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aradias-crypt · 5 years

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Sinful Symphonies

“This song again?” You rub your temples, your eye twitching as the sound of heavy metal drones on in your head. It overwhelms the sound of your own music. Setting down your palette, you drop your paintbrush into a jar of solvent before marching to your radio resting on the windowsill of your room.

Lowering the volume, you wait for the music on your other’s “side” to soften. You honestly pity their eardrums if they listen to music this loudly.

Soon, the music stops altogether.

Good.

You crank up your own music to full blast. A smug smile tugs at your lips.

“Hope you like jazz, jerk face.”

Ever since the day you were born, music seemed to stream constantly to you from your other half’s side. Whether it was night or day, music played ceaselessly. When you were young, you’d make a game of playing your favorite records to try and share your tastes with your soulmate, hoping they’d eventually show an interest in the same music.

Their music didn’t change exactly, mostly sticking to classics and rock, but on nights when your room grew uncomfortably quiet, soft music would play and lull you to sleep.

Childhood was fun, full of guessing games and the like, but the tune changed when you reached your teens. As supers made more and more appearances in your life, the music grew darker and twisted, as if the person on the other side was directly affected in some way.

Soon, your game of appeasing your other evolved into a game of bothering them as they did you. Some days you won, some you lost. You blasted ballads and pop songs while they flooded you with death metal and songs you couldn’t decipher. You won the mornings while they won the nights. Mostly when you were preparing to sleep.

At the very least, they didn’t often get hurt. That, you were grateful for. Pain is also shared between soulmates, though the physical wound of the other is only momentary for the partner.

“Still, you have a wicked sense of humor, love.” You sigh, rubbing your eyes as the memory of flesh falling from your face comes to mind. There’s been plenty of times where your body ached from phantom shifting, but the physical wounds always hurt the most. “Making me worry about you when you put yourself in situations like that.”

Perhaps they're a hero or a villain. Its entirely possible. Supers put themselves in harms way all the time. Maybe it wasn’t recklessness but the goodness of their hearts that drove them into danger.

...or they were just a prankster

Either way, they were getting drop kicked to the heavens when you found them.

“Now that I think of it, they have to be pretty old if they’ve been at this since I was born.” You muse to yourself, brushing your hair back as you pick up where you left off on the canvas covered in oil paint before you.

“Maybe I’ll paint you one day.”

——

“Starting off with Dean Martin I see” you adjust the strap of your supply bag to rest more comfortably across your chest. The smooth crooning of the late singer invades your thoughts; its a nice change of pace. “You must be having a good day huh?” Exiting your car, you hum along to the song as you open the trunk of your car to take out your painting.

For your college class, you decide to bring in your painting of the final battle between the Headless Rider and Bright Knight; a super-villain and superhero who later disappeared from the public’s eye. You were pretty damn proud of the piece, seeing how it had taken you weeks to finish.

Entering the liberal and performing arts center, you head for the elevators. On the way you pass by several.. odd looking individuals. They were robots. However, living in a world full of supers means not much phases you anymore.

Shrugging, you continue your journey and makes your way up to the 11th floor. Passing by Mara, one of your classmates, the two of you start up a conversation about the sudden appearance of the Four Horsemen. Mercenaries that arrived from Calamni {a country far to the south}, the Horsemen brought with them a new wave of terror; ranging from riots to bio weapons. They didn't act on their own but would do nearly anything for the right price.

“I’m afraid to go outside at night.. I hear Pestilence is preparing something real nasty. They say she’s the one behind the break in at the CDC.” Mara says, her skin turning ashen at the thought of the pale rider.

”Are you up to date on all your shots?” You respond jokingly, smiling down at the shorter girl.

Mara whines and clutches her sculpture to her chest,”Its not funny, I get sick super easily. And what if my soulmate is in the area of the attack? I don’t want to lose them before I even meet them!”

“I’m sure you and your soulmate will be just fine” You reassuringly state,”Just drink a lot of orange juice and take your vitamins.” You wink playfully.

Your classmate frowns. ”What about you, aren’t you worried about your soulmate?”

“They’ve gone through worse than a little cold. I think they’ll be just fine” They didn’t seem to feel worried, if the transitioning sound to Frank Sinatra was any indication of their mood.

Diverting from your original discussion, you both prepare yourselves for the upcoming critiques.

However, before you can step through the doors to class, a rattling boom shakes you both to the core. You drop to the ground and assess the environment around you.

The floor titters and jolts.

Never a good sign.

“Oh gods please-!” Mara shouts as the ceiling begins to crack and bend.

‘Time to go.’ You think.

Jumping to your feet you yank Mara up, leaving behind your painting as you run to the emergency stairs,”Lets get out of here!”

Mara clutches your sleeve as people fleeing from classrooms bump and push against her. Many head towards the closest stairway while others rush towards the windows in hopes of flagging down help from the outside.

“What if the stairs are blocked!” Mara screams over the sound of mayhem.

You yank open the door and begin your descent,”We’ll burn that bridge when we get there!”

———————————

True to Maras fear, the stairway was blocked in by bent beams and debris.

Still, music comes from your other.

Such lovely music in such a shitty time.

Mara backs away and begins tangling her fingers in her hair,”We have to call the police!”

You mumble,”They won’t get here in time, the building will collapse by then.” Peeking under a leaning beam, you spot a ray of light. A small whistle can be heard from the other side as well.

Wind?

“I think the explosion must’ve caused the rubble to break the wall on the other side.” You back up slightly, flinching as the foundations above you begin to groan.

“We aren’t strong enough to get through, and we’re still on the 7th floor! There’s no way we would survive that fall!”

“Actually..” You whisper nervously,”I am strong enough..”

With a flick of your wrists, gauntlets form around your hands and down to your elbows; encasing them in polished metal.

“H..how-“ Mara sputters, instantly recognizing the emblem on the back of your hands. She presses herself against the wall, glancing at the stairs behind her.

“You’re a Horseman” she squeaks,”the same family as-“

You raise your hands in defense,”Same as the Headless Rider and the Four. Yes, but I promise I mean you no harm.”

Mara laughs incredulously,”You’re trying to make us jump 7 stories, what do you by mean ‘you no harm’?! How do I know that your clan isn’t the one behind this attack?!”

“They may be infuriating but my siblings would never kill me off like this, trust me, we pinky swore as kids. Now, I know this is weird but it’s either jumping or getting crushed to death.” You intercede before she can interrupt,”And I don’t think either of our soulmates would like that very much.”

Gulping down several deep breaths Mara looks past you to the rubble blocking the wall.

”..You can’t just clear the rest of the stairs..?”

“I’m fast but not that fast” The rumbling grows deafening. Even from here, the sounds of screaming can be heard from upstairs. But it too is silenced by the destruction.

You growl,”Choose now Mara!”

“Okay!” Mara whimpers,”Okay! Please, get us out of here.”

Pivoting on your heel, you strike the rubble with gauntlets glowing like a steel forge. Instantly, the cement gives way, turning to dust and leaving only beams that are easily pushed away. Making a clear path to the opening in the wall, you break the edges of the wall to widen the hole further.

As expected, wind whips your face as you loom over the opening. Squinting against the biting breeze, you spot the cause of the explosion at the base of the building.

The robots from before are lugging out bag after bag of artifacts and large containment tubes of delicate articles and manuscripts. Smaller bots stand at the ground level of your current building with armfuls of explosives.

For a moment, you question why they would target your building when it holds nothing of importance. But then you remember the security office on the first floor that has direct phone access to the League of Heroes.

And the other building..

“They were after the restoration sector.” You mutter under your breath,”All this destruction for some silly papers..” Backing up from the opening, you summon the rest of your signature armor to shield your body. Your clan would definitely scold you for revealing herself to a civilian, but you would get even worse if you revealed yourself to the whole school.

“I’m going to jump. Whatever you do, don’t squirm, okay?” Lifting Mara into your arms, you brace yourself to jump.

You weren’t afraid of heights after your training with your siblings, but that didn’t make you fond of the idea of falling.

Mara covers her face with one hand while latching the other around your neck,”Please don’t drop me.”

You walk up the hole,”I don’t know, that sounds pretty tempting.”

“You better not-“ Mara is cut off as you both go plummeting down, her words die in her throat as she screams in terror at the sudden free fall.

On the other hand, you take this moment to look for any sign of the lead villain. Usually when robots are involved, the brains behind the operation is nearby to ensure their plan goes smoothly. But all you could see was a flash of green scaling the second building and what must’ve been a science major panicking below it as you fell.

Poor guy looked like he was losing his shit. You chuckle under your helmet.

Nearing impact, you adjust your grip on Mara to aim your right fist at the ground.

War was the brawler in the family, but that didn’t mean you didn’t pack a punch.

Releasing a wave of violet energy, the force exerted slows the fall just enough to allow you to land with minor injuries. Left with a light sprain and a crick in the neck from Maras grip, you hide behind a bush near the back of the art department.

Mara reluctantly opens her eyes, sighing with relief at the sight of safe and sturdy ground. Looking up at you, she smiles sheepishly,”Thank you ..for helping me.”

You smile under the helmet, the slits for eyes emitting a soft lavender glow.

“You’re welcome. But know that if you tell anyone my secret I will have to kill you.”

“Duly noted.” Mara laughs with a twinge of nerves.

Setting her down gently, you wait for her to regain her balance before pointing to the robots,”I’ll handle them, you get out of here and make sure the school contacts the LoH.”

Mara nods, running to the main campus.

Left alone, you crack your knuckles as you approach the restoration building.

‘I don’t want to set the world on fire’ plays on in your head, a silent requiem for the collapsing building behind you.

Debris passes by you as the floors finally cave in.

Your soulmate gave you numerous injuries.

They could handle yours.

———————

Flug had many fears, mostly two-

“WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! LOOK AT ME NERD!”

Three. Three fears.

The first being Black Hat, who just recently took Flug on as his chief scientist. He would have been overjoyed were it not for his new masters record with past employees.

Dead, dead, double dead, mutilated horribly, missing, eaten, exsanguinated, excravated, eviscerated, and so on.

No one ever just “quit”. Unless they “quit life” but that decision seemed to be Black Hat’s instead of theirs.

His second fear was still Black Hat, but it mostly was towards the idea of failing him and turning out like the people before him. Flug was durable due to experiments he tested on himself and maybe even some of his heritage.. but he was surely not durable enough to face the incarnation of evil himself and get away unscathed.

His third fear was the woman above him currently frightening the people stuck inside the building she was climbing.

She was his creation, in a way, mixing lizard DNA with a normal human to test hybridization and its affects on the human psyche. While it did give the subject an immunity to most poisons, heightened strength and the ability to climb walls-among other things- her mindset was changed drastically.

He’d have to remember to ask Black Hat just what lizard he gave him for the experiment.

“Hey doc, what are we gonna do with these guys!” Dememcia waves excitedly to the people inside, grinning at the fear in their eyes.

Flug adjusts his goggles,”Leave them I guess? We just need a few more documents and we’ll be done here.” Why a lower class villain would want these papers were beyond him. Based on his research and examinations of security footage, they weren’t very important at all. Maybe this villain just had an odd hobby.

Unlatching herself from the building, Demencia rolls to the ground, landing perfectly on her feet.. Stretching her arms over her head, she counts the hatbots retreating from the structure.

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7- hey!” A blast singes the top of her head, burning her hoodie.

Flug turns around and cocks the blaster in his hand,”Who’s there!”

You approach them silently with your gauntlet pointed to Demencia. Activating your vocal distortion box you hiss,”So many bots for a simple college run, eh?”

Demencia smiles menacingly,”Look Flug, a new bug to squish!”

Flug’s squints, doing a quick evaluation of the villain who-! His eyes widen in fear.

”Demencia wait!”

Demencia launches herself with full force, effectively slamming you into the ground with a heavy thud.

Digging your fingers into the hybrids hair, you headbutt her, letting go after hearing a wet crunch of bone.

Demencia jumps away, wiping a trail of blood running from her nose,”Ohhh, I like you~” Her eyes shine with excitement.

“Can’t say the same” You stand and wince at the throbbing pain forming behind your eyes. Unlike your siblings who had a natural buffer to keep them from feeling the affects of their abilities, you inherited drawbacks from your mothers side. The more you fought, the more your body suffered.

Power came at a price.

A sudden blow to your diaphragm knocks the air out of your lungs, causing you to skid back several feet

You allow yourself only a moment to catch your breath.

‘Pitiful’ you think to yourself,’I’ve let myself become soft.’ You look to the girl in front of you, her fist bloody but her grin still plastered on her face.

You weren’t Conquest, or War, or Pestilence, or even Death.

But you weren’t weak.

Your gauntlets begin to glow as your armor shifts. Slamming them together, they morph to form spikes along the knuckles.

Flug calls out again to Demencia who dances in place, unaware of the enemy in front of her drawing closer,”Don’t let her hit you!”

“Aww come on doc, she’s just a poser! Look-“

Demencia is knocked to her knees.

Blast after blast, spikes of energy pierce her body, sending her further into the ground.

Fumbling with his blaster, Flug retrieves a remote from his coat, pressing a bright red button.

“H-Hatbots, attack!”

#villainos #villainous #flug #demencia #black hat #blackhat #black hat x reader #blackhat x reader #villainous x reader #villainos x reader #soulmate au #gonna be slow ish #definitely ooc #because lets be honest #black hat aint a sweetheart #bUt He WiLl bE #part 1 #sinful symphonies #god tests me

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frozcnhcart · 4 years

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Task 001 : Getting to Know You ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

What were their best subject(s) in school?

Literature, History, and Geometry.

Do they have any allergies?

She’s not allergic to anything specific, but her allergies every spring and summer can be fairly intense.

What is their opinion on Mystiques and Supernaturals?

Elsa regards them cautiously. She can’t control her own powers as a Mage and doesn’t understand how others not only have full control, but also show off their abilities without any fear. She actually might be a little jealous. When it comes to Mystiques like Fae and Merfolk, Elsa finds them fascinating and beautiful. Supernaturals are darker and often dangerous, but she sees many of them as just misunderstood. After all, is she not dangerous as well?

How they react to being flirted with? How do they flirt?

While she is very intelligent in most all areas of life, Elsa is completely dense when someone is flirting with her. She doesn’t understand the concept of someone being romantically or sexually interested in her and will almost never read someone’s actions towards her as flirtatious. For that same reason, she herself never flirts.

Do they prefer white, milk, or dark chocolate?

Intensely dark chocolate is the only kind she doesn’t like. She thoroughly enjoys both milk and white and struggles to pick between the two.

How are they with children?

Around children she tends to be rather distance/awkward at first, but if the child is sweet then she all but melts.

Are they religious?

Elsa considers herself to be Agnostic.

Which of the seven deadly sins do they most embody? Which virtue?

None of the sins really align with Elsa’s personality, but if I had to pick one I would probably say Envy? Not that she’s a jealous person, she just constantly wishes for something she does not have (control over herself). As for her heavenly virtue, I think she best aligns with temperance. Her whole life has revolved around self-restraint - though it isn’t exactly a good thing.

What’s their sense of humor like?

Elsa isn’t the type to crack jokes, but she can be heard making little sarcastic comments under her breath every now and then.

How do you know when you’ve upset them?

Concealing her emotions is something she’s become very good at, so if she looks/acts upset then you know you really hurt her. She often has to remove herself from situations where she knows she is becoming upset.

What does their room look like?

Back home in Norway she has a nice size room that she moved into after the accident - she used to share a large room with Anna. The walls are covered in a lilac colored wallpaper on all sides of the room. On the opposite wall from the door there’s a large, triangular window with a widow seat. The color scheme is blue, purple, and white. On the left wall is her bed, a nightstand, and her desk. The right wall is covered in bookshelves with dozens upon dozens books from her childhood into her teenage years. Here in Porthaven, her apartment is very sleek and minimalist. It’s modern, but has a slightly rustic feel to it.

Do they have a favorite color?

Blue. More specifically: icy blue or teal. Though she really likes purple as well.

What do they usually eat for breakfast?

Since taking over the company she’s found herself increasingly more busy in the mornings and often skips breakfast. She often picks up a cup of coffee and a muffin or danish on her way to work. On the weekends when she actually makes an effort to have something substantial for breakfast she enjoys a small fruit and cheese platter with some sort of bread and a soothing cup of tea. Or crepes!

At what time of the day are they most productive/have the most energy?

Elsa doesn’t have much of an issue with being productive except for in the evenings when her energy begins to drain.

How do they handle money?

Elsa is very careful with her money and prefers saving to spending. Outside of necessities she doesn’t often shop for herself. The only time she “indulges” herself is when she occasionally buys herself an expensive clothing item for a formal event. Anna’s spending habits are more difficult to control, but Elsa doesn’t often reprimand her sister about it.

When a craving kicks in what’s the first thing they go for in the kitchen?

Macarons! As a child she used to sneak into the kitchen late at night and bring some back for her and Anna during their midnight adventures. In her current apartment she keeps a small container of them in a cabinet for whenever she needs a sweet pick-me-up.

Are they patient?

Incredibly so, though she does have her limits.

What’s their favorite kind of weather?

Elsa may not like that she has magic, but she truly does love the snow. It’s the weather she feels most comfortable in and she finds it absolutely beautiful.

If they were to attend Hogwarts which house would they be placed in?

Ravenclaw! Once Elsa begins questioning something, she develops an intense need to understand and learn more about it. She also loves learning for the sake of learning and loves to read classic literature. Elsa has incredible creativity, but she puts restraints on herself that limit her expressiveness and individuality.

What is their voice like?

That depends on who she’s talking to. Those closest to her are see a side of her that is gentle and soft-spoken. She sounds lighter and more genuine. At work, around people she finds gruesome, or when she is feeling cautious her voice becomes cold and formal. She can take on a very authoritative tone. For Anna, it’s often a mix of both. Elsa tries to be as gentle and warm as she can to her sister, but often has to become more firm if Anna begins acting out or starts getting too close.

Do they feel like their astrological sign is accurate?

Certainly not. Elsa doesn’t know a whole lot about astrology, but from what she’s heard about Sagittarians remains entirely confused as to how she could be classified as one. She feels much more connected to the star sign that comes the day after her birthday: Capricorn.

Which of the four elements do they feel the most connected to?

Water, of course. Though she does sometimes feel an odd pull towards the other elements. Like she’s drawn to them somehow. She’s not sure if it’s just her mind playing tricks on her or something to do with her being a Mage.

What’s the easiest way to annoy them?

Push her beyond what she’s comfortable with or is willing to permit. People who repeatedly questions her gloves also tend to irritate her.

Can they dance?

She can, but won’t.

What’s their personal style? What do they most often wear?

Multiple layers. Lots of turtlenecks and long sleeves. Color palette consists of blue, teal, dark purple, white, and black. Hair in a neat bun whenever she leaves the house. Minor gold or silver accents. Always gloves.

Are they affiliated with any political groups?

Elsa tries her best to stay out of politics, both for the sake of her company and because she just finds them exhausting.

What is their favorite hobby?

Reading! It’s what she spends a great majority of her free time doing.

Where were they born?

Arendelle, Norway (fictional city located along one of Norway’s many fjords)

What is one question they’ve always wanted an answer to?

“Why was I born with magic?” Her parents never found any trace of Mages in their family tree, nor any other reason as to why Elsa was born with magic.

How do they sleep?

She’s a very light sleeper and is prone to waking up to any noise outside her room. Often has trouble sleeping as well and takes melatonin on the nights she’s most restless. Usually wakes up in the same position she fell asleep in.

What’s their favorite game?

Chess, and she’s very good at it.

Are they a very private person or, for the most part, an open book?

She is incredibly private. The only person who’s really seen a deeper side of Elsa is Anna. If she shares something personal with you without feeling obligated to, then you are a special person. It takes a while for that to happen though. She tends to keep to herself and doesn’t like discussing private matters with anyone outside of her sister.

Have they ever had or currently have any pets?

Anna and Elsa always wanted a pet when they were little, but their parents didn’t think it was a good idea. She currently believes herself to be too busy for a pet of any kind.

Do they have any reoccurring nightmares and/or dreams?

It’s rare that Elsa dreams. Or if she does, she never wakes up with an idea of what it could have been about. On various occasions she does have a reoccurring nightmare - the night when she almost killed Anna. As she’s gotten older the nightmare hasn’t occurred as frequently, but it still makes occasional appearances. On days when she isn’t feeling good she often goes to sleep with her gloves on in case her negative emotions follow her into her dreams as well. As a child she would sometimes wake up from a bad dream to her room covered in ice. It seems like even when she drifts into her subconscious she still can’t control her powers.

Is there a music genre they prefer over all others? How about one they can’t stand?

She adores classical music and often has it playing quietly in the background whenever she’s home. Doesn’t care for most other music genres, as she prefers instrumental songs over those with lyrics.

Have they ever played any sports?

Never on a team or competitively, but she does have a talent for ice skating.

What things make them feel the most comfortable/relaxed?

Being alone (oddly enough), reading, a mug of hot chocolate, and being somewhere high above the ground.

How intuitive are they? Can they read people easily or are they oblivious?

Elsa is pretty intuitive. She’s very wary of people so she looks into everything way too much. She isn’t oblivious to other people’s feelings either, but often feels like she has to ignore them for the sake of keeping her formal composure.

What are their eating habits/typical diet?

Elsa doesn’t eat much. She doesn’t intentionally avoid meals of course, she just often forgets to eat. She’ll get absorbed by work or a book that it’s not until a while later that she feels any hunger. Most days she just has a cup of coffee and a muffin or some other pastry. Lunch is usually whatever she can get ordered to her office. If she’s home then she tends to just lightly snack throughout the day rather than sit down to have a proper meal. She used to be a picky eater, but boarding school helped force her to expand her diet.

Do they have a favorite season? What about a favorite holiday?

Winter! Nothing matches the excitement she felt as a child when she would wake up to the first snowfall of the season. She and Anna would rush outside and spend all day making snowmen and sledding, then cozy up by the fireplace in the evening with their parents drinking hot cocoa. Even after those days were over, she still enjoyed watching other children play in the snow outside. She considers the icy patterns on her window during the winter to be one of the most beautiful things in nature. Her favorite holiday, Christmas, also happens to fall within the winter season.

Are they ruled by logic, emotion, or some combination thereof?

Elsa considers herself to be a very logical person. She thinks with her head before her heart and tries not to let her emotions get in the way of her life. However - whether she’s aware of it or not - many of the important decisions she makes are driven by fear. Fear keeps her from letting people in and being open to new possibilities.

How do they feel in regards to their sexuality and/or gender?

Elsa has always felt comfortable being a woman, but her sexuality is something she’s uncertain of. She tries to never actively think about or question it, but as a teenager it was something that sometimes took up the residence in the back of her mind.

What’s their most distinguishable/noticeable feature?

Definitely her hair. It’s incredibly light - almost unnaturally so - and she keeps it very well taken care of. Unfortunately she usually keeps it up in a bun, so no one really knows it’s true length or volume except for Elsa herself and probably Anna. She also has piercingly blue eyes and very fair skin that help people instantly pick her out from a crowd.

Do they have any particular speech patterns or mannerisms?

She tends to fiddle with her gloves whenever she’s uncomfortable and is prone to keeping her arms crossed at all times. When a stray lock of hair slips out from her bun she is often seen repeatedly tucking it back behind her ear rather than trying to place it back in her updo.

Can they speak more than one language? Do they have an accent?

Elsa is fluent in Norwegian, Danish, French, and English. Since she is from Norway she has a Norwegian accent, but it is slight since she’s been practicing her English since she was a child.

What’s their opinion on Porthaven, Maine?

Her opinion on Porthaven is not yet conclusive, as she’s trying to give herself more time to warm up to the city. However, she does miss Norway and prefers the old cities and fjords of her home to the rocky beaches and modern buildings in Porthaven. She isn’t a fan of how warm it gets in Maine compared to Norway and seeing so many Mystiques and Supernaturals living openly is quite a culture shock.

#task ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*#phqtask

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burliforti · 5 years

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Rose of England

My entry for the Good Omens fanwork exchange arranged by @transarmageddon. I created this based off a prompt from @vecieminde. The prompt that I was most heavily inspired by was “Aziraphale and Crowley exploring an abandoned place which glory days they might have witnessed”. Full disclosure: I am a bit of a history nerd and so one abandoned place turned into many which turned into a road trip across rural England with a pit stop in Wales. At certain times I veered a bit further from the main prompt than I was hoping but I hope you still enjoy! (About 9.5K and no warnings apply. I’m having a beta review it and then I’ll probably post to AO3) Heavily inspired by the Vera Lynn album “Rose of England” (I am bad at titles and simply borrowed that.) Definitely recommend a listen, it’s a wonderful album. Fic under the cut.

Prologue: London

It had been three weeks since the very last day of the rest of their lives. Not surprisingly, in the aftermath of perhaps the most chaotic week in all of creation Aziraphale and Crowley had been having some difficulty slipping back into their old routines. The sudden lack of oversight was a relief but left them both with a degree of freedom that they weren’t quite sure what to do with. Crowley no longer had to plan elaborate schemes to generate widespread low-grade evil and Aziraphale found himself without his usual laundry list of miscellaneous miracles and holy interventions, leaving both with a sudden and dramatic increase of spare time. Heaven and Hell had, apparently, taken their warnings to heart and had left them alone.

They managed to slip into parts of their old routines. Aziraphale would go out to lunch in small french bistros and read Virginia Woolf in the plush reading chair in his study. Crowley had continued to scheme for a time out of habit but eventually tapered off to random pranks and messing with people who drive below the speed limit on highways and members of parliament. His house plant hobby had flourished into a full horticulture obsession. The apartment whose predominant palette had been black and grey for several decades now found itself green, green, and green. He wasn’t really one for flowers, preferring varieties such as ferns, ivy, and more recently, mosses. Crowley had acquired an impressive and wide array of mosses, spanning continents and centuries, quite literally finding himself with the only remaining iteration of certain ancient mosses (Crowley’s imagination did not know that these had gone extinct. He simply remembered soft, curling greenery on teak trees and there they had appeared).

Aziraphale had also picked up a few hobbies. He had a tendency to do so. Dancing, magic, prophecies. They weren’t exactly phases (for he did still truly enjoy all of these things), but Aziraphale had a meandering mind that was always eager for new knowledge. Recently, he had come across an antique store looking for any interesting books. Instead, he had left the premises with a vintage camera that stood on a wooden tripod, that by all accounts should not have been able to work anymore, but miraculously, did indeed take photos. This began a new collection of vintage cameras and various other photographic contraptions. He particularly enjoyed taking pictures of nature (trees were much better at sitting still than wily serpents who would fidget and blur the images). Eventually, Crowley bought him a polaroid camera. He was annoyed of being forced to sit still for the negatives and dealing with Aziraphale hauling his many apparatuses on their walks. The polaroid was a bit newfangled for Aziraphale’s taste, but he enjoyed not having to develop negatives and being able to immediately see the images. Crowley did not mind this hobby as much as he had others (nothing could be worse than the magic. As long as taking photos of birds and elms prevented Aziraphale getting into card tricks or whatever nonsense than he would limit his complaints.) Yet even as they settled into old routines and found new ones, both beings found themselves on edge despite the apparent resolution to most of their problems. You see, Aziraphale and Crowley were bored. And Aziraphale had just the idea.

“A vacation?” Crowley replied as they sat in St James Park, sitting on a bench watching the ducks bob in and out of the water.

“It’s been so long since we left the city. Not since all that nonsense, and even that was barely two hours outside London. Before you mostly got around for work, and since our, well, retirement, I don’t believe either of us has really traveled much. Thought it might be a nice change of pace.”

“And where exactly were you thinking?”

“Oh, nowhere in particular. Although there are a few sites that I’d like to revisit. It’s been so long since I properly traveled. Human beings have created some truly marvelous places.”

“Destroyed just as many too.”

“And then rebuilt. I’m sure even you have an old spot or two you wouldn’t mind revisiting.”

Crowley paused, considering this with a great amount of reluctance. “I suppose it’s been a while since I’ve been ‘round the countryside.” He replied, begrudgingly.

Aziraphale’s face lit up in a bright smile. “Splendid! I suppose there is no point in waiting around. I’m already packed, I will see you at the shop tomorrow, bright and early!”

Crowley looked at him in disbelief. “Tomorrow?!”

Rochester Castle

Crowley did arrive early, although it wasn’t a particularly bright October morning. He pulled up in his Bently and had hardly gotten out of the car when Aziraphale burst through the shop door, hauling a large two-piece antique luggage set and two vintage cameras.

Aziraphale flashed a brilliant smile “Good morning, dear boy!” Crowley walked over to Aziraphale and grabbed the luggage out of his hands. “Let me take that.” Aziraphale let him take the bags and took the cameras in both arms. “Why, thank you.” Crowley dragged the luggage toward the Bentley. “What on earth do you have in here? You’ve been wearing the same outfit for over a century.”

“Books, mostly. Some light reading I’ve been meaning to do.”

“Hardly light,” Crowley complained, lifting the luggage into the trunk with great difficulty. Aziraphale carefully laid out the camera equipment in the backseat, with the exception of the polaroid which he kept in a small camera bag over his shoulder. Crowley slammed the\trunk and sauntered over to the drivers side.

“So where are we off to, angel?”

“Well I didn’t want anything too adventurous, and I know you’re hard-pressed to leave your vehicle. Perhaps a week or two, just in the countryside. Breath of fresh air, maybe even revisit some old favorites?”

“Fine by me.”

“And I thought it best to start south and work our way up. What do you think?”

“Any destination in mind?”

“Oh, not really. It’s been so long since I’ve been that farther south than London.”

“Ever been to Rochester Castle? Less than half an hour from here.”

“Rochester? Off the Medway? Shouldn’t that be at least an hour– Crowley slow down!”

They arrived 40 minutes later. Aziraphale was not incorrect in that it should have taken an hour and Crowley had also not been mistaken in that it could have been merely half an hour, but at Aziraphale’s continued pleas of “Slow down Crowley!” they had met somewhat in the middle. Luckily tourist season tended to slow down this time of year. The employees of the estate had kindly left them to their own affairs. Aziraphale had picked up a brochure and was reading it as the two of them explored the keep.

“They say it had originally been given to Bishop Odo, probably by William the Conqueror.”

“Never met him.”

“Oh you weren’t missing much, I didn’t find him to be particularly charming. Although it is possible that I insulted him upon our first meeting. Never could wrap my mind around french. All that gender and tense. Feminine chairs and male houses, utter nonsense.”

“I believe houses are also feminine.”

“My point! Completely arbitrary. And the tenses, what language needs nine different types of past tense? They live such short lives I don’t see the point.”

Crowley let Aziraphale rant as they continued to stroll along corridors and in and out of almost accurate historical reimaginings of bedrooms and parlors. Crowley hadn’t been to Rochester Castle since the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381. He really had absolutely hated the 14th century. He had gotten so fed up, in fact, that he had whispered in a handful of ears of ‘injustice’ and ‘revolution’. He hadn’t had much of an end goal in mind, just anything to shake up that dreadful century. It hadn’t really gone anywhere, unfortunately. He didn’t see much of Aziraphale that century, not with the war and the plague. Such a bore and with awful fashion. It had been such a relief when the Renaissance properly took off.

“You’ve been awfully silent, Crowley.”

He quirked an eyebrow over his glasses. “Let’s go to the gardens.”

They made their way into the Castle’s exterior and into the gardens that encircled the estate. English roses, bright Dahlias, twisting ivys, and sweetly scented Begonias dominated the courtyard. Aziraphale was enjoying the vibrant colors and heavenly floral perfumes while Crowley glared critically at pests and withering leaves.

“I think this is going to be a marvelous holiday.”

Crowley wandered over to one of the bushes and picked one of halfway decent begonias, sauntering back over to Aziraphale. He walked directly in front of him and stopped just shy of the other man.

“If you say so.” He replied, pinning the flower to a blushing Aziraphale’s lapel.

“Oh, no need for all of that.” He said waving his hand toward the plucked stem. An even more vibrant flower bloomed in its place.

“So,” Crowley asked, returning to his place by Aziraphale’s side, “where to next?”

Bodiam Castle

Aziraphale had asked one of the local historical guides, who suggested Bodiam Castle, which was an hour south of Rochester Castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex. She had also suggested a local family run pub for lunch. Aziraphale had given Crowley a wide-eyed look to which Crowley could only roll his eyes and say “Yes, yes alright. It’s your holiday, angel.” Aziraphale had taken note at some point of the increase of Crowley’s use of ‘angel’ to describe him. He had subsequently filed away the observation to ‘thoughts that need no further introspection or deliberation’. They ate (or Aziraphale ate) a slow and peaceful lunch. He seemed to enjoy his fish and chips and was particularly impressed by the tartar sauce (homemade apparently, an old family recipe). The batter was also very pleasant but he didn’t much care for the chips. Crowley picked a few off of his plate absentmindedly. They ate mostly in silence, Aziraphale enjoying the fish and Crowley enjoying Aziraphale.

They continued on their journey, arriving in Robertsbridge in significantly less than an hour (much to Aziraphale’s terror). Aziraphale had in fact once visited Bodiam Castle, many years ago during the war of the roses. It had been abandoned in picturesque ruins for decades but had been restored in the early 20th century. Crowley and Aziraphale explored the property. While the exterior had been well preserved, the interior was now in ruins.

“It had been quite nice when I had visited. I was presenting as a clergyman on the road back in those days, you know. Made seeking shelter much easier and people would listen to me, which was quite helpful on certain occasions.”

“I imagine it explained all those Bibles you carried with you.”

“Well yes, I suppose that’s true.”

“There is still a beauty to it now, albeit a different sort of beauty.”

“Seems like regular old ruins to me.”

“You don’t feel any sort of, oh I don’t know, whimsy or appreciation?”

“I don’t really go in for whimsy, angel.”

They continued to explore for quite some time, Aziraphale taking full advantage of their solitude and the picturesque ruins by taking many photographs, both with the antique camera on a tripod and the polaroid. Aziraphale had started off carrying the larger camera but Crowley had soon taken over after a passing mention of discomfort by Aziraphale. They made their way outside, strolling along the edge of the moat as the sunset.

“Oh, what a beautiful sky it is tonight. Crowley, do you mind putting down the camera? I’d like to get some photos, lighting is simply marvelous.”

“Not like we’ve seen the sunset a million times already. The same sky and the same sun for 6,000 years.”

Aziraphale ignored him, setting up the camera into the correct position. The tripod was close to the water's edge, overlooking the horizon. Aziraphale watched the sky change from red, orange, and yellow to deep purple and pitch black from behind a camera lens. Crowley watched Aziraphale burn brilliant in a fiery sky to softly glowing in the moonlit night.

Tintagel Castle

Crowley suggested the next location: Tintagel Castle. It was quite a ways away on the southwestern coast but he insisted that the view was worth it, and besides it had been ages since either of them had been to the Celtic sea. It was by far the longest drive they had undertaken so far. A direct route would have taken five hours (perhaps three with Crowley behind the wheel), but Aziraphale had asked if they could drive past the channel on the way there and Crowley wasn’t exactly in the habit of denying any request or desire the angel had. With the scenic detour, the drive should have been close to 7 hours but ended up closer to five anyways, accounting for a lunch break.

Aziraphale was able to manage (tolerate, more accurately) Crowley’s breakneck speeds on the lonely country roads. Rolling hills with the occasional grazing livestock and farmhouses turned into rocky cliffs and blue-grey waters. Aziraphale enjoyed the picturesque landscapes and lack of the usual urban chaos, while Crowley enjoyed the lack of other vehicles and an open road where the speed limit was hardly a thought. They hadn’t talked much, Aziraphale occasionally putting on a CD (he didn’t quite grasp the concept at first but he was getting the hang of it.) Most of the disks had been left in the car and forgotten for more than a fortnight, and Crowley could only tolerate ‘We Will Rock You’ by Benjamin Britten or ‘We Are The Champions’ by Handle so many times. Thankfully, he had remembered to bring in some CDs from the apartment that had yet to become a compilation of Queen’s Greatest Hits. Aziraphale preferred classical, so they listened to Bach, Vaughn Williams, Holst, and various other (although predominantly British) composers. They were listening to Simple Symphony (actually by Benjamin Britten) when Crowley finally slowed and pulled into a half-full parking lot. Luckily the castle and surrounding expanse were quite large and the two could easily keep away from any crowds.

They explored the ruins of a castle for a time, Crowley relaying stories of his time in Richard of Cornwall (both from his time in the castle and during the Barons’ Crusade. Aziraphale had been preoccupied at the time by some work further west in Southampton.) Eventually, the crowds started to bother both of them and they naturally wandered away from the ruins and over the large bridge.

“You know I rarely made it out to this part of the country, but it’s quite lovely. The view is spectacular.”

Crowley squinted and peered upwards towards the gathering clouds. “Looks like it might rain.”

“Oh, I’m sure it would only take a slight miracle to ensure clear skies until the end of our visit. I was thinking for after– oh!” Aziraphale’s eyes went wide as the unfortunate combination of a strong gust of wind off the sea and a damp patch on the footbridge made him stumble and lose his footing. Before he could find purchase on the guard rails he felt two hands reach out and grab his arms, helping him upright. Aziraphale looked up at Crowley who in turn looked down at him in concern.

“You alright?”

Aziraphale laughed nervously, brushing himself off. “Oh yes, I’m quite alright, just taken a little off guard I suppose…” He trailed off. There hadn’t been any danger really, the footbridge had quite a high railing and Aziraphale had wings for heaven’s sake but peering down at the cold water crashing up against the stony cliffs made his head spin for a moment. “Thank you.” He finally said.

Crowley made a noise of displeasure in return, “Can’t have you being discorporated middle of your vacation abandoning me in Cornwall of all places.”

“Our vacation. Besides, you suggested Tintagel.”

“Ngk.”

Neither of them made the first move, remaining stationary on the footbridge for another beat.

“You can let go of me now, Crowley.”

He looked down at his hands which were indeed still wrapped around the other's arms. His cheeks turned slightly pink as he let go, refusing to look at the other as they continued on.

Glastonbury Abbey

Aziraphale insisted they stop by Glastonbury Abbey the next day, tentatively starting northward.

“I’m shocked you never made it out there yourself back in the day, dear boy. Frightfully important, I can recall quite the drama and importance for quite a long stretch of time. Second only to Westminster.”

“I avoided abbeys as a general rule. Parishes, monasteries, cathedrals, whole lot of them. Not exactly my scene.”

“Shame really, some truly exquisite architecture. The food wasn’t exactly top-notch, but some of the better dining from that era at any rate. I’d imagine you’d be quite fine now, been in ruins for centuries.”

The sky was clear and blue, the grass a vibrant green. There were a few tourists who were wandering about the grounds but left the two beings be. They wandered through the decrepit cathedral, ceiling completely gone and missing good portions of the walls. While Aziraphale doubted that any previous blessings were still in place, Crowley was wary and remained outside of the ruined Holy buildings.

“It really was quite a marvel. I had the occasion to visit on a number of occasions throughout the centuries, sent here quite often for holy interventions, miracles, enlightenment, heavenly visions, the whole nine yards as they say. You’re sure you never made it over here during, well, the Arrangement?”

Aziraphale quieted at the last two words. He had always been much more prudish, more embarrassed regarding their previous understanding. Perhaps it was because Crowley had much more experience rebelling and bending rules, but if they were being honest with themselves (although they rarely were), Aziraphale also had a fair bit of experience bending rules, he was just more adept at making excuses for it and felt much more guilty about it afterward.

“Nope. Besides, I believe the heyday of the great Abbeys predated our agreement.”

“I suppose that’s true. Those old Catholics enjoyed their drama. I tried to stay out of it mostly, politics was never really my forte. I recall having to give a vision to one of the old Abbotts back in the 12th century. Something about inspiring a new sermon, I can’t quite recall.”

Crowley made some noise to indicate that he was still listening (which he was in fact doing. He liked to put up an air of indifference but he always listened, and Aziraphale knew this.)

“You know I was able to get a first edition of “On the Antiquity of the Glastonese Church”? Signed by William of Malmesbury. Wonderful historian, and splendid company. He had a terrific collection at the Malmesbury Abbey and was kind enough to give me a number of his books, all with signed inscriptions. Later in his life, he was kind enough to gift me some of the notable works in his personal collection. His second edition of Gesta Regum Anglorum is a classic.”

Aziraphale continued to ramble on as they explored the Abbey grounds. Crowley listened quietly but intently. Their conversations usually involved both of their active participation but Crowley had never minded whenever Aziraphale would stumble into his ramblings. They occasionally reminisced, exchanging amusing stories and recounting shared adventures, but on that rare but treasured occasions a topic would arise and Aziraphale could literally talk for days on end, one story spilling into the next. Crowley’s original thought to describe it had been cute, but that couldn’t possibly be it.

“It’s impressive how long these have stayed standing, even if they have fallen into a bit of disrepair.” Aziraphale finally quieted, inviting a response from Crowley.

“‘Spose. They always did like to show off. Always obsessed with posterity.”

“And these are hardly the oldest, even just in England. And we’ve been there for all of it.” Aziraphale spoke softly, his eyes unfocused as he gazed far beyond the old Abbey. Crowley glanced at him. He had a tendency to be sentimental after these long trips down memory lane. Crowley himself had never quite at the proclivity for the sentimental.

“And they’ll keep building places of worship and keep writing history books. Come on, I saw a sign for a nearby for an italian restaurant, we’ll grab you some lunch.”

Bath

After lunch, they drove a bit farther north to the city of Bath. This had been the largest city they had visited so far. They stopped by bed and breakfast on the outskirts of the town, preferring the larger space, quiet countryside, and easy parking it provided. They took the day to explore the city, visiting various historical sites. They walked by the Abbey (although they did not venture inside as a courtesy to Crowley), Pulteney Bridge, strolled down Royal Crescent, popped briefly into Holburne museum but quickly left when Aziraphale got fed up with the minor inconsistencies and incorrect speculation. They continued their walk and eventually came across a beautifully restored Georgian home with a bronze plaque that reads:

Here lived William Herschel

A.D. 1781

and a sign above that that read ‘Herschel Museum of Astronomy’. It looked to be mostly vacant, which made sense seeing as it was about 2 o’clock in the afternoon on a Wednesday during the school year, with the peak of the tourist season being a few months behind them.

“Oh, I remember that fellow. Quite the eclectic man; astronomer, biologist, musician, and composer, though if memory serves his scientific career fared better than his artistic one. I saw the premiere of his eighth symphony and you know, I really did enjoy it. I’m not sure why he’s been relegated to the background of classical composers. I suppose now it’s so strongly dominated by Mozart, Haydn, Shubert, and a few other fellows that it didn’t leave much room for others. Truth be told I think Haydn might be slightly overrated. You write 107 symphonies but only a handful are noteworthy in any way. You knew him, didn’t you? I recall you hanging around with the Royal Astronomical Society for a time before sleeping through most of the next century.”

Crowley hummed in acknowledgment. “Yeah, hung around with that lot periodically end of the 18th century. He and his sister, Caroline, pushed the field miles forward. Shall we head inside?”

Crowley held open the door for Aziraphale and they headed inside the quiet Georgian household. They handed over a few pounds to the receptionist who put a little stamp of a planet with stars on each of their right hands. They quickly passed through exhibits pertaining to more recent events, preferring to linger in the sections that focused on Herschel and his discoveries.

“I liked him. Quite sharp. Corrected a few older discoveries, which I appreciated. It was annoying having to sit through some of those Royal Society lectures calling some of the star clusters nebulae. He and Caroline discovered and cataloged a boatload of nebulae, clusters, comets, the like. Nice to finally have your work properly appreciated after nearly 6000 years. We used to gossip about the bores over at the Royal Society and I helped get Caroline get a paid position at the government. I mean why would they be paying him but not her?”

“That was very kind of you, Crowley.”

He made a face of displeasure in return, “Hardly. If she hadn’t been employed who else would have discovered my comets and cataloged my nebulae? Quite proud of those, you know, and no one there to appreciate all my hard work. ‘Oh look at the beautiful waterfalls, the beautiful forests’, please. Hardly any craftsmanship in a waterfall. Some rocks and a river. But a planetary nebula? A red dwarf? Combustion, gravity, electromagnetism, a delicate balance of helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and however many other elements. When old Will finally got that telescope of his up and running, the look on his face when he saw them all, it was like finally, someone can appreciate some true artistry. I will say the nerve of those two constantly referring to it as ‘the heavens’. Heaven wished it looked like that.”

Aziraphale looked wistfully at a newer photo of the butterfly nebula. “You know, during all that time it took humans to properly observe the cosmos, I appreciated it. All the stars and nebulae, pulsars and supernovae. I wasn’t able to get out much personally, but I was lucky enough on a few occasions. It was breathtaking. And on earth, we can see much farther than they can, even with some of their telescopes. I’ll spare a glance here and there when I get the chance, and it really is unparalleled.” Aziraphale stopped, still looking firmly at the nebula in front of him. He spoke softer this time. “Dare I say it, maybe even more beautiful than anything here on earth.” A pause. His head turned slightly towards Crowley and met his eyes beneath the shades. “Or rather, almost anything.”

Crowley’s head snapped violently back towards the image, not daring to look back at Aziraphale. Earth had been almost entirely God’s pet project, the vast majority anyways. Some details had been relegated to other angels. But the earth had always truly been Hers. Aziraphale’s proclamation of the superior beauty of the cosmos was… a lot to process. Not to mention the meaning of the angel’s pointed glance at him. It was a bit too much for Crowley. He coughed, still not meeting the other’s eyes.

“Off to the Baths then?”

Kenilworth Castle

“Kenilworth, now this is a real castle,” Crowley said, picking away at the grapes on the fruit platter. They had driven north from Bath that morning, exiting the South West and entering into the West Midlands. Crowley accompanied Aziraphale to a hearty breakfast before their departure. They continued to avoid the main roads, Crowley speeding through old dirt roads in the countryside. Aziraphale would point out every herd of sheep, every single baby calf, every mangy looking old goat while a look of utter delight and whimsy. He had become completely enamored with the countryside and Crowley was beginning to worry about how he would ever get him back to the city.

“Oh look at those horses! There’s a small black foal, isn’t it just darling? Shall we stop by to say hello?”

Crowley glowered at the animals that were grazing the field they were driving past and pushed down even harder on the gas in response.

“You’re no fun, my dear.”

“Awful creatures. They smell, they buck, they attract flies, painful as all hell to ride, and generally terrible. Not even properly evil, just badly designed and poorly executed. The automobile is definitely among the greatest human inventions along with alcohol and sunglasses. Shame when they stopped making glue out of the bastards.”

Aziraphale smacked him (not so lightly) on his arm, “Crowley! What an awful thing to say!”

“What? They deserve it.”

“My goodness, what on earth did horses ever do to you.”

“What didn’t they do? Centuries of sore buttocks, horse flies, and manure. The smell, Aziraphale, do you remember it? The streets were absolutely disgusting, it’s no wonder I stayed inside for most of the 18th century.”

“I think you’re being too harsh on them. I find them quite majestic.”

“Nothing majestic about your teeth taking up more room in your skull than your brain.”

“Well, I quite like them.”

He rolled his eyes, “Suit yourself, angel.”

They continued north for another hour or so, eventually stopping in Stratford-Upon-Avon to pick up some food for a picnic (actually Crowley’s suggestion) and to pay respects to an old friend. They continued on, taking many detours, arriving at the castle just in time for lunch. Crowley pulled out a picnic blanket from the trunk (whether it had been there the whole time or if he had just miracled it then, Aziraphale didn’t know. Regardless, he was touched by the gesture.) He laid it out under the shade of a nearby Ash tree that grew just a bit outside the central keep.

“Yes, it had its fair share of excitement back in the day.” Aziraphale agreed.

“Came to see King John here once. What a prick. That whole family was a mess. Richard and Henry weren’t that awful in the grand scheme of British royalty, although that’s quite a low bar. Oh, but John, totally insufferable. I was supposed to tempt him into rebelling but the bastard was already scheming before I got there, and not very well mind you. Didn’t bother helping out when it failed, I didn’t really feel like getting involved.”

“I accompanied Elizabeth here a few times. Very intelligent woman, difficult life though. Popped in every-so-often to lend her a helping hand. I remember tutoring her briefly when she was a child. Incredibly bright and kind for a child of her age. The crown hardened her considerably, but who could blame her.”

“Oh yes, she was a feisty one. One of the few British royals I had any respect for at all, although she still had her fair share of flaws, but who am I to judge?”

They continued to eat, somehow always remaining in the shade despite the passing of hours. Aziraphale was usually quite silent when he ate, his mouth constantly full with the next delight Crowley had packed away into the wicker basket, so Crowley took it upon himself to fill the silence by recounting his many tales of Kenilworth and the events surrounding it, sprawled out on his side, one arm supporting his head.

“You know the tennis balls had been my idea. I had meant it as an insult but I think Henry overreacted a little bit.”

Aziraphale paused his enjoyment of some shortcake, “At least we got a good play out of it.”

“Fair enough. The old Bard never really bothered with historical accuracy but I didn’t mind with him. Made it better usually.”

“I’d be inclined to agree.”

Eventually Aziraphale had had his full and pulled out a book, leaning up against the Ash. Crowley moved closer, laying down beside him.

“What are you reading?”

“The Anabasis of Alexander.”

“He was a drama queen.”

“This is a classic.”

“I’m sure.”

Aziraphale ignored him and pulled out his reading glasses. Crowley had never said this out loud, but he loved Aziraphale’s reading glasses. The glasses were practically ancient, picked up sometime during Crowley’s respite in the 19th century. He didn’t need them, and Crowley didn’t know why he wore them. A fashion he had picked up? Perhaps he simply enjoyed the completion of his ‘old bookkeeper’ look? At any rate, Crowley never complained when Aziraphale opened a large tome and took out the spectacles. He looked up at Aziraphale; ‘Cute’ he thought. There that word was again. The glasses made Aziraphale look intelligent, sophisticated, extremely out of date, and certainly not cute. Or at least, that’s what Crowley thought (or did he?)

“Read a bit for me. I’m sure it’ll put me right to sleep.”

The angel huffed at the minor insult but settled in closer to Crowley anyways. The demons head was up against his thigh, arms at his side and legs bent upwards. There was a gentle warm breeze and songbirds that flew in and out of the ash. The sun was bright and hot but they were cool and comfortable in the shade, both subconsciously leaning into the warmth of the other.

“In Ecbatana, Alexander offered sacrifice according to his custom, for good fortune; and he celebrated a gymnastic and musical contest…”

Plas Newydd

They stayed the night in Kenilworth after allowing themselves the luxury of a lazy afternoon followed by a warm meal at a local pub (in this part of the country, most options for dining out were pubs). The next morning they took the Bentley further northwest, crossing the border into Wales. The signs changed into a jumble of consonants and seemingly misplaced vowels.

“I haven’t been to Wales in so long. I adore the people here, very charming folks. I do hope my Welsh hasn’t fallen out of shape, it has been quite a while.”

They drove down the old country roads, Crowley for once not doing nearly double the speed limit, perhaps as a courtesy to Aziraphale or maybe because even he couldn’t bring himself to disturb the sleepy atmosphere of the small villages they passed through (although the most likely cause was simply extending their time on the road. He enjoyed the peace and solitude he shared with Aziraphale while they rode in the Bentley.)

Aziraphale looked quizzically down at the map they had picked up in Shrewsbury. “I believe you take a right up here, dear boy.”

“Hope you aren’t getting us lost in the Welsh countryside, angel. All these villages look the same to me.”

He looked up from the map and up to the signs with arrows on the side of the road, “No, we’re still in the correct direction. My navigation skills were unparalleled back in the day, I’ll have you know. Served on a privateer ship for a number of months and guarded over an exhibition or two back in the age of explorers.”

Crowley looked up at the signs, recognizing one of the names, “Off to Llangollen then, are we?”

Aziraphale looked over to him surprised, “You’ve heard of it?”

“Visited it to, a couple of centuries ago.”

Aziraphale looked delighted, “So you must have met the ladies then! Can’t imagine what else would bring you to the north-eastern Welsh countryside. I never realized you made it out to see them.”

“Yeah, I visited them a handful of times while traveling between London and Dublin. Eleanor and Sarah. Haven’t thought about them in quite a while. Kept hearing about them and got curious.”

“They were a delightful pair, wonderful hosts too. Elenor and I would sit in the parlor and discuss the recent literature. Poets, in particular, seemed to be drawn to Plas Newydd and most had left behind a copy or two of their work. I recall walking around the estate with Sarah and exchanging thoughts on current events. They were both surprisingly insightful despite their isolation.”

“Bit too fond of horses for my taste, but I could respect how they rebelled against the system. Caused quite a stir for a while, and I enjoy good gossip. The scandal, the outrage, pretty funny if you ask me. Had a few interesting chats with them over tea.”

What Crowley and Aziraphale didn’t realize is that on multiple occasions, they had both shared details of each other to the ladies of Llangollen. Crowley and Aziraphale were both singular personalities in their own way and it had not taken much for the two ladies to connect the dots between both ‘men’ (or what both had assumed to be men) stories. Aziraphale had visited them first, introducing himself as a friend of William Wordsworth. He had indeed discussed literature and current events, but sometimes over dinner one evening he had begun disclosing certain details about a dark fellow (certainly not a friend) that Aziraphale was doing business with whom he had some conflicting emotions. Within a year, a dark fellow with bright red hair had strolled up to Plas Newydd and introduced himself as a friend of the Shelley's. They had welcomed him in, but he was much more reserved than some of their previous visitors. However, after a bottle of gin, the stranger was much more open and willing to share some strange stories of his travels. He was well journeyed and quite connected, having stories from famous scientists, authors, criminals, and even royals. After a bottle of brandy had been opened, he started talking about a friend of his, or perhaps more of a coworker. They had known each other for quite some time but in recent years it seemed as if their relationship had developed a few more layers. As he continued to describe the acquaintance, Eleanor and Sarah had both glanced sidelong at each other with the same realization.

As the two beings came and went, bringing new stories and sharing new details of their other half, the glances between the two women while the otherworldly being relayed their most recent thoughts on the other become more frustrated and knowing. It had been difficult not to intervene but they had both known it was for the best. One day, Aziraphale (or simply “Mr. Fell”) had come to visit. He discussed literature and current events like usual but never seemed to bring up his mysterious coworker. When they asked him about it, his face contorted like he had eaten something sour. They had had a falling out and were not talking to each other at the moment. The two women looked at each other in concern but didn’t attempt to press the issue.

They had never seen Crowley again.

Crowley and Aziraphale pulled up to Plas Newydd a short time later. Both Aziraphale’s navigation skills and Welsh had thankfully remained intact despite the disuse. The house had been well maintained throughout the centuries. Crowley purchased admission for them both. It had been turned into a museum a number of years ago, but both of them weren’t focused on the exhibits, sparing only a pacing glance at the displaces and descriptive plaques. Instead, they took in the house itself and the memories that returned to them with each room that they passed through. As they strolled within the many rooms: bedrooms, parlour, kitchen, library, and outside of the estate in the vast gardens and green rolling fields, the two cast sidelong glances at each other, not unlike two Irish ladies from centuries ago.

Hadrian’s Wall

They continued north on the same day, stopping for lunch in the village before they resumed their journey. After lunch, before they set off onto country roads, Crowley thought they should pick up some more CD’s. They had burned through most of the ones he had brought in from the apartment, and he was starting to get sick of not only “Killer Queen” but also “Fantasia on Greensleeves”. There was a little music shop in the quaint downtown that sold a handful of instruments, some sheet music, a bin of records, and yes, an assortment of CDs. It was a shame Aziraphale never slept since he had been mostly unable to listen to some of his personal favorites as the other being would be awake for the duration of their car rides. Aziraphale had fallen behind the times recently. Back before the advent of recorded audio, Aziraphale had needed to go out into the world to enjoy music, which kept him fairly up to date with the trends. However, after the advent of recording, Aziraphale had been able to enjoy the pleasures of the symphony from his own home, able to read or eat while he enjoyed the sweet melodies. And so he stopped attending the opera, symphony, or any sort of concert almost entirely. He still got out occasionally, when they were playing Beethoven series or one of his favorite Italian operas, but after the 19th century he was pleased to simply keep returning to old favorites (certain notable examples exist. Aziraphale was a fan of Kafka, Vaughn Williams, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Bartók, and a handful of others.) He had listened to some ragtime and bebop, but he hadn’t been a fan and had simply abandoned all popular music afterward. Crowley drifted through the aisles but was mostly with content to let Aziraphale pick out the music. He was mostly hovering through the classical section, already with half a dozen new CDs. He wandered through a few other sections before walking back over to Crowley.

“Nothing for yourself?”

“You seem to have enough already.”

They walked over to the cashier, Aziraphale setting about all of the CDs and Crowley pulled out his wallet. The old woman behind the cash rung up their purchase and Crowley pulled out the exact change out of his wallet. She accepted it graciously.

“And where are you two from? Don’t get many visitors this time of year.” She spoke with a thick Welsh accent but must have overheard them speaking in english.

Aziraphale smiled warmly, “London. Just taking a bit of a holiday, driving around the countryside.”

“Oh that’s lovely. I prefer the weather this time of year anyway. I like the heat, but in the summer, a bit too hot in recent years. My husband and I drove up to Edinburgh back in July to visit our Lizzie for her wedding. We used to travel all over Europe in the summer months. A bit more difficult after the kids but we were able to bring them along when they were a bit older.”

“Oh yes, Edinburgh has become quite lovely in recent years. It’s been quite a while since I’ve visited myself.”

“Well if you and your husband are continuing north, I would definitely suggest you stop by.”

Aziraphale went red at her assumption. He sputtered in response. “Oh, um, well yes, thank you for the suggestion.”

She gave him a wide smile, “No need to be embarrassed, dear. Our Lizzie was marrying her girlfriend, Mackenzie, up in Edinburgh. Most people in these parts are quite accepting.”

Aziraphale could only redden and nod his head. She handed Crowley a receipt.

“Diolch.” He replied coolly, face unreadable behind the tinted glasses.

“Cael diwrnod braf!” She replied as they walked out of the shop.

They were finally back off onto the road. Aziraphale pulled out one of the new CDs.

“Look what I found, Crowley. I thought you might like it.”

It was a collection of William Herschel recorded by the London Mozart Players. Crowley returned with a neutral grunt of acknowledgment that didn’t convey any particularly positive or negative sentiments regarding the recording. Aziraphale ejected the previous CD and put in the new one.

“So where are we off to next, angel?”

“You know, I’m not quite sure. I thought we could just… drive for a bit, and see where we end up?”

Crowley grinned, “Not your usual style, ‘going with the flow’, ‘seeing where the road takes you.’”

He shrugged in response, “I’ve been trying many new things these last few months.”

And so North they went, out of Wales, up through the West Midlands and into the North West. They continued to bypass the highways in favor of country roads. They drove along the Irish sea, passing by Liverpool, Southport, and Blackpool. At Lancaster, they continued due North towards Kendal instead of continuing along the shoreline. Crowley made most navigational decisions, simply following his intuition. Every so often he would ask Aziraphale for input, but mostly they drove in silence. The angel mostly watched out the window, every so often cracking open the book he had with him.

After another hour or so, Aziraphale finally perked up.

“Ah.”

Crowley looked over to him, “What?”

He pointed to one of the signs. It read “Hadrian’s Wall” and had an arrow pointing right.

“We should go there.”

And so Crowley make a sharp turn to the right, and off they went.

After only another 10 minutes (Crowley’s maniacal driving had returned in full force), the two found themselves at the base of about a 5ft 2000-year-old wall.

“Sort of a dumb plan if you ask me.”

“Hm?”

“Not sure what Hadrian was thinking with this one. Bloody long wall on the fringe of the empire, middle of nowhere? Always seemed like nonsense to me.”

“Perhaps.”

“Next guy pretty much completely abandoned it. Did it ever serve any useful role at any point? Not like it was ever that high in the first place, not sure what he thought he could stop with it. Humanity has found its way across rivers, mountains, and deserts, but oho, not a five-foot wall, that’ll stop ‘em.”

Aziraphale was setting up his camera. The wall was surrounded by kilometers of green fields speckled with trees that were changing color in the autumn season. There was a small lake about a kilometer down from the stretch of the wall that the two had found themselves at.

“Sit still, won’t you? You’ll blur the image.”

Crowley pulled his crossed arms slightly closer in. “Don’t see why you wanted a picture in the first place. Can’t you just get a couple of snaps of the herons over there and be done with it?”

“I have so few photos of you, dear. I’d like a few from this vacation. I’ve had such a lovely time so far. Maybe I’ll make a scrapbook when we’re back in London. Have you heard of those? Came across the idea a few weeks ago and I’ve been meaning to try my hand at it.”

“Don’t see why I need to be in them. Why do you need a photo when I’ll be around anyway? I’ll just ruin your landscapes.”

Aziraphale looked up from the camera and directly at Crowley with a twinkle in his eyes. “You know I think you look positively lovely, dear boy. Now shut up, I want at least one good one.”

And shut up he did.

Tynemouth Priory and Castle (Edward II and Piers Gaveston + Duel?)

They found a little country inn in one of the nearby villages. Crowley slept soundly in his single bed while Aziraphale stayed up reading. They ate the continental breakfast that was provided, Aziraphale putting a fair portion of homemade strawberry jam that the owner’s son had apparently made onto his rolls while Crowley enjoyed his cup of Lady Grey.

“I feel like going to the coast today,” Aziraphale said in between mouthfuls of toast.

“Which one?” Crowley replied, leaning back in his chair on the outdoor patio.

“How about the North Sea? We did the Irish Sea, the Celtic Sea seems like the next logical step.”

“Anywhere in particular?”

“Have you ever been to Tynemouth? There’s an old Priory and Castle. I was there all the way back in the 7th century. Nice little spot on the coast.”

“Yeah, I’ve been, later though. Briefly in the 14th century, with Edward II.”

“Well?”

“Fine with me.”

They left a bit later that morning, going towards the morning sun due East. It was starting to get a bit chillier as they stretched further into autumn and the closer they got to the sea. It wasn’t a long drive by, even without Crowley behind the wheel. Soft piano music that Crowley didn't recognize was coming out of the stereo. It was pleasant, music that sounded like it came right out of a 19th-century parlor. Aziraphale was humming along while he read (a new book, yet again. He seemed to burn through a new one each day.)

They drove up a hill right beside the coast to the ruins. They were the only ones there when Crowley pulled the Bentley off to the side of the dirt road. They got out in tandem and walked toward the abandoned castle.

“Long time since I've been around here. I wouldn't mind making a habit of these little excursions.”

“I guess it's not half bad when you avoid tourist season.”

“You said you'd been here before?”

“Yup, I was briefly a part of Edward II entourage trying to rile up some tensions within the court. You ever meet him?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“Eh, weren't missing much. He and Piers Gaveston had been inseparable. Bit annoying but mostly harmless. Tragic end, but that was pretty common for that lot back in the day.”

“Nobles?”

Crowley laughed, “Not quite, angel.”

They walked through the main archway. It had obviously changed significantly throughout the centuries, the brick and mortar now exposed to the elements, large chunks were missing and covered in moss, and yet in some ways, it hadn't changed at all. All of the roofs had crumbled away centuries ago, leaving the bright blue sky above them, with clouds blowing in from over the sea and the sun creeping higher into the sky. Birds nested throughout the ruins in little nooks and crannies, perched atop old towers and in between the remnants of windows.

“I had my fair share of adventures here as well,” Aziraphale remarked.

“Oh really?” Crowley said playfully, grin on his face. Aziraphale enjoyed the frequency with which Crowley had smiled during the trip.

“I did return once after the 7th century, mid 16ty century after it was taken over by Henry VIII. Got into a bit of a tiff with a few visiting Italians.”

“‘Bit of a tiff’? What'd you do, get into a heated argument about the marinara sauce?”

“Don't mock me, old boy. No, we handled the affair like men.” He replied primly.

Crowley turned to look at him, “You didn't duel them, did you?”

Aziraphale blushed a little, “It's not my usual style but the situation quickly escalated.”

Crowley laughed, and it echoed around them. “Did you win?”

Aziraphale looked insulted, “Of course I won! I wasn't given a flaming sword for no reason.”

“What was the argument?”

“I can't quite recall where it started but I believe it ended when he called me a son of a bitch and I replied with something along the lines of 'You dare refer to the Lord that way!?' and drew my sword.”

Crowley gave him a wicked grin, “Would have liked to see that.”

“We should spar sometime. I may be a bit out of shape but I'm sure I could show you a thing or two.”

“Definitely not. I was always rubbish with weaponry. Never really bothered with it. Prefer using my wits, and when a sword was necessary I just got someone else to do it.”

“Maybe I could teach you?”

The offer was left unanswered, the two naturally returning to a comfortable silence as they continued their exploration of the old castle and priory. It was an old place, humans had been occupying the land for 2000 years, and yet they were still much older. This castle had been in ruins for centuries, and they had been there before, during, and after. They did not feel old within the new metropolises that had popped up in the last century but in the ruins of the civilizations that they outlived by millennia. They were old, but they were old together, and now nothing was there to stop them from being so.

“Shall we go home?”

Home. Crowley liked the sound of that when Aziraphale said it.

“Yeah, let's go.”

Epilogue: Dover Castle

They drove south along the coast. Aziraphale had gone through nearly all of the CDs he had acquired in Wales, except one.

“Vera Lynn? Didn’t realize you were a fan.”

“She had such a lovely voice. They broadcast one her performances on BBC during the war and I bought a record the next day."

“How modern of you.”

“This one apparently came out this year. I like the cover art. Technology is unbelievable nowadays, over 30 tracks on a single side of this tiny disc.”

It was later in the afternoon now, Vera Lynn serenading the duo as rolling hills passed them on one side and choppy grey waves on the other. It had been a well-needed disruption in their daily routines, a literal and figurative breath of fresh air. If Crowley was being honest (which he rarely was with himself) he enjoyed spending all this time with Aziraphale. The angel had allowed himself to enjoy their vacation much more openly, but Crowley had enjoyed it too, in his own way. He was old, which he did not care to admit. Humanity had aged him. 6000 years in the pits of hell was nothing, but 6000 years amongst billions of the busiest and most diverse animals on the planet had a way of reminding your how ancient you truly are. Most humans believed that the earth was billions of years old, and that was a length of time that Crowley did not care to imagine. Revisiting all of these old castles and villages reminded him just how much he had experienced already, so much more than any person could imagine, longer than any given human civilization. Up until now, the future had been finite, but now, thinking about all that he could still experience here on earth with seemingly no expiration date was equal parts exciting and terrifying. He looked over at the angel. He kept doing that throughout the trip. Glancing over at Aziraphale in the passenger seat, either reading a book or looking out at the scenery and on one extremely treasured stretch of the drive when he closed his eyes and ‘slept’ (Crowley doubted he had been completely successful in his attempt but it was a marvel to behold regardless.) How many more vacations would they have? How far would they go? The anxiety that had hovered over their previous encounters still loomed slightly, but it was quickly fading with each passing month. Where would they be in a year? He was nervous, terrified even. But looking over at the angel, the knot in his stomach seemed to disentangle itself slowly but surely.

Aziraphale’s thoughts were significantly less deep. He was extremely happy with how the vacation had shaped up and was excited to plan out the next. He was still ready to be back home in his bookshop, he could only handle so much excitement and travel, but it had been energizing and thrilling in its own way. This trip had reminded him why he had settled in England. For all its flaws (notably the weather. Crowley would have also said the politics but Aziraphale didn’t make a habit of keeping up with current affairs), it was a beautiful country filled with kind and well-intentioned people. And had produced its fair share of good music. He had not listened to Vera Lynn in a while but somehow all those old tunes were still in his head as he hummed along watching the sun descend closer to the horizon. He saw a sign that said ‘London’ and when Crowley did not turn onto it, he looked over at the demon curiously.

“Thought we’d make one more stop before heading back home. Just a bit further south.”

Aziraphale was in no rush, so he made no objection. He slid back into his spot up against the window, head perched on his hand. They view slowly grew more and more populated, quaint villages into small towns and then again into cities. Aziraphale closed his eyes, just enjoying the music, enjoying the peace, enjoying Crowley. Even though he was not saying anything the demon's presence was so easily felt. He let himself soak up that feeling and they carried on. They crossed over the Thames and slowly returned to those quaint villages and green fields. The drive wasn’t very long (almost certainly to do with the incredibly dangerous speeds the Bentley had been driving at). They got out of the car and Aziraphale gazed upwards towards the imposing structure in front of them. It was well preserved, in a much better condition than the other castles they had visited. The main keep was surrounded by enormous walls on all sides. The castle itself stood upon a hill overlooking the English Channel. The sun was setting over the water far in the distance. Crowley hadn’t driven them up to the main castle, instead of off to the side closer to the rocky cliffs.

“Dover Castle, the Key of England.”

Crowley got out off the car without turning it off so the music continued to pour out of the Bentley. Aziraphale followed, meeting Crowley who had walked around the car to his side. “Red Sails in the Sunset” faded out and familiar flute and string orchestra began to play.

“They’ll be bluebirds over, the white cliffs of Dover.”

Aziraphale began to blush, “Oh my dear, you didn't.” Except, when Aziraphale said ‘my dear’ the accent was not on the my and full of disbelief or frustration, but on the dear, and was not so much of an exclamation than a term of endearment, gentle and full of care. Crowley would never say it aloud, but he adored the way it sounded out of Aziraphale’s mouth, and especially since it was directed at him. He didn’t respond, instead, leaning against the angel watching the sunset over the castle, which he hoped was in of itself enough of an answer.

Now it should be noted that ‘White Cliffs of Dover’ was that in fact included in the recording Aziraphale had purchased, but Crowley did not know that and imagined that it must be, and so there it was, just in time. The song (miraculously) matched up perfectly with the setting sun. Crowley (or maybe it had been Aziraphale. Both had slowly drifted into each other as night fell, hands brushing up against the others) slowly slipped his hand into that of his best friend. A quiet display of affection that meant so much as the stars began to emerge from the darkening the sky.

“Tomorrow, just you wait and see.”

#fanfiction #good omens #original work #gofanexchange #apologies for my tangents on classical music and historic queer people #and I am 100% sure I missed a few typos here and there #Hope you enjoy!

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serendipitous-magic · 5 years

Note

His eyes widen and he abandons the jar on the hall table immediately, striding forward until he reaches his boyfriend. Reaching up to ever-so-gently take Mike’s face in his hands, scanning him, those hazel eyes flicking over him in a flurry of anxious examination. “What the hell?” is his opening line. “Mike - what the hell ? What happened, are you okay? Did somebody hurt you? Talk to me, tell me.”

(For the fanfic DVD commentary ask thingy)

(P.S. this is from Ch 10 of The Unmarked Mixtape)

I’m assuming you mean the 500-ish words around that chunk, so I’ll start with…

The music in Will’s room stops and his door opens. A beat later he emerges, wearing gray boxers and a battered, faded-red Enjoy Coke tee. His hair is rumpled, his face a little shiny with oil that he hasn’t washed away yet, and his fingers are smudged with a cool palette of color - he’s been painting. There’s a smudge of gray-blue on his forearm, a streak of peach just beside his nose. He’s carrying a jar of cloudy gray water, a paintbrush sticking out of it, on his way to the bathroom sink with a far-off, absorbed expression, like he’s still deep in his artistic process. And Mike is so overwhelmingly glad to see him. He almost bolts forward and scoops Will up then and there, remembering just in time that they have an audience.

So one of my favorite (more lighthearted) moments of this chapter is this one ^, mostly because of Will’s general Aesthetic ™ right here. If I was artistically talented, I’d probably draw this moment. I just love the idea of Will chilling in boxers and an old battered tee (for some reason I really like the idea of it being one of those Enjoy Coke tees), at the end of the day, painting, with paint smeared over his hands and maybe a little bit on his face or arms. And after everything that Mike just went through, this sight is probably like the best thing Mike has ever seen, so I wanted to intentionally make Will look kind of rumpled and domestic - a kind of comforting change from the harrowing confrontation and journey that Mike just went through.

And then Will catches sight of Mike. Soaking wet and bloody, muddying up the living room floor with his dirty shoes, fending off Joyce’s well-meaning toweling attempts.

Again: Mike just went through hell. I sent him to the Byers’ in a great big storm (and had him nearly get hit by a car and crash his bike and scrape the skin off his knees and hands, etc.) because I wanted the outside to match the inside. It could have been just lightly drizzling, and Mike could have biked to the Byers with minimal drama and arrived upset but unharmed - but where’s the fun in that? I wanted to make him suffer. Partly because, like I said, then there’s physical, outward reflection of all the pain he just went through, but also partly because it’s more emotionally engaging. This was one of the main climaxes of the story; it would have felt cheap or underwhelming to me if he didn’t really have to struggle.

His eyes widen and he abandons the jar on the hall table immediately, striding forward until he reaches his boyfriend. Reaching up to ever-so-gently take Mike’s face in his hands, scanning him, those hazel eyes flicking over him in a flurry of anxious examination. “What the hell?” is his opening line. “Mike - what the hell? What happened, are you okay? Did somebody hurt you? Talk to me, tell me.”

Another one of my favorite parts of this whole chapter is the fact that Will takes one look at Mike and goes into full “boyfriend mode.” Will doesn’t care that his mother and brother are like two feet away, watching this all happen. He just sees his boyfriend bleeding, soaking wet and obviously crying, and nothing else matters in that moment. But Will doesn’t know what happened, yet, so when he sees Mike muddy and bloody, his first thought is that somebody hurt him. He thinks maybe Mike got mugged, or that somebody (maybe multiple somebodies) beat him up - and Will is probably afraid that it was because of their relationship, somehow. Because that was a very real concern in the 80s (and it still is today, but, thankfully, to a lesser extent). So that’s why one of his first questions is, Did somebody hurt you?

Will is in full boyfriend-mode, audience be damned, and Mike doesn’t even bother to send him a frown of reprimand. He can’t muster up the energy to care anymore. He just leans into Will’s touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment as he breathes. Will’s voice has tilted up an octave higher than usual in concern, and he thumbs lightly at the scrape on Mike’s temple. He picks up Mike’s hands and turns them over, hissing when he sees the gouges on his knuckles, calling to Jonathan to hand over the first aid kit. Mike stops him before he can crack the white plastic case open. If he doesn’t say it now, he doesn’t know if he ever will.

So here we’re seeing a shift in Mike. Before he’s always done his best to hide their relationship from everyone (El being the only real exception). He often wouldn’t let Will hold his hand or make any suggestive comments or be too affectionate around other people. They only held hands under the table a couple times because it was out of sight and the other people around them were distracted. So now, when Will is cupping his face and being very gentle and tender with him and practically nuzzling against him, and Mike (for the first time) doesn’t make any move to stop him, that’s an important shift. That’s Mike saying, fine. It’s fine if your mom and brother see us like this. Everything already came crashing down around me, so who cares? So this is most likely the first time that either Joyce or Jonathan have really seen byeler being A Couple without hiding it or toning it down.

“Will,” he says, and Will pauses, brows scrunched up in worry.

Mike swallows. He won’t cry again, not now, he won’t, he won’t - he’s stronger than that, damnit. He’s not a baby. He’s not going to cry. He clenches his jaw so hard that his teeth ache and looks up at the lumpy popcorn ceiling. When he looks down again, Will is watching him, waiting.

Toxic Masculinity, everyone! Mike is, throughout this chapter, disgusted at himself for crying and being “weak” and “emotional,” and he keeps trying to stop. Plus his dad didn’t help either by saying that Mike was “blubbering” and “being a baby,” which just reinforced Mike being ashamed of himself for breaking down.

He says it under his breath, low enough that maybe the others won’t hear. “My parents know.” Will goes stiff, and Mike spits out the worst part before he can lose his nerve. “They kicked me out.”

Will blinks, lips parting in a small inhale - but it’s Joyce that speaks first.

“They what?” Her voice is tight with anger. When Mike looks at her she’s already moving towards the phone. “They - oh, I’m gonna -”

Mike grasps at her sleeve, pulling her back from the phone before she can lift it. “No, no - no, don’t - they don’t know I’m here, they -”

So Mike was hoping that maybe if he said it quietly, Joyce and Jonathan wouldn’t quite hear him. That doesn’t work, obviously, and Joyce’s first reaction is basically “AW HELL NO” and she kind of instinctively reaches for the phone so she can tear Karen a new one (because she WARNED Karen not to do this, goddamnit), but Mike snuck out specifically so his parents wouldn’t know he was already gone until the next morning - thus hopefully gaining him some time to recover and prepare before whatever comes next. And if Joyce calls and rips them a new one, they’ll know Mike is at the Byers. So he kind of panics and grabs at her and is like “nO WAIT DON’T DO THAT.”

Aaaand that’s that! Honestly chapters 9 and 10 took so much mental and emotional energy to write - partly because really, structurally, they’re just one HUMUNGO chapter (thus “part 1″ and “part 2″), and also because they’re both so emotionally charged and intense.

That being said, I am working on Ch 11 - though I won’t give an update estimate because I’m not sure how fast it’s gonna get done lol.

#asks #ask game #fanfic dvd commentary #the unmarked mixtape #fanfiction

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bryanr322-blog · 5 years

Text

12.4.2. Mastery Reflection - Professional Practice

Month 12: Professional Practice Mastery Reflection

The last 12 months have been a rollercoaster of emotions, ups, downs, highs, and lows. There has been a plethora of useful material covered in every class that will be beneficial to my success in the field. It’s crazy to think that just a year ago, I was applying to the Full Sail University Master of Fine Arts program in Media Design and here I am a week away from walking across that stage to receive a diploma. Looking at the Experience Map located below, this year has not been shy of some obstacles, but in the end, these obstacles have made me a better designer. As the final week on the program comes to a close, let’s go ahead and take a look back on each month and reminisce about each course and how it helped me achieve mastery in the field.

1 – Mastery: Personal Development and Leadership

This first course was all about getting back into the swing of being a student again. It had been 5 years since my undergraduate program, so finding a routine was necessary. This month helped me learn how I was going to organize myself and my work and how I would manage my time and schedule for the remainder of the program. It was all about finding a balance and doing a little work each day, rather than save it all until the last minute. I also had to learn APA style formatting when it came to writing a research paper. My undergraduate career, I only used MLA, so this took some getting used to, but I was able to write my first research paper in 5 years and I was pretty proud of the end result. These skills are not only necessary for almost every job, but they were also very helpful in finishing my thesis. By managing my time and keeping all of my projects and papers organized throughout the program, it was easier to find and look back on these assignments for the thesis project.

2 – Defining Client Needs

Defining Client Needs was the first class that taught the skills and tools required in the initial stages of the design process. The first assignment asked to create mind maps for three different categories for three different cities. These mind maps were so helpful because it creates a visual of so many different ideas on one page with the hopes that one of these ideas will spark a creative idea that will lead to the next step in the process, sketching. Sketching is something I never did, so this took some getting used to. I usually would just go straight to the computer, but I found that it was so useful to sketch not only for the client but also for myself. As a designer, sketching actually saves a lot of valuable time. Creating designs and initial compositions on the computer takes time and if the client does not like the idea, then all that work was wasted. Sketches take very little time to do, so more ideas can be created in less time. The sketches can then be shown to the client and the most effective ones for them can then be produced into compositions on the computer. These mind maps and the idea of sketches was very helpful in the final thesis presentation because it allows me to show the process of reaching the final design and explain how the final presentation came about. Design is not just about creating something, but it is also about the process and how we arrived at that final design. This idea was brought to life because of the tools taught during this second month.

3 – Brand Development

“Design iteration means learning from failure before putting a product in front of users – so that you are judged on success” (Interaction Design Foundation, 2018). This quote from the Interaction Design Foundation really sums up what this month was about. Iterative design is key to a successful final product. As this quote explains, iteration helps a designer learn from their failed attempts. After selecting the city of Kyoto, Japan as the city I would move forward with for the logo design, I created hundreds of sketches for a logo design, but only the best and most effective designs for the client and target audience were turned into vector compositions. These logos were then added to toolkits or moodboards that included images, typography, color palettes, and other useful information for the brand. This assignment pushed me to be creative and come up with many different ideas based on geography, culture, and traditions of Kyoto. The tools learned from this course helped my thesis project because moodboards are very important to designers in showcasing a lot of information about a brand on one page. For my thesis, I had to explain my design process for many different learning outcomes and the addition of moodboards allowed this information to be communicated clearly and effectively to the audience.

4 – Effective Copywriting

The Effective Copywriting class really had me look at a different element of design that I never thought of before. I always thought of design as something to look at and never really thought of the words in an advertisement. This course had us think about taglines, headlines, and the body text of advertisements. In an article by Sue Unerman titled, Eight out of ten people only read the headline. She then writes, “hello there if you’ve got past the headline. You’re in the minority” (Unerman, 2015). This article explains just how important a good headline is to the effectiveness of a magazine cover or advertisement. This idea is something I never thought about before this course and really pushed me to write the best headlines and copy to grab the audience’s attention. We also had to create target personas, which was one of my favorite assignments of the entire program. Creating the ideal person for the target audience of a brand was exciting and allowed me to be very creative and detail oriented. My thesis presentation benefited from this course because it taught me to research and truly understand the target audience and as a result, the best and most effective final presentation could be delivered.

5 – Design Research

This course required us to create a website for a benefit concert to help the conservation of sea turtles. This one only my second time creating a website from scratch, so I knew this course would be a challenge. I feel like this course required a lot of work and many revisions were made based on peer and instructor feedback. This course introduced me to the importance of user experience. It is one thing to create something beautiful, but when it comes to websites, the user experience and whether or not they were able to maneuver through the website easily is very important. Design is all about reputation and if the target audience is frustrated or cannot effectively scroll through the website, this negatively affects the designer’s reputation as well as the brand. The final thesis project was to be presented in a website format. Therefore, the skills and idea of understanding the user experience were very beneficial in creating the final thesis presentation. If the information on the final website was unclear then this would negatively affect my argument on why I achieved mastery.

6 – Organizational Structures

Organizational Structures was one of my lowest points in the program. I am not very experienced in Adobe After Effects and motion graphics in general, so I knew a lot of outside research and training would need to take place. This course asked for an animated logo of one of the designs created in month 3. After watching some videos on Lynda.com, I was able to comfortably create some storyboards and a final animated logo for Kyoto. After peer review, I found that the animated logo looked great, but it did not effectively communicate all that Kyoto has to offer its tourists, which was the design problem I was trying to solve in the first place. I then added more images and words to describe Kyoto and added the animated logo at the end, which worked a lot better. When it came to my thesis project, what I took from this class was that as a designer, I need to fully understand the design problem because if I do not, then the target audience will be lost, and I did not solve the client problem either. By fully understanding the questions the thesis project was asking allowed me to clearly communicate the solution and arguments to the target audience.

7 – Design Strategies and Motivation

This course taught me that there is always room for improvement. There are always ways to make a design better and more effective for the client. During this course, I revisited the logo project from month 3. The final project during month 3 resulted in three different logo designs based on three different categories of geography, culture, and traditions. After learning more about design in the next three months, it became clear that branding is a huge deal when it comes to design and if a brand does not clearly communicate their ideas and mission to the target audience, then it will most likely fail. This idea was brought to the Kyoto logo project. I decided to create a template logo that is easily recognized as a brand, but the secondary images of the logo could be changed to showcase all that Kyoto has to offer. As a result, a series of logos was produced, but each one contained elements that were similar and can easily be recognized as the same brand, this allows for versatility in design while maintaining the look, feel, and mission of the brand. Later on, these logos were added to stock images with the header, “A city of possibilities. Kyoto.” This was created into a campaign as the final presentation. This course helped me complete my thesis project because I learned that often the first approach is not the best approach. It is better to take a step back from a project and revisit it later on. This allows the designer to see the project differently the second time and fix what may not be effective for the final product. This is what happened with my thesis website. What I sketched on paper and what actually was created looked completely different.

8 – Design Integration

This month was very similar to month 7, except the project that was revisited was the benefit concert website. The original website seemed flat, so wavy lines were added to the background to give a sense of flowing water. The user experience was also revisited and modifications to the design were made in order to make navigation through the website more positive for the audience. I also wanted to create a more complete and effective final presentation. Yes, the design process and how a designer arrived at the final product is important, but the way the final product is presented is even more important. If the final presentation is not clear and effective in communicating the design solution and vision of the brand or company, then the designer failed. I really wanted to make sure the final presentation included the process of arriving at the final product, but also look beautiful and have all the information pertinent to the client and design. By really focusing on the final presentation, I was able to take this skill into account when presenting the final version of the thesis project.

9 – Multi-Platform Delivery

This was the third month of revisiting projects from previous courses. This month I revised the three testimonial advertisements for the non-profit organization. The organization chosen was the Adoption Exchange, this name was changed to a fictional organization for portfolio purposes. The purpose of this project and design problem was to create advertisements that increase donations and awareness for the non-profit organization. Miranda Paquet states, “A well-planned campaign can spark new interest in your business and increase your sales, donations, and impact” (Paquet, 2018, para. 4). This idea sparked the “Love Knows No Bounds” campaign. The campaign allowed for the brand and look of each of the three advertisements to look similar and consistent. Consistency is key when it comes to design. To take this idea a step further, for the final presentation for this project I wanted it to include a brand style guide. Karla Cook states, “Developing a consistent brand starts with creating a brand style guide. These branding rule books help graphic designers, marketers, web developers, community managers, and even product packaging departments all stay on the same page and present a unified vision of the brand to the public” (Cook, 2018, para.4). The style guide will allow everyone involved in the project to stay on the same page. My thesis was benefited from this course again because of focusing on the final presentation and clarity of the information to the audience. Communication is very important in design and when it came to the thesis presentation, so this course definitely helped me with this effectively communicating my arguments.

10 – Measuring Design Effectiveness

Month 10 was very helpful to my career as a designer. It is one thing to create a design, but to actually measure its effectiveness and see how well it does with its consumers is another. This course required us to create a survey and actually test and analyze the results. These are skills that are very beneficial in the design industry. Conducting a survey is very important to a designer because it allows them to learn from their mistakes and see what does and does not work for the future. I tested the benefit concert website and found that the results were quite positive. Having been worried about web design prior to this program, I never thought that a website I created would receive such positive feedback. I found that viewers liked simple design and an easy to navigate website with a menu bar. The survey also brought up ideas and elements that were missing for the website. This was very helpful when creating the website for my thesis because I knew what design elements worked and what did not. I knew what consumers wanted in a website and what information fell flat and was unclear to them. When developing my final thesis website, all of these ideas were taken into effect to create the most positive user experience that effectively communicated all of the information presented.

11 – Thesis: Presentation of Design Solution

This course was when we had to create our thesis presentations and I knew that the pressure, time management, and organization skills would have to be increased. Throughout the program, I kept all of my projects and assignments in folders on my computer which helped me find all of the information and images needed for the thesis project. Organization is crucial in any job, but it paid off and made things more efficient and run smoother in this particular case. I had used wix.com before so this aspect of the assignment was easy for me. I took everything I learned from the previous courses into account and really wanted to showcase my best work and communicate my ideas clearly to the target audience. From month 10, I found that simplistic web design and navigation is key, so I really wanted a simple design, but in order to effectively communicate my ideas, I needed to include a lot of images and information. Users can become very overwhelmed with information, so finding the balance between including a lot of information but keeping the website simple was necessary. This was probably the most important project of the entire program and by understanding and using all of the tools and skills taught from the previous courses, the most effective thesis presentation was created.

12 – Professional Practice

This final month really put everything together and allowed us to wrap all that we learned into a final course. We learned how to present ourselves professionally in our resumes and cover letters, but also how to sum our personal brand up into a single statement. We created an experience map that looked back on how we were feeling, what we were thinking, and what we were doing during each course, good and bad. This allowed us to see our journey throughout the program in a single image. Over the past year, I have learned so much about design, the process, research, the ethics and morals surrounding design, and so much more. However, most importantly, I learned a lot about myself and with the help of the program, my peers, and instructors, I feel that I have achieved mastery and that I am ready for a career in media design. Thank you to everyone who helped and supported me along this rollercoaster, it’s been a ride I will never forget.

References

Cook, K. (2018). 21 Brand Style Guide Examples for Visual Inspiration. Retrieved December 5, 2018, from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/examples-brand-style-guides

Interaction Design Foundation. "Design Iteration Brings Powerful Results. So, Do It Again Designer!" The Interaction Design Foundation. 2018. Accessed March 28, 2019. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-iteration-brings-powerful-results-so-do-it-again-designer.

Paquet, M. (2018, January 16). How to Create a Successful Marketing Campaign. Retrieved November 29, 2018, from https://blogs.constantcontact.com/create-a-campaign/#

Unerman, Sue. "Eight out of Ten People Only Read the Headline." Campaign. 2015. Accessed March 28, 2019. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/eight-ten-people-read-headline/1374722.

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sky-girls · 6 years

Text

Your Colors Burn so Bright

I don’t know what this is, you don’t know what this is, no one knows what this is. I just know it’s the same universe as this one. Also nice reminder I don’t know shit about art.

“Please.” Matteo says, for what feels like the ten thousandth time already. “Come on Luna, please.”

“No.” She says firmly.

“Why not?” He asks with a pout and Luna turns to him with a sigh, they are on his bed, she is spending the night at his place, she has been doing it a lot lately, so much most of the time she doesn’t even need to go home to pick up her own stuff, her books are here, her clothes are here, she has a toothbrush here, Matteo has started to buy her sugar filled cereals and her favorite fruits.

She likes this so much. She is almost thinking of always being here, if that was in any way possible.

Matteo is facing her too, his eyes full of pleading, his hair is messy, still wet from the shower they just took, he has stopped drawing so this is a very serious topic, he must really want this.

“Because it’s weird.” She exclaims. “I won’t feel comfortable.”

“Why?” He asks. “I always draw you.”

“But I never know that you are doing it.” She retort and a small smile tugs at his lips as he rolls his eyes.

“It’s not that different.” He tells her, he is giving her the puppy eyes, though maybe kitten eyes would be more fitting, and she knows deep down that she will end up doing it.How could she say no to him when he is being like this. “It’s a study in color, Luna, you know you are the only thing I am one hundred percent comfortable drawing in color.”

“You should broaden your horizons.” She tells him.

“This is really important.” He says with a sigh. “And a very important part of my final grade in this class, baby, please.”

“But I have to pose.” She whines a little. “That’s so boring and uncomfy.”

“I will make it more interesting for you.” He says leaning closer to her, his breath tickling her lips and making her shiver. She still rolls her eyes at his innuendo, she has to even if he makes her stomach twist with want yet again.

“Will you?” She asks shaking her head slightly, he licks his lips and her eyes instantly go to them.

“Of course, I will.” He says caressing her cheek.

“And how will you do such thing?” She asks with a sigh as his hand slowly moves down her neck and heat spread to her body.

“So this means you will do it?” He asks, playing with the collar of his shirt on her.

“This means I am considering it.” She sighs and just now that his hand has slided under the covers and fond his way to her thigh she has realized that he put his notebook away. She is really doing this.

“How can I convince you, my love?” He asks in a deep voice so close his lips brush against her when he says it.

“I am sure you will find a way.” She tells him and pulls him closer into a deep kiss.

⭐

“So how are we doing this?” She asks, they are in his studio, the room in his apartment that has the best lighting and is filled with empty and full canvases, there’s some type of pencil, of paint brushes, paint tubes everywhere.

She had always imagined an artist’s studio being cluttered, messy, filled to the brim with the chaos of creativity but Matteo’s is incredibly organized, every little thing has its place and order. And not surprisingly it’s extremely monochromatic, there are some splashes of colors, some paints, some pencils, some canvases, each and every one of those has her face. Things are a little off since he has moved the couch that he usually keeps next to the wall she usually hangs out in when he is painting to the middle of the room.

He is busy arranging paints, pencils, he keeps sending looks at her and taking up some more before neatly putting them on the table next to him.

“So I have to do three pieces.” He tells her and she scrunches up her nose slightly, he chuckles and pokes it softly making her giggle. “And I have to inspire myself on a color palette that my prof suggested for each one of them but I can pick it myself so I will cheat just a little bit.”

“Such a rebel.” She tells him shaking her head. “So with what are you gonna start?”

“It’s a surprise.” He tells her. “But I just need you to sit and stare at me for this one, it shouldn’t be too hard for you.”

She huffs at him and sticks her tongue out when she is on the way to the couch, he tries to pull her into a kiss but she just pulls away and plops down into the couch.

“Okay, so please.” He starts try not to look away from me please he says looking at his phone, just then she realizes that most colors on his table are greens, some are pink and skin like colors but most are every shade of green she didn’t even know existed.

“Do I have to keep my eyes open too?” She asks widening her eyes comically and he just sighs as if she was crazy.

“No, babe.” He says trying not to sound amused. “That’s biologically impossible.”

“Is it?” She asks. “I had no idea.”

“Don’t you have like 3 biology courses?” He asks laughing and she pouts.

“Yes, I do sadly.” She says. “Which reminds me I need to go back to my place tonight.”

“You do?” He asks and he is already drawing something, she wishes she could see what.

“I left my bio books there.” She says sadly and he sighs.

“I don’t like going to my place.” She mumbles after a while.

“I don’t like it when you go to your place either.” He tells her, almost in a whisper, the conversation they are having a distant worry for him he is much too focused on his art.

She has learned this makes him very honest.

⭐

“You are so ridiculous.” She mumbles stifling a yawn.

“Why?” He asks he is drawing, the sun rays are barely awakening and he is drawing her, she knows he is stressed about this assignment but it’s so damn early.

“It’s like six am.” She complains and she wants to hide her face on the pillow away from the sun, he actually opened the curtains for this of course, but she doesn’t dare he looks so focused.

“Almost seven.” He corrects her. “You can sleep still, though.”

“The sun is on my face.” She complains and he just looks at her seriously before going back to his drawing. “Babe, love, darling, please just go the fuck back to sleep.”

“No.” He says decisively. “This is perfect, the lighting, the pose, you look perfect like this, I need to use it.”

“But it's so early.” She keeps complaining just a little less forcefully than before, sleep is coming back to her and the compliment softened her quite a bit too.

“Think of it this way.” He says leaving the orange pencil he has on his hand and picking a yellow one. “This way you can nap while I do this and you don’t have to pose for boring hours as last time.”

“You have a point.” She concedes.

“I always do.” He says softly. “Now go back to sleep, my love.”

She just hums hugging the pillow slightly tighter, her eyes are feeling heavy already and before she knows it the sound of Matteo’s pencils against the paper becomes so distant that it fades away.

⭐

“Okay, this one is uncomfy.” She mumbles.

“But you are lying in bed.” He tells her from the chair and she lifts herself on her elbows.

“But I am wearing lingerie.” She tells him.

“It’s a silk robe.” He says. “And I have seen you in less why is this uncomfy.”

“Because all of your class will see me like this.” She tells him. “Isn’t that an uncomfy idea for you?”

“No.” He says simply. “That way they all can see what they are missing and I have.”

She giggles despite herself and Matteo sends her a quick wink.

She sighs, it’s true it’s not lingerie, the lace of he bra peaks a little from under the fabric but the robe is long enough she has felt comfortable using it around many people before, it reaches slightly lower than the middle of her thighs, she uses wears skirts shorter than this a lot of the time, but she still doesn’t feel comfortable.

Matteo has done these kind of drawings before, even more daring ones of her but those are for him, those are the things he draws by memory and keeps close to himself they are not meant for the eyes of hundreds of people and some professors.

“Okay, this is not working.” He says after a while and she pouts. “You look stiff.”

“It’s because I feel uncomfortable.” She defends herself, he sends her a look, a little harsher than he probably intended but she makes herself smaller still, she doesn’t want to feel like Matteo’s assigment is not working because of her.

After a while he stands up and goes to the closet before coming back with one of his few t shirts.

“What if you wear this?” He asks and she shrugs.

“That would probably be better, yes.” She says in a small voice and Matte sighs, he gets closer slightly and his hands go to the belt of the robe and starts undoing the loose knot she made just minutes ago.

“I am so sorry if I have been difficult about this.” He tells her kissing her jaw and she melts against his touch.

“I know you are stressed.” She takes her hands around his neck playing softly with the hair of his nape, his lips go lower and into her neck, he sucks ever so slightly but she still gasps at this. “I know it’s a very big deal.”

“It is.” He agrees and his hands slide to her waist, caressing her bare skin. “But you are being so nice and so great in helping, I mean you are nice and great about everything, though.”

She is about to say something nice back, maybe tell him not to worry when he bites her skin softly, sending her body into overdrive, she tries to press herself more against his body, suddenly she is wearing too much to be comfortable.

“And the fact that I am stressed is not your fault.” He says and his free hand slides the robe off her shoulder, following its path with soft feathery kisses.

She pulls him into a kiss and he accepts gladly, teasing her lower lip with his tongue before searching hers, she moans slightly against his lips, he lets the robe fall to the floor and takes a step away.

“Now we put this in.” He says in a deep, raspy voice and she is feeling too dazed and confused to process that he is putting the t shirt on her and she is actually helping him. He takes a look at her, his eyes going down her body, they are incredibly dark, but they are still analytical. He messes her hair just slightly and goes back to his chair.

“Just kneel on the bed.” He tells her and she can feel how incredibly amused at the state he left her in.

She positions herself at his request, one shoulder of the too big shirt ends up falling leaving her more exposed than before even.

She can’t focus on that at all.

⭐

“Oh my god, I am so excited, I am so pumped, I can’t wait to see them.” She says excited and she bumps into something with her hands as she gesticulates.

The three drawings are finally ready and Matteo is of course being dramatic about it, he is leading her to his studio as he covers her eyes and rambles excited about them.

“Okay so the names are not final.”She feels them stop so she guesses they are where he wants them to be. “I need to find better ones, or I don’t know actually, not yet.”

“I don’t think the names matter that much.” She tells him softly and she feels him sigh. “But I am sure you will find the perfect ones.”

He doesn’t answer this, he just softly slides his hands away from his eyes and Luna’s breath is taken away the moment she sees his work.

They are much bigger than what he usually does but this she knew of course. She still needs to get closer, she needs to focus on each one individually is what they deserve.

She approaches the first one he made, a little piece of paper next to it with a color palette consisting of greens and pinks, the most contrasting of them, this little paper tells her it’s titled happiness and it’s just a her eyes.

Or more like a close up of her eyes, except that they are so deep, so enchanting, so beautiful. She doesn’t think her eyes are really this way, so bright, so vibrant, so clear, seeming to contain every shade of green the world has ever seen and some that she could swear are new ones. Her lashes are long casting shades on them and you can see each and everyone of them, no wonder he took hours.

He also took the time to detail each and everyone of her freckles, they are a darker pink color here instead of fully brown but it works perfect as they grace her scrunched up nose, just then she realizes she is smiling, she takes a look back at the eyes, they are smiling too.

She walks to the next one, this one is the way he drew in that sunset, so so early and now she sees what he means that the lighting was perfect for it, it’s all yellows and oranges. Her curls and bare back seem to be made entirely of the sunrise light and she seems a little softer around the edges, the sheets around her look like they are fading into the morning. It feels her heart with a comfortable warmth

She looks at the paper next to it, the color palettes is of course, soft yellows and oranges, the title is peace, she takes a deep breath, try to calm herself a little, this is overwhelming, in the best sense of the word.

She moves to the next one and she blushes as soon as she sees it, it’s probably adequate, this drawing is full of red, they are strong reds, deep reds, soft reds, she sends a quick look to the color palette, it has devotion written on it and it feels completely right.

She would be the last person to say something like this of herself, but here she looks like a goddess, she looks powerful, strong and sexy, the shirt hands loosely on her showing parts of her bra, not that much but enough that the lace calls the eyes, her hair is messy and so are her eyes, sucha dark red that they are almost black, her lips are a dark red too, the rest of her just a soft shade of it. She can’t look at this one for too long but she can’t take her eyes away either. It’s such a strange sensation to see herself like this. Is this how Matteo sees her?

“So what you think?” He asks and she turns to him, he is almost jumping from one feet to the other but of course he is trying to be casual about it, just like he is shifting his position, she smiles at him, she is too struck by the feelings these paintings caused her to manage a full smile but she hopes that it’s still enough.

“They are amazing, Matteo.” She says in a breathy voice walking to him.

“Really?” He asks resting his hands on her hips and bringing her closer.

“Of course really.” She exclaims. “They are just incredibly, I don’t think I have ever seen anything like these.”

“You don’t know much about art.” He teases but she can see he is pleased.

“I know enough to know that these are great.” She says surely. “They are so incredibly beautiful,I feel like I should be saying more but I just don’t know enough words to describe just how perfect they are.”

“I love you so much.” He says softly. “You are the best, you helped me so, so much here, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“You could have.” She tells him resting her hand on his cheek.

“Okay, maybe.” He says quickly and Luna giggles. “But I don’t want to do this without you so…”

“I love you.” She says when he doesn’t finish the sentence and he just grins at her. “You are gonna get the best grade possible.”

“Thanks to you.” He says and he kisses her before she can say anything against it.

#soy luna #lutteo #mine

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houseofvans · 6 years

Photo

SKETCHY BEHAVIORS | Interview w/ STACEY ROZICH (LA)

From animal mask wearing people sifting through antiques to creepy mascots being arrested by equally creepy looking officers, Los Angeles based artist Stacey Rozich’s watercolor works are all things awesome. Strange, familiar, dark, humorous, and pleasantly eerie at times, Rozich’s paintings, while done in the style of folk traditional painting, are filtered through her own lens of modern pop culture. With some upcoming shows in the New Year–a group show at New Image in LA in February and a two-person show at Portland’s Talon Gallery in September–we couldn’t wait to chat with Stacey Rozich about her early experiences with drawing, her collaboration with Subpop Records, and her sketchiest story involving loud raucous metal heads and a little out-of-the-way saloon in Malibu in this latest Sketchy Behaviors.

Photographs courtesy of the artist | Portrait by Kyle Johnson

Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Stacey Rozich, or Stace, Stace Ghost, etc. I’m from Seattle, but I now live in Los Angeles. I’ve been painting in watercolor for the past twelves years, and drawing before that since forever. I sometimes do large scale versions of my work as acrylic murals, which is something I stumbled into. I dig painting in the folk tradition, but through my own lens of modern pop culture, and way too much tv watching as a kid. Seriously, I was an insomniac in middle school and for some reason my parents gave me a tv in my room, so I stayed up all night watching VH1 Pop-Up Video and Adult Swim (circa late 90’s). I have an almost encyclopedic knowledge of The Simpsons seasons 3 - 8 — I used to recite monologues from the show to my family when I was a kid. And I still do!

What was your first experience with art / drawing? And who were some of your early artistic influences? In Kindergarten I drew a many-legged leopard in the forest with crayons and I got a lot of praise for it from the other kids and the teacher. I felt a combination of pride and complete embarrassment for the attention I got for something I created without thinking. My earliest artistic influence was probably Sailor Moon. I wish I could say I was one of those really smart arty kids that loved Picasso, but honestly I wasn’t that aware of what “real art” was until later in pre teenhood. The flashy colors and character designs of Sailor Moon were so exciting for me! Even the lush watercolor backgrounds captivated me. I liked drawing people then so the outrageous proportions of the girls was something I could mimic in my own drawings.

Some of our favorite aspects of your work is your use of gouache and watercolors. Can you share with folks what it is about this particular medium you enjoy so much? I absolutely love watercolor, and truthfully I don’t use gouache that much to consider myself proficient in it since it’s a slightly more opaque medium and I use it for accents. Especially the fluorescent gouaches I picked up in Tokyo, those against my watercolors pop nicely. But watercolor, yeah, I think I have that one in the bag. I remember using it in high school and absolutely loathing it — where was the control? One wrong move and it all just blended together into one big wet puddle. When I was a freshman at CCA (California College of the Arts in San Francisco) I took an intro Illustration class and the first thing our professor did was give us a watercolor demo; I was not looking forward to it. He was such a wizard with it! He gave us really smart instructions to not use very much water, and really “charge up the brush” with the pigments and paint it in and let it dry fully. That way edges of the paint have dried and created a barrier for the next application of color next to it. That’s why the barrier for entry with watercolor can seem too high, when it gets too slippery to work with there’s an overuse of water. I got that suddenly and it all clicked. Since i grew up drawing habitually I liked that I could use a very small brush and almost draw with watercolor, and large brushes to fill in certain planes with tonal washes. I like that I can wipe and dab away little pools of color and it creates a nice stained glass effect — that looks really lovely against a matte layer of watercolor that I’ve used extremely little water with.

Are there other mediums you’d like to try in the future? In the future I would really like to start painting portraits of people in my life. Like, Alice Neel style portraits in oil. Oil intimidates me greatly so I think I’d start in acrylic.

What’s a day in the studio for you like? I get to my studio around 10am since I’m not a very early riser, unfortunately. I so envy early morning people! One of my girlfriends who’s an incredible textile artist is up and at ‘em and hiking in Griffith Park by 6am. And there I am under the covers with a cat on stomach looking at her Instagramed hike thinking “Some day that will be me” — I like to lie to myself. Anyway! Once I roll into my studio I settle in to write some e-mails, putz around the Interwebs, and then get down to the task at hand. It’s usually 11 around this time so I’m usually really chugging along by 3, and then I’ll keep going for a few more hours. If it’s a painting for a commission or gallery show I tend to spread my timeline out so I don’t get burned out. If it’s a commercial gig there’s a lot more scanning, Photoshop clipping out and editing which can take me later into the evening.

What’s that process like? My process always starts with loose sketches on paper, which can mean in a sketchbook or whatever blank piece is lying closest to me. I work out compositions with really doodly lines — they’re virtually unintelligible but I know what they mean. When I move to the final I mostly wing it when it comes to the color palette. If anyone has ever seen my watercolor palette they know it’s a goddang mess which works for me. I usually work with whatever shades I’ve pre mixed and let dry in the pan.

You’ve worked with various clients and companies over the years. Do you enjoy collaborating and what do you find the most challenging about it? I do like working commercially, the collaboration with art directors can be incredibly rewarding. Though there are times it becomes a slog when you’ve created about four or five killer rough ideas and they go with the weakest one. Why does that always happen? You have to do what they say essentially, but still keep your voice even when it feels a little pinched.

In 2015, you collaborated with Subpop Records on some amazing record art and design? Can you tell us a little about that collaboration and process? Subpop is one of my favorite labels to work with hands down. Their art director Sasha Barr is such a boss. I was really lucky when I was working on the Father John Misty album that I got to create the art and not worry about the editing process. I sent it up to them since they had access to a gigantic scanner to get a full high-resolution image. It meant a lot that I was able to do the art as an actual full scale piece, as opposed to broken up to little scraps and then scanned on my wee little ancient scanner. Sasha did all the leg work to clip out the whole thing and to figure out how to stage the multi-layered pop-up interior gatefold. Usually when I work with smaller clients they ask me to do all this which is…not a good idea. Ultimately that album packaging was nominated for a Grammy in Packaging Design in 2016, but we lost out to Jack White because of course. Damn you, Jack White!

What WOULD BE your ideal collaboration? I would like to work with a great publishing house to do my own young adult series. Basically all the characters and worlds I’ve been painting distilled down into a serialized art book/graphic novel type thing. That’s a big dream of mine that swings from feeling so possible and exhilarating and then feeling completely futile because everyone has the worst things to say about the state of publishing right now. I still have hope that someday I’ll get it together to at least put forward a proposal.

On a different level I’ve love to design some patterns for Gucci. I’m not really up on the latest collections of luxury brands but Gucci is one I’ve noticed has been doing a fantastic job incorporating illustrations into their garments either as accents or printed motifs. The uniqueness of the artwork coupled with excellent hand done detailing makes my brain feel fuzzy in a really good way.

What type of music do you listen to when creating? Can you give us the top 5 bands you’ve been checking out? I waffle back and forth between music and a lot of podcasts. For the times when I can’t listen to anyone talk anymore, I listen to Jim James, Solange, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shabazz Palaces. I just started listening to Andy Shauf’s new album which is lovely, it reminds me a bit of Harry Nillson. Also there’s a great massive playlist on Spotify called Twin Peaks Vibes that is excellent.

What’s your strangest or sketchiest art story that you want to share? I was eating lunch with some friends at this little out-of-the-way saloon in a canyon east of Malibu after a hike a few months ago. It’s pretty isolated down there — they’ve been using this place for filming Westerns since the 30’s so it’s a very specific strange and cool gem. I was sitting at the bar and these bros come in, being loud and raucous. I kind of internally rolled my eyes at them and ignored them. I hear one of them say “Excuse me — are you Stacey Rozich?” I got scared for a moment because anytime someone recognizes me by name I feel like I’m going to get into some trouble. I told him I was, and then he and his friends got very excited since they all were huge Southern Lord fans, and loved the album artwork I did years ago for the band Earth. I was really surprised (and relieved) and we had a good chat! It was a very unexpected encounter down at this little far away rustic saloon.

What’s a common misconception about artists? Perhaps that we’re all lazy. That we don’t have a good work ethic since what we do is hard for most people to wrap their brain around. It’s a completely unconventional path to go down, and you have to be extremely dedicated to it. Yet somehow this doesn’t quite translate to most folks since it seems like basing your life and career on an unknown pursuit like art seems insane. And there’s an idea that artists have a lot of free time to spend laying around waiting for inspiration to strike.

What’s been the biggest challenge for you as an artist? The largest challenge for me, honestly is: myself. I’ve been working solely on my artwork for the past six years and it’s been full of a lot of ups and downs: emotionally and financially for sure. There’s always a feeling of not being good enough, why aren’t I as good as this or that artist, why aren’t I doing X, Y or Z. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of myself for what I have accomplished but I need to remind myself of that before I go down a spiral of anxiety. It comes from a fear of rejection which can prevent me from pursuing things, submitting a proposal for the aforementioned young adult series for example. Sometimes I need to remind myself to get out of my head and to get out of my own way.

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t an artist? I’d probably be in finance, on Wall Street most likely. Kidding! I think about this sometimes. Being someone who creates has always been so tightly wrapped up in who I am as a person that it’s hard to extract myself from what I would be without. I would hope I would do something in Slavic studies. My dad’s side is Croatian (by way of Detroit) and while that’s been a huge inspiration for my artwork I’ve always been really fascinated with that region’s history of conflict and resilience. When I spent six weeks there back in 2012 it only deepened my love for that place and also my curiosity for what makes it tick.

What are your favorite Vans? A pair of beat up, worn in, maybe a couple of holes at the toe blue or red Authentics. A true classic.

What’s a question you never get asked in an interview and would like to ask and answer yourself? It would be, ‘If there was one person living or dead who you wished owned or could have owned your art — who would it be?’ To which I would say that’s such a hard question there’s so many people I admire! But as of this moment I think it would be rad if David Lynch had some of my art. I love his unstructured style of storytelling, all the loops and the sometimes frustrating dead ends his narrative world has. The effect of creating an unusual if not downright confusing vignette just for the sake of it reminds me of how I approach the storylines in my work.

What cool and interesting projects or shows that you’re working on - should folks keep an eye out for next year? Since it’s the end of the year things are usually pretty quiet in terms of projects, but I’m in a group show in conjunction with Luke Pelletier’s solo show at New Image here in LA in February. I’m scheduled for a two-person show at Portland’s Talon Gallery in September and! Hopefully, if it all aligns, I’ll be headed Internationally to do some muraling. I’m stoked for it!

FOLLOW STACEY | Instagram | Website

#Art #Vans #Vans Art #Stacey Rozich #SKETCHY BEHAVIORS #female artist #vans girls #painting #gouache #watercolor

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shemakesmusic-uk · 3 years

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INTERVIEW: Douglas.

Ashes is the electrifying solo debut album that’s out today from Douglas, the new solo experimental, shoegaze/electronica project from Amy Douglas White, a veteran LA-based singer, songwriter and musician. Previously best known for contributing background vocals on M83's seminal album Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming and performing alongside Mariqueen Maandig Reznor in West Indian Girl, Ashes brims with emotionally explosive, cinematic vignettes, melding together sadness and joy through the lens of ethereal electronica, with Douglas’ own versatile and expressive vocals always a throughline. Dense with pulsing rhythms and celestial layers of vocals, Douglas’s ambient pop is a hybrid of genres, rooted in melodic hooks, and yet rich with abstraction.

To mark its release, Douglas is sharing a compelling short film set to the album track 'Alter Ego'. Among the most cinematic tracks on Ashes, 'Alter Ego' features an alluring slow burn of Rhodes keyboard and Roland JX-3P synths set to ignite. The accompanying video burrows deep into the unspoken emotions evoked by the instrumental, depicting a poignant vignette in a boy’s adolescent life. In the short film, starring young actor Daniel Hoffman, a boy ventures out from his troubled household one evening and stumbles upon his older brother’s secret sexuality, evoking the song’s theme of hidden identity.

Shot on 35mm film by acclaimed filmmaker Jac Cron who creates films centered around human connection, particularly within the LGBTQIA+ community, she was struck by the song’s cinematic resonance and inspired to create the video that tells a fictional (but all-too-real) story about how identity, acceptance, societal pressure and vulnerability affect members of their community.

We were lucky enough to sit down with Amy and have a chat about the new album, the kind of music she's listening to at the moment, what she enjoys doing outside of music and more. Read the interview below.

Hi Amy! How are you? How have you been affected by the pandemic?

"I’m doing well! It’s been really exciting to finally get my music out into the world. Fortunately, my family has not been adversely affected by the pandemic, as my partner has had steady work, and I was able to stay home with my son for the first 6 months until he started preschool. We also haven’t had the misfortune of suffering the loss of a personal loved one. That’s not to say that anxiety and stress did not amount to crazy levels throughout the year, but my partner and I are both pragmatic people and can handle a crisis pretty well. The challenge now will be learning to adjust and move beyond surviving to thriving."

You've just released your debut album Ashes. Please tell us what the record is about/was inspired by and what it means to you.

"I have been playing in bands and working in the industry for over 20 years. From time to time I would write music and experiment with sounds in my studio, slowly growing my arsenal with more music gear and constant practice. I love creating and collaborating with people, as I always learn new things and get to expand my musical palette. But it wasn’t until I experienced a devastating loss that I felt this overwhelming drive to focus my creative energy into a project that was solely my own. In 2016, I was forced to terminate a pregnancy at seven months, and six months later I became pregnant with my son. The pregnancy became a source of both hope and creative motivation while giving me a natural deadline to complete the album. Writing and producing these songs became a cathartic release, an incredibly powerful and healing tool that I needed in order to move forward."

You wrote and produced the LP yourself with a few instrumental contributions from trusted collaborators. What was the creative process like? How important was it to you to have total control?

"It was amazing and sometimes scary at the same time. I’ve always collaborated with someone in the past, so I was used to bouncing ideas off of them until we were all happy. With Ashes, I loved being able to create a sound in its full form without having to compromise. It was fun to take my time and really chisel away at the sonic landscape of each track. Not having a lot of experience producing drum tracks, however, made me nervous, as I didn’t want the album to suffer from my lack of experience. But even that aspect was enjoyable once I figured out what I was doing. It’s not a perfectly produced album, but that was never my intention. I wanted to make something honest, something that I felt deep within myself. Keeping that vision in mind, I was able to overcome these challenges and feelings of insecurity, which made this experience truly powerful and most fulfilling."

What was your favourite part in creating Ashes? And were there any parts you found particularly challenging?

"My favorite part was diving into the music without any expectations other than to create something truthful. I did my best to extrapolate sounds and ideas I heard in my head, but a lot of the production and writing came from improvisation and just playing around with my keyboards. Producing Ashes was my first time editing live drums (played by Kris Persson), and it felt like I was shooting blindly at first; stacking and chopping rhythms in random ways until I found something I liked. Lyric writing can be hard for me too, but once something feels right, there’s no greater satisfaction than a lyric that makes you cry when you sing it. I had many moments in my studio where I would play a line on a keyboard that would give me chills, or I would get up to sing a vocal and tears would stream down my face. Those moments of being lost (or present) in the music are what it’s all about.

"The most challenging part was probably juggling the mixing of the album while becoming a new mom. I was literally exchanging mix notes for ‘Clouds’ with my mixing engineer, Patrick Doyle, while in labor at the hospital. The album was so important to me, though, that I would make time to listen to the new mixes whenever I could (which usually meant on 2 hours of sleep and with cheap headphones). But Patrick was amazing. He was so patient, professional, and an absolute joy to work with. He made Ashes come to life; I’m forever indebted to him."

What do you hope fans will take away from Ashes?

"Music makes me feel things I can’t always express with words. If I can have that same affect on someone I think I’ve succeeded."

Which new artists/bands are you listening to right now? Is there anyone else you would love to collaborate with in the future?

"I’m always listening to a variety of artists, but lately I’ve been really into Denis Sulta’s new tracks, as well as Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross’ “Watchmen” soundtrack. Also, Billie Eilish, Tame Impala, Caribou’s “Suddenly, and Fiona Apple’s “Fetch The Bolt Cutters.” I have a jazz playlist that I put on almost every night around dinner, with Thelonious Monk being one of my most played and favorite artists. It would be a dream to work with any of these! Kevin Parker from Tame Impala, Weyes Blood, Mark Ronson, Little Dragon, Morgan Kibby, Ulrich Schnauss, Jonny Greenwood, Disclosure, Sigur Rós, Burial, Cliff Martinez. I could go on and on…"

If there was one thing you could change about the music world today, what would it be?

"Wow, that’s a tough question. It would probably be the sexism that’s so deeply embedded in the music industry culture. I know that sexism is pretty ubiquitous, but this industry seems particularly old-fashioned and slow to move forward with change."

Based on your musical journey so far, what’s been your biggest takeaway/piece of advice?

"You have to love making music. It can be tough and take a really long time, but if you ultimately enjoy the process of creating music you will find peace and fulfillment. It’s helped me to have a set schedule where I go to my studio every day to either play, write or improvise with sounds or gear. You don’t have to make magic, but if you make time for practice you get to flex those muscles that may lead to magic. Also, say yes to as many different musical experiences that may come your way."

What are you passionate about outside of music?

"I’m an avid gardener and I volunteer for the LA County Master Gardener program. I’m obsessed with sustainability and being able to grow your own food. This ties into my other love, which is baking and cooking. From a young age my friends have always tried to convince me to open a baking business. Maybe some day that will happen, but for now I’m happy to zen out in my little kitchen and bake for my family (and friends, once we can safely see each other again)."

Finally, what's next for you? I expect you're wanting to get back to touring as soon as it's safe to do so? What are you missing most about performing live?

"I’m excited to release a remix EP in the summer to follow up the album release of Ashes! I’m also working on an experimental/ambient EP. I miss performing live so much; the energy you get from the audience is unlike anything else. I’ve never played a live show where I was the front-woman, but I think it’s an important experience I need to have."

youtube

Ashes is out now.

Photo credit: Alexander Brown

#interview #douglas #ashes #alter ego

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skamelias · 7 years

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Hei Briskeby - Makeup tutorial with dem boyz

8.2 Torsdag 23.11.17

Description: Absolutely no thinking was involved in the making of this video

“What’s up people? Long time no see.” Elias smiled into the camera, as he sat on the edge of the couch in the living room.

“We’ve missed you guys, but now we’re back and we have two very special guests,” Elias glanced in front of him where Sana and Laila were sitting a bit apprehensively. Laila gave a small wave, while Sana half-heartedly rolled her eyes. “This is Laila and making a second appearance on this channel is my little sister Sana.” Elias pointed to each of them respectively.

“Today we have a surprise for you. Some of you–no all of you might think we’re crazy, but apparently we’re going to be doing a makeup tutorial. As you can see we ran out of video ideas and needed to get in that sweet content for views,” Adam quipped.

“To be clear, this wasn’t our idea, but because Elias can’t say no to a certain someone, all of us are getting our makeup done.” Mikael mentioned, poking Elias in the ribs.

“Well not all of us….” Mutta interjected. “Even got out of doing this video by giving the lamest excuse that he had laundry to do,” Mutta shook his head, pursing his lips in mock disappointment.

“Now Laila, Sana, what do you have in store for us today?” Elias asked, a laid back demeanor to him.

“Basically each one of you guys gets to choose the makeup for the rest of you, and you’ll take turns choosing.” Laila said.

“As you can see we brought out our finest collection of foundations, lipsticks, eyeshadow, and concealers. And by finest, I mean cheapest because we’re not about to waste our good makeup on you guys,” Sana added.

Laila nodded in affirmation while the rest of the guys looked like they had been stung.

Yousef raised a hand to his chest dramatically, “Wow….you guys don’t think we’re worth using your good makeup on? I’m shocked, hurt, and offended.”

Sana shook her head, laughing slightly at Yousef’s grin, full dimples showing.

“Ok so who wants to go first?” Elias asked, glancing over at the guys.

“I volunteer Elias to go first,” Mikael said, pointing at Elias, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Elias gave him a death glare, before gazing at Laila nervously. She laughed at his uneasy expression before she said, “Don’t worry Elias, I’ll go easy on you since this is your first time.”

Adam wolf whistled. Elias blushed slightly as Mutta said, “Which color should we do for his eyeshadow?”

The guys all turned to look at Mutta clearly puzzled at how he knew what eyeshadow was.

“What? Chris taught me a few things…” Mutta trailed off, shrugging his shoulders but smiling nonetheless.

“Oh I know what this is,” Adam said enthusiastically, as he picked up a beauty blender. “This is an egg that you can use to massage the surface of your skin; I’ve seen girls use this. You just roll it around on your face, right? He glanced at Laila and Sana who were close to bursting out in full blown laughter.

“No Adam, that’s to blend in your makeup, usually your foundation.” Sana shook her head in exasperation.

Adam was clearly dumbstruck by this new piece of information.

“I think we should do a blue for Elias’ eyeshadow,” Mutta said abruptly, smiling mischievously.

Laila looked at him with mild horror, raising her eyebrows. She looked like she wanted so badly to say something, but instead, she held her tongue and picked up the eyeshadow palette and brush. She held it out to Elias’ eye and said, “This might tickle a little bit but can you close your eyes for me?” Elias shut his eyes and Laila leaned down, gently applying a few strokes of the eyeshadow to each of his eyelids.

Mikael snorted when he saw Elias’ blue covered eyes, Laila and Sana couldn’t quite contain their laughter either.

“Does it look bad?” Elias said, looking around for a mirror, but finding none.

Laila wiped a tear from her eye, shaking her head. “No, no, no, it looks good,” she lied.

“I think he needs a really bright pink lipstick,” Yousef added, covering his mouth, trying to hide his smile and failing.

Elias rolled his eyes.

Sana handed over a bright tube of pink lipstick to Laila who lightly applied it to Elias’ lips.

“Looking good Elias,” Adam remarked jokingly.

“He could use some eyeliner,” Sana suggested, putting her hands on her hips in amusement.

“Oh yeah, you’re right,” Laila picked up the pencil and adjusted her wrist so it was level with Elias’ eye. “Okay so try not to move around too much.” Elias grimaced slightly but nodded before she slowly made a neat line around the edge of his eyes.

Laila stepped back to admire her handiwork, nodding in affirmation to herself. “I think I did the best I could given the circumstances.”

“Ok who’s next?” Elias said, attempting to change the subject.

They all looked around, hoping it wasn’t one of them, before Adam stepped up and volunteered himself to go next.

“I’ll go. I don’t mind sacrificing my dignity for the views,” he boasted, wiggling his brows and winking into the camera.

“What dignity?” Sana said nonchalantly.

“Ouch!! Sana is the true roast master over here,” Mikael said grinning at her. “Adam’s favorite color is red, so I would just go crazy with it and paint his whole face red.”

“Thanks bro, you get me.” Adam said fistbumping with Mikael. He looked into the camera then and said, “To any ladies watching this, if your man won’t let you practice your makeup skills on them, dump them.”

This time it was Sana’s turn to snort. She knit her brows together in disbelief before walking over to Adam and picking up and bright red lipstick.

“Will this stuff come off when I eat or drink something?” Adam asked vaguely, as she applied it to his lips with great difficulty.

“Usually it does, but this one that I’m using is extra strength and waterproof so it’s really hard to get off,” Sana said with a deadpan expression.

Adam suddenly looked panicked, “What?”

Sana smirked into the camera before turning back to Adam’s face and picked up the red eyeshadow palette.

“Adam, I think that color is really working for you,” Yousef added while Mutta nodded in the background.

“I know you’re joking, but I’m going to pretend like you meant it in honor of our brolationship,” Adam said.

Elias dropped his face into his hand in secondhand embarrassment.

“Okay people, that’s all the time we have. We want to give a special thanks to Laila and Sana for taking time out of their busy schedules to put makeup on us.” Elias addressed the camera once more.

“I think we learned a lot in this video,” Mutta said, bouncing up and down in his seat enthusiastically.

Adam nodded, “Yeah, like don’t let wait until the last minute to come up with a video idea for your YouTube channel.”

Mikael knocked him in the ribs playfully as Mutta smacked the back of Adam’s head lightly. Elias rolled his eyes before turning back to the camera.

“We’ll see you guys next time,” Elias said, as the boys collectively dabbed behind him.

#skam #skamelias #elias bakkoush #yousef acar #balloon squad #cengiz al #iman meskini #yousana

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theantibridezilla · 5 years

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Test Drives: Sutra Beauty, Coastal Scents, Milk Makeup, Mineral Air & Formawell Beauty

Today’s Test Drives is a big one as I’m reviewing quite a few things in one post. I’m doing a mix of hair and makeup with this one. While I always cover makeup, I don’t usually cover hair products. In today’s review, we’re covering Sutra Beauty, Coastal Scents, Milk Makeup, Mineral Air and Formawell Beauty. So, I was definitely psyched to check out these hair tools. As usual, I’ll share what items were gifted versus purchased. We’ll start with makeup and work our way to hair.

Mineral Air Complexion & Blush Kit (gifted)

Airbrushed makeup isn’t necessarily new but this version is pretty innovative in that it runs on battery or USB charge which makes it travel friendly. That makes it different from some of the other airbrush makeup brands as you don’t need to be plugged into a power source. To use, add up to 10 drops of your preferred foundation shade (or mix of shades) into the reservoir. Simply press down the power button and wave the applicator across your face while leaving a three to four inch distance. The foundation promises to prime, conceal and hydrate.

What I like:

Airbrush makeup can seem like an intimidating tool because there’s often a steep learning curve to master the technique. But considering how straightforward this product was to use (as compared to other airbrushed products I’ve received), it was really user friendly. Also, Mineral Air promises to give you “your skin but better”, and they definitely deliver on that promise. I’m now five or so hours into wearing this makeup and I don’t feel like I have any foundation on at all. Additionally, I like that you can achieve a custom foundation by mixing the available shades. I used 7 drops of Deep and 3 of Mocha to achieve a hue closest to my own.

What could be better:

While this product was easy to use, at first I wasn’t even sure if anything was coming out of the reservoir. So, ultimately, I ended up applying the product twice (or using two rounds of 10 drops). Additionally, even though the foundation looked great under natural or warm lights, under my ring light it gave me an ashen cast.

Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Radiant (purchased)

Coastal Scents is a great place to stock up on shadows and blushes at ridiculously budget friendly prices. Back around Black Friday, I stocked up on a ton of items during their BF/CM sale, including buying a bunch of blushes.

What I like:

As someone who lives for a more orange hued blush, I loved that this offered intense color payoff with minimal use of product. I was able to achieve the same level of rosy cheeks that I can get from NYX Cosmetics’ Ombre “Feel the Heat” (discontinued) or Kevyn Aucoin’s Neo-Blush in Sunset.

What Could Be Better:

While it’s not a deal breaker, I do wish this wasn’t a matte shade and offered a tiny bit of shimmer. Without shimmer, blush can appear flat.

Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Supernova (gifted)

Depending on who you talk to, Milk is either the most amazing makeup brand or just “meh”. Their Holographic Stick promises to give you a bit of subtle shimmer and in a soft purple hue that you can build into an intense opaque effect if you really want to.

What I like:

This is actually a great cream dupe version for my favorite Kevyn Aucoin Neo-Limelight Ibiza highlight. It’s frostier than Ibiza, but if you know how to apply sparingly, (and pair with a warm bronzer/highlight), you can still achieve the same effect. Also, it really does apply sheer, so you can wear as little or as much as you want without the risk of overdoing it on the first swipe.

What could be better:

Even though the stick form is meant to be an “easy” way to apply, it’s not if you intend to wear more makeup than this stick or apply it after other makeup steps. I found the best method was to do like I did with Buxom’s Divine Goddess palette and use a damp blending sponge to apply to my cheekbones and bridge of my nose.

Sutra Beauty Vapor Infused Flatiron (gifted)

I’ve been holding onto this (and the next) flatiron for a while waiting for the perfect opportunity to test it. Since I opted to switch up my hairstyle to a protective style until Spring decides to return, now was as good a time as any. Sutra’s Vapor Infused Flatiron basically gives you the option to seamlessly treat your hair to a mist of keratin and argan oil (a solution which comes with the flatiron) while straightening your hair. To use, you fill the reservoir with the vapor oil, tap the vapor button on the side of the iron to turn on this setting and then get to work flatironing your hair.

What I like:

I’m not ashamed to admit, I was a tad skeptical when I first received this flatiron. I like the idea of using natural oils to nurture my hair and I was curious if this flatiron could really present a noticeable difference. So, the hair I’m wearing today is actually a body wave texture. And over the weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to set it on bantus, which ended up leaving me with 1980s era big country music diva hair (and that was not my goal). So, today after I washed out the big hair, I decided to see how this hair would handle a blow dry, straightening and style. The best way I can describe the vapor infusion is if you wanted to do a hot oil treatment without going through the messy process of an oily wash. So, this flatiron will definitely give you that sleek finish.

What could be better:

While there’s a lot to like about this flatiron, there is a small bit of a learning curve. The vapor oil reservoir has to be in a downward facing position to work properly if you turn on the vapor setting. Also, that reservoir makes this flatiron a little cumbersome if you’re trying to make it a multipurpose styling tool. I’m sure some people could probably use this tool to create flips and curls, but that reservoir might make it difficult to do for the average Joe or Jane.

Additionally, it’s really dangerous that this flatiron defaults at 450F the minute you turn it on. While most flatirons will start around 295 or 350, this one goes for the highest setting. So, as soon as you turn this on adjust the temperature to avoid heat damage.

Formawell Beauty x Kendall Jenner 1″ Iron (gifted)

A flatiron should be in every woman’s beauty tool kit because if you buy the right size, it can be the only tool you need to pack in your travel kit. If you’re looking for a lux flatiron that will amp up the Instagram worthiness of your vanity, then this is it thanks to its sleek white packaging and rose gold accents.

What I like:

To be really honest, this is a standard flatiron that looks sexy. This is a great standard flatiron that can help you create curls without having to lug around multiple tools. Also, while you absolutely should not go up to 450F unless you’re doing a Brazilian straightening or Silk Press treatment, this can reach those temperatures with ease. While Sutra’s flatiron helped to give me sleek hair, Formawell was super easy to use to create the loose curls.

What could be better:

Personally, the one thing that is a bit of a wonk factor for me is that there’s only one button to manage everything. Rather than creating separate temperature control buttons, you have to keep pushing the power button to set the temperature.

My Verdict:

So who won and who lost? Sutra Beauty, Formawell, and Coastal Scents were hands down my favorites. While Sutra’s Vapor Infusion Flatiron can’t pull double duty, the sleek oil infusion is a winner. Likewise, I’ll probably be taking Formawell’s flatiron with me to San Francisco next week. I wish Coastal Scents’ Forever Blush had a shimmer to it, but even as a matte, it rocks.

Mineral Air has an intriguing product offering with a very straightforward and travel friendly airbrush. Personally, I think the color range is still a little limited. So, while it’s not a “fail”, it’s a “I’ll keep my eye out to see if they increase their shade range.” Likewise, Milk Makeup’s Holographic Stick isn’t a fail, but I’m not a fan of stick highlighters. So, I’ll keep it as a backup for my Kevyn Aucoin Ibiza.

Check out more of my Test Drives here.

Full Makeup Details:

Primer: E.L.F. Cosmetics Antioxidant Booster Drops Foundation: Mineral Air Foundation in Deep + Mocha Brows: NYX Cosmetics Love Contours All Palette Dark Eyeshadow Pan Eye Liner: Wet n Wild Pro Line Felt Tip Liner Lashes: Kawaii Girl Cosmetics Ebisu Concealer: Kevyn Aucoin Etherealist Super Natural Concealer in #08 Setting Powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Deep Blush: Coastal Scents Forever Blush in Radiant Highlight/Bronzer: Buxom Cosmetics Divine Goddess Illuminating Highlight Palette in Athena & Milk Makeup Holographic Stick in Supernova Lips: Sara Happ The Ruby Slip Gloss

#beauty #test drives #product reviews #beauty reviews #makeup reviews #flatirons #sutra beauty #formawell #milk makeup #highlight #coastal scents #blush #mineral air #airbrush makeup #makeup #bridal beauty #wedding makeup #bridal makeup

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todokori-kun · 7 years

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Here’s my proper reply :)

*hugs back* I love talking to you toooo you’re such an awesome friend *ugly tears*

Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that too. I guess the only explanation is that some part of Kaneki’s body is still human, since he IS an artificial ghoul. Though I have to wonder how Touka can be sure the kid needs human food….it seems she hasn’t told Ken or anybody else so she couldn’t have gotten advice/info about it, and though Touka’s no idiot it’s not like she’s an expert on biology.

I wonder if Ishida’s going to be like ‘lol sorry the kid’s basically full ghoul and Touka’s been poisoning it with human food in the womb’

(jk, jk, but really)

Or wait, crack theory (please don’t take this seriously, it isn’t meant to make sense):

You know those theories that Uta isn’t actually 100% ghoul (or at least not a 'normal’ ghoul)? So, what if it was Uta back in THAT chapter. I mean, he’s been trolling Ken since the first series so…

And Touka somehow found out about the whole thing and still wants to keep the kid, which is why this is happening.

Wow, it would actually be awesome if Eto adopted the kid and raised them to understand what it means to be a part of both the ghoul and human worlds! If she was planning to pass on the title of the OEK to the child but ended up growing too attached, giving them the childhood she never had and telling them that though she’s crowning them as the new 'King’ she wants them to truly live- “Bridge the gap between the two worlds, become a leader and a spark of hope for those who need it, but never lose sight of yourself and your happiness. Martyrdom doesn’t pay, you know?”- because their father, Kaneki, failed to do so and that was what ruined him.

I think the hair suits Chris Hemsworth pretty well (OTL I have sinned, forgive me Queen Luna) but it doesn’t suit Thor…? Idk. He doesn’t look like Thor anymore haha

I feel like they’ll let it grow back in later movies, though :)

I agree that their canon bond is supposed to be platonic (possibly goes deeper than that, just not in a romantic way) but the fandom can dream ^^ I actually don’t mind either way because I ship Clint with Laura (his wife) as well.

Well, not exactly. Sharon’s still a pretty minor character but I think she had a lot of potential until that romance just killed it (I mean, she doesn’t have much of a personality, but she had one pretty cool scene in Civil War (before the Notp happened) that made me like her).

Don’t you dare I need someone to ship Stoki with me, please ;-; don’t leave me alone with all this pain

I’m glad you enjoyed the comments about Kanae ^^ (sorry I’m in an evil, gloating cinnamon roll mood today)

Oh, we’re actually pretty similar then! I mean, I have a few artists I could say I’m a fan of (Lana Del Rey, Lorde, Marina, Fall Out Boy) but most of the other songs I listen to are just chosen at random from all over the place.

If you liked Still Sane, though, I recommend Lorde’s new album (Melodrama)! It’s been years and she’s finally back :) there’s a song called 'Liability’ on the album that I really relate to and also reminds me of Kaneki ;-; I’ve also been obsessed with 'Perfect Places’ and 'Sober’ for a while now.

Oh my XD reading that reminded me of one of my older MCU characters who was pretty bad: it’s been a while so I’ve forgotten most of the details, but I remember she had a cat theme (her powers were probably something like enhanced agility??? and claws??? I think?) and was this super edgy anti-hero who shouldn’t even have been allowed to work with SHIELD in the first place but you know, terrible OC logic. She’d stand on top of buildings and make angsty speeches with her impractically long hair flowing in the wind…. and of course she had this intense love-hate relationship with Loki that was just full of unnecessary drama.

(Again, I don’t really remember much about my old OCs (conveniently forgot all my worst creations haha) so I’m just guessing here ^^;; I think this is mostly the sort of cringe-worthy stuff I came up with though)

Nara sounds cute! It’s admirable that she doesn’t get discouraged and tries her best even with guys like Yuuri and Phichit around :) I’d love Kya (that’s her name, right?) also seems really cool- her powers are a nice twist on the old 'communicating with/controlling animals’ thing :D

Whew, I’m glad Tatsuo didn’t get lost ^^ I accidentally erased his 'profile’ like two or three times when I was trying to send him to you and I was getting really frustrated…was he ok?

Also I was trying to make his profile a bit 'light’ and funny but I probably failed lol

And since you said you wanted to see my suffering TG OC, I’ll send you Naomi now! :) And maybe some of my other OCs with her, because I love creating characters and end up making some for almost all the fandoms I’m in even if I have no intention of ever using them (Naomi and Tatsuo are probably going to be confined to our conversations because I have no idea how I’d use them in a fic).

Ayyyy the blog is so pretty ! ! ! <333333

Wow, first you somehow associate me with my favorite color before I ever told you that’s what it was, then I choose the character you most relate to as your icon…? This is weird but also strangely cool, if that makes sense lol

I actually learned to play Merry Go Round of Life on the piano a while ago and my teacher told me it was a waltz-like piece, so I should try to stay true to that (needless to say I failed miserably for quite a while haha). You’re right, it’d be lovely to see a couple dancing to it :)

(Why am I imagining Yumikuri waltzing to that song ;-;)

((This is my favourite hug gif of all times))

I mean, yes, Kaneki is a half ghoul, but he’s more powerful than some full ghouls, not to mention his Rc levels are as high as a ghouls. I think that getting a Kakuja also ‘helped’ him to bridge the gap between half-ghoul and more or less-ghoul. However, since it is an incomplete Kakuja.

This is all so confusing ;-;

That wouldn’t surprise, me honestly. It would make fans suffer more and what does he like more than suffering?

OH MY You’re totally right! When a healthy baby is born, with black hair and always has his kakugan activated (I don’t trust Uta’s explanation of it), Kaneki starts to doubt some things. Not to mention, he never actually slept with Touka, so how the fuck would the kid be his?

Honestly, if Eto adopted the kiddo and gave it a beautiful childhood full of wonders and fun, somewhere away from Japan, I’d forgive Ishida everything, including (maybe) killing Hide, or, at least, if he’s not dead, keeping Hide away from us for so long. She’s George Washington here. ‘Dreams of dying like a martyr?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Dying is easy young man/lady, living is harder’ So she encourages them to live, despite how hard it is, because the world is cruel, but also beautiful.

YES! It suits Chris, but not Thor! Which is why they should’ve given him a wig, at least =3= Oh well, all that’s left to do is wait for it to grow back. Hopefully it will.

Oh, I see. Then, it truly is a shame that the writers decided to go through with the ship of her and Steve :/

Heh. I’ll see... Idk when I’ll watch Civil War, tho. Soon, probably

The only reason why I want to see Re animated is because of Urie and Kanae. That’s it, as long as those two get so much as 5 seconds of screen time, I’ll be happy.

Alrighty, I’ll make sure to listen to the album soon ^^

Oh wow, that’s certainly an interesting OC... So, angsty catwoman in MCU? Sounds exactly like something I’d make, just with wolves instead of Cats (i had an unhealthy obsession with wolves (and werewolves!) when I was younger ;-;)

I recently remembered my Fairy Tail OC. You ready for it? Idk which one’s worse, this one or the FMA one ;-; A dragon slayer (which is already a very Sue trait), but she didn’t have one element. Oh no, she was the QUEEN dragon slayer, which meant she could use any element she wanted *nods head* See, that was my worst problem when making characters. I was more or less tame with looks and I tried to give them character flaws (but it usually made them endearing, whoops), yet I just had to give them powerful abilities or something.

Now that i think about it, I’m glad I never made an OC for TG. Now that would’ve been a show. Waddaya say we make the biggest, most sueish character we can think of? Let’s see, to begin with, they would definitely have a chimera Kagune. Now, the most kagune a ghoul can poses, as far as we know, is 3, but why stop at that? The glorious character should definitely have all 4!

At one point, I stopped writing down my OC stuff. Now I’m very thankful about that, since it means I forgot most of it.

Aw, I’m glad you like the characters ^^ Honestly, as a writer, one of my first impulses when watching something is either to make an AU (for the show’s characters or for characters from other shows thrown into that situation) or to make an OC. So, Nara and Kya are one of the more recent ones.

Tatsuo is a magnificent bastard, if I’ve ever seen one. Seems like either the guy who’d immediately become my problematic fave or the character I can’t stand. Keep them coming huehuehue I definitely enjoy reading about other people’s OCs! I can’t wait to see Naomi! And feel free to send me other ones as well ^^

Thank you! I’m glad you like the new blog ^^ I wanted to change the palette to something lighter and more summer-like, so I think pastel yellow was a nice choice ^^

We are connected

Oh, that’s so cute! I never had the will to print the sheet music out, honestly. I’m too lazy for my own good :p

Why are you giving me the feels™ :))

#evans #submission

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mmeaninglessnamee · 4 years

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Best Things 2019 list

Welcome to my best of the year list, where you get ambushed by Anime at every turn because I refuse to make a separate anime-related category because all movies are films. [Pronounce this line very snobbily]

If you’ve never read one of my best-of-the-year lists, I don’t blame you, they are usually full of garbage except for this one which you should care deeply about. Anyway, this is the best things I first experienced on the past year, which often has a lot of things that didn’t come out this year, because I inevitably miss some things and there was a lot of good media from before I was born.

Anyway, on to the list! The one thing a year I actually use Tumblr to post!

Best Movies:

There’s only two movies that make this list entirely on their own merits this year. Last year I had a top ten, but I watched significantly more movies in 2018 than this year.

Angel’s Egg

Angel’s Egg is art-house anime at its peak. There’s not so much a story here as an uneasy feeling, symbolism, and probably 30 lines of dialogue total and an extremely limited color palette. You could interpret it as about becoming disillusioned with religion, or the complete opposite and see it as a lost, obsessed soul being redeemed. Or something completely different. It’s art for art’s sake.

I inevitably have anime on my best-of lists each year, and I try to not have it over-represent the scope of things I watched each year. But I’ve seen a lot less anime than other genres I like, so there’s a huge amount of really good anime I’ve never seen. I can watch 10 anime movies in a year and they can all be pretty good because there’s just a lot of good ones from a 50-year period that I haven’t seen, while I’ve seen most good sci-fi movies and a lot of the “classics” films and pretty much left with just watching new ones that have come out recently. And it’s not like I’m not watching western animated movies, there’s just not a lot that I would put on a best-of list. While last year had Isle of Dogs and Spiderverse, this year had some forgettable sequels. Anyway, that was a long aside to start this list, but I would love to get more good entries in my favorites every year. I can only hope Star Trek directed by Tarintino actually happens.

Synechdoche, New York

– ultimately will probably never make an all-time favorites list from me, but still a very good piece of filmmaking. It’s extremely dense with layered symbolism and tons of rewatchability. Yet, I don’t really feel the need to rewatch it. It’s very good, but not the kind of good that I feel the need to sing the praises of. If you like extremely well-planned, detailed filmmaking, there are many more-glowing reviews out there for it. This is a huge favorite among film critics, and I can respect why, but I am not a film critic. I don’t get burnt out watching bad movies because I don’t watch movies I don’t think I’ll like, unless they are into “so bad it’s good” territory.

Speaking of the act of watching movies: Best theater experience: Promare

Surprise, it’s Anime again! This movie wasn’t an all-time great, but it was big and stupid and exciting, and I got to see it in a packed theater with tons of Studio Trigger fans who cheered for every reference and visual nod. And the references were great, although they sometimes were a reminder that other similar plots were done better than they were in Promare. But Promare was definitely done gayer than any of the previous shows it took its style from.

That’s all for movies. I did not watch nearly as many that I loves as last year

Best short film:

There were no short films I loved this year. I saw some decent ones, and there’s always some interesting animation from short films, but there weren’t any that stuck out as much as anything last year.

A special mention goes to Age of Sail from John Kahrs with Chromosphere and Evil Eye pictures.( This was distributed by Google Spotlight Stories, so you can easily find it online.) This story had good enough characters that at the end I was left wanting more to their stories, and the visual style was memorable as well.

Best Shows:

The Good Place

I have a lot of things to say about The Good Place, but I really don’t want to spoil the show if you haven’t seen it, so I’ll try to be brief because most of the longwinded things I could say about it have to do with its reveals and plot progression.

What I will say is that one of the great things about The Good Place is that anything could happen, and suddenly, not just in a finale at the end of a season. But what initially got me to watch the show is its strong premise. Elenore wakes up to find out she is dead, but is in The Good Place. The only problem is that she was an awful person who doesn’t deserve to be there. So, she tries to learn to be a good person before she is found out so that she can stay. The show has a lot to say about ethics, morals, and what it means to be “good”, but it’s also primarily a comedy so it’s usually not very heavy-handed about anything.

The final season of The Good Place aired in 2019, but I’m not actually caught up on it yet so I don’t know what the ending is, just that it ended.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumia

I like shows that are constantly surprising and unpredictable. I just said the same thing about The Good Place. Haruhi has a lot of faults, but makes up for them by being not just unpredictable but also very novel or sometimes just bizarre in its presentation. It has the same sense that anything could happen to suddenly change the story that The Good Place has, but in intentionally confusing ways. The two most interesting attributes of the show aren’t even its characters or premise, but two series of episodes: the first season episode order and the Endless Eight. The first 13 episodes of the show were initially broadcast completely out of order, and they are better that way. The first episode is entirely a bad student film that doesn’t even properly introduce any characters, and its backstory isn’t covered until the second season. But it’s an amazing introduction to the series. The series overall doesn’t have amazing visuals beyond some strange framing choices, but this episode also has lots of little details to sell that it’s a bad film, like camera shake and shots that aren’t entirely in focus.

The Endless Eight is the same episode eight times in a row. It’s was actually one of my favorite parts of the series, although I can see why people would loath it, especially if you were watching the show when it aired and had to wait a whole week to see the same thing happen again and again.

There’s also a silly dance with the ending theme. Every fad needs a stupid dance to go with it.

And then there’s the movie, the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumia, which caps off the series, or at least the anime’s run, and is nearly 3 hours long. It’s actually the second-longest animated film ever made, trailing the extended cut of Final Yamato, a space opera from the 80’s, by one minute. The movie caps off the whole series, reincorporating many events that already happened in the series and showing some characters in a new light. Before the movie, I had no idea why there was an alternate-universe spinoff series about a normal version of one of the main characters, but now I completely understand it. Although the erratic pacing of the whole series may turn people off, and it is far from perfect and filled with enough cliché moments to fill a uh, something large, the moments where the story hits hard are extremely memorable.

Best web original programming:

“4K cab view - Geibi Line Hiroshima Station to Fukuen Line Fuchū Station, Japan”

Let me try to explain why a 4-hour video of railroad tracks is amazing.

1: I like trains 2: It’s really relaxing to just look at the scenery going by

3: I think that this specific video is good rather than just the large amount of transport cab-view videos in general because it’s long enough to be an experience, not just a video. That might sound corny, but you really go on a journey with this video, from city to countryside, and perhaps more strikingly from pre-dawn early morning to full daylight. I did not sit and watch this all at once, but I certainly could.

Best Music Videos:

OK Go Music Videos

Do you like cool ideas for music videos? OK Go has cool ideas for music videos, to the point that the videos are better than the music. You may remember their original hit which was a dance on treadmills. They have only got more elaborate since, with a rube Goldberg machine, a super-slow-mo video, hundreds of choreographed dancers, a car used as an instrument, and my favorite: a video shot in zero-g. To make things even better, most of their videos are in a single take which just makes them all the more impressive.

BEASTARS Opening

Opening themes to anime are basically just short music videos. Usually they aren’t too special, but I also think the vast majority of anime shows themselves are nothing special either, so that’s not saying much. However, sometime you get something really good like the Beastars OP, which in addition to having a jazzy song uses stop-motion animation for its visuals. Stop motion animation is always cool. I think it’s also thematically appropriate for a 3-D animated show to have an intro using the oldest form of 3-D animation.

And since we’re on Music Videos, let’s just go right into the next main section: Music.

Music:

Gregory and the Hawk

Gregory and the Hawk is an indie folk artist with a weird name. She sings sweet-sounding songs about troubled lives, and I like how her music sounds. It definitely won’t strike a chord with everyone though.

Not much to say about her, I just like it. Her best song is “Oats We Sow”.

Mariko Goto / Midori

This isn’t anime music. Mariko Goto didn’t appeal to me because she made music for some anime that I liked. I just feel like my best-of lists get heavy with anime-related things a lot for reasons I already discussed that back in the movies section. Anyway, Mariko Goto’s music is weird. This also includes the work of the band Midori, which she was a part of.

Midori was a jazz-punk-fusion band. That probably doesn’t bring any particular sound to your mind, but I can’t describe it well either. Mariko as a solo artist is also kind of the same genre, except sometimes. Many songs never quite find themselves coming to rest, either on a major key or sometimes even all on the same beat, while Mariko does a kind of overly-cutesy screech over the instrumentals. I would describe some of their music as sounding like a waking dream you would have while trying to rest with a fever.

I would say her best songs are “Swing”(with Midori), “Drone”, and “@HφU☆少女。。”(however you pronounce this mess) and best overall album is “299792458”

Angelique Kidjo – Remain in Light (Album cover)

A.K. is a Beninese music artist. She did a full cover album of Remain in Light, one of my favorite albums by one of my favorite bands. Talking Heads were one of the first mainstream rock bands to use (or depending on who you ask, steal) African polyrhythms extensively, and now Kidjo has taken them back. I have heard a lot of good covers from this album, most notably another entire-album cover by Phish, but this is the best one by far.

Her other, original work is okay too, but wouldn’t get on my best-of lists by themselves. Remain in Light was released in 2018, but I didn’t hear it until this year. Here’s some more music from 2018 that I didn’t hear until this year:

Revue Starlight soundtrack

Revue Starlight was a pretty good anime that aired last year. But wait, aren’t we past the audiovisual media section? Yeah, we are, because Starlight had some problems in my opinion. The soundtrack, both the original songs and the background score, were not one of the problems. The soundtrack was the best part of the show, which is why I’m putting it on my best music list. The genre is best described as modern classical. Most of the orchestration is a traditional string orchestra, but with different songs having distinct accents, like mechanical distortion, a heavy electric bass line, more traditional Japanese strings and woodwinds, or a screaming guitar solo. I think some of the songs are actually better absent of the show, because especially some of the revue songs were not used particularly well. My favorite song from the show, A Song or the Blooming of Flowers, especially got shafted in the anime by having characters talking over most of it and having a rather lackluster fight. The best pieces from the score however, Rondo Rondo Rondo and the transformation theme, were used well. But it baffles me that someone decided that songs with thematic lyrics should be spoken over with dialogue saying basically the same thing thematically as the lyrics.

The Protomen

The Protomen have a lot of musical talent and I really like how they sound… on their second album. Their first album blows. Also all of their original music is based on made-up backstory to the MegaMan video game franchise. You gotta write about something I guess. Like I said, I really like some of their tracks, but I’m really not sure if I recommend they entirely.

Of Monsters and Men – all the tracks that didn’t get radio play

Of Monsters and Men is a pretty good band. I had already heard all their songs that were widely popular (so pretty much just Little Talks) so those don’t count for being something new I heard this year. But I also don’t really care for Wars, their new song that has got radio play this year. But I really like most of the rest of their tracks, and I also love the aesthetic of the visualizers for My Head is an Animal.

And here’s some individual songs where I didn’t like the artist’s whole catalogue but I liked certain songs.

God Knows – Aya Hirano

This is a rock song from The Meloncholy of Haruhi Suzumia. (oh no we’re back to anime) Haruhi is not a music show, but it nevertheless has a music episode out of nowhere. As in two of the characters perform this song in the show with no build up to it and with one of them never having shown any musical skill, so of course she can absolutely shred on guitar. This song basically got me to actually watch the show now on my favorites list even though I knew it was just a one-off in a single episode, so I think that’s a pretty solid statement for being one of the best songs I heard this year. Aya Hirano produced some other music as well, but I don’t like anything that I’ve heard as much, which might just be God Knows having the benefit of context. Since Haruhi, she’s performed with the stage theater company that inspired the anime Revue Starlight, the music from which was also just on this list. Everything’s connected!

Girls Dead Monster

Speaking of anime music, GirlDeMo is also anime-related music. GirlDeMo is the band in the anime Angel Beats, but they also produced some real albums with additional music, not just the songs used in Angel Beats. Unlike the Revue Starlight soundtrack, this isn’t a bright spot of an okay show, it’s on this list as a stand-alone because I really like female-lead rock music. Not every song is a masterpiece, but I like some of them enough to put them on this list. Best tracks: Crow Song (this was in the first ep. of Angel Beats) and Little Braver (was not in the show, but is coincidentally the only GirlDeMo song I’ve found a Clone Hero beatmap for, so someone else has good taste as well.) Also an honorable mention to the rock cover of the Angel Beats opening theme which is performed in-universe at the start of an episode.

I think that’s all the things related to anime on this list now. There’s a lot of anime with some very good high points, but yet very few that overall come all together to make a full package that’s good all the way through. Just having one aspect of something that people like a lot is better than nothing though, but that’s why it got spread all across this list instead of being confined to movies and shows, it spreads like a sickness across the land, creeping up and night and stifling life.

Speaking of creeping up at night and stifling life:

LEATHER TEETH – Carpenter Brut

This song is a piece of heavy horror electronica, and it slaps hard. Slashes hard? The music video is about a slasher-movie serial killer, but the track has plenty of atmosphere on its own. The rest of the album is also good, but does not reach the peak of the title track. They all have very high amount of violence and sex in their videos though, so beware who you watch them around. One of them has a YouTube-friendly version where all the gore is left intact but the nudity is censored with lots of guns.

Curses – The Crane Wives

This is a good song, but I don’t like most of The Crane Wives’ catalogue as much as this one song. That’s all I have to say about this one.

The chorus is really catchy, or maybe just the singer’s smoky delivery is inherently memorable.

I Am The Antichrist To You – Kishi Bashi

This is a surprisingly slow, melancholy song, from the title you would probably expect some heavy metal. This song is carried by the vocals.

Borodin – Polovstian Dances from Prince Igor (Choral version)

Here’s something not even remotely contemporary. Did you know that this piece was originally written to have lyrics? I didn’t. Did you know that this piece is AMAZING with vocals added to it? Now you do.

Arriving Somewhere But Not Here by Porcupine Tree

This was probably the best prog-rock song I heard all year. Yeah, that’s all for this one.

Dream Sweet in Sea Major

Joe Hawley, Allison Hanna and Bora Karaca are three people I have never heard of who make very strange alternative music that sounds like it belongs playing on a phonograph, except when it abruptly shifts to some other various genre. This song got the YouTube algorithm blessing, but the band the artists are a part of, Tally Hall, apparently has some amount of online following. I’d never heard of them. The side project that produced the album “Hawaii Part II” that this song is from has an entirely Japanese name for some reason. (None of the members are Japanese) I guess if you’re making a weird side project, make it as weird as you want.

Did you know Rob Cantor (who wrote Running for your life from Shia LeBeouf) is part of Tally Hall? Now you do. He didn’t work on this song, but looking up stuff about this song was a huge rabbit hole.

25 Color Twilight from City Connection from Voez

The rhythm game Voez has some good music. I put Night Keepers, the most-featured artist, on my list last year. This particular song is a reimagining of the main theme of City Connection, a NES game where you run away from the cops with a bunch of paint dripping out the back of your car. Why? Because. I’ve played it and didn’t think it was very fun, but anyway this song is great.

HM: Aqualung – Pressure Suit

HM: Heart of Glass - Blondie

HM: Locomotive Breath – Jethro Tull

These songs aren’t Honorable Mentions because I only kind-of like them, they are HMs because I had heard them before but only really listened to them a lot this year.

Locomotive Breath is just a good song that always leaves me wanting more at the end of it. So I listen to it again and again.

Heart of Glass is just really really catchy and I love how it draws attention to its own skipped beat in the chorus. There are lots of songs that skip a beat to smooth over a song transition, but this song skips a beat to become rougher.

Pressure Suit has a story to it. I first saw the song’s music video on an MTV-style channel on a TV at a college campus cafeteria. I was in middle school at the time. The video was very memorable to me, and the TV had subtitles on it so I remembered the chorus lyrics, but there was no audio. Amazingly, I remembered this and found the song much later, and even more surprisingly actually liked it.

Games:

The Beatles Rock Band

Since we’re coming off music, it only makes sense to start with a music game. Remember Guitar Hero? The series is still going with Guitar Hero Live, but it really died out years ago. Despite that, it’s still great fun, and the popularity of Clone Hero shows that people still love the idea. Most of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games really emphasized the aesthetic of grunge and heavy metal, and had some face-melting solos and heavily technical songs. The Beatles Rock Band has neither of those things, which is a lot of why I like it. I mean, I also like The Beatles, but that’s kind of assumed since I liked a game that’s entirely their music. Even on expert mode, this game is laid back and relaxed, with some of the songs have videos that travel from the studio to psychedelic landscapes. I never owned this game when it came out, but now I bought it for $3.

Celeste

The last section to write. I have so much to say about how good Celeste is.

Celeste is by far the best game I played this year. I have a hard time loving 2-D platformers because they so often feel slippery and imprecise but demand perfection from the player. Old Mario games are icons of the genre. Mario slides off everything and needs momentum to get anywhere off a jump. Meat Boy is a game with death everywhere for the slightest mistake, but by design you slide up walls while having to be very deliberate with your jumps to get the correct arc and height. Celeste improved the controls and feel of the game to the point that it feels perfectly precise, and mistakes you make are your own, not Madeline sliding a little bit too far or a jump having to have too exact an angle. Just a single linear dash in the air opens up so many possibilities for design, but the biggest aspect is wall climbing. You can just hold on a wall for a second or climb up over the top of a ledge instead of having to be constantly jumping, and this makes long sections without ground or with difficult timing feel much more manageable.

Also the game has a strong emotional story, which is now commonplace in well-received indie games but is still a rarity in platformers. Go rescue the damsel, the end. In Celeste, you’re only fighting against nature and yourself.

Also the soundtrack is beautiful, ranging from apprehensive to reflective and tense to triumphant. First Steps is a great, memorable introductory theme. Capping things off, Reach for the Summit drives you to have to finish the game. And the b-sides remixes are nice reinterpretations of the tracks to match the reinterpretations of the levels they accompany.

Also, I’m using “Also” to start another point too much, so let’s also talk about some other games.

Quiplash

It’s a great party game that you can play with people who aren’t gamers!

The Jackbox Party Packs overall are great party games, and Quiplash is the best for people for whom the hardest part of the game will be correctly operating their phone to connect to the Jackbox server. Take this to holiday gatherings and play with family.

Ultra Fight da! Kyanta 2

The only fighting game that came out this year that I actually like. It’s extreme kusoge. Technically it came out last year on itch.io and I did play it back then, but it came to Steam and got more popular and people ran tournaments for it starting this year.

You have teams of up to three characters, groove selection per character, parries, walk-through crossups, normals with free air movement , extremely high damage and ridiculous supers, roman cancels, and all sorts of other character-specific degeneracy like jumping lows or unblockable projectiles that hit both players, and that all adds up to a very fun game.

Oh yeah, and it looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint.

Tetris

Tetris has been around for decades, but there’s always new ways to reinvent the game and I want to talk about 3 different ones I got into this year.

First, Puyo Puyo Tetris. It’s three games in one, and pretty much the standard for competitive modern tetris. Or modern Puyo. Or Swap Mode, which forces you to play both games alternating every 30 seconds, which is where the game really shines.

Then, there’s tetris effect, which is the best single-player tetris game around, at least the best available to buy normally. The Tetris the Grandmaster series is also great but only on arcade boards. Tetris Effect is the only tetris game where the graphics and soundtrack actually matter, because it’s a visual masterpiece and great game experience. However, it has no direct multiplayer at all.

Finally, if you really want multiplayer tetris but beating up to three other people at once in Puyo Puyo Tetris isn’t enough, there’s Tetris 99, the tetris battle-royale game. Because there’s basically no downtime in matches and you can start a new match almost immediately, it’s easy to play one more match for hours in this game.

These three games together are just many facets of one great game: Tetris

I also played a Tetris The Grandmaster arcade board for the first time this year. That’s another good tetris game, but even better was its full name: Tetris The Grandmaster 3: Terror Instinct. And VideoGameDunkey did a video on Tetris this year, that was great too. Tetris.

HM: Defunct

This game is great. However, it’s an HM because it’s only about an hour long with not a huge amount of extra stuff to do. But the replay value is still very high, because mastering time attacks or just moving with style is very fun. I’ve considered doing speedruns of this game, but only actually did a full (20-minute) run once.

HM: Catherine Classic

This is an HM because I have played the game before on PS3. I’ve entered tournaments for Catherine. But I never played the story mode or actually owned the game until it came to PC. This is a very unique puzzle game that is worth your time, and a type of story about actual long-term relationships that games don’t tell often. Yes, the story has character portrayals that are problematic, but most of the time that’s the point; most of the characters are kind-of awful and are unable to move beyond their past relationship issues.

Books and other writing:

The Hero with 1000 Faces (1949)

This book is all about heroic myth around the world, and more specifically about how many myths worldwide have significant similarities. If you want a really in-depth look at the Hero’s Journey, this is your book.

This book is very well-known among writers and very easy to use to compare different works. George Lucas said it influenced Star Wars, so that’s something.

Mimusubi (Blog)

This is a blog by and Englishman who lives in Japan and works for a national Shinto organization. It is all about Shinto as a religion and its place in modern Japanese society. It’s an interesting read, although it ended up being entirely useless related to the research I was doing when I found it initially. I don’t frequently read blogs, so this is a weird entry on my best-of-the-year list.

Best Theater:

‘Romeos and Juliets’ by the machine lifeforms in the amusement park from Nier Automata So, I didn’t actually go to any plays and only one concert this year so I don’t have much to say about live performances, but this bizarre identity crisis misinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet is certainly entertaining (although quite short). And like all good stories within stories, it just maybe has a lot more to do with the overall plot than you would think.

This is really just another alternate way of putting in an Honorable Mention for Nier Automata, which is a good game, but I just have a lot of problems with the gameplay part of it that keeps it off my best games list. The ending is extremely strong, but it took me 30 hours to get there and its hard to ignore that significant portion of the game, especially when the actual gameplay part was often the least-interesting aspect.

Sorry if anyone was actually watching this for theater recommendations. Since I like things that are about theater so much (see Revue Starlight also being on my best-of list), you think I would actually get to more live theater like I have previous years. The one thing I went to was a performance of Dvorak’s New World Symphony, but again, I have nothing to say about that, I’d heard the piece before so it can’t even go in “best music” since it wasn’t a mind-blowing performance. I don’t know, maybe I should have just removed this section. If you want recommendations, watch Avenue Q I guess.

Best Credits Sequence:

Here, I found an award to give Nier: Automata.

Best Memes:

SA2 Realtime Fandub by SnapCube

I’ve come to make an announcement: Here’s one final thing from this list that was from 2018 but I didn’t find until a year later, but this one didn’t really blow up until then. Eggman pissing on the moon is the single biggest highlight of this hour-long epic, but it’s hilarious the whole way through and endlessly rewatchable. Sonic Adventure 2 is a perfect source for parody for so many reasons, but the improvised character dynamics here really highlight how absurd so much of the story is. Why is NASA there? Why is the camera zooming in? This is a must-watch if you loved SA2’s corniness, as long as you don’t mind some characters swearing like wounded sailors.

Places I discovered I want to visit:

Museum Meiji-mura

Here’s a new section for this year’s list that I probably won’t repeat!

A long time ago, in a country far, far away, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel was in Tokyo, Japan. It survived the 1923 Tokyo Earthquake and World War Two, but did not survive the economic realities of being a low-rise structure in downtown Tokyo, one of the densest cities on the planet. It was replaced by a much larger hotel in the 70’s.

But, the entrance building was saved and rebuilt in Museum Meiji-mura, near Nagoya, and I absolutely want to visit there if I ever go to Japan, because it’s a large collection of architecturally historic buildings from Japan, and as a student of Architecture, that would be really cool to go see.

That’s all for my list this year. I’m planning on making a video version of the list this year, but that won’t be done for a while.

#best of 2019

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