Eyes of the SEES members ~

I’ve always admired artstyles where every character has super unique and recognizable vibes, so decided to try it with the gang. Super fun, highly recommend!

In the process of designing these I developed headcanons for each of their eyes, kind weird but if you want to read me ranting about why I drew Yukaris pupils a certain way or whatever, feel free to click read more lol.

Makoto: I wanted him to look tired, so a lot of his eyelashes go downward instead of upwards, also eye bags because he has insomnia and you can’t convince me otherwise. I didn’t want his eyes to look hollow/empty, but I didn’t want to put super obvious highlights and I think it works? Idk. Also drew his eyes in a way that reminds me of the ocean at night (Atlus gave me a ocean/water motif and I run with it ok?). His eyebrows are kinda “messy” in comparison to the others but I think it makes his eyes prettier so it is in character to me.

Yukari: I wanted her eyes to look a little more intense and turned them a little to give them a slightly “angry look”. Yukari should have a light case of rbf imo. I feel like Yukari puts a lot of effort into her appearance, and she probably wears more makeup but I cannot draw that to save my life lmao. Her eyebrows are probably the least messy other than Mitsurus, for the same reason as the previous one. Also hard to tell, but I put hearts in her pupils because it’s cute. Really proud of these ones, they read like hers so well to me.

Junpei: Junpeis eyes were so fun to draw! I feel like he’d have pretty short lashes and slightly smaller eyes, but still very vibrant! I really wanted his eyes to look full of life but still pretty simple, and I think I did pretty well! They feel very expressive to me. Also I feel like he’d have naturally very thin eyebrows, so gave him that lol.

Akihiko: idk how I feel about these, but I guess they’re alright? Gave him a kinda intense stare ig. I gave him really long natural eyelashes because I feel like he’d have them (canonical pretty boy that he is) and I’m somewhat proud of them because I stuggle with making longer eyelashes look masculine so guess this is a win. Gave him an eyebrow slit because I was so sure he had one in p4arena only to find out he didn’t even have eyebrows in it. What.

Fuuka: I feel like Fuukas neutral expression would still look slightly confused/concerns so her eyes are a little droopy. Gave her short but thick eyebrows because I thought it would be cute. Her eyes kinda remind me of rain and I like that! Also sidenote love the fact that official art draws fuuka with teal eyebrows. The implication that she was either born with teal hair or is so dedicated to the dye job she even dyed her eyebrows is hilarious to me. I know blue is treated as a normal hair color in persona-universe but Fuuka is literally the only one with teal hair how is it not dyed but yosuke and chies is??

Mitsuru: I wanted Mitsuru to be pretty. I gave her thinner but crisp eyebrows and eyeliner. I was a little worried because before I started shading her eyes looked kinda evil?? Lol but they turned out better in the end. Didn’t do a lot of details in her eyes because it felt like it worked better that way, but gave her bright highlights in her eyes to make up for it.

Aigis: These are my least favorite, and the first ones I did. Not sure if thats awful, because I wanted them to be very different from the rest. I feel like Aigis doesn’t actually have this wide eyes but willingly widens them so you can see the whole iris. I feel like her eyes would look more normal at a distance, and most of her classmates just assume she’s got weird eyes because they’re an uncommon eye color (major “give her brown contacts please” energy). Made her eyes look like does target-thingys and slightly plastic-y.

Ken: I didn’t want his eyes to be to bright, but still lively and childish. I gave him round wide eyes + smaller and thicker eyebrows to give a more childish feel. His eyelashes are pretty short but made them point more downwards since they looked too cheerful when turned upwards.

Shinjiro: dunno how readable these are as shinji, but theyre fine. Made his eyes very dark and put bright highlights cause I thought it looked better than the grey he actually has. Also gave him major eyebags because man has not had a good nights rest since like. Last October (sorry)

So, you've done multiple designs for Jango. How would he look if he had your body type?

The honest answer? Probably the same. Just round out his belly and give him another chin, lol. ;P

But, you know, such a simple answer is never enough for me, so I decided to scribble down something for the fun of it.

Honestly, this was so fucking hard to do. Not because of any arbitrary reasons like "fat people are hard to do in my style" or any bullshit like that. But because, well, apparently I still hold quite a few old wounds that are still tender about my body and weight. Tumblr might LOVE to make sex symbols out of people with plus-sized body types like mine, but it doesn't magically undo years of bullying and self-destruction.

It WOULD be theraputic to draw Jango like this more, especially since, to be honest, it's not exactly like most people would give a rat's ass what I do with him since he's not the most popular thing I draw on my dA or other sites. BUT I think I'm too attached to how I've been drawing him for, lol, years now. Maybe he needs to be his own character...

Also, special shout outs to these anons who hurt me in a way I didn't think I could still be hurt and do damage to my confidence. :) You're the reasons I stopped drawing two of my own damn characters cause they're fat.

I hope if you're two different people, or the same guy behind that mask, that you eternally keep stepping on lego pieces. :)

I mean, personally, just comparing them a little, some of the differences between your fawfuls then and now would probably be that he's a little more detailed? I can see where the brow is, and the teeth have a whole thing going on there, but I know what you mean about the accuracy thing. As cool as the detailed teeth are, his tend to be more like chatter teeth - they're cartoony! - and his face is more round, so you wouldn't see a separation for the brow like that.

YES! And my natural style does tend to add that sort of detail to everything. One of the reasons learning to draw Fawful was so hard for me is BECAUSE he's so simple! People severely underestimate how difficult simple, cartoony styles are to learn. Literally some of the artists I admire the most are those who are able to create extremely simple but VERY visually appealing images.

I think oftentimes people just see detail and immediately go "that's better" but anyone who's done both... we know differently, lol.

In my experience, the simpler a character design is, the easier it is to get wrong. This is also a thing I found true when I used to cosplay a lot. Say you're creating a Mario costume and you mess up Mario's overalls, EVERYONE is going to notice! All the pieces have to line up to make the character.

But if I mess up a few things on a Final Fantasy character's outfit? It won't matter much at all as long as everything comes together in the end. Complicated designs are a lot more forgiving.

I draw this character as a pure labor of love because I can promise you this has not been easy for me. I struggle with almost every single drawing I create of him but I love him so much that I just keep doing it anyway lol. If I felt any differently I would’ve given up a long time ago.

☆ crown | xu minghao and jeon wonwoo

▰ genre: college au! / NO READER INSERT = ORIGINAL CHARACTER / drama, coming of age, romantic, angst ... so original characters and seventeen *gasp* you guessed it — a svt fanfic

▰ word count: about 2.7k

▰ a/n: interest check of a full fledged story i’ve planned but am refraining to put effort in due to possible, complete lack of reads or audience (nobody’s fault but mine). i’d love to hear your feedback! this is chapter one; please let me know if i should continue or just leave it at this LOL

▰ synopsis: jo woolim can’t juggle to save her life, and yet she is somehow managing to stay with her boyfriend: jeon wonwoo, who is possibly cheating on her (again), her strained friendships, fitting into her new school, estranged family, learning to wholly love and forgive herself - in a time unprecedented and searching for the boy of her dreams, xu minghao, the prodigal foreign exchange student. she’s looking for real love, where it’s lacking, where it’s needed, and where it’s always been. by the way, it is not easy!

▰ additional: i listened to epilogue by justin hurtwitz as well as mia and sebastian’s theme (which is somewhat a reprise of it despite it being previous to epilogue, of course) as i wrote it so here u go!

Jo Woolim's feet hurt for multiple reasons, but getting stood up, time and time again, to now, at the age of twenty three is the main contribution to the pain.

The stairs are a pretty humiliating choice of seating, especially to conduct her double digit calls to the person who stood her up, which is her harmless best friend, Sookyung. So, no hard feelings, right? (Right?)

She shouldn't even be that embarrassed because it's not Wonwoo — the Jeon Wonwoo, her very own boyfriend — that stood her up, but she supposes she can be since he'd refused to go and even teased her about wanting to go.

The staircase is fine marble, allowing each footstep to click and clack with each heel that ascends because the party's just beginning. With this venue mimicking a palace, Woolim feels way out of place. Some girls have poofy dresses and others possess thinner material, accentuating the hills of each girl's curves and edges walking in. The boys are all the same, offering the bare minimum. Why does everyone get to be beautiful except her?

Shaking the last thought off, Woolim exerts so much effort to make it look like being alone and ugly doesn't bother her. But, she has to bite the bullet and make a move.

So, her legs spring up, taking her up to the rest of the party. She ignores the heat accumulating from the small of her back to just about every part of her body as she walks in, trying to take everything in and not look like such a loser. Jesus, is everyone looking at her? Are they talking about her?

There were definitely perks to this new university and one of them is the commencement of her class, which arrives in the form of a ceremony with a festivity that follows immediately after. Of course, as a transfer, she gets the initiation that throws a theme, so she has to wear the clown paint and clothes that they inform you to wear to match.

All she is missing is a crown and she's a royal fool.

The Masquerade Ball, as the provost and student affairs staff, had been rumored since before she'd even transferred to the school, which added up to just two months ago. Three months before, she had received that acceptance letter.

She should've known.

Woolim stifles a cough, hoping that the callousing - painful callousing - in her soles due to her starchy dress shoes would be able to mask the humiliation that was beginning to sting behind her eyes.

Of course, she had no identity, but everyone still looks over at her in pity.

The room offered dim lighting, romantic hues of pinks, and citrusy chardonnay beading the adjacent walls. Woolim thirsts for an exit.

The song changes to something unattainable audibly but she must not even be able to hear herself, and before she knows, someone to the side of Woolim bumps into her, back slamming against her body and into the wall.

A frantic, male voice follows, yelping out apologies, as he reaches down to pull her up.

"Jesus, I'm so sorry. Told him to not try and shake what his mama gave him and here we are, here you are, we're both so sorry..." Woolim's vision focuses as she returns to eye level and manages a minor grin at the boy as much of his appearance stands out wonderfully.

With heavily dyed platinum hair, a turquoise suit with rhinestones in various floral designs across the front and wrists, tiger eyes, and led lights curling around the outline of his mask, this boy looked like a lot of fun. A head of chestnut locks remain bowed by his shoulder.

The blond grabs her palm desperately, and he's making wailing sounds.

"I apologize for not only Seokmin but for his upbringing. May Satan guide him in return." He prayed aloud, apology too comical to be real but nonetheless real.

Woolim finally speaks up when the music quiets down just a touch and she doesn't have to stammer to be heard.

"No, you're fine! I can't really see with this mask." She reveals, voice too out there for its own good, but at this, the boy's eyes expand in shock and the bowed head lifts up with intrigue.

"Are you sure? It was pretty rude of us, wasn't it, Seokmin?" He nudges his friend, who's dressed in a simpler, humbler suit, who nods sullenly.

"I'm really, really embarrassed... besides, I think she gets it, Soonyoung."

"Whatever, Oprah singer."

"It's opera!"

The air around them hardens as they begin to bicker. Seokmin places his hands on his hips to deliver his rebuttals but the last thing that Woolim wants is to make two friends fight, let alone cause trouble while she has no date.

"I really am alright! No harm done. I'm just...a little relieved actually that someone's speaking to me," she admits wincingly. There's no need to be as honest as possible, but that doesn't stop her from adding, "I didn't come to the ball with anyone."

The two boys frown and coo, letting out maple syrupy aw's, surprisingly sympathizing with her.

"If it makes you feel any better, our dates were too busy to come, so he and I came together. We also do have another buddy with us, officially making it a threesome!" Soonyoung chats loudly and Seokmin elbows him in the chest at the last comment.

"That's not what a threesome is, Soon."

"Whatever," he waves his hand dismissively. Woolim notices that despite the gravity between the two friends, they remain focused on her. It feels nice. "We did lose him a little while ago though. Maybe he's around here somewhere."

Woolim then levels with them to form a line so she could follow their eye as they peer around the venue, which seems futile since their view is obscured by the angle, decorations, and crowds. The opaque curtains of the many entrances within the main venue gave the illusion that this place was endless. It feels like a trance that went on forever. Reality washes over Woolim and she can feel the weight of being the person one meets and should leave.

"Uh...I'm sorry for getting in your guys' way initially," she announces with a tone that makes her seem unsure of the words on her tongue. Seokmin rolls his head over at her, eyebrows drawing inwardly and puppy dog eyes. She's about to coolly and casually make her leave to no longer bother the boys, but Soonyoung has a different idea.

"Nonsense! It was our fault to begin with, and to repay your gracious hand," Soonyoung then motions to Woolim's bare hand as the other apparels one silky dress glove. "We're trying to at least become an even foursome with you and our friend! God knows where the hell the great Minghao is though!"

"Right behind you." A chilling, oolonged voice speaks up suddenly and startled enough, Woolim's disposition remains unaffected despite her heart catching up to leap in her chest with her delayed reaction.

"Minghao, you wanted to give me a heart attack, didn't you?" Seokmin sighs dramatically, voice hitching to imitate crying. Upon hearing the rich laugh, Woolim tips her head slowly and changes her footing to turn round.

The supposed Minghao peers down at Woolim, unreadable expression through the simple glow of his ivory mask. His raven black hair, lengthy and healthy, adorns his crown like he deserves a throne to come with the apparel.

"We found a person and we found you!" Soonyoung hesitantly wraps his hand around Woolim's wrist, loosely keeping his fingers around to lift and wave.

Minghao snickers delicately.

"I found you actually," he corrects, eyeing his friends, even meeting Woolim's to speak. "And I'm sure you didn't meet because of an accident, right?"

"That was on my part," Woolim speaks up but bites on her bottom lip once his piercing gaze trains upon her. "Sorry..."

"You’ve done no wrong, though?" Minghao's lips stretches into a wonderful smile.

" — yeah, it was Seokmin." Soonyoung mutters, earning himself a tiny shove.

"Minghao, you didn't come here with anyone for a date, right?" Seokmin poses. Woolim notices from his accent that Korean is not his first language but has such a grip with his words, it almost passes one's mind initially.

"Not this time," he answers nebulously. Woolim has to hold back a scowl. "If you’d like, I would love to have you... er, and what's your name?"

She can feel Soonyoung's and Seokmin's excited watch upon her but since this is the first night that she's seen boys be so decent, she figures she might, as well, make their night. They certainly have made hers, after all, excluding this Minghao at the moment.

"I'm Woolim. W-Woolim," she says twice, one too many. Minghao's expression loosens with pleasant awe.

"No surname?" He quizzes, voice too serious for it to be a joke. Woolim feels absolutely no urge to joke around, anxiety fizzing in the very marrow of her bones, so she just shakes her head and hopes he wouldn't see her cocked eyebrow.

"Well," he clears his throat. "I'm Xu Minghao. Seo Myungho. I've got 4 names."

"I've got three," Soonyoung pipes up and everyone groans.

"Soonyoung, don't say it in front of her. That's so gross." Seokmin leans over to shake his head but eye Woolim, in the way that friends who’ve known each other for a long time do. It's a nice feeling.

The music changes, taking a turn from some pop electronica to some heavy pulse from a contemporary rhythm and blues type, and the bass rocks hard enough to shake her ribs.

Minghao locks eyes with her and beams charmingly. He even takes her surprise further by reaching a hand out, fingers long and elegant.

"Would you care to dance with me? Or do you want to take this chance to leave like you were looking for earlier?"

Woolim feels like she merely imagined him asking the last question, which leads her to consider bolting for the doors last minute. Surely, Wonwoo would be home and maybe tonight, he'd be in the mood to love her and like her.

Oh, what she'd do to be loved and liked at the same time.

"Do what you would like," his tone lightens into something sweeter like rosehip. "I don't think you should put your lovely ensemble to waste."

Woolim swallows hard at that and just when she is about to acknowledge the two excited chitters from the other two boys, Minghao takes her hand into his. A cool grip overtakes a clammy warmth. Wordlessly, they somehow sail across the linoleum floor.

All the half hidden faces that had been judging her now evaporate with the blue and green lighting, hues and keys ascending into reds and minors.

Minghao is the type to maintain eye contact and Woolim hates it.

In the back of her mind, bits and pieces of her mind offer memories of what she could see of herself in the reflections. Since Sookyung shared the same favorite color that she did, Woolim went with another: sleet blue. Thin straps hang off her thick shoulders that had a loose, lace cover across her biceps and chest. The hems are riddled with sparkles and flowers. The rest of the silk sticks to each and every edge of her body before drifting off past her chronically swollen ankles with the extra layers adding volume. Her skin appears mottled but overall amber. Her mask is ridden in silvery lace and false white gems and roses. Woolim never knew she could look lovely.

"Do you mind if I hold you close?" He leads, raising their joined hands to sway.

Woolim opens her mouth only to nod. Despite the darkness of the brown and the dim lighting, she sees that his eyes are dotted with flames of the bits of lighting around the venue. The night of his pupils burn right through her and yet she only feels sparks from him, especially once his other hand comes to gently graze her waist.

"Are you okay with this?" He sways them a little more to the right with each movement. Woolim doesn't fancy being this quiet and immobile so she moves his hand into her. His hold is gentle and electrifying as if eternities have passed since she's last been embraced as sweetly as this.

"How long have you gone to this school?" Minghao leans in to better emphasize his question.

"I just transferred, actually," she says as casually as possible since the strokes they make when they sway are becoming too grand for her to catch up.

He's incredibly quick on his feet, so much so that her eyes must drop to follow their direction. Many bodies and pairs round about the two, but they all blend in with the backdrop of the room.

"Follow my counts. One, two, three ─" He drifts into quadrants, slow enough for her to catch up but she continues to knock into his chest. "─ and four. Let's go again. You're alright, I promise. Seokmin used to firmly believe his body was not built at all for anything besides existing."

Woolim glances to the side to see Seokmin rocking his hips next to Soonyoung side to side within frequent increments. They also somehow manage to can-can despite the slow synth and phrases of the song.

"Are you always this quiet?" Minghao breathes and this question catches her off guard. Perhaps taking her breath away had been his intention and he uses this to intertwine their fingers like they're meant to be.

"I’d tell you a lie but since you don't know me, I'm going to tell you the truth; I think I like having you try and get me to talk." Woolim purses her lips tightly as soon as she finds herself smirking.

Minghao steps back, which she nearly leaps to follow, but with the gentlest pivot of his wrist, Woolim twirls like one of the toys she'd wanted all her childhood. Her chest rides past the clouds and her heart pursues, shuttling upwards.

"My goodness, you're a natural!" He comments when he swings her to one side and right back into his embrace. She's smiling.

The song is still playing, and if at all possible, it's hanging above her head precariously and it's just the two of them on the planet.

"Are you sure you don't want me to know you?" He asks once more, and this time, she sheds a few feathers of her insecurities.

The song is still as powerful enough to beat as her heart.

"You ask a lot of questions, Minghao." She manages to grin and their steps narrow to continue to tread the same space.

He peers down at her and the flames are still lit.

"I can't help it. Honestly, honestly. I want to know you truly, honestly."

His loving smile buckles under the bite into his lip. She must be lying when she sees his eyes drop to her mouth. This must be a dream.

"I'm-I'm an open book," she murmurs, captivated by his own lips, and gasps quietly when the hand on her waist is suddenly cupping her jaw. No, she is not, the more authoritative Woolim reprimands silently. But it matters not - she's not loud either.

The song is still playing. It could play for eternities.

He rubs her cheek so tenderly and it has her eyes all a twinkle without realizing.

Wonwoo is no longer a thought. Sookyung no longer crosses her mind.

It only takes a few more countless seconds of wordless confirmation before Minghao dives in to take her lips with his and something behind her rib cage blossoms. He speaks against her mouth, but she doesn't care. She doesn't care.

He continues devouring her lips for the taking and she's left speechless, breaths searching for something to hold onto in between their own mouths.

The daily lows of her life are a fleeting death as she now soars high in a fairy tale-like limelight that only pertains to the two of them. All she's missing is a crown.

Where is her crown? Her mind's whispers fade with every proceeding second. And for once, Woolim feels so good that nothing matters.

Hewwo Tattah~ Could you share with us 3 to 5 artists that inspire you? It's always cool to know the inspiration behind our favorite artists!

This is actually the first thing I want to know from every artist that I like 😂 omg! THANKS FOR ASKING! Here comes the essay!!!!!

I’ll... go with the artists that influence my artstyle currently, cuz if I tell you every artist that inspire me we’ll be here for a while.

Starting with the folks from instagram:

1- Sara Tepes (@sarucatepes) - I LOVE her pencil drawings! They look so delicate and soft and simple. Even her sketches look finished! I particularly love the way she draws curly hair, it’s like she lets her pencil go every direction but when you try to do the same it looks garbage lol.

2- Naznemati - I have followed naz from since I made a tumblr account, when they moved to instagram, I moved to instagram. Their art was that dope to me. Unfortunately, this artist seems to have completely vanished from the face of the Earth and I am so sad!!!!😭 They had this weird, kinda evil but pretty looking characters that I absolutely adore. I love characters that look like some crazy creature trying to pass as human (most of the original characters I draw on the fly to warm up are like that) It’s probably my favorite aesthetic.

3 - Marzia Palomba (@heymaryjean) - it’s the most recent bean on this list. I started following her last year and already I am so in love with her painting style. She is the portrait queen! Her pictures look so vibrant and glossy and glittery! Ugh THE HIGHLIGHTS! Most of her work is done on the ipad , and since I got mine on decembe of last year, I kept visiting her gallery daily to give me an inspiration boost ( I had a real hard time adjusting ngl, it was very frustrating. I definitely needed that self pep talk while looking at her stuff)

4- Eiichiro Oda - It’s time for the masters! Everyone knows who this dude is, I don’t even need to say anything 😂 His influence on my art is not as much on artstyle but more of a creative one. I adore the character designs! They look so wacky and weird and exaggerated! Never in a million years I would ever think to create a swordsman who fights with 3 katanas (holding one on his mouth, that’s so stupid!), a 5 meters tall blond with a pink feather pimp coat, a leopard dude whose pigeon talks for him, a spanish looking loner pirate who is so absorbed into the vampire aesthetic that looks more vampiric than the actual vampire of the anime- you get my point...I want what he is smoking.

5 - Masashi Kishimoto - probably my favorite manga style to this day. Simple, soft and round! Tattah’s favorite formula! I did so many hand studies from Naruto it’s not even funny! In fact that’s how I learned to also draw feet and folds in clothing. I still see some bits of it in my artstyle sometimes xD Never let it be said that manga art isn’t valid, you DO learn stuff from it!

6- Dana Rune - as an honorable mention. I never really did any studies of her artstyle, or character design but I think I absorbed some elements of it from drawing so much Arcana 😅 this was completely accidental but there you go.

Moodboard Ship(s): NCT and TXT...

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

"...hiii my love !! how are you ? i hope you're well ashaja it is now my turn to threaten so yes you better be well or else 🔪 aahha.

may i get a moodboard ship with nct and txt please ? if not two then either of them is fine love !! thank you so muchh you're absolutely an angel and im so happy to have you as a friend. we need to talk more truly..."

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

In NCT I ship you with...

Jaehyun!

Your moodboard:

“Why do I get the feeling our relationship is backwards?” he asks as he wanders into your room, shrugs his jacket off, and hangs it over the back of your desk chair. You stare at his back, perplexed. Why was he here? “Isn’t it usually the girl who always wants to talk about feelings and the guy who bottles everything up inside?” he continues, his words finally catching up to you. Relationship? Feelings?

“I don’t bottle things up,” you shoot back, unable to clearly process the deeper meaning behind his words. Well, there is an imaginary box you like to hide things in, but that’s different—you think, in afterthought. “Right.” he responds, concurring. You can practically taste the sarcasm, his usual honey-like voice dripping with it. 

“Why—” you clear your throat, “Why are you here?” There’s a brief pause—not too long, but still long enough for your palms to begin to garner sweat. “Give me the setting sun, and I’ll be a richer man than most.” his voice is soft, almost as if he’s whispering. His hand reaches back in a swift motion, and he’s pulling off his shirt. As pure reflex you lower your gaze, but not before catching sight of his wings. They flutter momentarily, the sheer pink reflection catching in the setting sun. “For never have I seen gold like that which glows above the earth. Give me the night sky, and I’ll be the richest man for sure. For never have I seen diamonds like those that dance beside the moon.” he continues, back still facing you. You just barely recognize the scripture, fae are an ancient breed who take tradition very seriously. They have scriptures for everything—some more important than others. Your gut tells you this specific scripture is important. You begin to panic, wracking your brain for any clue as to what he’s saying to you—what he means.

And that’s when you see it, tucked beneath his left shoulder blade, almost hidden by his wing. A tattoo. Tattoos, to fae specifically, are much more than body art. They’re not meant for fun, they’re a declaration. A promise. A vow. You swallow your shock, narrowing your eyes to get a better look at the art. It’s small, delicate—but it also sticks out amongst his smooth, wide back.  You open your mouth to question him but your words die in place, your tongue suddenly feels thick, heavy in your mouth. It’s your name—the intricate design, the complex lines. This was more than a friend showing another friend some body art. This was a confession of the highest degree. A confession a fae of royalty should not be making to a simple human.

 “That’s incredible, Jaehyun. It is. But—" you swallow loudly in the quiet room, your heart jumping erratically in your chest.

“No." He turns around. "No buts. You think I'm going to hurt you? You think I'm going to get bored and run off with some undergrounder, some fairy, the first chance I get?” his eyes are piercing, dark with frustration. “You obviously have no idea how amazing you are. You are incredible, and I want you.” you take a step back, suddenly overwhelmed by his proximity, what he’s saying. “Every part of you. I want your stubbornness and your sarcasm and your competitive spirit. I want you challenging me and fighting beside me.” His large hands settle around your shoulders, pulling you closer. You resist—holding your hand on his chest—keeping him at a distance. What if one of the guards saw? “I want to hold you and kiss you and so much more because there's no one else in the world who knows me like you do. You have always been the one for me, even when we couldn't stand each other.” he lowers his voice, and suddenly everything becomes much more intimate. “You're beautiful, and you're more intelligent than any fairy I've met. It just feels right when you're beside me. It feel like I've been lost in the desert for years, and...I've finally come home.” he finishes, winded like he’s ran a marathon.

His dark eyes trace your features, gently removing your hand from his chest, closing the distance between you slowly. And, instead of fighting it like you should, you close your eyes and let yourself go. You feel the muscles of his shoulder beneath your hand. The frame his arms create is strong, secure, but you want those arms tighter around you. You want there to be no space at all between you.

As if reading your mind, he closes the distance. Tilting your chin up—his lips drawing you in—your breath becoming one. You want him so badly. You want to kiss him, laugh with him, cry with him, share every waking moment of your life with him because no matter how many awful things he's done in the past, you can't shake the undeniable feeling that when his arms are around you, you’re home.

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

In TXT I ship you with...

Beomgyu!

Your moodboard:

“I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trelon. I have spent the night with the Duke of Death and left with both my sanity and my life.” he’s ranting now, his wide eyes holding you in place, hands frantically waving about. “I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during the day. I have talked to gods, slept with sirens, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.” you cock your eyebrow, patiently waiting for him to get to the point. 

“You have to have heard of me.” he balks at your impassive expression. 

“Your highness,” you resist the urge to roll your eyes. “I know who you are, I just don’t care.” The absolute shock that momentarily paints his handsome features has you holding back a laugh. “But—” now you do roll your eyes, already bored with the conversation. 

“Your highness, I’m here to teach you—not indulge your ego. You’re going to be king soon—” he cuts you off, abruptly. “I do not wish to be king.” there’s an edge to his voice, a hard set to his jaw. You take a deep breath. “That doesn’t change the fact that you will be.” There’s a dark, forlorn and almost heartbreaking look in his eyes—it’s sudden and it’s gone as fast as it appeared—but it’s enough to stop you in your tracks. You swallow down the insult that was steadily making its way up your throat and you look at him, really look. Despite all of his accomplishments, if you wish to call sharing a chamber with a siren an accomplishment, he still just a kid. And suddenly your heart hurts for him,

“I once knew a troll who was heir to the throne of a great kingdom, he lived as a ranger and fought his destiny to sit on a throne but in his blood he was a king.” you say offhandedly, gazing out the large window to the east woodlands. You can feel the snap of his gaze on you. “I also knew a fae who was the king of a small kingdom, it was very small and his throne very humble.” you smile to yourself, remembering how delighted you were to meet such a respectable court. “He and his people were all brave and worthy conquerors.”

He takes a step towards you, you feel his eyes settle on your own—but you keep your gaze resolutely out the window. “And I knew a vampire who sat on a magnificent throne of a big and majestic kingdom, but he was not a king at all, he was only a cowardly steward.” you confessed quietly, suddenly overwhelmed by the memory of such a cruel ruler. Your eyes must reflect your feelings on the matter because the prince steps in front of you, cutting off your line of sight to the great woods.  “Why are you telling me this?” he questions, his tone lowered to match yours. 

You finally concede, looking up and catching his eyes. “Because I want you to know. You will be the king of a great kingdom, human or not—whether you want it or not—you will be the king, even if you live in naivety.”  His gaze darkens as you turn around and reach for a book on the 9 woodland kingdoms, the kingdoms you’re meant to teach the prince about, thoroughly; the book is old and worn, it smells like burnt leaves.  “My lady, I did not think you could answer it.” his voice cuts through the sudden silence. You tilt your head in his direction, for the first time, curious. “Answer what?” you voice, confusion etched in your features.

“Your calling, of course. When my father took you from your home without your leave—and set value only on your gift—I questioned your knowledge on the subject matter at hand.” he rounds the table, holding your gaze hostage. “But I am answered truly. You have given fair return for insult thrice over and set your worth: higher than my life and all my kingdom and all who live therein.”

He comes to a stop in front of you, yet again, this time much closer than before. “And though you can send my people to the fire, I can claim no debt to repay. It would be justly done.” his whispered words catch you off guard—the implication, the suggestion of a confession. You drop the book you’re holding, the noise echoing through the barren halls. 

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

@urirealvibekiller​ omggg you're sooo sweet 😍😭 I'm going to cryyy. But also? That knife threat sENT ME hahhahaa 😂

And no, YOUR an absolute angel! I can't get over how pretty you areeeee! Teach me your ways! 🥺

Lol I hope you like your moodboard ship(s) — It started out one way, and then I randomly got inspired by a fantasy cottage-core advertisement lmfaoooo sorry! 🥰

Seeker 1

The first part of my current project! Please bear in mind that this is still a work in progress, and these may or may not be the final versions. As always, feedback is appreciated and encouraged! Also an fyi, these chapters will probably average between 1,500 and 2,500 words each, so I’ll be sticking them behind page breaks. Also just so you guys know what you’re getting into. Lol

@officialleehadan​ @kitvinslakte​ @nox919​ @dierotenixe​ @stuck-in-theclouds​ @gyvorn12​ @apenvssword​ @wildforestferret​ @krceramics​ @starsdreaming​ @wordsdreaming

The musical ringing of a sword clearing its sheath is actually the first sign of trouble, though to be completely honest, I'm really not paying attention to the rest of the bar. I'm intent on the map in front of me, and the places the owner is marking on it. 

I turn to look over my shoulder and see three toughs, blades drawn, facing off against a pair of personal guards who are escorting a young noble boy, and who is currently hiding behind them. 

"Ye spilled mah drink, ye stupid cur!" snarls the largest of the three. He has the rolling burr of the mountain tribes to the north, and a face only a mother could love, nose clearly having been broken in three places, several ugly scars, and a large wart on his left cheek. 

"Back off, commoner!" the older of the two guards growls back, a short sword in one hand, a long knife in the other. He has the air of an experienced fighter, and I would bet good money on him being able to handle any two of the three in front of him without too much effort. "I'm no fool! You were trying to lift milord's purse!"

"Liar!" the northerner yells, and lunges forward. 

He doesn't even get close.

I'm always impressed with how quiet my apprentice can be when he has a mind to. Even I'm slightly surprised when Jax seems to materialize out of nowhere behind the three thugs. He catches the leader almost out of midair, and tosses him halfway across the room. The thug lands on a table, which was never made to take that kind of abuse, and crashes to the floor. Before the other two can react, he grabs each one by their collars, and slams them into each other. Stunned, they collapse in a heap on the floor.

The situation dealt with, Jax looks up and catches my eye, before smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, sir."

"No, good job, Jax," I tell him approvingly. I turn back to the barkeep and hand him several gold regents, and then several more. "These are for the mess and table, and those are for the information." 

He bobs his head gratefully and pockets the coins. "Thankee, Sir Seeker," he says with a genuine smile. "You an' yours are always welcome 'ere." 

I nod my thanks and signal to Jax to pick up the two at his feet while I retrieve the northerner from the wreckage of the table. The young noble and his two guards take that as their cue and quietly slip out the door. I make a mental note of the house sigil on one of the guards sleeves. I’ll pay them a visit tomorrow and make sure the boy is alright. It never hurts to cultivate goodwill amongst the upper class.

"We'll drop this trash off at the Guard house on our way back to the barracks," I say, both to the barkeep and to Jax, before we turn and head outside. It's raining lightly, typical for this time of year, and it rouses the three miscreants from their semi-conscious daze. They struggle briefly, dismayed to find themselves in the custody of two Seekers. I keep a close eye on them, wary of any tricks they might have. A hidden blade, or some other unpleasantness.

"So, what did the barkeep give us, sir?" Jax asks, shoving the two men ahead of him roughly as we head down the stone street. Imperial Engineers are truly masters of their craft, the road paved with broad, triangular stones.

"Some good, solid information, and a worrying pattern," I tell him, retrieving the city map from the belt pouch I had stuffed it into. The bartender had marked a number of spots, and I point them out. "Look at the number of sightings there have been in just this district alone."

"What do you think, a nest?" he asks after looking it over, sounding a little nervous. Sometimes I forget that despite his size, Jax is still a lad. 

"Most likely," I reply as we round a corner and spot the Guard house up ahead. The soldier on duty salutes us smartly, and hands our prisoners off to one of his subordinates after we explain what happened.

I resume our conversation once we head back out into the rain. "Probably a new queen in the catacombs under the city trying to stake out its territory."

I suppose I should introduce myself before we get any further into my tale, huh?

My name is Zepara Alchanic, and I, along with my apprentice Jaxus Luteno, are Royal Seekers currently stationed in Throne City, the capital of the Human Empire. 

And what are Seekers, you ask? We're monster hunters. Damn good ones, too. Tailor made for our job through a series of alchemical and magical transformations called The Proofing. It gives us the physical traits we need to fight monsters, and years of training gives us the skills.

Sometimes, in my darker moments, I wonder just how much we give up to become what we are. 

But usually, I feel the trade is worth it. I am very good at what I do. Technically my oath is to serve the Eternal King, but I see it as less loyalty to the crown, and more loyalty to the nation and its people. My job is to hunt down and destroy monsters that threaten the lives of everyday citizens. 

But back to my tale. 

I give Jax's shoulder an encouraging pat, despite the fact that I have to reach well above my own head to do it.

 "Don't worry, lad," I say, careful to keep my tone light. No need to worry the boy. "Even a full nest isn't much of a threat to a pair of Seekers who know what they're headed into. Just stick by me, remember your training, and you'll be fine." 

That seems to lift his spirits, and he nods, then begins studiously checking over his gear. I watch him for a moment, making sure he’s doing it properly. Satisfied he’s going about it just as I taught him, I follow suit. A Seeker relies on their gear. If your gear fails you in a fight, you’re dead, pure and simple.

Taking on a shade nest would actually be a good challenge for Jax, now that I think about it. He’s been progressing well since I became his mentor four years ago, but he tends to underestimate himself, and it holds him back a little. This will be a good way to show him what he can really do, and give his ego a healthy boost in the process. 

We finish our gear-check just as we reach the entrance to the underground portion of the city. There are thousands of miles of tunnels, galleries, and cellars under Throne City.

Originally it was just the mines under the dwarf fortress-city that is now the Imperial Palace, but over the centuries each generation dug their own underground portions and linked it into the already existing network, The end result of that, of course, being a complex labyrinth of truly staggering size. 

It can be very, very easy to get lost down there. 

I dig out a key that every Seeker is given when they complete their training. It gives us access to places like this. I unlock the steel gate that bars the stairwell down, and lock it behind us once we're through. We have to bend almost double to fit, as these ceilings were not designed with a seven foot Seeker in mind. Twice I hear Jax mutter a curse behind me as he bumps his head on something, and I have to bite back a laugh. I might be having a hard time, but the poor boy must find it almost unbearable. 

It isn’t long before we reach the bottom of the steps, and I straighten gratefully, in what appears to be a storeroom for one of the restaurants or inns above us. The walls are lined with sacks, crates, and barrels filled with various foodstuffs, all neatly organized and clearly labeled. 

I sniff the air, catching the rotten-meat stink of our prey almost at once. I hear Jax doing the same a moment later, and I nod my approval when he points down a nearby passage.

"Over that way, I think," he says, and grins when he sees me nod. We draw our paired ton-filar, heavy long-bladed fighting daggers with brass knuckles built into the grip, and a short four inch spike at the other end. They’re vicious weapons, specifically made for close in fighting, and designed to give us as many ways to hurt an enemy as possible with a single implement.

Most Seeker gear and weaponry is designed this way. It gives us an edge. And believe you me, when you're fighting the kinds of beasties we do, it always comes in handy. 

We move off in the direction of the scent, careful to keep our blades up before us. The passageway is narrow, so Jax leads the way, and I follow closely, walking backwards to make sure nothing tries to sneak up on us.

We continue down the tunnel, following our noses, until it opens up again into another wide room. The smell is horrendous, and I hear Jax gag a little. 

"Breathe through your mouth," I advise him. "It helps."

I scan the room, taking everything in all at once. Trash, rotting food, and less identifiable detritus litter the floor, and the far corner of the room is buried under a mass of reeking filth that rises to the ceiling. I curse myself for not thinking. As soon as they hear my voice, shades come pouring out of the nest, chittering angrily, eager for a meal.

Shades aren't big, about the size of a cat, and aren’t especially threatening. They look like a hairless rat with an odd, bird-like head. They're not even hard to kill. A good solid kick from a normal human is enough to put an end to one. 

The problem is, there's never just one. 

They breed fast, in clutches of seven or eight, every three weeks. They carry disease, and spread rot wherever they go. Nobody knows how they came to be, but we know that dark magic spawned them, because all our monster hunting tricks work just fine. 

"Grenades!” I snap, following my own advice, withdrawing one from the belt pouch I keep them in. 

Grenades are expensive kit, but absolutely priceless when dealing with swarms of creatures like shades. A small sphere packed with gunpowder, enclosed within an outer sphere of cold iron plated with silver, and the space between the two filled with a mixture of rock salt and holy water. 

We light them with a flick of the thumb against the special alchemical fuse, and then toss them into the middle of the pack. They detonate with a surprising level of force for such small weapons, shaking some dirt loose from the ceiling. Between the explosion, holy water, and rock salt, dozens of the little beasts vanish into puffs of dirty smoke. Dozens more are killed as shrapnel scythes into the massed bodies.

The remainder of the pack, their numbers thinned by the grenades, rush us. Jax and I spin around each other, years of training giving us the skill to fight in such a tight space against a swarm of enemies. I skewer a pair on my ton-filar, turn, and catch another mid-air in the chest with one of the pommel spikes. Jax ducks around me and punches down the two that are trying to leap on me from behind, and boots another in the face when it tries to bite at him. It careens back into its fellows and takes them down in a tangle.

With a chattering shriek that makes us both wince, the queen and her nest guard emerge. 

Easily three times the size of their smaller fellows, the nest guard are huge, slavering beasts with glittering red eyes, long, sharp beak-like mouths, and wicked claws. The queen is even bigger and nastier, her belly swollen with her current clutch. 

"Blast her!" Jax calls, and I nod, quietly impressed. We whirl with skill and speed that no human could hope to match, as we trade blades for the coach guns, safely secured across our backs. Jax's is the typical, blunt-nosed, over-under variant favored by most Seekers. 

But mine…

Mine is a work of art. It was a gift, made for me by the master weapon-alchemist Argius Cratona of Wavedancer, after I rescued his daughter from a lich during my apprenticeship. It has six barrels, twice the length of a standard coach gun, arranged in a circle around a single larger barrel at the center. The steel barrels are polished to a mirror shine, and ornate, curling scrollwork is etched into each one. The solid cherrywood grip and stock is chased with brass and burnished to a deep, warm glow. The gun's name, Sophia, is inscribed on a small brass plate embedded in the stock.

It has three triggers. The first two are tied to three of the six outer barrels each, so that a single trigger pull fires three bursts of cold iron and silver shot at once. 

The third trigger goes to the center barrel, which fires a specially made bullet created by Cratona. Called a Decimator Round, it’s a solid slug of cold iron coated in silver, and infused with powerful alchemical compounds that detonate once inside a target. Every month he sends me a box with thirty of the hefty, hand-sized shells, along with notes from him and his daughter. I’ve kept a steady correspondence with them both over the years, and never once in all my time as a Seeker has Sophia failed to kill the monster it was aimed at.  

But I digress. 

We fire together, then fire again, the booming report of our guns thunderously loud in the enclosed cellar, filling the far side of the room with a blizzard of shot that tears the queen and her guards to bloody shreds. Jax and I deftly snap open the breeches of our guns, ejecting the spent casings and replacing them with fresh, though I take a moment longer due to the extra barrels.

Silence descends for several long minutes as we wait to see if any more shades come out of the darkness, but either we had killed them all, or the remaining few were smart enough to scatter.

"I think we're done here," I decide at last, holstering Sophia, and Jax follows my example. I wave for him to follow, and head back the way we had come. "You did good work back there, Jax, very well done. I'm impressed."

Jax ducks his head, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "Thank you, sir, but I only did what I thought was best."

"Which is exactly what you should do," I tell him firmly, with a smile. "You acted as a Seeker should, and I'm proud of you. You have solid battle instincts, and you don't have any lack in terms of skill. You've learned everything I've taught you so far, and learned it well. You do me credit as your mentor, and yourself as a Seeker."

Jax is left speechless. I stifle a small twinge of guilt. Perhaps I’ve been a bit sparse with praise up until now. Well, that can be fixed easily enough. 

"Come on, lad," I say, ducking low to head back up the stairs. "Let's go get something to eat. I would say we've earned our supper tonight."

Mob Psycho 100 S1 Review

Late in the game but it's been a while since I did a review and I ended up binging Mob Psycho in a day so I figured, why not?

I haven't watched season 2 yet so this is just a review of season 1!

Overall impression: It was pretty good! It was a slow start for sure, but it picked up in episode 3. The series is a typical shounen with an OP protagonist, though Mob's personality gives an interesting spin to it (I haven’t gotten into One Punch Man so I can’t say if there are any parallels between the two). Usually how this goes is the MC is underestimated because of how plain they look or whatever, and then proceed to have their ass whipped bc the MC is that strong. Mob Psycho is different in that Kageyama Shigeo AKA Mob picked up an act of non-violence and believes his psychic powers should be used as a crutch or to hurt others. On top of that, he bottles his emotions to try to control his powers so much that occasionally he snaps and goes full OP mode. Essentially Mob is a Whole Mood.

Plot: The first half of the season is just A Day In The Life of Mob. He’s a below average middle-schooler who works part-time as an exorcist. We’re constantly reminded that the only thing Mob has going for him is his psychic powers, but he tries to change this by joining the Body Improvement Club to build up muscle and endurance to get a girl to improve himself as a person. Speaking of girls, where are they?? Why do they have such little screen time?? But I digress. To quickly summarize the rest of the season, it focuses on Mob’s non-violence philosophy, how he tries to uphold it, while also dealing with his psychic outbursts and the damage it does. I found this really interesting! Where does one draw the line between violence and non-violence? How do you uphold your beliefs when they’re constantly challenged? Are there situations that require exceptions to them?

I’m a little meh with the villains, they didn’t leave a big impression on me. But I’m assuming the Claw organization will be expanded on next season.

Characters: Mob is probably my favorite character, which might be a reason why any episode that focused on other characters seem a little slow to me. He’s a well-rounded character: He finds it hard to make friends and read the atmosphere, but he accepts his personality for what it is; he struggles with controlling his powers, which results in him not using them openly and bottling his emotions, but he still seeks out ways to try to regulate them; he admires his younger brother for excelling in everything that he sucks at; but he’s also just a sweet person?? sometimes I just want to wrap him in warm blankets.

(a cutie)

I'll be real, I have a love-hate relationship with Reigen. I almost fell asleep the first 2 episodes because they followed Reigen so much, he really annoyed me. It probably was halfway through the season that I finally started appreciating him. He's actually a really nice foil to Mob though, and a really good mentor to him. Whereas Mob is straight-forward and quiet, Reigen is devious, confident, and charismatic. Reigen also has zero psychic capabilities, but the fact that he’s so confident in himself throws everyone in the show off 😂. The fact that he’s a con artist but gives such good advice to Mob threw me off at first too lol. He might be annoying but... he’s a person Mob needs to be around.

The other main characters are multi-faceted too with understandable motivations, but I don’t feel like getting to all of them. But I want to take this time to give a special shout out to the Body Improvement Club, they are friendship goals.

Art: I felt like I was watching an anime from 2005 lol (in a good way). The style and designs are so simple it’s almost laughable, but the way it’s animated really gives life to the art. The action sequences also were really good, kudos to Studio Bones which excels at that. I liked the way psychic abilities were portrayed as an iridescent aura too, it looked really cool.

That’s all for now! Hopefully I’ll get to the second season sometime soon :)

Our family weekends were punctuated by board games when I was (much) younger. Great fan already at the time of Hotels, the mysteries of Peking Scotland Yard (my favorite), Monopoly, good pay, Trivial Pursuit, Cluedo, The game of life and so on.

These good times came back to me when I played Zombies! with my sister last week (even at 2 we had a blast, finally ELLE exploded) So I wanted to go further to see what became of the board games. Graphics, equipment and game mechanics had to be improved and that's indeed my feeling.

We regret one thing on the other hand: the difficulty to find these little jewels. The board game seems to be synonymous with childhood, since in store we will find mainstream games. It will go to specialized store for a game dedicated to the most passionate. Fortunately, the Internet can break the barrier but when you need advice, nothing like a specialty store.

So already for me, beginner but still warrior, I retained several games following the rules, videos and graphics that I could see. I spent nearly 3 evenings watching the Tric Trac TV (must-see site with a huge community and very nice!). [Pour ceux qui se posent la question indiscrète : oui, je n’ai que ça à faire car ma moitié rentre à 22h30]. Here are the games that caught my attention:

Pandemic (2-4 players, 45 min / part, + 10 years, 30 €) Collaborative game (hoooo) whose players must ally to prevent the spread of 4 diseases. Board game highly recommended by the community because the cooperative seems to revive the board games and here, to win, it will be necessary to get up early. The must is obviously the very catchy theme. So much so that pandemic is no longer available in stores or at the publisher (total break?), So do not hang around!

Board game without a map (rare) in which players will have to save as many people as possible from an island that is sinking. The boats are few and sharks watch, but if it was just that? A game of atmosphere that seems to be unanimous in its accessibility and aesthetics. In addition, between low blows and secretiveness the game seems particularly fun. Very good game so to start, I bought today taking advantage of the 20% (only today) at Virgin. My half do not like cards, long to read / remember ... so it's perfect. A game obviously family but which remains nonetheless strategic. Little parenthesis, at Virgin, since we talk, I could see the adventurers of the rail (tirelessly exhausted!), Catania, Carcassonne, Civilization (the game is super heavy!), Mr Jack, Small World (exhausted, who bought the box in the window ...) a lot of mini card games, unavoidable (monopoly ...), the games of Witty Edition too. In short, Virgin is nice with us, it must be underlined!

Myrmes (the publisher pronounced Myrmesse) is a game still for enthusiasts since the management of an ant colony during the 4 seasons require a minimum of strategy or at least 2 good hours of reading rules and handling. Nevertheless the original theme will seduce the craziest of us. Frustrating at first, he reveals all his subtleties after a few games. So go your way if you want to relax and you do not know him at all, but give him a chance if you are motivated especially that the game is damn bluffing. A fix (on a board, not important for the game) will be released in April 2013. Small World a game of conquest region particularly successful because there is very little chance. Conquest, placement, strategy and fight are the watchwords. Rave reviews invade the net since it seems simple enough without being easy. In short, a big success. We can not talk board game without talking about the very famous atmosphere game Dobble. It's a round card game with different designs. Until then everything is fine but these cards have ONLY ONE drawing in common with the others. So we can play Dobble in different ways, including the hot potato that I enjoy: each player places his card face up on the palm of his hand, and the goal is to get rid of his card by putting it on another card where we found THE drawing in common. He who has in his hands all the pile of cards lost. Be careful not to damage the cards.

The adventurers of the rail is available on iOS that's how I knew him but his family board game is one of the best-selling games each year. We do not present it anymore. The goal is to reach the towns of the plateau by cars whose color depends on the railway you want to use. The Scandinavia and Europe version are the favorites of the players. I will opt for the Europe version, because there are stations and ports that have been introduced. The rules are learned very quickly and everyone is good at the concept. The game is quite addictive because the replayability is excellent. Waka Waka is a little crush for me: simple rules (perfect for first acquisition LOL), immersive graphics. What more ? The goal is to improve one's social position through offerings (in the form of resources recovered here and there). 2 small caveats: it is that there is too much chance and especially everyone is housed in the same sign: each social rank costs so much for anyone, there are no bonuses or penalties applicable, so I will not have 10 years as a minimum age. That said, it does not make less an affordable family game and fun (the shot of the fire is pretty) Another favorite is this descendants whose goal is to be the most prestigious family over several generations regardless of the field (political, economic, craft ...). Attention actions cost time and when we manage generations it can quickly degenerate [ok je sors]. But very nice game to put in all hands Game of investigation and deduction, is played only with 2: the one playing Mr Jack the ripper and the other the investigator. Success in couples. The parts are renewed well and the balance is well thought out. Small flat for the big place to luck in this game. I was a fan of Scotland Yard, it's a must have. So it will be next on my list with Pandemic.

I then selected 2 racing games:

jamaica (2-6 players, 50 min / game, +8 years, 40 €): win the race with as much money as possible Tokaido (2-5 players, 45 min / game, +8 years, $ 35): on the theme of the famous road that connects Kyoto to Edo it will win this game course with the most possible memories but be careful not to miss his meals and take his time. Fan of Japan, this last game will probably be in my basket soon with Takenoko (2-4 players, 45 min / Part, +8 years old, € 33): management of a bamboo plantation for a particularly greedy panda. Once well trained we will turn to games a little more complex as Dungeons Lords : dungeons to build, Lords to be satisfied, Trolls to pay and feed ... it is the difficult and laborious daily life of a Dungeon Master.

So sorry, but I'm not a fan of ambient games like jungle speed, time's up, etc ... because hard to play 2.

Jeannette Byrne - Exclusive GIGsoup Interview

Jeannette Byrne’s ‘Women Of The One World’ concept album brings covers from inspirational women of the 60’s to a generation of new and nostalgic listeners. Interview Irish music artist Jeannette Byrne has just released her fourth album ‘Women Of The One World’. Women Of The One World is a concept album that hosts a collection of covers from influential female artists of the 1960s and 1970s, many of whom continue their great work today. With songs from Buffy Sainte Marie, Joan Baez, Sandy Denny, Judy Collins and Laura Nyro, Jeannette Byrne draws inspiration from women who put themselves at the forefront of progressive movements.  An established performer of the French chanson on sold-out stages across Europe, Jeannette has also performed widely across Irish national television and radio. In 1998, Jeannette Byrne’s first EP ‘Une Femme’ was voted one of the top 5 records of the year by The Irish Times. 1999 saw the release of Jeannette’s critically acclaimed first studio album ‘Elegy’ followed by her 2005 album ‘Cafe Diva’. Inspired by the centenary marking 100 years of women having the right to vote, Jeannette Byrne began to think about the female singers who had championed humanitarian causes throughout her life. The album cleverly links tracks from these female artists together in a compelling way, a breath of fresh air in the vacuous singles market we know today.  At a time with resurgent global unrest, Jeannette Byrne hopes these songs will find their way to inspire a new generation of listeners. Timeless American songs like Buffy St Marie’s Oscar-winning ‘Up Where We Belong’ and Joan Baez’s ‘Love Song To A Stranger’ are at home on the same record as the UK’s Sandy Denny and her classic ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes’. Jeannette Byrne captures their universal language of music with fresh takes and twists all round. GIGsoup caught up with Jeannette to talk about her latest album. Hi Jeannette. Tell us everything about your new album 'Women Of The One World'. My album  “Women of the One World” features the music of amazing female singer-songwriters that emerged from the 1960s.  Women whom I admire and who inspired me as a young girl. The 5 featured women are Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Sandy Denny, Buffy Sainte Marie and Laura Nyro. Beautiful songs, wonderful rich lyrics. Songs I have wanted to record for many years. I felt now that the time was right for this project. When did you start singing? I can always remember singing:  The first official event was in the school play aged 5 when I was given the solo to sing. Could you briefly describe the music-making process for your tracks? The music-making process was a big ask for this album; Firstly Cian Boylan and I sat down and worked out how we would approach the songs: I wanted it to be an orchestral project and he is the man for the job. We shortlisted the songs and over a few months we worked out the shape of the songs: Cian arranged the songs and wrote the scores for all the instrumentation: We started recording with the rhythm section with me doing guide vocals.  This gave us the skeleton of each song. It also gave us time to examine if the arrangement worked etc. We then recorded the different sections of the orchestra..strings, woodwind, brass, etc over a few months as we had to work around schedules. Once we had all of the instruments recorded I recorded my final vocals.  I liked this approach because it gave me a lot of time with each song to finalise the interpretation vocally. Then came the mixing which was very complex and we took a lot of time getting it right.  I stepped out of it here as it is hard to listen to yourself :  When we all agreed with the mixes we mastered it ready for release (the design was something I had been working on with a local designer). I really liked the video for 'All Our Days'. It's like a short movie. Share with us the concept behind it. Thank you: “All Our Days” is a very special song. From the folk tradition, it is about the cycle of life....the world, nature and the elements. It is about the seasons. Whatever happens, the seasons still change. There is a constant in the change. Being over 5 minutes long, it is not a song that I reckoned would get much airplay so we decided to make it the theme track for a video. It's like a mini film. It is filmed where I live outside Dublin and is partially my tribute to nature and also to show the beauty of the area.  Like many places this day, it is under threat to overdevelopment. I chose a team of young local filmmakers, Conor and Ben of Rubberduck: They immediately got what the song was about and what I needed.  It is not a glamour video of me.  We filmed on a mad windswept day, the elements were in control.   When we made it in early March, the world was beginning to come to see the effects of the Covid 19 virus. We had been planning it for weeks and just managed to film it before the restrictions started to come in.  It is now so apt. People have been telling me the song and the video gives them comfort. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXdjjKEHAjE Which animal would best suit your personality? Which animal..lol....I love horses and have been around them for years..... but I also love dogs. I have an Irish Wheaten Terrier ( he is in the video)  and he’s totally suited to me: He loves walks around the coast and then loves his comforts and cuddles.  Who are your musical icons? My Musical Icons are Edith Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Joan Baez, Renee Fleming. I also love Adel.... What was the first album you purchased? My first album bought with my own money was David Bowie “Hunky Dory” ..still one of my favourite albums.  Which artists are you listening to right now? As we are in Lockdown I am listening to everything:  Re-visiting old favourites ....in fact currently we are listening to Fleetwood Mac “Rumours”. Lots of Pink Floyd  ( my husband’s choice)....also catching up with opera ...I love Wagner’s  “Tristan & Isolde” How would you describe your fashion style? Fashion style...I am very boring now.  Like many mums I lived in leggings and tops, anything easy to throw on for school runs.  Now that I no longer have to do this, I am still into comfort dressing: Black and more Black....on stage I dress according to the show I am doing....but always black... General style, black trousers, boots/chunky trainers and long black/ white tunic or shirts...very easy and comfy:  ( I have the odd dress for special events). Smart relaxed.....No heels. Tell us about your next show and why we should be there. My Next Show... Well, all is currently in a state of flux: We were to launch the album in London in March in Soho at a Press/Media launch event plus a small audience.....this was to lead to a larger show later in the year with full band and orchestra. Currently we will be in London for the small show in September for a Re-launch or Post-launch event. I would hope to know then when the larger concert is going to happen.  It is harder to organise when one is a small Independent artist:  I usually work with local agents. Everything is now put back but we are working on it. When it does happen it will be a full on show with an orchestra with the songs from the album plus some from a previous album that fit with the concept of “Women of the One World”.  As in my past shows, there will be stories about the songs and the writers..... I have great plans. What does the rest of 2020 hold for you? 2020 has presented the World with huge challenges. Primarily my aims are simple, for my family and friends to be well and for us all to get through this. Creatively I’m happy to know from the thousands of views and streaming etc that my music has struck a chord with people. As an artist that is all we can ask.  If I manage to do some shows later in the year then that will be the icing on the cake. It is a different world to 3 months ago when we started to launch the album. (planned since September 2019) Money will be tight for so many people now, but musicians need work and I hope that we do get out and perform. I will keep making plans and practicing the songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXmM9bD7aDc Read the full article

Book 2, Chapter 5, Page 22

Archived Text Follows:

Hey Everyone!

And we’re back in 2016 with some serious action!

Thanks for reading,

– Luther out

Comment Text Follows:

Deoxy - Nice opening moves, resulting in a clear combat advantage, but it’s hard to know if that will be enough to tip the scales against one of these superior LIMBs. Also, it’s not clear if it will be in time to save any of the bulls, anyway.

BanditB17 - It took me up until just now to realize how similar in design the Bulls and Limbs are. The Bulls are like mini limbs almost. I am slow.

Robinhood78 - You think you’re slow? I didn’t realize it until I read your comment! lol

Grudgesettler - Well, she should have the limb at a disadvantage. Superior mobility means nothing if you can’t move around.

Sazuroi - It depends on how superior the other characteristics are. Simple armor and actuator power shouldn’t be drastically different, but the axe is more complicated in application (imagine that) than a knuckleduster. So motoric control is probably better at least, and thus it comes down to pilot skill. On a side note, I think one Bull was still standing in the back next to the corner. And the one the limb was currently manhandling may have survived. May. I think it was the one that got a splinter in the eye, though.

Jack McCrary - The one being held by the limb is alive as if you look closely, you can see that it is returning fire.

SteelRaven - But for how long? That crunching sound before the turbo limb drops the bull isn’t a good sign. You do see one Bull attempting to drag another to safety in the first panel so we still have some hope.

Jack McCrary - Also, while i have no idea what the writers plan, in real life the Dhuv would be in serious trouble as Betsy is inside the effective range of an axe and has the Dhuv limb pinned making it difficult or impossible to open the range to bring the axe into play. Plus, lacking a second arm, the Dhuv limb can not break the grapple while having the axe ready to strike, and the MG barrels on Betsy limb look like they are primed to jam up the Dhuv’s arm anyway.

Mr. Patenge - We shall see… we shall see… *wrings hands menacingly*

SteelRaven - Anyone else seriously impressed with the Dhuv armor? Betsy only missed once while emptying the Six-Shooter but the Limb just shrugs and then charges.

Deoxy - No, it didn’t charge – Betsy charged into IT (hence the “slam” sound effect when it hits the wall). Your point about it taking 5 shot still stands, though.

SteelRaven - Just realized it, didn’t notice the background at first.

Latrans - Oof. Even with that nice open for Betsy-Ray, she’s in a tough spot. Her 6-shooter is empty and she doesn’t have any other heavy ordinance left. On top of that, the actuators in the turbo-limbs have been shown to be much stronger than the hydraulics in the Free-Market limbs so a hand to hand fight will be a poor decision. On the plus side, the turbo-limb might not currently be equipped with armament of it’s own since it was hastily manned in the bay. It’s hand cannon may have rounds in it, but has been show to be weak against limb armor though it could still hit a sensitive spot like the cockpit window. My suggestion to Betsy would be back off and reload the six shooter if possible while laying down cover with the chainsmokers. While the chainsmokers are similarly poor against limb armor, they too could find a weak spot and would at least give her opponent something to think about while she’s reloading. Also, I suspect Dizzy is going to be along shortly. Despite being unarmed, he seems the type to charge in after Betsy-Ray.

Jack McCrary - I don’t think I’d back away, basic melee survival 101 is if you’ve pinned you foe’s weapon arm, you don’t let it go. Conversely, axe fighting 101 says your weapon is almost useless if you don’t have room to swing it. So again, don’t let the arm free. Also, I’m not sure if the artist meant to draw it that way, but in the last frame, the Dhuv limb’s center of gravity is all out of kilter and the way it is leaning back into a wall in a semi-squat with one knee being forced out at an angle makes it very difficult to regain your center or to power out to a better position. Another thing they taught us in Defensive Tactics was that if you have a person off balance and in a position of disadvantage, then you don’t give them a chance to improve their situation. So again, pulling back seems like a bad idea.

nweismuller - The shower of sparks from the lower right torso of the Dhuv Limb seems to indicate that that shot penetrated armor and messed up the electrics in the Limb. You can see the other impact points just have armor cratering, but I think some real damage was inflicted to the Limb with that shot. Now, what those particular electrics control, we don’t know, but I expect this is going to impact the Limb’s mobility, on top of the poor position.

Sazuroi - Huh, I had filed that away as sparks from the gangway being destryoed, but they do come from the Limb. Impact location is about the same place as the grill on the other torso side and there are some remains of what may have been another such grill, so it would have something to do with cooling. Doesn’t sound like a critical system, still.

Deoxy - Oh, I just noticed the blue LIMB leg in the right, suggesting that the enemy is in a far worse position than I first thought. Between that and the clear damage that nweismuller pointed out (the sparks coming from the torso ‘wound’), if it’s possible for a Free Market LIMB to win in melee with one of the Dhuvalian LIMBs, this situation should be it. Good luck, Betsy!

Killercow - My guess is the dhuv is not seriously damaged and will still be capable of breaking her hold, She better hope rodeo can use her distraction to rally up.

Moomasa - Remember that a limb does not have to obey the basics of body mechanics in the same way we do. if the joints are individually powered the Dhuv should be able to strike effectively if he can change the way the controls react to his input.

maxgravity - It’s less about body mechanics and more about the laws of physics. If we were talking about arm bars or joint locks I would agree with you but we’re mostly talking about issues like center of gravity and/or the maximum mechanical advantage possible being limited by reducing the distance an extremity can travel (in regards to a potential axe swing). This is less jujitsu and more judo.

Fawful is an incredibly hard character to draw, he has such a simple but hand breaking design. I'm very impress by your art work and can especially see the love you put into making it. And I'm so happy you are doing this as a passion! I don't know that much about the rpg games, but you are definitely one of my favorite artist :)

Oh my god, let me tell you... I know. If I didn’t have as much passion as I do for him I’m pretty sure I would’ve given up a long time ago, LOL. 

In general the proportions of each one of his features drastically effect his look. For example, if you make his glasses too big, it makes him look too baby or his head too small. Or a big one for me I’ve found is the distance between the top of his head and the top of his glasses-- in canon he doesn’t have a lot of forehead there! But occasionally I still make the mistake of giving him too much of one and I’ll keep reworking it until it looks right. 

Then there’s the amount of roundness to give his jaw, making sure the lines of his teeth curve in the right direction depending on where he’s facing, etc. there’s so much to it, and tbh the simpler a character design is the easier it is to completely throw it off by missing small details. Of course, this is only if you’re like me and care about getting things looking close to canon. I’M RAMBLING--

Thank you so much, dude! I really appreciate the kind message.

20 Character Design Questions!!!

 🕸 1. Who’s the oldest character of yours that you still use?

Oh, that would be Skarlet. I’ve created her in 2014 and she is still, like, the main character of my OC series. She’s beauty, she’s grace, she’ll kick you in the face.

 ⭐️ 2. Who’s the oldest character of yours, defunct or not?

Probably Rober, but now his name is James. He is Skarlet’s father. I created him as a joke, actually, but he started to become so much more. Now he is very secondary because I’ve started to keep more focus on my teens OCs. But he’s still alive, people.

 💡 3. Has creating a character ever made you realize something about yourself?

Yes. Actually, it wasn’t really when I created her, but Rose made me realize a few things about myself. She tended to follow her friends, not having an own opinion, and focusing on her dream (something I don’t quite do, but moving on). When they completely let her down, she realizes that she needs her alone time. That didn’t happen to me, but in any cases, it was building THIS lil story that I noticed how, sometimes, I’m way to attached to people. I want to be more independent, maybe someday, I think.

 🦋 4. Any minor characters that have either taken over or branched off into their own stories?

John, oh my God, John. I made him “inspired” by an old friend of mine, he was… well, a dick. John was at first a total jerk, one of those lifeless fags who spend their whole day in the computer, writing shitty sexists speeches, 0 friends. He was supposed to be a web friend of Craig’s/Mark’s childhood best friend, but, as I created him, I started to attach to him and understand him. Man, he is my SON after all, I can’t just let him be a total dork 100% of times! So… that’s when I gave him a story, a will to live, problems, guilty pleasures… That’s when he really became John. Now he is one of my favs, and I regret nothing, he is super hot & indian tho.

 🐲 5. Do you prefer to make human, animal, monster, or _____ characters? Why?

Human characters. Because, well, I don’t have enough creativity. JK, but I don’t know. Sometimes I turn my human characters into /FANTASTIC CREATURES/ in my AUs!! But, like, nothing that hasn’t already been done before. Mermaids, centaurs and even… wizards? Idk, some gay shit, don’t judge me.

  🎨 6. When creating a character, do you come up with the visual concept or the written concept first?

Visual concept. I think the big majority of my characters started with a silly drawing. Some of them I created only to be another character’s partner, but they became SOOOO much more than that. Like Mark. I created him to be Terry’s BF only, now he is much wider than she is, that’s kinda… sad? Anyways, they don’t even end up together, so that’s just how things went, pals.

  📌 7. Do you have characters that you know you’ll never use, but can’t bear to get rid of/recycle?

Yes!! I have a mahou shoujo series, actually. There are some big personalities in there, however I don’t embrace their story very much… I like to draw my girls, but talking ‘bout their story… no, I don’t think I’m ever going to write about them, I’ve got no patience for anime girls, yo.

 💖 8. Is there a character that embodies your good traits, or traits you wish you had?

That character surely is Jeff. He has curly brown hair, really slick body, amazing personality and the best friends in the world (no, wait, I have this one as well <3 ). I’m too shy to express myself the way he does it, he is truly passionate for life even with all the shit he went through. However, just like me, he cares very much about the people he loves and shows it to them constantly, hugging them and doing other kinds of embarrassing stuff. He screams a lot, though, another thing we have in common AND I don’t think that’s bad at all.

 🖤 9. Is there a character that embodies your bad traits? Several characters? Which ones and what traits?

Hey look, Rose again. I tend to be really… dumb when the subject is LOVE. I fall so hard for people sometimes that I totally ignore all the bad things that person has in their personality. I usually put my /CRUSH/ over a pedestal and treat him like a God, fuck, I just wanted to be like those tumblr girls who don’t give a shit. I’m really perverted when it comes to men and so does Rose. She’s a weirdo, I’m a weirdo and we fall for pretty faces, that’s the truth.

 ♨️ 10. Is there a character that explores your interests or fetishes (orrrr is that just all of you characters)?

FUCK THIS QUESTION IS SO GOOD, Daphne is EXACTLY THAT character. She is one dominant mommy and REALLY confident, something I wish I was. She has literally my dream man as a boyfriend, they’re really kinky and sweeeet, so proud of my babies. There are some big taboos around Daphne, but I’m not going to talk about this right now. She also has a BODY GOAL body shape, big thighs, thin waist, regular sized boobs… She’s my queen and I’m gay bitch SLAY.  

 ✒️ 11. If you have characters that embody certain traits of yours—good or bad—has writing them changed how you view those traits? Has it affected you in any way?

Hoe literally the same question 3 times in a row are u fucking kidding me I’m not answering to this

 💭 12.   Do you fantasize about being any of your characters, or are you more detached? 

Yes, man. I think it would be very good to be any of them, to be true. But… some of them have crippling depression, anxiety, borderline syndrome… pedophilia fetishes… schizophrenia… Okay, I fucked with them big time, happy? I like being me, dude, I just wanted to make out with some of them sometime.

  🎵 13. Do you create playlists for your characters? 

No!! But I’m working on it. There are several songs who remind me of my characters, creating playlists would be pretty neat, but I need time, SO MUCH TIME.

  🎇 14. When writing for specific characters, is there anything you have to do to get into the right mindset?

Oh, it don’t really fits for “writing” but, when I’m drawing concepts I like to listen to music that reminds me of them!! It helps, I think?

  🌻 15. Which character is your guilty pleasure?

I know I’ve already mentioned him here before, but who cares right? Mark is one handsome mother fucker. Although he’s violent, fearless and mostly emotionless? But also REALLY emotional? He’s confusing. I love drawing him, drawing his little cheek mark, his messy hair and sloppy glasses. I’d love to have him as a talk bud. All kinds of bad things happen to him like he’s cursed… maybe… maybe I would like to give him a hug.

  🌩 16. Is there a character of yours who’s a real struggle to write/draw? Why do you think that is?

Almost all of them. I struggle hard when drawing Nath’s/Jeff’s/Terry’s/Stella’s hair and there are some characters like Craig who don’t even have a FUCKING HAIR CONCEPT, HIS HAIR IS ABSTRACT, YOU GUYS. My biggest problems are with their hair, actually, I don’t have any other BIG problems. Just body anatomy, but I’m working on it.

 🔑 17. Which character is the easiest to draw/write?

Scott is definitely the easiest to draw, his hair is short and his bangs are also short. His head is round and simple, and there are freckles all over his pinky face. However, he is not that easy to write about. I sometimes struggle with writing in my characters voices, because some of them are REALLY DIFFERENT from me. So… it is not easy for me to write about any of them.

 💎 18. Is there anything you really wish you could do, character-design-wise, that you feel is outside your current skillset? A concept that you wish you could pull off but are uncertain about?

There are MANY types of concepts that I wish I could be more skillful to draw. I enjoy drawing monster characters, but none of them became a OC. Maybe one day I’ll be able to pull one off. Right now, I’m just gonna chill.

 🏆 19. What’s more important to you: visual design, unique personality, a trendy character aesthetic, etc? If you’re not sure, then what’s the first thing you usually nail down in a character? 

I usually pay my first attention to the a e s t h e t i c of a character, so that should be it? Not only in appearance ways, also in personality, likes and deslikes and even kinks. I think they are all important when the CREATIVITY FAIRY comes, you know? So… I even try to see if one new character of mine doesn’t look so much like some older one, I would hate to have people hating on me because I can’t do diversity, fuck.

 🎬 20. Do you ever plan to do anything (comic, animation, etc) with your characters? Or are you just happy to have them?

No man, I’m way too lazy to do stuff like this lol. I’m happy with them right now, but who knows? The future is uncertain. Have a good day.