i just had an idea

it’s a shame that i can’t animate nor can i draw hands

what i can do is piano keys though

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆  𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑  𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐘

BASICS. FULL    NAME  :  Augustus Alexander Wang  NICKNAME  :  August and Gus ( in general ), Auggie, Ice Prince, and Guggie ( by Aurora ). Aug and Lestat  ( by Jack ),  NAME    MEANINGS  : Augustus is  Latin for  the great / the magnificent.  Alexander is also Latin and means defender of mankind. From what I know, Wang in Chinese means king.  HISTORICAL    CONNECTION ?  : Though, his dad did think of the Roman Emperor Augustus when they named him, they liked the meaning. It seemed to fit him. They weren’t wrong, he was an emperor and he still has that energy.   AGE  :  22. Like Aurora, he can’t age past 22. He wouldn’t have minded either way.    BIRTHDAY  :  5th  April ETHNIC    GROUP  :   Augustus is half Korean and half Brazilian.  NATIONALITY  :   British LANGUAGES  :   fluent  in  English and French. Conversational Latin. Broken Korean. Learning Urdu. SEXUAL    ORIENTATION  :  demi-heterosexual ROMANTIC    ORIENTATION  :  demi-heterosexual RELATIONSHIP    STATUS  :   Single and doesn’t want to mingle. He had only one serious relationship in the past with Aurora Shams from 2017-2019.  CLASS  :  Upper  class,  Wealthy but not private-jet kind of wealthy.  HOME    TOWN  /  AREA  :  London till he was 10 and Vancouver till he was 17 CURRENT    HOME  :  Los  Angeles PROFESSION  :   Drummer, songwriter, model, and student.    PHYSICAL. HAIR  :  long  and  wavy.  Chestnut brown. Here is an example. It goes down his earlobes in length.    EYES  :  piercing, almond-shaped eyes. Naturally brown, but he wears blue or green contact lenses.  NOSE  :   a Greek nose, straight without bumps. FACE  :  Oblong shaped, sharp and chiseled cheekbones, strong jaw. Masculine features. Example.  LIPS  :  not  full  nor  thin, heart shaped.     COMPLEXION  :  pretty pale. Example is same as the face section.  SCARS  :  one on his chest. TATTOOS  :  a very small ‘10/17′ on his left rib.   PIERCINGS:  earlobes HEIGHT  :  6′5″  or  195cm.   BUILD  :  Inverted triangle. Broad, tapered shoulders. Muscular. Defined, sculpted abs. Long limbs. Broad chest. He was naturally towards the muscular side with broad shoulders and chest. He’s never been on the skinny side. Example one and two   USUAL  HAIR  STYLE  :  he lets his hair do their thing, he styles them a little, but he prefers a messier vibe.  USUAL  FACE  LOOK  :  He looks generally bored. His eyes have a piercing look that seem to be drilling into the person before him. Like he can see right through you. There is an insolent smirk tugging at his lips like he thinks you’re amusing. Almost proud, like he thinks he is above you. There is depth and intensity in his eyes that stare skywards in thought. There is also mischievous, radiant glimmer in his eyes.   USUAL    CLOTHING  :  prince charming meets rockstar. Lots of jackets, darker colors, boots, necklaces and rings. Here is his wardrobe.      PSYCHOLOGY. FEARS  :  claustrophobia and the fear of ending up alone. He always had this creeping feeling that he’d be alone in the end and that he was always meant to be alone.  ASPIRATIONS  :   he doesn’t have any set aspirations. They change every now and then. However, his goals are just to keep his found family happy.  POSITIVE    TRAITS  :  extremely charismatic, intelligent,  academic and studious, alluring and attractive, quick-witted, charming and captivating, articulate and eloquent, adventurous, desirable, analytical, brilliant, friendly, enthusiastic, adaptable, observant, kind, mellow, competent, extremely caring and protective over those closest to him, clever, loyal, clear-headed, confident, humorous, courageous, imaginative and creative, a visionary, refined tastes and manners, daring, dignified, ebullient, deep, remarkable, surprisingly he’s very forgiving, forthright, gallant, logical, gentlemanly and sophisticated, perfectionist, popular, self-reliant, shrewd, witty, suave, curious, and resourceful.    NEGATIVE    TRAITS  :  egocentric, self-obsessed, idle, indifferent, selfish, defiant, arrogant, argumentative, rebellious, kinda lazy, stubborn, distracted, doesn’t really care for morals, blunt, can appear insensitive a lot, is insensitive at times, no filters, can be cold for those he doesn’t care for, emotionally immature, deflects emotions, suppresses his feelings, sorta detached, kinda pessimistic, and unknowingly self-sacrificing because he thinks it’s fair and he deserves it.   MBTI  :  ENTP  (  Ne  dominant,  Ti  auxiliary,  Fe  tertiary,  and  Si  inferior  —  this  means  she  can’t  use  Ni,  Se,  Te,  and  especially  can’t  use  Fi). He  perceives  the  world  by  connecting  dots,  thinking  of  never-ending  possibilities,  looking  for  pieces  of  a  puzzle,  and  finding  meaning  in  abstract.  He  makes  judgments  on  if  what  he  perceives  fits  his  internal  logic.          ZODIAC  :  Aries sun, Gemini rising, Sagittarius moon.  TEMPERAMENT  :  sanguine choleric  ANIMALS  :  parrots and cats because they’re both intelligent but little pieces of shit who enjoy making your life hell.  VICE  :   it’s either his ego or how he ends up detaching himself FAITH  :  currently, he’s Mu.slim. He was born protestant, became an atheist when he was 13, agnostic at 14. Bud.dhist at 15. Taoist at 16. Confucianist at 17. Mu.slim at 19. Doesn't practice it though.     GHOSTS  ?  :  yep.. AFTERLIFE  ?  :   yep REINCARNATION  ?  :  he guesses so. Went  through  it, but doesn’t remember. ALIENS  ?  :  hell yeah. POLITICAL    ALIGNMENT  :  liberal. ECONOMIC    PREFERENCE  :   upper class or upper middle class is good with him.  EDUCATION    LEVEL  :   MSci in Physics from the University of Cambridge. Is opting to specialize in astrophysics soon. FAMILY. FATHER  :  Edward Wang, owner of a chain of fine dining restaurants  MOTHER  :  Elisa Violeta Wang, psychiatrist, deceased  STEP MOTHER :  Chaeyoung Wang, lawyer.  SIBLINGS  :  Cassandra Wang, athlete EXTENDED    FAMILY  :  he is not close with his external family and doesn’t know his birth mother’s family at all. They never wanted him.  FAVOURITES. BOOK  :   Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Galactic Dynamics by James Binney, Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Mukarami, Slaughter house Five by Kurt Vonnegut, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding. MOVIE  :  Scott Pilgrim vs The World 5    SONGS :  All You Want - Dashboard Prophets, Tokyo Smoke - Cage the Elephant, Where is My Mind? - The Pixies, Sparks - Coldplay, Lithium - Nirvana, and Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra     DEITY  :  none.  Let him argue with one and ask for proof of their deity-ness. HOLIDAY  :  Halloween. It’s dramatic and fun. MONTH  :   October, because he met Aurora and Jack this month in 2017. SEASON  :  spring  and  summer. PLACE  :  he doesn’t have a specific place, but he prefers European architecture.  WEATHER  :  cloudy and windy. Sunny if it isn’t too hot. SOUND  :  drums and percussions, the sound of aurora and jack’s laugh, guitars, violins, the sound of wind roaring, music boxes, and the clinking of bangles and jewelry.  SCENTS  :  sage, rosemary, and damascus roses. TASTES  :  chocolate, strawberries, chilies, and fried food.       FEELS  :   the feeling of hitting the drums, wind in his hair, the cold night air, warm morning sun, grass against his fingertips, silk, and touching long hair.   ANIMALS  :  cats and dogs. NUMBER  :   8 COLORS  :  white, cherry red, pink, maroon, wine red, black, and silver. EXTRA. TALENTS  :  he is an extremely talented drummer, good at guitar and the piano, he is talented at songwriting, composing music, he’s exceptionally good at mathematics and physics, analytical skills, storytelling, knows a lot of facts, near photographic memory because he remembers all important historical events with dates and details, academic writing, and brainstorming ideas.  BAD  AT  :   cooking, not very good at driving because he gets distracted, doing one task at a time, playing videogames, actually listening to what people say, being humble, and actually being a good leader.  TURN    ONS  :  this is a complicated question. He needs a very strong emotional connection to feel sexual attraction towards someone. And he only felt it for one person in his whole life. But, what sparked that attraction was a brilliant mind and the ability to connect with his mind on a very different level. It’s not going to repeat with anyone else.  TURN    OFFS  :  literally everyone else. He’s not sorry, but I am. HOBBIES  :  playing the drums, writing and composing songs, reading, solving problems, listening to music, watching shows, getting people to do weird shit, and annoying people.      AESTHETIC  :  crowns, drums, broken drumming sticks, abstract art, the vast space, chess boards, album cases, thrones, the echoing sound of pianos, Greek sculptures, galaxies and nebulas, early morning sunrise through curtains, libraries, equations scribbled on napkins, empty museums, unmade white sheets, polaroid cameras, conspiracy theories, VHS tapes, antique books, cobblestone alleyways, night skies, cluttered books, calloused fingers, crumpled composition pages, guitar picks, vinyl, telescopes, and planets.      Basically: abstract, chaotic academia, cryptid academia, dark academia, indie, kingcore, light academia, musical academia, science academia, spacecore,   QUOTES  :   it’s weird but i can’t decide which one fits him.  FC  INFO. MAIN    FC  :  victor han  ALT    FC  :  n/a. OLDER    FC  :  he can’t age past 22, so he doesn’t need one. YOUNGER    FC  :  none  yet. VOICE    CLAIM  :  both speaking and singing (his accent is posh British with a slight hint of Canadian) MUN  QUESTIONS. Q1  :    If you could write your character your way in their own movie , what    would  it  be  called ,  what  style would it be filmed in, and what would it be about ?    A1 :  The same answer as Aurora, The Tale of Solis et Lunae that stars him alongside Aurora, Lunae, Jack, and Tate, plus more. A cosmic adventure / fantasy / coming of age / superhero / the reluctant hero / the chosen one.  His role is of Aurora’s best friend and her greatest support in emotional and supernatural dangers. He is the time traveler who ascends time and space, so he often also gives her insight and information like the sage. It’ll  expand across dimensions, worlds, and different states of existence. The scenes would be cinematic with a strong soundtrack. I imagine him to have some scenes like Quick Silver in the X-Men movies.       Q2  :   What would their soundtrack / score sound like  ?     A2  :   He would have a 90s grunge or spacey dream rock sound. It ties in with the end of the last answer because i see him in one of those scenes with 90s grunge or maybe classical music ?    Q3  :      Why did you start writing this character  ? A3  :    I made Augustus just a bit before Aurora. They were a two part deal. I don’t know when it began, I just had this image of a tall, long haired boy with piercing, intelligent eyes who’s a smart-ass and likes being a know-it-all nuisance. This character has been the same since he began in 2019 and refused to change. He was always a drummer, he always had the same fashion sense, the look, Gus was always half-Korean, he always had long fingers he wore rings on, and he was always Aurora’s best friend/partner in crime. He remains unchanged and that's why I wanted to write him. This very vivid image of this boy was something I had to pen down. And just my luck, I found a fc who looks exactly how Gus looked in my head.   Q4  :    What  first  attracted  you  to  this  character  ? A4  :   Augustus is just extraordinary. It’s something I always felt about him and Aurora and I don’t see any of my other characters coming anywhere close to them regardless of how much I spent time on them. But with Augustus, his entire image and looks and personality — down to his wardrobe and jewelry was always so vivid in my head. Like I knew this very chaotically handsome boy who was going to turn the world upside down.  His story is interesting, but what interests me more is his perspective on his story. The way he looks at his life and how he is quiet and doesn’t show his pain. How confused he always is. How much he aches but never seems so. The way he loves but doesn’t say even a quarter of the intensity he feels. And how sometimes he believes he deserves suffering because it makes sense to him. I also love the connections he makes and the way he loves so deeply and profoundly but underneath the surface. His connection, love, fears, and hopes with Aurora and Jack for their respective reasons are extremely beautiful.   Q5  :      Describe the biggest thing you dislike about your muse.  ? A5  :  Augustus is unknowingly self-sabotaging. He let go the only relationship / love in his life that made him feel like real love just because he thought he didn’t deserve it. And because when he was provoked, it made “sense” to him. He bottles his emotions and pain so much despite their intensity. He never shows how much he really cares and really hurts. And how sure he is that he’ll end up alone without friends and that it makes sense to him. Q6  :      What    do    you    have    in    common    with    your    muse  ?   A6  :    Here’s a fun answer, because I bottle my emotions like him. I also interact with the carefree way he does even if I don’t feel peachy. He’s smart and witty and really hot and I don’t even have that going on for me. So, yikes. Only of Gus’ bad things I share.  Q7  :      How  does your muse feel about you  ?   A7  :  Gus loves interacting with people so he’ll definitely show up to annoy me. Maybe, he might think I’m fun to annoy? Or maybe, we’ll have a similar sense of humor. I think he won’t dislike me. Not sure if he’ll like me. I think he’d think I’m funny in a strange sort of way.  Q8  :      What    characters    does    your    muse    have    interesting    interactions  with  ? A8  :    Aurora, first of all. They have this same brain wave-length thing going on where they’re partners in crime and bffs forever more. He knows how she is feeling and what she’s thinking even before she utters it. If she is about to sneeze, he’d get a tissue ready. He can tell if she is hungry or sleepy with one glance. She can do the same, so they sorta have this weird understanding of each other.  Jack is this older brother figure Augustus loves. He won’t admit it, but he kinda wants to make Jack proud of him. He also wants to provide love and care to Jack that he thinks he deserves but never got. They’re his family now and he’ll never be alone or sad again. He annoys Jack a lot but behind it all, he just wants Jack to think he is needed and he belongs. That if he thinks Augustus is reliant on him, then he has this family he has to protect and care for. He can’t stand the thought of Jack feeling unloved, forgotten, alone.  Tida is another one. There’s this great respect and adoration Gus has for him. Almost like he looks up to him in some ways  He also has a lot of hopes and expectations attached. He feels Tida is everything that Gus himself lacks. He is the ideal boyfriend, kindest person, shows his emotions vividly, and is like a warm and cozy blanket personified. He is probably Tida and Aurora’s biggest supporter and first one to know. He can’t be happier than he is that Aurora found someone as good and perfect as Tida.   Taewon is one really fun character. Their two-way frenemy jealousy spans over years and started in Cambridge when they were both in love with the same girl they claimed to be best friends with. Though, trying to be calm, Augustus was constantly provoked and hurt, made to feel inferior and constantly in fear of his relationship being broken by Taewon’s schemes that he couldn’t say out loud. This dark period ended with a fist fight and baggage of guilt they both carry to this day for hurting each other and the one they claimed to love. Today, they’re way past that and frenemies who have funny quips and arguments for each other. They say they dislike each other. But if the lighting is good, one would be the photographer of the other. Q9  :      What    gives    you    inspiration    to    write    your    muse  ? A9  :  Music  helps  me  imagine  scenes  with  perfect  visual  details.  Any  scenes  from  shows  that  remind  me  of  my  storylines. Q10  :      How    long    did    this    take    you    to    complete  ?   A10  :  I don’t remember. It was many days and I didn’t count because it was in bits and pieces.

Twin Snowflakes 26: Preparation

[part 1 of 2]

TSF pt25 here! <-

“THANK YOU, PEOPLE OF MANTLE!” Summer yelled, shredding each note of her personal favorite songs. One after another she played to her heart's fill. Each song was more aggressive and brimming with vigor than the last. Summer would’ve played till dawn if she had her way but neither her body or promise to her brother would allow that. It wasn’t time to leave yet but she needed a break.

Summer begrudgingly got herself to get off the stage to let others perform. Their music wasn’t terrible by any means but the other musicians could easily stand to have more practice. A rave audience isn’t hard to please however, so the crowd ate up the talent all the same. A little insulting to her own performance but eh, this wasn’t an actual contest. Summer was happy enough blowing off steam and listening to the beats from behind the stage. Not even she could deny the beats and tempo. Her hips couldn’t help but sway!

From the corner of her eye she could make out a familiar figure keeping an eye on her. “Did Nick tell you to keep an eye on me, Eliza?”

“Not really.” She walked over and poured herself a cup of water. “I was training in the area.”

“Are you saying he had nothing to do with you being here?”

“Oh no, that would be a lie. You know Nick, always negotiating. He really knows how to persuade a person. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could sell a heater to someone living in Vacou. Anyways, he didn’t ask me to stalk you or anything like that. He knew where I’d be and told me if I could swing by for a spell. No harm in that.”

Summer smiled. “Funny. That sounded like you were defending him. Don’t want me getting upset with my own brother?”

“Shut up. It would be a pain if I caused unnecessary controversy in a household. Need I remind you that you both have duties to the school that require your full attention? Frankly I’m glad I arrived. I don’t go to your concerts so my opinion of your performance skills was limited.” Eliza sipped her water, giving Summer’s attire and overall attitude a once over. “Where’s all this when you're getting harassed in the halls?”

“That’s...school is different.”

“Pfft, yeah okay.”

“It is!” Summer said, defensively crossing her arms.

Eliza watched the girl's face soften into the meek and reserved Summer she was used to. To think that’s all it took to shut her down. “I swear you and your brother don’t have a consistent bone in your body. Whatever the case, I don’t really care much as long as you bring your best effort to rehearsal and the live performance.”

Summer squinted. “Not the actual tournament?”

“Hey I don’t participate in the duos. You can bomb that for all I care. But you know, Nick is counting on you to pull your weight. Also it would be pretty annoying if you lost to Max and his asshole know-it-all, Darren. Gods know he’d talk about it until graduation.”

“Was the fight that happened in the school bad?”

Eliza shrugged, “Can’t say. Wasn’t there. He’s always been a thorn to me though so I don’t doubt he made things ugly. He was very rude to Veronica in the principal’s office as well. An act I find inexcusable.”

Summer couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Look I know you admire her and all that jazz, but I’d bet she didn’t help the situation.”

“My views on her have nothing to do with it!” Eliza huffed. “I would think you off people would be sympathetic to a person like her.”

Summer leaned against a wall. “Call me jaded, but Veronica has a habit of bringing out the worst in people.”

Eliza frowned. “You know her better than I. Tell me, is she the type to lie about being harassed?”

Summer didn’t have to think long, especially after learning more about her in the forest. Then there was Veronica’s sketch journal. Summer still couldn’t make sense of all the scratched out pages. On top of that, Blake’s request made Summer even more uncertain. “No. Veronica’s a piece of work, but she isn’t a liar. She might actually be too honest if you asked me. I’ve never had to deal with Darren personally but Nick’s not a fan by any means.” Summer bit her bottom lip. She couldn’t believe it, did she just defend Veronica’s qualities!? It was only fair. Veronica did almost end up a frozen husk.

“Well it’s good to know we can all agree on at least one thing without fail. So not to rush you but how long are you planning on staying in a place like this?” Eliza asked, watching all the party animals.

“Haha, not your type of crowd?”

“The crowd is fine. I can handle a little noise and rowdiness, but it is technically a school night. I- ah! Summer!?” The girl had taken Eliza by the hand and started pulling her to the dance floor.

“If you keep bringing up assignments 24/7 then all you’re gonna look like is a stick in the mud. Live a little. School sucks!”

“School is important!” Eliza protested.

Summer grabbed Eliza’s other hand and started making them sway side to side, back and forth. The blood rushing to Eliza’s cheeks made Summer giggle. “Awww you know you dig it. I’ll make a deal. Cut loose with me for a few songs and I’ll gladly let you dance me right out the front door. Show me that colorguard rhythm!”

Eliza watched the petite girl actively laugh without reservation. Summer jokingly shimmied towards her and swayed her hips, getting lost in the music. Just how much did this girl go out to rave? She looked like she belonged here! The beat got more intense by the moment with no sign of stopping. With her pride in check, Eliza began to sway steadily, getting into the music.

Summer’s eyes lit up. “Aye!”

“Two songs and then we’re out of here.”

“Works for me! Show me what ya got!” Summer turned up the heat by dragging Eliza deeper into the chaos. She might not be as persuasive as Nick, but Eliza quickly found out Summer was definitely more pushy. Forget the tournament. Eliza was beginning to think they’ll beat her at everything!

xxxxx

“This is crazy. How did I not know about this!?” Nick said, walking down the rainy sidewalk.

Veronica smirked as she held Nick’s hand, allowing rain to pass right through them. “Why would you? I barely have any reason to use my semblance; let alone in the more complex ways.”

“You don’t use it when making clothes?”

“Haha, I’m not entirely sure how it would help. Unless I wanna get out of my clothes and into something new in an instant. Not a real trick to show others. Unless…” she blushed at her lewd teasing, refusing to finish the punchline. “Never mind.”

“Okay?” He had a feeling he knew where that was going but chose not to pull that grenade pin. “Speaking of clothes, that brings up a question. Why aren’t our clothes falling off now?”

“Control. Anything I touch can phase like me. My clothes are touching me, so are you. I can keep it strictly to myself though with control and timing. I can also start it and end it on any spot on my body; which is why we aren’t falling through the street.”

“That sounds hard.”

“Little bit. Really flexing my semblance like a muscle right now. Still, I’ve done harder, like not breaking surface tension.”

Nick did a double take. Did he hear that right? “Surface tension? Like...for water?”

Veronica nodded. “Yeah that’s the one. Well I’m not actually walking on water. It’s more of me beginning to fall through the water with my semblance, and shutting it off quick enough to push me back up just above the surface. Took a lot of practice but I got it most of the time. Waves suck.”

“Don’t you burn through your aura quickly?”

“Well it’s like flicking a switch on and off. Also I’m quick about it; not to mention not fighting anything in the water. I’m bound to fuck up them.”

“Still sounds like an extremely large amount of work and multitasking. You got real talent. I’d get a headache.”

“Says the king of multitasking.” Veronica chuckled, “It’s less thinking and more of reaction; knowing how to feel the shifts to the things connecting you.”

Her explanation was interesting. Veronica had an understanding of her semblance to a complex level though she didn’t fight. And here was Nick, struggling with a candle exercise for a semblance that didn’t interact with physics or molecules. “A reaction huh? Maybe I should try that more often? It might help with-”

“Valerie.”

“What? No my-” His hand was squeezed a little before being brought up to point towards the Schnee gate. Nick’s eyes went wide. Valerie stood by it with her mother’s car, staring just as surprised. “Oh…” Nick said.

The three stood quietly, not prepared in the slightest. Valerie was the most shocked. She was prepared for an awkward conversation with Nick by the door. Not catching him outside in a suit; next to Veronica. Nora, who was in the car, wanted to take initiative but found her lips tucking themselves in.

“Oh boy. Maybe convincing Val to see him was a bad move on my part.” She thought. Ren was gonna have a field day whenever Nora got back home.

Done with the shock, Veronica finally spoke. “Umm I can give you two a minute, if you need it?” All the events that happened tonight made her feel very pleased. Veronica did not want to taint those moments and knew it would be for the best to remove herself from this before she said anything...emotional. She turned to Nick and smiled awkwardly. “I’ll see you inside?”

Nick could only blink while he thought about it. Veronica was a bit quicker to the draw though. “No, no, it’s...clearly you two are in the middle of something. I was just leaving anyways” Val said, a hint of irritation and even a bit of sarcasm crept into her voice. It might not have been that big of a deal but for some reason it made Nick tense up.

“This is only happening because of you.” He said instinctively, catching everyone off guard. “I don’t see how you can be upset about a thing you caused. I did invite you originally.”

“Don’t see how that has to do with anything.” Valerie lied, clearly offended. “You can do what you want.I only came here to-”

“It’s always your terms.” He interjected, grumbling a bit. “You tell me you want space and we’ll see each other at the tournament, but then show when you feel like talking. If I did that you’d be pissed.”

“Hey! I came here to try and smooth things over.”

“Yeah well maybe I don’t want things smoothed over right now? I...I have nothing to say to you right now. We’ll talk at the tournament.”

Valerie let out a subtle gasp. Her brows furrowed and she bit down on her lip harder than she meant to. “Forget it. If you wanna be made then be made. Tournament it is.” Valerie didn’t waste another breath, getting back into the car so it can drive off.”

Veronica was in disbelief. Did that really just happen? In now way did she think the conversation was going to be good, but she at least thought there was going to be one. She might’ve thought this best if it wasn’t for Nick visibly sulking next to her as he started walking her up to the manor. The solemn look on his face did nothing but make her feel bad. Not to mention a little guilty.

“Hey...I know this is a dumb question but are you okay? If I influenced that in any way during dinner, that wasn’t really...what I mean is...”

“I know, and don’t worry. That wasn’t me being caught up in my emotions. I just really want to think about all of this for at least a couple days. Besides, I made a deal with Eliza. I might not keep it if Valerie tries patching things up.”

“You’re plotting on her? That’s...wow. Now I know for sure that you’re pissed.”

Nick rubber the back of neck. “For once I think I’ll get greedy, act the way I want. Does that make sense?”

“Make sense? It’s my language. Fair warning, your best quality is that heart of yours.” She poked his chest. “Keep it safe, or I’ll be the one getting greedy by knocking the optimism back into ya.”

“Oh is that right? Haha, maybe try praying to me first, then I really know you must mean business!” He teases.

Veronica gave a playful shove. “Like I’d know how to start one? I think I’ll stick with the tough love approach.”

“Tough love huh?” Nick opened the front door. His eyes never left the girl as she walked in, seemingly content. Veronica eventually looked back at him and gave a head tilt.

She blinked, “What?”

“Nothing.” He chuckled. Nick was starting to think that just maybe, he understood Veronica’s choices and beliefs a little more than he used to. If he learned anything from tonight it was just how differently they saw the world around them. “Well I guess this is the end of our date. Didn’t go as planned but I’ll admit it, I really liked spending alone time with you.” He said, rubbing the back of his head.

Veronica couldn’t stop herself from letting out an anxious chuckle.“Hehehe, what’s with the sweet talk all of a sudden? Trying to butter me up?”

“No, just being honest with myself. A date should end as well as possible.” Nick stepped towards Veronica and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Eager to not let this moment linger, Nick swiftly left for Summer’s room to see if she was back. Without thinking about it tonight, Nick had left two girls red and speechless. One of them standing in the main hall with a smile growing wide; while the other watched the rain fall during a quiet ride home, frustrated and jaw clenched.

Nora took care to drive slowly. Getting home quickly would only mean Valerie would march to her room. Nora let out a sigh. “Whether it’s me or your father, one of us is gonna make you talk about this. So-”

“What’s there to talk about? I’m upset and he’s upset, because we want different things. So we’re taking a break. Simple as that.” Valerie leaned against the cold glass.

“And what is it exactly that you want?” Nora asked. She was given no answer. Not that she was expecting one. “I love you, but if you don’t know the answer yourself then how can you expect Nick to not upset you? Life is like any sport you play. Gotta know the rules if you wanna do well. Only way to figure that out is knowing yourself.”

“I know myself pretty well.” Valerie huffed.

“Really?” Nora dragged out. “So tell me, do you like Nick, romantically?”

“No.” She said instinctively.

If Val could see Nora’s face then she would’ve been upset that she was rolling her eyes, not believing her daughter. “Okay, but just so you know, taking a break is not what most friends say about another.”

Valerie’s eyes widened. She turned to her mother to see her focused on the road like she hadn’t said a word. Val went back to looking at the window. “Good to know.” Valerie controlled the urge to huff. Talking to Ren might’ve been less painful.

xxxx

Nick walked into Summer’s room to find it sisterless and a little cold. “Guess she’s not home yet.” He closed the door behind him as he went further in. Nick made sure to keep the light off but turned on the heater. A cold room was the last thing this night needed. His chill hadn’t kicked in all this time so Nick had no real reason to worry about Shiva, yet his nerves would feel better actually seeing Summer come home safely. Pulling up a chair to sit in may have been a bit much but he did it anyway. Overbearing or not, Shiva would never be a subject he’d take lightly. Not like he had in the past when he was younger, naive of the danger that thing had. He could his body ache at the thought of it. Pain fades and the body heals, but it also remembers. Not like he needed a reminder. Not when the memories rear their ugliness often in his dreams.

A scroll rang loudly, bringing Nick out of the dark thoughts. He reached in his pocket to see it was in fact Summer who was calling.He wasted no time answering. “Where are you? I thought you’d be back by now?”

“That didn’t sound like hello.” Summer grumbled. “Relax, I'm close by. I actually called to ask for a favor. You’re home right?”

“Yes?”

“Cool. Can you open my window?

Nick walked over to her window and opened it. In the distance he could spot his sister and Eliza outside the gate from the right side. “Done. What-”

“How’d you do that so fast? Were you already in my room!? You aren’t snooping are you!?” She yelled.

“Quiet before you get caught. No, I wasn’t snooping. Pretty sure whatever secrets this room holds is one that would scar me. Though I’m curious about your journal, wherever you hid this time. Perhap under your nightstand?”

“Do you really want to rummage around a young woman's nightstand?” Summer could hear her brother let out an overtop gagging noise. “Grow up.”

“Say it to my face. You better hurry before I decide to close this and watch you hit the glass like a pigeon.”

“Fine, ya baby.” Summer hung up. “Thanks for walking me home, as well as helping me stay dry.” She looked up to see the small dome of water floating over her from Eliza’s magic.

“Exactly what was the plan if I had said no or not shown up at all?”

“Glyphs aren’t just for platforming and dust ya know? Not that it matters. I knew I’d see you tonight.”

Eliza scoffed, “Tah! That confident in your predictions about your brother?”

“Well yes, but that’s not it. It’s not a secret you practice at the pier. It’s also terrible luck on your part you almost shot a captain with a bolt of lightning. One time.”

“W-What!? B-but how would-”

“Is it a Marigold thing to be attracted to my family like a magnet? That captain is my cousin. He says your aim could use work. Bye!” Summer made glyphs to trampoline over the gate and platform through the air and through her window.”

Eliza couldn’t believe it. Why was this her life!? It had to be a joke. Atlas or Mantle, you’re bound to be in Schnee territory. It would’ve been fine if she wasn’t practicing moves to fight one! Now she needed a new training spot. Who knows what they might now. “Damnit, now Nick’s offer is even more to my best interest!”

“Sup bro. How was your date?” The rock n’ roll twin kicked off her shoes and took the black wig off before falling backwards onto her bed.

“Well Valerie was at the front awhile ago.”

Summer sat up. “Okay, that’s not what I expected. Did I miss a fight? No wait, I’m pretty sure I’d hear Veronica scream bloody murder because there’s no way her dress would stay flaw-” her rambling was cut short when Nick suddenly sat beside her and fell on her lap. “Woah. Hey, are you still sick!?”

“No, just tired. The past week has been a little...draining. To be honest I don’t think I even have the energy to shower right now.”

“Well you probably smell better than me right now so I’m not complaining.”

“How was the rave?”

“Fun. Got Eliza to dance a little. The crowd worshipped my performance.” She chuckled.

“What did you sing?”

“Nothing special. A few Linkin Park songs; an experimental original. Oscar thought it would be a good idea to take a few of my journal entries and vent it out through music.”

“Hmm, anything you’ll share to your actual fan base, or me?”

Summer looked at her ceiling to let out a composed sigh. “I don’t think I’m quite ready, or the song for that matter. It and myself are...a work in progress. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just know your fans think you can’t do wrong and there’s no world where I won’t support you. Family and all that.”

“Love you too.” Summer patted his head. “Sorry if I’ve been causing you trouble. Well, more than usual. Tomorrow is a new day.”

“That’s the spirit. Push yourself but not too hard. That’s my territory. Speaking of which, I’ve been racking my brain with ideas. You can talk to Shiva in that headspace whenever you like right?” He felt her hand stop. Nick looked up to see Summer look apprehensive.

“I can...but it’s not a thing I look to do. Plus tonight has been good. I really don’t want that to-”

“Summer, do you trust me?”

Nick’s words were calm and real. Summer didn’t know what he had in mind. It wasn’t like Nick to invite danger. Her eyes looked to the floor to the orange glow of her heater. Like usual it appeared that her brother had already taken strides for her and everyone’s sake. Just how far would he go, ever making herself feel like she’s at a stand still? Maybe tomorrow could start today. Just a little bit.

“What’s this idea of yours?” She said cautiously.

“Nothing too crazy. You’re just gonna take a page out of Veronica’s playbook.”

xxxxx

You would think a person would know what goes on in their head. Unfortunately, that’s hardly ever the case. Summer never got a full understanding of what went on upstairs in her mind. Then again that would only make sense. She was in therapy after all. Though no amount of emotional talking could explain why her headspace imagery was inconsistent at times. A void of nothingness, her own room, those were the usual shapes that took place. However, this time she found herself back at the frozen lake. Going back and triggering an episode must’ve left a lasting impression. At least her trauma brought variety. The only separation from the real place was the ice ceiling and a distinct lack of cold nipping at her skin. Her psyche though, it was definitely feeling something.

She began walking through the white hell of her own making until she found her target, Shiva. The being was skating across the lake like how Summer once did. “Shiva.” Summer called out.

The woman of ice and snow looked over, surprised. She stopped right in the middle of the lake. “Well, well, well, come to properly thank me? You’d be in a grimm’s stomach by now if it wasn’t for me. You and that idiot girl. Tell me, is she in pain from our encounter?”

“I’m not here to thank you or chitchat.” Summer bluntly stated. “This is an in and out thing.”

“I’ll take that as a no then? Pity. I wouldn’t mind seeing her cry and despair. I bet her tears are uglier than yours. Though I'll say that this look you have going on isn’t gross. Honestly it helps to see you better in this place. You’re always so pale when you’re talking to me. Afraid I might hurt you?” A smirk spread across her face. “Oh I do hate you so.”

“Feeling is mutual. I came here to tell you that from this point on things are gonna change.”

“Pfft, heard that before. You’re all talk.”

“Am I?” Summer reached her hand out. Right before her eyes, the shape of a shovel formed. Hiding her surprise, she focused on Shiva’s own shock. “My mind, my rules. If I can subconsciously make this hell then I can shape it to an extent. Summer tossed the shovel at Shiva for her to catch. “Keep that safe for me.” Summer’s body began to slowly fade from this space.

“And what exactly is this for?”

“Your grave. Feel free to dig it yourself.” Her final words before disappearing completely while witnessing a smug smirk vanish before her eyes. Right as she faded, Summer could hear one last remark.

“We’ll see who buries who.”

Summer opened her eyes to find herself back in her room. Good, she hadn’t moved an inch. “Well I’ve thoroughly pissed her off, but it actually felt good to be the one harassing her. Thank Ni- huh?” Summer failed to realize she’s been talking to herself. Nick was fast asleep already! “Unbelievable. What if I would’ve messed up?”

“Zzzzzz.”

“Quite the convincing answer.” Summer returned to rubbing his head. He felt a little warm but nothing serious. Taking breaks needed to be at the top of his list from now on. Only way that would happen is if things weren’t hectic. It was time to step up. “I’ll do right by you. I promise. Just...give me a little more time.”

Her eyes became heavy. It appears the day’s events weighed on her more than she realized. Both twins fell into slumber there for the entire night, finally getting some rest.

D E F G H I J K L M N O P, Q R S T U V, W X Y and Z 😇😉. I sung the alphabet while writing this as well 😂. You don’t have to answer all of them though, just pick which ones you want 😊.

🤣🤣🤣

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

My fandom life would be easier if I liked Heathstrid at least a little bit... But I can’t and I don’t really want to, either...

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

The oneshots Spin The Bottle and Pick Me Up.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

Given that I only learned about the existence of fandom as a concept in late 2016, the longest I’ve ever been in a fandom is roughly 4,5 years.

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

Many! Currently it’s Hiccstrid and Hicretstrid. And maybe a little Zelink. But thinking back, I think my very first OTP was when I was around five years old. From the Captain Tsubasa anime series, Tsubasa and... I don’t even know her name... 🤣 There was this girl who always cheered him on and was his no.1 fan. ANd in hindsight, I think I also shipped Tsubasa... with nearly all other players, mainly, Taro Misaki, Jun Misugi, and Kojiro Hyuga. 🤣

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

TV-shows, mostly. I prefer the visuals over books and I prefer the slower development over those in movies.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

Not caused me to stop liking them. But in some cases (ATLA and TDP, to name two) it raised my expectations so high that, when I finally got to dip into them, I was rather underwhelmed. It also didn’t help that I already knew the ending and some major plot points. If there’s one sure way to dampen my excitement it’s spoilers.

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

Supernatural. Pretty much all other fandoms I dip into occasionally, I knew at least a little before. But literally everything I know about Supernatural is from seeing posts here. 🤣

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

I can’t think of an individual character right now, but in general an arc I like is someone (re-)learning to trust.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Snotlout has a great relationship with his dragon. Valka, too. Gobber and the twins are always fun, in their own ways.

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

Already answered before.

Hmm... First, I wanted to say Astrid. And I'd enjoy having her as a friend, as someone to challenges me to be more active, to work on my skills and someone to talk.

But I think, I'd enjoy being friends with Hiccup, too. I'd like to brainstorm ideas, ponder over inventions and exchange ideas. Geek out about dragons!

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

Acceptance, respect, and some common sense. But that’s not just fandom...

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

My very long list of favoured songs randomly gave me 9 Crimes by Damien Rice. There once was an absolutly stunning AMV with this song about the TV-show The Legend Of The Seeker, The Sword Of Truth (based on the books by Terry Goodkind). I was deeply in love with Richard’s and Kahlan’s relationship, and with Cara on a general level. That AMV featured them all, and I loved it!

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

Oh, oh, oh, oh! I just thought about this modern meet-cute AU for Hiccstrid a few days back, might as well write it down here. (And will also copy it over into an individual post, I think...)

Hiccup is a single father of a three-years-old daughter. One day, he meets Astrid in a supermarket; she’s in front of him at the check-out and when he hears her voice, he’s stunned. Because he knows her voice, hears it every day. Because she lend her voice to one of these talking toys for toddlers.His daughter’s favourite toy.

Hiccup always liked that toy best, too, because it didn’t sound as annoying as most others. Pleasant even. When he sees and hears Astrid, he recognises her voice in an instant. He jokingly thanks her for making his days more bearable. She’s confused, who is this weirdo? So he tries to explain. “The toy. My daughter’s toy. It’s your voice. A pleasant voice. I listen to it every day.” He keeps getting weirder, stammers, turns red like a tomato, until he eventually just flees, wishing a hole would open up to swallow him, that was so embarrassing.

Meanwhile, Astrid is touched. Knowing that there is at least one little girl who likes the toy she helped create. And her father, apparently. Who had been cute. In how shy he’d been. And how excited. She’s sorry he left before she was able to talk to him and thank him.

Over the next days, Hiccup would think of her a lot. Every time he hears her voice again, he’d think of her. Her face. Her smile. Until they, eventually, meet again... ^^

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

Answered before

None, really. There are several fandoms I grew out of, like Sailor Moon or Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne. But I wouldn't say I abandoned them. I still enjoy seeing content about them.

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Those of the rider with their dragons. Hiccup&Toothless. Astrid&Stormfly.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Pretty much all of my headcanons are about Hiccstrid in one way or combination. One of my personal favourites is that Astrid has a tiny birthmark on the back of her neck. She doesn’t even know it’s there, she can’t see it and it’s almost always covered by her hair anyway. But Hiccup knows it’s there. And he loves to place a kiss on it. It tickles and would always make her giggle. And she smells so nice.

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

*snorts* No. If there are people who don’t share my headcanons, then... they don’t have to? I can live and be friends with people regardless of whether we share the same headcanons or not. And if people keep attacking me for mine, I’ll just block them and walk away. Arguing about something like that is not worth my time.

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

Astrid. HTTYD.

erm...

uh...

I really have difficulties thinking of favourites from any other fandoms here! xD

uhm...

Princess Zelda from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Kaladin Stormblessed from the Stormlight Archives.

I might have a type here. Brave, strong, not always easy to deal with. Fiercely loyal. Stubborn. Proud. Honourable. that’s all three of them. ^^

V - Which character do you relate to most?

Same answer as the above, mostly. I think I already wrote a long answer to a similar question once. 🤔 I relate to Astrid in many ways. Loyal and reliable, not always easy to approach, often prefers to deal with her problems on her own instead of asking for help.

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

Anything jealously, especially it being portrayed as a sign of love or dedication. But also love triangles. Unnecessary.

Another thing I don’t like is when there’s a misunderstanding and they argue about it and get angry and yell and have a huge falling-out... when it all just boils down to them not listening.

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Answered before.

Forbidden Romance. In any form. I just love the angsty tension it brings without the characters fighting or arguing about misunderstandings.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

Supernatural, ATLA, TDP, MCU.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

With all the critical thinking that’s encouraged in fandom culture, I wish more people would remember Ratatouille and this quote by Anton Ego.

“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.”

-- Anton Ego (Ratatouille)

Or at least respect it. It’s called entertainment and not lecture about every little detail that is wrong with other people’s opinions. I get why it’s important to look deeper and question meanings and intentions, I really do. But sometimes, I’d prefer to at least occasionally just enjoy something without getting lectured by others for it.

_____

Thank you! 😘💜

Persona 5 Royal: A Review

It’s finally time to review one of my all-time favourite games.

I first played Persona 5 around 3 years ago, and I’ve really grown since then in a few ways. A few thoughts before I begin: a) since my first playthrough, JRPGs have cemented themselves as one of my favourite types of games; b) I don’t hate all turn-based RPGs except Pokémon anymore!; c) after my first playthrough I went to Japan, and as Persona 5 is set in Tokyo, playing Royal was a lot of fun as I knew a lot of the locations, which meant I could dive into the setting deeper than the first time; and d) my 250 hours of playtime in total across both playthroughs can most likely be attributed to the incredible writing and masterful character development.

Warning: HEAVY story spoilers

I’m not trying to sell you a game. I want to give you an in-depth analysis of the story, characters, gameplay and all other aspects of this brilliant game, spoilers and all. I want a discussion. So, dive in and see what I really thought, no holds barred.

The Silence is Deafening

‘…’ – a direct quote from our protagonist, there. Our silent hero, codename Joker, is a victim of circumstance. Wrongfully accused of assault by a mysterious man who is angered that a kid prevented him from forcing a woman into his car et al., he must move away from his hometown to wait out his probation period and live a normal student life. Why must he live above a failing café under the guardianship of the cranky owner? Not to mention: why is he banished to Tokyo of all places, somewhere very likely much more exciting than wherever his hometown is?

Either way, Joker isn’t going to tell you. He’s quiet and lets the other many, many other characters do the talking for him—a usual trope of JRPGs, but it is still an issue as he is also put on a pedestal as an incredibly special, talented, empathetic and all-round great guy. He’s the only one capable of saving the world, as he has abilities no-one else has, for some reason.

But this isn’t as bad as I’m making it out to be. Sure, it doesn’t really make sense why you have such a huge following when you don’t have much of a personality, but that’s the beauty of the silent protagonist. You, the player, are the protagonist. The fact that you can even put your own name in as his name is telling. You make the decisions, you make the friends, and you carve out your own destiny from the choices you make. It’s always these kinds of games that, when I talk to my friends, I say ‘I messed up with Sojiro’ or ‘I went to the arcade today’—and it is me. Because even though I’m not a woefully silent Japanese male teenager with glasses, for the time I’m playing Persona 5, I am.

So, you are the protagonist. You learn that there are mental shutdowns all over Tokyo, making people go crazy and kill lots of people, such as a conductor crashing his train, or simply killing people on the spot. It’s weird, but what can you do? You’re just a student with his own problems: not only do many of the students avoid you because you are a delinquent, but the volleyball coach, Kamoshida, seems to be harassing students, from the ones on his team who seem terrified of him, to girls that are being hit on. When a strange app appears on your phone, you accidentally find yourself in the metaverse, along with Ryuji, who also has a good reason to get revenge on Kamoshida.

I Am Thou, Thou Art I

What teenager doesn’t have a rebellious self hidden deep within their subconscious? Well, these teens can utilise that hidden self past its usual constraints to overcome the crappy adults that suppress them and make detrimental decisions for them. Once Joker and Ryuji, and later many other young adults, realise this potential and recognise that these adults need to be stopped, they are awakened to their Personas. A Persona is a manifestation of a persona user’s personality, which the individual can use to face hardship and overcome injustice, even if just in the Metaverse, the collective unconscious world.

But, really, there’s no ‘just’ about it. Here in this world, which take the form of Palaces, the Phantom Thieves (you and your friends) can defeat the ruler of the Palace (the adult with a distorted desire) to convince them to change their heart. In this way, the ‘real’ them in the real world will atone for their actions and justice can be served. So, really, your actions are vital to solving crimes, dealing justice and, eventually, saving the world.

These Personas are like Pokémon for adults. You are special, as you can catch and wield multiple Personas, allowing you to have a whole array of powers, but your friends have one that they train and evolve throughout the course of the story. Catching them is a skill: you have to learn their weakness, and use a skill that takes advantage of it to ‘down’ the Persona. This gives you a chance to either: perform an ‘all out’ attack which sees all your allies fight them at once for increased damage; ask them for money or an item; or negotiate with them to convince them to become a part of you (and thus catch them for use later). This gets harder when there are multiple different Personas to battle at once, all with different weaknesses and strengths that means you must time your combat precisely to ‘down’ them at the same time.

Personas are one of the best parts of the game, as you can see.

Not happy with a persona’s moves, or you want to create stronger ones? Go to the Velvet Room, where Igor and the Twin Wardens Justine and Caroline will fuse two or more Personas together to create new ones.

This is where the Pokémon element is better and worse. You can get completely new and stronger Personas immediately, which is cool, but if you are particularly drawn to one it doesn’t make sense to keep using them as they will level up far quicker if you fuse them than if you keep them. I struggled with this at first, as Arsene is your first ‘official’ Persona, and I couldn’t quite believe you are only meant to have him for the first few hours. It’s like Ash giving up Pikachu after defeating Brock!

Also, have you seen how you have to fuse them? It’s so dark and unnecessarily vivid! You have to guillotine, electric chair or hang them in order to create these new Personas, which is so different to Persona 4 where the Personas are cards, making it less gruesome to get rid of your companions. It definitely made me feel bad for fusing them, but that didn’t stop me!

Essentially, the Persona franchise wouldn’t be the same without all the incredible Personas you fight and capture along the way. It really encapsulates what the games are like: stylized and deeply considered, exuding character and imagination throughout.

Take Over, It’s Time to Put You Down

Using these Personas are a lot of fun, too. The moves are elemental as well as physical, they can inflict ailments such as ‘sleep’ and ‘fear’, and evolve as you and your Personas level up. Personas all have strengths and weaknesses, and by fusing them, you can create Personas with stronger moves and resistances that, as you get towards the end of the game, means that you can fuse some incredibly powerful Personas that can fight any and all enemies, if you’re smart with the moves you inherit.

This all sounds very similar to Pokémon, right? Well, there are other more showy, fantastically fun elements that integrate beautifully with the stunning graphics to make every battle (which have the potential to become very repetitive) exciting and challenging. When a character manages to ‘down’ an enemy by using a move that is strong against it, they can either do another attack or choose to Baton Pass to an ally, chaining super-effective attacks to down multiple enemies in one round, which is useful if there are a lot of different enemies with different affinities and weaknesses. Then, once all enemies are downed, all allies can come together for an All Out Attack for an extra boost of damage.

As much as this is useful for the player, if the enemy downs one of your allies, they can also do a secondary attack, which means that they have the potential to wipe out your team very quickly. Plus, some moves are one hit kills, which may have low accuracy but is still extremely frustrating sometimes, particularly in regular 5 where I found the combat more challenging. The worst boss fight was Haru’s dad, where I actually had to change difficulty for the only time throughout the game—who decided it was a good idea to revive the robot shadows if you didn’t kill them in three moves?!

The Showtime moves, new for Royal, bring a fresh new element to the game. As you progress through the story, your allies start forming bonds, which will then be reflected in combat. At seemingly random times, they can join up with fantastic new animations (such as Yusuke cooking Ryuji some yummy food at a bar, who get interrupted by a shadow coming in the door, and they both take it out) and inflict massive damage. I was sad that Joker doesn’t get one, until the Royal section where baes Akechi and Sumire both team up with you respectively for new Showtimes. It made me wonder whether Joker just wasn’t as close to the rest of the team as he becomes to Akechi and Sumire, which actually also made me glad that I focused on both of them heavily in my playthrough!

Every song that plays throughout the game, including combat, is a banger, so even though my husband got annoyed hearing it coming out of my TV for 120 hours, this soundtrack will remain one of my favourites to date. Overall, the combat is great, and thankfully not too repetitive after so many hours of gameplay.

Adulting is Hard

The story of Persona 5 is deeply gripping, and keeps you invested and interested the whole way through. It didn’t absolutely destroy me like other JRPGs have done (see: Final Fantasy XV), but fun, emotive and has huge repercussions if you don’t succeed in your mission, including people dying and the world ending. No pressure, then.

Your actions, then, are crucial to making the world a better place: and the villains that you encounter are integral to succeeding. In true revolution fashion, it’s the kids that need to stand up to the adults to rid them of their distorted desires—but it’s not all random. The adults are truly abhorrent (the first one, Kamoshida, sexually assaults female students and physically abuses members of his volleyball team) and they continue a running thread from first to last—that is, the ones who you think aren’t connected at all seem to be connected to the final villain by the end. It’s very clever, and kept me gripped the whole way through—something that’s needed with 80+ hours of gameplay.

The writing is absolutely fantastic. All characters have their own distinct mannerisms, personalities and stories, which you get to explore with the Confidant mechanic (see below). The voice acting is great, and as I progressed through the Confidants, I really started to feel like they were becoming my friends, and that every time I turned on my PS4 I was hanging out with my pals again. It’s the way games should make you feel—like you actually care about what will happen to them.

This does make the game quite stressful (in a good way), as what you do has actual repercussions. It’s a bit frustrating sometimes that some of your dialogue doesn’t affect the game at large, as well as your romance choices. None of the characters acknowledge you have a girlfriend, and if you date Ann, for example, she won’t act any differently than if you decide to not even become her friend. While that’s disappointing, other dialogue choices can completely affect your game so that you always have to be very careful with your decisions. Will you get the ‘bad’ ending, where you fail to stop the final villain; the ‘good bad’ ending, where you accept his distorted view of the world; or the ‘true’ canon ending, where you revert the world to normal? A lot of choices throughout this lengthy game affect what ultimately happens, so you do feel like you’re affecting the story a lot more than, say, Pokémon. In fact, in Royal, you can even miss out on a whole section of the game…

Ascending to Royalty

As long as you max your Confidant links with Akechi (the renegade teen detective), Kasumi (the new gymnast freshman at your school) and Maruki (the school counsellor), you get to experience the 30+ hours that Royal adds to Persona 5. And—major spoilers here—once you’ve defeated the God of Control and exposed Akechi for the unhinged betrayer that he is, you should go to juvenile detention and your ability to use Personas should be gone for good, as Momentos has been destroyed.

However, in Royal, Maruki has figured out how to use cognitive psience—and you’re the reason why. His sessions with you has helped with his research, and so now he can make the world a better place by granting everyone’s desires in the collective unconsciousness.

As you can see by his actions, he’s not your typical antagonist. His heart is completely in the right place: he wants to make everyone happy by granting their desires for them, such as bringing back Futaba’s dead mother and helping Ryuji recover so he can get back on the track team. I resonated with that, and actually wondered whether it would be worse for certain characters, particularly Futaba and Haru who get to spend time with their respective dead parents, to reject the “blissful ignorance” reality that Maruki had created for them in favour of the truth.

By this point, I had grown rather fond of the deranged but entertaining firework that Akechi has revealed himself to be, and once I learned that Akechi would die (as he did in regular 5) if Maruki’s reality were to be revoked, I almost chose to accept it. But Akechi being adamant that he was going to stop Maruki no matter what as he didn’t want to live under anyone else’s rule helped make that choice for me. It was difficult, though. Akechi’s is a motive that is simultaneously selfish and noble: selfish as he doesn’t want anyone else to control him, even if that means other people are happy, but noble because he values the truth above all else. Plus, the fact that he was one of the main villains throughout the story up until this point made me question whether we should continue to trust him, even though he had decided to help us, even if it were primarily for his own gain. I think my fondness for him (perhaps because he is a fully-fledged Confidant in this game, unlike regular 5) and the wildcard elements he brought to the game made me feel a certain brand of loyalty towards him, and so I chose to honour his “dying wish”. And, of course, this path led to the ‘true’ ending!

This indecision is shown most clearly in Maruki’s palace, where you have to deduce what decisions in certain situations Maruki would think is the ‘right’ one. It really helps you understand where he’s coming from. For example, his question ‘if your friend is being attacked, and you don’t have much time before they get seriously hurt, would you a) run to get help but you might not make it back in time, or b) join the fight to help but you might get hurt yourself?’ Neither answer is necessarily wrong, but b) is correct as Maruki simply wants you to look out for yourself over others. The crux of his viewpoint is that you should endeavour to make yourself happy or safe, even if that means others may not be. It’s a very interesting conundrum, and one I enjoyed debating philosophically whilst playing.

The concept of right and wrong and mental health was also tackled in this game through Kasumi/Sumire. Ultimately, even though Maruki wanted to help her by allowing Sumire to pretend to be her dead sister, as she blames herself for her death, he ultimately did her more harm than good. With the support of Joker and the others Sumire was able to overcome her delusions and grow into a strong, confident young woman. This cemented for me how backwards Maruki was and that reality is the most important thing, even if it’s not always what we want, because that’s life. In this way, I feel that Royal added something to 5. Even though going into someone’s mind palace was about mental health, I never really considered it until Royal dealt with an innocent traumatised girl and a misguided man attempting to heal her. I applaud Atlas for tackling something so difficult pretty well.

Confident in my Confidants

It’s a good thing the player can really get into the story, because it’s heavily dependent on personal decisions and making friends.

In order to get stronger within the Metaverse, Igor, the man inside the Velvet Room, tells Joker that he needs to strengthen the relationship with his friends first. This is absolutely true—not just with your teammates, but with other individuals who live in Tokyo too, in the form of the Confidant mechanic. For example, while your teammates all get skills such as curing afflictions and taking fatal hits for Joker, others give just as much if not more valuable perks, such as Kawakami giving you more free time or Mishima allowing all teammates to gain experience even if they don’t contribute to the battle once you max them out.

The way you level them up is through socialising. This passes time, but is also incredibly interesting, as each Confidant has a gripping story (except Ohya!). You can’t downgrade a Confidant, but picking the right dialogue choices can make leveling them up much quicker in a game where time is everything. It’s also necessary to level up your stats, such as knowledge, kindness and charm, to allow you to progress with some Confidants and be empathetic or charming enough to deal with the situations thrown at you. I loved the dual play style of dungeon battles and social simulation—in a lengthy game, it broke up gameplay and kept it fresh.

As this was my second playthrough, I already knew that maxing certain Confidants would yield the best results, such as Kawakami and Yoshida who eventually allows you to negotiate with and catch shadows of a higher level than you. But in Royal, the new additions of Counselor, Faith & Justice—Maruki, Kasumi & Akechi—freshened things up. Technically, Justice isn’t new, but you can now hang out with him instead of his progress being facilitated purely by story.

Time to rate my friends from worst to best!

21: Ichiko Ohya Devil Arcana

I found this alcoholic journalist very annoying. Her story isn’t that interesting, she isn’t very nice, and the skills that she gives you to allow you to sneak around Palaces easier aren’t worth it either. I only maxed out her story near the end as I had time, but honestly, she shouldn’t be a priority.

20: Iwai Munehisa Hanged Man Arcana

Didn’t think anything of him until Royal, where I had more time to learn about his time in the Yakusa and his son. Useful for guns (which aren’t even an integral part of combat, really), but other than that I barely used his shop—plus you have to have high Guts in order to progress. Definitely better Confidants out there.

19: Tae Takemi Death Arcana

The fact that this doctor is a sexy goth is probably the best thing about her. You can level her up quite early on, so she is quite exciting at the beginning as she’s one of the only adults you can turn into a Confidant at that point, but after a while she stopped being interesting to me. In my Royal playthrough I found I didn’t need many healing items—SP was far more important!—and in the end I didn’t max her out. A fun outfit, but can leave her.

18: Shinya Oda Tower Arcana

Definitely annoying (but what little brother isn’t?) but there’s a sad reason for that—his mum is emotionally abusive, even if she doesn’t mean to be. In the end I wanted to max him out to save him from that life, but I never quite got that far. At least I managed to change his mum’s heart before I finished the game.

He’s also quite useful in buffing gun attacks and bonuses for downing and negotiating, so definitely useful for combat. I just ended up feeling bad for him, but he was also a bit of a shit, being a bully to his classmates; his big bro Joker helped with that!

17: Hifumi Togo Star Arcana

I never got to know her in my first playthrough, and I didn’t realise how useful she is for battles. She eventually allows you to swap players in combat, hastens escapes, improves money hauls, and allows back-up members to do follow up attacks. I’d definitely give her a shot for just those bonuses, even if you don’t want to romance her—but she is sweet, if very detached from the rest of the story.

16: Chihaya Mifune Fortune Arcana

I maxed her out pretty quickly so I could get the fortune readings; affinity was especially useful, as you can level up Confidants a tiny bit quicker, for a price. And, after she takes 100,000 from you near the beginning (!) and eventually gives it back, she’s lovely. Nothing special, and definitely not one to romance, but nice.

15: Twin Wardens Justine & Caroline Strength Arcana

Their Confidant path was slightly different: you have to show them Personas with specific moves, and they will level up. This was very interesting, and also put a natural brake on their relationship, as some Personas can’t be made until you are a certain level. They are also very useful as you eventually unlock group Persona fusions and can fuse Personas of a higher level than you, for a price. Always fun to get the ridiculous Personas a bit earlier on! Also, their story was super interesting, due to the mystery that surrounds their identities…

Also also, Royal gives a new element to your relationship with them. You can now take them out of the Velvet Room to show them ‘human things’, like aquariums and cinemas. I didn’t utilise this much as you only get skill cards, and no actual level progress, but I wish I had more time, as the dialogue in these sequences is hilarious as they try to understand why humans would do certain things. The fact that I’ve ranked them so low is telling—there are so many fun and useful Confidants that mean they rank this low. 

14: Yuuki Mishima Moon Arcana

I actually think you’re a bit mean to him—he’s definitely your friend, but every time you are asked to clarify this the dialogue choices make you seem like a dickhead when you say he’s only ‘sort of’ your friend! He’s helped you so much, stop being such a dick, player. Plus he helps increase EXP, as well as allows EXP to be given to back-up members so it’s definitely a good thing to max him earlier. Plus, he’s sweet, and gives you Momentos requests. Justice for Mishima!

13: Takuto Maruki Councillor Arcana

Lovely. What a gent. Shame he turned out to be distorted by deciding to change people’s realities by interpreting their vague wants instead of actually asking people if they’d WANT their realities changed or not. Sounds a bit like Thanos to me, but with a better reason to be evil.

The bonuses of Maruki though are: he’s interesting; he’s lovely; and his bonuses are mainly SP based, which is always hard to recover in Persona, especially in the early stages of the games. He raises your SP, gives you a chance to instantly recover ailments, gives you a chance to become focused and therefore raises your attack, and gives you a chance to recover your SP when low. Very useful, and you can’t play the Royal storyline without maxing him out before November 18th anyway.

12: Haru Okumura Empress Arcana

Again, I wasn’t too much of a fan of Haru on my first playthrough (perhaps because she’s quite a late addition to the team), but this time round, I had more time to get to know her. I really wanted to save her from her awful fiancé, and hoped I’d be able to say ‘don’t marry him, marry me!’ if I chose to romance her, but alas. I was also quite surprised with how business-orientated she is, which was a surprise. However, she was just too prim and proper for me, and even after her story showed her to be evolving into a confident woman, she didn’t evolve quite enough for me to be interested.

She’s useful, though, as all the Confidants are who are your team members, so leveling her up is a must, for help in combat and to evolve her Persona.

11: Morgana Magician Arcana

Morgana was the most useful as the support hero—I always wanted him in my party, particularly in hard battles, just to keep me and my allies alive. Plus, who doesn’t love a talking cat? Though, at one point, he does get moody and very annoying. While Morgana as a character was never that exciting past being the initial reason they can become Phantom Thieves and the mystery surrounding where he comes from, Royal switched that up by turning him into a dreamboat with piercing blue eyes when Maruki made his dream of being a human come true. They kept saying throughout this sequence how beautiful he was, which was amusing. A nice twist on the original game.

10: Toranosuke Yoshida Sun Arcana

I learnt to level this fallen-from-grace politician up quickly from my first playthrough as, once you max him out, you can negotiate easier with shadows of your own level, and negotiate with higher level shadows and add them to the compendium—absolutely necessary. Also, he’s basically a massive socialist leftie, so he rocks.

9: Yusuke Kitagawa Emperor Arcana

I didn’t like him much in my first playthrough, but now I appreciate him far more—he’s flamboyant, artistic and, best of all, happy to be in his own mind and be himself, no matter what people think of him. He’s a bit stuck up sometimes, but all in all he’s an outsider who fits in better than he really should. And he provides funny dialogue, particularly when interacting with Futaba. I also love his Showtime moves with Ryuji and Ann.

8: Ann Takamaki Lovers Arcana

I’m quite surprised she’s this low down for me, but even though she’s the first girl you befriend and she’s hopelessly beautiful to everyone who meets her, she doesn’t quite push past the ‘ditzy girl’ trope. The story does try to make her more nuanced, and to an extent it works—she’s also fun, thoughtful and empathetic—but there’s just too many misogynistic and ditsy jokes that even only a few years later don’t land anymore. Saying that, she literally uses her sexuality to break free of the misogyny that surrounds her body and the sexual abuse and prejudice she experiences, at the most from the volleyball teacher, and at the least from everyone around her. It’s a steep hill to climb, but she’s doing it.

I drew the picture below!

7: Sadayo Kawakami Temperance Arcana

Kawakami’s your teacher—what could possibly go wrong? Well, she’s also a sexy maid who comes over to clean up, though she won’t go any further as you’re her high school student. Yet. It’s a bit dodgy, especially as she acts like your mum, but even so, the forbidden fruit angle is fun. Her story is also compelling. Not only is she an interesting Confidant, but one of the most useful ones for the amount of extra time she gives you when you level her up. Why on both my playthroughs did I not level her up immediately?

6: Sojiro Sakura Hierophant Arcana

He’s your guardian who takes you in when you have to move from your hometown after your alleged assault to live out your probation. He starts out cranky, but has an absolute heart of gold. He ended up being one of my favourite Confidants—plus, he’s one of the most useful, as he is one of the only ways to get SP in the early game by making coffee and curry. You need to understand the pride I got from making coffee that met his expectations!

5: Futaba Sakura Hermit Arcana

Sojiro’s adopted daughter is so much fun that I romanced her in the first game. While some may think she’s more like a little sister, she’s just a bit more immature because of her hermit lifestyle and Arcana. She’s funny, loves games, and has great references; she is one of the only instances of a game that has a young girl who doesn’t sound like 40-year-olds trying to sound like teenagers. She has a heartbreaking story, but her personality keeps it light. She says it how it is, no matter what anyone else thinks. She’s great.

4: Kasumi/Sumire Yoshizawa Faith Arcana

I chose to romance the gymnast honour student in Royal, because how can you not romance the new girl? Though I wasn’t sure at first, as I found her quite twee at the beginning. However, she became a lot more nuance when she became Sumire, which is to be expected. Plus, she is really well integrated into the story and really makes you feel she cares about you. She has an amazing costume when she is Codename: Violet, and gives you some truly useful abilities, such as ambushing from a distance and avoiding being surrounded by shadows. She’s a great addition to an already great game.

3: Makoto Niijima Priestess Confidant

She’s bestgirl in terms of smarts, badassery, and simple relatability. She is Student Council President, an honour student, and has been manipulated by evil adults for their own distorted desires. Her parents have died, which instils her with deep guilt for being a burden on her sister. She’s also the only one whose Confidant story doesn’t actively revolve around herself: she changes, but it’s through helping her friend who may be a victim of trafficking rather than her own self-interests. She’s sharp, poised and even more badass when she awakens to her Persona, Johanna—it’s a freaking motorcycle!

2: Ryuji Sakamoto Chariot Confidant

Your best buddy. I’m always drawn towards these ones, who are treated a bit dumb but are loyal to the end. He’s also hilarious, like when he complains the Phantom Thieves are in the shadows and not getting any credit, and I chose the option ‘I like the shade’, he says ‘what are you, moss?!’ I really do wish I could romance him, because I can see a lovely storyline where he’s unsure at first but the fact that they’re soulmates transcends gender.

1: Goro Akechi Justice Confidant

I’m almost hesitant to admit I find him the most fascinating and fun. Not only is he dangerous, exciting and unhinged, he's at the centre of an incredible twist. He’s one of the most interesting characters, and you never know what he’s going to do next. I would definitely date him if Japanese games let gay relationships happen; he has all the best attributes for a crazy romantic relationship. Not IRL, but in a game, why not?

I love that he didn’t die and teams up with you in Royal, and that . He’s also the first character that Joker gets a Showtime move with, which made it quite special. When it is revealed just how evil and crazy he is, his whole character changes, including his Persona, his Phantom Thieves outfit, and his demeanor—it’s scary how excited he is by killing, but at the same time, he is absolutely certain of his viewpoints and won’t compromise for anyone. Many of these points would be a reason why he shouldn’t be my number one, but I can’t help it.

Honourable Mentions: Igor (Fool Arcana), Sae Niijima (Judgement Arcana) & Jose

Igor is the ruler of the Velvet Room, and the person who facilitates your rehabilitation in changing peoples’ hearts. However, ‘person’ isn’t quite right for Igor: he’s the God of Control, born from the desires of the collective masses who want to be controlled and be told what to do rather than make difficult decisions. It was a cool twist to realise that the God of Control had been impersonating the real Igor; I don’t know if Igor was lovely in the previous games, but he certainly is once you restore him at the end of 5. Despite him being interesting, I never felt like I had a connection with him, as you level up his Arcana automatically throughout the story, and he never tried to have a personal relationship with Joker.

Sae has her own palace and Arcana, but she’s not quite the same as the others. Like Igor, you level up automatically throughout the game when you confess to her the whole Phantom Thieves story, and while she does have a Palace, she doesn’t through any huge transformation other than realising that learning the truth is better than trying to win at any cost. She’s cool, and her outfit in her Palace is sexy, but you can’t romance her and can’t change much of what you say to her. I wish in Royal she could have been a fully fledged Confidant instead.

Jose counts even less. A new addition to Royal, he helps you change the cognition of Momentos by collecting stamps as you go further down, and he gives you items in exchange for flowers, so he definitely makes Momentos better. However, his addition is nothing world-shaking, and he only shows up randomly, which makes him quite annoying. I could have done without him, but at least he made Momentos more interesting than in the base game, which, compared to Palaces, was quite boring.

All in all, my main issue with the Confidant system as that you still can’t date boys. We’ve been saying for years ‘that’s just the Japanese way’, but considering the crazy hentai they bring out (still with only very little amounts of yaoi/gay hentai) it may be time to stop excusing them for not being with the times. Catherine: Full Body aimed to dispel that somewhat—perhaps Persona should too.

A Momentous Game

Overall, this is one of my favourite games of all time. The gameplay keeps me entertained for 100+ hours (though, to be fair, I do love long games) and the characters and writing makes me emotionally connect with the story they are telling. I’d suggest playing for at least 8 hours, as it’s a slow burn, but once that hurdle is jumped the real obsession begins.

Time to go and play Persona 4 Golden, as I’m not quite ready for the fun to be over yet.

Hi! Could I request a happy/romantic Noctis x reader fic? From the day Noctis met s/o to when King Regis found out about their relationship to the moment s/o became the future Princess of Lucis...

:3 no…you may have this.

I’m just kidding. I was trying to find an element to base this story on when I came across one of my favorite songs. That’s how you got this fic. It’s bittersweet with many happy elements and a happy ending. I hope it’s ok! Enjoy!❤

Taglist: @idiotflowerex @laststory1013, @sayaoqueen, @jophinabean

If you like what you read, please consider supporting me on Patreon or buying me a Ko-fi!

Once Upon a December

You were a young child when your parents took you to your first ball. As a child, you had no interest in dancing; you were often swept away by the older ladies in their big dresses. Instead, you opted to watch from a balcony, high above the dancing. You envisioned dancing creatures in the large crowd below as wildflowers danced on the coattails of the men.

The servants never minded if you watched, as long as you stayed out of the way. The music was the best part, it sounded so sweet from above.

“May I…join you?” A small voice asked. You looked up to find a small boy with black hair and large eyes. You smiled as he sat down next to you. You bobbed to the waltz below, pointing out imaginary creatures you saw in the flowing fabrics.

“Prince Noctis! There you are!” A caretaker approached. The Prince! You had spent the evening with the Prince! “Your father awaits!”

“Can my friend come?” The little Prince squeaked. The caretaker sighed but allowed it.

He took you by the hand and led you down the grand stairs. You attracted stares and giggles as he led you through the crowd, to his father’s side.

The young king laughed. “And who is your new friend, Noctis?”

Those beautiful eyes looked at you, “This is [Y/N].”

“Well then, [Y/N], would you care to join us?”

And that was your only memory. Everything else was dark.

You had gotten hit in the head by rubble upon escaping from Insomnia. You awoke to hunters caring for you, barely able to remember your own name. Everyone was concerned, but you were alive. That was more than many could say.

You lived with the hunters, learning their skills, trying to make a life of it. But old feelings came back to you at strange moments.

“RUN [Y/N]!” You heard the King’s voice yell in your sleep. You would awake in a panic, but not remember why.

You could hum the tunes to a waltz that left you feeling safe and warm, but everything was blurry when you tried to remember more.

The taste of summer carrots almost made you cry.

Why? Your heart seemed to know the answers, but you mind just hurt. What had you lost? There were so many questions left unanswered.

More memories came, but they seemed locked behind a hazy storm in your mind. Your new friends told you to let it go, but they hurt too bad. You yearned to remember.

The weather was getting colder when a dark car approached camp. Visitors were of little concern to you, so you took position on a watchtower. But your eyes pulled towards the scene below you.

A dark haired man slammed the door on the car. Your heart stopped. Could you be imagining this? Who was he? You felt like you knew him.

Slowly, your feet carried you from the watchtower, towards the mysterious man. You came up behind him as he traded for potions. Your eyes wore confusion, you heart held pain.

A sound made him turn towards you. His eyes, they were the boy’s eyes!

“Prince Noctis?” You asked.

Noises escaped a mouth agape on the royal figure. All four men looked shocked to see you.

“[Y/N]!” The Prince shouted as he embraced you. You embraced him back. It felt so warm, so…right. He simply held you for a long moment, before giggling and pulling back.

“I thought I had lost you! How’d you escape?! Where have you been?” He was berating your hurting head with questions. You simply looked on, silent.

His enthusiasm faded with your silence. “What’s wrong?” He wiped a tear rolling down your cheek.

“I…don’t remember.” The pain in your heart was reflected on Noctis face.

He started telling you so many things, everything he thought you should remember, but Ignis stopped him.

“It won’t help to simply tell them, they still won’t remember it.” The advisor pulled the prince aside. “They’ve been living with this longer than you, give them time.”

Noctis gave you a pained look before walking away. Prompto smiled at you, but Gladio and Ignis…bowed? What was this?

You spent the night in your watchtower, looking up at the stars. You loved to imagine animals in the constellations. Footsteps echoed on the metal ladder. You turned to find Noctis.

“May I?” He asked, gesturing to the floor next to you. You simply nodded. The two of you sat in silence for a long time.

“What…what do you remember?” He finally asks you.

You sigh, knowing this question would come. “I remember feelings, sounds, tastes, but few sights. I remember watching a ball from a balcony with young eyes. You were there. We were both very little. Your father was there.” Noctis looks at you like he may cry.

“That’s the night we met. Neither of us liked balls, so we ran away to the upper levels to watch the dancing from above.”

“I remember your father’s kind voice…” You trail off, his last words echoing in your mind.

Noctis swallows. “He wasn’t just my father, he was…” he stops short. You look to him, hoping for more information. “He was the king: King Regis.” Noct finishes, not looking at you.

“Were we…close?” You ask, the pain in your heart whispering the answer.

Noct sighs, again. “Yes…very. I should go.” He stands to leave, but you reach for his hand.

“Please, I want to remember,” you plead.

Noctis smiles at you, “And I’ll be here to help you. I’m not leaving you, again.”

With Noctis’s help, memories start to return with more clarity. You remember your last name and your parents, your favorite food, and a memory of sitting and watching the night sky from the highest point of Insomnia, Noctis at your side. Embers of love take root in your heart for your black haired savior.

You’re patrolling one night, humming a tune that feels older than the air you breathe. Noctis is staring at you from up ahead, looking stunned.

“You remember that?” He asks.

“What?” You don’t know what he’s talking about.

He pulls out his phone, fumbling with it for some time. You think he’s forgotten all about you when a tune starts to play. It’s an orchestral version of what you were humming!

“That’s! That’s…” You say, pointing to the phone excitedly.

“This is the first song we ever danced to together.” Noctis finishes. He takes your hands and pulls you close. You begin to waltz, your feet acting on their own.

“I can dance!” You exclaim.

Noctis laughs. “Yes, did you think your parents only drug you to one ball?”

He spins you around. The two of you dance, the music echoing in your very soul. Snow falls in the slowed time between you.

Soon, the men have to leave. Noctis has a destiny to see to. You anticipate your regular company, loneliness, to return. But the Prince surprises you.

“[Y/N] is coming with us.” The whole group seems shocked by this announcement.

“Are you sure?” Gladio asks.

“Never more so.” He replies. To your joy, it’s settled.

You get to see the whole, beautiful world. You pet chocobos for the first time, see the ocean, and feel the cold of the mountains. Small, miscellaneous memories come back to you, but little of significance.

You and Noctis sit around the campfire, late into the night. The others retired hours ago.

“And carrots? Why do I remember those?” You ask him through smiling lips. It had become a game of yours to share and learn about trivial facts from your previous life. Noctis had tried to trick you many times.

“Ew, you remember carrots? Why? Those things are nasty!” He was making faces just thinking about the food.

“But I remember them!” You insist.

“Probably because I hate them! Oh! I used to give you all of mine so that Ignis would think I ate them! And you liked them!” He replies, a look for sudden realization crossing his face.

You burst out laughing. You thought that the veggies must have been special to you, but it turns out you ate them because Noctis hated them. The reason seemed so simple compared to what you had imagined.

Noctis hadn’t seen you laugh since he left. He sat, staring at you. You looked at him, wondering if something was wrong.

“Noct?” You asked, looking into his beautiful eyes; the eyes you could always remember.

He placed a hand on your cheek, leaning in closer to you. His hand was warm and soft on your skin. You closed your eyes, leaning into his presence.

Your lips met his. The world stopped moving for one simple moment. His lips were soft on yours and everything felt warm. Your heart stopped beating in your chest and your mind went numb. Your skin tingled from the familiar memory.

All too soon, but after long moments, Noctis pulled away. His smile glowed to you.

“We should…get some sleep.” He stuttered. You smiled at your awkward Prince. He kissed you once more, lingering on your lips, before moving to his tent.

You sat, alone, staring into the campfire, thinking about what had just happened. The fog of your mind lifts for one moment.

Your closed eyes see the king. He is gray now, but no less kind. He sits in an armchair across from you. A fireplace is lit before you.

“Ah, [Y/N] it has been wonderful to spend this time with you. You have grown into a fine young individual. I look forward to greeting you as family.” The memory fades as the king rises from his chair.

Family? Where you and Noctis…married?

You don’t want to bring up the subject. Wouldn’t he have told you if you were married? Wouldn’t someone have recognized you? You hold your questions close as salt kisses your lips upon the speeding boat to Altissa.

The men insist upon showing you the whole city, especially Noctis.

Each day, the two of you grow closer. It may be a new love from you, but he accepts it gracefully.

You’re out exploring the edge of the town, when you hear a familiar tune. You drag Noctis towards it in your excitement.

The waltz plays on a phonograph next to a beautiful woman in a ball gown. She wears a gold masquerade mask. The song begins. Her voice ushers a beautiful song into the daylight on a voice that reaches the rooftops.

You stop, staring, feeling the music. “I didn’t know the song had words to it.” You say, stunned. You can’t take your eyes from the singer.

“Not many people do. It’s…special.” Noctis replies, squeezing your hand.

His hand in yours. This song. Your mind gallops away with you.

Noctis wears a silver and purple mask shaped like a crescent moon. You wear a gold and red mask resembling the sun. A singer stands in the corner of the castle’s ballroom, singing the words to the waltz. It was the first time the song had been sung in this room.

The two of you perform a celestial dance to the music. You feel so safe and warm in his arms. As the music begins to fade, Noctis steps away from you. He pulls the mask from his face as he gets down on one knee, pulling a velvet box from his pocket. Your hands fly to your mouth as you say “Yes!”. The whole room applauds, the King loudest of all.

“[Y/N]?” Noctis has been trying to get your attention.

“We were engaged…” Your whole body is still taken by the memory. Noctis is shocked.

“You remembered!” He grabs your waist and spins you around, kissing you. You had a family and Noct was going to be part of it! And now he’s here! But…

“What…happened?” You ask. You need answers to what happened to everyone you loved.

Noctis starts to lead you off. He takes a deep breath before beginning.

“We were going to be wed, but that was right before the Empire proposed their ‘peace treaty.’ We decided to postpone the wedding until after I returned. Then…the attack happened. I thought you had died. No one knew where you were. I looked everywhere for you!” He grows more frantic as he explains, afraid you’ll blame him.

“And…the king?” You had loved King Regis like a father.

“He…died in the attack. But, he loved you. He was so excited that we were going to be wed.”

Tears well in your eyes. The King had made sure you made it out, to return to his son, even if he couldn’t.

Suddenly, a thought came to you. You look down at your hands. You had never had a ring with you through all of this. Had someone stolen it when you were unconscious?

“What happened to…” Noctis stops you by placing his hand on yours. “Your ring is safe. I took it with me when I left. You wanted me to hang onto it, that I could place it on your finger, again, at the altar.” A smile crosses his face.

You stood on a bridge, high above the waves, as Noctis got on his knee.

“Do you…want it back?” He asked, pulling the velvety box from his pocket and opening it.

You gasped. Through it all, Noctis loved you. He would always love you.

But…should he? You couldn’t even remember who you were, much less him. He loved the person in Insomnia, but you couldn’t even remember them.

“Are you…sure?” You whisper, afraid of his answer.

He stood before you. “Yes. I love the person you were and the person you are now. I want to be by your side and I want to have you by mine. Even as broken and battered as we both may be, I promise you, I want to be here for you.”

Tears welled in your eyes as you held out your hand. He slipped the ring onto you.

You never left his side from then on.

The two of you didn’t have time to marry, as Altissia fell the next day. You held each other close as Ravus led you to Ignis and the crystal.

“I’ll come back soon.” Noctis promised you as the crystal called.

“I’ll wait however long it takes.” You replied.

Ten years felt like forever in the darkness, but you helped the world prepare for the light. You weren’t going to let anyone forget about the sun. Too much in the world had already been forgotten.

Seeing your love felt like the resolution to a chord held in suspense too long. The world felt right, life was warm. Together, you left for Insomnia, the city of darkness.

The dance concluded in a royal finale, as you faced gods and immortals, alike. But no song lasts forever.

The world rejoiced as embers turned to light that blazed across the sky.

All that had been lost in the darkness was a fading memory. The sadness would come, but so would new happiness. You knew better than most the power that new memories can hold.

As the sun rose, you ascended the steps to take your place next to the King of Lucis. The world would soon be celebrating a wedding.

Witches, Chapter 14: the prelude to the one you’ve all been waiting for.

[Seelie of Kurain Chapter Masterlist] [ao3]

[Witches Chapter Masterlist] [ao3]

----

“Chief! Chief!”

“Phoenix, you can’t come screaming in here banging doors and - what if we had a client? That hardly looks professional.”

“Er, right, sorry, Chief. But, look! I got my badge! I passed the Bar!”

“You did? - You did! Phoenix, that’s incredible! You deserve to be proud - scream that to the world, show off that you have your attorney’s badge! I expected no less of you, of course. I knew you could!”

“Heh, really? I wasn’t so sure there, myself.”

“Would I lie to you?”

“Well, you couldn’t, so there’s that - seriously, Chief, I - I couldn’t have done this without you. I wouldn’t be here without you. I don’t know how I could ever thank you enough, or pay you back, or—”

“You don’t need to thank me, Phoenix, really. You don’t owe me anything. As long as I can help, I’ll be here.”

-

Was his badge always this light and this tiny in his palm? It should be heavier. It should be weightier. It’s supposed to be weightier after it’s saved lives and ruined them. Everything it means, and it’s just this little sliver of metal, as shiny as when he was a rookie. After he put three years of wear onto his first one, too, looked like he’d been around the block as a lawyer once or twice, and now he’s starting over from the bottom again.

Or worse than that, because when he started out he had no reputation but Mia’s, and now he has his own name, the highs and lows of it. Who is Phoenix Wright? The man who defended Will Powers, Max Galactica, Mask de Masque. (Scratch Matt Engarde.) The man who felled Manfred von Karma, Damon Gant. The man who defended Zak Gramarye. (Zak goddamn Gramarye.) The man who felled Kristoph Gavin.

(Though there’s some who still think he positioned Kristoph Gavin to take the fall for him.)

If it wasn’t for Edgeworth (again; first to save him, now to save someone else at his behest) he wouldn’t have bothered. Not with his name bitter on the tongues of half the legal system and this new little badge with its sheen dulled by tarnish and grime only Phoenix can see. But it’s Edgeworth, so Phoenix is here, and while he’s here, he supposes he can show Athena that all her admiration of him, all her faith in him, wasn’t hollow. That he can be who she thinks he is.

He can show Apollo that he’s more than the director hiding in the wings, the puppetmaster behind set. That he can be more than Apollo knows he is.

They won’t have to run his errands anymore. He won’t give them more reason to resent him.

But even thinking that - and even knowing that this accomplishment he wants to share stems inextricably from to all his failures that won’t be far from their minds - he’s still excited to tell them, to present this new badge to them.

-

Sometimes he’d swear he’s running a daycare.

He’ll freely admit he’s not an organized person and that his daughter has learned from him. She doesn’t put her magic props away because “I’ll just need them again soon anyway!” which is absolutely fair reasoning. But the playing cards and hula-hoops and plastic spaghetti don’t make the place look dignified, and it’s even less when he enters, ready to proudly show off his badge, to find the couches turned around to face the ancient TV that usually only plays the news, and Athena flinging herself up off the couch, a notebook raised as a weapon, at Apollo who has begun to walk away. 

“How can you suggest such a thing!” she demands, indignant and raring for a fight. “This show is therapeutic!”

“You’ve watched it five times already!” Apollo roars back. His loud voice is about the only thing that lets him keep up with Trucy and Athena, Phoenix is pretty sure. They have the energy, but he has the volume. “That inane pirate song getting stuck in my head is not therapeutic!”

“Uh, guys?” Phoenix interrupts. “Boss here, asking a question, y’know, what do you think?” He gestures at his lapel area where the new badge - he still has trouble thinking of it as his badge - is pinned. 

“But animal-assisted therapy is a real and valid thing and that’s why getting membership cards to the local aquariums here is paramount to my study of psychology—”

“Are you trying to justify it to write it off on your taxes?”

“Is there any work you should be doing?” Phoenix says, louder this time, and apparently the word work flips some switch in their brains, causing both to jump, and Athena to lower the notebook.

“We both already cleaned the toilet—” Apollo says.

“A couple times because he thinks I didn’t do good enough,” Athena adds.

“—and watered Charley.”

“But not with toilet water,” Athena adds, which instead of reassuring Phoenix makes him worry about a matter he had no reason to be concerned about a second ago. “So y’know.” She flashes a reflexive peace sign.

“And what if it was a potential client who walked in, instead of me? That hardly looks professional.”

“Er.” Athena’s eyes dart toward Apollo, searching for help.

“Sorry.”

Phoenix sighs. They barely respect him, but why should they? He’s given them space to work out of and left them alone enough that whatever unprofessional mess they make is their problems, not his. “Back to whatever you’re arguing about,” he says wearily.

They glance at each other again, obviously aware that he’s bothered, that it’s probably something about them - how many complexities must Athena hear in his voice right now? - but she’s also still passionately heated about whatever this aquarium argument is and can’t drop it yet. “And the orca pirate song is not any more inane than whatever tunes you hum while you do paperwork, Apollo!” 

She probably doesn’t know what tunes those are, but Phoenix can absolutely guess what they are by the way Apollo’s face flushes. Oh, to be in his twenties and just casually crushing on his courtroom rival instead of being thirty-something and pathetic about it.

He starts past them, back to his desk. Athena raises the notebook threateningly again, Apollo puts the couch between himself and her, and all the lights in the office burn out with a horrible burst of static. The blinds clatter heavily down over the windows. Athena shrieks - christ, has he told her about Mia? No, he didn’t. (“It’s all need-to-know with you,” Edgeworth grumbled, once, some or another time within a seven year span, “and you think no one else needs to know.” Apollo asked about the office, so Phoenix told him. Athena hasn’t asked.) 

Apollo, a little more used to her whims, still jumps, but silently. 

“Why?” Phoenix asks. The light directly above him hums back to life, a makeshift spotlight. “Okay, that’s a little much.”

But he only realizes what she’s doing when Apollo blurts, “Wait, Mr Wright, that badge—”

It’s extra shiny in this light. Mia knows her dramatics. 

“You passed the Bar! You got your badge back!” Athena drops the notebook and claps her hands together. “Congrats!”

It might just be a psychological trick of the light, the way it’s focused on him and nowhere else, or maybe it’s Athena beaming at him and Apollo’s astonished expression slowly opening up into a grin, or a combination thereof, but a warmth is gathering in his chest. It replaces the cold confusion that clung to him since he first took this new badge in hand. “Thanks, guys,” he says, and he finds he means it, even if it took Mia smacking them around the head. The rest of the lights spring back on, though the TV remains off. Mia never really cared for television, not even the news; Phoenix later found out, or realized, that she was looking for Redd White’s hand in every broadcast, every spin on a story, and she couldn’t concentrate on anything else if local news rumbled on in the background. 

“You look like a real lawyer,” Apollo says, with clear admiration. Almost the way he sounded when Phoenix first met him, though without the stammering and stumbling. “Like you’re capable!”

He is not going to ask if that means he didn’t look capable before. He knows the answer. 

“So!” Athena puts her hands on her hips. “When do we get to see the chief in action?”

“Huh?” he asks. The warmth of moments ago is a little too hot now, boiling him. “Who?”

“You, duh! Like Mr Edgeworth is the Chief Prosecutor, you’re the Chief Defense! Chief Anything Agency!”

“No thanks,” he says. Athena’s shoulders hike up slightly, her concentration increasing even as he fights to level his voice. “Just stick with ‘Boss’. Or my name, that works even better.” 

Athena isn’t subtle, turning to Apollo for help understanding, help she’s not going to get from him on this. 

“I don’t want that much responsibility,” Phoenix jokes, or he’s trying to joke, and it’s true but also not really the reason. “And anyway, ideally you’re not seeing me in action; ideally” - he’s allowed to dream - “we’ll actually have clients and you and Apollo will have your cases, and I’ve got mine, and you’re hopefully too busy to watch me go bungle my second attempt at a career.”

Self-deprecating humor is maybe not the only kind he has left, but it’s definitely that which he knows best how to wield. It started as another weapon in his arsenal against Kristoph: misdirection and diversion by confirming of all the worst that Kristoph thought of him. Phoenix Wright is a lawyer with only luck and no skill; Phoenix Wright has everything he does because some of the fae, and not just any but the royal fae, handed it to him. Phoenix Wright is so goddamn incompetent without them that he stumbled into an enchantment and lost everything he had been given. 

(The thing about that last statement was, looking back on the transcript of the trial, he knows even if there hadn’t been enchantments layered on the diary page - Kristoph’s clumsy attempt to fortify Vera’s beautifully-and-unknowingly-cast spell that made it convincing evidence despite its dubious source - he would have presented it anyway. He didn’t have another bluff left. He just had Mia’s advice, believing in his client - he had Mia and that day in court she couldn’t save him. The truth of it: Phoenix Wright, so goddamn incompetent that even with help of the fae he lost everything.)

“Man, all this preparation you do for cases,” Phoenix would say, leaning his elbow on Kristoph’s desk and lazily waving at all the paperwork that he had so carefully organized on his desk. “Ever thought about my tried-and-true wing-it-and-bluff?” he’d ask, and Kristoph would smile tightly and pretend that it was funny and that he didn’t hate Phoenix, and right back Phoenix would pretend that he didn’t hate Kristoph. 

(But the thing about carrying on like that was that, at some point, Phoenix came to hate Phoenix too.)

Neither Athena nor Apollo has this in common with Kristoph - because Phoenix is the man who gave Athena her faith that defense attorneys can save people, and because Apollo knows what it’s like to be the flailing, bluffing one, and that it’s not indicative of incompetence but more the kind of bullshit cases they end up saddled with. Neither of them expect the self-deprecation - neither of them agree. (Apollo’s reasons to hate him aren’t these.) And they’re both staring at him trying to figure out whether he believes his own joke, whether “I hope the agency is busy” is just a thin veneer for “I want neither of you around”. 

Which - to be fair to them for asking that question, he really doesn’t. Better for them not to find out what it’s like investigating alongside a man as cursed as he is, how those cases twist and turn worse and worse, more than what Apollo has already experienced. The way culprits shift: Redd White moving suspicion from Maya to Phoenix himself; SL-9 falling onto Ema’s shoulders because he tried to save Lana; Ron DeLite going from theft suspect to murder suspect; Godot letting the accusation fall on Maya once Iris was exonerated, just to see if Phoenix was capable of solving the case, whether he’d really been worth it for Mia to save. And then the weirder things: the amnesia, the doppelganger who tried to damn Maggey. Edgeworth escaping a guilty verdict only to make a confession, saved only to die. (“Die”, air quotes. Saving people is a funny thing. They’re only human. And even ones who aren’t human can only do so much.)

All Apollo’s had is a client he personally charged with smuggling, and that was moving a step up from murder. 

(Okay, yeah, there were both the Kristoph situations, Apollo exonerating his client by indicting his mentor, and Vera’s poisoning, but Phoenix was there for both of those so he can say those are his fault.)

“Yeah,” Apollo says finally, after he and Athena share a glance that says they’re probably going to be discussing this later, “based on precedent, that’s not happening.”

“Ah, but that’s before you’ve become the heroes of Nine-Tails Vale and Tenma Town, yes?” Phoenix asks with a grin. 

Apollo does not share his amusement. “I didn’t set out to be a yokai lawyer,” he says. 

Phoenix didn’t want to be a fae lawyer - or, Mia was a fae lawyer, and Phoenix is a lawyer for the fae - and it happened anyway. His career is not something that should be replicated, but it might already be too late for Apollo. “Making names for yourselves, however it happens, is a good start,” he says. “You probably won’t get stuck in a niche from two cases.”

“Y’know, Boss, I hope you’ll sound more confident encouraging your clients than you do with us,” Athena says.

“The clients won’t have your ears, though,” Phoenix says.

“No, you don’t sound at all confident to me either,” Apollo says. 

Go figure. Was he always bad at this, or over the years has he lost yet something else? “Noted,” he says. “Thanks for the advice, kids. I’m still gonna recommend you not yell at each other in the front room. Save that shit for after hours.”

Athena chuckles and Apollo sighs and that seems a quick summation of each of their relationships to him. He heads to his desk, finding it cleaner than he remembers it last night, which means either Apollo organized it while he and Athena have been rattling around their cage today, or Mia’s gift to him in honor of passing the Bar again is to give him one day that she’s not on his case for being a disorganized mess. 

She’d like Apollo. She does like Apollo, Phoenix sees that plainly, but they should have gotten the chance to work together. Stand in court together. He’s got a whole damn list of people he wishes Mia could have spoken with; all three of the kids are right at the top. It’s not fair, not in the least. It never is.

Athena’s voice drifts loudly in from the front room. “Hey,” Phoenix says, sticking his head back out. “What’d I just say?” he asks. They really don’t respect him at all do they. “If you really have to yell at each other, go back into the kitchen or somewhere.”

“We have a kitchen?” Athena asks.

“Only sometimes,” Apollo says. Right, he’d been taken by surprise by its existence, too. 

“Anyway that’s not important right now!” Athena is still yelling. Phoenix ventures further into the room. She points at the television screen. “Apollo! You heard me! We have to go investigate!”

“If we don’t have a client, we’re not gonna be allowed to run around a crime scene,” Apollo says slowly, like that will make the words sink in. “Not unless we were already on site when the crime was discovered, are friends with the detective, and the prosecution is neurotic and stressed enough that he doesn’t care that you’re there, and even then, witnesses aren’t going to talk to you because you aren’t anyone officially on the case.”

Based on how Trucy relayed it, that must be the Tobaye case, over at Sunshine Coliseum, that he’s talking about. “What is it that you want to investigate?” Phoenix asks.

“The aquarium we were just talking about!” Athena sounds frantic, and Widget can’t settle on shock or anger. “The owner was found dead, under suspicion of being murdered! And a suspect in custody! We’ve gotta do something!”

There’d be a lesson here about how she tries to stretch herself thin doing everything that isn’t her job if they had anything else they could possibly be doing, but they don’t.

And then it is their job, because a young woman who looks like she’s just come from a costume party at the beach, barrels in and asks which one of them is Phoenix Wright.

As far as coincidences go, this is one of the sort where Phoenix would worry that Maya had murdered a man and sent the suspect’s friend over to the office to request Phoenix’s help, as a celebration of him getting his badge back. Except Phoenix hasn’t told Maya, yet, and even if it was that, it still wouldn’t account for Athena chattering about the aquarium minutes ago. Chalk one up to the possibility of fate or destiny and move on.

The young woman’s name is Sasha Buckler, and she, as Athena guesses, works at Shipshape Aquarium, the site of one of Los Angeles’ latest murders. Her friend, the accused, is in custody down at the aquarium. And she needs the “Wright” man for the job to help her.

“Don’t tell me she’s here because of a bad pun,” Apollo mutters.

Surely not, and not just because it’s a pretty good pun, all considered. “I’ve been all over the city already, actually,” Sasha says, her mouth set in a hard line, “and all those lawyers said there’s no merit to the case, or they can’t help! Hearts colder than the depths of the Mariana Trench!”

“Ugh!” Now Widget has settled firmly in anger, and Athena once again ready to upend the entire legal establishment. “How awful! To have a friend in need, and no one else on your side…”

This far out of practice and diving in headfirst - he can’t not. It’s why he’s a defense attorney. “Okay, Sasha,” he says, taking a deep breath to steady his stomach, the resuming fear of fucking it all up, “I’ll take your case.”

“You - you will?” The words take a moment to settle, and Sasha lights up. “You will! That’s great! We’d better get to the aquarium right away so you can meet her!”

“All right!” Athena says. “Do you need a lift back? I can drive us!”

“Wait.” Phoenix turns to her. “Athena. You’re not—”

“Not coming? Of course I’m coming! You’ll need a co-counsel, right?” Because the last time he defended without one went so far wrong. “And I’ve been to the aquarium before, and I know a lot more about it, so I can help if Sasha isn’t around!”

That one is a good point, but the sick churning in his stomach resumes. It’s going to go wrong. She’s going to be disappointed in what she finds, what working with him is actually like. How his cases actually go. And she’s already invited herself out the door, taking Sasha with her, asking about the penguins and the puffins and all the other denizens of the sea. Helpless, Phoenix turns to Apollo, who is gesturing at the door with his eyebrows raised questioningly. “You’ve gotta hold down the fort, at least until Trucy gets back,” Phoenix says. 

“Right,” he says darkly, seeming to have expected that answer but not happy about it, either. “Got it.”

Phoenix catches up with the girls at Athena’s car, to find himself relegated to the back seat. 

-

The client, Sasha’s friend, the one accused of killing the aquarium owner, is an orca. 

Phoenix should have asked Sasha for more details about her friend while they drove over, but she and Athena spent most of their time in loud animated conversation and he hadn’t been sure he could get a word in edgewise. Athena is, apparently, with all her other interests, huge into marine biology, and she establishes her favorite animals practically immediately with Sasha. “I’m more of a dolphins and seals gal, myself,” Sasha said. “You like sea birds though, huh?”

“And dolphins!” Athena says. “They’re so cool - and so smart! I can’t believe you get to work with the orca in the Swashbuckler Spectacular! But birds, yeah, all of them - even sea gulls, ‘cause I hate to project human morality and personal awareness and personality onto animals, but those little bastards definitely know what they’re doing. I remember, way back when I was a little kid, the - the one day we went out to the pier, me and my friend and - my mom and, um, another family friend” - she trips over all the words about people from the past, and she doesn’t talk much about life before Europe, but Phoenix does know that her mother died years ago - “and we tried to get lunch and the gulls—”

After that ride, Phoenix is on the other side of the city, finding out that Sasha either forgot or - he suspects - deliberately didn’t mention the identity of her “friend”, who is a killer whale wearing a pirate hat and fake mustache. “See, when I was asking around for a lawyer for Orla here, I was told about you and your office, that you don’t discriminate against animals - that you’d questioned one as a witness and got your client off the hook that way!” Phoenix wouldn’t call that doesn’t discriminate, but rather fucking desperate, but Sasha is beaming and he doesn’t know how he’s going to turn her down. “And I just knew you were the person who could help me, and save her!”

Who told her about that? Either someone who thought there might be some merit to defending an orca but already had a full caseload on the platter, or someone who’s having a laugh at Phoenix’s expense. Or both. Put both of those thoughts together, and add that ten years after the fact, that someone who spoke with Sasha remembers Phoenix for the parrot stunt and not just the Gramarye debacle, and - oh hell, it was Raymond, wasn’t it.

“I am texting Apollo right now to remind him to tell me about that case,” Athena says, and true to her word she pulls her phone from her pocket. “Right now.”

“That was - that was a lot different.” Phoenix stares at the orca with its head poked up out of the pool. Its little tweets and chirps are cute, certainly, and the hat, but it’s also a fucking orca. It doesn’t talk, is the first of many problems. There’s also got to be a reason they’re called what they are. “So, uh, killer whales, y’know - they don’t eat people, do they?”

Said killer whale pops back out of the water and whistles angrily at him. Sasha glares. “Of course not!” she snaps. “And don’t say things like that in front of her! She’s got feelings, and you’re making her feel bad!”

“Yeah!” Athena chimes in, and Phoenix wonders if he had Apollo here, would Apollo be on his side or not. 

“Orla here only eats fish,” Sasha says. “In the wild orcas eat” - she shudders and her pirate jewelry loudly jingles - “seals, too, but we can’t exactly get those, so it’s just tons of fish!” She smiles fondly at the orca, and after several seconds of it making some more noises and smacking the water with its flippers, she says, “Orla says she forgives you for the question.”

Wouldn’t want a killer whale to hold a grudge against him, but either Sasha’s taking the piss out of him, or she actually—

A quick check confirms two things: that Orla the orca is indeed only an orca, which makes this entire situation both better and worse, but Sasha is not merely human. 

Shimmering whiskers brush out along her cheeks, and the hands she gestures with are gloved in translucent, grayish-tan flippers, complete with claws on the ends. Dark speckles, most almost star-shaped like the stage makeup around one of Sasha’s eyes, aren’t set against her skin but hover just above it, on the level of her flippers, a second skin invisible in some places but all encompassing. And her features are bold and apparent about her, more than a ghost of a transformation she’s never made - she’s more like Kay, whose feathers are bold along her arms and through her hair, than Lang, who even with the Sight has to be in a certain light for his eyes to glint yellow or a wolf’s ears to show up out of his hair. 

The killer whale trainer is a seal. Her other form ranks on the food chain directly below the creature she works with. He could almost laugh.

He doesn’t, of course. That really wouldn’t help shit; Athena would certainly yell at him for it. She’s heated as anything with the detective - a man built like a brick wall as much as Gumshoe is, but even louder and, really, just obnoxious. He introduced himself as “Fulbright” and Athena says they worked opposite him on Mayor Tenma’s case and from that one occasion, three months ago, she obviously has the read on him, and importantly, knows how to manipulate him. She’s ready to fight, teeth bared and fists up, and Phoenix is not going to get in her way.

And Sasha is looking at Phoenix with stars in her eyes, like he’s really the man who can put an end to this nightmare. She’s looking at him the way Athena did all those years ago when she told him she made him believe that it’s possible for a defense attorney to win. The way Apollo did in the courthouse lobby, before Phoenix sent him and the trial both straight to hell.

For someone who actually believes in him, however deserving or not he may be - he’ll do it. Athena’s cracked Fulbright open and provided a window of opportunity. “Detective Fulbright,” he says. “Sasha. I’ll defend Orla in court. Even an orca deserves a fair trial and a thorough investigation. If the aquarium’s owner is dead and can’t take responsibility for her, then I will.”

Sasha beams brighter. Fulbright, finally struck silent, gapes at them. “Oh, so we’re outdoing your last craziness now, huh, Boss?” Athena asks. She smacks her fist into her open palm. “What the helll-eck, what the heck, I’m on board with this! I’ll take responsibility for her too!”

First client with his badge back on his lapel, and it’s a selkie and her orca. The more things change, the more they stay just as goddamn weird as they always have been.

My Own Ascension & The End

It’s my understanding that everyone's is different. I don’t take the lists people make seriously. They do have SOME merit but not real particular order. It’s kind of a waste of time to worry about it IMO.

I’ve always been kind of intuitive like from the time I was aware. Seen and talked to dead people and see deceased animals like my mom’s dead dog. That was the last time I think I saw plain as day. Seeing them creeps me out. It still creeps me out and I DON’T want it back. God can keep it. Nuh-uh, no thanks, bye!

My skepticism change over time.

I’ve spoken to psychics kind of obsessed with why I felt the need to find this “person” and why did it feel urgency. The urgency had gone away when Erik died. It was later that everything each psychic said to me was pretty true from meeting him by a body of water (in my dreams he was associated with water), that I had some kind of connection with some kind of “love sector” (Yeah WTF is right), I specifically asked about this person who I called my “long-distance boyfriend”.  That the one I was looking for was going to leave and there was nothing that could be done about it. This was around the summer right before his death. I crawled into my closet and cried my eyes out. I just knew it was him. That I also failed to find him. That my life was over and I literally felt like dying. What was I living for? Like what’s the point?

After his death I felt my life was over.

The urgency I felt to find him had gone away. Since I just turned 20, I’d been sneaking alcohol and getting shitfaced at karaoke bars and house parties. I just wanted to forget about him! I covered up my pain with wise-cracks, un-serious relationships, being a drama queen, doing things I should have gotten arrested for, and getting high. I didn’t care if I lived. Even while medicated, I just didn’t care. I picked up a few “boyfriends” and I felt nothing. I only did it because I was starting to see my friends dwindle away one by one with families of their own. So to forget about the pain, I tried to have serious relationships. I became in denial that Erik was dead. Like the clock had long since stopped ticking. I became a wreaking time ball. I realized these men were just mistakes. I didn’t really love him because somehow I loved that thing which followed me around and I did feel him with me for real. I just was afraid to find out. 

My experience didn’t begin to accelerate until Erik died. 

I remember laying down and being freaked out seeing my chakras open up. I felt and saw each one. I wasn’t very educated on chakras. When it became too much, I ran out of my room like a bat out of hell or I wasn't really educated any of the stuff. But I knew a little. Since then I had repetitive dreams seeing him exactly as he was. Again, only I didn’t know it was him until much later. The same dream of being at some kind of pool party, beach, lake or whatever. I was with friends I never seen before I only found out where my friends from “home”. It was always fun but sometimes the water was murky, shallow or deep. It’s symbolism on my spirituality. I was teetering on and off “the path” since the dreams because. The water had much to do with where I was in life. If I was miserable, it was shallow and murky, murky, or just shallow...You get the idea. The water got deeper I got close to meeting Erik. I remember being told to get in a few times. I also remember when I was about 12-13 I was afraid of deep water because I almost drowned. But I had a dream that an Angel had been with me at a friends house. I was instructed to just jump and I did. Since I survived I loved deep diving. Fun as shit. Not sure if it has much to do with it. I’m hearing a no but I’m including it anyway.

Lemme give you the process...

Around ‘12-ish I bought a pendulum with the idea of using it like I do now. Things took a turn for the worst soon after I bought it. It broke and I didn’t have time or energy to try it anyway. Not until a couple years later at a better time in my life. My apartments were haunted and that’s when I got the sense someone was following but it wasn’t bothersome. Most of the time it was comforting. I did feel him around at the home I grew up in but it wasn’t as prevalent. The dreams were still happening. In ‘13-ish I had the dream I wrote about visiting home in The Realms and Erik bombarded me about my spiritual journey and how I didn’t want anything to do with it. It’s still vivid in my mind like a memory. I really fought over how I didn’t want to incarnate. This was as my higher-self. I looked different and felt different. Now I do see her as my higher self the same as in the dream. Trippy.

Fast forward to ‘16...

Times were hard. I lost my job and the money I was making. It wasn’t really a good job anyway. I realize while on my medications, I was able to connect better. As in my intuition was better understood because they kept me calm and centered. But that wasn’t realized until I was back on meds and able to look back at the times I was medication. I also realized that if my “abilities” to be intuitive went away while off my meds, it might be alarming. But it was impossible to sit still or concentrate long enough to give a shit off of them! So anyway, shortly before I got on my meds I had a dream about Erik. But I started my meds again and noticed the dreams coming it more and more. 

Early ‘17 I asked God to have my abilities back feeling that there was something I needed to do. Like I have a real purpose and it had something to do with my abilities that have taken a temporary backseat. Did some researching to find out what I can do to have my abilities back and got back in to reading my cards regularly. I saw a movie I’ve seen so many times basically about TFs (In Your Eyes) and thought how cool it would be. Ironically it would my experience with Erik in some kind of way but generally the same. Only he’s dead...

It got intense in spring/Summer ‘17.

Over an argument with my ex, he got me baker-acted. I didn’t know Erik was my TF yet. I remember how cool it would be to talk to him while in there. Two years later, this year, while in the hospital I learned I really could talk to him without my pendulum. It’s kind of cute I made a pendulum board “On The Go!” LMAO by drawing one and taking a picture of it so that in the case I can’t concentrate, I can whip out my penny and dangle that shit above my phone. Just for some clarification. I don’t do it all the time. It’s just sometimes I’m not too confident with discernment without my board and I’m not allowed back in the shelter dorms until 4pm *rolls eyes*. 

Okay, we are getting side-tracked!

Learning a skill.

At first, I was watching a lot of paranormal shit and depressed finally tough enough to look for proof as to why I was having this “thing” following me. No matter how comforting it was, it did cause somethings to happen around no matter where I lived and of course only me and maaaaaaybe a few witnessed it. Annoying. I collected pendulums from Ebay and wore them just for shits and giggles. Mostly shits. Ew that’s gross. Anyway so I watched some paranormal shit and remembered,

Hey, I still have my pendulums and a pile of crystals hanging around the “alter” in the headboard behind the mattress!...And a chain!

Reminds me of that Fleetwood Mac song. Kind of accurate. After firing up some sage in my condo --Really! The damn thing nearly caught fire and I’m sure with winds open I was some kind of witch which at the time didn’t necessarily believe in. Pagans and Wiccans were bullshit to me. Even to some level psychics too! How ironic that NOW I happen to be one of those nut-jobs. Go figure. I did my opening and closing rituals to make sure “the door” was closed. I ALWAYS held the intention to be speaking with Erik and much later my grandmother and God would be an important role.

We continued as above pretty much for a while. Using my pendulum was easier, I was able to predict the next letter, then the next word. We really played tug-o-war. I tried to pull the penny to a different letter and he would move it to spell, “Stop doing that!”. LMFAO it was HILARIOUS!!!!! But that’s how I really knew for sure for sure this was for real for real!

Learning about “home”.

It was eye-opening because I remembered the dream I had years ago about returning home. Erik bombarded me with the task about doing what I came to earth to do. Something about his role as well. It didn't know Erik at the time but intuitively I knew that I knew him. There was a familiar-ness . The same I got from in him; the beach and pool parties. In the realms are pools. What I call pools of mana. In video games especially in MMOs there is Mana used to boost up your Magic (sometimes spirit or intellect) Points or MP. 

Out of the blue he called me by a different name, “Vanessa”. Then I remembered asking him what my spirit name was a while back. He had told me “nessa”. To me it sounded like Nestle Tollhouse or some shit like I wasn’t really ready for. Well I was kind of shocked because I told him to call her butt-uh (inside joke) so I put both together and asked about her or my role is back home. Turns out I’m part of some counseling group from the realm of Love. OOOOOoooOOoooooo! Oh my my my! lmao So any way I had not only my past lives to pound out, but also I needed to find out more about the realms and my role as what I call a “Galactic Guardian” or Starseed (see tag below)

Anyway, So we continued the healing process starting with our past lives. We had three of them and we literally looked at all three and healed them. It’s like going to the therapist and laying down and shit. Only because I actually go in to hypnotic state and see these events happening. We pick apart all of the difficult situations in each relationship as bother and sister, husband and wife, and gay lovers. *In Kevin Hart voice* Bing bang boom. Very intense all together. Very much like therapy. Erik goes all sort of sarcastically, 

“...And how does that make you feel?” 

With a notepad in one hand and a pen in another!  He always finds a way to crack me up. He’s my own personal comic relief. Sometimes it’s funny and sometimes he just goes to far. Well so do I. Guess it’s some sort of “karma” everyone talks about. *rolls eyes* Whatever.

2018 is all kind of a blurr and I met “God”

Things really didn’t kickoff until summer/fall. Now, I was at a point I wasn’t using my note pad anymore to keep track of our conversations. They were sort of stored in this crazy blob in my unsightly skull. We were still covering our past lives and when it ended, it was time to meet “God”. It really happened when I wanted to know that oracle cards Doreen Virtue had to add to my collection. I only found out she turned away from this kind of spiritual stuff toward (for lack of a better term in my ignorance) being a “Jesus Freak” and there’s absolutely nothing with it. Being that I looked up to her, it brought me back down to earth. In-spite of the safely precautions and measures before each session, was I consorting with demons? I’m I wrong? Is Erik a Demon? I started to feel my chest tighten and it was getting harder to breathe. I felt like I was going to have a heat attack and immediately closed the Chrome window starting at me dead in the face. 

I’ve met Angels Raphael and Micheal..Oh and my Guardian Angel, Josana. Both Archangels are just described. Micheal (means God-like) is a lot like but God “LITE”. A watered down level of God (Sorry Mike)! Raphael is like a physician you see for your check ups. He gives me dietary advice and encourages me to keep my health. Literally while having a panic attack, he measured my heart-rate and assured me that there was nothing wrong. It’s like Raph gives me the veggies and Mike leans over behind me making sure I eat everything on my plate. They are no different than getting their help or advice through angel oracle cards made by Doreen Virtue. It’s funny because i can recall a oracle card that almost matches what they really say to me. Creepy right?

“Yes this is your heavenly father, Jehova.”

OK. Everyone has a name for “God” because of my religious background growing up as a Jehova’s Whitness. Everyone has their own idea or name for “source”. Meeting God wasn’t on the top of my list because I was afraid. I had not been a “good christian” and I’ve fell off the path long ago. In my selfish mind I thought if there was a God I wouldn’t suffer the way I have my whole life. I’ve been through what everyone goes through. But in my mind, my life was enough to make some people want to die. Erik found how much I suffered realizing how the way he left was trivial. If it had to be between us to be put out of their misery, it should have been ME! But I couldn’t no matter how much pain I was in, I couldn't do it. I was afraid of going to Hell. Even though I didn’t really believe in God I always thought with my luck, God or not, my ass is going to burn forever in fire and brimstone. Then out of curiosity i wanted to know demons too. If Angels and benevolents exist there must be demons. Well I did meet them. If you remember, I’ve met these assholes and sent them away. Now that I know the difference I feel free-er and well educated.

God was right there IN MY FUCKING CONDO...

Immediately I was scared as shit like that moment you know you’ve done something back and you are hiding in the closet, except I was basically frozen on my futon. It felt like that. God is very much like Fem and Masc energy together so obviously this means he doesn’t have a Twin Flame. So he can be that honest-god (Hahahah) honest father that tell you like it is without sugar-coating it. I mean he literally in my hissy-fit over something stupid, he said I was, “Acting like a child and it’s time I have patience or I can forget about the things he’s got in store for me.” By the way he really did come through! There were moments I asked for things and they happened! A new bag, art supplies, new pillow, a hat. Some I got EXACTLY how I wanted them! I’ll never forget it. Law of Attraction IS REAL and it’s like God gives it to you like Oprah gives out prizes! 

God forgave me of course and basically I have a good heart. It’s apparent to him how honest I was. He assured me everything leading up to then was genuine. He encouraged me to re-read the bible as much as I can. I’ve got a children's version of it over and over. The book of Enoch, Ester --both not in the bible, and Job are my faves. For some reason that version is the best way I can understand especially with the pictures. I hate when Christians tell he how I need to read the bible. Like leave me alone. At least I’m reading or listening to it. Seriously sometimes I can’t have conversations without someone taking out their bible and tell me how to read it. When I say I really can’t just sit there all day trying to read AND interpret it, I’m doing so the best way I can. It means I can’t do it. I do it in my own way and that’s all that matters to God. I understand what I understand and HOW I understand it. Like the documentaries about the bible and it’s archaeological proof that events really happened. The great food is a big one. That was the one documentary that got me thinking twice about being an Atheist. Now, I consider myself a Gnostic Theist considering everything I have learned about The Realms (not exactly spirit realms) and where I and SOME of my friends are from. Otherwise I’d have to be Gnostic.

As my pendulum swung, so did my head. 

In every other word I was able to “hear” them. He would let me know by going “ding!”. It was alarming (no pun intended) to figure out all of a sudden I knew what he was say as every other word kind of appeared in my head. I remembered this was part of my own ascension. We had merged and everything was happening so fast. So by the end of ‘18 I was literally beginning to hear him just by listening to the frequency of 110hz playing in my speakers. Then I started to hear him when there ever was a steady beat like in footsteps, the sound of rain, when I was washing a plate, every sylable was like:

It’s--Oh--Kay--I--M--Not--Go--ing--to--hur--t--you!

I was talking to myself and I heard him! I freaked out. As in I really thought I was going insane. It didn’t want it. I kept saying to him that I wasn’t ready! I got over my fear and before you know it, I’m having conversations with him while watching a Netflix and YouTube! It was like I had him in my headset. We had the kind of long-distance relationship I seeked before he died. Once, I forgot he was dead. When it sunk in again, It had me by the ovaries and I dare say I fell apart because I wished he was alive. By ‘19 without my pendulum I can hear him in my right ear. When he’s yelling, the sound carries over to my left side. It really feels like someone is screaming in your ear in a concert hall. You can imagine the kind of psycho-happy he was when I could finally hear him! We even sing together!

But then I couldn’t get him to STFU! At first it was creepy, then cool, then I’m being tested on my ability to shut him off! Since we merged and God married us, everything was so fast it was hard to keep up. So overwhelmed, God and my Granny would visit to encourage me to move forward and that I’m not doing anything wrong. Through the hard times happening between Vince and I they stood by me always. Erik and I communicate as though time wasn’t even a thing. We are two-peas-in-a-pod! He’s my Twin Flame, Spirit Guide, best friend and my “spirit spouse”. 

Erik said that in my ascension the last step is being able to see him.

 I long since said I didn’t want to. It was hard and painful (That’s what she said!) to know he’s dead. Well he forced me to by sending in dude that kind of resembled him up until we got to Dean Winchester. I was like:

“Ummmm, errrrrr, no, sorry but no way man. You have to be joking. You are a far cry from him. I just don’t see it!”

So of course he wouldn’t shut up because of course he was going to annoy me AGAIN by embarrassing myself around dudes. Oh god I’ll never really forget the first time I nearly died. I wasn’t ready. I looked like I had just crawled out of bed! Why of why hadn’t I been given notice. My third-eye would pop-off when he was getting my attention. Sure enough I look up and hide behind Vince gasping for air. Not quite a dopple-ganger but good enough to freak me out. He wanted me to make that correction as he’s kind of hovering over my shoulder as he always does.

Anyway *rolls eyes* So i watched a few to find, wow I guess he’s right especial the parts he loves his car, music like Metallica, ACDC, ect...Oh yeah and how he thinks he’s “adorable”. Well I don’t think he’s adorable....I’M ADORABLE, BITCH! There can only be MEEEEEE! But he makes a point there. Being we are Twin Flames that makes us both adorable. Sure, whatevs. I learned to gather up my ovaries and said, “fuck it”, I’ve seen and heard what he wanted me to and admitted yeah, sure, I give up, he wins. As always he gets what he wants. He’s totally salty I said that. No, he’s not a dick. He’s a pansy. He’s threatening to hit me with a wrench. Too bad he can’t do it for real but then again I can’t really bonk him on the head either. I get more satisfaction with physical contact...Oh god, ”That’s what she said!”. He’s a slick dick all talk and no action. 

I really feel like this hole experience makes a good story and a good lesson in  persistence, patience, and spiritual growth. It’s surprising to me that like on all “hobbies” I’m able to follow through on this journey as long as I have. The things that kept me doing this is the love and support from my friends here, Erik, Granny and God. Literally I asked for this and it’s like “Be careful of what you ask for” kind of thing except Twin Flames wasn’t in my vocabulary. The dreams and incidences that occurred leading me to him all were for a reason no matter how painful and torturous they were. I’ve never cried so much but I’ve never healed so much. This is like spiritual boot camp. My guides break my down to lift me up. I’m coming out of this process a stronger than before. I have to really thank my guides for all the things they put me through.

My own kind of ascension might be over now that I can see, hear, and even feel Erik. At least what he called our ascension process. It is to my understanding like our own individual spiritual journey, our own ascension process is different too. This is not a one size fits all gig. There is no right or wrong way. To bark around with, no this is this or that is that ( I’m guilty of it too...) is kind of silly if we are all individual and unique being on earth! It feel cool but as I’ve said before, just because this processed ended doesn’t mean our story or whatever we have is over. We both still have much to discover and share in our day to day life.

For those who have followed me through this,

Again, Thank you all!

Transformers: Skyfall. Bonus Chapter: There’s a Light That Never Goes Out

He didn’t witness it. After their mission; Night Glide and Skyfall went their separate ways. He had to report to Thundercracker. Skyfall had to go and upload the files she stole into to the ship’s computer for decryption. It was standard procedure. It should have been simple.

On the commanding deck; the young Seeker’s meeting was interrupted by a panicking Vechicon drone. One stationed in the labs. Night Glide didn’t need a further explanation and, luckily, the member of Megatron’s top commanding trine he was speaking to was the sensible one. Thundercracker excused him to go to the medical bay.

The Convent’s medic, Echo, hung by the ceiling; working away quickly by the time Night Glide got there. Echo was an incredibly small two-wheeler. So, to make her medical skill set useful to patch up bigger sized bots; the engineering team aboard the ship constructed her a harness so she could be suspended over the injured. Working completely obstructed above all those who entered her base of operations.

However, even Echo’s small servos where nothing compared to the patient she was working on. Skyfall layed on her side. Wires attached to the Minicon’s spinal strut criss-crossed all across the medical berth she was nestled in as she struggled for every intake.

‘She just collapsed.’ The Vechicon that reported her explained, ‘She just hooked herself up for the download and collapsed.’

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Autobots’ files had implanted a virus into Night Glide’s small Deployer.

He ghosted a servo over Skyfall’s helm only to be surprised by not only the external damage done to it when she fell, but the extreme heat that was coming off her plating. Night Glide pulled his servo back quickly. His talons fidget slightly. Night Glide’s processors was trying to come to grips with the thing on the berth was in fact his partner.

“Report.” He broke the silence in the chamber.

Echo turned from her screen that she was working on to swivel in front of her commanding officer. The femme lacked a voice box. It was damaged in the Exodus. However, her visor screen lit up with the medical report as requested.

Virus: Trojan. Disguised as Autobot base schematics. Activation upon log-in to Decepticon networks.

Function seems to target Decepticon Deployers to eliminate spies within the system.

Virus attacking neural net.

Symptoms: Fever, respiratory impairment, lack of response, fainting and seizure. Continuing observation.

Unrelated symptoms: Helm denting, minor lacerations do to fall. Damage stabilized. Will repair once virus is neutralized.

Working on Antivirus: 15% completion. Awaiting more tests.

Night Glide could feel his denta grind just reading Echo’s report. He hissed at the little medic.

“Speed it up.”

Echo tilted her helm. The diagnostic disappeared. Replacing it was a single, deep red optic. The Seeker glared at the video of Shockwave.

“Speeding up the process is illogical. The Minicon is the first to contract this virus. Further studies must take place to insure the safety of Decepticon spies.”

Night Glide could feel his energon boil up through his tubing. Shockwave made a habit of only referring to Skyfall as ‘Minicon’. Simply because, he didn’t she her as anything else, but a disposable waste product. Of course, Shockwave never had the pleasure of actually spending time with her. Getting to know here. Making her laugh.

The Seeker’s wings twitched.

“And risk having my communications officer die?!” Night Glide spat.

“The Convent is under Thundercracker’s command, is it not?”

“Skyfall is an important member of this crew and I am not going to stand idly by just so you can use her as a lab animal-”

“You’re attachment to the Minicon is irrational. You’re anger is also misguided. If the Autobots are planning to use this virus in a wide scale attack; having data on how it operates and how to nullify it is the best course of action. The Minicon will provide that data. Also, if you are insistent on overstepping your rank; I will pull mine.”

The optic barely moved as it addressed the medic, “Echo, continue your work. Upload all of your findings to my personal storage. I will continue my work from here.”

Shockwave ended the call. Night Glide wanted to fling the closest object across the room.

Echo’s screen flickered once again.

(ง •̀_•́)ง

The Seeker felt the slimmest smile on his face. The Convent was a ship filled with the Decepticons that Megatron didn’t want. Cast-offs of the greater Decepticon good. In a way, they all looked out for each other. Night Glide was happy for the allies he had found himself with.

Deep down, he knew that Echo was going to sped up the process as fast as she could. Without getting caught by Cybertron’s top scientist.

The medic swiveled back towards Skyfall; hooking in a cooling unit to at least stabilize her. Judging by the report Echo just gave, Skyfall had burnt through her own supply of coolant. Night Glide caught himself subconsciously running the base of his thumb along the tips of his digits upon the memory of feeling the radiation off the femme’s body. He frowned softly at this.

“Echo.”

The medic’s screen turned to face him, displaying a question mark.

“Keep me post.”

She nodded.

He paused for a moment and added, “Do not lose her.”

Echo’s screen flashed one more time.

(ง •ૅ౪•᷄)ว

***

He wasn’t a social butterfly by any account. Quite the opposite really. Unlike most of this Seeker kin, Night Glide didn’t find keeping friends much of a use. He lacked a Trine. Something that the rest of the Seekers mocked him for. However, in solitude he found himself at peace. An understanding of himself that the others never did.

Then, suddenly, Skyfall entered his life like a blazing comet.

At first he didn’t understand her. She was fussy; terrified of everything around her. The full grown Minicon clung to his plating like a panicked sparkling more often than not. She cried all the time too. Often she was huddled up in her alt. mode., ready to jet off as soon as somebot even came close to intaking near her direction. Skyfall also, at first, could barely hold the gun she was given; let alone shoot it an a reasonable target.

She was a civilian. Barely.

Night Glide couldn’t fathom why the higher command would steal her to begin with and to be completely honest, he hated her. In the beginning at least. He was civil about it; allowing her to make a fool out of herself and keeping a good arm’s length from her at all times. No need to stoop to her level when he didn’t need to be.

Skyfall was hardly the partner he was promised when they said they had found a Deployer for him. If Night Glide was honest with himself, he expected someone like Ravage. Sleek. Elegant. Knew how to handle itself.

What he had was Skyfall.

He remembered one night, before they got their transfor to the warship, he caught her singing. It was almost unhearable. Too light in voice and too heavily buried under the collective snores of 20 young Seekers. Yet, Night Glide’s audios picked up the sounds of a Vosian lullaby that he had long since buried in his memory. Along with the rest of his childhood.

“I’m sorry…” She murmured.

The little femme had chosen to stare at one tiny bolt on the floor. Skyfall lived under his berth. Probably the safest place for her not to crushed under the excited heels of Seekers. Dim maroon optics barely lit up her face in the darkness of the barracks. The other Seekers there barely notice her little voice that deep into recharge.

“...I’m sorry…”

Night Glide simply watched her from his berth. She dipped out of sight. Hiding once again in the safety of her hold. The Seeker rolled onto his back. His optics found a seam in the wall and he traced a claw through it.

“...Who taught you Vosian?” He asked quietly.

It was a moment before he got a reply, “...I did…”

“You learned it yourself?”

“I know. I’m not- wasn't allowed.” Skyfall was quick to lower herself even more, “I went to school- I was paid to- Calloway…” She paused and somehow her voice was even smaller, “I can stop…”

The dorm filled up once again with snoring; Skyfall seeming deciding for the two of them not to continue.

Night Glide frowned. He didn't like the silence now. The Seeker continued to stare at the ceiling. Vos now seemed so far away.

“Keep singing…” He asked, “You sound like home…”

Skyfall remained silent for a moment. Night Glide could hear her breathe beneath the frame of his berth. The Seeker could practically hear her swallow as she took a deep breath and picked up in the song where she had stopped.

The wilting lullaby raise up through the thick, stuffy air of the dorm. Night Glide continued to look up at the ceiling; trying to picture Vos’ towers through the shadows of his wingmates.

The proud Seeker wasn't ready to accept that he was homesick.

He still wasn't. Eons later. Though, his home wasn’t even crystalline towers anymore. It wasn’t the pale blue skies. Nor was it The Convent. Or even Cybertron, if he was honest with himself. No, home to Night Glide shifted to a small femme clinging to life in the medical bay.

When he returned to check on Echo’s progress, the femme was wrapping Skyfall up in an insulator blanket. Echo had striped Skyfall down to her protoform in what he could only assume was to keep her cool. Skyfall, herself, didn’t have much protoform to began with. Most of it encased her spark chamber. While her limbs were just basic framework and bare wires. A by product of being ‘low quality’.

“How is she?” Night Glide dared to ask.

Echo tilted her helm towards him; gathering the swaddled Skyfall in her arms.

Status: Unconscious, but stable. Last seizure reported: 2 hours ago. Overheating is still an issue, but fever as leveled.

Working on Antivirus: 87% completion. Awaiting final test results and Shockwave’s approval on formula.

Skyfall is very strong.

The Seeker let go of the intake he was holding. With a weak smile; he nodded in agreement.

“Good work, Echo…”

(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

The medic carefully transformed Skyfall’s tiny form into his arms. It was only in that moment when Night Glide really realized how fragile Skyfall was. She easily could stand in the palm of his servo, but seeing her all bundled up like this only reminded Night Glide of a freshly ignited sparkling.

Echo tilted her helm once more and added to her text.

Shockwave is expected to call in 21 minutes.

Requesting: Energon break?

“Yes, of course. You’ve done more than enough. I’ll COMM. you if he calls early.”

Shockwave never calls early.

“True.” Night Glide chuckled lightly. A rarity, but he was in much better spirits now that he knew that his partner wasn’t going to be murdered by an Autobot virus. Echo was the best medic he could have ever asked for. “Go have supper.”

✲ﾟ｡.(✿╹◡╹)ﾉ☆.｡₀:*ﾟ✲ﾟ*:₀｡

Echo’s harness lowered her to the floor; transforming and pulling away as her peds swung around. They landed on the floor with a muted ‘thud’. The tires on her heels keeping her steps light. Again, Night Glide was reminded that he was a giant among grounders. Echo’s small motorcycle frame made her out to be about half his height. Not that anyone would ever notice with her strung up most of the time.

The medic gave Night Glide a thumbs up, before disappearing down the darken halls of The Convent. Night Glide felt his wings slowly sag down his back. All that tension and the automatic Seeker provado that was drilled into him since his sparking. He was exhausted. In more ways than one.

He sighed. Sitting on the edge of the medical berth. He cradled Skyfall close. He watched his partner’s small spark chamber rise and fall. Her breathing was much better than before. He was thankful for that. It pained the Seeker. Every Seeker valued the movement of air; be it on their wings or in their lungs.

Night Glide stroked the back of Skyfall’s head as it lulled to one side; nuzzling into his cool chest plates. Night Glide felt his spark swell. She was so tiny. Just a toy to most that had seen her. Yet, she was the most Cybertronian creature he had ever met; kind and compassionate. Even through this war.

And she was his. He was honored to have been paired with her.

Now, he just needed to wait until she was awake for him to tell her that.

Production Analysis

I have always loved movies, believing that stories on screen that take us back to the future and over the rainbow speak a language that is universal. They may not be real, but through this medium, they manage to influence our outlook on the world. This is what I think films are all about: a combination of technical and creative aspects that work in harmony to share the director’s perspective on life, and invoke specific emotions from the audience. My ultimate desire to be a filmmaker and share that perspective with my own audience is what drove me during my final project.

 I had many options in tackling this animation, be it showing off my skills, explicitly targeting the film industry, or just having fun with it. While any would have sufficed, I wanted to have full creative freedom to produce something that felt both powerful, and uniquely meaningful to me. Hence, I decided to make a personal short following a character that had undergone similar trials as I had in my life.

 Despite that, I believe that the project I ended up giving myself was too ambitious, which was corroborated by Goodfellow. This was due to having to condense the development of a whole storyline and an entire character into a two-minute animation, which meant a lot of scenes, and subsequently, numerous set designs to pack in all the information needed to convey the story. To cut this down, I had to change the story and replace the crash with a scene where the daughter falls and loses her ‘drawing competition award,’ in a bid to avoid creating an entire character arc for the animation. In this scene, the mum was supposed to arrive in her car to save the day, taking out her pen and drawing 3D wings for the daughter (the wings from the award). The story would have ended as the daughter takes flight, with a dedication fading into the sky that said, “To my mum and sister, who have always been the wind under my wings.”

 Despite how I pivoted, however, I still could not finish my changes in time due to my perfectionism. Instead of moving on to the next part of the animation, I kept finding small, negligible mistakes that I would take time out of my day trying to fix. Even as I submit my work now, there is still a lot that I want to change and improve upon. I ended up having to cut down the animation by half, including only the montage section of the initial concept, and ending it with, ‘to be continued’ for the animation to make sense.

 3D modelling was my favourite part of the whole process since I love seeing my sketches take shape in a 3-dimensional space. The process was not too hard, as I had modelled characters before, and I only needed to follow the same procedure, even managing to improve my method based on prior problems. In my previous projects, the clothes were all separate objects, causing too many tears in the model when animating. This time, I made the outfit part of the main body. The jacket was the only exception, but I still made sure to keep the vertices underneath far out from the ones for the main body, to prevent the different meshes from overlapping with each other. What I was not used to, and found more difficult, was giving the model high, defined cheekbones as it did not adhere to the basic round face I would normally create. Fortunately, with a few tweaks and experimentation, I managed to overcome this obstacle.

I’ve always found creating rigs a significant challenge, so I am thankful and fortunate that I was able to use the Advanced Skeleton, which cut my work down by weeks, compared to if I had done it manually from scratch. Even then, setting up the rig and weight painting drained me so much that my productivity levels plummeted in this section of the production process. This was because, having always preferred creative aspects over technical ones, I struggled with the lack of creative leeway in this part of the process. A challenge I encountered was the difficulty in animating natural eye blinks. When modelling, I gave the eyeballs an outer layer to create refraction from the light, making it more realistic. This layer was invisible, so I did not think it would matter that it protruded further than the eyelids. It turned out, however, that when rigging and making the eyes close, this did in fact cause problems. I did not have the time to fix these issues, and thus errors can be seen in the final animation. Still, lessons were learned; something to keep in mind for future projects.

 Ideally, I wanted a soundtrack that would elevate my project and help carry the weight of emotion I hoped would be conveyed by the short. However, it was tricky to find the right accompaniment due to copyright problems. Most free music online gave the animation the feel of a cheap advert, or made it seem like it was an amateur YouTube vlog. Even non-copyrighted lo-fi songs (which were my usual go-to) could not match the atmosphere I wanted. I even asked my housemate if he could produce a sample for me, as he is a DJ that creates some of his own tunes. Alas, that did not pan out as I kept changing the idea of my final piece and did not have the time to oversee the music production with him. Nevertheless, this may have been a blessing in disguise as I ended up finding a beautiful, free-to-use, fantasy-themed piano instrumental which yielded the right mystical and emotional ambience I desired. If given more time, I probably would have added several muffled, diegetic sounds to make the result even more atmospheric.

 The most excruciating part of the entire animation production was the creation of the 2D assets. This was because I did not have any drawing pads for digital art, and I also lacked a phone to take any photos of sketches, thus leaving my laptop mouse as my only option to draw with. Even the simplest assets were immensely tedious to make, which was the main reason why it took so long to make such a short video. I could not afford to get a drawing tablet at that time, so I just had to push through.

 Another, lesser difficulty was the colouring aspect. In one of the final project meetings with Goodfellow, he told me that he liked the colour scheme and aesthetic from the animation I submitted for the Professional Creative Production (MI6011) module and that I should try to incorporate that again into my final work. Of course, I took this as a challenge, not only to live up to expectations and previous standards, but to go above and beyond.

 It turned out to be an ambitious undertaking since colouring is not my forte. Most of my casual artwork consisted of sketches, and I was therefore not very acquainted with colour theory and design. To offset this, I took inspiration from themes of beautiful video games and movies that I liked, but had difficulty in combining everything into a uniform colour scheme throughout the whole work. I needed to make the entire piece coherent, and not like a patchwork painting reminiscent of Picasso’s more surreal works. Make it look like it is all part of the same cartoon and not a total mess of idea vomit dump. This was made even more taxing because I already had the inconsistency between the 3D and 2D characters. I eventually overcame this barrier by finding a reference point, and using hue tool to make everything match.

 In my opinion, the post production process was the most effortless part of working on this project, as I was experienced in After Effects from even before university. Neither did I find the merging of 3D and 2D that difficult, as I used an artificial greenscreen in Maya when rendering.

There were many fundamental obstacles I had to overcome during this project, but the main issue was timing and execution. Nonetheless, I am immensely proud of what I was able to produce, which showcases the tremendous amount I learned in this course, for which I am so very grateful. However, I am in some ways disappointed and unsatisfied with what I am submitting, compared to the scope of ambition in my head when I initially pictured my final film. I had a lot I wanted to give, but much of it was just not practical in the final delivery. Even then, from failure comes lessons, and I believe that despite not achieving everything I had hoped to, I have discovered a lot just from the production process. I have emerged not only more knowledgeable in both the creative and technical aspects of different areas of the pipeline, but I’ve also developed my work ethic, and myself as a person. The project has left me with so many takeaways, and I’m determined to continuously improve from here on out.

Composer Profile - Kid Koala, 3 Amigonauts

Did you know that the opening and closing theme music for 3 Amigonauts was composed by world-renowned scratch DJ and music producer Kid Koala! We interviewed Eric San, aka Kid Koala to get the lowdown on what goes into creating a super catchy theme song for outer space, and his answers were out of this world! Read the full story below!

What are three words you would use to describe the 3 Amigonauts theme song?

Nostalgic, Future, Funk!

What is the story behind the creating of the 3 Amigonauts theme song?

To start, I was given the series bible and some of the initial designs the Amigonauts crew were working on for Herby, Kirbie and Burt. I also got to see a couple early stage animatics, (they weren’t coloured at that point), but they showed me how everything would move in terms of the style of animation, like how stretchy and squashy it could get. So I kind of had all that swimming around in my head, while I was trying to make a track that could harmonize with the whole vibe of the show.

It was also really helpful to see the characters and the colour palettes the team were using, and their test animation, so I could see how stuff would move. It was very snappy but also very bouncy and stretchy. I knew the music would have to fit that type of animation. If it had been more vectored and cold feeling, I think I would have made something quite different. It seemed like such a joyous world that the 3 Amigonauts lived in, so I just wanted to see if I could match that.

Did the show’s space setting play into the piece?

Of course, the show being set in space always helps! It is funny, they say every musician at some point has to do a space phase, and I think I started mine 8 years ago and I haven’t left. So a space themed show was one of those things that I was actually kind of comfortable with – My last album was called Music to Draw To: Satellite and was set on Mars. And musically I was pretty equipped for the job, because a lot of the equipment I had accumulated and searched for to make said space records, and music, was designed to create spacey sounds. For instance, the most obvious one being the Roland Space Echo.

What instruments, gear and or samples did you use to create the song?

Drums, bass, several synthesizers, the Roland Space Echo – a synth with a tape based delay, so it records sounds that go into and then plays it back slightly later, so you can create spaceship-y sounds. A lot of guitar effects, the record cutter, and turntables. And there were some horns and a baritone sax in there as well.

And just FYI there were no samples used in the track.  For the “three” scream you hear throughout the piece, I just recorded my daughters yelling ‘THREE’. And if something sounds like a sample it’s because I recorded instruments with 1950s microphones and sometimes cut stuff to vinyl on my record cutter and then scratched it back into the track on a turntable.

Even the counterpoint melody line is just me singing though a bunch of robot vocoders.

Above you mention “nostalgia” as one of the words to describe the song… can you expand on how you achieved this “feeling?”

When I was speaking to Kyle, he wanted it to have this kind of dusty sample feel and aesthetic in the music.

So what I would do, would be to play instruments and synthesizers, and then I would cut them to vinyl records – as I mentioned above I have a record cutter in my studio –  I would then use that record and scratch it back in. What ended up happening is you kind of get the feeling like “Oh these samples came from some old record”, when really they are original-made tunes, which were just treated to sound that way.

That’s fun for me, because I’m mostly known for my turntable work, and once a sound is cut to a piece of vinyl, then I’m in my safe place so to speak. I like all the combinations of things you can do, once a sound is on vinyl. So, to have the ability to do that is pretty cool, at least in my recording process, it’s kind of a fun little revolution that I’m enjoying.

How does the process for writing a theme song for a show, differ from writing an original song for an album?

With a theme song you want it to kick off the show and signal, “Hey, this is it, we are heading into Amigonauts land!” A theme song is pretty much the tag of the show, so you need to create a welcoming piece, where the palette of sounds and the vibe of the song reflect the world you are about to go into.

After seeing what the Amigos team had created, and speaking to Kyle about the vibe and the tone of the show, it was pretty clear that the best thing would be for the theme to be joyous and inviting, something that would elicit a smile, and of course, something that was a bit squashy and stretchy in sound as well.

I tried to create sounds that suits the mechanics of the show. For example, Herby, Kirbie and Burt have skeletons that can stretch, so it would make sense that the instruments should be able to have a similar elasticity too! So imagine you hear what you think is a traditional instrument being played, and then you realize “Oh no wait, that is really just someone playing that sound on a record and now they’ve bent it out of the human range!”  

Anything else to add about what makes a themes song different from writing your own music?

Yes! The time limit is a huge factor in writing a theme song. On my own albums I can do an 8 minute song, but here I had to think like “It’s the Amigonauts, we’re going in, we’ve landed and we only have a relatively short period of time to open the doors to their universe and pull the audience in with this piece!”

Is the short time limit challenging?

Well, I have a short attention span for the most part, so I felt kind of at home with the time limit!

Which Amigonaut are you most like:

a) Herby - Heroic, fidgety and blindly confident, Herby is the Amigos’ front-man.

b) Kirbie - A consummate over-sharer with zero filter, Kirbie can come off as kinda gross.

c) Burt - Joyfully mischievous yet supremely polite, Burt is a walking pyrotechnic fun-machine.

Yeah, I’d have to go with Burt. Mainly because of the pyro-mania, also “fun-machine” is a good title. If I ever have an office with big glass walls, with my name and title etched across the door in a big font, I want it to say “Eric Fun-Machine San”. But yes, I did have a minor pyro-mania phase, when I was maybe ten or eleven. I was into lighting off bottle rockets and firecrackers, but I grew out of it.

What was your favourite class in school?

Hmm… to be honest in high school it was physics. They do always say music is physics.

But, my fondest memories are from a course I remember taking, which spanned an entire year, where we had to do woodshop, metal work, electronic, soldering and cooking! That year, in the once class alone, I learned how to solder a circuit board and cook an egg. I don’t remember what it was called, but I think, as far as life skills are concerned, that class taught me the most profound amount of information I’ve actually held with me my entire life! In fact, just this morning I cooked an egg!

Any advice for the next generation of Amigonauts, who also want to become world class DJ’s, Musicians and Turntablists?

Dabble! Dabble in the stuff that you are interested in!

And if you have an idea for a project, if you have an idea for a song, don’t wait, just start. You don’t need a book contract to start writing, you don’t need a record contract to start making music, and you don’t need to have a gig offer to start creating a live show. If that’s what you want to do just start doing it and you’ll always find your audience.

I’m kind of like living proof of the fact that you can do the most weird, left field music and projects, and you’re still going to find an audience that are in your same boat creatively! You have to trust that even if you feel like you are a bit of an outsider with your artistic ideas, you are not alone, and there are other people, that are equally excited about the same ideas as you. In my experience, that is how it has worked! If you put your stuff out there on any level, eventually you being to attract people into your working sphere, who have that same mentality and same enthusiasm for stuff, and then when you start collaborating, that is when really wonderful things start happening too.

People just have to trust in their hearts that they know why they are here, and do what makes them happy!

For more Amigonauts:

Watch on YTV!

See more content on the Amigonauts YTV Website!

Play The Amigonauts Game!

Note: Hyperlapse drawing of Kid Koala done by 9 Story designer, Francis Yeh.

Mycroft Form Submission

Name: Destiny Nationality: American Age (note that if you below 21 your scores may be lower until age of legality): 31 Personality Type: INTP (according to the Meyer-Briggs personality test) Level of Education: Associates Degree ; Studying for BA Best Subject: Creative Writing and Art Worst Subject: Math Favorite Subject: Art and Creative Writing 5 Hobbies (if applicable): illustration, fanfiction writing, running fan blogs, video games, photography Favorite Genre of Music/Movies/Books: Music –> Anime & Video Game Soundtracks, Movie Soundtracks, some modern music, 90’s / Early 2000s R&B, but I’ll listen to almost anything else to try it. Movies: –> I am a Marvel Movies junkie. I’ve watched almost any kind of film. I hate horror films they make me startled and panicky. Classic films are great “My Fair Lady”, “Gone With The Wind”, “Rosebud”, etc. Books: –> Self Help Books, Romance Novels, Mystery Last song you listened to on repeat: Track 9 from “Princess Maker Soundtrack” Last phrase you said to another living person: “He is full of sh**.” (He is a liar.) How many blankets do you sleep with: I start with a blanket then kick it off if me in the middle of night 7 note worthy skills: I can be mature and professional when required. I can shut off my emotions so it doesn’t interfere with work. I am proficient in Adobe Creative Suite. I can smile in the face in my enemies and not lose my temper. I have a survivor’s mentality and will overcome any situation. I never stay still for long while at work. Yo hablo un poco de Español. 7 noticeable sins: I have been abused and I have also been an abuser. I am sometimes obsessed with erotica. I judge people behind their back. It is hard for me to forgive people. I overeat either because I want to or because of emotional eating. I have anger issues. I am Christian but also have a borderline Misanthrope attitude towards people (hypocrisy). Allergies/impairments/illnesses: Hashimoto’s Disease, Dairy Allergy, Medically Obese Level of Intelligence on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being dumb, 2 being below average, 3 being average, 4 being above average and 5 being genius): 3 Level of Fitness on a scale of 1 to 5( 1 being obese, 2 being overweight, 3 being average, 4 being fit and 5 being skinny): 1 I am medically obese Level of Attractiveness on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being Anderson, 2 being below average, 3 being average, 4 being above average and 5 being Mycroft): 3 ½ Feline, canine or both: Canine Confidence Level on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being nonexistent, 2 low, 3 average, 4 above average and 5 Sherlock): 2 ½ Position in the Family (oldest, youngest, middle): Oldest Eye Color: Green Hair Color and Length: Brown, Short touching bottom of ears Combat level on a scale 1 to 5 (1 being useless, 2 being somewhat capable, 3 being average, 4 being more than capable and 5 being expert): 2 Your normal dress: A loose top with dark colors or a floral print, jeans, dark shoes How well you take rejection on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being temper tantrum, 2 being vindictive, 3 being average, 4 being can take it like a man, and 5 being like water off of a duck’s back): 4 Languages known: English and some Spanish. Studying Italian and French on the side to learn differences and similarities in romance languages. Cleanliness of your bathroom on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being a crime scene, 2 being messy, 3 being average, 4 being pretty clean and 5 being perfectly spotless) 2. I clean once a month to make it spotless but on average its messy. How big is your circle of friends on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being nonexistent, 2 being very small, 3 being average, 4 being large, and 5 being a massive social network) 2. It’s better to have a few trusted friends than hundreds of fake friends. How would you rate your mental health on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being very poor, 2 being poor, 3 being average, 4 being good, and 5 being prefect): 2 ½ Opinions on the current Holmes family members ( Siger Holmes, Violet Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and Eurus Holmes): Sherlock fascinates me and amuses me. I would probably piss him off laughing at his humor and fascinating way of solving a case (deductions and such). Eurus I honestly feel sorry for. She is insane, no doubt. But she is also deeply wounded and misunderstood. I would visit her with Mycroft and family from time to time to listen to her and Sherlock play music together Siger Holmes I don’t know too well. I would try my best to get along with him. Violet Holmes I would have a problem with her if she openly criticized Mycroft in front of me. She is Mycroft’s Mum so I would try my best to get along with her. She would secretly have an immediately dislike to me since I am an “ignorant Yank” but I know she would be polite. Any passive aggressive insults or direct I would ignore or say “I’ll keep that in mind.” The biggest problems we’d have is that she would wonder why on earth her son has associated with me on any level. Please bold the following below that applies toward your submission: Friendship Mentorship Relationship Partnership

The Question portion: Please note that you do not have to submit the pictures within your submission (save the puzzle) but you must answer them honestly and do so without cheating. (I’ll answer the ones I can do and skip the rest) 4) Center of the chest. 5) Cross out 555 and put in correct answer of 20 6) OCD. He has a ritual he MUST follow or he panics. 7) I’d leave the door open to the other room and test each switch until I see the light come on. 8) I would watch body and eye language (assuming the gods have human form) and the one that always lies I’d be able to tell right away. The one who randomly lies would be more difficult. I would cross examine and ask same question in different ways to see if their answer would change 9) Get a locksmith to open the lock. 11) The blue house owns a fish. (blue for color of water) 12) Alexander should go to shore of island and wait out the fire and hope it rains. 13) Cannot be determined 15) 0 17) Joyce 20) Michelangelo or Leonardo daVinci 22) About 400 people 24) There are two photographs of two different dresses. So both. 25) The paragraph is written like dialogue.

Mycroft’s answer:

It would seem that more than your namesake brought you here didn’t it Destiny? My lame attempt at humor aside if it should help with your studies on the romance languages they do share very similar structures which allows them to be interchangeable in some situations while still being understood in the opposing language. It’s a bit strange that despite learning these languages you wouldn’t recognized the true artist behind the painting (as the hail from one of those romance languages) but recall that the American education system isn’t on par with that of Mother England’s. I must confess that sometimes I too emotionally eat when Sherlock is being particularly stressful with his ‘ hobbies’ but I am currently trying to beat those bad habits through therapy and healthy coping mechanisms. I would presume that you too are also doing your best to overcome your inner demons as am I for great people must struggle a great deal to achieve their means. It is a reoccurring pattern to find so many artistically inclined submissions whose Achilles hill is mathematics. I confess that I only find the subject more entertaining when it pertains to my interests rather than the dribble of uninspired problems presented. I have no doubts that if you put 100% into yourself as you do your education you can overcome any of your obstacles. I know it may sound like something out of a dime store card but it’s true. Sometimes the truth is that simple and sometimes we need someone to remind us of those simple truths (John, Sherlock, Mrs. Hudson, etc.) when we forget to remember them. Should you require my services or a listening ear I am readily available for that. You don’t have to call me, oh no, trust me, I have my ways of knowing. Just have the courage to answer the phone.*

*Also I promise not to do the whole ‘mysterious act’ like I did with the good doctor so be aware that I will call and leave a message on your home phone or cellphone as Dr. Watson says that it is “Creepy as hell you twat and call like a normal person! No wonder you have so few friends!”

Friendship: 7.2/10

Relationship: 3.9/10

                                     — On the wicked wings of time, thy kingdom comes

Meet [ Song Jihyo ]

She is a [ thirty-five] year old  [ owner of safer shores ] currently residing in [ skyhall apartments, #605 ]. Visit  and greet  her today!

Personality: 

Song Jihyo is a force of nature. Regal, proud and strong, Jihyo has a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. She easily feels taken advantage of and will often lash out harshly to make sure people now that’suna-fucking-ceptable.Generally kind-hearted, warm and passionate, she has a strong temper that flares up like a supernova but is also easily pacified. Above all, she is protective and will do anything to keep those she loves safe. She has seen too many things to still care for fear, let alone let it hold her back. Sweet to most, it is a good idea not to get on her bad side.

Spirit: Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons

Power:

Enhanced condition: The user’s physical and mental abilities are above natural members of their species in that verse, beyond what can be emulated via natural training and with little to no maintaining. This entails that they are faster, stronger, more intelligent and overall superior to fellow members of their species, without being obviously supernatural. (Think Captain America.) Jihyo has no extra mental capacities, though.

porcelain to ivory to steel: Jihyo has an increased resistance to pain and injuries. She is nearly immune to all poison or drugs (to her great dismay this includes caffeine and alcohol). Most people could barely hurt her with a punch, and normal knives while still hurting her will find considerably more resistance on her skin. She can fall from great heights that would kill a normal person, or simply blink as they break a chair over her arm. If normal people’s skill is paper, hers is steel.

even heroes have the right to bleed: even so, Jihyo is not invulnerable. Things like shooting her at point blank will still hurt her. While she may fall from greater height, shoving her out of a plane would still kill her. Giving her a ridiculous amount of drugs will still affect her. To her great dismay, alcohol and caffeine is included in the list, and so are painkillers, so when she does get hurt, it’s usually a slow, painful way to recovery. She heals slightly faster than regular humans, but not considerably so. She is more difficult to harm, but when she gets hurt it usually sucks big time for her. Also while she might be more resistant to actual injury, she is not that much more resistant to pain, meaning that while something might not harm her, it may very well still hurt her.

golden medalist girl: Jihyo is in prime condition, and doesn’t have to train much to maintain it. She is considerably more agile than an olympic gymnast, faster than a sprinter, has the stamina of the world’s greatest marathon runner, stronger than a sumo wrestler, has incredibly fast reflexes, and so on. She has a certain affinity to hand-to-hand and close combat especially.

jack of all trades: due to her all-compassing power, she doesn’t really excel at anything. This means that someone with enhanced strength would still be stronger, or enhanced speed would still be faster. Also, while a lot of complicated moves and human feats may be within her capacity, she still has to actually learn and practice the moves. To maintain her energy she must eat copious amounts of food and she often goes hungry.

my spideysense is tingling: along with her physical condition, her senses are also heightened, meaning she sees, hears, smells, feels and tastes on an increased level. She can smell several layers of scent, see greater distances and during night or through smoke (although she posses no skills like heat vision or the likes, so her vision is ultimately still on a human level.) She also has a heightened awareness of dangers.

hear my heart roar: she can however not stop this skill, much like any other part of her condition. This means that she can get overwhelmed if exposed to too much stimuli as well, which can cause headaches or nausea or send her into a panic attacks. Her danger sense also often translates into a sense of paranoia, where she might consider things far more dangerous than they may be.

Biography:

tw: drugs, violence, murder, implied child abuse, implied rape, prostitution

I.

She is a nameless girl, for all the names she has aren’t really hers. She’s a motherless girl, for all the women that hold her hand aren’t really hers. She is a lifeless girl, for the live she leads isn’t hers at all.

She follows a stranger in the airport and she lets a woman she doesn’t know coo over her. In the morning, her father made her swallow a bag of something white, and a doctor put even more inside. She didn’t cry, because good girls don’t cry. Good girls smile and twirl around in their pink princess dress and don’t throw up before they’re told, no matter what. Good girls help the family.

She is seven, and she knows this.

II.

You’re special, her father told her, his hand on her aching tummy. The bag feels heavy and wrong, but she doesn’t cry. Only you can carry something so valuable inside you.

Something inside her stirs, deep within the hollows of her bones, underneath the cage of her ribs, and she knows that to be true.

III.

If she closes her eyes: golden shores, the waves calm and clear enough to see the vividly coloured fish swim, warm as the water washes over her bare feet. It is a dream, maybe, or a memory lodged in the confines of her veins, a soft thrumming like the humming of a bird’s wings. When she closes her eyes, the world is hers, the sand underneath her feet is hers and she belongs.

When she opens them: the smell of chlorine and car exhaust, she sits quietly like a doll by the poolside of a city she doesn’t know as people talk in a language she doesn’t understand. They have taken what is valuable from within her outside of her and with that, she loses her value. She’s just a girl. Just a kid, forgotten.

Just a vessel.

IV.

No one sees her, until Hayoon does. She will have a name to remember, she will have a legacy. She is beautiful, a mirage in the darkness, starlight eyes with a sunshine smile. They never taught Jihyo love, but she knows that’s what it is, the flutter beat of her heart. They never taught Jihyo love or peace or calm, but she knows that’s what it is.

Hayoon wants to be a dancer. She trains ballet, twirling in the sunlight. She loses her balance and wobbles and Jihyo catches her. Hayoon laughs, but doesn’t try again.

So she grows up like this: playing alone in the corner, pretending the sticks she finds are swords of old, gleaming in the sun. She rages against the sky, besieges the doll castle she got as a gift, conquers a foreign street. Hayoon at her side always, Hayoon twirling in the golden light, Hayoon laughing, Hayoon’s sleepy face smudges against her chest.

Protect, the voice inside her whispers, and Jihyo pulls her closer.

V.

You’re becoming more beautiful every day, they tell Hayoon, and it frightens Jihyo. She knows what that will mean. She is twelve and she understands the ways of the world now. She cannot shield her eyes any longer. Being beautiful means being wanted, and what people want can be sold, but only if the people wanting are important because of their numbers. But Hayoon giggles and she can’t talk.

No one ever asks what she wants. (She wants, more than anything, to go to those golden shores, to hear the birds sing there, to speak in that language that sometime flies through her mind like a fleeting memory, a wisp in the air, a hint of something greater.)

VI.

If she closes her eyes: a white knuckled grip on a kopis, the taste of blood in her mouth but none of it hers, a field of men slewn at her feet as she roars with victory.

If she opens them: Hayoon crying, her eyes swollen shut, blood trickling down her nose. Hayoon screaming they’re going to sell me, they’re going to hurt me. Hayoon crying don’t let them hurt me.

VII.

She is right. They come for her, cursing and forceful. And Hayoon crying don’t let them hurt me, don’t let them hurt me. Hayoon screaming, unnie, save me.

Hayoon screaming don’t let them hurt me, but Jihyo is just a little girl, and she doesn’t want pain either. She is weak and fragile and all alone.

Fight, the voice inside her roars, and Jihyo listens.

VIII.

She is not a girl in a cage, she is not a broken bird. She is a goddess. The blood they have spilled so carelessly is the blood of a queen. Her pulse roars like the rally cry of an army, deafening over her own screams.  In her wake, empires fall. Her eyes have witnessed hundreds of spears gleaming in the sun, coated with blood.

Fight, the voice inside her roars.

She is not fragile. She is unbreakable. She is a tenacious protector, fierce in her wrath.

Fight, the voice inside her roars.

Her anger sparks like a supernova, like a galaxy bursting into life, violent and glorious, a darkness and then the light, her frightened animal heart breaking out of its cage, the golden shores washed by tidal waves.

Fight, the voice inside her roars. I will protect you, the voice inside her promises, and Jihyo is unafraid.

IX.

When the anger subsides and the voice stops roaring, they are all dead at her feet. Hayoon’s eyes are wide and teary-eyed, but when the footsteps sound, she doesn’t hesitate. She takes Jihyo’s hand and pulls her along and together they run into the night.

X.

Life on the street is harder than life in her golden cage, but it is free. She has Hayoon, she has an army of girls just like them, girls who ran into the night with their heads held high, girls with scars and bruises, who fell apart at the seams once, who picked themselves back up. She has Hayoon, she has a stranger’s wallet in her hand. She has a friend and dreams about a woman, strong like a mother, protecting her.

What more could a girl want?

XI.

Of course it is a man who ruins it.

XII.

You are meant for more than this, he says.

This means Hayoon shivering in a corner, this means boys fleeing with broken bones and bruised ribs. This means starving, slowly but surely. This means freezing, slowly but surely. This means living like an animal.

The voice inside her agrees and Jihyo listens.

XIII.

So he teaches her, how to fight, how to destroy. A vessel of another kind. No more deliveries. No more things given, but things taken.

He gives her names.

She makes the names go away.

XIV.

Life is good for a while. They regain another golden palace, Hayoon by her side. No longer a lost girl, but a queen. (And he, her king, in the silent spaces of her mind.)

But Hayoon stops smiling one day. She goes quiet and cold. She doesn’t like it when he comes near her, but she doesn’t tell Jihyo to leave. Jihyo knows, she didn’t like the streets. She didn’t like the fear of it, the uncertainty.

Jihyo knows, Hayoon is too beautiful to suffer like that.

XV.

Months pass and the swelling of Hayoon’s belly can’t be denied anymore. At dinner, Hayoon looks at the table but Jihyo looks at him. He looks away, and Jihyo knows: she should have never trusted a man. No one talks about it, but the truth lies heavy in the air between them, always on the verge of threatening to spill into words.

XVI.

Hayoon doesn’t want to run anymore, so they stay. Her baby girl is healthy, but Hayoon doesn’t smile. Hayoon barely looks. She has his eyes.

A year of silence and Jihyo finds her on the ledge of the apartment building. Hayoon twirls in the golden sunlight of the setting sun and then she is gone.

Then it’s all gone.

XVII.

Fight, the voice inside her roars, but Jihyo is too tired. She knows what fighting means. It means taking more things out of the world.

She doesn’t want anything out of this world. She wants Hayoon in it. She wants Hayoon back. Fight, fight, fight, the voice inside her roars, destroy.

Protect, she tells it. Protect.

XX.

Protect, she tells the voice inside her.

And it answers her. Protect.

REALLY  LONG  CHARACTER  SURVEY.  RULES.  repost ,   don’t  reblog  !    tag  10  ! good  luck  !  TAGGED.  from Space Dad  TAGGING.  Space Dad already tagged all y’all

BASICS.

FULL  NAME :   Lance Mateo McClain NICKNAME :   Sir Lancelot ;D  AGE :  19 BIRTHDAY :   June 7th ETHNIC  GROUP :  Cuban NATIONALITY :   Cuban-American LANGUAGE / S : English, Spanish SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :  pansexual ROMANTIC  ORIENTATION :  biromantic RELATIONSHIP  STATUS :   taken?? probably?? HOME  TOWN / AREA :  Cardenas, Cuba CURRENT  HOME :   Castle of Lions PROFESSION :  Blue Paladin, seventh wheel

PHYSICAL.

HAIR: Dark brown that used to be cropped close above his ears, forehead, and neatly trimmed in the back, though now growing out to almost Keith levels of embarrassing EYES :  Blue (like our planet from far far away) FACE :  Chin could cut bread it’s so sharp LIPS :   Thin but always well moisturized and exfoliated each night with a homemade scrub he’s concocted using elements from various planets they’ve visited. The mask doesn’t look pretty, but he sure looks pretty afterwards. COMPLEXION :  A deep tan that persists despite no natural sunlight on the castle to facilitate proper absorption of Vitamin D, constantly clear skin is due to the same mask components he uses on his lips-- applied each night for maximum benefits. BLEMISHES :  Light acne scarring on his chin from when he was young and foolish SCARS : A series of light nicks littering his back that pale in comparison to his deeper complextion, recieved from crystal shrapnel when protecting Coran in the control room. Starburst scar on his abdomen from being shot straight through. Various other scratches from paladin duty, but nothing severe. TATTOOS :  N/A HEIGHT :   5′11″ WEIGHT :   138 lbs. BUILD :  Tall and lanky for his age, he has a swimmer’s build and impressive lean muscle in his arms and legs though not particularly defined FEATURES :  Cute AF. ALLERGIES :   Bees USUAL  HAIR  STYLE : Combed down after ridiculous bedhead  USUAL  FACE  LOOK :   Better than Keith USUAL  CLOTHING :  The over sized olive military jacket he had grabbed when going out the night before rescuing/stealing Shiro from the garrison, blue and grey baseball tee, jeans, and his favorite pair of sneakers

PSYCHOLOGY.

FEAR / S :   Never returning to Earth, losing his friends and makeshift family, being useless and in extension, a burden to Voltron, returning to the healing pods/being cryogenically frozen again ASPIRATION / S :   Return home, make it out alive, feel like an asset to the team, collect some cool space rocks to show his siblings POSITIVE  TRAITS :   Outgoing | Compassionate | Adaptable NEGATIVE  TRAITS :   Insecure | Self-sacrificing | Argumentative MBTI :   Campaigner (ENFP-T) ZODIAC :   Gemini TEMPEREMENT :   Sanguine SOUL  TYPE / S :   Performer ANIMALS :   swan VICE  HABIT / S :   Biting his nails, picking at his nails, running his hands through his hair repeatedly  FAITH :  Lapsed Catholic GHOSTS ? :  There are aliens, why the hell not ghosts? AFTERLIFE ? :   His Abuela is definitely in heaven REINCARNATION ? :   doesn’t believe ALIENS ? :   He’d be pretty stupid to say 'no’ to this one POLITICAL  ALIGNMENT :  Pro Defenders of the Universe EDUCATION  LEVEL :    Close to graduating from Galaxy Garrison, though a lower class ranking overall in the fighter class program due to his piloting skills (or lack thereof when it came to simulations. Good thing this isn’t a simulation.)

FAMILY.

FATHER :    Lance inherited his eyes from his father.. An office worker that would come home from work and swing Lance and his siblings around in a big hug. Deceased after a car accident on his way home from work.  MOTHER :    Xiomara, a robust Cuban woman with a warm smile and warmer heart. A struggling single mother that wants the best for all of her kids, even if that means nagging on them to do their best when they just want to lay there (*cough*Lance*cough*). Nothing will ever beat her hugs or her homemade meals. SIBLINGS :   Christina, older sister. Michael, older brother. Samuel, younger step-brother. Rosa, younger step-sister. EXTENDED  FAMILY :   Jane, niece. Rogelio, grandfather. NAME  MEANING / S :    Lance; exactly what it sounds like. A lance. Mateo; Gift of God. McClain; son of Saint John. HISTORICAL  CONNECTION ? :   n/a.

FAVORITES.

BOOK :  Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan MOVIE :   Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) and Pacific Rim (2013) (He’s kind of living the mech dream right now) 5  SONGS : Whistle by Flo Rida, Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen, Death of a Bachelor by Panic! At the Disco, Bubblegum Bitch by Marina and the Diamonds, Unsteady by X Ambassadors DEITY :   None HOLIDAY :   Christmas MONTH :   July SEASON :   Summer PLACE :    Veradero beach, Cuba. Too many late night bonfires and swimming under the stars with friends and family for it not to have a special place in his heart. WEATHER :   Warm, sunny, not a cloud in the sky.  SOUND :   Waves crashing against the shore during a storm SCENT / S :   Fresh pizza, his mom’s floral perfume, the castle shampoo TASTE / S :    Sea salt on his lips, key lime pie, chocolate chip cookies FEEL / S :   Cool air just before a storm that has a charge running across his skin, a soft blanket wrapped around his shoulders, Keith’s hand in his  ANIMAL / S :    dolphins NUMBER :  35, his two lucky numbers-- 3 and 5 combined. It’s extra lucky. COLORS :   Light blue like the sky on a clear day, pastel yellow like his baby blanket back home

EXTRA.

TALENTS :  Being better than Keith, Adapting plans to fit new circumstances, quick wit, charming, observant, a good shot and steady hand, being expendable BAD  AT :  Realizing his importance, Losing, piloting in a simulation TURN  ONS :   Biting, scratching, praise, hair pulling TURN  OFFS :   Humiliation HOBBIES :    Doodling on paper scraps, helping Coran with castle upkeep, tapping out music while bothering Hunk or Pidge, staring at Keith QUOTES :     “You know why they call me the tailor? Because of how I... Thread the needle.” ... “I don’t need pants, I’m a mermaid.”

MUN QUESTIONS.

Q1 :   if  you  could  write  your  character  your  way  in  their  own  movie ,   what  would  it  be  called ,  what  style  would  it  be  filmed  in ,  and  what  would  it  be  about ?           A1 :   While I’m quite sure Lance would love to have his own James Bond-esque thriller where he gets the girl, I’d rather have him in a coming of age story where he learns to grow into himself and his insecurities. As well as maybe, instead of getting the girl, he gets the guy. Wink wink.  Q2 :   what  would  their  soundtrack / score  sound  like ?           A2 :   Some soothing instrumental with cool drum solos Q3 :   why  did  you  start  writing  this  character ?           A3 :   I’m used to writing ‘mom’ characters (see: Starfire (DC), Mitsuru (Persona4), a handful of others) but wanted to try something else out when I saw Morgan and Grey’s characterization. I wanted to introduce my own portrayal of Lance since I loved him so much. Although Keith used to be my favorite character, Lance has quickly wormed his way to first place. Lance is also the most relateable character for me. Q4 :   what  first  attracted  you  to  this  character ?           A4 :   His puns and overall dorkiness, as well as fandom represented adoration for a certain mullet. Q5 :   describe  the  biggest  thing  you  dislike  about  your  muse.           A5 :   the thought of disliking anything about Lance is horrifying. though in canon, the way they treat him like he’s stupid when he’s SO smart and deserves so much more Q6 :   what  do  you  have  in  common  with  your  muse ?           A6 :   We can both be self-sacrificing, dorks, and if there is ever a chance to use a bad joke or pun I am on it. Q7 :   how  does  your  muse  feel  about  you ?           A7 :  "Why are you like this” @ me  Q8 :   what  characters  does  your  muse  have  interesting  interactions  with ?         A8 :    Everyone. Seriously, each thread has been great. @hologramandahardplace hmu sometime though Q9 :   what  gives  you  inspiration  to  write  your  muse ?         A9 :   Talking about AUs or headcanons, primarily. Or looking at gorgeous fanart. That helps too. Q10 :   how  long  did  this  take  you  to  complete ?           A10 :    TOO LONG. 4 hours?? Give or take?

6 interesting ways new musicians can make a name for themselves

Being a good musician isn’t an easy thing to achieve. It takes a lot of hard work, practice and patience. Even if you reach the level of a “professional musician,” it doesn’t guarantee you great success. There are countless good musicians out there, but they weren’t able to make a name for themselves.

The music market is simply over-saturated with artists and bands in every genre, and most of their music can be found online. This means that it’s very difficult to attract the attention of managers, producers, or labels, and get them interested in your music — no matter what genre we’re talking about.

In this huge crowd of artists and music to choose from it can be extremely difficult to make a breakthrough and become noticeable. This is why we decided to give you some advice on how to achieve that breakthrough, because you also need to be savvy on the business side of things to succeed as a musician. Most artist find this difficult.

1. Be creative with your live performance

One of the ways to attract attention and spread the word about yourself is to give a memorable live performance every time. Although it is important to sound good live and make sure that your performance shows your musical skills, it is also a good idea to add showmanship to your performance and entertain people even further.

You are a musician, but you are also an entertainer and, if you are able to animate people, they will have more fun at your show and remember it for a long time. First of all, it’s a good idea to have some unique visuals that will represent you and brand you in some way.

On the other hand, it’s essential that you move around the stage and show the crowd who’s in charge. You need to display confidence in your own way and show that you’re not shy. This is the only way that the crowd will respect you as a musician.

[Editor’s note: or find a way to use your shyness to your advantage in a performance setting, ala early Cat Power or Elliott Smith.]

Engage the crowd, talk to them, ask them to help you with the performance by clapping, jumping, or singing. Create a routine with your band members and do something interesting that will leave a good impression. However, don’t allow your showmanship to reduce the quality of your performance. The most important thing is to sound good.

2. Blog from the heart

One of the ways a lot of musicians were able to draw attention is through blogging. If you feel like you have something to tell people about your music, your experience, knowledge, music gear, shows, bands, or anything else related to music, then consider starting a blog. Of course, you will also need adequate writing skills to become a blogger.

The first important thing you need to remember is to avoid talking directly about your band or your material, as you will come off as cheap and people won’t support you. Instead, you should look to talk about important topics people might find interesting and, by gathering a big audience, you can brand yourself as an artist.

Don’t overthink it and keep it simple and short. Talk about a topic like you would with someone in real life and show your real self. Write your blog casually. Imagine sending letters to friends to adjust your tone and express yourself naturally, as the real you.

You should also include things from your personal life, like what happens to you on a daily basis. This is how you will connect with people even further and make them interested in the stories you have to tell. After you’ve created an audience, you can casually start promoting new material at the end of your blog posts, asking people to listen to your music.

3. Do collaborations with other musicians

Being in a band or an individual artist means that you will have to network with other musicians and try to make as many valuable contacts as possible. If you want the audience to notice your work, you will first have to mingle within the music community.

Meet and connect with as many peers and try to collaborate on mutual projects. Not only can this help you get noticed (if they’ve already established a name for themselves), but you will be able to do something different and evolve musically. Who knows, you might even get ideas for new material.

If a person likes one artist a lot, there is a great chances that this person will check out artists with whom they collaborate. This is how music works. People want to find similar artists and enjoy their music as well and collaborations can easily point them in the right direction.

Contact other musicians, even if you don’t know them, send them your work and wait for their responses. It won’t be easy, but once someone likes what you do, you might get a chance to make better contacts and even collaborate on making something that could skyrocket your career.

4. Vinyl is important to audiophiles

Even though everyone listens to digital music today, there are a lot of people who still cherish vinyl sounds and love to listen to analog music. No matter what you’re thinking, vinyl is not dead, and there is a huge community of people who prefer it.

If you are trying to make music with integrity, play your own instruments, and write your own songs, then vinyls enthusiasts might be your target audience. These are the people who love production, respect good songwriting, and they want to listen to good music.

There are more and more people switching back to vinyl as they understand that this type of music reproduction offers more quality. This is something you should consider as well, as you can make good money selling vinyl.

5. Create a strong visual presence

Visuals also matter for musicians. First of all, the way you look can make you stand out and this is very important. On the other hand, your stage visuals and your whole band (if you are in one) need to have adequate visuals that are connected with your story.

You also need to make sure that all of your promotional material, including pictures, logos, and flyers has engaging visuals that can attract the attention of people and tell them that you are worth checking out. Your website, albums, or visuals on stage, can attract the attention of potential listeners that might like your music.

It can help them make the first step and download your music online, listen to you at a festival, or simply want to learn more about you. For a lot of people, visuals are the first thing that they notice about an artist, to give them a chance in the sea of other musicians.

6. Tell your story

As mentioned before, your singing or guitar playing skills could be flawless, but nobody will care about that if there is no story behind it. For example, Bon Jovi started playing at 13 when his neighbour gave him guitar lessons and he came completely unprepared which made his neighbour say “you are just a waste of time” and he threw him out.

Bon Jovi learned from this and he made sure that he was always prepared and on time after that. It is important that you represent yourself as a musician and tell a story through your music as well as when talking to people, managers, fans, and media.

For many people, this is the entry they need. When they hear a good story, they will pay attention to that artist and be open to listening to their music. You should also look to make your story a part of your live performance and try to suck people into it.

Even though hard core music fans will say that they are “all about music,” they still pay a lot of attention to the things mentioned above, so make sure that you do as well. However, this is only to attract their attention; good music will make them become your fans, so make sure that you work hard on your songs and deliver a memorable musical experience.

Author bio: Anja Skrba is a Content Creation Manager for https://firstsiteguide.com, an educational website which provides tutorials and guides that help people create, grow and maintain their online presence. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

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