had done by mistake & more about his past, after this he kills his father and everyone at the head of Akan industries

After taking control of the company Akan shortly after hiring James “Jimmy” a biolesit from the uk who wished to use dead bodies in his studies, it is likely that Jimmy had a pretty good idea on what the company was doing.

Sometime after Jimmy is hired but before he is uh… “fired” Slick Dimitry was hired, likely at first as a bodyguard as he is seen with Akan when Akan breaks Jimmy’s back. It is unknown when Slick Dimitry became a cyborg but I believe he is likely a beta test for one, maybe he willingly became one or maybe it was Akan’s way of saying thanks for a loyal worker.

Jimmy makes the first prototypes of the super soldiers, but they are mindless & overall useless, which makes Akan decide to break Jimmy’s back & fire him, likely thinking Jimmy won’t have the nerve to fight back afterwards or would be unable to.

Jimmy makes his clones, likely starting with Nerd Jimmy as this clone is the closest to the Jimmy that worked for Akan personality wise, it is unknown how he was able to do this, set up his lab or where he even got the money for all of this.

Estelle likely becomes the head of the super soldier project, she may have already been married to Akan or they became close during this time, what is likely is that she is a big part of the project.

Shortly before the events of Hardcore Henry the timeline splits, in the main timeline Akan does not try to hire the Payday Gang (As they likely do not exist as anything other than a video game that Jimmy is likely a fan of given his mask which would fit the game). Meanwhile the 2nd timeline is the Payday timeline, in which Akan tries to hire the Payday gang but Jimmy pays them more & is able to steal research about making super soldiers, which likely means Henry is never made into a super soldier & the events of the movie never happen.

Henry somehow dies & his body is found/already agreed to be used as the main super soldier for the first field test/programing phase, it is unknown as to why Henry was picked or why he naturally has a lot of skills that other super soldiers don’t have (he is able to beat other 200 of them, so it’s likely he has a past with fighting in it)

At the start of Hardcore Henry’s movie Akan is 29-30, Jimmy is likely in his 40’s, Henry is likely the same age as the maker of the flim, & the other characters are unknown/likely the same as their actors.

The events all take place during the same day, by the end of the day almost all named characters are dead other than Henry, who is left within a helicopter after killing Akan & Estelle. The screen goes black and hears that Jimmy left a message for after he died, with one last job (it is unclear when he would’ve made this or how Henry (who likely is the one listening) found this message.)

Other Events

It is likely that Hardcore Henry is within the same world as the music videos of the music vidoes that inspired the movie, the story follows a highly skilled spy (who’s skillset is like Henry’s, they may be the same character at different points within the timeline, Henry being a spy that was looking into Akan but was killed by Akan’s forces would make sense) who has blended into a evil unknown company, there is a hacker also posted there. They are there to get a device that can teleport. When he tries to get it the alarm goes off and the mission goes loud.

At first he is unable to get away with it & is catched, his partner is killed and he is then able to get the device back after fighting his way through the company forces & the one with it, the last of the fighting takes place within a baby’s room, who after the fight is other grabs the device and uses it by mistake, it is unknown where the baby went or what became of the spy.

Fixing the whole chernobyl problem

So the way the chernobyl disaster is shown in Akan’s comic does not make sense and would’ve made things go a lot worse worldwide & would’ve made history different (Butterfly effect problems)

So my best try at fixing this is that Dr. Akanov lied or Akan made up his own version of events, here’s what both would mean:

Dr. Akanov lying likely would mean that he likely blames himself for the event or at least a lot of the death around the event, he was a doctor after all so it isn’t unlikely that most people he tried to treat would die in horrible ways, making there be trauma that could’ve had him make a version of the events where those he treated died quicker, in more peace. Akan’s mother was likely a women close to giving birth when the disaster happened & got readied, later dying in childbirth with Dr. Akanov adopting the child due to the birth father dying from the disaster & the radian

Akan making up likely means the story is just his way of explaining his own powers, him having albinism & getting rid of any guilt he may have had about killing his own father.

What is missing

So there are parts of the story missing, mainly because everything that was meant to come out hasn’t, mainly another movie & more comics.

We know very little about what happened between Akan hiring Jimmy & firing him, this likely would’ve been covered by comics, along with the stories of some of the notable people that worked for Akan, like Slick & Estelle.

We don’t know how Henry’s body ended up in Akan’s & Estelle’s hands, nor do we know anything about his past outside one moment from his childhood & that he got a tattoo.

We also don’t know what Jimmy’s last job was.

We don’t know what the serious version of the story would’ve been like

No clue on when Hardcore Henry Meets Rooster Teeth fits into any of this, maybe it’s the happy end au where Jimmy doesn’t day & him and Henry are like roommates or something

#hardcore henry #payday #payday 2 #pd #pd2 #payday jimmy #payday akan #Akan Akanov

[tickle-bugs]

I had two people ask for some advice on starting up/running a blog, so I thought I’d make a little post for anyone else looking for advice! There’s no one right way to run a blog and I am by no means an expert. This is just a compilation of some of the things I’ve learned :) 

Feel free to add advice to this!

- The first thing is something I cannot stress enough. Write for yourself first. You will be absolutely miserable if you’re only writing for attention. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s so incredibly important. If you don’t like a prompt, fandom, or scenario? You don’t have to write for it! A personal example: I’m a theatre kid and total musical nerd. I could probably write some compelling Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton headcanons if I wanted to, but I don’t. That’s fine! I’m allowed to say I won’t write for it and deny prompts/requests for those fandoms. 

- Set boundaries. This is a very mixed community with all sorts of creators and participants with hands in different baskets. Don’t want minors to interact? Put minors DNI in your bio. SFW only? Put it in the bio. No RP? Bio. This goes for private conversations/askbox/other interactions as well. If someone comes into your askbox/dms and says something that makes you uncomfy, shut it down. 

- My advice is more geared towards writing than art or video, but I suppose you could apply this advice as well. Make what makes you happy! If you’re only in one fandom, feel free to stay there and make content for it. Multi-fandom? Excellent! Completely non-fandom? Epic! Make the content that you want to see and the content that makes you happy to create, especially if you’re in a more niche fandom/area. 

- Organization. ...I’ll admit this one is more of a personal pet peeve than something urgent, but it is something that people positively respond to. If you have some sort of consistency/organization to your blog, it’ll make it easier and more enjoyable for people to navigate. Make a fandom list/indicate your fandoms somehow (mostly for prompt purposes. people can’t read your mind, so it’s important to tell them what you will write for and what you won’t, however you want to do that)! 

Make a masterpost/link your fic tag! Use a fic tag of some kind. Give your fics summaries and leave a little bit of the fic above the ‘read more’ to intrigue folks (look at #my fics and my masterpost for basic examples of how I do this, if you need!). Use read mores. Please use read mores (if you can, idk if they’re on mobile. regardless no one wants to encounter a three thousand word block of text on their dash). (No seriously though, organize your blog, even if it’s super simple. literally just a ‘mine’ or ‘my fics’ or ‘[pseud] writes’ and a fandom tag. It’ll make it easier for people to find your stuff and support you)

- Practice general internetiquette. Please remember that the people in this community are real people with feelings, boundaries, and lives outside of the blog that they run. Be genuine and people will respond to you! Don’t manipulate people into likes/reblogs/attention. No one wants to be on the other end of that. Being in this community isn’t a transaction or a mosh pit, it’s an experience.  

- Be ever-so-liberal with the block button. Someone’s user makes you uncomfortable? They give you bad vibes? They’re a minor/older than you and you don’t want them interacting with your content? You don’t wanna see their blog for some reason? Block em. This goes for anons too. That’s what the button is for. Don’t feel guilty for using it. Use it. 

- How you write is 100% a personal choice and not really something that I can give advice on, but embrace your style! take prompts if you want, or don’t. Write oneshots, series, drabbles, or novels. Write romantic, or don’t. Etc. Change things up if you feel like it. Do what you want. Your blog, your style, your rules. 

- Numbers matter. Don’t let them define you. This is a bit of a harder one to explain, but I will try. I often say that I don’t care about numbers, and I really don’t, but that’s not to say that I don’t see them and they have zero effect on me. I absolutely notice and am bummed if a fic doesn’t get notes, or at least the notes that I was expecting. That is entirely normal and okay to experience. What isn’t okay, though, is creating for the sake of getting notes/numbers/attention (re: write for yourself first, internetiquette). If you find yourself relying on tumblr for gratification and a reward, I implore you to take a break. I’m not your therapist or your parent, I’m not gonna tell you what to do, but when you make things only for the sake of notes, people notice. Celebrate your milestones. Know that it’s okay to be bummed about low notes/celebrate getting plenty. Just make sure that you don’t depend on the numbers for your happiness, or you will be miserable.

- You’re (probably) doing this for free. You are providing people content: a service. Produce as much or as little as you’re comfy with, but always remember that. No one is entitled to what you make. If someone asks you for headcanons, sends a prompt when prompts are closed, etc, and you don’t feel like fulfilling it? You have no obligation to do that. Getting commissioned is another story entirely, but as long as you’re making free content, you have zero obligation to do anything for anyone and certainly no time constraints. It can take me months to finish prompts, and that’s okay. I do them when I do them and I fill them how I want to. If my prompts are closed, I deny new ones until I’m ready to accept them. Make yourself happy first.

- How you interact with others is up to you! It’s generally considered good practice to like/reblog your mutuals fics/art, but this is not necessarily a hard and fast rule. I veeeeeery rarely reblog fics for fandoms that I’m not in, even from my mutuals. What you can do to show your support (and you should try and show support somehow. No one is in competition. Everyone’s in your boat, whether they have no followers or 1k) is send an ask/reply to the post/leave tags to let the author know you liked it. Like the fic and don’t reblog it, if you don’t want to. Just make sure you show your mutuals (and others in general!) roughly the same support they show you, however you decide to do that. Treat others how you want to be treated, as cheesy as it sounds :)

- Don’t repost content that isn’t yours without express permission from the original creator, and credit them appropriately. If you see a cute piece of tickle art and the artist doesn’t want it reposted? Don’t repost it. Don’t post fics/videos/gifs that aren’t yours (obviously if it’s like a scene from a movie/a clip on youtube that’s different, but don’t take credit for things you didn’t make, including ideas). Can’t tell you how frustrating it is to have work stolen from you. Don’t be that person. ‘Credit to original artist’ and ‘credit unknown’ is total bullshit btw. Link/tag the creator in the original post and make it clear you don’t own the content. Best practice is to ask the original creator if they’re okay with reposting, work inspired by or connected to theirs, etc. This goes doubly for saving/downloading someone’s fics. 

- It is not illegal for a minor to have normal, nonsexual, healthy friendships with people older than them. There’s a weird attitude that minors have nothing of value to offer adults besides a relationship/sex, which is...not true? Minors are thinking, living human beings with feelings, thoughts, and opinions. You can talk to them like normal people, because they are. Just obviously don’t talk about/introduce sex or endanger them. Minors don’t bring up sex/activities you’re underage for with an adult. IDK this isn’t a seminar just...don’t be weird. Adults can offer great life experience, support systems, and the basic joys and needs of human connection. Minors can too. Mind your business unless someone’s actually in danger. The next point is a caveat, though: 

- If you’re a minor, don’t interact with NSFW blogs/blogs with ‘Minors DNI’, NSFW blogs don’t interact with minors, etc etc. Not your parent or whatever but this is pretty common sense and it’s for everyone’s safety, but especially the NSFW person. internettiquette!

- If you use your TK blog as a side blog (meaning you have another blog as your main blog, not two separate accounts) and don’t want your main exposed, that is up to you. I recommend not liking posts. Also, follow people that you trust. These actions route through your main blog and your main will show up in the notes. You can reblog from a sideblog. If you want to send an ask “as your tk blog”, send an anon and sign it somehow, like ‘hey :) // @/tickle-bugs’. It should tag you in the post so you get a notification when it’s answered!

- Find your people! As an anxious person this one has been hard for me, so I know it’s hard for a lot of people. Fandom is literally a community of shared interest. Peachy and I have an iron bond almost two years later and we met talking over shared interests. You can absolutely find your people here. If someone makes you happy, strike up a conversation! Send an ask! You never know what doors it might open or whose day you might improve :)

- If you were an anon/lurker on someone’s blog and they inspired you to write/submit/start your own, sign your messages!! the common form that I see is either an emoji or [noun/context of the ask]!anon (prodigal!anon (i miss u every day), butterfly!anon, etc.) Let us know how to find and support you!! Those messages produce good brain juice. 

- The big finale: Have fun. If you’re not having fun here, maybe you could tweak something to make things enjoyable. Running a blog is like driving a car. Keep your hands on the wheel, respectfully indicate your intentions (flashing lights optional), and be safe. Poebody’s nerfect, y’know. If you make a mistake, course correct. I’m by no means perfect. Your favs aren’t either. Just do your best and have a good time :)

@rosytickles and the anon in my inbox, I hope this helps! Thank you for asking me, I’m very honored that you value my opinon/experience/advice. I apologize if I come off as preachy or aggressive, I envisioned grabbing my younger self by the lapels and shaking me vigorously while I wrote this. Probably a bad idea. 

Anywho, hope it helps. Anyone with questions, additions, or comments, my askbox is open! Just be constructive, is all I ask. 

#bug speaks #advice tag #sorry again if this sounds preachy or aggressive at any point i literally wrote it like i was grabbing younger me by the lapels #these are all things i learned through experience/observation i promise im not talking out of my ass here #the largest obstacle to maintaining a blog is how you view your happiness in relation to it. talked about it above but yeah. #also like i said: not a professional and not your parent. just giving friendly advice sine i was directly asked for it. #might add more to this if I think of more #my askbox and dms are open for questions/comments/additions just pls be respectful and constructive #other tfb community members feel free to add to this!

[randomuniverses]

RWBY Volume 6 Crew Commentary Notes!

I just got the Volume 6 Blu Ray and I'm going to be watching the crew's commentary! Kerry was talking with a few others as well as Miles after chapter 1. I wrote what I found interesting or important:

Chapter 1:

They took out the blood at the White Fang Headquarters but had to add it back in later

The train station was the first new set of the season

They used Houdini for crowd shots this season

Showing what's in the bag RWBY got for Yang is planned for next season

On each boba cup lid (from the food in the background of the train station scene) has the RWBY chibi characters

Originally they planned Ilia to wear a kimono. Also a hint to seeing her again!

Kerry's mom wants him (Neptune) to be in the show more

The whole train set is a circle track

The Grimm manticore design was from an artist from the RWBY subreddit! Kerry saw it and he loved it and he contacted her to hire her.

There was an inside joke for the audio team where Dee dies it sounds like the track says "Oh Dee..."

Dee and Dudley barely graduated from their academy

There was originally going to be a closer shot of Salem in the OP but they wanted to keep the mystery about who she was

Chapter 2:

They put in some lines from the house (what Nora says) that were a response to the criticism from Volume 5 about them staying there too long

Nora was originally going to tell Blake everything she needed to know with some whiteboards on the train, but they decided to just show the house where things are explained

The footsteps in the snow were made using nulls in After Effects. They explain the process which is pretty interesting.

Oscar struggling was done in mocap

Lil Miss Malachite is an allusion for Little Miss Muffett (duh) and turns out she is the mother of the Malachite Twins

The Malachite Twins went to live in Vale and be bad guys

Jinn's hair is separated/split more than a normal character's. Same with Summer Rose

Chapter 3:

Salem's story one of the first things ever written for RWBY

They really wanted a character's story to revolve around 'happily ever after' then a few steps after that, so Salem was the perfect character for that

Originally the Lost Fable was chapter 3 and 4, but they combined them into one

The whole episode was mocapped in a single weekend

The crew has a Ruby body pillow prototype that's used during mocap

The Gods are inspired from the Gods of Greek Mythology

They want to show more natural wildlife in RWBY, but due to budget constraints it's hard

The video game Brutal Legend inspired the scene where Salem throws herself into the pool of Grimm

Originally the Gods were closer to human size but were scaled up

The story structure for the episode took inspiration from Harry Potter and Game of Thrones

Originally there was going to be more dialogue from the main cast, but they decided against it

They were originally had Salem look like her current form (well coloring wise), but decided to remove the red veins she has so she looked less spooky

The toy dog one of the children has is a Wizard of Oz reference

Jinn was meant to be an objective outside observer but also a storyteller

The children for one of Oz's reincarnations have silver eyes (confirmed)

Chapter 4:

They were excited to explore Qrow's alcoholism past it just being a joke

Hazel is the most compassionate of the villains

Salem knows how to manipulate people and has different methods for motivations for each of her lieutenants

For example she doesn't have to say that many mean things for Tyrian to take it to heart because he is so loyal

She also knows just how fearful Emerald is of her

Chapter 5:

Neo has begun to evolve her semblance, as shown in the fight

Neo wasn't originally planned to be in this Volume, but was decided when they thought of what they could do better to make Cinder's storyline better and for when Cinder gets to Atlas they thought her having a partner was cool

Brunswick Farm was another idea they had since the very beginning

The Apathy fit so well in this volume because the characters are at a low point

Blake doesn't always get the nuances of relationships and makes a misstep (when Yang and Blake talked and she told Yang she would protect her)

Chapter 6:

The Apathy came from an image of a horrifying scarecrow and they came up with the idea of a grimm that wasn't physically formidable. As well as a planet from the movie Serenity where everyone fell to sleep and died, and a short story about depression and not wanting to do anything

The Apathy work through proximity but if they see you their effect gets even worse. But you can get it jolted out of the apathy for a little while if you are startled

The artist that made the Apathy was the same one that made the Manticore

Maria is colorblind, which was evident in the episode when we learn she couldn't tell Ruby's eye color immediately

Seeing the burning Apathy, Qrow realizes that he almost let everyone get killed and now starts to hate himself (his depression changes)

Chapter 7:

Them having a restriction for how long fights could be (because fights are expensive) led to Miles thinking of a fight that had to last 60 seconds (and Tock)

Maria's weapon and use of dust was inspired from the God of War reboot as well as Marvel's Thor

Maria was originally from Volume 5 but they had to take her out because it was hard to balance out all the storylines

Originally Maria was going to have a cat, and Qrow was supposed to find her in his search for Hunstman

The Arc siblings are all a color of the rainbow, with one set of twins. Saphron is orange.

The toy Adrien is playing with is foreshadowing to the plane and the Leviathan

Chapter 8:

Only Cordovin's guards are so goofy (compared to the rest of Atlas guards), and Cordo is considered a nuisance. This was a job they thought she could do well without bothering anyone

Kerry wanted an old lady fight in the show, so he got one

The Old Lady in the Show was something Monty thought of. The boot is the foot of a giant mech. And the giant mech was originally going to be at the end of V2

Butterflies are normally not out in the winter but this is Remnant ;)

Chapter 9:

Miles likes to think of Tyrian as one of the most insightful villains. He is really good at observing people and knows how to take them apart mentally and physically

This is where they said this is the first time we see Mercury and Emerald being vulnerable to each other (I didn’t include this earlier, sorry!)

They say they’ll never confirm who the Red Haired Woman is, but they said use your brains lol

Looking up at Pyrrha and seeing the airship fly by made Jaune think of the idea to steal one

Chapter 10:

Adrian's crying is not a semblance, that's just comedy

They pitched Jaune's voice down when he says "Roger" so he can sound more serious

Originally there was going to be another episode (episode 14t) where we would see Atlas and Mantle. But they didn't want to end on that because it would require a ton of new assets because of the buildings and the people wearing different clothes

The next season will start with a bang

The Iron Giant was a reference for the mech

Chapter 11:

The mech fight was the most effects-heavy of the fights this season

Blake has always had the scar on her body since the new outfit, but it has been hard to see until her jacket comes off

Yang hitting Adam with her bike was thought of early on in the scripting process

Chapter 12:

A lot of talk about how the animations were made and such

This season had a core fight team that animated all the fights

The way Adam dies is apparently similar to how something in Nier: Automata plays out. Kerry has only played an hour of the game so he did not know that was a thing

But Nier: Automata was actually referenced for the mech fight (the mechanics of how the fight would work) since a robot was involved in the first boss fight.

Shots from the Adam and Yang fight were similar to those from Naurto, but that was also a coincidence

They called the Leviathan Levi in the script because it was easier to type

Chapter 13:

They considered Adrian being a very young baby, but later changed him to be a toddler

Gurren Laggan was another reference used for this part (haven't seen that anime but it was referenced when the mech drills the Leviathan)

They really wanted to make sure we could hear liquid in Qrow's flask

Salem is no longer willing to confine herself to a room, and is going to start being more active by creating her army of minions

#rwby #rwby v6 #directors commentary #crew commentary #ruby rose #yang #blake #weiss #oscar #qrow #maria

[bohemian-napsodyy]

Teach Me Your Heart

Request: “Can I ask what If like , rami(Freddie Mercury) gets a co star in the bohemian Rhapsody movie right (it’s au) and the actress sings in the movie , but in real life is a pop star , and rami(and Freddie ) falls for her ( like how David Bowie sang in labyrinth, but he’s a real life singer” -- requested by @angelfuzzy2

Word Count: 3.1k (im sorry)

Warnings: there’s a bit of anxiety that happens (not a full on panic attack though) -- just wanted to keep everyone aware

A/N: Thank you for being so patient with me for this one! I’m sorry it took me a while to get it done, but I really enjoyed working with this idea. The title is a line from a song called Meant by Zach Winters, an incredibly beautiful song that helped to inspire the plot for this :) if you like, you can listen to it here.  

PS: there’s a song mentioned at the end that i deliberately chose to remain ambiguous, so you can pick your favourite/best song to insert in for that scene :) it’ll make sense when you get to that part, i promise

You weren’t sure what to call the events that occurred all within one week, but you knew it was more than just a coincidence.

Performing was in your bones. You were born for it. There was nothing else you’d rather do. Just the thought of working a normal nine-to-five job made you crumple a little inside. You had spent your entire childhood putting on shows for relatives at holiday gatherings, and now that you were older you realized acting was your thing. And singing. You were so passionate about music, you couldn’t go a single day without picking up your guitar for at least an hour.

You had an agent for acting, and you had a YouTube channel up for your music. It wasn’t much, but at least you were putting yourself out there somehow. You had started to get discouraged though -- it had been almost two years and you had only gotten minor roles for local productions. Not to mention you were lucky if you managed to get over one hundred views on your music uploads.

Sure, you submitted an audition tape for a film about Freddie Mercury, which definitely seemed like a big deal, but you never heard back. It had been four months since you submitted your audition, and by now you were ready to give up the possibility of hearing back from the producers.

Nine-To-Five Nightmares were approaching faster than you thought. You weren’t sure how much longer you could afford to continue pursuing a career in performing arts.

Then out of the blue, or what you liked to call ‘some weird interference from Up There Somewhere’, you got a call.

Two, actually.

The first one was from a representative at Atlantic Records, calling to say they had seen your covers and original songs on YouTube. They thought you had potential. Lots of it. They wanted to sign you and have you release an album by the end of the following year.

If that wasn’t enough, two days after the call from Atlantic Records, your agent contacted you. You had been cast as the lead singer of an opening act for Queen in Bohemian Rhapsody. Your character would go on to become close friends with Freddie and support him through his battle with AIDS.

You felt sorry for the neighbours -- you were screaming and jumping up and down so loudly after your agent broke the news to you, you were surprised the cops didn’t show up at your door.

That crazy mayhem of events left you where you were now: standing at the entrance to the set as many crew members hurried around you frantically.

‘Overwhelmed’ was nowhere near an appropriate term to explain how you felt right now.

“Hello, darling. It’s Y/N, isn’t it?”

You turned around to see Rami, already in costume as Freddie, smiling kindly at you. 

For a good moment or two, you forgot how to breathe.

Was it the hair and makeup? The wardrobe? You weren’t sure. There was definitely something about Rami that totally changed since you last saw him at the table read.

He really was Freddie.

“Hi,” You managed to breathe out, suddenly feeling rather dull in your sweater dress costume in comparison to Freddie’s -- no wait, Rami’s -- white monstrosity of an outfit.

“Ready to perform, then?” Rami asked, his eyes gleaming. He definitely noticed you checking him out, oh god...

You managed a shrug, calling on all your strength as you inhaled to regain your composure. “I guess,” you replied. “But I mean, we’ll have plenty of takes to perfect it, right? So there’s no reason to be nervous, really.” You weren’t sure who you were reassuring, Rami or yourself.

He blinked, and you weren’t sure what it was you said that made him so confused all of a sudden.

“What are you talking about, darling?” Rami asked you with a laugh, leaning forward casually and placing a hand gently on your arm. “It’s a concert, of course you’ve only got one shot. Where on Earth did you get this idea of ‘takes’ from?”

“You... I mean we... This is a film...?” You spluttered. Rami tightened his grip on your arm and leaned into you so your cheeks were almost touching.

“I know love,” he whispered, and for a split second he dropped the British accent. Your breath caught in your throat at the proximity between the two of you. “I’d prefer to stay in character even off camera. For now, Rami doesn’t exist, okay?”

Oh. So that’s why he was so confused a moment ago. To Freddie, the scene you were about to film was an actual performance.

You nodded, and just like that Freddie returned. He extended his hand out to you before nodding towards the stage. Perfect timing, in fact, as a small handful of crew members began making their way towards you to let you know they’d be filming your performance soon.

“Come on then, darling,” Freddie beckoned with a wink. “Get on that stage and blow us away, won’t you?”

“Filming is going well I hope?”

You lounged on the small battered couch in your trailer, a thin blanket around your shoulders as you pressed your phone to your ear. You had a couple hours before your next scene, and somewhere in that waiting time your music producer, David, had called to check in.

“Yeah... yeah, I think so.” You replied, setting further into the couch. It was 10 PM already, and you were doing your best to stay awake. “I was really nervous at first, but everyone’s really nice.”

You thought of one person in particular when you said ‘everyone’. 

“That’s great, Y/N. I’m glad to hear it. Remind me again, when is the movie coming out?”

“Later this year...” You frowned, running a hand through your hair as you tried to recall when exactly they planned to release Bohemian Rhapsody. “I think early November? Why?”

There was a shuffling of papers on the other line before David spoke again.

“Y/N, I had an idea. Remember how we initially agreed that you’d release your album in spring 2019?”

“Yeah...?” Your stomach dropped. Your intuition told you this wasn’t going a direction you’d like.

“I was thinking...” David continued. You silently wished you could reach through the phone and smack him. Why couldn’t he get to the point already? Your nerves were creeping up on you, and fast. 

“I think it would be best, for you personally as well as promotionally, if we set your album release date back for late November.”

“Of this year?” You spluttered, sitting up with a gasp. You were so startled, you didn’t hear your trailer door open quietly behind you.

“Yes, November of this year.” David answered with a laugh. You swallowed nervously. You only had written two songs so far, not nearly enough for a full-length album like David was expecting. You had been going by the impression that you had plenty of time after filming Bohemian Rhapsody to get your songs written out. 

“It makes sense, Y/N.” David continued. “You’ll have just finished promotion for Bohemian Rhapsody, you’ll have become a household name, and just as everyone is getting to know you, boom! We drop your album. Everyone will go nuts-”

You stopped listening to David ramble on as you were startled by Rami, who seemed to appear out of nowhere and sit down beside you on the couch. He frowned at you, nodding in question at your phone. You held up a finger in response, signalling him to wait.

“So that sounds good, Y/N? Let’s release your album, say, November 20th? Oh! One more thing, to have the full effect, keep this a secret. Just between us, okay?”

“O-okay.” You replied shakily. Your heartbeat had increased tremendously just thinking about trying to balance memorizing your lines, writing songs (in secret now nonetheless), and actually doing your job and acting over the next few months. Your anxious thoughts must have translated onto your face, because you noticed Rami was gazing at you with a concerned frown.

“Look David,” You said quickly, eager to get your producer off the phone. “They’re calling me now, I have to be on set to film.”

You hated lying, but you tried to reassure yourself that it could’ve been the truth. Perhaps that’s why Rami had come by anyway.

“Okay!” You hated how chipper David was. Especially when put into comparison with your own swarm of butterflies eating away at your insides. “We can talk more later. Happy filming!”

As soon as the line went dead, you rolled your eyes and chucked your phone onto the couch with a groan. Rami laughed quietly and placed a hand affectionately on your knee. 

“Bad day, darling? Even after that fucking brilliant performance you gave earlier?”

Oh, you realized with a faint sinking feeling. He was still Freddie.

It wasn’t that you disliked the fact that Rami stayed in character even when he wasn’t filming, but after all the chaos that just unfolded quickly around you, you needed someone real to talk to. 

But you couldn’t just tell Rami that. 

You sighed, sandwiching your phone between the couch cushions so you wouldn’t have to look at it and be reminded of David and his stupid, yet admittedly logical, plan.

“You could call it a bad day, yeah.” You grumbled. Rami, no, Freddie, leaned back against the couch and raised his eyebrows at you.

“Do go on, sweetheart,” He encouraged with a smile. “You may be in the presence of royalty, but I’ll listen.” Freddie finished his sarcastic quip with a wink.

You rolled your eyes, but still managed a smile. A part of you still longed to talk to Rami, but you didn’t know if you’d offend him by asking.

For now, you’d just have to talk to Freddie and hope that would be enough.

“What do you do when people try to... control you... and get you to do things their way?” You asked with a frown as you tested the waters. Freddie looked down for a moment as he took in your question.

“Easy,” he said with a smirk, tapping your knee playfully as he did so. “I’d tell them to fuck off.”

“And then?” You asked, mostly to humour him at this point. You felt your stomach sink in disappointment. You knew talking to Freddie wasn’t going to go over well. He was the complete opposite of you in literally every way. 

Freddie shrugged. “Then I’d find someone else as a replacement. You shouldn’t have to make time in your life for twats like that. They don’t deserve a beautiful, talented angel like you.”

You pulled your blanket tighter around your shoulders, desperate for some sort of reassurance, even if it was from nothing more than an object. Despite his words, Freddie was only making things worse for your anxiety. You could feel your heart pounding harder in your chest, and you wondered if Freddie could hear it from where you were sitting.

You were startled when Freddie moved closer to you suddenly, one hand still staying on your thigh in reassurance while he wrapped his other arm around your shoulders.

“Darling, you’ve got tears in your eyes.” He noted with a low whisper. All notes of sarcasm and wit had left his voice, and the amount of compassion he held instead almost made you fall to bits right there.

“I’m fine.” You managed tightly, but silently cursed yourself when your voice cracked at the end of the second word. You blinked, and Freddie wiped a tear away from your cheek gently just as it began to fall. 

“Please tell me what’s going on,” Freddie murmured, caressing your cheek with a feather-light touch. “I want to help. Please. What can I do?”

A moment passed as you sat there in silence, unsure of whether to ask Freddie the question you felt was probably going to piss him off, or offend him at the very least. Still, if you were going to spill what David had told you to keep secret to someone, you much preferred them to exist long after the movie wrapped.

“You’re going to hate me for this, I’m sorry...” You mumbled, keeping your eyes on the ground so you wouldn’t have to see his reaction. “But... I want to talk to Rami about what’s going on. Not Freddie.”

You felt your breath catch in your throat as you were pulled into a reassuring embrace. 

“Y/N, you don’t need to apologize.” You felt a wave of relief as Rami spoke, this time without Freddie’s accent. The breath you had been holding seemed to carry most of your anxiety with it. It came out as a sob, and Rami stroked your hair comfortingly.

“I’m here.” He whispered. “I’m here. What’s going on?”

You told him everything. Your struggles with acting and videos on YouTube, the call from Atlantic Records and the producers, all the way up to the situation with David that just occurred. 

It turned out that talking to Rami was indeed what you needed. He helped to reassure you that you could do it, and he even offered to help in any way he could.

He had promised you that your album release would remain between the two of you. Specifically the two of you. When Rami was on set and in character as Freddie, absolutely nothing was mentioned about your own music. It was as if even Freddie was completely oblivious to the plan David had for you.

Which left you where you were now.

On Saturdays when you weren’t filming, Rami had offered to come by your hotel room for the day and help you with writing. In return, to thank him the only way you could think of, you’d spend Sundays helping him rehearse even more and work with him on perfecting Freddie.

“How many songs do you have now?” Rami asked. 

The two of you were seated on the floor of your hotel room, taking a break after having spent the last four hours going over your scenes together. You didn’t have many left, especially since filming was wrapping in under a month, but for some reason the director left your most intense scenes together for last. To say both of you were exhausted was an understatement. You leaned your head on Rami’s shoulder, and in turn he rested his cheek gently against the top of your head. 

“Almost a full album’s worth,” you grinned, even though he couldn’t see it. “We’re at seven now. I just need one or two more, and I’m good to go.”

Rami reached over and laced his fingers with yours, giving your hand a congratulatory squeeze.

“That’s awesome,” he replied, lifting his head off yours so he could smile at you. “I realized something though, Y/N.”

You blinked. “What’s that?”

“Even though we’ve worked on a lot of songs together, I’ve never heard you sing one of them in full. Want to change that?”

“Oh,” you giggled, burying you face in your hands as you felt your cheeks heat up. “Oh god, Rami, no...”

“Come on!” He encouraged, nudging your shoulder with his playfully. “We’ve worked all day on Freddie, let’s have a change of scene.”

“I didn’t warm up,” You mumbled, peeking at him through your fingers. Rami smiled, gently pulling your hands away from your face. 

“Doesn’t matter,” he encouraged with a smile. Some part in the back of your mind noted that he was still holding both of your hands in his, a thought just strong enough to make your heart skip a beat. “It’s just me. Please?”

“Okay, okay.” You caved, laughing as you got up and grabbed your guitar off the stand in the corner of the room. “Um, is there one in particular you want to hear?”

“Whichever one is your favourite.”

You exhaled, feeling extra-conscious about Rami’s unwavering gaze on you now. You took another deep breath, partially for good luck and partially to try and still your shaky hands. 

As soon as you began playing, the nerves melted away. You lost yourself in the music, and what seemed like mere moments later, you finished playing.

A rather loud applause from one erupted as soon as you strummed the last note on your guitar, and you laughed nervously as you placed your guitar gently back on its stand.

“Did that sound okay?” You asked, returning to sit beside Rami on the floor.

“Y/N, your music has the ability to take people to another world.”

You rolled your eyes, and he nudged you in return.

“I’m serious!” He exclaimed, grabbing your hand and giving it a squeeze. “God, you’re honestly so beautiful-”

Your eyes widened at his words, and as he realized what had just been said, Rami’s features mirrored your own expression.

“Uh, I mean, I meant-”

“It’s okay,” You said quietly. “I know what you meant.”

You bit your lip, feeling your heart pick up its pace in your chest. You didn’t miss Rami’s gaze trailing down your features to your lips and staying there for a few seconds longer than necessary. You unconsciously shuffled closer to him, suddenly realizing your need to get closer to him.

Somewhere in your mind, you wondered what it would be like to kiss him. 

You almost stopped yourself from thinking about anything related to that, but you realized his gaze kept darting from your eyes and back down to your lips. Maybe he was thinking the same thing you were.

“Rami?” You asked, your tone of voice made a whisper seem loud.

He only hummed in response.

“Could I...” Your breath caught in your throat as his hand came up to caress your cheek. “Could I kiss you-”

His lips were on yours before you could even finish forming your question. He kissed you once, twice, three times before pulling away. You felt fuzzy, unable to distinguish anything other than Rami.

“Was that okay?” You asked nervously. You saw a myriad of emotions pass through Rami’s eyes; adoration, amusement, compassion. 

In the end, he never actually replied. He only laughed softly and guided your face back to his and kissed you again, deeper and more passionately than before.

You figured that meant it was more than okay.

#rami malek #rami malek x reader #rami malek imagine #rami malek oneshot #angelfuzzy2 #request #queen #queen imagine #queen oneshot #freddie mercury #freddie mercury imagine #freddie mercury oneshot #freddie mercury x reader

[seriouslyhooked]

At Last

A/N: This song, ‘At Last’ by Etta James, is undoubtedly one of the great classics of all time. Moving, lovely, and pristine, it is truly a marvel and a treasure and so writing a one shot inspired by this song has been a LONG time coming. I actually can’t believe it has taken so long to get here, but after a half a dozen or so of you asking, the time finally seems right. As you all might expect this will be a fluff-tastic drabble this time, and I’m actually having it take place during season 4 on Emma and Killian’s first date, after the Will fiasco but before they get back to Emma’s place. It’s an added scene that I’ve had in my head a long time and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing.

Dating, and first dates in particular, had never been a comfortable thing for Emma. Even in her cursed life, with memories that weren’t really hers, and a sense of stability that truly hadn’t been earned in any way, there was always that level of awkwardness and usually a lack of real chemistry. Tonight however, things had been different. Sure there were bumps in the road, not the least of which was that flare up at the restaurant, but what mattered most wasn’t the details, it was the person she was with.

After trying to deny her feelings for so long, Emma had actually felt relief when she opened the door tonight and found Killian waiting for her. Of course there was also a substantial amount of attraction, and a real and true wish that she had her own place so her parents and Elsa weren’t watching on with so much interest, but when her hand was in Killian’s everything seemed to click. Sure there were butterflies, and yes that anxious sense of anticipation first dates were famous for was out in full force, but it never outweighed the simple comfort of being with him or the flare of hope his presence always sparked no matter where they seemed to be.

It was for this reason that Emma really didn’t want the night to end. They were walking back now from the restaurant, heading in the direction of the loft, but Emma found herself wanting to stall. She didn’t want the night to be over so quickly, and since she’d been so cautious and slow-moving up until asking him on this date, she knew Killian wouldn’t push for more. It was up to Emma then to come up with something – anything – that would allow them a little more time alone, and when the idea finally sparked she smiled and looked up to Killian as she paused right there on the sidewalk.

“So I know you wanted to plan the evening, but I have this idea… do you trust me?”

“Without question,” Killian said with no trace of hesitation in his tone, and though there had been something almost haunted at points this evening in his eyes, that was a glorious truth that couldn’t be denied.

He did trust her, and with that one simple look he also told her that nothing would make him happier than granting her wish. That sense of trust meant everything to Emma, and as she redirected their path, leading out of the common way of the main street and to the place she had in mind, she felt her confidence rising even more. This was arguably a risk for Emma, to confess something she’d always thought of as romantic but never dreamed to share with someone, but the risk felt worth it. Given everything that was going on around them, and given how precious these moments alone always ended up being, she wanted to chance it, and she wanted to share this with Killian in way she’d never wanted to with anyone else.

After a few minutes of walking they arrived at her intended destination, a small park that had been here as long as Storybrooke had, but for some reason wasn’t fully utilized by the people of the town. It wasn’t as large as some of the other ones in Storybrooke, and there was no playground for the kids or picnic tables for the townspeople, but there was one little bit of architectural genius tucked away here – an ivory gazebo crafted in an elegant New England style that felt plucked out of time and space. Since the whole town was the effect of a curse Regina had crafted, Emma knew it was literally made of magic, but since her earliest days as sheriff Emma noted no one else had really noticed this spot, and certainly no one took advantage of its beauty or its peacefulness.

“It’s lovely, Swan,” Killian said as his hand squeezed Emma’s a little tighter. “Can’t say I’ve ever been here before, which is strange given how small this town is.”

“Yeah,” Emma agreed. “It’s hidden I guess, but that’s not everything. Just wait.”

Emma reluctantly let go of his hand for a second as she went to the lamppost closest to gazebo. There, hidden on the structure, was a box with a tiny white switch, and when Emma flipped it on the whole place lit up with twinkling lights. They glowed in that transcendent way that was usually reserved for Christmas time and the cheesiest of romance movies, but once they were lit, there was no denying that this place really looked like something out of a storybook. For Emma, the same sense of wonder flooded her system, but seeing Killian’s grin as he took it in and knowing he was seeing this for the first time and enjoying it just as much as Emma had meant more to her than she could say.

“It’s beautiful, Emma,” Killian said as she stepped back to him, but the look in his eyes told her that he might find this place enchanting, but he still felt more wrapped up in her than any scenery around them. “I just have one request.”

“Okay…” Emma said with surprise as she awaited his plea but knowing she’d accept whatever it was. “What is it?”

“Dance with me,” he replied her, making her heart flutter and then clench in her chest.

“You want to dance?” Emma asked in shock, not having expected things to take this turn at all, but knowing that as soon as he said the words it was all she wanted to do. Another dance with Killian, this time without the potential destruction of the timeline she’d been born from sounded really really nice. Still she had one concern, one tiny reservation about what would otherwise be a pretty perfect suggestion. “But there’s no music.”

“Ah, but you’ve a phone, love, and if my introductory immersion into this realm has taught me anything, its that anything can be done with that contraption of yours.”

He was right. She did have her phone and there was music on there, so with a few quick clicks she had a song all chosen, the only song that she could think of playing in such a moment. She hesitated for just a second though, glancing up at Killian. Because once she played this song there would be no more hiding. He would know how much this date and this moment in time here with him meant to her - how much he meant to her - and she had to ask herself if she was ready for that.

Yes, the voice in her head counseled. I’m ready for it.

With the decision firmly made, Emma pressed play, putting her phone on one of the ledges in the gazebo before taking her place in Killian’s arms. This was a familiar feeling, though less intense and forced than their time in the Enchanted Forest, but as Emma stepped into his embrace she felt the warmth wash over her and the music started to play, with Etta James’ sultry tones singing out around them.

At last my love has come along My lonely days are over and life is like a song, oh yeah At last the skies above are blue My heart was wrapped up clover the night I looked at you I found a dream that I could speak to A dream that I can call my own I found a thrill to press my cheek to A thrill I've never known, oh yeah You smiled, you smiled oh and then the spell was cast And here we are in Heaven For you are mine at last

It felt almost dreamlike to be in this moment, dancing in this light pink dress that was so much more hopeful and picturesque than anything she’d usually try and wear. Emma should have been nervous, or afraid to misstep as she had been when they’d first done this together, but she wasn’t in the slightest. Instead she was drawn into Killian, surrounded by this warmth and scent and general aura as her eyes locked on his, finding in them all of the same need and passion and want that she felt. In that moment, Emma swore that she would remember every second of this dance and this date for years and years to come. She could tell that this was different, a final first so to speak, and though she’d never say those words allowed, she felt like all the rocky roads of her journey so far had led her here, to this man and to this moment.

Tonight’s date felt like a point in Emma’s life that would imprint on her very soul. No forgetting curse or separation would diminish it, and no matter what happened between her and Killian after tonight, this memory would always be here. She just hoped that whatever may come they could really give this thing between them a try. It felt so big, so seemingly perfect despite all its imperfections, that Emma had to believe that this instinct and this pull between them meant something. Yet only time would tell, and time, unfortunately for now, was not on their side. There was still a danger here in Storybrooke, a crisis that needed solving, and a town full of people that needed to be kept safe. Because of that, tonight could only be a moment, but Emma clung to that moment as long as she could, grounding herself in it, so that when trouble did come calling once again she’d have this to keep the faith.

As the music wound down, and the last flickers of the melody died away, Emma couldn’t bring herself to immediately leave Killian’s embrace. Reason told her that she should be more alert to their surroundings and that it was best not to tarry out here too much longer. They’d already taken a risk by being in the open like this, but with Killian’s blue eyes locked on her and his arms around her it felt impossible for Emma to pull back.

Right here, right now, she felt totally safe and content. There was no big bad icy villain wreaking havoc in her town. There were no monsters banging down her door and threatening her family and her friends. There was only this little slice of unexpected hope, and Emma felt for the first time in so long like being greedy. Maybe it was selfish to keep indulging like this, but she didn’t care. Her gut was telling her to trust, to fall deeper into this despite the lack of ‘ideal’ timing, and so she decided in this moment to do that. From now on she’d stop running. She’d do her best to just give in, and she’d believe in her judgment and in the man she knew Killian to be to the best of her ability.

“Quite a song you chose, Swan,” Killian murmured, drawing Emma from the internal thoughts she was grappling with. “I think it’s safe to say it’s just become my favorite.”

“Is that right?” Emma asked with a smile, her eyes flicking down to his lips where a soft grin had appeared, showing a more vulnerable side to this pirate who had a habit of sneaking past all her forms of resistance.

“Aye,” he replied softly as his hand cupper her cheek, his thumb brushing across her lips gently. “It’s been a long wait to get to this, but at last here we are.”

“It was only what, two – maybe three – hundred years for you?” Emma teased, trying for lightness while her heart felt ready to beat out of her chest. “That doesn’t seem so bad a wait.”

Emma expected Killian to playfully respond, to banter with her a little more in that way she was so fond of, but he took her by surprise as he closed the space between them and kissed her with all the passion and the fire and the wanting that she craved. This was no delicate kiss, no passive sign of affection. It was a testament to how serious he was about what he’d said and about the two of them trying this out. The force of it, and the meaning behind this stolen interlude overwhelmed Emma, not just with the lust and the desire coursing through her veins, but by the way it made her feel when they pulled apart. She knew right now this was a raw and real moment, and whatever words he was about to grace her with would be absolutely true and probably change her world forever.

“I don’t want to scare you, Emma, but believe me when I say I would do it all again – I’d face every year of darkness, however long it took, if it meant finding my way back to this, back to you.”

“I’m glad you found me,” Emma whispered, pulling a grin to Killian’s lips again. “Keep finding me, okay?”

“Always, love.”

With that, and a final swift kiss, the two of them walked hand in hand back to the loft and back to reality once more. And though Emma’s instincts were proved right, and things did get crazy again in no time at all, Killian always kept his word, and Emma always kept the memory of their first date close to her heart along with all the other precious moments that true love brought to her and Killian for years and years to come.

Post-Note: So there we have it. I hope that you guys enjoyed this little slice of cuteness! Thank you to the readers who requested this song, and thank you to all of you who have sent prompts. You are all so creative and patient seeing as how long it’s taking me to write some of these and I really appreciate it. Anyway, hope you all have a lovely rest of your weekend and thanks so much for reading!

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9,Part 10,Part 11, Part 12,Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24,Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31,Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38,Part 39,Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45,Part 46,Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52, Part 53,Part 54,Part 55, Part 56, Part 57, Part 58, Part 59, Part 60,Part 61,Part 62, Part 63, Part 64, Part 65, Part 66, Part 67, Part 68,Part 69,Part 70, Part 71, Part 72, Part 73, Part 74, Part 75,Part 76,Part 77, Part 78, Part 79, Part 80, Part 81, Part 82, Part 83,Part 84,Part 85, Part 86, Part 87, Part 88, Part 89, Part 90,Part 91,Part 92, Part 93, Part 94, Part 95, Part 96, Part 97, Part 98,Part 99,Part 100, Part 101, Part 102, Part 103,Part 104, Part 105,Part 106, Part 107,Part 108, Part 109, Part 110,Part 111, Part 112,Part 113, Part 114, Part 115,Part 116, Part 117, Part 118,Part 119,Part 120, Part 121, Part 122, Part 123,Part 124, Part 125,Part 126, Part 127, Part 128,Part 129,Part 130, Part 131,Part 132,Part 133, Part 134, Part 135, Part 136, Part 137, Part 138,Part 139,Part 140, Part 141, Part 142, Part 143, Part 144, Part 145,Part 146, Part 147, Part 148,Part 149, Part 150, Part 151,Part 152, Part 153, Part 154, Part 155, Part 156, Part 157, Part 158,Part 159, Part 160, Part 161, Part 162, Part 163, Part 164,Part 165, Part 166, Part 167, Part 168, Part 169, Part 170, Part 171,Part 172, Part 173, Part 174

#captain swan #captain swan fic #captain swan ff #cs fic #cs ff #cs fluff #cs first date #cs oneshot #emma swan #killian jones #cannon divergence #cs cannon divergent #4x04 maybe? #captain swan mixtape #cs mixtape #the captain swan mixtape #at last #prompted fic

[violetsystems]

#personal

I have another free weekend from mowing the lawn out in the suburbs.  My mom wants to do it the weekend of the start of my vacation to coordinate with her Halloween decorations.  This last week was intense on many levels so it is nice to have some alone time to recoup.  It seems now more than ever there’s a bit of a conspicuous desperation around me at all times.  The exhausting ritual of deciphering who is trying to say what without saying it gets old.  There are times when it doesn’t.  People are often afraid to talk to each other.  When they do it’s pretty much as one sided as flashing a statement shirt in front of your face.  In America people fake it until they make it.  There’s this ambient pushiness from the status quo here at all times.  Chicago can be a little different.  People push back.  How artfully you resist is largely subjective and often not as effective as you’d like.  If I’ve learned anything from bouncing back and forth from here and New York is that consistency is key.  So is being nice.  Sometimes saying no is the nicest answer you have for some people.  Sometimes not saying anything and changing your route completely is better.  Navigating the topography of hypothetical fame is mostly an asteroid field of other people’s expectations.  People have ideas about you without ever asking for your consent here.  That’s anywhere in America and maybe even around the world.  A recent Snowden interview revealed that much of America’s surveillance state was in the hands of private contractors.  Our freedom of press here is dominated by millionaire pundits with vested interests in privatized capital.  Your best bet is a lawsuit.  Which is more money more problems as they say.  Special interests zone in on what they want to see.  Narratives in America are created for political gain all the time and spun right and left in a circle.  Most of this is for profit if not all.  There are times when journalism holds power accountable.  And then there’s times when a talking head goes too far.  Companies like Boeing going through what Nike went through in the nineties.  With zealots in the background chanting to burn it all down and start over from ash.  All very useful revolutionary feelings but the endgame is suspect.  With all the love for the Joker lately I’ve been bringing up the riddler a lot more.  More so that’s it’s funnier to say “Riddle me this” outloud for no reason.  But the Riddler at least had an endgame.  A question was being asked.  The Joker has no answer.  Too much of a failure to stand up without a mask.  It’s all a fucking joke so just laugh on the outside and cry on the inside.  The same could be said of Batman or worse.  Money being his superpower I empathized more when Heath Ledger set it all on fire.  A security guard did say they were going to see the movie this weekend.  I always try to pick the most positive thing to say in public in my dialogue tree.  “Oh Robert Deniro is in that right?”  They smiled and nodded.  I didn’t anything about incels or guns.  I told them to have a nice day.

There’s a time and place for action.  Knowing your part in it during particularly heavy and revolutionary times can be stressful.  Everybody expects from you what they would not do themselves.  People trick you constantly into caring about things that don’t deserve your attention.  The politics that I vote for are the jobs of politicians.  And yet I’ve had my life and privacy more encroached on by politics than what I’ve gotten back it seems.  If the personal is really political then self confidence is the most revolutionary action.  Helping others feel confident in the face of all this is a very heroic act.  But a knight in public for every cause doesn’t really leave much room for down time.  I don’t think it was a waste of my time.  I learned a lot of boundaries this summer.  I scaled a lot of walls in the process.  In the end I’m still right here.  Maybe a little less sensitive.  For as much as I try not to search for anything algorithms still bring the drama into my feed sometimes.  Pictures scroll by and I feel sad, pathetic and alone.  I feel like I’ll never be good enough.  Never famous enough to be cared about.  And then I walk to the grocery store and vice news guerilla interns are there to geotag my every step.  For all the time I spend in my apartment, my view from out my ktichen window is plagued by dystopian nightmares.  Just like my real dashboard is filled with traces of people I love.  What do you really pay attention is on you.  Do I really fear missing out of a hallucination of fame that doesn’t really follow any logic other than money?  For some people that’s their job.  For me I fix computers for artists.  The pay and the benefits are far more than I could ever make dj’ing .  I have a twenty year continuous resume doing so.  I’m sure I could find a job in New York if it made sense.  I’m sure I can fly there every two months by myself and stay occupied too.  I can tell people feel safe around me.  Sometimes I’m just trying to be left alone.  Nobody knows how much space I save in my life and for who.  Sometimes I get the sense that people do.  Sometimes that’s a very beautiful thing to see in action.  Like finding a question mark butterfly on a mailbox on your lunch break.  How that speaks to you can be as pure as nature or tainted by somebody else’s narrative.  That is unfortunately on you and your perspective.  For all the traps and tricks society has played on me I always come out looking like a winner.  I stayed positive.  Sometimes the only winning move is not to play.  Good luck unplugging from everything though.  The internet is a blessing and a curse.  Some platforms just like some movements have so much surface level noise and chaos that nobody gets heard.  Some people burrow so deep in doesn’t really matter.  In that I’ve found a lot of freedom for myself and what I love.  But it’s a constant negotiation.  And that’s a labor of love that keeps on going even through the coldest months to come.  I didn’t say it was easy.  But it’s always been worth it to me to live with what I’ve grown to love and care for deeply in my own way.  Love is probably the most revolutionary act there is in time’s like these.  But what that looks like requires you to love yourself first before it can even manifest.  So maybe the inside world is a good place to start before laying waste to the one outside your window.

Over two years I was inspired by something and someone enough to change.  I put things into motion in my life that required personal action.  It sucked from what I can remember.  But these days I look in the mirror at a different person.  I’m still unhappy at times.  Last week I got angry and depressed.  I thought that everything I tried to become was never going to be enough.  I felt trapped, alone and ignored.  And I realized that wasn’t actually true and focused on other things.  I played games at my kitchen table.  I cleaned my shower.  I applied data analytics to my bank statement with a microsoft application.  I worked out in my kitchen using a Nike app.  I made amazing coffee in my kitchen.  I rolled more than enough joints to know a thing or two about the World of Warcraft movie.  I played records in the back room and streamed Code Vein from my PS4.  I thought a lot about what I want and what I desire.  I paid attention to some things more and other things less.  I listened to my voice when I was speaking and others.  Some people always sound unhappy.  I sound measured and sane.  Sometimes I don’t speak at all.  Sometimes there’s things I really desperately want to say.  Sometimes I know you already know.  I trust that you do.  Have faith that you do.  And I never really expected anything other than that.  And yet miracles are what you make of them.  Life can either be one constant paranoid mindfuck or a tiny green planet in a never ending universe.  How you see that in your mind is reflected in the words you speak.  The pictures you take.  The songs you sing.  The people you avoid.  The bullshit you sacrifice for a garden that blooms yearly.  Things don’t happen overnight.  If you appreciate how things live and grow you know everything takes time.  We’re all so stressed about how much of it we have left.  Are we really enjoying any of it as it passes?  I know the times I put into challenging myself has rewarded me with good health.  People still treat me like a kid all the time.  People have been limiting my potential for as long as I remember.  It’s kept me out of some bad circles and scenes.  I’ve grown largely in isolation by choice.  It’s not a fun thing to be alone all the time.  It looks worse when you lash out.  I’ve been there.  Spitting at the ground all summer because some people got it twisted.  I thought I could fight these irrational battles that are just for show.  I’ve learned it’s more about setting an example.  Leading instead of following.  These days I can’t seem to avoid all the traffic.  Really at the end of the day I just want to run into you.  And I do on the highway we call the internet all the time.  With your tinted windows and your stretch limousine.  You see me waving.  Next time I’ll blow you a kiss.  I’m sure nobody will notice if I stay in my lane.  <3 Tim

[destiny-smasher]

So I did the “get to know me” meme on Twitter but because of how Twitter functions now it’s a hard to follow mess of a thread. Decided to post it all here -- and hey, if any of ya’ll are curious, feel free to read.

1) When I was 10 my abusive stepdad threw a spray at me. I ducked -- it scraped my head. Sent to school bleeding b/c he was too stoned to realize it'd get noticed and I'd get pulled out of that environment immediately. This moment changed my life, left a scar on head.

If I hadn't ducked, would've hit my stomach. No cut. Whole childhood would've been different. My first Butterfly Effect Moment.

2) I started writing fiction about Pokémon. First-person, from the Mons perspective. Rotating point of view each scene.

3) I moved on to crazy crossover fanfic where I constructed an entire war, personal and political motivations, so many ideas I still like?

4) Part of this involved detailed drawings of Mario-themed Keyblades I wish I still had.

5) Paper Mario 1&2 are some of my most influential inspirations. expanded such a simple world so much so fluidly. (Harder than it looks)

6) When I was a kid my sister would wake me st like 6am to watch dubbed Sailor Moon. Bothered me they all sounded like same person.

7) I can recognize voices very well and even specific sounds and songs. Couple years back my roommate ran a test - playlist of 100 NES tracks, he'd play the first NOTE, singular, and I could recognize exactly where it was from if I'd played the game.

8) My first computer was a PC I bought w/$ saved up during an entire summer of custodial work in HS. Had no Internet.

So I'd use the public library's very slow connection to download things to floppy disk and copy them over.

Eventually, I was able to graduate to a USB. Obtaining music was hellish so I treasured each song I could download -- most from OC Remix.

9) We had this tiny rabbit ears TV that could get WB and Fox sometimes if it was set up in a specific corner of my sister's room

And so I would desperately use it to try and stay up to date on Pokémon and Digimon, it was so bad

10) Teen Titans was arguably the most influential piece of media for my teenage mind. It formed the base of so much I care about re:stories

Fleshed out, varied protags who grew together and each had their times to step up and step down. Action w/character dev context.

Fantastic themes important for growing humans; awesome moments "between the panels" instead of all comic book melodrama and action.

Then everything changed when TT GO attacked and pissed on everything smart and thoughtful because MONEYYYYY

11) Cowboy Bebop was the first "good" anime I ever saw and blew my mind open about what animated stories could do -- i.e. Not just kid stuff

I don't like "anime" in general because most of its common tropes but the shit out of me even worse than most western toon tropes

And yet like 50-75% of my most favorite shows ARE anime because thoughtful animated storytelling has so much potential.

11) I predicted months before Last of Us came out that you'd play as Ellie but when it happened I had to stop, cry happy tears.

I predicted the second I saw the Left Behind trailer what was going on w/those two and again, still had to stop and cry happy tears.

(I seem to have pretty good gaydar now but I also don't like, ship everyone together all the time)

It just hits me so hard when actual canon queerness happens in mass media and is done well, but we're still so bad at following through.

12) Favorite m/m ship: Troy and Abed in the Morning. Favorite w/w ship: Max and Chloe BFF Pirates 2008.

ATLA ships: Tokka the most, also Katang, also Smellershot. ATLA makes me more open to shipping than any other series?

Like, Zutara makes me feel kinda gross and some of the crack ships like Sokka/Azula scare me but otherwise I'm pretty chill w/ATLA ships?

13) When I was a kid, and we'd role play, I always wanted to play the girl characters. I was surrounded by boys so they always were weirded.

It was weird to me, too, honestly.

Now it makes perfect goddamn sense.

14) Apparently I was kidnapped as a baby by some mobster or something but it's hard to tell with my mom what's real or not.

15) Smash Bros. Melee was the first game I ever got genuinely hype over before launch. I still remember being startled to discover it --

-- existed via E3 trailer on GameTrailers back on my goddamn dialup connection in 2001. I had to wait all fuckin' day for that thing to load

And when it did, it was GLORIOUS (and had FZero music, which at the time I did not recognize) and I was FLOORED.

The screenshots made the game look too good to be real, and I was instantly sold on the GameCube, the first time I NEEDED new hardware Day 1

I got SSBM as an Xmas gift before my grandpa's GCN present arrived, so for a week or two all I could do was stare at the box/manual/disc

That game kind of changed my life -- SSB64 was the first time I'd gotten so invested in a multiplayer game, and SSBM crushed it.

A fire was born in me -- competition, something I'd never been much interested in w/games before, not against actual humans.

Those months between E3 2001 and finally getting to play SSBM felt like forever. And thus did I post online fiction for the first time.

That's actually how I met @SDiDuro , my first 'Internet friend' and what I'd consider to be my first proper 'reader.'

16) After college, I ended up working at a call center because it was  the only job I could find and I needed to support my disabled wife.

DURING college, I gave up on writing fiction and had focused on gaming editorial through a site where I'd engaged with an online community

But that empty space between phone calls eventually got filled in by writing fiction on a notepad, with a pen, inspired by Street Fighter 4.

Eventually, this evolved and radically changed into what is now (still in dev) DownRight Fierce.

Back then, I had no idea I'd be motivated to DO this, though -- write original fiction -- but the fire had been re-lit.

I wanted to write.

I was sickened by my "naive" adolescence crossover fics and wiped them from my http://FF.net  profile and started anew.

Having just come off of ATLA 1st time, I knew I wanted to explore that world/characters more, so I wrote a story about Toph & puberty.

That serving as "practice," I then went on to write SRU, and...well, that...changed EVERYTHING.

17) My biological dad (who I have never met) has OCD, to the point where he apparently washed his skin raw trying to avoid germs?

So as soon as I showed enthusiasm in gaming, my parents FREAKED and worried I was exhibiting OCD and they brought the hammer down.

They made me feel BAD for writing about video games when I wasn't playing them, but they never READ anything I fucking wrote.

Even now, my mom tries to comment on what a good writer I supposedly am, yet when I ask for her thoughts, I ask what she's read?

Silence.

I wasn't writing fiction based on games because I was THAT addicted to games.

I did it because a storyteller was awakening within me --

-- and I told stories through the worlds and characters I was familiar with.

(And my first genuinely "serious" fic was Teen Titans, anyway)

But even now, it really hurts that my parents will sometimes try to guilt me over not calling or whatever the fuck, when they never READ

never supported, and actively DISCOURAGED my writing, my storytelling, refused to understanding why I loved games.

18) I never watched Avatar until after college (years after it had finished), and I watched it because of the live action movie.

I watched halfway through the season 1 of the cartoon to get "read up" on it. Then the movie. Which was horrible. Then the rest of season 1.

At that point, the movie utterly baffled me. My wife and I proceeded to marathon the rest of the series. And it became my fav story ever.

But I ironically owe it to that terrible live action movie. ^_^;;

19) My taste in music is really weird. I couldn't tell you what my favorite genres are, and even fav musicians is hard.

Like, every year my top three fav musicians "change" because I just add more to the pile and spend the year focused on their music.

But music inspires my storytelling more than any other medium, I'd say -- in terms of me actually planning and growing ideas.

I didn't just give Nishiko and Seiko last names of my two fav game composers as tongue-in-cheek. In fact, that's not why I did it at all.

I gave them those names because I wanted some element of their very design to express how Japanese composers inspired me in my teen years.

#get to know me #personal

[photomaniacs]

7 Ways to Make Your Photos More Interesting http://ift.tt/2siI4CL

When I first started taking photos, I knew the importance of finding what “good” really looked like. I knew that there were a million people out there that claimed to be more successful than they were, and that my taste wasn’t refined enough and that I wasn’t experienced enough to know the difference between them and those that were truly great.

I found people at the top of the industry and read every article they wrote and watched every video or interview ever made about them. Then, when they mentioned someone they admired, I studied them too. Like a butterfly effect, I would break down and understand new artists and the most intricate shooting styles.

I committed it all to memory, taking what made sense to me and leaving behind the rest. After 7 years, I slowly started to gain an understanding of my own style — mashed up and molded from some of the most well-respected photographers, painters, and artists in the world.

In this article I would like to share some of those gold nuggets of information that resonated with me and that changed and continued to push my art forward in new and exciting ways. Some of these ideas you will have heard of and I will reiterate their importance, others might pique your interest enough to give them a try.

Lets dive in.

1. Location

It’s the oldest saying in the book; “Location, Location, Location!’

This is for good reason. Simply by making it a point to place yourself somewhere unique, you are bound to get better shots. I remember the first time I went to Iceland. You could pretty much point your camera in any direction and press the shutter and get 90% better photos than most anywhere else. It was ridiculous.

Not only does the location help you in terms of visual interest in the photo itself, but when you are seeing somewhere beautiful for the first time it tends to inspire you and thus get you into a more open-minded and creative mood. This will always be good news for the work you are about to create. Remember: it doesn’t have to be crazy expensive — just find somewhere that makes you excited the second you see it.

2. Learning to Use Strobes

It took me the majority of my photography career to learn this superpower. When I did, it changed everything. Imagine: the ability to use only the most beautiful quality of light to manipulate any way you see fit. The higher-end strobes can literally overpower the sun. The creative control this gives you is immense. You can now decide whether you want something more dramatic or more dreamy. You can manipulate the light in order to convey any feeling or emotion you want.

In the most simplistic terms, your camera is just a light capturing box. So feed it the best light and those photos will grow up big and strong.

3. Subject

Most of us have been there before. We’ve had a great idea and made the effort to put it together and then we get there and realize that the subject is just the wrong fit. For the type of photography I like to shoot, it’s not all about getting the most beautiful person. It’s about finding someone who fits the emotion I want to convey.

I believe it’s impossible to be a great photographer without incredible emotional intelligence and self-awareness. When you meet someone for the first time, you have to be able to gauge how they make you feel. What emotion do they draw out of you?

Sometimes it makes sense to work with a seasoned model like my friend Crystal below. It certainly can make your life easier if you have someone who fits the bill and has a variety of unique poses and looks in their arsenal.

Other times it makes more sense to take the time to work with someone who isn’t a pro. It can go a long way in creating something that feels a bit more relatable to the viewer.

Regardless of who it is, try your best to get as much time with your subjects/potential subjects as you can. The more comfortable and familiar you are with that person, the more connection that you have, the better your images will turn out.

4. The Haze Machine

For the longest time I couldn’t figure out what created that atmospheric and moody look in people’s images. Was it dry ice? Lots of candles? A fog machine?

In this photo, I even tried spraying Fabreze in front of the lens and inevitably onto my good buddy, Donard. (Stay fresh, buddy, stay fresh!)

Eventually I figured out that it was a Hazer making this magic look! These machines can go a long way in completely changing the way the light falls on your subject and ensure that your space doesn’t feel too stiff and manicured. It can convey mystery and drama and is fairly simple to use.

A haze machine is different from a fog machine in that it’s not as thick and white. This makes it much easier to shine lights through and gives the added benefit of being able to actually see your subject instead of making it look like something’s on fire (which the fog machine is great for).

5. Building a Set

As I became more interested in strobes, I started to dabble and understand the value of a good set. This could be as simple as getting a couple of plants and a backdrop, or as complicated as a full-on build in which you create walls, windows, and bring in furniture to mimic the idea you have in mind. Regardless, the ability to be able to control your surroundings can be a huge advantage in creating a balanced and consistent look in your image. In the industry, we call this “production value”.

6. Tones

“Gavin, where them tones at, bruh?”

My friends love to rag on me about my obsession with tonal equity in an image.

However, this obsession is for good reason and was such a key element to making my images have the style and feel that I had always wanted. In fact, just by using similar tonal values within your images, you are going a very long way in creating a consistent look.

But what are tones? In photography, tones can be referred to as either:

1. The overall lightness or darkness of an area of an image-similar to luminosity, or 2. The color of all or part of an image, usually in relation to its warmth or coolness

One of the best ways to start understanding what you like is to pay attention to films you love. It might be a movie set in a snowy area in which they use blue tones to really help you feel the cold, or it might be a beach day in which red and orange tones are used to warm up the scene.

Spend some time figuring out a combination that makes sense to you.

7. Understanding Your Audience

The truth is that at the end of the day, “interesting” is subjective. All of this is simply my opinion because it has been firstly what’s resonated with me and secondly, my audience. I’m not going to be the guy who sits here and tells you to create work only for other people, because I’m a strong believer in the importance of listening to your gut and making something that you are proud of.

On the other end of the coin, I’m also not going to sit here and pretend that other people’s opinions of your work are irrelevant, at least as a professional. That being said, if your goal is to also make something interesting to other people, then it would make sense to understand those people, yet the amount of photographers that do not is significant.

Where do you want to go with respect to your career? If you want to be a fashion photographer, what do people interested in fashion care about? What are some other interests that are typical of this subset of people? What is lacking in the marketplace? What kind of statement can you make with your imagery that would resonate?

As you move forward with your photography, reflect on some of these things and how they might be able to benefit you. Take the ones that make sense and ignore the rest. If you can cultivate the ability to continually audit yourself and be aware of where you want to go and the gaps that still exist, that will be half the battle won. As I said earlier, this process took place over 7 years, so be patient with yourself and your abilities, yet stay determined and you will come out on top.

About the author: Gavin Doran is a Brooklyn-based photographer best known for his cinematic portraiture and dynamic lifestyle imagery. You can find more of his work on his website or by following him on Facebook and Instagram. This post was also published here.

Go to Source Author: Gavin Doran If you’d like us to remove any content please send us a message here CHECK OUT THE TOP SELLING CAMERAS!

The post 7 Ways to Make Your Photos More Interesting appeared first on CameraFreaks.

June 27, 2017 at 08:00PM

#photo photography art camera cameras

[mexcine]

Life (2017) review

First, I think Life is a misleading title for this film. It suggests something...profound.  A more appropriate title would be Attack of the Deadly Martian Butterfly Creature, Squid Monster on  a Space Station or—if you want to get cryptic—Danger! Calvin is Loose!  Life is basically It! The Terror from Beyond Space, Dark Star, and Alien rolled into one, only not quite as entertaining.  Don’t be tricked by the presence of Ryan Reynolds and Jake Gyllenhaal in the cast, this is pretty much a direct-to-video level science fiction movie, with a couple of name stars and a better effects budget.  There is really no deeper meaning here, it’s just...Monster on a Space Station!

Mars dirt is delivered to the space station for analysis. Got to keep that foreign dirt off the Earth until it’s proven to absolutely not contain any horrible monster seeds.  Hey, what do you know, that was a good idea! Because one little germ or amoeba or cell or whatever gets thawed out and grows into a little creature that looks like an albino Baby Groot, or possibly a used disposable glove.  Potentially inspired by Bill Watterson’s naughty kid character (immortalised on millions of “Calvin pee-ing” auto window stickers), or the 30th president of the United States Calvin Coolidge, or theologian John Calvin, elementary students on Earth name the Martian life form “Calvin.” Turns out, “Evil Bone-Crushing Squid Thing” would have been more appropriate.

Calvin gets loose and Ryan Reynolds tries the “Kill it with fire!” method, only to fail in spectacular fashion.  Unfortunately, no one has a cold and can sneeze on the monster, since that seems to work pretty well on Martians (they don’t have any Slim Whitman recordings either, worse luck).  The 6-person space station crew (Reynolds, Gyllenhaal, British woman, Russian woman, black guy, Asian guy) is rapidly whittled down to two.  We’re doomed, they admit, but at least we can keep Calvin away from Earth. Or CAN we?

Despite my snarky comments up to this point, I actually found Life to be relatively entertaining and suspenseful for most of its relatively trim 104-minute run time. I didn’t like the ending—I shan’t spoil it for you, but it’s not a happy one.  Far be it from me to tell the screenwriters what to write, but the unhappy ending of Life doesn’t “make you think,” it isn’t in any way a logical continuation of the overall plot, and is—in fact—handled in such a clumsy “gotcha!” manner that further annoyed me.  The unhappy end of the original Night of the Living Dead—irony! The unhappy end of Life? Blargh.  I’d have enjoyed Life much more if the surviving crew members had defeated Calvin and saved the Earth.  [Which brings up another quibble: everyone says Calvin poses a threat to mankind if he reaches Earth.  I don’t see it. Sure, he’s killed a handful of unprepared people in an enclosed environment, but it’s not as if he’s going to wipe out life on our planet instantaneously. Or IS he?  Dun dun DUN]

While we’re on the bash-Life path, a word or two about the mise-en-scene.  Man, is this a dark blue film.  Alien was a pioneer of the “gritty spaceship” style of cinema, with the interior of the craft looking like the engine room of a tramp steamer, but the space station in Life seems not such much lived-in as underlit.  Seriously, it’s hard to see anything.  It heightens the suspense, I suppose, but it’s also frustrating for viewers (like me) who prefer to know what’s going on.

To give credit where it’s due, Life’s special effects are quite good.  Calvin himself is interesting, a sort of floaty butterfly-squid whose movements are eerie at times (although other scenes are reminiscent of a Scooby Doo-menace pursuing Shaggy and Scooby).  The performances are adequate: the script tries to give most of the crew members some characterisation (Ryan Reynolds is a smart-alec, Gyllenhaal is weird, Hiroyuki Sanada is a new father, Ariyon Bakare was confined to a wheelchair on Earth but in space isn’t disabled, Miranda North is British and Olga Dihovichnaya is Russian) but after a certain point it doesn’t matter, they’re all floating around, screaming at each other and stressed out.

The ending kind of bummed me out, but Life is an adequately entertaining science-fiction thriller.  Not too original, fairly predictable, but slick and mildly suspenseful.  Just don’t expect Arrival or Gravity.

#Life (2017) #jake gyllenhaal #ryan reynolds #science fiction movie #monster movie

[vanilla-blessing]

Ownership of Pure Illusions in Flip Flappers

In a recently translated interview, Kiyotaka Oshiyama, the director of Studio 3Hz’s Flip Flappers, confirmed that all of the distinct worlds within the show’s dreamlike alternate reality called Pure Illusion were based on the subconscious of different characters, but kept secret which places matched which people. 

“It’s not mentioned in the story who’s world each of the different episodes’ Pure Illusions are, but if people watching were thinking “I wonder if this world is that character’s?” then that’s just what we were aiming for. Of course, as the creators we have some sense of which is which, but we’d prefer to not say it outright. There are various hints mixed into the visuals, so hopefully people will try to puzzle it out themselves.” Oshiyama (tl by @HugBdrill)

I’ve posted my scattered thoughts on this topic before, because exploring characters through symbolism and metaphor in the environment is Flip Flappers’ entire deal, and the show makes it challenging but not difficult to interpret the meaning of Cocona and Papika’s adventures. For the sake of mahou shoujo science, I’ve collected my best guesses as to who’s Pure Illusions were who’s during Flip Flappers’ run. Spoilers for Flip Flappers below if you haven’t seen it yet.

Ep 1  - Cocona

The first journey into Pure Illusion dumps Cocona and Papika into an abandoned version of Cocona’s hometown, buried under an enormous amount of ice and snow. Despite appearing cold and barren on the surface, they discovers that the snow tastes sweet on the inside. It’s an almost embarrassingly direct look into Cocona’s self-imposed isolation, but once Papika inserts herself into her world, the ice starts to break.

Ep 2 - Uexküll

After following Cocona’s flubber-bunny Uexküll into a vacuum cleaner, Cocona and Papika (wearing an Alice In Wonderland dress) grow rabbit ears and tails and develop a fixation with biting hard objects. They venture through a giant vacuum cleaner and are later saved by a very masculine Uexküll. They’re dust bunnies under the influence of Uexküll’s outlook on the world, where a vacuum cleaner is a dangerous threat and Uexküll’s self-image projects himself as some kind of bearded Martian Manhunter.

Ep 3 - Sayuri

The first two Pure Illusions were easy to connect, but the third one is where clues stopped showing up immediately. After getting desynced during the impedance process, Papika is separated from Cocona and thrown into a Mad Max-inspired desert. The girls battle each other with Bruce Lee’s martial arts style before undergoing an incredibly extended and gratuitous magical girl transformation, complete with embarrassing one-liners and dramatic posing. They fight with flashy, bright attacks while random bystanders meaninglessly commentate in the style of action shonen. Although most western viewers notice the Dragonball Z and Mad Max nods, there’s nobody immediately obvious to connect these inspirations to. We learn in the last episode that (a version of) FlipFlap’s scientist Sayuri has collected what can be identified as Mad Max and Sailor Moon posters in her room, which matches her love of anime and cinema that was only vaguely hinted at before.

Ep 4 - None They get sucked into a hole in the sun but we never see the Pure Illusion inside.

Ep 5 - Yayaka

Called the “horror episode” by some people, the Pure Illusion that shows up in this episode borrows well known atmospheric horror elements of movies like The Shining, lightning and rain, jumpscares, clock towers at midnight, and unnaturally moving girls with shapeless faces. However, these leads go nowhere because there’s nobody we know for sure that has any interest in horror. Thankfully, there are even more influences - it also represents a clearly repressed, rule-based society, with extremely overt yuri overtones. The all-girls school (with the exact same layout as their school) also proves to be the most dangerous adventure they have yet. This matches Yayaka pretty well, since she was raised by a literal cult and forced to do missions for them her entire life, but still has not been able to connect meaningfully with her only friend, Cocona. While inside the Pure Illusion she shows obvious embarrassment and brags about her tougher mindset, which would account for the more dangerous and gloomy tone. At the end of the episode when Cocona breaks the loop by ringing the bell at midnight, it coincides with Yayaka starting to break her routine mission parameters with Asclepius, and beginning to open up to her only real friend.

Ep 6 - Iroha

This is the first time Flip Flappers openly states that the Pure Illusion they entered was in fact someone’s mind, but you can sort of tell right from the start. Even though their upperclassman Iroha’s name was never said until this episode, the first location they fight in is obviously painted and resembles the paintings we just saw her making. A literal portal to Iroha’s traumatic memories of her auntie cements this as Iroha’s Pure Illusion. Also, Iro means color, which is another theme of this episode - switches, fades in and out, and violent clashes of color are everywhere. Flip Flappers in general does these effects all the time, but this is the episode where subtle color shifts are most important.

Ep 7 - Cocona again

Same empty hometown as the first episode, but instead being of filled with snow, it’s lush, bright, and filled with different versions of Papika. As Cocona wanders around trying to find the right Papika, they ask her outright: What is Papika to you? Does it have to be her? Is Papika just a friend? This episode even sneaks in the famous train shot from Evangelion to further drive home its self-reflective nature. In the end, Papika rescues Cocona and reveals that she had been searching for her all along, and Cocona was the one who was lost.

Ep 8 - Bu-chan A futuristic city created by a tiny scientist that is constantly being destroyed and rebuilt. The world exudes an obvious obsession with robots and butts. Tiny scientist bemoans the destruction of his life’s work, and describes the futility of rebuilding when everything will just get razed to the ground next week. Maybe Bu-chan is a bit more bitter towards the girls constantly damaging his brain than he lets on?

Ep 9 - Toto/Yuyu

This one is probably the most of a stretch, since there’s not much to really go on. It’s a featureless world with no walls, just a white floor and white ceiling that strongly resemble what we see of Asclepius’ labs. The only thing inside it beyond empty space is the excessive defense mechanisms around the fragment itself. The only real theme is that it’s confined, and the only unique aspect of it is an ever-present echo, which is especially odd given the lack of walls. Confined and dangerous draw similarities with what’s probably Yayaka’s Pure Illusion, which put together with the echo would fit the naming convention of her coworkers, the Amorphous Children (Yuyu, Toto, Nyunyu). As artificial humans they lack defining characteristics which would explain the lack of, well, anything. At the very least it establishes that they have minds like steel traps.

Ep 10 - None Nobody goes into Pure Illusion in this episode.

Ep 11 - Mimi

We’ve already seen this Pure Illusion in Cocona’s dreams, but it’s a very safe bet that she’s been visiting what remained of Mimi -  a reflective pool showing her dual nature, and a boat that sails through every other Pure Illusion. In this episode she breaks holes in the real world to show her omnipotent power and lack of respect for barriers. Later on, Cocona and Papika fight Mimi on bits of land covered by her favorite white clovers, which are extremely relevant because flower language is rad as hell and they paid special attention to it.

Ep 12 - Remix Mimi makes it clear that she was responsible for the recurring themes of the witch claw and red hands that made every Pure Illusion dangerous. She revives every defeated enemy and teleports everyone throughout the previous Pure Illusions at will.

Ep 13 - Salt We see glimpses of it in episode 12, but Salt’s Pure Illusion is the monotone gray, realistic world grounded in modernity that Cocona wakes up in. He’s a dour guy, so it contains none of the fantastical elements of any Pure Illusion and it’s filled with pessimistic versions of everyone else. What a fun guy.

Ep 13 - Cocona and Papika In the last scene, we see Papika take Cocona into a cloud of rainbow butterflies that fly freely between Pure Illusions and lead them to the real world.

I have absolutely no idea what the PI’s in the ED are supposed to mean, or who they refer to. Don’t @ me about them.

-qb magical girl reporter @queuebae

#flipflappers #flip flappers #pure illusion #pureillusion #robots #butts #papika

[learningtoacceptchange]

So your ship isn’t canon (A survivor guide)

Hello there, and welcome. You’re probably wondering why this should even be a post on Tumblr, but then again, since we have so many posts that cause even the most jaded and worldly of us to ask ‘why does this exist?’ I have decided to answer that with ‘why not?’

The inspiration behind this post was the current responses in the Overwatch fandom here on Tumblr. Now, I will freely admit I have not played this game yet. But I certainly plan on doing so in the future, and that was more than partially influenced by my introduction to a ship known as WidowTracer (aka Widowmaker/Tracer) and then a further introduction to a ship known as Lemily, Emilena, or Lemon Tea (no official name has been agreed, but so far all of the suggested names that are not ‘derogatory’ are adorable). 

(Edit: I do currently own a copy of Overwatch, and I love playing it! I mostly play Mercy cause I’ve played ‘healer’ class in everything, but I play AI with Tracer because I want to get better at being a fast running Brit with lasers) 

Basic terminology guide here:

Shipping: The pairing together of two (or more) characters from a series. Most shipping happens with romantic intentions or inclinations. However, shipping characters as friends (rather than enemies or lovers) happens as well. 

Shippers: The fans, the consumers, those who are observing and perceive characters in the series as being friends, lovers, enemies, or in a different relationship than the one presented on the screen. We are the ones inspired by these pairings for many different reasons (representation of self, admiration, gratification, wish-fulfillment, escapism, empathy, ect). 

Fandom: The fanbase as a whole; despite the different opinions, we all enjoy the series/show/game as a general pursuit. 

Ship: A particular pairing in a fandom.  

Shipping wars or ship wars: When fans who have different ships are opposed to others having different ships, and will give reasons why with the use of ‘discourse’ (see further down). This had led to several instances of in-fighting, lawsuits, the loss of many fans leaving the fandom due to the toxic atmosphere, and harassment against fans by other fans or third-party instigators. 

It is, in extremely rare cases, done with civil politeness and with a friendly camaraderie on opposite sides. 

OTP: One True Pairing. Can sometimes be one singular pairing from all the shows an individual has watched, or can mean a pairing from each show. A fan can have many OTPs from many different series. There is no offical rule that states that you can only have one OTP. 

OT3: Same as above, but with three individuals. Has been used in fandoms before, but is only rarely found in canon circumstances. 

Crack-pairing: A pairing that would never happen in continuity within the series, yet has the attention of at least one fan. Can be seen by others as an ‘unexpectedly positive’ or ‘completely gross’ pairing, depending on context. 

BROTP: ‘Brotherly (Or Bro) True Pairing. This is often used to describe a friendship between characters, rather than anything romantic. Also known as ‘BFFTP’, or ‘best friends forever true pairing’.

NOTP: Never or No One True Pairing. This is used to describe a pairing that you might particularly despise, i.e., hate with every fiber of your being and want nothing more than it not existing in the world. 

X: Used as a link to clarify that the characters in the ship are together. Recent use has dropped off lately in preference to ship names (which are usually a combination of the names of characters; Korrasami instead of Korra X Asami, Makorra instead of Mako X Korra, ect)

/: Used in place of X for characters in a ship; often used on media sites that show fanmade music videos or fanfiction about characters from a series. 

Canon: When something (about a character or place or thing within a series) is stated as ‘canon’, it is acknowledged by the creator(s) and/or those who work with/ the company owning the series/ the ones in charge that it is fact, and real. Many ships are canon. 

Non-canon: When something is denied, not confirmed, or made implausible  by the creator(s) and/or those who work with/ the company owning the series/ the ones in charge. Many ships are non-canon, but still admired and loved just the same as if they were canon. 

Headcanon: Unofficial statements about characters that might be closer to truth than previously thought, or that end up being wildly off the mark. Headcanon is often used in fanfiction to explain facets of a character or the ‘behind the scenes’ of what is not shown in a series. 

Discourse: *shakes my head* I might have to use another post about this one term. Basically the discussion about why ‘we can’t have nice things’ and how some ships are ‘wrong’ and others are ‘right’. Might start off well meaning with good intentions, usually evolves to a spitting match and disgusting behavior by demeaning others, attacking them with hate speech, denying their beliefs with perceived superiority, and ends up becoming a stalemate of hurting egos and smoldering anger. Many friendships and good feelings are destroyed because of discourse. 

EDIT: 

I completely forgot about this term. THIS is one of the very important ones:

AU, also known as ‘Alternate Universe’: This is used in fanfiction, fan theories and fan videos to explain many possible canon and ‘what if’ circumstances that might occur while watching or discussing a show. Many artists use an AU theme, such as a different setting (Ancient History or Space Age or High School) to show a vastly changed world where the characters would interact under entirely non-canon environments. A canon (sort of) example of this would be the chibi-school episode of Avatar The Last Airbender where Aang tries to ask Katara to the school dance. It’s not central at all to the series, but was created by the creators and is a fun, light-hearted episode. 

Crossover: This is another term that is used in fanfiction and fan videos. Sometimes characters from different series and entirely different universes are imagined to meet/interact in some way that has at least one fan creating an instance where this happened. Sometimes in happens in canon universes, such as The Question reading about Rorschach from Watchmen (both are DC universe of heroes) or between different companies (Marvel vs DC). Sometimes it can be different series set in the same place (Chicago franchise crossover between Chicago Fire and Chicago E.R.) Often times crossovers can be high unlikely (Team Fortress 2 vs Overwatch) but when they are well written and true to the characters, are enjoyable to read and watch.  

End the basic terminology guide. 

 Alright then, let’s get into it. 

I have observed that while responses to the official Overwatch comic ‘Reflections’ were overwhelmingly positive and upbeat, there were many that were disappointed and livid. And I can say it was not the first time I’ve witnessed such, having seen it in several other fandoms. And while I could write another article about how and why some ships are frequently targeted for harassment (and I just might do that...) this is mainly to provide another option to those who were simply told to ‘deal with it’. 

Maybe all of your pairings have been OTP and canon. Maybe you’ve never had to deal with taunts that your ship doesn’t deserve to exist, or with the casual flaunting of a disliked ship thrown in your face. Maybe you have a pairing that never happened in continuity, but you still like it all the same. 

And you know what? That’s okay. 

What’s not okay is if you have personally rubbed it in the face of someone whose ship is not yours. 

So, here’s a list of suggestions on how you can (in a healthy manner) deal with it. 

1. Deal with it. 

Do what you have to do to process your dismay/grief/frustration, but find ways to do it that DON’T target other people. Listen to sad music and lament that in canon, your ship isn’t a reality. Grieve, take a deep breath, and at your own pace, get used to disappointment. Sometimes you can tell other like-minded fans what you’re feeling, and receive sympathy instead of ridicule. It may be the first time it’s happened, and it won’t be the last, but you and your fellow shippers can support each other.  

2. Find an outlet.

Many fans find inspiration and a sense of well-being by doing something for their ship. Draw some fanart or write some fanfiction, find a talent related to the characters or story that inspired you/caught your interest in the first place. Channeling energy into other pursuits can be a great way to find others who support your opinions, while not stepping on another’s ship. 

3. There will be others. 

This might be the most important thing to state here; there will be other shows to catch your attention, other ships that will inspire you, other moments when you feel that calling again. A lot of people are mocked for hopping around from one fandom to another, but there is no rule against liking multiple things or people, nor should there be. Fandoms have been dropped and picked right back up before, and it will continue to be so again. It should not be the end of your world if your ship isn’t canon, nor should anyone make you feel that way.  

And if you feel like none of these suggestions are helping, if you feel like you cannot find anything that speaks to YOU...

4. Create your own. 

This seems like a dismissive comment, but in all seriousness, this could be one of the most important things you can do. Tired of seeing nothing but straight couples in the stuff you watch/play/read? Create your own. Sick of the same old formula in every movie you see? Create your own. Want to make a statement against cynical naysayers and haters? Create your own. 

That’s what inspires so many artists/animators/video game makers/writers/painters/comic book creators/musicians/individuals with creative outlets! Because they couldn’t find what they were looking for, they created it themselves. An idea formed in their minds, and they ran headlong with it, in turn inspiring others to create. It’s the butterfly effect with art, and it can cause a tornado of inspiration. 

This barely covers the basics, but I sincerely hope that it helps someone dealing with their ship not being canon. Thank you for reading this, and please continue shipping. 

#shipping #canon #ship #noncanon #overwatch #discourse

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

Interview: A Q&A with Rising Swedish Pop Duo Vargas & Lagola

Choosing the band name Vargas & Lagola because they thought the names sounded like characters in a Quentin Tarantino movie, the Swedish songwriting, production and pop artist act comprised of Swedish Grammy-winning duo Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare features two of their homeland’s most accomplished contemporary songwriters and producers: the pair have had successful solo careers before teaming up to write hits for a who’s who list of electro pop and pop that includes Madonna, Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Axwell /\ Ingrosso, Katy Perry, Ghost, and Sia.

Founded back in 2017, the duo’s collaboration is a decided change in sonic direction from their previous output as the project finds the Swedish songwriters and producers experimenting with their own unique take on melodic alt-pop, which meshes elements of 70s Americana and Nordic melancholia. Coincidentally, as they started their own attention-grabbing project, the duo received accolades for co-writing Avicii’s “Without You” and “Waiting for Love,” which led to a Swedish Grammy Award win for Composer of the Year. Adding to a growing profile across the international electro pop scene, Al Fakir and Pontare performed their co-written hit “More Than You Know” with Axwell /\ Ingrosso at Coachella — and they played a key role in finishing Avicci’s posthumously released album TIM, contributing on three of the album’s songs.

Last year, I wrote about “Forgot To Be Your Lover,” a carefully crafted pop song that balanced easygoing AM rock, yacht rock breeziness and achingly melancholic nostalgia while sonically the track was centered around atmospheric synths, lush layers of shimmering and twangy, country-styled guitar lines. In some way, the song – to my ears at least – reminded me of Danish JOVM mainstays Palace Winter, but with an ambitious, arena rock feel.

The acclaimed and commercially successful Swedish pop duo’s highly anticipated full-length debut is slated for release at the end of the month. Building upon the growing buzz surrounding them, the duo’s latest single “Someone That Understands Me” continues a run of ambitious, arena rock-like pop. Centered around shimmering acoustic guitar, achingly plaintive vocals, enormous hooks, thunderous drumming and a scorching, Purple Rain-era Prince-like guitar solo from Ludwig Goransson, the song is the contented sigh of a world-weary person, who has stumbled upon one of life’s rare gifts – finding someone like-minded, who truly understands and accepts you for you.

I recently spoke to the duo via email about the new single, which officially drops today, their soon-to-be released album and more. Check out new single and the Q&A below.

 ____

WRH: How did you get into music?

Vincent Pontare: My father is a singer, so I got my first guitar from him when I was seven years- old.

Salem Al Fakir: I started to play violin and piano when I was three.

WRH: Who are your influences?

VP and SAF: We love all types of music! We have our roots in hip-hop/reggae/70s/60s but get most of the inspiration for VARGAS & LAGOLA from 70s Americana.

WRH: How would you describe your sound to someone completely unfamiliar with you and your work?

VP and SAF: Imagine if Fleetwood Mac and Jimi Hendrix had a kid that listened to Wu-Tang and loves to go to Burning Man, that’s us.

WRH: Who are you currently listening to?

VP and SAF: Khruangbin, Chet Baker, and Watain.

WRH: Can you name a couple of Swedish acts that should be getting love outside of Sweden but haven’t yet? And why should we know about them?

VP and SAF: VARGAS & LAGOLA. We feel that our type music is unrepresented out in the world at the moment.

WRH: The band is comprised of two, highly accomplished and incredibly successful solo songwriters and producers. What brought the two of you together to collaborate? And how has working together changed your creative process?

VP and SAF: We had met before through mutual friends and had the same booking agency and later on we shared the same studio for a month and then one day we said: we should try to write a song together!?

And the rest is history. . .

It’s a blessing to be two and in the same boat! When the other one is out of ideas or need a break the other one jumps in

WRH: Both of you have managed to write material for an impressive list of globally known pop artists. Has that work influenced or changed your creative process?

VP and SAF: I think success affects [sic] your compass for what works or not in a good way, you trust your gut feel[ing] and that’s the most important tool we have.

WRH: Your latest single “Somebody That Understands Me” features a guest spot from Ludwig Goransson. How did that come about?

VP and SAF:  You might think we already knew him cause we all are Swedes, but we didn’t’! We just fanboyed him up on Instagram and said, “Would you be up for trying a guitar solo on our upcoming single?” And he said “Yes.”

WRH: Speaking of “Somebody That Understands Me,” the track is one of those big, arena rock-friendly sentimental pop tunes with the sort of hook that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. In some way, the song kind of reminds me of Purple Rain and 1999-era Prince. So who and what influenced the song? Is it influenced by personal experience?

VP and SAF: We both have a soft spot for 90s arena rock, so we wanted to please ourselves for a second. Who doesn’t love a 12-string guitar riff!???

The song is about the beauty in finding like-minded people and a homage to thinking outside of the box in life in general. All types of music or genres we’ve been obsessed of comes from an underdog or rebellious perspective. So we wanted to get a little bit of that feeling into the lyrics and the production

WRH: Your highly anticipated full-length debut is slated for release at the end of the month. What should we expect from the album? 

VP and SAF: We want to give our fans a more nuanced palette of our musical landscape, so The Butterfly Effect is a piece in that puzzle.

WRH: What’s next for you?

VP and SAF: Promotion, touring and writing more music.

Interview: A Q&A with Rising Swedish Pop Duo Vargas & Lagola @vargasandlagola @AmandaElefelt @ludwiggoransson Interview: A Q&A with Rising Swedish Pop Duo Vargas & Lagola Choosing the band name Vargas & Lagola…

#Avicii #Avicii TIM #AvicII Waiting for Love #Avicii Without You #Axwell / Ingrosso #Axwell / Ingrosso More Than You Know #Burning Man Festival #Chet Baker #Coachella #David Guetta #EDM #electro pop #Fleetwood Mac #Ghost #indie electro pop #indie synth pop #Interview #Jimi Hendrix #Katy Perry #Khraungbin #Ludwig Goransson #Madonna #New Audio #Palace Winter #Prince #Prince Purple Rain #Q&amp;A #Salem Al Fakir #Sia #Single Review