IN LOVE with the scenes added to the pjo show that are different from the book. they make the characters feel so real and human. i'm specifically referring to the deeper focus on medusa's story, to annabeth talking to hephaestus at the waterpark and (my absolute favourite) to the conversation between ares and grover (the book was so biased against ares 'cos we saw everything through percy's pov which made absolute sense, but i love the way the show is portraying him)

Fashion in Oz: The Good Witches (6)

Moving on to another Oz adaptation: The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, which - being based on the original book - has two good witches instead of one. Here we have the Good Witch of the North, who is basically sporting on a sexier version of the Good Witch's original look (because that's Miss Piggy, she has to be sexy in every scene she is). I mean, you have the pointy hat (though without the bells, making it more like a witch hat, it rather has a white-translucid veil on it), the white hair and a white dress like in the original, with the addition of white gloves and a more traditional "magic wand with the star at the top".  You might have noticed the Good Witch's color motif here is entirely white (which isn't the color of all witches in this iteration, just the North Witch's color). But the dress is definitively much sexier than what the Good Witch would have originally worn - with quite a prominent cleavage, and the sleeves being of the same translucid material than the witch's hat-veil. Of course, I also have to leave this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdIAWaFoXUs

As for the Muppet's version of Glinda... she is basically Miss Piggy. Just Miss Piggy in Oz X) Mind you, she still has her own color palette - here a sort of mauve/lavender purple, with elbow-sized gloves, a big-cleavage sleeveless dress (just like her sister of the North), and the addition of a feather boa. Oh, and she also has blond hair, to match the idea of varying hair colors (East's red, West's black, North's white, South's blond)

I've got one more show to end this series, which won't be this one but the next. This one is the anime adaptation of the Wizard of Oz. Not, not the movie adaptation, because that would be too many adaptations - rather the television series based on several of Baum's books. It is "Ozu no Mahotsukai" (or rather Ozu no Mahoutsukai), and this is their depiction of the Good Witch of the North. As you can see, they actually tried to stick to the original book description, of a little old woman with a pointy hat and a simple dress. They even went to the extend of adding the ruff collar, the similarly wavy end-of-sleeves, and a little magic wand with an N at the top. They didn't include the bells around the hat though, but I think no one does that to better have the witch be separated from the Munchkins. What the anime did add or change was making the Good Witch actually fat, the addition of little glasses, the detail of her having stripped socks (probably to evoke the stripped socks of the Wicked Witch), the addition of a cape in her back, and finally the color of her outfit, which goes from white to here orange. I guess they didn't want her to detone too much with the fantastical and weirdly-colored landscape they had created for Munchkinland, and wanted to rather give her a more... a warmer, softer color indicating she is indeed a nice little grandma-witch. (The fact they gave her a cape, stripped socks and a pointy hat makes me think maybe they tried to subvert the MGM movie - because in this movie, a cape with dress, stripped socks and pointy hat are the iconic look of the Wicked Witch(es). I don't remember any other Witch character, in the various adaptations, wearing a cape... so maybe this was the anime's attempt at truly making a reverse-Wicked Witch)

And we get to the second Good Witch of "Ozu no Mahoutsukai" - Glinda, the Witch of the South! Here we also have some major changes compared to the book counterpart... She is definitively young and good-looking, and she has notes of white in her design - from her pale white skin to the white cape behind her back (which isn't actually white, but translucid, as you can see here:

We also have some slight... "sexification" if I could say, with a sleeveless dress with a clear division between the skirt and a very torso-fitting bodice that visibly closes on the chest. We find back a headwear of royalty, here a silvery diadem. As for the color palettes, it is a bit muted here, but this Glinda has the usual choice of turquoise (for her hair and her skirt) and pale pink (for the bodice part of her dress, as well as the rest of her palace). You can see the color more vividly here:

Overall this has to be one of the most unusual Glindas I have seen, to be fair, due to how... well, unusual her design is here. Or maybe it is just me?

The Autumn Cottage

Happy Saturday friends! Autumn has arrived in full force where I live and I couldn’t be happier about it. To celebrate, I have written a sappy, smutty piece inspired by the current weather and this ask that I received: Can u give us a oneshot about a snuggle fuck w alex in a cozy cottage in the fall?

One of the greater joys in her life had to have been waking up to autumn's fickle fingers trying to desperately to reach her from the comfort of her woolen blanket. She watched, sleepy and bleary-eyed as leaves in shades of crimson and burnt umber drifted past her window in no particular direction. Her fingers roamed over the left side of the bed in search of him. Alexander's silhouette was barely visible through the indigo morning light, though she could make out the prominent line of his nose, and the slight curve of his bottom lip. Unmistakable in the minimal glow of dawn was the familiar glitter in his eyes, the glint that said so much about him and then nothing at all in equal measure.

“Good morning.” She whispered, and even that felt like too mighty of a disturbance in the stillness of their bedroom in the cottage. Though if he minded, he never let it show.

“Good morning yourself, kid.”

She reached the tip of a finger towards him wordlessly and brushed a feather-light touch down the bridge of his nose. Moving lower, she outlined his lips and grinned into the air before her as she felt him smile against her touch. She moved around his face with care, tried to memorize each delicate crease and wrinkle in her wake, tried to commit to memory the aspects that he resented about himself, even if she loved them beyond measure.

“Beautiful,” Alexander murmured as he brought the back her wrist to his lips, kissing the soft flesh there passionately. He brushed the pad of a calloused thumb over the rounded curve of her warmed cheek. “Like watching a flower bloom right before my very eyes.” They stayed like that for longer than either of them cared to admit; she could count on one hand in the past year that she had spent a weekend with him like this- alone and entirely undisturbed from anything and everything. He had broached the subject of a rented cottage in passing one morning a few weeks ago. It was one of those mornings where something had gone awry at every turn, and everything had been a blur. He had been late for something important, that much she could remember. He had rushed around the kitchen in a fury, muted Swedish curse words coloured every second sentence. He was out of breath when he reached the front door, weighed down by his leather laptop bag, but before he left, he turned to her and smiled. “Let’s get away together, kid.” She had taken it with a grain of salt until he returned home that evening, tired from a rather long shooting schedule, but in a fantastic mood all the same. “I mean it. It’s about to be a beautiful autumn. Let’s get away, just the two of us.”

“Shall I make you a coffee, or are we just going to lay in bed and stare at each other all day?” She offered him a cheeky smile and an exaggerated eye-wiggle which he simply laughed at.

“I have half a mind to choose the latter option, but I really do need some caffeine this morning.”

She nodded finitely and leaned in for a kiss, the innate push and pull of it caused a fire to ignite deep within her for him. She could easily spend the rest of her life doing this very thing; loving him fiercely and being loved back just as hard in return. “Alright,” She gasped as she pulled away from the allure of his hot, wet mouth. “Meet me in the kitchen.” She rose from the bed silently and padded over to her suitcase that was propped up on a wicker chair in the corner of the room. She noticed Alexander’s cream Sherpa sweater hanging over the arm of it and she ran a fingertip over the unbelievably soft material.

Alexander must have been watching her because when he spoke, his voice still gravelly from recent sleep, he startled her. “I’d be happy if you wore that, today.”

“You would?” She had been eyeing it ever since he’d brought it home from a shoot a month ago. She longed to wrap it around her frame, the sheer feeling of it luxe and utterly comforting on her bare skin. Especially as the months would inevitably grow colder.

“Watching you wear my clothing does something for me, kid. I love seeing how happy it makes you.”

With a small smile, she lifted the sweater over her head and let it fall into place on her body, the hem of it falling just above her knee. She pulled her hair from the confines of it and let it fall in waves down her back. “How do I look?” She asked.

“Beautiful,” Alexander murmured.

Satisfied with his answer, she made her way down the hardwood-floored hallway to the kitchen. She had thought at first that the silence of the cottage would be too loud; that city life had turned her into a creature who thought she craved noise on a near-constant level. But to her pleasant surprise, it had taken less than twenty-four hours to grow accustomed to it, and she knew now that she would miss it dearly when it was their time to go home. Eliciting a yawn, she stood on tiptoes and tried to remember which cupboard Alexander had hidden the coffee beans. Without warning, a large hand reached up above her head with ease and produced the bag for her with a sly smile. “I’d have found them eventually…” She muttered.

“Oh, I have no doubt of that. But- would you have been able to reach them?”

She shook her head and let out a small laugh. “Cheeky, vertically-adept bastard.”

They made their coffee together in silence. It had been one of the many things that drew him to her in the beginning. Where conversation seemed forced with every prospective partner and lover in the past- everything flowed the way it was supposed to with Alexander. There had never been a need to fill the quiet with empty words and small talk. It was a wonderful change of pace. “You hungry yet, kid?”

She remembered the basket of farm-fresh eggs in the fridge, thought of the loaf of homemade bread next to the coffee machine and her mouth watered tantalizingly. “I could definitely eat.” She watched him move around the kitchen with ease; watched the way his worn sweatpants hung low from the edges of his hips. She watched the way his muscles flexed in the light pouring in through the stained-glass window above the sink. She had always been struck silly by the beauty that this man possessed; but the notion that his soul bested his looks would never cease to leave her in utter awe. “What have you got on the go today?” She asked, a fork full of fluffy scrambled eggs rested in her hand.

Alexander passed a napkin over his lips, swallowed the bite of food in his mouth and shrugged. “Thought I might chop some wood for a fire tonight.”

She could hardly contemplate it now; the thought of watching her man hulk through multiple logs of wood caused her to physically clench her thighs together. “You plan on doing that soon?”

“After breakfast.” He confirmed.

True to his word, after the last dish had been washed and dried and properly put away, he stalked over to the coat hook in the front foyer and threw a sweater over his naked chest. Turning to her, he eyed her up and down and cocked his head to the side; a small smirk pulled at the edges of his lips. “Care to keep me company?”

Reaching for a blanket and the book that she had started yesterday morning, she nodded her head. “Lead the way.”

It was warmer outside than she had originally anticipated, though the autumn wind had picked up a little more voraciously, and she marveled at the falling leaves the same way she had earlier that morning. The sky above her was cloudless and a bright azure blue and she found herself thanking a higher being for the blessings in which she had been given. Opening the book to the page she had last left off on, the sound of an axe ripping through the middle of a log rang out through the clearing and she knew then that she would not be getting any further reading done this morning. Instead, she watched in awe as Alexander lifted the axe high above his head and brought it down with a force she had rarely seen before, the log splitting into two pieces and falling away from the stump. It was poetry in motion, really. Alexander’s hair was the longest she had ever seen it; the sandy blonde tresses were grown out and regularly fell over his eyes but she reveled in it. Of the many years that they had known each other, he had always kept a mostly clean-shaven face but quarantine, and the filming of a particularly brutal Viking revenge drama had rendered him more manlier and distinguished than she had ever thought possible. “You are fulfilling lumberjack fantasies for me that I never knew I had!” She called out to him.

Alexander tossed his head back, a hearty laughter bubbled up from the back of his throat and exited his mouth like music from a box. “You can lie to me, but you can’t lie to yourself, kid. I see the way you look at me when I put on my old and holey plaid jacket.” He took a break from chopping wood to wipe the sweat from his brow. “To add to this- you also purchased me a very expensive axe a few years ago for my birthday.”

“Guilty,” She muttered under her breath.

“But rest assured I am elated that this-” He gestured to himself. “Does it for you.” 

The morning continued on in much the same fashion until maybe an hour or two later when Alexander joined her from her perch on the wrap-around porch. Falling into a bench opposite her, he took a few moments to try and regain his breath again. Beads of sweat gathered at the base of his forehead and his broad chest heaved under the weight of recent physical duress. They each viewed each other with a hunger usually only attained after seeing one another for the first time in months. “Come here.” He ordered, softly. She rose from her spot without hesitation and sauntered over to where he sat. He pat the front of his thigh twice, a silent instruction for her to have a seat. She straddled his lap with ease and wrapped her arms around his neck; the heady scent of his perspiration and body wash made her lightheaded with want. It took every ounce of self-control not to grind shamelessly down on his steadily growing erection. As he held her tightly to him, his warm, broad hands rubbed reassuring circles into her back. She shivered into the touch as Alexander kissed his way up the side of her neck, his mouth leaving trails of fire in its wake. “You cold, kid?”

“No.”

He kissed his way up the base of her throat, past the jutting outline of her jaw, and finally to her lips. His mouth still tasted faintly of the maple syrup he had poured over his pancakes hours earlier and the urge to devour everything he had to give her was overwhelming. “You like me like this, don’t you?” He smirked. “All sweaty and dirty from working hard and chopping wood for us?”

“Yes.” Her eyes slid shut and her head fell back as he continued kissing and sucking at the sensitive skin at the base of her throat. All the while his hands roamed greedily over her sweater-clad body, squeezing, and rubbing as they traversed.

“You want me to take you right here, baby girl?” His voice grew gravelly again, though it had nothing to do with sleep this time. “I don’t even have to touch you to know that you’re already soaked for me.” The wind had picked up again and had begun to blow her hair around her face, the cool breeze a welcome reprieve to her heated body. Alexander was fully erect now, his hard cock throbbed tantalizingly at her thigh. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and lifted the hem of the sweater to reveal her panties, and the wet patch that had grown steadily in the crotch of them. Alexander reached for her and slid two fingers past the flimsy material to her soaking folds. Immediately she leaned towards him to tuck her face into the crook of his neck, but he stopped her with a soft click of his tongue. “I want to see your face when you come for me, baby.” He brought a free hand up to caress her cheek, and as he held her, he brushed a thumb over her bottom lip. She parted for him without thought and began to suckle softly at it as his other hand started to delve deeper inside of her. He had perfected a rhythm with her now; one that no matter how many times he had pleasured her, would always be the fastest way to get her unravelling for him.

“More,” She gasped when two fingers just wasn’t enough anymore. Alexander nodded wordlessly, his gaze searching her own. He added a third finger inside of her, the stretch of it almost too much to bear.

“So fucking wet for me, baby.” He groaned, as he began to pump harder into her. He could feel her clench around him, could feel the soft, wet button of pleasure at the tips of his fingers. She sucked harder at his thumb the closer she neared to her orgasm. “You’re going to come for me soon, I can tell…” He murmured as she started to ride his fingers. “And don’t you dare be quiet about it.” He warned.

These words had helped to spur the wave of pleasure building in her belly and she arched her back against his fingers, her nails digging miniscule crescent shapes into the soft skin of his shoulder blades. “Fucking hell, Alex…”

He nodded up at her. “You look so fucking beautiful like this, my queen. That’s a good girl. Come for me,” He then angled his fingers in such a way that he had her screaming his name into the wind before them, her voice raw with unbridled pleasure. She continued to ride his fingers until she came down from her high, dropping her head to rest in the warm comfort of his neck. She couldn’t be sure how long she had taken solace there, but he eventually patted her bottom. “You came so good for me.” He pressed warm, wet kisses against her temple.

Taking his chin firmly in her grasp, she gazed at him. Unending vast oceans of blue peered back at her and took her breath away. “It’s your turn.” She crashed her lips against his again, the need to have him inside of her entirely all-consuming. He lifted her up in one fell swoop, standing tall from the bench as she wrapped her legs around his waist to keep from falling. He carried her into the warmth of the cottage, stumbling down the length of the hallway to their bedroom where he laid her as gently as he could manage, on the bed. He made impressively quick time of ridding himself of his clothing, and as he stood before her, naked and unbearably erect, she realized that she genuinely loved the man before her. It had occurred to her before that she felt this way, but she could honestly say that no matter what they would go through together, no matter the pain he would put her through in future, she loved him deeper than she had ever loved anyone before. “Come here,” She insisted.

Alexander crawled up the length of the bed, holding her head in his hands as he did so. He entered her all-consuming heat with a loud groan, the feeling of him stretching her to maximum fullness was incomparable to any pleasure she had experienced before. Having him inside of her was a comfort that she never knew she needed until it had happened. As he moved inside of her, his head dropped to her shoulder where he scattered dozens of open-mouthed kisses to the skin there. She held him tightly to her as he bucked his hips against her, his cock managing to hit all of the essential nerves each time he bottomed out. He was muttering nonsensical things now, random pieces of Swedish and English found her ears and she smiled into their embrace. She clenched around him after every other thrust, and soon his movements had grown sloppy. “Fuck,” He growled as her fingernails raked through the soft, firm skin of his broad back.

“You feel so fucking good, Alex.” She gasped against his bearded cheek.

He cried out as his hips stilled against her own and she could feel the familiar throb of his cock as he spilled everything he had to give, inside of her. He allowed himself a few more powerless thrusts, and another low whimper before he pulled out of her completely. She found his sudden absence almost painful. They remained like that for an unknowable amount of time, each just trying to catch the breath that they had lost a while ago. Eventually Alexander turned on his side to view her, bringing the back of her hand to his lips and kissing it gently. “I love you, kid.”

A crimson leaf lay next to his head on the down pillow, and she smiled softly to herself. “I love you too, Alex.”

It’s Valentine’s Day?

Pairing: Victor x female MC

Warning: lots of fluff and sassy MC

Summary: Given the amount of work you’ve received, the days blur into each other and you can’t believe you’ve forgotten about Valentine’s Day. You had planned on skipping it, but something changes your mind.

Gift fic for @otome0heart. Happy holidays!

When you arrive at the office, you find the atmosphere has completely changed. Instead of being hectic and chaotic, you see your employees whispering and giggling (mainly the girls), but the mood is definitely better though you still have your assignment to work on. Even though you’re their boss, you hate having to put your foot down hard so you will be able to complete it on time and on schedule.

 As you’re about to say something, Kiki rushes over to you, looking like she’s on a caffeine and sugar high which to be honest is her default mode most of the time. “Boss, boss, boss!”

 “Yes, yes, yes?”

 “Who are you going to give your chocolates to?” Your confusion speaks in volumes. Sighing Kiki gives you that ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look. “Have you forgotten what today is?”

 “Eh?”

 “Told you so! She totally forgot.” Ah yes, Willow the voice of reason and sometimes the kill joy with reality. It makes you wonder what you forgot.

 One glance around the office, you start noticing small things, namely all those red, pink, and white hearts. Then there are a few pictures of what appears to be a baby wearing a diaper while holding a bow and arrow. Isn’t it bad parenting to let a child that age hold a dangerous weapon? This annoys you, being left in the dark.

 “What is it I’m forgetting?” You cross your arms over your chest, giving them that stern look, but it has no effect on them. They’re probably used to it by now or don’t care.

 “I can’t believe you forgot! Hey, there’s still time to buy some chocolate.” Kiki bounces around you. Why is doing it? You have no clue except you wish she would stop as you’re becoming dizzy with her antics.

 “Why is it important I buy chocolate?” What was so special about buying chocolate? It’s just another day. Wait a moment, what is today? Thanks to all the overtime you’ve been putting into this assignment, the days have become blurred. You at least know which day of the week it is, thank you Mister CEO and having to give updates.

 “Boss, you have no romantic bone in your body,” Willow sighs a long one as if she’s the one suffering. She swivels in her chair to face the two of you. “Maybe that’s why you don’t have a date for tonight.”

 “Date? We’re swamped with work. I can’t believe I’m saying, but we need to concentrate on this assignment.” For once, you’re the one who isn’t losing concentration or having a wandering mind as a certain someone who has a penchant for reminding you appears in your thoughts. You quickly squash those as now isn’t the time.

 “Don’t tell me your date is work. Boring.” Kiki makes an exaggerated yawn.

 Hearts. A baby wearing a diaper and armed with a bow. Chocolate. Date. What on earth involved all of these? Think. You rack your mind trying to figure out what they’re referring to.

 Minor comes to the rescue. “Boss, who are you going to give your Valentine’s Day chocolate to?”

 Your train of thought comes to a screeching stop. Wait a moment. It can’t be, can it? You pull out your phone to check the day. Friday the fourteenth of February. Oh shit. You can’t believe you forgot about this day. Then again, you have a habit of forgetting your own birthday. Oops?

 All three of your employees are expectantly staring at you, waiting for you to answer their question of who you’re going to give chocolate to. Considering who your boss is and your desire for your company to be successful, you have no choice other than disappointing them.

 “No one. I don’t have time for romance.” The truth hurts as many say.

 “Boo,” Kiki pouts, but at least, she stops circling you like… a predator? “Why not give Kiro chocolate? He loves eating snacks.”

 Err…..

 “No way, she’s gonna give bro chocolate,” Minor chimes in. What a major fanboy. It makes you wonder if he’s started a secret fan club.

 “Officer Gavin kicks ass,” Willow adds her two cents. “It’s a no brainer there.”

 A guy from editing peers over the partition. “The mind is the strongest part of the body. I’m sure boss appreciates someone with a high IQ like Professor Lucien.”

 “Kiro’s the same age as Boss.”

 You plant your foot on Kiki’s as you do not want your age revealed to everyone. It works as she yelps and is now hopping on one foot, her good one. While you don’t mind them knowing your birthday, you do mind them knowing how old you’ve become. Not that you’re senior citizen old, but still!

 “Two years isn’t a huge difference,” Willow points out. She knows you don’t want to reveal your age, but she does have a point about the age gap between you and a certain officer. “Not like four years.”

 Minor nods his head in agreement. “And you two have a history together.”

 “If you take into consideration, the ages people got married historically,” the editing guy counters. “Four years is nothing. Some of them are twenty years apart!”

 “Kiro’s a lot cuter.”

 “Bro can protect her,” Minor argues to which Willow agrees with. “He’s awesome with a gun and can take on ten guys at the same time.”

 “Professor Lucien has helped with the show many times.”

 Why is everyone interested with your love life? Or rather lack of it. Not that you mind as you have your priorities in order. It’s not like Minor or that guy from editing received any chocolate. The last time you checked, neither Kiki or Willow were interested in someone. You pinch the bridge of your nose. “You can celebrate all you want. Just leave me out of it… and make sure you finish your work.”

 “So if you’re not giving Bro chocolate, then that means I got some and he didn’t.” Hold the phone, someone actually gave Minor chocolate? Who’s desperate enough to give him some?

 You turn your attention to Kiki and Willow. “Have you given your chocolate?”

 “Of course!” Kiki chirps and then she points to someone you can’t recall his name. The guy blushes when attention is brought onto him. “We’re going on a date tonight!”

 Willow just points to Minor. This does not compute. Error. Error. Did she just admit to giving Minor chocolate? Yes, she did. “We’re going on a double date. Someone has to keep the kids in line.”

 “Hey!” Kiki sticks out her tongue and blows a raspberry.

 Reinforcements have arrived! Anna enters the room, carrying the materials needed for your latest assignment. “Back to work.” Yes! It’s nice having someone on your side.

 “Awww… it’s Valentine’s Day.” Kiki pouts, however, she reluctantly returns to her desk. “We wanna know who Boss is giving her chocolate to.”

 “She should give it to Officer Gavin.”

 “Yeah, Bro will be happy to receive anything from you.”

 “I’m sure Professor Lucien will appreciate your effort.”

 “Kiro’s the best choice.”

 “You guys…”

 “We can have this discussion during our lunch break.” You nod your head in agreement. Maybe they’ll forget by then. “Since we all know, she’s giving it to CEO Victor.”

 “Not you too.”

 Lunch happens to take out from your third favorite restaurant. You originally planned to make your meals, thanks to those cooking lessons, but work leaves you with little time and energy. When you arrive home, all you want to do is face plant onto your bed and not wake up for the next eight hours. Thank whatever deity, they have delivery. It saves you time, and you can work up until your midday break.

 Back to the battlefield you go. Your employees have other things in mind as they divvy up your portion amongst themselves and start working. You blink several times, wondering what has gotten into them. Were they not complaining about the workload? Why the sudden change of heart? There’s something fishy going on there.

 You turn to Anna. “What’s going on?”

 “I told them you’re taking the afternoon off.” Hey, aren’t you supposed to be the boss? “Hurry before the shops run out of the good stuff.” She ushers you out the door and then shuts it.

 What about your purse? As if reading your mind, the door opens. Someone shoves your purse into your hands before shutting the door again. You attempt to open the door, but it refuses to budge. It can’t be locked as you can turn the knob. No, it’s more like something heavy is preventing the door from moving.

 “You don’t want to give Kiro second rate chocolate!”

 “Don’t you mean Officer Gavin?”

 “Agreed. Bro is the one.”

 “What about Professor Lucien?”

 “You already know what CEO Victor likes.”

 You resist the urge to bang your head on the door or nearest wall. Time to head over to the nearest shop for chocolate. While you’d rather not buy it, no one says you have to actually give it. You can make up a guy to give it to and eat the chocolate yourself. Yeah, that sounds like an excellent plan. You’d give yourself a pat on the back.

 And then remember, you need a ride back to your place. Since you don’t want to give them any ideas, you decide to not call any of those guys. You scroll down your phone list and see the number to your classmate, the one Victor was ‘not jealous’ of. Yeah, right. You decide to send him a text, knowing that nothing would happen between the two of you since you’re female, and he swings that way. His quick response startles you.

 He’s on his way.

 His quick appearance also startles you. “I was in the area. You know dropping off my gift.”

 “Aren’t girls supposed to be giving the gifts?” You blink several times, trying to figure out how this same sex thing works. While you don’t mind them, you have no clue about how they interact with each other. Your research lands you straight into the doujinshi area. While they’re entertaining, you doubt they’re completely realistic. Then again fiction tends to exaggerate things.

 “Someone has to initiate it, and since he doesn’t have a clue, I have to,” your friend says with a slight shrug. It makes sense to you. “Have you given yours chocolate?” In spite of his helmet, you can tell he’s waggling his eyebrows at you.

 “Ugh… Not you too.”

 “Oh. Whoops? Sorry.”

 You wave him off. “Not your fault. My employees are more interested in the lack of my love life than actually working.” He hands over you the second helmet.

 “You gonna head home or buy something for him?”

 Good question. While you want to head home, the thought of giving your ‘crush’ chocolate on Valentine’s Day sounds appealing even if it’s store bought. Then again, he does have a very high standard, considering his culinary expertise. By now, you figure all the good stuff is gone. Now the thought of going home sounds appealing.

 “You can always make him some. I mean I did for mine.”

 You stare at him as if he’s grown a second appendage. It’s something you hadn’t considered. To cover up your inevitable blush due to your friend being too smart for his own good, you shove the helmet onto yourself. “Is there enough time?”

 “Unless you take several hours, you’ll be fine. Hey, why don’t I help you? It’ll go faster.”

 “But won’t that be kinda like cheating?”

 “You’ll be doing most of the work. I’m there to make sure things go smoothly and offer any suggestions.” Technically you’d be making it, but a little advice never hurts, right? Especially when the recipient of that creation happens to be that guy. Mister Critical.

 If that’s the case, there’s no need to think about it. “To the nearest supermarket!”

 Levi chuckled as he picked up speed without driving recklessly, making you wonder why he doesn’t seem to be the type to drive fast. His personality fits, but then again, looks can be deceiving as you’ve experienced many times, often with you looking like a fool. He pulls up close to the entrance of what appears to be a family owned supermarket.

 “Ah, friends of mine own this place,” Levi answers your question before you can even formulate it.

 Leaving your helmets, you two make your way through the shelves. You take your time to look at what they have to offer. For being this size, they offer more of a variety than you anticipated. You wonder what you’re going to use in your chocolate. Of course, it will not be too sweet as he isn’t into sweets like you. He says you’re sweet enough for the both of you. Maybe a hint of sweetness. Yeah. That means dark chocolate. You head to where they keep the baking supplies while your friend wanders through the other aisles. Dark chocolate with maybe some accents of… white chocolate?

 “How about some flavoring?” He pops up from the next aisle, completely surprising you into an almost heart attack. “Oops? My bad.”

 Once you get your breathing and heart rate back to normal, you see what he’s holding. He has a few different flavors in small bottles. They appear small, but you know better. Since they’re concentrated, a few drops will suffice lest the recipient be overwhelmed with the flavor.

 Vanilla, rose, strawberry, and mango?

 “Can you bring me one of each?” You request. Variety makes things interesting, and if one fails, you’ll have the others as back-ups.

 “Sure.” Levi disappears just as quickly and quietly as he appeared. You swear he’s part ninja or something. Maybe he’s a secret agent. You end that train of thought before it takes a surprise journey.

 With him not distracting you, you return your attention to the selection of chocolates in front of you. You read the cacao concentration before picking something not too bitter but not sweet either. On second thought, you grab more as you don’t know how many attempts you’ll need before you manage to make a decent chocolate. Having the main ingredient in your basket, you search for the others. Somewhere along the line, Levi takes the basket from you as it’s becoming heavier with your selections. Not that it was impossible to carry. Having a gentleman with you can be useful especially when you know he’s not interested in you other than being a friend and possibly siblings.

 At the register, the cashier rings up your purchases. Your friend and she know each other. Yet, why is she attempting to flirt with him? Not that it’s any of your business. You just hate it when people are disappointed. He is either oblivious or doesn’t care like a certain someone in your life. Well make that four guys you know.

 “Levi, why didn’t you call?” a middle-aged man appears. “I would have prepared your favorite snack.”

 He politely declines. “Spur of the moment decision, and I have urgent business to attend to.”

 “What can be that urgent you don’t want to spend time with your old pal?” He notices you’re in the company of his friend. “I see. What a cute girl you’re with. Whose girlfriend is she?”

 “Er…” You attempt to answer.

 “That’s the urgent business. I’m helping her win her crush over.” He appears to be teasing you, but something in his tone tells you he’s serious about assisting you with your quest to win him over and especially not make a fool of yourself like you normally do.

 “He’s not a crush,” you mumble.

 “Who took classes on cooking with me?”

 You probably could pass off as a human tomato at this point. “That’s different!” You rack your mind trying to dig yourself out of this hole you somehow managed to fall into. Your brain starts waving a white flag, easily surrendering.

 Levi chuckles. “I’ll stop teasing you.”

 “You took cooking classes?” The cashier gives your male friend those eyes.

 “Well yeah. It’s not healthy eating out or pre-made meals.” You wish you could have said that earlier. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. You hate it.

 “We’d better get going,” Levi says, prompting her to hurry up ringing you up. “She still needs to cook and then give it to him before the day ends.”

 Once you paid for the ingredients, your friend takes it back to his motorcycle before securing it and then you. He hops onto his bike and then heads to your place. You’ve been to each other’s homes so neither of you needs directions.

 “Let’s do this!” You’re very much pumped to make these chocolates. And well if they turn out not the greatest, no one said you couldn’t eat them yourself, right? You plan on eating all the fails anyways, but even though you love chocolate, you hope there aren’t too many of them.

 Levi smiles while shaking his head. “You’re like the little sister I never had.”

 You turn to stare at him. Family? This brings several questions to mind, mainly about his family which he has yet to share anything about. “Only child?”

 “No, I had an adopted brother, but that’s about it.” Levi shrugs and carries the bag for you. Good thing, it’s heavy. He doesn’t say anything more so you drop it.

 Inside your kitchen, the two of you clean up and start prepping to make the chocolate. He helps with the set up but once you start actually making it, he steps back and let’s you take over with him supervising you. You decide to create four different flavors. Kind of like the saying, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.’ In addition to the flavoring, you have picked up some nuts, because well why not? Sometimes you believe he’s nuts.

 Just as you’re about to put the pot with the chocolate on the stove, Levi holds your arm. “You don’t want to put it on direct heat. Use double broiler.” When you stare at him in confusion, he turns off the stove and explains. “Get a larger pot and fill it with water. Then you place this pot in it. Make sure the water doesn’t go into your chocolate.”

 “Oh. No wonder why my first attempt ended horribly.” Whoops? You follow his advice and grab a larger pot to fill with water. Once it’s filled, you lug it over to your stove and turn it on. Next you place your pot full of chocolate in it. When it starts melting, you stir it and are thankful it doesn’t burn or turn hard. Wow. You’ll have to remember this for future use. This batch will be the vanilla flavored, some with nuts. Once it’s a nice gooey mess, you take it off the heat before grabbing your already prepared tray. You stir in some nuts and then meticulously pour it into the molds. When you used up what you melted so far, you ask your assistant to place it in the fridge while you start on the second batch.

 As it turns out, you have more chocolate than you anticipate. Oh well you did prepare in case of fails, but so far, there haven’t been any as you have a very watchful assistant who keeps reminding you. Maybe you need to improve your concentration and not let your mind wander that often. It’s great for creating programs, not great when you’re trying to do something that requires concentration.

 “Why not chocolate covered fruit?” Levi suggests as he rummages through your fridge. He emerges with a pack of strawberries. When did you get those? Oh wait, you went on a grocery run a few days ago. Come to think of it, you wonder why you picked up strawberries as they’re not in season. Maybe they were on sale? Given Valentine’s Day, you wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.

 “I’ll pick up some whip cream later.” When you bring your gift to him, you plan on grabbing some. That’s until you see your assistant holding a tub of whip cream. “What?”

 “I snuck it in while you’re distracted.”

 Your eye twitches as you didn’t see him with it at all, but at the same time, you’re thankful. It means no detour. After all, he’s doing you more than a favor by not only driving, but supervising your cooking. This time, you know what to do. You wash the strawberries and have your assistant dry them off with paper towels. With him being busy, you start up the.. you lost count batch of chocolate. You get it to a nice consistency and turn off the stove. Then you realize, you don’t have anywhere to place them. You notice a lined tray ready to receive the strawberries. After thanking him, you begin dipping the strawberries and placing them on the prepped tray.

 Minutes later, you’re finished and have a messy kitchen, but it’s worth it to make those home-made chocolate. As to whether, they’d taste good is up in the air. You’ve made a few extra for you two to try before you gift him with it. He gets up to start help with the clean-up, but you push him back down. Levi has done more than his share.

 Once they’ve hardened, you take out your tester chocolates and divvy them between the two of you. For your first successful batch, they’re not too bad. It’s not like those sold at candy shops, however, they’re a vast improvement on your first attempt… attempts.

 Between the two of you, you manage to find materials to wrap up your gift to him. You also decide to give him some of the chocolate as you’ve made more than you anticipated. A friendly Valentine’s gift. Levi surprisingly accepts it and pats you on the head like some sort of cute pet. Hey!

 Victor-Victor-Victor-Victor

 Since you know Victor happens to be a workaholic and little romance in his body, you know he won’t take today off. If anything, he may be annoyed with the amount of chocolate he’s receiving from his female (and maybe male) fans. You stare at the gift in your hands, wondering whether or not to give it to him since he’s probably more than irritated. A nudge from behind causes you to stumble a little.

 “He doesn’t know you’re here.”

 “Er… I’m worried he’d find me annoying.”

 Levi leans back on his motorcycle. “Why would he find you annoying?”

 You wave your hand. “Capitalist CEO. He didn’t become a leading financial institution by being a pushover… or romantic person.”

 “I’m sure he’ll make an exception for you.” You blink several times. “You’re a funny, kind, generous, hard working person. How could he not fall for you? If he so much makes you cry, I’m taking him out of the picture.”

 You don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Instead you hug him. “Thanks.”

 “Now go sweep him off his feet, and remember what I said about making him disappear.” He releases you so you can go to him.

 “Right…”

 “After all, no one messes with my little sister and gets away with it.”

 “I’m not little!” you pout, but the huge grin on your face gives you a comical appearance. You hug him for a second time. “Fine, big bro.” Then it occurs to you if he sees you as his little sister, then oh boy… Victor would be in for a world of hurt should he hurt you. Isn’t that what big brothers do?

 “Just don’t kill him. I still need him to sign my paychecks.”

 “All right. He’ll be missing a limb or two then.”

 You playfully punch him. “I’m serious. He still needs to write.”

 “Who ever said it’s those limbs?”

 This time your whole face turns red and you smack him with your purse. “You!”

 “Feeling nervous?”

 Come to think of it, you’re not. He’s distracted you with his shenanigans. “Nope!”

 Something falling catches your attention. You see Goldman hastily picking up folders and papers. Having some mercy on him, you decide to help him pick them up. Unfortunately some of them fly too far from either of you and are about to escape when your big brother catches them for you. You thank him for it.

 Goldman sounds nervous as he’s trying to warn you of something. It sounds like gibberish. “Slow down and take a deep breath.”

 “Later!” Levi waves to you.

 “Bye, big bro!”

 This time Goldman’s jaw drops. Did he think you two were? Oh boy.

 “We’re not in that kind of relationship. More like we adopted each other as siblings… unofficially.”

 Goldman lets out a sigh of relief. “It’s a warzone in there.”

 “Let me guess. Victor has many admirers giving him unwanted gifts?”

 “Ding ding ding. You have won a prize. Yeah, he’s in a very, very sour mood. Please don’t say anything to upset him further.”

 You give him that look. “I’m not that bad.”

 He returns that look. “Yes, you are. I don’t know how many times you’ve left boss stressed out. I lost count.” Hmph. See if you help him with any of his assignments.

 “I guess it’s better I don’t give these.” You hold up your wrapped gift.

 “Are those chocolates?” Goldman looks horrified at the thought.

 “They’re not sweet! I made sure of it. They’re not the greatest, but I’m getting better at cooking.” You’re proud of what you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve come from being a walking kitchen disaster.

  “You made them?” Goldman gulps as if you’ve made Victor his last meal.

 You glare at him. “I’m not that bad, and big bro helped me with them.”

 Goldman shakes his head. “Good luck in there.”

 “What? You’re going home?”

 “No. I’m running errands.” He checks his watch. “Oh crap, gotta go before it’s too late. Thanks for your help.” With his papers and folders secured, Goldman wastes no time in leaving you in the dust.

 “Bye?”

 Might as well be prepared to enter the battlefield, aka LFG. You check your gift for the hundredth time you’d probably stare holes into it. Everything is good to go… except your feet. You mentally shout at your feet to start moving. After several swear words and threats, your feet start moving to the entrance and then inside where everyone looks like there’s a ticking time bomb somewhere.

 Come to think of it, there is a literal ticking time bomb who calls himself their boss, aka Victor. The people move skittishly around you as you make your way to their boss’ office. Having given so many reports, you can walk there in your sleep. As you come closer to his office, the people become more stressed out and anxious. You’re tempted to sneak up behind them and yell “BOO!” However, a figure who suspiciously appears to be victor pops up in your mind, telling you that it’s childish behavior.

 Even in your mind, Victor is a kill joy.

 Just as you’re about to raise your hand and knock, you hear several strange noises coming from behind that wooden barrier. You blink several times before placing your ear against the door. While it’s bad manners to eavesdrop, you’re worried about Victor. Is he hurt? Does he need an ambulance? That’s what you tell yourself when that same figure chastises you about listening on other people’s conversation. From what you hear, it doesn’t sound like someone needs medical assistance. Phew. You take a step back, but being the queen of klutzes, you trip on something invisible (rather yourself) and fall back, landing right on your rear.

 “Ow…” Somehow you manage to keep your voice low though it’s not low enough as you hear movement from behind the door.

 Glancing around, you scurry over to a place to hide. Why are you hiding when you’re there to see Victor? You have no idea. Impulse perhaps? It’s small. You shove yourself into that little corner, hoping he would not venture further than the doorway to look out.

 Victor lets out his sigh which you believe is reserved for you when you’re behaving childishly, looking like a fool, or thinking something he considers stupid. “I know you’re here.” When you don’t move or make any noise, he sounds exasperated. “I’m not mad at you. Promise.”

 Since he has never broken any promises, you crawl out of your little hiding place. As soon as you appear in his sights, he seems to be in disbelief. Probably because you’re there or how you managed to cram yourself into that tiny space.

 “I heard you went home early,” Victor starts off. He appears like his normal self though you know better. Even if he won’t admit it, he’s worried about your health.

 “I’m fine.”

 “I can see that.” His posture screams he wants to know why you’re there in the first place.

 “Err… I have something for you.” You walk up to him before shoving your gift at him, more like at his broad chest.

 Victor turns his attention to the thing you’ve shoved at him. “What’s this?”

 “If you want to know, you’ll have to open it,” you tease him. Given the wrapping design and theme, it’s not hard to guess you’re giving him a Valentine’s gift.

 “I’m not into sweets.”

 You puff up your cheeks. “I know that. I made sure they’re not too sweet.”

 His long fingers start to meticulously unwrap his gift. “You made these?”

 “Yep!” You sound very proud of yourself.

 “Shouldn’t you be giving it to your boyfriend?”

 EH???

 “What boyfriend?” Seriously you don’t recall being into any guy.

 “You hugged that guy twice.”

 “Oh, what about big bro?”

 This stuns Victor into silence for a minute or two. “You don’t have any brothers.”

 “Well now I do!” Wait a moment. “You’re jealous of my gay brother again?”

 “I’m not jealous of your gay brother… again? What’s that supposed to mean?”

 This leaves you in giggling fits. It takes you a few moments and a stern look from him for you to calm yourself enough to talk. “Do you remember the cooking class you substituted for?” Nod of his head. “It’s the same guy. My gay friend turned gay brother.”

 You catch a blush appear on his face just as he turns away. “Hopefully they’re edible.”

 HEY! “I worked hard on them. Big bro says I’ve improved a lot.”

 Victor motions for you to follow him into his office. There are several stacks of papers and folders both on his desk and around it. What’s going on? It’s never this cluttered when you’re there ever. Victor appreciates his space being clean and orderly. You should know as he scolds you for making a mess or for putting away things in the wrong places.

 “If now isn’t a good time, I can leave,” you say in an unsure tone.

 “I’m almost done.” Victor ambles over to his chair behind his desk. He picks up his glasses and places them on his face. Without looking in your direction, he adds, “I’ve made reservations at that new restaurant you wanted to try.”

 What? You rack your mind, trying to think how he heard about it. The only person you told is your now new big brother while you two were making those chocolates.

 “You mentioned it in your moments post.”

 Oh that. Making those chocolates and then mustering up the courage to give them has pushed that thought way, way far down. “Hehehehe. I forgot about that.” Wait a moment. “I made that post during lunch. How could you get reservations? It’s hard to get them unless you make it days in advance.”

 “I have my ways.” Victor shuffles papers around before settling on one. His eyes never leave it as he continues the conversation with you. “It’s called having connections. You can use more of them.”

 Ouch… Does he have to be that brutal? Although you know he’s right, you wish he’d tell you in a more gentle way instead of dropping it on you like a bomb. You’ve been working on gathering connections and have invited a few influential people to your show. Had it been a year earlier, they wouldn’t even consider being on your show which indicates how much you’ve grown and learned under his care.

 “You’re better than when you started.” Is this a complement? If it isn’t, you decide to take it as one.

  “But isn’t it expensive?” You recall the reviews and how they say it’s pricy but definitely worth it for the quality and experience.

 “That’s for me to worry about. All you need to worry about is what you want to eat.”

 “Okay.” You make you way to one of the chairs when you realize one of the chairs is occupied by a large mountain of gifts. In fact, they’re practically burying the poor furniture. You hadn’t noticed this, however, to be fair, you had several things on your mind. The fact your gift hasn’t joined this enormous pile gives you hope that Victor would try what you’ve made. At least yours has a chance of being opened.

 After pulling out your phone, you browse the restaurants website, more specifically their menu. Their prices cause you to wince. It’d take you a week of work to get enough money for one meal, and that’s for yourself alone. As if on cue, Victor tell you to order what you want and ignore the price. He can afford it. According to him, it’s cheap for that kind of restaurant.

 Wow… Cheap. The life of the rich and infamous.

 You pull out a pen and pad of paper from your purse. When Victor raises a brow, you stick your tongue out at him. “It’s for random ideas.” As soon as he returns to his work, you peruse their menu. There are a lot of things you’d like to try and most likely to overeat, making a fool of yourself in the process. So this time, you’ll come prepared. You will plan what you’re going to eat for future visits so as to not tempt yourself to eat more than your stomach can handle. For a second, you consider telling Victor, however, you squash that thought. He wouldn’t praise you or acknowledge you for something he considers trivial.

 By the time you finish selecting your dishes for this visit, Victor has finished cleaning up. “Will you be ordering the entire menu?”

 Ouch… “Yes,” you reply with a cheeky grin. “Hope you can afford it!”

 Victor stands over you, looking down at you and your notes. His soft snort tells you he’s read them. “Indeed you have ordered everything.” He pauses. “Wise decision to spread it out on multiple visits.”

 Oh my. Did he just praise you again? While you’re tempted to request he say it again, you decide it’s better to not push your luck. After all, he’ll be paying for future visits. Unless he increases your salary, you doubt you’d be able to afford it without having to make sacrifices and live off of cup noodles like a certain someone who shall remain nameless.

 “Are you going to try your gift?” You ask as you follow him, noticing he’s carrying your gift with him.

 “Chocolate is for dessert,” Victor reminds you, causing you to blush. Right.

 “Does that mean you’ll try it after dinner?” You bat your eyes even though he can’t see behind him. He doesn’t have eyes in the back of his head or does he? Hm… He has a knack for catching you doing things when he’s not even facing you or looking in your direction.

 “Yes.”

 His one-word reply causes you to be giddy with delight. You hope he likes it as you’ve put effort into making it…. Even if it’s last minute, but he doesn’t have to know that! What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him for now.

 Victor-Victor-Victor-Victor

 With it being Valentine’s Day and Friday night, the restaurant is packed with a long line going out the door. If they’re willing to wait outside, then the food must be worth it. You become excited with anticipation. It may not be Victor level cooking, you appreciate good food.

 “Victor, I—”

 Some heavy set male runs straight into you causing you to lurch forward. Instinctively you brace for an impact that never arrives. Instead you find yourself in the embrace of the man you like a lot… maybe even love? Once Victor helps you back on your feet, you notice two things… Victor glaring and second your high heel is no longer high heel on the left side. You believe he’s glaring at you, however, he’s not looking directly at you, more like over you.

 “Why should I apologize? She’s standing in the way,” the guy argues. Where should you stand? It’s not like there is a vacant spot for you to occupy. Now is there?

 “You should look where you’re going. Perhaps you need glasses. I can help with that.”

 The guy starts turning red. “I can see just fine.”

 “Then you should have seen her.” Victor indicates you.

 “She’s tiny. Careful someone might sit on her.”

 Why you!

 Victor stops you from marching straight up to him and giving him a piece of your mind. “On second thought, you’ll need a lawyer.”

 “What?”

 “You could have given her a concussion, and you broke her shoe.” So Victor did notice your heel-less left shoe. Hard to get anything past him.

 “Gentlemen,” the restaurant’s manager speaks up. “There will be no violence in this establishment.”

 “Tell that to him,” the rude guy grumbles.

 “How is knocking someone over not violent,” you finally explode. “I coulda gotten a concussion.”

 “Mister, please leave.” At first you think he’s referring to Victor, but his next words confirm who. “I’m terribly sorry, Mister.” He’s facing Victor. “Your table is this way.”

 “Err…” You can walk but awkwardly with uneven shoes.

 Victor understands what you’re trying to get at before you can say it. He literally sweeps you off your feet and carries you to your table. On your way there, more than a few customers look in your direction and whisper. Not everyday a guy carries a girl to their table.

 Not like you have a choice given your broken footwear. Still it’s embarrassing to be stared at by these strangers. Somehow Victor ignores every single one of them. Of course, he does. He’s the great and mighty Victor. His name is very much appropriate for him.

 At your private table, the manager fusses over the two of you, making sure you’re well taken care of before taking his leave. It makes you wonder if this is the usual service for Victor whenever he goes out or if it’s from the earlier incident. Thanks to you having decided what you want to eat before you arrived at the restaurant, you’re able to put in your order. Considering how packed this place is, you wouldn’t be surprised should service be slower than usual. Not that you’ll make a deal out of it.

 Now what?

 “Are you sure you’re just siblings?”

 You groan. Not this again. “I’m sure of it. Unless I become a guy, he’s not interested in me.”

 “You sure he isn’t lying?”

 Here we go for another round. “I’m sure of it. We both like looking at cute guys and before you say anything, appreciation for nice aesthetics doesn’t mean I’m in love with them. It’s superficial level appreciation.”

 Victor appears skeptical, but he doesn’t push it further.

 A random thought pops into your mind, causing you to giggle.

 “What useless thing are you thinking of this time?”

 “All my thoughts aren’t useless. My mind can be creative and imaginative, okay?”

 “What is it?”

 You prop your head on your hands. “You should be more worried for yourself.”

 “Oh?”

 “If he’s going to hit on anyone, it’ll be you.”

 Victor is stunned into silence. You’re not sure if he’s against same sex couples or tolerates them. Maybe it’s the realization that yes, there are men who would be after him. He probably had not even considered it much less thought about it.

 “And if you hurt me, well you know how big brothers are overprotective of their little sisters.” You somehow recall he’s good at martial arts, very good at it. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to put it to use against a certain someone.

 “He won’t have a chance.” Oh confident now are we?

 Before either of you can say another word, your waiter arrives with a bottle of fine wine. “On the house.” She places it in a prepared container of ice. You peer at it. Oh it sounds good from what you’ve read. Apparently you’re not the only one who read it.

 “You can have one glass.” That’s better than nothing. You’ll take it.

 Victor-Victor-Victor-Victor

 Man you’re stuffed. The food is too good, but not as good as a certain restaurant which Victor knows all too well, considering he owns it. You’re thankful you ordered just the right amount. Knowing yourself, you’d still keep eating even if you’re full.

 You pull out your phone. “I’m going to give them a five-star review.” In your review, you write about your experience there including the incident before dinner and their heavenly cuisine. If Victor asks where you want to eat and doesn’t feel like cooking, you know what you’re answer will be.

 Victor scoffs at this though he seems to be amused and overall in a good mood. When you place down your phone, you notice your gift has been opened.

 “So what do you think?”

 “Needs improvement.” Your spirits sink. “But you’ve come a long way from when you started. I’ve had my fair share of less than desirable results in the past. No one starts out good or perfect.”

 Then Victor must have had some fails when he first started cooking. This somewhat lifts your spirits. Considering he has a huge head start over you, you take it stride. It’s not like Rome was built in a day as they say.

 After paying for your meal (minus the wine), Victor once again sweeps you off your feet to carry you to his car. Unlike some big wigs, he doesn’t need a chauffeur to drive him around. He’d probably become too impatient waiting for the poor person.

 “Where are we headed?” You ask as soon as you’re safely secured and he’s behind the wheel.

 “To the mall.”

 “Eh?”

 “Your broken shoes.”

 Oh. “I can repair them at home.” You don’t want to trouble him more than necessary.

 “I’m buying you better ones, sturdier shoes.” In his language, it means more expensive and better quality.

 By now you should be celebrating. Free dinner and shoes, but somehow your heart isn’t into it. You’re not sure why.

 “Aren’t you going to gloat about getting free shoes?”

 You turn your head to face him. “Not in the mood.”

 “Is something wrong?” Victor sounds genuinely concerned, given how you love to banter with him.

 “It’s… I don’t know. I guess I’m not ready for this to end.”

 “Is that so?” Victor takes a few seconds to look at you before turning his attention back to the road.

 “I’m actually enjoying spending time with you.” Shut up mouth! Why don’t you dig a hole and bury yourself in it?

 “Are you sure it’s not the food?”

 This time you glare at him. “It’s not always about the food. Believe it or not, good company makes the food taste even better.”

 “I see.” No, you don’t.

 You puff up your cheeks and stare out the passenger side window. Could this get any more awkward? Scratch that. You don’t want to jinx yourself.

 “Why don’t you spend the night at my place?”

 Say what?

 “A certain someone says she doesn’t want this to end.”

 Right. “I don’t have my stuff.”

 “Already taken care of.” How in the world? You decide not to question it.

 Victor-Victor-Victor-Victor

 At the mall, Victor carries you as he’s not willing to risk you tripping and falling due to your broken shoe. Says that you’re a walking disaster with two good shoes. When he teases you, you can feel the warmth and affection in his voice. He does care in his own way, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. It just wouldn’t be him.

 When the sales lady notices you and your predicament, she hurries over to you. “You poor thing. I’ll find a pair of shoes that’ll flatter your figure.” How does she know your size?

 After Victor places you on a chair, you take off your shoes and turn one of them over. Oh… Right in the middle is your size. You haven’t worn this pair enough times to wear out the writing. Meanwhile Victor stands guard over you. Not like you’re going to have another person try to shove you to the ground.

 The sales lady returns with a dozen pair of shoes. How she managed to carry all of them. You’re not sure nor do you ask. She does have good taste in footwear. You try on all of them, some of them twice. So many nice shoes, but you only need one pair. You don’t feel like owing Victor a lot. After some consideration and thought, you narrow your selection down to two.

 “Which looks better? This or that?” You’re wearing one of the pairs.

 “We’ll take them both.”

 “Um… I need one pair.” Mouth, stop moving and let him buy you the damn shoes.

 “Since a certain dummy can’t decide, I’ll buy them both for her.” Victor grabs the box for the shoes you’re wearing and the other pair. He heads over to the cash register.

 “You have a nice boyfriend.”

 BOYFRIEND?! “Er… we’re good friends.”

 “Are you sure about that? The way he looks at you.”

 You blink in confusion. “He’s probably annoyed with having to replace my broken shoes.”

 She laughs. “No. He looks at you like you’re his most precious person, a treasure he intends to protect.”

 “Eh? How do you know it’s that?”

 She holds up her left hand. “My husband does that a lot.” Now you notice the ring on her finger. She’s married. “Take my advice, don’t let this one go. He’s a keeper.”

 “Right.”

 Once he’s paid for the shoes, you insist on taking a stroll through the mall to walk off dinner. Victor isn’t happy though he indulges you, and the two of you take a leisurely walk through the building. Good thing this is an indoor mall so you don’t have to deal with the cold weather. As you pass by the window displays, you take a good look at their merchandise. A pair of rings catches your attention.

 “Promise rings.” You didn’t plan to say it out loud. You did anyways.

 “Those are for children.”

 You roll your eyes at him and point at the price tag. “I don’t think children can afford that on their allowance.”

 “Right.”

 The cute puppies and kitties catch your attention. You hurry over to look at them and maybe they’ll let you pet them! They’re so adorable. Although you’re tempted to adopt one, you know you don’t have the time or energy to properly look after one. Maybe one of your friends will let you pet sit? You’d be more than willing to look after their furry four-legged family member for a short time. After all, you took care of Pearly while Gavin was away on a mission.

 Inside the store, they have more than kitties and puppies. They have fishes, mice, lizards, and birds. You’re not crazy about mice or lizards. The fish are pretty to look at, but they’re kind of boring. It’s not like you can play with them or pet them. A small bird wanders to you and starts whistling. Is it serenading you? You glance around to see if the employees would let you pet the bird. Sadly they’re all busy. You reach in and the bird scoots over to your hand before climbing onto your finger. Then it makes its way up your arm and onto your shoulder. It snuggles against you.

 “Oh wow, he’s never been this friendly with anyone.” A store employee appears, startling you and inadvertently the bird too. “Sorry. We normally don’t let people touch him. He tends to be grumpy most of the time.”

 You reach up and start petting him. He leans into your touch, chirping in content. “Really? He seems friendly.” If this bird is as how the employee makes him out to be, you’ve found Victor in bird form it seems. Maybe this can be Victor Junior? Thinking about Victor, where is he? You thought he’d follow you into the store.

 “Miss?”

 “Yes?”

 “Please adopt him! I’m begging you.”

 What?

 “You’re the first person he’s been nice to. I didn’t think he would be attached to anyone.”

 “Um… I’m busy so I don’t think I can properly care for him.”

 “You’ll do fine. These are great starter birds since they’re not hard to take care of.” The store employee begins telling you the benefits of having a pet and one that’s low maintenance. You find out this is a cockatiel. Thinking about the name causes you to giggle.

 Between the store employee and the cute birdy eyes, you break down and decide to adopt this adorable creature. This time, you’re paying for him along with what’s needed to keep him happy and healthy. He’s content to sit on your shoulder the entire time and growls whenever he thinks someone is a threat to you.

 Cage, food, toys, perches, feeding dishes, something for water, some basic first aid, and the bird himself.

 “What makes you think you can take care of a pet?”

 This startles you and causes him to almost fall off your shoulder. “They’re not hard to take care of, and he’s cute.”

 “All animals are cute to you.”

 “Not all of them.” You glance over to the lizard section. “And he really likes me.”

 “Right. Are you sure it’s not some sales gimmick?” Victor folds his arms over his chest, waiting for your answer.

 “I’ve seen him interact with others. He isn’t social but he’s friendly with me.” You reach up to pet him, which he happily accepts. “He’s like a bird version of you.”

 Victor lets out an exasperated sigh. “Since you’ve already bought him, let’s take the stuff to my car.” Wow, you didn’t think Victor would be on board with you purchasing a pet this quickly. You decide not to point it out.

 On the way to his place, the bird is content with being on your lap. You’ll need to name him since you can’t keep calling him the bird or bird.

 “Victor Junior or Vic for short.”

 “What are you up to this time?”

 “He’s just like you.”

 “….”

 “So I’m naming him after you.”

 “This is ridiculous.”

 You stick your tongue out at Victor. Victor Junior copies you, much to your amusement. “Our son isn’t ridiculous, are you?” You coo at the little bird.

 “Our son?”

 “Fine, my son.”

 Victor-Victor-Victor-Victor

 Victor Junior has picked up quite a vocabulary during his stay at the pet shop. You can’t help but giggle at his antics. Since you’re spending the night there, you’ve set up his cage once human Victor has brought in his supplies. It’s getting late and Victor Junior looks tired. He’s yawning up a storm. You place him in his cage so he can get some sleep.

 Since Victor is a gentleman, he insists you sleep in his guest room. It appears while you’re taking care of the bird, he prepared the guest room for you. Before he takes his leave so you can change, he holds out a small box. Is that a ring box? You open it to find one half of the promise ring set.

 “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

 Victor stutters, attempting to deny it and saying that you’re interested in it.

 “Now look who’s being silly.” You pull out the ring and slide it onto your finger before giving a surprised Victor a hug. “Does this answer your question?”

 His response? He pulls you in for one passionate kiss.

 Where the hell did he learn to kiss like that?

Beloved.

A/N: I'm officially obsessed with Wolf Bride and what does one do when she's obsessed with a certain book? She writes an AU about it! 😁 So, Talley Ho! *in my Sherlock Holmes voice*

Rated: Mature. | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual from me. 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: Roman (LI) and Naia Evans (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 2,755 words. (more or less. I stop counting after editing and re-editing. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

Tag List: @rideordiechronicles @shewillreadyou @txemrn @lucy-268 @pixie88 @secretaryunpaid @aussieez @shannonsaid @shannonwrote @queenjilian @bebepac @imturaxamara @texaskitten30 @choicesficwriterscreations

This series is rated Mature. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

This series may contain spoilers. If you wish not to see spoilers, please do not read any further.

(Also this series is a slight deviation of the original story. In the original story, the werewolf hunter is a woman. But in this series the hunter is a man.)

Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click ——> Here!

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or dm me and I will gladly add you. 😁😘

TW: character death, Car Accident, death of a parent.

Chapter 15.) Skeletons.

It was Saturday but not just your typical Saturday. This was Laurie’s chance to get her daughter the hell outta dodge of the upcoming full moon. While she was having breakfast at Tucker’s with Shane, she was starting to really worry.

“I swear that girl acts more and more like you every day.” Laurie said to her husband.

“Me?! She’s LITERALLY your living, breathing reflection but yeah sure let’s blame me.” He replies while shaking his head.

“If we don’t get her the hell outta here by the next full moon, she will never leave.”

“I know baby. But you know how she is when she sets her mind to something.”

“I wish she’d set her mind to something other than staying here!”

Laurie sighed.

“I’m scared, Shane. I’m really scared. We can’t let her go through what I went through.”

Shane sipped his coffee before reaching over to take his wife’s left hand in his.

“I swear on my momma. We WILL NOT let that happen. She will be leaving with us tomorrow. There will be no arguing about it.”

Laurie smiled softly. After finishing breakfast they stepped out into the sunlight then decided to take a walk down Main Street.

“I haven’t had a chance to ask you but how are you feeling baby?” Shane asked her as they walked.

“Nostalgic. I’ve missed home. And I won’t lie, part of me is glad to see it. But in the same breath, I hate being here.”

“I know baby. We haven’t been here since we left 30 some odd years ago.”

“It’s not just that though.”

“Then what is it? Tell me.”

“Shane…I-I-I can still feel him. I can still see him. I can still hear his voice. He’s still around. Even though he’s dead.”

“I promise you, you’re safe. He’s dead and rightly so. And even if he wasn’t, there is no way in hell I’d let him anywhere near you.”

“My hero.”

“Always baby.”

Shane smiled at her while wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He knew she was struggling and all he wanted to do was take her pain away. As they walked both took in how much the town square had changed. Most of what Laurie knew 30 years ago wasn’t there now.

When they got to the park they sat down on her old favorite bench.

“Remember our first date?” He asked her.

“Yeah. You took me to the old drive in then we came here, sat down on this bench and tried to count as many stars as possible.” She replies.

Shane laid his wife’s head on his left shoulder.

“I know you’re struggling. I know being home is bittersweet.”

He felt tears fall on his shoulder.

“I didn’t think it’d be this hard. I just knew that I’d see this place and I’d hate it as I always have. I didn’t think that I’d miss it so much.” She said as her voice cracked.

“I know baby. Don’t cry. It’s hard to come back here after all this time and not feel anything.”

Shane rubbed her back as she cried.

“It’s okay baby. Let it out. Let it all out.”

When her tears finally subsided, Laurie took a deep breath.

“Thank you.”

Shane kissed the side of her head.

“Always baby.”

Laurie looked up and suddenly had an idea.

“I wanna do something.”

“What baby?” Shane asked.

“…I wanna go see mama and daddy.”

Shane nodded.

After going by Alfred’s flower shop Shane and Laurie drove a little ways out of town to S.R. Timmons National Cemetery. Laurie laid the flowers at the grave of her parents.

Laurie laid her hand on the grave stone with Shane right beside her.

“Hi mama. Hi daddy. I’m home…” she whispered.

It had been 30 years since she’d seen her parents grave.

“I know you’re probably furious that it’s taken me this long to come back. And I wouldn’t blame you if you haunted me for the rest of my life because of it. But I want you to know that…I miss you so much.”

Shane knelt next to his wife as she took a shaky breath.

“I have so much to say but I don’t know where to start. I’m sure you watched it all from heaven but I have to tell you myself. I became a nurse like you were mama. And I found a man that is just as stand up as you were daddy. We got married at a courthouse. I know it probably wasn’t the wedding that you and daddy would’ve hoped for mama but…I wish both of you were there.”

She stopped as her voice hitched.

“Anyway, you have a granddaughter. We named her Naia Michelle. She’s a giant handful but you’d love her nonetheless. Maybe even more than you ever loved me. And your son…well we won’t get into that. But now I need you. I need you to help me bring my baby home. She’s in danger and she won’t listen to me. The wolves here mean her no good. And I’m scared that if she doesn’t leave with us tomorrow, I’ll never see her again. Mama…daddy…I need you.”

She burst into tears with her husband right next to her.

“It’s okay baby. They hear you. I promise, they hear you.”

“I know they do but it’s Naia who doesn’t…” Laurie said through her tears.

Shane took her face into his hands before speaking.

“Look at me baby. Naia will. We will make sure that she will.”

Shane held her close before speaking to the plaque in front of him.

“I never got to meet you two but I met your daughter and I fell head over heels for her. She has made my life better. She gave me the greatest gift in life. She gave me a daughter. Naia is beautiful. She’s smart. She’s talented. She’s strong willed. And God knows that girl is as stubborn as her mother. And now she is determined to stay and I can’t stand it. I need her at home, where she’d be safe. She’s not safe here. If she stays here her mother and I are afraid that she’ll wind up hurt or dead. I can’t have that. So please help us bring our girl home.” The two sat in a somber yet comfortable silence as Laurie reflected on her parents.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Shane asks her.

“For coming with me. I needed this.” She replies.

“Baby there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

“I think I’m ready now.”

“Are you sure babe?” He asks.

“Yeah. Besides we still need to get our girl and get out of here. But it was good to see mama and daddy.” She replies.

“Alright. Let’s go. We have a long afternoon ahead of us.”

Meanwhile Naia was sitting at the bar with her laptop open at Buck’s showing Layla her nursery design.

“What do you think?” Naia asked Layla.

“I LOVE IT! It’s beautiful!” Layla replies.

“And it’s neutral. Just the way you like it.”

“Thank you so much Naia! I can’t wait to show Callum.”

“You think he’ll like it?” Naia asks.

“Trust me if I like it then he’ll like it.” She replies.

“And here I thought wolves were supposed to be the dominant ones.”

Layla snickered.

“I know that’s a dig at Roman.”

“It’s not a dig! It’s a smartass observation.”

“If you say so…”

“I do say so!” Naia said emphatically.

The two giggled just as Callum walked in.

“Hello girls.” He said to them.

“Heyyyyy!” They replied.

“What are you two up to?” He asks.

“Naia was showing me her design ideas for the baby’s nursery. Here take a look.” Layla replied.

Callum studies the design.

“Well what do you think?” Layla asks him.

“Very nice. I like it. I think it’s perfect for the baby.” He replies.

Naia’s jaw dropped.

“Told you!” Layla teased her.

“You must have some kinda mind control over him.”

“Yeah I do. It’s called the munchkin in my stomach.”

Naia shook her head and smirked.

“Are you ready to go love?” He asks Layla.

“Yeah I’m ready. You coming Naia?” She replies.

“Not quite yet. I’m gonna run by my uncle’s house first so I’ll see you later.”

“Okay. And thank you again Naia.” Callum said to her.

“You’re welcome. As for you young lady, we got baby shopping to do!”

“My favorite pastime!”

They shared a laugh before leaving the bar. When Naia got back to her uncle’s place, she was met by her parents who were sitting at the kitchen table looking through an old photo album.

“I didn’t think you two would still be here.”

“Is it Sunday?” Shane asks.

“Nope.” She replies.

“Then we’re still here.” Laurie said to her.

“Where’s uncle Zane?” Naia asks.

“In the shower.” Shane replied.

“Then how’d you two get in the house?” Naia asked.

“I still have a key, Naia. You forget I grew up in this house.” Laurie replies.

“Touché. What’s that?” Naia asks.

“Family album.” Laurie replies.

“Can I see?” Naia asks.

“Have a seat.” Laurie replies.

Naia sat next to her mother and looked at the page of old photos.

“Are these two your parents?” Naia asked, pointing to the couple.

“Yes. That’s mama and daddy, right after they got married in Parkersburg.” Laurie replied.

“They’re beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“They were amazing.” Zane said as he came into the kitchen.

“Yes they were. Daddy built this house with his own two hands.”

“Really?” Naia asks.

“Yup. He was a carpenter. He could build you a mansion out of a mound of dirt.” Laurie replies.

“And what about your mother?” Naia asks.

“She was a nurse.” Laurie replies with a smile.

“So is that why you became a nurse mom?” Naia asks.

“Yes. I wanted to be just like her.” Laurie replies.

“What were their names?” Naia asks.

“Susanna and Lewis. Mama’s maiden name was Wright.” Laurie replies.

“I wish I could’ve met them.”

“They would’ve loved you. Probably would’ve spoiled you rotten if they had gotten the chance.”

“You mean like how they used to do you?” Zane asked.

“They did not spoil me!” Laurie protested.

“Ha! They all but neglected me when you were born.”

“Can you blame them?” Laurie asked.

“Yes I can! I was here long before you were thought of!” Zane replied.

“Somebody sounds jealous.” Laurie teased.

“Me? Jealous? Of you?” Zane asked his sister.

“Yes. You’re jealous. You always have been.” Laurie replies.

“Such a diva!”

“Now that we can agree on!” Shane quipped.

“What were your parents like?” Naia asked.

Zane contorted his face to do an impression of their father.

“Simon! Watch your sister! You know she can’t go wandering off into the woods by herself!”

Laurie snickered.

“Jackass!”

“Thank you! I’ll be here all week.”

“I didn’t know your name is Simon, uncle Zane.”

Zane chuckled.

“Yes. Simon Zane Roberts. I was named after my mother. And your mother was named after papa. Somehow Laurie Michelle is the same as Lewis Michael.”

“Semantics.”

Laurie turned to the next page to a newspaper clipping. The headline took Naia by surprise.

Naia looked over at her mother who was pale.

“Mama?” Naia asks.

Laurie’s hand was trembling.

“Baby are you okay?” Shane asked.

“I…I…this…” she tried to say.

Zane put his hand over his sister’s.

“It’s okay squirt.”

“You kept it?” She asked in a whisper.

“Yes. I couldn’t throw it out. I didn’t know how to.” Zane replied.

Laurie looked haunted as she ran her hand over the newspaper clipping.

“It…it…was my fault…”

“What?” Naia asked her mother.

“The accident…it was my fault…” her mother replied clearly haunted.

“Squirt…it wasn’t your fault. And you know it wasn’t!” Zane spoke up.

“The state fair…daddy and mama were taking me…it was an early birthday present…if they hadn’t they’d still be alive.”

“Mama what happened?” Naia asks.

“I don’t remember.” Laurie replies.

“I do.” Zane said quietly.

“You do?” Naia asks.

Zane sat across from his sister.

“Yes. Mama, papa and squirt were coming back from the state fair in Huntington…when he lost control of his car and hit a tree then flipped over. Papa died on impact and mama…she died at the hospital.”

“I thought she died in the crash too…” Laurie said to her brother.

“No the truth is she died at the hospital. I told you that she died in the crash because I couldn’t bring myself to take you to her when you woke up. She was brain dead and I had to make the decision to take her off life support.”

“What do you mean when mama woke up?” Naia asked.

“According to what the police told me, squirt was sleeping in the backseat. They thought she was dead too until she woke up crying for mama before passing out again.” Zane replied.

“I don’t remember any of that.”

“Of course you don’t. You were 4.”

“How old were you uncle Zane?” Naia asked.

“I had just turned 17, 2 weeks before the accident.” Zane replied.

“Why weren’t you with them?” Shane asks.

“I was staying with Toby Robinson and his family that weekend. Toby and I were fishing when Toby’s dad came to get us. He said he was taking me to the hospital because of the accident.” Zane replied.

“If you were 17 when your parents died how were you and mama able to stay here?” Naia asks.

“Mama’s aunt Henrietta who lived in Parkersburg came to stay with us until I turned 18. That’s when I was old enough to buy the house. Thankfully it didn’t cost that much back then.” Zane replied.

Laurie just stared at the newspaper clipping.

“Mama?” Naia asks.

“We went to see them…” Laurie replies.

“You and daddy?” Naia asked.

“Yes. Your mother wanted to see them, so we went.” Shane replied.

“I didn’t think I’d ever go back.”

“You went back before I did.” Zane said to his sister.

“What do you mean?” Laurie asked Zane.

“I stopped going to visit mama and papa about 15 years ago.” He replies.

“Why?” Laurie asks her brother.

“Because I figured that they were tired of hearing me beg.” He replied.

“Beg for what?” She asked. Her tone was suddenly short.

“I used to beg them to bring you home. Every year on the anniversary of the accident and their birthdays, I would pray and beg them to send you home.” He replies.

“I’m sure you were miserable.” Laurie said to her brother.

“I was. I really truly was.”

“Good. Serves you right.” Laurie said before closing the photo album and handing it to her brother.

“Keep it. There’s not much that I can do with it.” Zane said to her.

“I don’t want it. That’s why I didn’t take it or any of what’s left of mama’s jewelry when I left.” Laurie replies.

“You can’t just forget it, squirt.”

“Do not call me that. You lost the right to call me that 36 years ago.”

Zane set the photo album on the counter.

“How long are you going to continue to punish me, Laurie?” He asks.

“Until you are lying in the grave next to them.” She replied.

“Mom!”

“No it’s fine, sweetie. I guess this is what I get for letting my sister back into my home.” Zane said to Naia.

“Correction: this is MY home. Because last time I checked, you signed ownership of this house to me when you decided to gamble your entire life away and couldn’t pay back your debts!” Laurie sneered at her brother.

“Enough! I don’t know what’s going on between you two but this isn’t the time or place.” Naia said, trying to keep the peace between them.

“You’re right baby. Besides, I'm done with this place. It’s going up for sale first thing in the morning.”

Zane’s eyes went wide.

“You can’t be serious!” Zane said in a panicked tone.

“As a heart attack.” Laurie replied coolly.

Zane sighed heavily.

“I understand that you are angry with me and that you probably hate me but Laurie please! You can’t just sell the only home I have ever known!”

“I hate it for you but this place has got to go!”

“Laurie for the love of God, not even you can be that damn cruel!”

Laurie’s eyes blazed with unbridled fury.

“Watch…me!” Laurie hissed before turning on her heels and walking outside with Shane right behind her.

Naia was completely stunned while Zane was utterly heartbroken and dejected.

When You Love Someone - Part Two /// Philia

pairing(s): Kim Wonpil x Reader, Day6 x Reader

genre: High School!AU, Young Love!AU, some Angst, but it’s completely sugar coated with Fluff

warning(s): None

word count: 3,3k

synopsis: There are many paths in life, but the longest of all is the path to the heart. In your eyes, what does it truly mean… to love?… 

chapter directory

Prom—the one event that always manages to send shivers down a wallflower’s spine. There’s the attire; dresses that sparkle enough to put the stars to shame and tuxedos that barely compete on a grey-scale color scheme (unless you’re gay with a knack for decent fashion). Then, the actual party, complete with over-sweetened punch, cheesy photo booths, and music that’s bad enough for even the chaperones to jam out too. But there’s one part that’s worse than all the rest… 

...The damn ‘prom-posals.’ 

Here’s the thing, the first few times someone hires the marching band to serenade their potential date into attending the dance with them are cute… But there’s only so many times you can hear Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” in English class, especially when it’s played on the trombone. 

Prom was never on your bucket list. Even more so since Wonpil would be out of town the weekend of. But unfortunately, Jae somehow caught a whiff of your reluctance, cornered you right before homeroom, and basically threatened to carry you kicking and screaming to the event whether you liked it or not. You can always thank Jae for his dramatic flare in the most inopportune of situations. 

And alas… Who are you to argue since he’d probably drag you there anyway? Which brings you to your current problem: Finding a dress that doesn’t make you look like a cougar or a whale. It’s surprising how little there is in between. 

“What about this one?” You’re careful leaving the dressing room, taking precaution to not trip over the obnoxiously long skirt. Once you step onto the slight platform, you’re met with your own reflection, the dress doing very little to compliment your figure nor your complexion. “I think there’s too much fabric… and the neckline is just bad.” 

“Why do you bother asking for my opinion if you already know you hate it?” Wonpil chuckles, never taking his eyes off of his phone. You watch, unamused, as he continues to type something out on the screen, paying your stare of judgement no mind. 

You scoff, “Maybe cause I know you’ll just say it looks fine. Like all the other dresses I tried.” 

“Hey, I did say that white one made you look like a giant marshmallow.”

“No, I said that-” Annoyance floods throughout your veins at your best friend’s indifference. “-You just agreed with it.” The brief distraction allows a sneaky piece of material to wind around your ankles, nearly sending you flying to the floor. A gracious wall manages to break your fall though. 

“I don’t know what you want from me, (Y/N)-noona. I thought you didn’t care about prom anyway.” 

You tug the privacy curtain back in place with a sigh, “Yeah, well, forgive me for wanting to dress to impress for one night.” The outsider grows silent, and you can’t really bring yourself to care over peeling the ugly dress from your body. Maybe you can just do as you did for homecoming and raid your mom’s closet—or just show up in jeans and a T-shirt. 

Just before you’re about to pull on your own clothes and call it a day, you hear a soft murmur of your name. You tuck your half naked body behind the curtain before peeking your head out the small gap. Confusion turns to surprise at the sight of Wonpil standing with an elegant, navy gown slung over his arm.  

“Give this one a try?” The cold facade melts from your chest at the boy’s apologetic smile. You roll your eyes with a soft grin of your own and snatch the dress from your best friend’s grasp. It’s a lot more simple than the ones you’ve been sampling; not overly decorated with lace, jewels and sparkles, or much of anything really. It was just as it was: A dark blue gown that barely went past your toes. 

Wonpil’s jaw drops as you pull back the curtain, his expression twisting a bout of insecurity in your gut. You frantically rush to the nearest mirror with a whine, “Is it that bad!? I look like a blueberry this time, don’t-” The words immediately die in your throat as you drink in the picture in the mirror.. 

No detail was neither too large or too small. The cool hue of the fabric blended with your skin like a dream, revealing just enough to bring a sense of both modesty and confidence to your mind. The garment also managed to hug all the right curves—even going as far as to bring out ones you didn’t know you had. To put it bluntly, you looked badass… 

...And you wouldn’t even have to shave your legs. 

“I should be a stylist.” Wonpil chuckles, retreating to your side in order to help smooth out some hidden wrinkles. You snort at his comment, but choose not to rebuttle, still under the spell of this gorgeous gown, and instead, mull over which shoes would fit with the style. In theory, you might be able to get away with sneakers. 

You fiddle with the waist, searching for the dangling tab that would make or break this decision. Once you find the price tag, you mutter a silent prayer to the universe before peering at the inevitable damage that would be done to your bank account. 

“Damn it,” You curse. “Of course the one dress I like is the most expensive.” 

“How much? Fifty?” 

“Try tripling that.” With a sigh and help from Wonpil, you wander back into the dressing room, already a professional in the task of slipping the gown from your body. Then again, there were a lot less zippers, buttons and holes this time. “I’ll have to see if I can pick up some more shifts at the store. Especially if I want to get my hair and nails done.” 

“Why don’t you ask your parents to cover some of it?” 

“Money’s been a little tight lately, so I’d rather not. They work hard enough as it is.” 

You make your way back into the lobby—properly dressed—with the beautiful dress in your arms. Wonpil points you in the direction where he originally found it, allowing you to sullenly return it to its rightful place. Even when you turn to acknowledge your companion again, you fail to notice the cunning spark glittering within his eyes. 

“Did you want to get something to eat or-?” You’re interrupted by the sudden blare of your phone. An irked sigh drips from your lips as you grab the device from your pocket to identify the caller, however, your annoyance immediately dissipates at the name that reads across the screen. 

“It’s Sungjin,” You say. “I… I should answer it.”

Wonpil nods, a knowing smile spreading across his lips. “You should. I’ll meet you outside.” 

“Are you sure-?” But he was already out the door before the protest could finish leaving your tongue. Left to your lonesome, you inhale a deep breath—confused by the anxious feeling swirling through your stomach. It was only Sungjin, for goodness sakes, the close friend you haven’t spoken to for awhile… so why were you suddenly so nervous to hear his voice? 

“Answer the phone, ditto.” Your murmur somehow produces the courage required to accept the boy’s call and bring the device up to your ear. It seems as if minutes pass by before the familiar, warm tone bleeds through the speaker: 

“(Y/N)?” 

“H-hey.” You curse yourself for stuttering. 

Sungjin’s chuckle resonates over the line. “I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“Oh no,” You shake your head, before chastising yourself with the fact the boy obviously can’t see you. “Just shopping for a prom dress with Wonpil.” 

“So you decided to go? Or did Jae change your mind?” 

You can’t help but laugh, “You know me so well.” 

“You know it. But I’m glad you’re going.” At his words, you feel something in your gut flutter—probably because you haven’t seen him in awhile… obviously. “Did you find one?” 

“Huh?” 

“Did you find a dress?” 

“Oh, yeah.” You reply sheepishly, carding your fingers through your hair. “I’ll have to work three extra shifts at the store to pay for it... but it’s worth it.” 

“I’m glad to hear.” He says, then quickly adds, “about the dress, not the working overtime.” 

“Yeah, I got that.” 

The conversation silences for a moment, sending your brain into another anxious frenzy. Before you could stop yourself, more words were already spilling from your mouth, “I-It’s blue… D-Dark blue, actually.” 

“Yeah?” Sungjin hums, “I hope you didn’t choose it just because blue’s my favorite color.” Your mind goes blank.

“Wh-what?” 

A wave of relief calms your racing heart as the caller erupts into laughter, “Relax, (Y/N), I’m just kidding.” 

“Right. I knew that.” The sad part is that you really don’t think you did—how could it slip your mind that blue is, in fact, Sungjin’s favorite color?... That’s obviously not why you chose the dress… obviously. “So, uh, how are things? I haven’t, well, we haven’t talked… a lot.” 

He sighs, “Yeah, about that… that’s actually why I called you.” 

“Really?” 

“Yes. I guess I needed to… figure some things out.” 

Your eyebrows furrow at his dark tone, “Is everything okay? Are you okay?” 

“It’s nothing like that, (Y/N). I promise, I’m perfectly fine.” Sungjin says truthfully. “Just… confused, I guess… and a little scared.” 

“Of what? Can I help?” 

“Yeah, actually-” You can make out a slight waver in his voice over the receiver—and you don’t like how it kickstarts even more uneasiness within your gut. “-do you want to grab dinner tomorrow night? Just the two of us?” 

“I have to work.” You whine, sensing the disappointed expression that was probably overtaking the boy’s face right now. “But we can do something after, like ice-cream or pizza?” 

“That sounds great.” Sungjin’s reply is relieved; hopeful, even. 

“I get off at nine-” 

“You get off at nine, right-?” 

A pregnant pause overtakes before the two of you erupt into laughter. Whatever negative emotions from earlier were long gone, leaving only the pleasant satisfaction of talking with your best friend. Before now, you never realized exactly how much you missed him. It’s like a piece of you is now complete. 

“Exactly right. You’ll pick me up right from the store, then?” 

“Yes. If that’s okay with you?” 

You smile, “Perfect. Can’t wait.” 

“Me either. I’ll see you then, sweetheart.” 

Your stomach seizes at the familiar pet name, but you pass it off as hunger pains. 

“See you then, Jinnie.” 

“I like this yellow sweater, but I think the white top goes better with the skirt.” A huff flies past your lips as you continue to switch between the two choices, attempting to note which one would be more appealing through the mirror. Curse your indecisiveness. “Pil, what do you think?” 

Your expectation for an answer dissolves into frustration, seeing as Wonpil was no longer sat on the edge of your bed as he was only a few minutes ago. The little fiend must have snuck out when you were debating whether to wear shorts or a skirt. He’s probably raiding your fridge as you think-

You continue to grumble as you toss both garments into the growing pile of abandoned options. At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if your entire closet was strewn across your bedroom floor. You’ve tried on god knows how many things at his point, ruling them unworthy, ugly and just plain-old unwearable. Note to self: Go shopping this summer. 

Most people, like Wonpil, would think you’re absolutely insane for ripping apart your entire wardrobe for as little as something as a stroll in the park, but this isn’t just any walk in the park (mind the pun…)—this is your first ever date! Well, if you don’t count that one dinner you had with some freshman your dad set you up with… 

“I wouldn’t count it. That guy was a weirdo.” You nearly crash into your full-length mirror at the sudden voice and clumsily tumble to the floor. Laughter erupts from the intruder as you attempt to regain your breath, finally identifying the second person in your room. 

“Sungjin? When in the hell did you get here?” 

“Just now to overhear you talking to yourself.” He chuckles, sidling up to your place on the floor and offering his hands. “Wonpil called. Said you were having a mental breakdown over clothes.” 

You groan, allowing your friend to help you back to your feet. “Yeah, with no help from him.” After deeming you wouldn’t lose your balance again, you make your way to your bed and dive onto your mattress with a loud sigh. Sungjin’s footsteps grow louder in your ears as he approaches, the bed dipping on your side. A gentle hand centers on the small of your back, caressing soothing circles into the base of your spine. 

“Want to tell me the real reason why Wonpil’s hiding out in your kitchen?” 

“That brat,” You hiss into the pillows before angling your head to peer up at the boy. His warm, chocolate gaze helps to somewhat ease the stress budding in your chest. You can’t help but inch closer to him, laying your head on his lap with another deep sigh. “I think I’m just freaking out over nothing…” 

“I’m sure, whatever it is, it’s not nothing if it’s upsetting you this much.” He murmurs, “Now tell me.” 

You gather enough willpower to flip over onto your back, staring up at the bumps of the ceiling plaster as your companion replaces his hand on your head, as if attempting to coax the words from your lips. Even with the comfort, embarrassment still toys with your insecurities like a puppet, but still, you somehow manage to find your voice:

“I’m… nervous, Jinnie… This is my first actual date and I don’t want it to be a disaster…” 

The boy teasingly smirks, “And if you don’t find the perfect outfit, it’ll be a disaster?” 

“Shut up! You know what I mean!” You smack his shoulder, earning another round of raspy chuckles. Sungjin’s fit comes to a quick end though, and you’re surprised when he slides off the bed and heads straight for your mountain of mismatched fabric failures. A couple minutes pass as your companion pilfers through the contents, before he calls you over to the mirror. 

You hop from the bed, both eager and hesitant to see his pick. However, your mood darkens as Sungjin holds a plain pair of ripped jeans and a faded T-shirt up to your body—an outfit you wear on a daily basis. You shake your head, “This doesn’t really scream dress to impress, you know?” 

“Maybe not, but it screams you.” 

Your cheeks burn at his retort, “Sungjin-” 

“-You don’t have to impress anyone, (Y/N).” He continutes, meeting your gaze through the mirror reflection. “You’re an amazing person, with so many good qualities that people only dream of having. You should be proud to be who you are, because you’re beautiful. 

“And if your date can’t see that, then he’s a blind idiot.” With tears welling in your eyes, you throw your arms around your friend, tugging him into a fierce hug that leaves even your bones crying out in pain. But Sungjin doesn’t complain, only returns the embrace and murmurs in your ear: “Promise me you’ll never allow yourself to change for anyone other than yourself?” 

“I promise.” You murmur back, “You’re the best, Jinnie.” 

Eventually, you break away from Sungjin’s arms to look over the outfit choice still in his grasp. Maybe next time you’ll dress up to make yourself feel good—but for now, you’re gonna stay comfortable in your own skin. 

A buzz steals your attention away, the realization that your date was probably on his way now hitting you like a ton of bricks. You release a terrified shriek, yank the clothes from Sungjin’s hands and shove him toward the door. “Get out so I can change, you perv! Jae is going to be here in minutes!” 

Sungjin laughs at your frantic state, but retreats toward your bedroom door nonetheless. Unfortunately, too immersed in searching for a pair of clean socks, you fail to notice the boy turn back around and throw one last glance your direction. A sad smile spreads across his lips as he backs out of the bedroom and shuts the door with a click.  

—Your date was a complete success.

“So we’re gonna get ice-cream,” You explain to your best friend, sinking into the plush sofa with a sigh. “He said he wanted to talk about something that’s been on his mind for awhile.”

“Make sure you grab carton of mint chocolate chip for me.” Wonpil says, not looking up from his sheet music. He continues to scribble along the lines and map out notes, reworking the song to his own definition of perfection. You find solace in the sound of his pencil moving across the paper, along with the steady gust of his breathing. Moments like these—peaceful ones—were rare with the throes of real life approaching so fast. It’s crazy to think you’ll be gone in only a month, living a life of your own. 

“Have you heard back from that music academy yet?” You hadn’t meant to break the comfortable silence, but alas, your thoughts always seemed to overpower your tongue. Wonpil glances away from his page, before releasing a heavy sigh and returning to the music. 

“No. Last I heard, I’m on the wait list.” 

“They’re probably just backed with applicants. You’re definitely gonna get in.” 

“I don’t know, noona.” The boy falters, his pencil slipping from his fingers and crashing to the floor with a small thud. He picks the utensil up, but you can’t help but notice how sullen his movements were. 

You frown, “What do you mean?” 

“I just don’t think I’m gonna get in.” Wonpil gestures to the piano with a pained expression, “And even if I do, I don’t have what it takes to be a real musician.” 

“What are you even talking about?” Exasperated, you fly to your feet and round in on your companion. He doesn’t meet your eyes, even when you kneel down so your faces are level with one another. “Pil, you are the most talented artist I know. If anyone can get into that academy, it’s you…

“In fact, if anyone has what it takes to be a real musican… it’s definitely you.” Wonpil finally connects your gazes, a pinkish hue spilling across his cheeks. You coo at his embarrassment, reaching up to poke his nose. “Don’t give up when you haven’t even tried. Especially when you have all this talent.” 

He smiles sheepishly, “I guess I am pretty good.” 

You lower onto the bench beside the boy, “I’ll take it. Now shut up and play, Beethoven.” Wonpil bursts into a fit of laughter at the nickname, yet follows your instructions nonetheless and splays his hands across the keyboard with a bright grin across his face. Barely seconds pass before he begins to play. 

Your eyes flutter close as you allow your soul to succumb to the soft melody flowing from the instrument. Each note evokes some kind of emotion—whether it be melancholy, joy or overall drowsiness. You always loved listening to Wonpil play, ever since he begun to take lessons and could barely differentiate between the notes. But like most talents, he improved and plays as if he has been for years… which is true. 

You hum, opening your eyes in response to the beautifully drawn out decrescendo. Beside you, Wonpil snickers, but continues to glide his fingers across the piano keys. You watch them dance, strumming the instrument in a mastered routine. Entranced by the music, you allow your head to fall against your companion’s shoulder. Wonpil makes no move to push you away. 

It is rare you find moments where the two of you can just enjoy each other’s company after all.

Part 2: Categorizing Works within AO3 Tag

[Part 1]

Introduction

While there’s plenty of data to be found when looking at the Flommy AO3 tag as a whole, given that this is a fairly rare-pair, the composition of the tag is worth getting into. How much of the tag actually focuses on this ship? Into what other categories can works be broken based on other relationship tagging? Are there particular trends over time that may vary depending on the category? 

Let’s break the data from Part 1 into some smaller pieces, and zoom in for a closer look.

Methodology

The dataset and primary measures overviewed in the Part 1 Methodology still apply with this installment, but we’re going to expand on the Additional Relationships measure and break it into the following five Work Category subcategories:

Flommy Only

Tommy/Felicity is the only romantically-tagged (/) relationship on the work

Other platonic/familial (&) relationships may still be featured and tagged 

[Non-O/F] Flommy w/ other pairings

There are other romantically-tagged pairings besides Flommy, but Oliver/Felicity is not one of them

Flommy may be the focus pairing/share equal spotlight with another, or may only be a side/referenced pairing with another as the main ship--this difference is not taken into account; categorization is solely based on relationship tagging

[Compilation] Flommy w/ O/F

Works that are tagged for both Flommy and O/F, but are intended as collections of prompts, unrelated ficlets, etc. posted as a single work 

Pairing may vary by individual entry in work

[Smoaking Billionaires] Flommy w/ O/F

Both Flommy and O/F are tagged, and work is inclusive of some indication that the focus pairing is an OT3 (i.e. remaining individual pairings of the ship are tagged, “Smoaking Billionaires” and/or “OT3″ are included in additional tagging, etc.)

Clear distinction that work is meant to depict a three-person ship rather than a love triangle

[Other] Flommy w/ O/F

Both Flommy and O/F are tagged, but work does not fit in any of the above categories

Works may have platonic/familial (&) relationships incorrectly tagged as romantic (/), love triangles that resolve with one particular endgame pairing that is not the OT3, are otherwise unclear, etc.--this difference is not taken into account; categorization is solely based on relationship tagging

As noted under particular categories, further subcategories are possible, but in the end were not factored into this research. Additional narrowing would require deeper examination of works and would be more subject to researcher bias, so the more objective relationship tagging-based approach seemed like the best fit.

Share of Works by Work Category

Let’s see the composition of the Flommy tag when broken down into our five subcategories:

Ooh, yeah, no contest there. That’s a 59% majority share for [Smoaking Billionaires]. The OT3 rules over the tag.

In (a really not close at all) second, we have our sole-ship Flommy Only category! I was actually pleasantly surprised by this, as I had anticipated that the tag would be largely comprised of works that fall in the [Other] category. Granted, that one does come in a close third to Flommy Only, but still.

Publish Year

I pulled this one together in a few different ways, flipping the axes and changing the chart type, but I felt the measure is best shown this way:

Well, we can now see that the spikes in 2016 and 2017 from Part 1′s yearly analysis were almost singlehandedly driven by [Smoaking Billionaires]. This category has the clearest shape in terms of trend, forming a sort of bell curve as more and more works are published from 2013-2016, stay fairly level between 2016 and 2017 while rounding the hill, and then zoom down into a continuing decrease from 2018-onwards. Our other categories have more unique patterns of increases/decreases, with various spikes and dips.

Interestingly enough, most categories have a different Publish Year high point than the others. For the Flommy Only crowd, 2015 was The Year to be publishing works focused solely on this ship. (Interestingly enough, this puts us in the later season 3/beginning of season 4 timeframe, and from my own personal experience I feel that there are a few more things that timing could tell us, but we’re not going to get into that.) On the other hand, the [Non-O/F] category experienced its spike in 2017, while both [Compilation] and [Other] had their highest publish counts in 2014, but with varying significance in YOY change.

What’s more, this breakdown shows that, even though the tag overall has had fewer works published in 2020 so far than in 2019, some individual categories have actually seen growth. [Non-O/F] saw its first new works published in 2020 after a net total of zero in 2019, and there was a slight uptick for [Other] . But once again, Flommy Only shows the most notable growth and work count, and can only continue to rise!

Some other Publish Year Fun Facts:

Really, 2015 was a good year for both the Flommy Only and [Smoaking Billionaires] categories. The only two to show any increase over 2014, Flommy Only had a YOY variance of 57%, while [Smoaking Billionaires] enjoyed a nice 286% increase. (That’s even more than the change in 2016, one of its peak years--YOY increase there was 196%.)

Rating

I also had a couple different ways to lay this one out, but given the abundance of [Smoaking Billionaires] works, sometimes the results for the other categories were hard to see. Let’s take a look at the share of Rating by each individual category:

Keeping with what we were seeing in Part 1, T-rated works are the majority shareholders across all Work Categories. In most categories, this rating accounts for just under 50% of that category’s works, but [Non-O/F] is the exception, with T-rated works holding a 65% majority.

The remaining placements of ratings beyond that are a bit all-over-the-map depending on the category. There are a few two-way (M and Not Rated, for [Non-O/F] and [Other]) and three-way (M, E, and Not Rated for [Compilation]) ties for second place, while Flommy Only favors G-rated and [Smoaking Billionaires] E-rated. Even the least popular rating varies, but those can more easily be discerned in the chart.

Work Length and Completion Status

Similar to the above, let’s look at these measures in terms of how they comprise each category:

Part 1 found that about 71% of all Flommy-tagged works were Oneshots, and it certainly looks like the top-two categories--[Smoaking Billionaires] and Flommy Only--are carrying most of that weight. The three remaining ones have a Multichap majority.

Interestingly enough, Flommy Only and [Other] are near-exact inverses of each other in terms of their Work Length splits. About 78% of Flommy Only works are Oneshots and 22% Multichaps, while the [Other] category is a 20/80 Oneshot/Multichap split.

Now let’s look at the Completion Status:

While [Smoaking Billionaires] was about 87% Oneshots, the category’s completion rate is about 95%--pretty impressive! [Other], on the other hand, has a considerable majority in Multichaps and overall completion rate of about 38%--a little under a quarter of the multiple-chapter works have been completed alongside the Oneshots.

Wrap-Up and Bonus Part

This concludes the main analysis of the Flommy tag as a whole--hopefully there were some intriguing and enjoyable factoids. I certainly found more than I expected when I started out with my tag-digging and data-collecting. 

But here’s the thing: when I began my research, I actually started with a narrower dataset than the full tag as is presented here. Because I had a specific goal in mind (determine the split of Flommy-tagged works by Work Category), I did a bit of filtering to make things a bit easier to track down. As I was already aware of the category into which it fell, my original dataset did not include the highly prolific “Infinite Love” series, and I initially worked solely with the remaining works in the tag.

A fair number of the results in that smaller collection of data looked a bit different from those in the tag overall that we’ve discussed in these first two parts, as this series has a bit of an outlier effect on the total tag results. Due to this, I decided to add on a third, bonus data post to examine the Flommy-tagged works unrelated to this series, and how that data compares to what’s been collected from the tag overall. It’ll be a bit of supplemental material to these first two posts, to come soon.

Grand Academy For Future Villains II: Attack of the Sequel, Chapter 5: Bride of Chapter Five. A commentary for Three.

General CW for the whole thing: parental abuse, internalised dehumanisation as a trauma response. Three’s not doing well.

No specific warnings for this chapter except for a typo my friends have been teasing me about for weeks.

Game 1

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9

Game 2

Chapter 0 | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4

Alternatively, read on Google Docs here

***

"Well obviously," says Professor Ulik, faintly irritated. "I thought you were a bit cleverer than that,Three, I really did. Yes, but specifically I need you to make sure that one of my classes is on the auditor's schedule. You may use whatever methods you please to get it there. The less I know, the better."

Her message communicated, Professor Ulik returns to her papers. You begin to consider your situation. This would be an unparalleled opportunity to ensure Professor Ulik's selection for a tenured position and what else are you here for, anyway?

But how to get an audience with the newly-arrived auditor?

#Val's on the Board of Visitors and Overlords. I'm going to consult zir about this situation.

This isn’t particularly helpful to Three’s intention to stay as far away from the auditors as  possible. Their first plan is still to ask DarkBoard if they’re able to alter Goul’s schedule, but when DarkBoard gives a foreboding speech about how they shouldn’t meddle in forces far beyond their control,  (Three is pretty sure DarkBoard’s scared of the auditors but don’t want to admit it,) they realise they’re going to have to talk to these people. This hopefully won’t be overly dangerous, after all, they are excellent at being helpful to important people, and tend to be good at quickly working out the level of grovelling important people prefer, so they’re unlikely to annoy the auditors. The danger that comes with just being around important, powerful people is inevitable, but they hope they can avoid the worst by appearing as a mere supporting character in Ulik’s narrative, unnoticeable to the auditors underneath all her achievements.

The best place to start with this is Val. Scorpius told Three ze was on the Board of Overseers and, while Three has been trying to interact with Val as little as possible, ze’s at least someone they’re able to get an audience with. And--despite a slight annoyance about Scorpius spilling zir secrets--Val apparently either likes them enough, or thinks they’re plot relevant enough, to help.

Ze is, however, going to point out that meeting with the Auditors isn’t the kind of thing people with no narrative weight do. It doesn’t matter what reason Three gives--do they think there isn’t a story in an underdog brave enough to put themself in the firing line of powerful villains they’re frightened of, just out of loyalty to their wise and supportive mentor? And Val has a feeling this isn’t the first time Three’s done this. Three informs them that they are not a hero, or an underdog, or special in any way whatsoever. Val tells them that ze knows better than most how Narrative Weight isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, so ze’s really, genuinely sorry to say this, but that’s not true, Three. Three decides they’d better get over to that meeting before they’re late, so doesn’t have time to listen to Val try and tell them they’re more than just a tool.

The minutes Val showed you indicated that a team of no less than three auditors would be arriving from the Board of Visitors and Overlords. And you're fairly certain you know who this one is.

The falling pieces of the dome leave trails of fire in the air all around you. The air of the artificial atmosphere is rushing upward; the weather programs that the dome once produced are sputtering fitfully. Fish, frogs, bolts of lightning, hailstones and drops of blood tumble at random from the shattering sky.

"Lord X!" you call, as the figure lightly touches down to the earth. "Welcome to the Grand Academy for Future Villains!"

The figure turns towards you, and you see that the upper half of his face is concealed by a black mask like a frozen lava flow. His clothes are rich and close-fitting, his black shirt with silver buttons reaching to the neck, his hands concealed by silver gloves, and a belt around his waist supports a really alarming arsenal of weapons. You spot what looks like an oversized silver revolver, a long sword, a short sword, and a gun that looks strangely familiar. There's also a trowel tucked into a beautifully tooled black leather sheath; there's probably some explanation for this besides being for some sort of demonic gardener. 

"Well done…student," says Lord X.

Val, watching from under the shelter of a black umbrella, gives the slightest of nods to the auditor.

Again, not something Three would have done if Ulik hadn’t wanted them to talk to the auditors, they’d much rather be running to hide right now, or else checking the sudden environmental changes of the world falling apart aren’t adversely affecting DarkBoard. But they do like important people being impressed with them.

As if it overheard your unspoken question—which you suppose it did—the nearest DarkBoard portal begins scrolling through something you recognize as the fine print of your application paperwork. You look at the scrolling text:

…WITHOUT REFUND. THE APPLICANT CONSENTS TO MANDATORY BINDING ARBITRATION IN THE CASE OF ACCIDENTAL OR PURPOSEFUL DISMEMBERMENT, IMPERFECT RESURRECTION, AND OTHER PHYSICAL OR PSYCHIC MODIFICATION UNDERTAKEN VOLUNTARILY OR INVOLUNTARILY IN THE COURSE OF ACADEMIC DUTIES. THE APPLICANT CONSENTS TO THE ACADEMY'S USE OF THEIR IMAGE, DNA, BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, OFFSPRING IF ANY, WITH OR WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN NOTIFICATION. SURVEILLANCE DEVICES MAY BE INSTALLED IN PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMY INCLUDING BEDROOMS, HEARTS, DREAMS, AND NARRATIVES. THE ACADEMY RESERVES THE RIGHT…

Okay, okay.

It may not be immediately relevant to the current scene, but I think it’s worth noting that students “consent” to the Academy’s use of their offspring. Being the child of an alumnus, Three was a little concerned, if resigned, about that when reading their own application paperwork. Those feelings haven’t completely gone away, but they also realise this could be an excellent excuse if Maedryn ever discovers their loyalty to DarkBoard. She herself signed them away to the Academy before they even existed, and if necessary, Three will remind her that neither of them can complain if DarkBoard wishes to collect on that.

Three has never wanted children themself, but the Academy’s application paperwork just makes them more sure of that.

#Come observe Professor Ulik’s class.

You've kept your bargain with Professor Ulik. Whatever the auditor says, the fact that you faced one of the most powerful beings on the Academy grounds has to count for something.

It's a simple request—so simple the auditor seems taken by surprise. You hold your breath, waiting for an answer. "Of course," says the auditor. "Next week. Of course, we make no promises as to the nature of our judgment. Only of its inevitability."

"Fifteen seconds," pipes the assistant.

Variyah Goul stands up. She does not offer you her hand. "Your career, of course, will be of interest to us, whatever becomes of the school."

"Ten."

"If at the end of the year we find you an individual of sufficient narrative weight…there are certain provisions made for individuals who are fit for a great destiny. I am impressed by hedonism and competence, and the portfolio of destinies I manage are those of grandeur and glory."

"And zero." The assistant escorts you out of the room.

That went… surprisingly well. Three’s alive. They’ve at least slightly impressed two auditors. Goul’s agreed to observe Ulik’s class. Three wasn’t given time to have to pretend to be interested in a destiny.

They are growing increasingly concerned that the Academy’s accreditation may not, in fact, be renewed, but all they have to do is show that a place with teachers as good as Professor Ulik is worthwhile, make sure Maedryn isn’t too stressed by her various responsibilities that the clones stop working, help Sona keep Sci-Fi looking respectable and genre savvy, and do whatever DarkBoard requests to help the Academy run smoothly.

((Side note: I did originally accidentally replace a bit too much of the “insert your professor here” text with “professor ulik” when I originally typed this up, with the result that Three very unfortunately invited one of the most powerful villains in the universe to come observe Professor Ulik’s ass. They don’t want to talk about it.))

The senior students that approach you after your Evil Planning class are well known to you. They're a group of Thriller and Science Fiction students that even in these polarized times of inter-genre competition, have remained friends and close collaborators. 

"Three!" one of them calls to you. "Do you have a second? We want you to try this!"

This is rarely the prelude to something good, but often the prelude to something interesting. You pause. 

"This is our capstone project for our Cyberpunk Dystopia class," explains another, proffering his personal DarkBoard portal, its screen glowing. "A dating app for the Academy! We need beta testers! And, well, a lot of people have been requesting you."

"It's right here in the early feedback," confirms the third. "Let's see…'If it doesn't have Three I'm not joining'…'Where's Three I mean the real one not the clone'…'Please add an option to romance Three.'"

You look warily at the colorful images on the DarkBoard portal. What's so dystopian about a dating app?

"Well, it's powered by DarkBoard, for one thing," says the first student, "so it can be kind of unpredictable. And wildly intrusive. But the administration is interested in monitoring the personal lives of its students."

"Personally I think DarkBoard's getting a bit lonely," adds the second, behind his hand, as if that could conceal his comment from the security system.

I mean, there might be a couple of students wanting to find out what’s underneath Three’s aloof emotionless exterior, but I really doubt there’s anyone specifically asking for them. In any case, they have far more important things to do than trying to find another relationship at the moment, and even if they wanted one, they wouldn’t be looking for it on an intrusive dating app made by a bunch of students they have no reason to trust. 

But, well, they don’t exactly completely object to submitting information about certain preferences they may have to a system powered by DarkBoard. It’s a villainous action to sign up to a dating site and then ruthlessly reject every classmate who appears on there, isn’t it?

Besides the grinning face of Science Fiction's figurehead, a long list of diagrams and spec charts appears. Sona, or DarkBoard on Sona's behalf, is listing out all her weapons and modifications. You're fascinated—there are some extraordinarily personal items here. You would never have guessed about the navel turret, for instance.

All right, getting lists of people’s hidden abilities is also a very useful feature of this app. Three just hopes their own profile isn’t going to start listing out the dozens of weapons they have hidden on their person at all times.

The portal clouds over again, but this time, when it clears, no face is visible at all. Slowly words form on the portal's surface.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT THE WORLD LOOKS LIKE WHEN SEEN THROUGH A THOUSAND EYES?

"Uh-oh." One of the Cyberpunk Dystopia students tries to snatch the portal out of your hands. "It's doing it again. Close! Close! Administrator override!"

SHED YOUR FLESH, continues DarkBoard, AND JOIN US IN THE TIMELESS VOID BETWEEN ELECTRONS.

"Yeah, this is a known issue," explains the leader. "Every so often DarkBoard will decide that it wants to get in on some of the action. Sorry about that."

He hands you back your portal, now quiet and docile. Is that Xi's lingering influence? Does something about DarkBoard remember you as an object of romance?

"You know where to find us! Thanks for trying it out!"

And they're gone.

Well, even if Three’s list of concealed weapons are on view to everyone on the dating app now, the student trying to snatch the portal away from Three is not prepared for a kick in the groin and a gun pointed at him before he has a chance to react, as Three calmly explains that they want to be aware of all known issues before deciding whether to continue using the app or not. After taking a few moments to closely examine this one, they tell the cyberpunk students that they can live with it. They spend a fair amount of their free time (limited though that is) on the app over the next few months, while making sure to reject every student profile they find.

The app does cause another slight issue, however, given that the rejection messages it sends are calibrated to, “cause greatest emotional impact to the target!” Three and Aurion awkwardly avoid each other for the next few weeks, after they each receive a horrifying rejection message about how the other loves them far too much like a sibling, and is so grateful for the bond they already have.

And then this final scene doesn’t actually take place, because Three doesn’t have a nemesis or a pet, so doesn’t need help dealing with them, but:

Professor Ulik thinks so highly of you that she leaves the class that she was in the middle of teaching to rush to the ${temphousing}.

I love Three’s new mum a lot.

V Watches MagiReco - Season 1 Review

*Spoilers for Magia Record Anime*

If you’ve been been following my weekly reviews on the Magia Record anime, you’ll know that my “reviews” are really more like general impressions, thoughts, and fangirling as I mentally recap the episode after my initial viewing.

For this final review of the season as a whole, however, I’m actually going to try and make it more like an actual “review" and discuss each aspect of the anime separately. I’ll be splitting my points of discussion into individual sections and giving each a score out of 10, before rounding it all off with an overall score/grade.

Oh, not sure if this needs to be emphasised, but these are just my opinions! You may agree and you may disagree, and either way is cool!  (・ω・)b

Before I begin, I just want to make it clear that one very, very important thing to keep in mind when watching and reviewing MagiReco is the fact that it isn’t a direct continuation of PMMM. So many people find themselves unable to enjoy the series because it’s “not the same” or “not the PMMM they know” etc. But it isn’t and was never intended to be. It’s a spin-off, not a sequel. To expect a spin-off to have the exact same impact and level of quality as the original is unrealistic to begin with, not to mention that although comparisons will be inevitable, the original PMMM anime has reached a legendary status where it isn’t really fair to compare anything with it xD

(And for the PMMM fans who are unhappy with MagiReco simply because it isn’t “dark enough” and there isn’t enough “suffering”, all I can say is that if a lack of darkness and suffering automatically means the show is bad, then this one just isn’t for you. Dark doesn’t equal good, and suffering isn’t essential. MagiReco is not intended to have the same tone as PMMM, and those elements do not entail everything that defined PMMM to begin with anyway.)

For these reasons, I’m going to try my best to review the MagiReco anime as a standalone piece and try not to make too many comparisons with PMMM, unless explicitly necessary. Also, as a game player, the inevitable curse of “expectations” was a major issue I needed to overcome when watching the anime. I will therefore also try my best to look past these expectations and try to see the anime as a story of its own. However, there will be discussions on the changes that the anime made and how I feel the anime did in adapting the game story for a television series.

Anyway, sorry for all the additional rambling. Let’s jump into the review before I lose everyone’s attention ^^;; 

Plot: 8/10

One thing I love about the MagiReco plot is that they take the original world and concepts of PMMM and actually come up with a whole new story. It’s familiar yet different, and a perfect way to please the nostalgic fans while also offering something fresh. The PMMM world always had a lot of potential to explore other girls’ stories, considering how many Magical Girls there are, and it’s nice to meet a whole new cast of characters with their own story that’s still set in the same world and uses the same concepts we’re familiar with.

I think my favourite thing about the MagiReco plot, which is the same both in the game and in the anime, is the idea of the Wings of Magius. Any story that involves Magical Girls somehow trying to undermine or overthrow the Incubators’ system always has a lot of potential, in my opinion, and it’s a creative way to delve even deeper into PMMM’s unique take on the magical girl genre without being repetitive. But the key to what makes the Wings of Magius so compelling and intriguing as antagonists is the moral issues it raises. The grey morality going on with the Wings of Magius is not too different from the issues presented by Kyubey, and these kinds of moral debates get the audience really thinking about what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s good and what’s evil. The Magius are presented as being very similar to the Incubators in many senses--sometimes even worse--and I always love a compelling villain or villain group that actually gets the audience pondering whether the bad guys really are that “wrong" after all. Plus the whole idea of salvation and liberation and the whole cult impression we get from the Wings of Magius really adds another layer of that dark and creepy atmosphere that PMMM does so well.

However, I do strongly feel that many of the important scenes and major plot points were presented much better in the game. As mentioned earlier, having played the game meant I was going in with expectations for how I wanted/hoped/expected certain things to be done, and this is a common issue that adaptations have when there’s an audience familiar with the source material. I’m okay with completely changing parts of the game’s story to create something new, but there were instances where the anime intended to replicate the scene as it was in the game but somehow fell short in its presentation. These cases of inadequate storytelling thus hinder the unfolding of the plot, ultimately creating problems with coherency and pacing. (I mean, if you think about it, the “main plot” doesn’t really even truly begin until all five main characters have been introduced.) I have dedicated a whole section to this pacing issue, so I’ll go into detail when we get there xD

Characterisation: 7/10

The anime’s presentation of the characters ranges from fantastic to extremely lacking. Iroha has moments where she’s extremely passive, but also times where she’s shown to be quite proactive and brave as well. I’m honestly not too sure what to make of Iroha’s characterisation so far due to this big range, but I’m hoping that she’ll show more growth and that her changes will be written in a way that actually makes sense, rather than abrupt shifts that make you question how and when she had it in her. Either way, she’s a lovely sweet girl and a very likable character, and I do like that even if she isn’t necessarily always doing anything or contributing to a fight, the sole reason she’s in Kamihama in the first place (to look for her sister) is a good sign that she knows what she’s doing and has taken the necessary measures to go about her quest.

Yachiyo didn’t seem to display much uniqueness until her past was unveiled, and that wasn’t until we were well into the second half of the first season. In my opinion, this took way too long. I find this to be a slight problem because of how central to the plot Yachiyo is, and while I understand that backstories being revealed later on can have a bigger impact (like Homura’s in Episode 10 of PMMM), the way they portray Yachiyo throughout the majority of the season doesn’t have that constant loose thread hanging. She almost seems too “normal” at times, blending into the cast, and only when certain things happen or when someone says something in particular do you actually remember that we still don’t know what her deal is yet. I guess what I mean is that a more looming sense of “mysteriousness” could have justified the late reveal a lot better. The reveal of her past and her wish were slightly underwhelming, too, seeing as we hardly got to know Kanae and Meru before they were killed off, making it difficult to connect with those characters and thus relate to Yachiyo’s grief at losing them. And as for the revelation of her wish, I’ve ranted enough about it in my review for Episode 13, so you can check that one out if you haven’t already xD

Tsuruno has it even worse than Yachiyo because they literally haven’t revealed or even teased anything about her. All we know is that she works at a Chinese restaurant, was already friends with Yachiyo in the past (this “mystery” was later explained in Yachiyo’s flashbacks), and is super cheerful and energetic. Her backstory is the only one that hasn’t been shown yet, and they never really even hinted at there being something deeper about her character. While I completely understand that they’re intending to leave all that for the Rumour Tsuruno arc (which will most likely be done next season), I feel that they really needed to give us at least something for now. Even in the game, we got a better sense of who Tsuruno was as a person before the Rumour Tsuruno arc revealed her hidden sadness. I guess I can’t really fault the anime for this, since they’re just going in chronological order, but a little more insight into Tsuruno’s character would have been a better decision so that we don’t get another round of “info-dumping” when we do get to Rumour Tsuruno, and the reveal about her inner emotional turmoil would actually be a slight twist that adds even more depth to her character, rather than random information that never seemed important because there were never any signs of it.

But while Yachiyo’s and Tsuruno’s characterisation could have been better, Felicia’s and Sana’s were handled superbly. The anime actually made me adore Felicia as a character when I merely “liked her enough” in the game. She’s so much more than just the spoiled and rowdy child who goes berserk when seeing a Witch, and her introductory episodes (namely Episode 7) actually managed to move me to tears. Her bond with Iroha is also portrayed even more nicely in the anime, and I have a newfound love for the friendship between these two, which is quite underrepresented in the game. Felicia manages to retain all the lovable traits she displayed in the game with just the right amount of brattiness so as to not seem too annoying, and the anime hasn’t even really touched upon the cruel reality behind her wish. Whether or not they venture into that territory at some point, I just hope they continue doing as amazingly as they’ve done with Felicia so far, because she really is super cute and a lot more likable in the anime version <3

As for Sana, she’s more or less the same as her game counterpart, but something about the way the anime unveils her past makes it even more tragic. We’ve always known of her terrible “family” and the unfortunate circumstances of her home life prior to joining Mikazuki Villa. But the episodes that detail her story did a stellar job at bringing out and actually showing the sheer horror of having a family like Sana’s, and just how deep and suffocating her sense of loneliness was. Her story is absolutely miserable, but the anime manages to present it in a way that doesn’t make it seem like they were “trying too hard” just to make it as sad as possible. The things happen for a reason, and the consequences it has on Sana as a character are all realistic and believable, and even a wish as extreme as hers made perfect sense after seeing everything she had to go through.

Other characters don’t seem to have as much of a presence to warrant a paragraph of their own, but I will give honourable mentions to Rena and Tsukuyo. Rena’s Magical Girl Story made me a sobbing mess when I first read it, and while the anime obviously couldn’t sidetrack and include all the details, I think they did a pretty good job considering the limited amount of time they could spend on a supporting character. The anime also did a really nice job at giving Tsukuyo that humanising moment during her conversation with Iroha at the cafe, emphasising the good inside of her despite being an antagonist, and also taking the chance to give her a sense of individuality so that she and her sister are not always seen as an identical and inseparable pair with no personal lives or traits, so props to them for that :) Mitama has hardly made many appearances and doesn’t even seem very story-relevant at this point, so I’m wondering how they’re going to build up her importance in the next season so that she doesn’t seem like the “token shopkeeper character” who’s there for no real purpose outside of gaming mechanics (because we all know that Mitama is so much more than that). And as for characters like Kaede, she’s been changed so much that I’ll reserve my judgment for now because I simply don’t know where they’re intending to take her character. Same goes for Kuroe and her still-unclear purpose in the plot lmao

I think it’s important to remember that a lot of characterisation we get in the game is from Magical Girl Stories and Event Stories, both of which are obviously not viable to delve into too much in the anime. As a result, I guess it’s “to be expected” that the anime will have to give up quite a bit of the details that make all these characters so real, likable, or relatable. I’m not an anime writer, nor do I know anything about adapting games into anime, but I do feel that it would have been so much better if they had come up with some other way of compensating for the lost characterisation moments that are only shown in the game’s side stories. Not sure how else they should have done it, but simply removing some of these vital bits of information does harm the portrayal of these characters, especially when they’re part of the main cast.

But yeah, mixed feelings because while some characters really needed more work in the characterisation department, others were handled amazingly well xD

Pacing: 4/10

Okay, let’s be real. The pacing was almost definitely the anime’s weakest point, and possibly one of the main reasons why someone would find the show hard to enjoy or even understand. I’ve seen people complain that the story is too fast, and I’ve also seen people complain that it moves way too slowly. In my opinion, it really is a combination of both, and I’m honestly quite fascinated at how the anime somehow manages to pull off being both too fast and too slow at the same time xD

The story is almost excruciatingly slow in that it takes a whole ten episodes before the main cast is fully assembled. I thought a bit about this and, to be fair, some classic magical girl shows also take many, many episodes before all the main characters are introduced, such as Sailor Moon taking a whopping 33 episodes before all five Inner Senshi have gathered. So I guess this slow episode-by-episode “collection” of team members really isn’t something new. But MagiReco isn’t really a long-running anime that has filler episodes back-to-back to justify the slow pace of the plot. The plot is moving every week, yet it still feels like it takes forever to get the main cast together, which is slow enough to make the viewer question what they had been sitting through all this time when it’s been ten episodes and the story is really only “actually beginning” now.

And at the same time the plot somehow manages to feel too fast at the same time. How is this even possible? My answer to this is simply the fact that they introduce conflicts and mysteries, only to quickly resolve them and then immediately jump to the next one before the audience has even had a chance to really process or understand what they just watched. We’re not given the time to really absorb the development of the story or the subtle changes the characters are undergoing before we’re immediately thrown into a new mini “arc” the next week. In some ways, it almost seems like the “Monster of the Week” formula that many magical girl series adopt, only instead of being aware that we’re seeing trivial conflicts that are intended to last for one episode with characters we are likely not going to see again, MagiReco is throwing out new ideas, new terms, and new plot-relevant characters almost every episode, vomiting out information in a way that viewers who haven’t played the game will find very difficult to keep up with.

And that brings me to one of the biggest problems I had with the anime: important terms and concepts are often thrown in as a “by the way”. (This is most apparent with anything to do with the Wings of Magius before Episode 10, most notably Alina’s introduction.) Game players will obviously know what they’re talking about, but anime-only viewers are left confused and lost as to what exactly is happening half the time. I’ve seen more than a few instances where a viewer who wasn’t familiar with the game needed extra clarification and explanation before they understood certain things, and honestly that isn’t a good sign. All the important stuff should be made crystal clear so that even anime-only viewers will be able to grasp all the concepts without game players to spell things out for them. The anime should be a standalone piece on its own, not a “supplement" to the game. And the consequence is that anime viewers are constantly raising their eyebrows and wondering what the heck just happened or when the heck something was ever established, because crucial information is thrown around with no emphasis and the fast pace doesn’t allow viewers to digest anything properly. This unclear storytelling wastes the opportunity to present mysteries that are intended to keep the audience invested; rather than continuing the series because you just have to find out what something means or why something is the way it is, you’re left with question marks popping up all around your head because you’re confused af and wondering if you forgot or missed some crucial information at some point.

Another issue I had with the anime was what I’ve decided to dub the “one-shot curse”. Witches and Rumours alike are one-shot-ed so quickly and fights resolved so suddenly that I was often left wondering what the point of that fight was. Not to mention that a lot of the battles lacked real “action”. Witches appear, get one-shot-ed, and the characters return to whatever it was they were doing before as though nothing had happened. So... what was the point? I guess they really wanted to emphasise just how many Witches there are in Kamihama and just how easy it is to come across one everyday? Or maybe it was just for the sake of including an obligatory battle in each episode so there’s at least some action each week? Either way, if you’re going to include Witch battles, you may as well do them properly. For crying out loud, InuCurry, the guy who designs the Witches, is the director of the MagiReco anime! You’d expect a bit more emphasis and flourish to highlight what he’s so good at! But to be fair, there were some good Witch battles, such as the ones in the first episode, the ones in Yachiyo’s flashbacks when Kanae and Meru died, and of course, the epic battle between Holy Mami and Sayaka in the final episode. So they’re not all that bad, but I just feel like there was a lot of wasted potential.

I find that the main problem is a lack of balance between the battles, the exposition, the plot, and the fluffy slice-of-life stuff. All these are crucial to a good anime, and a lot of these moments were done quite nicely as standalone scenes. But the way the MagiReco anime has packaged them together and tied a very unattractive Bad Pacing ribbon on top just doesn’t work. It’s like a giftbox that has some lovely things inside if you look carefully at them one by one, but the way the gift is presented just isn’t very appealing and ruins the goodness of the content inside.

I get that the anime probably has issues with pacing because it’s essentially adapting a mobile game. I’m not sure if the pacing would be better if this weren’t the case and the MagiReco story was scripted for an anime to begin with, but I really, really hope they fix these pacing issues next season.

Visuals and Animation: 8/10

To me, the visuals were nearly always top-notch, and definitely a huge improvement from the original series. They managed to retain the art style of PMMM while also updating it so that it looks a lot more sleek and polished. The characters looked great, the scenery is gorgeous, the labyrinths all unique and intricately designed, and there was a lot of clever visual symbolism going on in the still shots and subtle scene transitions. I’m not an expert on animation or visual arts, but I definitely think this series deserves a very high score for this section.

There were a few instances where we saw some wonky “meguca" shots, but those were rare and nowhere near bad enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the series. I don’t really have much else to say because, like I said, this really isn’t my forte, but I genuinely loved most of the visuals we got.

Music and Soundtrack: 9/10

I know a lot of us were disappointed when we learned that Yuki Kajiura would not be returning to do the music for MagiReco. And we all knew that whoever they hired would have very, very, very large shoes to fill. And I can definitely say that I was not disappointed at all.

Guys, the music for this series is AMAZING. Takumi Ozawa managed to capture the style that Kajiura used for PMMM in a way that retains the original tone of the franchise without seeming like a mere carbon copy of her work. I don’t think there was a single musical piece in there that didn’t make me feel like, “Ah, this is no doubt a PMMM anime!” And none of them gave me the impression that he was “trying too hard" to “rehash” Kajiura’s style. No, there’s familiarity and there’s originality, and it’s all packed together in a way that allows MagiReco to retain the charm of its predecessor while also standing strong as a work of art by itself.

I only docked one point because there were so many amazing tracks from the game and I don’t really understand why they didn’t use them when there were moments that seemed perfect for those tunes. It would be a nice sense of familiarity for game players, and it’s still considered “new stuff” for anime-only viewers too, so I really don’t get why xD Maybe they really wanted to separate the anime from the game? Which is also fair enough :)

I wasn’t so sure about “Gomakashi” as the OP when I first heard it in the trailer, but it’s definitely grown on me! While I still think “Kakawari” is superior and has a more catchy and iconic sound to it, “Gomakashi” is sweet and girly, very much like the kind of song you’d hear in a magical girl series. I don’t think this is an OP that will be legendary enough that everyone knows the tune (like the theme song for Sailor Moon, for example), but it’s a lovely song and I do like it a lot ^^

“Alicia” was beautiful from the very first time I heard it, and I’ve only grown more and more fond of it with each listen. Definitely one of my favourite EDs of all time, and perhaps my favourite OP/ED song out of the entire PMMM franchise.

And that ED song for the final episode? Gorgeous, too. Almost has a “Magia” kind of sound, and definitely sets a darker tone for the upcoming season where (I assume) sh*t starts getting real.

Overall: 7/10, B+ or A-

Despite my criticism and picking the anime apart in this review, overall I still genuinely enjoyed it a lot :D It’s far from perfect, but I was nowhere near as disappointed as I’ve been in the past with other anime adaptations, and while some parts could definitely have been handled a lot better, it was mostly still decent in my opinion. Get rid of the pacing issues and I’d probably give it a solid 9 (for context, I rate the original PMMM anime a 10/10, perhaps even higher if possible).

Again, I think my experience and knowledge as a game player definitely influenced my view on the anime as an adaptaion. For example, I already love the characters and know enough about them, and so I probably didn’t really feel the consequences caused by the anime’s sometimes lackluster characterisation. I also often have ideas of how I want or hope a part gets adapted, and then get disappointed when it’s done in a different and underwhelming way compared to what I imagined. I’m sure my impressions, comments, and scores would be very different if I were an anime-only viewer and had no idea how things went in the game. But alas, you can’t have both experiences to compare, so it is what it is xD

Anyway, no matter how much I nitpicked, I still love MagiReco a lot, both the game and the anime, and am really looking forward to Season 2! With the obvious changes they made in that last episode, I get the feeling that it’ll only diverge even further as the story unfolds. I’m okay with these new surprises and new takes on characters, but I do hope that they aren’t changing it all completely, because there’s a lot of good stuff in the later chapters that I really hope gets animated, e.g. Kanagi’s entrance, Rumour Tsuruno, Yachiyo vs. Holy Mami, basically everything that happens at Fenthope in Chapter 9, and of course, the big reveal about Ui, Touka, and Nemu’s wishes in the final chapter. Just imagining these things animated already gets me super excited, so hopefully we’ll at least still keep the core of the game’s story despite the changes (and hopefully these changes are all improvements!) ｡^‿^｡ 

~~~

And since the anime is taking a break, my reviews will also be going on a break ╥﹏╥ I’ll probably still pop up in the MagiReco tag every now and then if I can think of something to talk about, though? Depends on what I can come up with xD But yeah, I don’t really post updates about my gameplay here (unless it’s something major like pulling my favourite character lol), so if you’re interested in seeing any of that stuff, you can follow me on Twitter instead, since I’m much more active there nowadays. I’m always happy to discuss things and scream with fellow fans, so whether it’s here or on Twitter, please feel free to approach me anytime if you want someone to fangirl with (๑ゝڡ◕๑)

I’ll be ending this post here! Thank you so much for reading, and please continue to love and support MagiReco while we wait for the second season ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡

Aladdin(2019) Review

I had so much fun watching the Aladdin remake that I was inspired to write a review, comparing and contrasting it with the original! It’s under the cut so I don’t clutter dashes and tags:

Recently I watched the Aladdin reboot in theaters. I might not have given it a chance if a friend of mine hadn’t insisted to take us to the movies for a fun time. Usually I’m highly against Disney remakes, and I still am, but this one actually surprised me, again, for a Disney remake. There were some aspects that fell flat with me, yet some I actually liked better than the original. I was inspired to write a review for this, comparing and contrasting the two to see how they stand up against one another. Also, this contains spoilers! STORY: More often than not, when a Disney remake tries to “fix” plot holes and nitpicks of the original, as so beautifully demonstrated by the remakes of Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella, they end up making their nitpicks even more prevalent and even worse. I was surprised to see that, with this movie, they added in aspects that I actually liked better than the original, which I honestly didn’t think was possible. Unfortunately, it gave off the impression that they felt like they had to speed through many of the original iconic scenes in order to get to those plot lines. Instead of the original’s beginning, starting with Arabian Nights and continuing with the merchant, very subtly being the Genie in disguise, this starts out with a character, very obviously played by Will Smith, beginning to tell a couple of children the story of Aladdin, followed by him singing the song. Though I didn’t like the the twist of the Genie actually being the narrator being so obvious this time around, as a lot of other aspects were far less subtle as well, the anticipation and slight build up to the Arabian nights song was rather exciting, and the song was extended as they took us on a tour of Agrabah. However, as I was talking about previously, the first Cave of Wonders scene is sandwiched in-between this introduction scene. This is where things take a different turn. A turn that I’m not all too crazy for. This time around, the One Jump Ahead sequence shares a scene with Aladdin and Jasmine’s escape from the guards, with the scene where she rejects the suitor playing after she returns to the palace from Aladdin's home, without the escort of the guards this time. She’s never told that Aladdin is to be executed. There’s no reason why they had to switch around these scenes, as, in the previous movie, the rejection of the suitor and the talk with her father was a better introduction to Jasmine’s character. However I’m wondering if they did this in order to feature more interaction between the two. In this movie, after Jasmine has to return to the palace, she asks where her bracelet is, believing Aladdin stole it, when it was actually Abu. Aladdin sneaks into the palace to return it to her, after which he’s captured and that’s where taken to the cave of wonders this time. Though I understand why they made this change, the flow of it is a little questionable. Nevertheless, the escape scene was fun to watch, and Jasmine’s reluctance to jump across the rooftops felt more realistic than a sheltered girl just suddenly getting the hang of doing so. Thankfully, the talk between Jasmine and her father feels a lot more meaningful. Instead of simply talking about wanting to be free and marrying for love, she wants the best for her kingdom, and expresses her sorrow for how poorly some of the peasants were living. I really like this addition, as it gives more compassion and responsibility to Jasmine without ruining her character. I also like the mention of their interaction with other kingdoms, as it feels less like Agrabah is a post-apocalyptic kingdom in the middle of nowhere. The Cave of Wonders scene is pretty underwhelming. Instead of disguising as a grizzly prisoner, Jafar is very direct with Aladdin, playing on the fact that he too was a peasant. I question what the change for this was others than the film doing something different, or perhaps it was the fact that the actor for Jafar wasn’t versatile enough to do that. The cave itself doesn’t come from a golden scarab, nor does it materialize from the sand, which is honestly greatly disappointing. The journey through the cave, the attempted escape, as well as Jafar’s immense devastation at the loss of the lamp, were all very mediocre. Thankfully, things pick up from here, quite obviously, with the Genie. His introduction, I’ll admit, is a little jarring at first, because this is where we really start to see the computer graphics at work, but regardless, it was well acted, lots of fun, and it’s clear to see that the crew did the best with the graphics they had. One little nitpick that I like that they fixed here is that they removed the scene of him attempting to kiss that exotic dancer, because, after he hit it off with Jasmine so well, I’m not sure why he’d do that if he’d want her as much as to make himself a prince entirely for her. After this, the humor really starts showing in the scene where Aladdin and the Genie get to know one another, and Aladdin reveals his feelings for Jasmine. What they don’t do with cartoonish gags, they make up for with witty dialogue and the actors’ execution of it. Then, comes perhaps my absolute favorite part, the Prince Ali scene. Again, they’re not able to pull off as many cartoon gags, so they compensate by spilling out as much color and character as a Disneyland parade. This scene is without a doubt on par with the original. The parade is followed by a scene that wasn’t in the movie, but I’m glad they added in. In this movie, the Genie is now disguised as a human accompanying him as what I’m assuming is his advisor as he aids in introducing Aladdin to Jasmine. Aladdin’s introduction is, to say the least, awkward. Hilariously awkward. Honestly, my insides were hurting from laughter. I suppose this is a good time to mention the addition of a new character, Dahlia, Jasmine’s handmaiden. She serves to ease a bit of the tension, as well as be a good friend of Jasmine’s, because honestly, one gripe I have with a lot of the original Disney movies is the lead characters’ saddening lack of companions. She accompanies Jasmine to a party, as the Genie accompanies Aladdin. With Aladdin and Jasmine wanting to be with each other, and their friends of the same gender as Aladdin and Jasmine respectively accompanying them, you can probably pick up on a romantic subplot by now. Anyway, the Genie’s attempt to make Aladdin look cool in front of the princess only turns her away more, so the Genie creates a diversion, wooing the handmaiden, so Aladdin can sneak in and give way to the A Whole New World sequence. I thought I’d be disappointed, but considering they couldn’t make it shine with the beauty of 2D animation, I thought it was rather beautiful for what they had to work with. Admittedly, I do miss them swirling through the clouds and interacting with birds and horses. They still keep in the kiss after this number, only it’s not really as passionate as the original one, which I suppose I understand, since it is their first kiss. Instead of being captured right afterwards, Aladdin is given time to reflect on his experience alongside the Genie. I like what they did here, jumping back and forth between Aladdin’s conversation with the Genie, and Jasmine’s conversation with Dahlia. Jafar and his guards waste no time capturing Aladdin the next morning, where he personally pushes him into the water, in a scene which is very awkwardly slowed down. I’m not sure how I feel about this change, but it adds an actual threat to this bland adaption of Jafar, who I’ll rip into after I’m done covering the story. The Genie saves Aladdin as usual, though the scene where Aladdin thanks him is actually a little more emotional here. You can really see where they’re starting to befriend one another. Aladdin later rats out Jafar as usual, only this time, Jafar escapes AFTER he’s sent to prison, which was a very underwhelming scene for an already underwhelming villain. It’s Iago who aids him in his escape this time, because I guess you had to make the bird useful? Though, he could have made him a useful character by involving him in the stealing of the lamp like the original, which I’ll get to. Meanwhile, Aladdin and the Genie begin having a dispute like they did in the ‘92 version. Instead of mentioning his wish to be free, the Genie is more concerned with Aladdin not telling the truth, being seduced by riches and power, like every other master he’s had. Again, it gets a little more emotional with the line “I’ve never called a master ‘friend’”. Conflicted, Aladdin goes back to his original home, and sings yet another reprise of One Jump Ahead. I do like the emotion and glimpse into an inner battle within Aladdin, but I don’t exactly see why he had to go all the way back to his home to do so. Jafar steals the lamp from him while he’s wandering through the streets instead of Iago sneaking it from him, which there really wasn’t any reason why they had to change that. Now that Jafar has the lamp, he wishes to be sultan. His rise to power is unfortunately much less climactic, removing the Prince Ali reprise alltogether. I suppose you could say that it’s replaced by new song “Speechless”, sung by Jasmine. As beautiful as it is, I’m not sure it has much  a place, as she appears to be singing this in her imagination. This pep talk she gives to herself empowers her to speak against Jafar and plead that her father’s most trusted guard side with her instead of Jafar. I like this bold moment for Jasmine, but the addition of the guard’s backstory feels like they’re trying to develop a character at the last minute. This doesn’t stop Jafar, as he wishes, finally, to become the most powerful sorcerer, casting Aladdin to the arctic. Instead of Jafar keeping Jasmine as a slave, he begins to marry her, which I’m honestly glad they changed, as marriage is slightly less uncomfortable of an outcome to watch than marriage to a character who’s supposed to be under 18. Aladdin saves her very directly instead of sneaking around, and I’m assuming the fight with a giant sorcerer snake is replaced by a mad scramble to keep the lamp from a giant Iago. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed at the lack of giant limbless reptiles. When Aladdin tricks Jafar into wishing to becoming a genie, the Genie seems to be in on the idea instead of oblivious like the original. I think the Genie believing that that was a bad idea in the ‘92 version added to the suspense though. Things end happily, but also pretty differently. Firstly, instead of Aladdin wishing to abolish the marriage law, he wishes the Genie free, which turns him HUMAN! I’m not exactly sure why they did this, but it doesn’t really bum me out, as it probably rules out the possibility of a sequel, thank goodness. He and Dahlia immediately decide to be together. Instead of the Sultan getting rid of the marriage law, he simply gives the throne to Jasmine so she can abolish it herself. I really like this change for Jasmine, after having expressed her desire to help her kingdom. One might argue that it’s historically inaccurate, but it’s a fairytale ending along the lines of a peasant marrying royalty. Aladdin is prepared to return home when Jasmine catches up to him, where they express their love for one another and deliver...another bland kiss. Eh, I guess that’s a small nitpick. After the ending, the credits play out on top of a scene where the cast starts dancing to an instrumental of Friend Like Me. Say what you will about this trope, but I love when the characters start dancing at the end of a movie. It does seem like a lazy way to end a movie, but when done right, it’s a lot of fun. And, all things considered, this movie was just that. CHARACTERS: Aladdin: If anything was perfectly recreated from the original, it was the casting of the actor for Aladdin. Not only did he look the part, but he sounded like both the talking and speaking voice from the original. He acted more unsure and awkward in his newfound Prince Ali role, but it felt more endearing and believable than him getting used to it right away. Abu: Not much changed from this version, though I find him cuter, as he looks like a real monkey. But get this, both he and the Cave of wonders keep their original voice actor, being Frank Welker! Jasmine: In this day and age, the media has been more focused on creating stronger female protagonists. Sometimes they come out genuinely lovable and responsible, like Moana, but their execution can be easily botched by making them come off as entitled and uncaring, valuing only outward strength. I was incredibly pleased at this version of Jasmine, because she rose to strength and confidence through the kindness of her heart. She was more believable too, being a little more sweet and naive, as I'd believe from a girl who's spent her whole life in a castle. Her romance with Aladdin felt more like innocent young love, which I rather enjoyed. However, it sometimes felt like she was stealing the spotlight from Aladdin just a bit. The movie still is about him, after all. The Genie: I'll admit, when I first heard Will Smith was being cast as the Genie, I thought this movie was instantly doomed. Boy was I wrong. I actually never cared for Will Smith or any of his roles in the past, but for me he actually succeeded in what Robin Williams did in driving the movie forward. Granted(pardon the pun) nobody will ever really match up with the rapid-fire entertainment of Williams' Genie, but I'm glad that Smith did his own thing. He and Aladdin had great chemistry, bouncing off one another, making for hilarious moments, and I was surprised to find that he was also able to deliver an emotional performance where it was needed. Dahlia: I was always rather sad at the fact that Jasmine had, perhaps less people to talk to than Belle did in her little town, so I'm glad they added in at least a handmaiden to keep her company. A character like this can easily be done wrong(take Darcy in Thor: the Dark World), but she turned out pretty hilarious. Her romance with the Genie might have felt shoehorned in if it wasn't as adorably executed as it was. It might have been a little fast for the both of them, but to me that just means that they were careful not to let it overpower the main romance. Jafar: Oh boy. If there's any main complaint I have with the movie, anything that would ultimately banish it from having any competition with the original, it would be this Flat-Sprite-Emmet Brickowski-bland "portrayal" of Jafar. Disney clearly had their priorities set on casting someone attractive, like they did for Maleficent, rather than someone who actually fit the part. He delivered everything with the finesse of a paper towel, and when he showed his more insane side, it simply looked like the domestic, meddling next door neighbor kind of insane. Okay, I'm sure many people will be hating on the actor for this, but honestly I'm not sure it's his fault. He'd probably be much better suited for a different kind of role. His lackluster performance only has me questioning Disney's creative decisions. Iago: Though I missed the grumpy, abrasive Iago, this new one, portrayed by Disney's new golden boy, Alan Tudyk, was amusing in his own way, with more subtle, in-the-background kind of humor. With so much going on already, a more vocal Iago might have complicated things. The Sultan: In all honesty, I like this new sultan drastically better than the old one. The '92 version being an easily manipulated childish little man got tiresome after a while, as well as him seeming aloof to what Jasmine really needed. In this movie, he's still bound by tradition but now with an immense love for his daughter, and it shows. I'm also happy with the mention of their late mother. It was a kind acknowledgement without looking overly sentimental in the way that previous remakes did. SONGS: Since I already talked about their sequences, I'm mostly going to be talking about the songs themselves. I'd just like to say right off the bat that Alan Menken once again outdid his past self with this score. I'm in love with the more ethnic feel of this score, as it makes the tale much more immersive. Arabian Nights: Though I wonder why they changed the lyrics as much as they did, this version of the song is actually better than the original. It's longer, more intense, and Will Smith performs this, along with his other songs, better than I thought he would. One Jump Ahead: From the beginning, it started out to sound like it'd be a more ethnic, yet as energized as the first, but something about this version didn't hit it off with me. This song in particular felt like they were all too aware of the fact that they were recreating a popular Disney song in a movie that wasn't a cartoon. One Jump Ahead(Reprise): Nothing much really changes from this one, but now you really get to hear how well Mena Massoud sounds as Aladdin. Friend Like Me: Considering that this is the first impression we get of the remake of the Disney character with one of the biggest pair of shoes to fill, they did pretty spectacular. Again, I'm very surprised with how much character Will Smith gave to this performance with his own flavor. That being said, it sounds like a great, classic song with a modern spin. Prince Ali: The scene was spectacular. The song was spectacular. I can't rave about this one enough. It's everything I could ask for in a remake of my favorite song in Aladdin. It has a modern spin, with newly added Middle-Eastern instruments, with as much energy as the original version. When prevented with both versions of the song, I'd honestly have a hard time deciding which one I'd listen to first! A Whole New World: I have mixed feelings about this one. It does have a beautiful build up, the singers carry it beautifully, but it doesn't flow as well to me as the original. One Jump Ahead(Reprise 2): Even though I still question the destination of this scene, I do really like this addition. Speechless(parts 1 and 2): I suppose I was always sort of disappointed that Jasmine was one of the only princesses without her own individual song, despite the movie not starring her. It's a beautiful song with a beautiful melody, but after a while I feel like Naomi Scott is overselling it a tad. I kind of like the album version better, where it's a key lower. But that's not the first time I liked it when a Disney princess power ballad was taken a key lower. MISC ASPECTS I'd mostly like to talk about the execution here. The original far outweighs the remake here. It's not just that it's hard to stand up against Disney 2D animation of the 90s, but the editing of this movie was just bad. And by bad I mean overkill. The Friend Like Me scene was particularly off-putting for me, as the realistic, dramatic lighting only made it look like the mood was set for a horror movie. Aladdin falling into the ocean is inexplicably slowed down. The scene where Jafar steals the lamp from Aladdin looks more like a perfume commercial. Sometimes it felt like a character couldn't drop a handkerchief without getting a 360-degree spin of the camera, and other times it felt like an over-dramatic commercial for a Disney park.....oh. The final aspect I'd like to get past really quick is the humor. As I mentioned before, a live action movie isn't able to carry on the same kind of humor as a cartoon, so they substituted that for more witty dialogue and clever acting, and honestly, I like it just as much as the cartoonish humor of the first. With all things said and done, and certainly, after all this praise, I bet you're wondering which one I liked better. It's a bit of a toss up actually. On terms of overall execution, theatrics, and especially villain, I prefer the original, but on terms of story and character development(excluding Jafar), I think I actually prefer this one. This probably means that the original is still better, as I expected, but this movie was a refreshing surprise of a Disney remake. I honestly didn't expect to have so much fun that my face would hurt from smiling. As fun as it is though, if asked if these remakes would never happen in favor of more original ideas, I'd still have to take that deal. Still, that doesn't take away that I had quite an enjoyable experience at the movies.

Hey dictionary! would like to request snarry spending the holidays together (doesn’t have to be centred around Christmas) and something tender with an undercurrent of sadness?? 💜

My Ao3 | Send requests | Tip jar!

This one is saccharinely sweet, but this is established relationship, set in the same universe as Shut Up and Ridiculous. 

For a long moment, Severus stands in the corridor, frowning slightly. From Potter’s kitchen, further down the corridor, comes the scent of onions and vegetables frying on the hob, as well as the salted smell of bacon roasting in a tin, and Severus takes just a second to confirm to himself, and glances at the date upon his watch - a gift from Lucius when he had turned 17, and one that has been kept in perfect condition since he had received it.

The date is the twenty-third of December.

“Potter?” Severus calls down the hall.

“I’m not going to receive you at the door, Severus, you’ve been here about five hundred times,” comes the retort from the kitchen, and Severus lets his lips twitch into a slight smile. It’s a fleeting expression, but one that makes him feel the slightest twinge of warmth, despite the winter freeze outside. “Just come in.”

“No, Potter, that isn’t why I called you,” he replies, and he schools his expression into one of neutrality as he steps into the kitchen, glancing toward the hob. Merrily sizzling away in the frying pan is a medley of vegetables, their colours brightly contrasting one another, and when Severus leans slightly back to look through the oven’s steamy window, he sees a potato gratin on the lower shelf, and on the upper shelf–

“Lamb chops,” Potter supplies from the sink, and Severus takes a slow step closer, so that his chest is against the younger man’s back. In the kitchen window, which overlooks an incredibly disordered, but well-loved herb garden, he sees Potter smile. He can smell the washing up liquid as Potter sets the last of the plates on the drying rack, but he can also smell Potter himself, that wonderful mix of broom polish and leather… 

“You haven’t any decorations,” Severus says, and he allows himself the privilege of leaning forward just slightly, so that their torsos touch together, that he might settle the sharp bone of his chin on the thick material of Potter’s knitted jumper. One of Molly Weasley’s, Severus would wager - the man has enough of them. Potter’s slight smile gives way, his eyes losing some of their shine, and then he shrugs, leaning back against Severus’ chest.

“Oh, that,” Potter says, unenthused. “Well, I just don’t. You know, it’s not like I have anybody over here at Christmas - we all go to the Weasleys’. You go to the Malfoys’, right?”

“Not of my own volition.” Potter presses his lips together, evidently trying not to laugh. 

“You don’t decorate your house, do you?” Potter asks, in the tone of someone presenting a winning hand. 

“Touché.” 

“You hungry?” Potter asks.

“I am here for dinner, am I not? Were I not hungry, I would have stayed home.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Potter retorts. “You’ve grown too accustomed to my charm and rapier wit.”

“Have I, indeed? And where might you be storing those attributes? I presume they’re on a shelf somewhere.”

“Ouch, critical strike, right in the self esteem,” Potter says in the exaggerated voice of a Quidditch announcer, and Severus watches him as he flicks off the oven, taking up an oven glove and leaning in to remove the two trays. The smell is delightful, and Severus leans back against the kitchen counter, watching him as he shifts the vegetables in the frying pan, pouring in a liberal amount of a sweet sauce Severus vaguely recognizes as Japanese in origin. In a voice desperately formulated to be casual, and not quite reaching the measure, he says, “Are you, um. Are you going to the Malfoys tomorrow?”

“I suppose,” Severus says. “Lucius ordinarily arrives on my doorstep at one o’clock, gives me a gift, and insists I accompany him back to open it.”

“Oh, right,” Potter says. Severus looks at the line of his muscled back as he arranges the vegetables on a plate, beside a serving of the gratin and two of the lamb chops. The plates are obsessively aligned, each of them perfectly matching the other, and with no teriyaki sauce dripping at the edge of the plate, no piece of the meal out of place. Some habits don’t leave you, no matter how many years behind you their birth might be. 

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason, just wondering.”

“I see.” A beat passes, and Severus asks, “Will you be spending your Christmas with the Weasleys?”

“Yes,” Potter says. “I suppose.”

“I thought you might be hoping for some alternative.”

“Well. I thought maybe we could– You know, we don’t have to stay in the house. We could go out somewhere, to lunch, I mean, London, there’ll be plenty of places open.” 

“Traditionally,” Severus says, in a tone of great delicacy, “one spends one’s Christmas day with one’s loved ones.”

“Then why are you spending yours with the Malfoys?” Potter demands, and he is so abruptly angry that the plate clatters slightly where he lays it on the table, making him flinch. Severus watches him closely, unmoving in his place.

Severus answers, in a tone of some humour, “Try as I might, Potter, Lucius and Narcissa insist on loving me.” He puts as much sardonic ire as he might on the last word, but Potter doesn’t smile. Instead, an expression of consternation furrows his dark brow and makes his lips frown, and Severus see his premature wrinkles deepen on his forehead and around his mouth.

“Do they.” It barely sounds like a question, and Severus feels on uncertain ground.

“They do.”

“Well, then,” Potter says. “I insist.” A sickly feeling makes itself known in the base of Severus’ stomach, and he is slow about sitting down at the table, across from Potter. 

“No,” Severus says. “I don’t think so, Potter.”

“You can call me Harry, you know. We’ve only had sex a hundred times, we’ve only slept beside each other--”

“You don’t usually sleep,” Severus points out. Potter laughs, and the sound is bitter, and ugly. Severus catches himself laughing like that sometimes.

“Nor do you. Why is it, do you suppose, that we have that in common?” Potter stares at him, desperately, from across the table, and then says, “Why can’t you just-- Just let me in, okay? Just believe me, when I say that I give a monkey’s whether you live or die, and believe me when I say that I want you to stay, and spend Christmas with me.”

“No.”

“Why not?” Severus feels bile embitter the back of his tongue, and he feels the instinct he always does in these situations, backed into the corner by Potter’s all-encompassing feelings, to lash out, to scramble from the room, but he controls the urge and swallows it down. 

Looking very intently at his own plate instead of Potter, he says, “It may behoove you to know, Potter, that despite the discomfort I display in wearing my emotions upon my sleeves, those emotions remain nonetheless. Regardless of whatever feeling you might have for them, I have spent every Christmas with the Malfoys since I was seventeen years old, barring those that fell during the war, and it is a habit to which I am accustomed.” Potter frowns for a second.

“Even the year Lucius was In Azkaban?” he asks, and Severus hesitates for a moment before he inclines his head. 

Why should he pry into your private affairs? asks a nasty voice that rings in his head, and reminds him of the voice of his father. 

He is a private affair, the more reasonable part of Severus’ fractured psyche reasons, and Severus allows himself to exhale.

“Oh,” Potter says. 

“I--” Severus clears his throat slightly, and then says, “I care very deeply for Lucius and Narcissa.” Potter stares at him, shame visible in his expression, and Severus sees the curl of his shoulders and wishes he would not be quite so plain in the pain he feels, wishes he would hide it better.

“Oh,” he says again. 

“And,” Severus adds, uncomfortable with the way he stumbles over the words, uncomfortable with his lacking practice in the arena, uncomfortable through and through, “I do not think it-- I do not believe I am remiss in saying that I believe the Weasleys might feel your absence quite keenly, were you to spend Christmas elsewhere.” Potter stares down at his plate, and Severus can feel the anxiety burning in his veins, seeming to bubble from his very blood as he says, rather more quietly than he intends to, “Of course, I am only contractually obligated to join the Malfoys for gift-giving, and for lunch. My evening, I ordinarily spend alone, but I could perhaps be convinced, maybe in exchange for some sort of monetary gain, or with sexual favour, to collect you from the Weasley home, that we might go out for dinner together to a restaurant in Muggle London.”

The change that comes across Potter’s demeanour is extremely slow. 

First, Severus sees his head tilt slightly as he seems to digest what it is Severus says, and then his face slowly rises. His gaze settles once more on Severus’ face, but this time his green eyes show unadulterated wonder instead of shame or disgust, and then he smiles. It is, despite the wrinkles and the bags under his eyes, a beautiful smile. It imparts upon Severus the same warm sensation of sunlight on his bare skin. 

“Oh,” he says softly.

“Is that all you can say?”

“No,” Potter says, grinning like a madman. “I suppose I can say alright, let’s do that. And, um-- We could, you know, we could go... Go somewhere...”

“Your food is getting cold.”

“Yours too.”

“Yes, well. We might eat it, perhaps.”

“Maybe.” 

Severus picks up his fork.

“You’ll, um. You’ll have to call me Harry, you know. If you pick me up from the Weasleys.”

“Then you can pick me up.”

“They’ll think I’m coming to do a sweep for dark magical objects.” Severus allows himself a slight smirk.

“Yes, Auror Potter. I suppose they will.”

“You’re horrible.”

“May I eat my meal now?”

“Yes, Severus, you may.”

                                                  ---

Later on, Potter doesn’t even try to get Severus’ clothes off before he clambers on top of him, presses him back in the armchair. Severus feels Potter’s nose against his own, and he looks at Potter’s tight-closed eyes, feels Potter’s fingers slide slowly against the sides of Severus’ jaw, avoiding the sides of his neck. 

“You’re too heavy for this,” Severus grouses. 

“Shut up,” Potter says, and he kisses Severus with a desperation that gives Severus pause, makes him ache as he kisses the younger man back, lets his fingers rest on the panel of Potter’s lower back, the jut of his hips. He presses their cheeks together, then, presses his cheek to Severus’ and clutches his bare cheek with his palm.

“Potter,” Severus murmurs, “why haven’t you put up any Christmas decorations?”

“Every year I think of buying a book on how to do it,” Potter whispers. “I’ve seen the spells people use, for-- For baubles and for tinsel, for preserving the holly they pick. I know there are books, I know... I’m sure Hermione’s got dozens. But every time, it just feels like... Like a book is stupid, you know. They’re the sort of spells you’re meant to learn from your family, and Molly does all the decoration in the Weasley family, and I mentioned it once and she just sort of laughed and brushed me off and said something vague about when I had kids... I was, I was twenty at the time, you know, she thought... She thought I still would. You’re not meant to learn it from a book, and I just think, I wonder what spells they... Because I looked, you know, and I couldn’t... I couldn’t find any photos from Christmas, and I...”

A warm wetness drops down onto Severus’ cheek, and slides down his neck. 

Severus’ grip tightens on Potter’s lower back.

“I’m sorry,” Potter mutters. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’ve just-- I’m sorry--”

“Stop repeating yourself,” Severus says. “You sound like a broken record.” Potter sniffles, the sound resoundingly ugly, and Severus considers reaching for his handkerchief, but it would mean removing his hands from Potter’s back, something he has no desire to do, as of this moment. 

“I’ve never told anybody that before,” Potter murmurs, clutching at Severus tightly. “I guess it sounds stupid, and sentimental.”

“Yes,” Severus says, and then inwardly winces when he feels Potter stiffen. “It isn’t stupid, Potter,” he murmurs, and he slides his hands up Potter’s back, rubbing two straight lines up toward his shoulders before bringing them down again. “It isn’t.”

Potter leans back, and Severus looks at his expression, which has been carefully formed into something like neutrality. Potter’s breaths are unnaturally slow as he does his best to control his emotions, and Severus slowly reaches up, brushing his thumb over a tear lingering on his cheek. Potter swallows.

“Sorry,” he says again.

I could teach you, Severus wants to say, but he isn’t sure if that’s the right thing to do - he lacks the script for this sort of situation, and his skin feels too tight, his heart beating a little faster than it ought.

“You don’t need decorations,” Severus says, in what he hopes is a tender tone. “We’re going elsewhere.”

“Can we go to bed?”

“It isn’t even nine.”

“We’re adults, aren’t we? We can go to bed when we want.” Potter presses his cheek against Severus’ palm, and Severus feels as if he holds something incredibly precious, something beautiful beyond anything he deserves to lay his blood-stained hands on... 

“I suppose we are,” Severus says, and he holds his breath for a long moment before he forces, “Harry,” from his throat.

Potter’s eyes open, brightly green in the low light, beautiful--

"Thank you,” he murmurs, and then he sinks forward again, pressing their cheeks together, his weight heavy on Severus’ chest.

After a moment, Severus points out, “We don’t appear to be moving.”

“Shut up,” Potter replies, and Severus smiles against his neck. 

Review Variety Pack: Singers, Vampires, and Autopsies

When you write reviews, there are some weeks where there’s simply nothing on the schedule that grabs your interest or sparks any ideas that you feel compelled to write down. Then there are the times where you have the opposite problem, and you end up watching more than enough content to fill two or three articles, and you just don’t know what to pick. When this happens, I’m often torn between my desire to cover everything I see to produce more content and talk about as many different things with my readers as physically possible, and the practical limitation of only having so much time each week to properly go into extensive detail of what I’ve seen. Well, on this occasion, I thought I would try something a little different and take a quick look at a couple films and a TV series rather than dedicate an entire article to just one of them. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to the more in-depth format for my reviews soon enough. For now, this approach just allows me to catch up on some of the content I’ve been meaning to talk about, as well as point you all in the direction of a couple of items. There may even be one or two which have flown under the radar for you.

 ‘A Star is Born’

         Okay, so maybe not ALL of these are smaller projects that haven’t received a lot of media attention. But whatever – the deal with this movie is that Bradley Cooper decided to direct the latest in what has apparently been a long line of remakes and adaptations of the 1937 movie A Star is Born. Cooper plays a popular male singer who discovers a young woman with a talent for singing, played by Lady Gaga, who he wants to introduce to the world and drama ensues as they start a relationship and her fame keeps growing. I have no familiarity with the original or any of the other three remakes listed on Wikipedia, so take that for whatever it’s worth when I say I’m glad I saw this film.

         The 2018 A Star is Born seems to be made with the knowledge that the audience has likely heard this song before. Even if you’re like me and you haven’t seen any of the four previous versions of this film, the rise-to-stardom story is so well-established that it’s a safe bet that you’ll recognise many of the typical story beats of this kind of film. You see the future star’s humble origins, their soaring debut, their optimism for their bright future, them getting signed on for a record label and a soulless manager character entering the picture, their image having to be changed as they get pushed further into the public eye, someone close to them criticising them because they believe the star has lost their way, one of the characters taking a bad turn as it starts to feel like the star has lost all control of their life, and so on. It’s a story we know, but A Star is Born appears to be conscious of this fact. Towards the end of the film, there’s a conversation where a character reflects on how the same notes are repeated over and over between different songs. The character remarks that it’s in the different ways that people see those notes and interpret them through their music that new experiences are created.

         And I think that’s what this film does. The story may be similar to half a dozen other examples, but the execution is what engages. There’s a naturalistic direction to the film that you can see through the way characters talk over each other as they conduct their conversations, or the slight documentary-style to the cinematography, or the minimal use of non-diegetic music which makes the soundtrack seem as if it’s coming from the characters themselves as they sing and play throughout the story. This increases the sense of impact to some of the events within the story because the film is selling you on the impression that what you’re seeing is really happening. On top of that, Lady Gaga’s experience as a professional singer not only enables her to sing well throughout the film, but it also helps her to convey the emotions and thought processes being experienced by her character as she sings. She’s able to deliver a dramatic performance alongside her musical performance, and that’s compelling to watch.

         The 2018 version of A Star is Born is not telling a new story, but it manages to tell a familiar narrative in a way that manages to be distinctive and emotionally affecting. If any of the people involved make the film of interest to you, or if the mood takes you and you want to experience a decent version of this sort of rising-star story, then this version of A Star is Born is a decent pick. Now I just have to watch Bohemian Rhapsody and see if the other film about musical celebrities currently out in cinemas does as good a job at hitting its marks.

Final Score: Bronze / Silver

 ‘Castlevania’ Season 2

         Castlevania is one of those franchises that, on first inspection, appears to have a complicated history with dozens of instalments all coming together to form this grand tapestry telling the story of the war between Dracula, destined to reincarnate every 100 years, and the Belmonts, a family of vampire hunters that have dedicated their entire lineage to keeping Dracula and his forces of darkness at bay. And for fans who want to read into it, that expansive timeline is absolutely there, but on a very simple level, every Castlevania game more or less tells the same story. Dracula shows up along with his huge labyrinthine castle, and someone with a whip and a bunch of vampire-hunting equipment rocks up to kick him back into his coffin. Sometimes there are other characters along for the ride to make it slightly more complicated, but that’s the general gist. Also, there’s always some excellent music accompanying the proceedings.

         The first season of the Netflix animated series Castlevania adapted the story of the third game in the series. As it was only four 20-minute episodes, the first season is barely longer than a feature-length movie, and just as it finds its purpose and you feel like you’re getting into it, it ends. It wasn’t anything more than a semi-decent series, but I felt like there was potential when I watched it last year. The animation during the scenes where characters are simply talking to one another was stiff and you’d only see characters shift in place after a sentence or two, rather than exhibit more natural, flowing movement from moment-to-moment. But the action scenes were clearly where the animation budget went, as fights were creative and choreographed with a satisfying flair which showcased the animator’s passion for the source material. Performances were suitably brooding and at the right level between genuine human levels of emotion and melodramatic excessiveness, which is fitting for something Gothic and cheesy like this. At times the excessive gore and general revelling in shock-factor violence grated on me, and none of the characters really captured my interest or felt like I could get behind them until the second half of the last episode.

         Now Season 2 of Castlevania doesn’t fix all of my issues with the previous season, but I am very happy with some of the progress I’ve seen so far. I haven’t finished the season yet, as I’m six episodes in and have two left before I’m done, but I’ve seen enough to say that the extra time has benefitted the writers, allowing them to take the time to further explore characters and focus on conversations and interactions between the different members of the cast. The result is a more satisfying and complete-feeling season.

         Apart from that, my thoughts are more or less the same as the first season. I like their presentation of the series’ established Gothic aesthetic through the impressive backgrounds and character design. I enjoy seeing characters and references from the games and think the showrunners are doing a great job at translating the tone of the games to an ongoing TV series. The excessive gore is a little much at times, and not because I can’t handle it, but because it feels inelegant and unnecessary when they’re already doing such a good job at establishing a Gothic atmosphere. I am enjoying the characters more, even though the attempts at humour feel a little awkward (though I think that’s part of the intentional style of the series, so take that for what it’s worth). All in all, a solid series that has gotten better since last year, but still has several areas in which it could improve. If you enjoy the original games or are a fan of cheesy Gothic fantasy, then give it a watch.

Final Score: Copper / Bronze

 ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’

         Watching this 2016 horror movie from André Øvredal, the director of Trollhunter, was how I spent Halloween this year, and it was a night well spent. A father-son pair of coroners are given an unidentified body of a woman that was found on a crime scene and are tasked with finding a cause-of-death by morning so that the local sheriff can give a full statement on the matter. As they proceed with the autopsy, they find more and more things which don’t add up. There are signs of things happening to the body which don’t make scientific sense when you consider the body’s appearance, and to top it off, there’s an uneasy atmosphere around the office as things just don’t feel right. And from there, I’ll keep you in the dark, as one of the most enjoyable elements to watching this film for the first time is trying to work out what’s going on alongside the two main characters as they dig further into this mystery.

         The Autopsy of Jane Doe got under my skin because it taps into the uneasiness you often feel when you’re stuck in an office or medical building late at night and you’re one of the only people remaining. It makes effective use of space to create a suffocating feeling to the autopsy room and the one or two other spaces our characters find themselves in as the film goes on. The use of the right-angled corridor to create suspense as you fear what might come around the corner is commendable. Both of the two main actors, Brian Cox as the father and Emile Hirsch as the son, work well in their roles, selling you on their close, familial relationship as well as the fact that they are professional coroners, so they know what to do and how to handle their nerves around a dead body, but they’re also human enough to get a little uneasy when things start looking weird.

         As I touched on earlier, I was really drawn in by the set-up to The Autopsy of Jane Doe, fascinated to learn more as conflicting pieces of information are revealed to both the characters and the audience. It’s an exciting sensation that I think is unique to horror; it’s the human urge to find out more even when all signs are telling you that you should stop delving into this unsettling area. You have to know the truth and understand what’s going on, even when it takes you to deadly territory. It’s such a recurring feeling that I experience when watching horror, as well as see in the motivations of the characters within horror narratives, that I consider the horror and mystery genres to be close relatives. The Autopsy of Jane Doe is dripping with that sense of horrific mystery as it centres on an autopsy, a procedure that is done when you want to find out the truth behind something but is also inherently unsettling as you are staring face-to-face at death, in all its detail.

         This horror movie has a great premise which is executed with impressive technical ability by its actors, cinematographer, and director (even if it leans on the jump-scare tactic a little too much). For those who like their horror with an air of mystery, then this is a hard recommend.

Final Score: Silver

LG’s leather-wrapped G4 is no dominatrix, but it does dominate

Sharengay Trang Tin Tức Độc Đáo VIDEO LG’s leather-wrapped G4 is no dominatrix, but it does dominate

“The LG G4 is the best smartphone of 2015, and it’s camera is so good that it often outperforms the iPhone 6 Plus.”

Pros

Bạn đang xem: LG’s leather-wrapped G4 is no dominatrix, but it does dominate

Bright screen with gorgeous contrast

Excellent camera performance

Shooting in RAW and Manual mode

Removable battery and MicroSD card slot

Leather battery cover rocks

Cons

Still made of plastic

UX features are a mixed bag

Battery life is average

Speaker quality is weak

“Life’s Good” is LG’s tagline, but life has been tough for the company’s mobile division. Its archrival Samsung has captured a big chunk of the phone market, and LG has spent several years chipping away at Samsung’s mighty presence.

The Nexus 5 and G3 proved that LG could play with the big boys, and the G4 expands on that notion, improving features that optimize the user experience in tangible ways. With an impressive camera and more user-friendly software, the G4 makes a strong case for being the dark horse smartphone that could make waves and surprise many in 2015.

Do the right thing, choose the leather model

To own an LG G4 with a plastic rear cover should be a crime. It’s like ordering a new BMW with a cloth interior: a decision that’ll save you cash on the day, but one you’ll question every time you get in the car later on. Unlike Samsung and more like Vertu, LG has used real leather on the G4, and it feels fantastic; it’s warm, soft, tactile, and classy. It’s a world apart from the cold indifference you get from a plastic-backed G4.

It’s not annoying either. There are never any fingerprints to clean off, it doesn’t cling to the inside of your jeans pocket, and is apparently very hard wearing. For the past few weeks, the G4 has gone case-less in my pocket and bag, and the leather (and screen, actually) have suffered no ill-effects. The leather will undoubtedly bed in with age, but there’s no evidence of that just yet, and it hasn’t lost its sheen.

LG has got the colors right too. The brown leather complements the matt-silver rear controls beautifully, and the phone goes very well with the darker brown leather used for the strap on the gold Watch Urbane. Using the two together looks great, and is one of the first times I’ve ever matched two pieces of tech with each other based on color and material choice.

Showstopping camera

To give the G4 a thorough workout, it recently accompanied me on a long weekend away, where its photographic ability, battery, and general use could be explored in a variety of situations. There’s little to say about how it handles email, web surfing, and calls — because it does them effortlessly. The Snapdragon 808 processor is more than capable enough to keep up, although under heavy usage — I’ve used it for VR in a headset, for example — it can still make the device pretty toasty, but never to the point where it’s uncomfortable or a danger.

The camera is stunning, and did everything I could have wanted. There is absolutely no reason to carry another camera, or even choose a different phone, if photos are your priority. Day or night, inside or out, and in challenging environments it performed flawlessly. There were moments I wanted to capture during my weekend, and I’m pleased the G4 was my camera of choice to do so.

A small concert venue with bright stage lights looking out onto a dark auditorium isn’t the ideal place to take good pictures. Even without switching to manual mode, the G4’s auto settings and the laser autofocus made cool shots possible. Several are shared here, and come straight off the phone. With a little editing, each looks superb.

It’s the same with pictures taken around the city at night, and of sunsets. These were the times where it was possible to play with manual mode, which is hampered only by the fixed f/1.8 aperture — how great would it be to adjust this number? Using the G4 to shoot video did reveal the spot autofocus can be overzealous if left unattended, and results improved when the setting was turned off.

Ignore the slightly uninteresting design

The battery performance has remained steady at a little over a day, but the VR video really did suck the power, and could easily eat 20 to 30 percent in 20 minutes. I’ve also become used to using LG’s Smart Bulletin board, which slides in from the left of the main home screen and shows calendar entries, LG Health, and a music widget. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s attractively presented and easy to access.

Xem thêm: Lenovo IdeaPad S145 Review – $200 Laptop – Gaming Emulation Work Entertainment

If there’s a problem with the G4, it’s that it doesn’t visually standout, despite the leather back and slight curve to the body. It’s very similar to the G3, and can’t quite match the Samsung Galaxy S6 in terms of cool design. Ignore this, choose a leather clad version, and revel in owning a fantastic flagship smartphone with a camera that takes showstopping shots with ease.

Original review continues below:

Curvy, not flexy

LG likes curves. Every phone it launches seems to stick to that design philosophy, and the G4 essentially maintains its predecessor’s overall look. The contoured back is the same angle, and while slightly taller and wider, the G4 doesn’t deviate from the angular top and bottom. The corners are less rounded and the edges slope outward just enough to give it a slightly inverted look upon closer inspection.

Unlike Samsung, LG hasn’t abandoned plastic, nor a removable back. The back is made of a metal and plastic compound mixture, except it’s clear this cocktail is skewed toward the latter. A patterned design is etched into the metallic and ceramic backs to add some flair. Since gold is in vogue these days, LG got into the act and dipped into that as well, along with white and dark gray versions.

The removable back does serve more than a functional purpose for what lies underneath (battery, SIM, and MicroSD), since it’s also used as a way to personalize and augment the phone’s appearance. The full grain leather battery covers are a stylish turn for LG — in a good way. At its launch event in New York, LG noted that it used the same vegetable tanning process for its leather that luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Coach are known to use. Using full grain, rather than genuine leather, also makes the G4 is more durable, so fading and age give it character. Brown, black, beige, and sky blue versions are already confirmed, along with the yellow and crimson red versions shown in New York.

Having all these back cover options means they can be swapped, so it would be no problem to buy a white G4 and tack on a blue leather battery cover later. My review unit didn’t include one, but after some hands-on time with a few of them in New York, I was impressed. The leather is smooth and silky soft. Every detail of the leather backing, right down to the stitching, is well executed. I would likely switch to the black one when given the chance, personally.

On the front is a 5.5-inch quad HD IPS Quantum Display with the same resolution of 2,560 × 1,440 pixels and pixel density of 538ppi as last year. LG gave the front a slight curve it calls Slim Arc, which is noticeable when looking at the G4 directly from its side. The slight curve makes the phone more comfortable to hold in your hand. The screen is also brighter, both by default and at full brightness, a necessary design tweak to rectify the duller output of the G3. LG says it also has 20 percent greater color reproduction and 50 percent better contrast. In our comparisons to the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 Plus, LG’s screen definitely held its own or outperformed the competition.

Under the hood

Playing it safe, LG opted not to go with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor, which has been dogged by concerns over excessive heating. Instead, it’s the Snapdragon 808 chip that’s inside — which is still a powerful hexa-core processor, though LG hasn’t really explained why it made the change other than to say the chipset is “optimized” for the G4’s features.

There’s no doubt the G4 is the best handset LG has made to date.

There is 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage to help the cause, along with a 16-megapixel rear camera with improved optical image stabilization (OIS) and a color spectrum sensor – more on that later. Interestingly, LG chose to go with a Micro SIM card slot, rather than use the Nano SIM the iPhone and other Android phone manufacturers are starting to embrace. There is also a MicroSD slot (not present on competing phones) that is technically capable of supporting up to 2TB cards.

I don’t know if the Snapdragon 810 processor would’ve made a notable difference in the G4’s performance, but I had little to complain about with the 808. The phone is brisk, speedy, and dependable. I had no problem doing anything I would normally do on a smartphone. Streaming video was fine, downloading and uploading content was fine, and switching between multiple apps was fine. The phone did get a little hot, but never to a point where I had to question why.

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Compared to the Samsung Galaxy S6, which uses an octa-core processor, I didn’t notice a drop in overall performance. Both were equally fluid in the same respects, so LG may, in fact, be on the right track in suggesting users wouldn’t notice anything unusual. It’s also easier to compare the two because neither relies on gimmicky features, like they did in the past. Hardline smartphone users may notice intricacies and quirks that might set the G4 back, but I suspect the average person will carry on without missing a beat.

If I did have something to point a finger at, it would be the speaker, found on the rear. It’s easily among the weakest links of the phone’s design, and while the G4’s curved back helps the sound escape when laid flat, fidelity is not in the same league as the HTC One M9.

Software

The DT Accessory Pack

Up your game and the get the most out of your gear with the following extras, hand-picked by our editors:

Creative Sound Blaster Roar: Portable Speaker ($130)

SanDisk – Ultra 128GB microSDXC ($90)

LG G4 Spigen Case ($21)

LG has taken a restrained approach to its software this year, like Samsung. Running on Google’s Android Lollipop 5.1 operating system out of the box, LG’s UX 4.0 user interface features are blended in so everything remains simple. The idea was to include features that make life with the phone easier. Some of LG’s better ideas include faster scrolling through the Gallery app and Event Pocket, an app that can unify calendars from various apps into one place. Those who live and die by their calendars may find this a convenient way to aggregate Facebook event invites with details that can be dragged and dropped from other messaging apps.

Smart Notice is supposed to be more personalized and contextual, offering more than simple weather and traffic updates. By learning my habits, it would ostensibly know that I don’t have to commute to work (I work from home), and prioritize weather and phone usage alerts instead. Perhaps it needed more time to get to know me, because I found it to be too predictable every day, regardless of where I was or what I was doing.

Xem thêm: Mở hộp đánh giá nhanh Nokia 7.2: Năm 2019 vẫn dùng Snapdragon 660???

The Quick Help widget is found as a question mark next to Smart Notice. It’s designed to be a mini search engine for the G4 itself, but for whatever reason, none of the queries I tried yielded results. Simple things like “calendar” and “color spectrum” drew blanks.

The true value in LG’s software experience is the bare minimum of alterations it offers. Icons and menus clearly received the Lollipop treatment with flatter designs and vibrant colors. The Settings menus are clear, concise, and easy to navigate. There’s a level of simplicity here that’s easy to appreciate, even if it’s not always patently obvious. I liked the general look and feel of the software more than any features LG added because its apps and features didn’t impact on my daily usage like they were intended to, and tended to only work with other LG apps. Not everyone wants to use LG Health or LG’s Music app. Some of us use Moves and Spotify. In any case, if you ignore some of LG’s apps, much like you’ve ignored some of Samsung or Apple’s apps, you’ll be better off.

This might be the best smartphone camera

The G4’s camera is unquestionably its crowning feature — And it should be, considering that it sports a 16-megapixel sensor, an f/1.8 aperture lens with OIS 2.0 built-in, and a color spectrum sensor. The latter feature is unique to smartphones, and its purpose is to measure the ambient lighting conditions from both the source of the light and where objects are reflected in the scene. This is on top of the sensor’s ability to capture more realistic color tones.

The G4 has one of the best smartphone cameras on the planet.

These features, coupled with the excellent controls in Manual mode, give the G4 one of the best smartphone cameras on the planet. Focusing is very quick, particularly when conditions are bright enough for the lens and sensor to lock on. The Depth of field capturing is impressive, despite the lack of any real optical zoom. And yes, color composition is superb, producing not only vibrant images, but consistently good ones that maintain their tonality after being transferred or shared.

Low-light shooting is perhaps the best available on any smartphone at this point and time, but there is a catch. LG keeps things basic with three distinct shooting modes: Simple, Auto, and Manual. The first two are very similar, except that Auto shows the heads-up display options. White balance, ISO, and shutter are automatically chosen, like any other smartphone camera does. LG claims that users can still expect better results because the color spectrum sensor is still doing its thing. This is generally true, but to fully appreciate what the camera and sensor are capable of, it’s best to learn the Manual mode.

Here, I could toggle the white balance, ISO, shutter, metering, and choose between auto-exposure lock (AE-L) or manual focus (MF). Adjusting any of the settings shows what the photo would look like in real time. Users who might be intimidated by going manual may find that one factor to be the most inviting. Even someone with years of photography experience like myself very much appreciated seeing that.

The photos the G4 captured were impressive across the board. Being able to shoot in RAW was even better, given how much extra detail the sensor was able to take in.

Video capture in 4K or 1080p is fine. You can’t really tinker with image settings before shooting a clip though. I tried to set up a low-light video clip by toggling the different metrics, but once I tap record, everything went automatic, so it was all for naught.

Battery life

Samsung got some flak for not going with a removable battery, whereas LG may earn praise for sticking with it. That’s subjective, of course, since replacing a battery isn’t something every user feels the need to do. The 3,000mAh battery inside performs well enough, but I wouldn’t consider it to exceptionally good. Basic usage saps little, but once more intensive tasks come into play, the juice starts dripping noticeably.

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Not to say that the G4 guzzles battery life because it’s not that bad, it’s only that intensive tasks seem to take more out of the processor than LG lets on. For example, streaming video remotely via Plex chomped on my battery life by a noticeable margin. Even when I initially set up the phone, I lost 20 percent in less than two hours because of everything that had to be downloaded and installed. Overall performance is fine, but for very intense processes, the G4 fares no better than its competitors.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt the G4 is the best handset LG has made to date, not just because of the components, but also because of the thoughtfulness that went into it. Little things, like a brighter screen with better contrast, prettier interface, and useful software tweaks, stood out because I interacted with them every day. For me, the curved back and edges made it easier to pick up the phone off the table, as well, and hold it. The Knock On double tap to wake from sleep has always been a useful feature. Double pressing the volume down button to instantly launch the camera was great for snapping selfies.

I can forgive the plastic design because real leather is an alternative. If not for that, I would dock LG for taking the easy way out. Using real leather in a way that doesn’t cut corners sends the right message, much like the other moves made with the G4. Whether or not consumers will take it to heart and splurge for the G4 is going to be interesting to watch, but we haven’t been this impressed with a smartphone, and it’s camera, for some time.

Highs

Bright screen with gorgeous contrast

Excellent camera performance

Shooting in RAW and Manual mode

Removable battery and MicroSD card slot

Leather battery cover rocks

Lows

Still made of plastic

UX features are a mixed bag

Battery life is average

Speaker quality is weak

Editors’ Recommendations

This outrageously powerful microscope is made of LEGOs and smartphone lenses

Best 4th of July phone sales and deals for 2021

LG Gram 17 (2021) review: Large and light on its feet

The 87 best movies on Hulu right now

Best cheap 4K TV deals for July 2021

Nguồn: https://sharengay.online Danh mục: Công Nghệ

LG’s leather-wrapped G4 is no dominatrix, but it does dominate

from Sharengay Trang Tin Tức Độc Đáo VIDEO https://bit.ly/3jFLzlf via IFTTT

Writer Notes: The Wicked + The Divine 33

Spoilers, obv.

I suspect this one may ramble. Or it may not. The odd thing is always when things which have been internally discussed forever end up not needing to be discussed in public. For Journey Into Mystery and Young Avengers, I always had the idea of the essay I'd end them with... but when I got there, I shrugged and did a couple of paragraphs which covered the basics.

(There was a grace note in both, in terms of highlighting a motif – Write Your Own Happy Ending and Be A Superhero. Save The World – but that's really minor detail compared to what I presumed I'd be writing.)

Well... I know it's going to be quite long, as I'm going to include the miniature essay on plot twists I lobbed up to respond to a question, just so I can include some WicDiv specific stuff.

So, WicDiv 33. The “Everything you knew is wrong” issue.

Jamie's Cover

Jamie coloured this himself.

There was a lot of discussion over this, in terms of how to resolve the equation that we'd set up. Where to go after the maximalist nature of Dio's 32? I won't mention the other options, as at least some of them may end up being used down the line. One suggestion I quite liked was doing the equivalent of the ABC Look Of Love album...

...which is this scene of posed romance on the cover, and when you flip the album, you see all the lighting and crew. In some ways, that's what this issue does.

But black makes sense on many levels as well. I suspect the idea of the specific bleakness will confound the expectations a little, but the statement of it is very there. We did say this was our Black Parade too.

Worth noting – first cover without a quote on the back. If we were sure the readers wouldn't have looked at the back cover before reading the book, we may have put Lucifer's “Am I the only one who didn't see that coming?” on there. But we couldn't be sure of that, so we didn't.

Russell's Cover

What Russell and Matt are doing over on Thor is state of the art superheroics. I've loved seeing what Russell's done across his time with Jason, and the idea of him doing a cover was just exciting. It's meant to be the full range of the medium, after all. I was surprised Russell went quite as maximalist as he did, but also pleased. I love this kind of operatic movie poster cover, and it screams Imperial Phase, including all the cast of the main arc. Dio's the hardest one to spot – that would be the black eyes over it.

IFC At this stage in the arc, working out what on earth to put in the synopsis is tricky. You have to throw your hands up to some degree.

The tweaks to the bios are the other thing – clearly we've got to set up the information required to comprehend the issue for those who may have forgotten it, without just saying what the thing is. For the very close readers, even the fact it's changed will be a tell. It was another reason we didn't do a preview for this issue, and even if we did, we wouldn't have released that page. Velocity in reading is key here.

With Woden we restate “She had some mysterious hold over him” rather than specifically talking about the Blakes. With Minerva we remind people that she was tortured on Ananke's machine, and then distract with a :(  emoticon.

Page 1

I believe the script for this page and the next is in the trade as “Making Of” material, which is fun. Chrissy tends to choose pages in terms of what's interesting, especially if we have something else to show. In this case, it's my drawing for the design of Woden's Secret Base.

My basic description for this was the Bat Cave, which is a man cave, if you squint. Having an enormous penny in it could have been a giggle. We had to have a few passes to get the lighting right on this – debating the colours on the bars of the cage was also tricky.

In terms of pulling out a detail, the suit of armour missing a head on the right would be a useful one. Balancing the “making sure it's visible” while not leaning too much into “LOOK AT THE HEADLESS SUIT” is Jamie's storytelling problem here.

The main dialogue problem was balancing the level of Cass' response here with her noise at the end of the last issue. Swearing to some degree is fine, but it has to be a specific kind of fffuuuucccckkk last issue. It couldn't be a swear that promised too much.

Page 2

And it's Pink Woden! But he's blue. Lighting, everyone.

Well... There was some debate on the colouring of Pink Woden, in various modes, and various reasons, not least the slight differences in colouring in his previous appearances.

(Issue 14 and issue 21-22, respectively.)

Have I said Pink Woden is my favourite fan name? We use it all the time internally, not least because Mimir is oddly hard to remember. Also, if we get used to saying “Mimir” we may end up saying accidentally in public.

Page 3

I had someone reach out to me wondering whether Cassandra choosing to gender someone by their voice and physical appearance was off. It's something I was thinking of at the time when writing it, and it's not exactly a line I'm happy with. But on balance, I felt it more likely that Cass would say that than Persephone would say anything.

Cass is imperfect in her language in lots of ways. I decided she's more likely to apologise about it down the line and kick herself, which I may end up working in, depending.

(You could also ask “why have anything there?” and that's only answerable in terms of the flow of information and ideas and conversation across the whole scene. Difficult Difficult Lemon Difficult.)

Lovely expression by Persephone in the background of the first panel – in fact, her conflicted expressions throughout. I especially love the reflection of the arriving Woden in the reflection of Mimir's mask in panel 6.

Page 4-5

The challenge here was always choosing where to put the page turns in this issue. What are the big beats. In my original draft the LITTLE WODEN BOY interstitial was actually on page 6, which would change the rhythm in lots of ways – not least in putting the Falling God sequence on a page turn. In the end, we gravitated to this. I'm much happier with it.

(Little Woden Boy works as a creepier punchline at the end as well.)

Anyway, hello! It's David Blake.

I... I maybe should save writing for the reveals all together. In fact, fuck it. Let's drop the ask essay here and we can then talk about the stuff I don't include in it. I'm asked whether you change something when someone guesses something, or how that feels?

****

Oh, god, no. Never change anything if someone’s guessed something. Nothing good lies in that direction.

Why?

Okay, let’s talk – with no specifics – Game of Thrones. If you go into the depths of fandom, Game of Thrones is – to some degree, in some areas – a solved problem. There’s a good selection of fan theories (some of which have come to fruition) which have so much meat on them it was clear they had to happen, or the book would break its structure and become unsatisfying.

These twists are available to anyone who wishes to google for them.

The vast majority of people don’t. So… why change the direction of the story? What’s the point of fucking over the enjoyment of the vast majority of people (i.e. making your story make less sense, as you’re abandoning the already existing thread) for playing gotcha on a tiny fraction of your audience?

(As a quick aside – compare and contrast theorising in a fanbase with actual events in the text that’s being adapted. Clearly, anyone who is watching GoT could have googled the synopsis of the book. Equally, anyone who’s read the books knows the big beats. Does the adaptation change the big beats? If surprise to everyone in your audience is all that mattered, you would. We don’t.)

It’s also worth noting that, while obviously some complain on the nature of the adaptation, most fans of a book generally complain that they wish it was more like the book. In other words, things that surprised them (i.e. differed from their knowledge of the text) were less satisfying. They wanted to see the big dramatic beats, even if they’re stripped of their surprise.

Surprise only matters the first time you read something. For me, any worthwhile piece of literature exists to be reread, and will open up more upon rereading. In other words, knowing the twist should add to the rereading of the book. If it doesn’t, and renders the story less than it was, it’s probably a bad twist – which is one reason why I don’t tend to call them “Plot twists” to myself. I call them reveals. The plot doesn’t contort. It’s merely revealing something in the nature of the world the reader was unaware of.

(As an aside, this means that someone who has guessed successful the direction of the plot is actually effectively skipping to their second read of the book earlier.)

There’s the other side of this as well – not just whether a plot beat has been guessed, but the almost inevitability of a plot beat being guessed. GoT fans have had twenty years to puzzle this out. In that period, a mass communication device emerged which allowed fans to talk to one another and share ideas. This machine would have torn apart any plot.

No one individual needs to guess anything. People can make one step in a chain, and then that step is exposed to thousands of minds. If even one of them can make the intuitive leap to the next step, then it continues. No one person needs to be clever enough to see the whole thing. The internet hivemind is Miss Marple, seeing through the most contorted of machinations.

(In passing, this is one reason why Alternate Reality Games are hard to do, because the mass hive mind will figure almost anything out, almost instantly. Equally in passing, the failure to understand this is another reason why Ready Player One is bad, but that’s irrelevant.)

In other words, the reason why twists are guessable is the same reason they are satisfying. A twist that isn’t foreshadowed sufficiently to give the possibility of being guessed by someone is not a satisfying twist, as it – by definition – came out of nowhere.

To make this specific to my own work. In the case of the biggest and most intricate of my current books, WicDiv, we sell about 18k in monthlies and sell 18k in trades (in the first month of release). That’s our hardcore devoted readership. How many people of them actually read the essays in the WicDiv tags? I’d say 500 at the absolute maximum, and likely a lot less. So for a maximum of 1.3% of our readership, we’d derail a still effective twist for everyone else? No, that would be a bad call.

Especially – and this is key – the people who have chosen to engage with a fandom are aware that they may figure something out. They are trying to figure something out. Why take that pleasure away from them?

In a real way, I think, in long-form narrative, pure plot twists which no one in the world guesses are dead in the Internet age, at least when dealing with any even vaguely popular work of art. You can do them in short-form narratives (like a single novel, a single movie and perhaps a streaming TV show they drop in one go) but for anything where you give a fanbase the chance to think, it’s just not going to happen. A creator should be glad their work is popular enough to have enough fans to figure it out.

Yes, I may have overthought this.

But that’s only half the question.

How do I actually feel when someone guesses something that’s going to happen? Well, this is long enough already. Let’s put the personal stuff beneath a cut…

*

I’d say you sigh “Oh, poop”and shrug.

And then you get over your ass, because you know all the above is true. Writers are often megalomaniacs who think they can control everyone’s response to their work. We don’t. We can’t control everything. We can barely control anything. We really have to let go. I’ve said WicDiv is a device to help me improve as a person, yes? It would include in this area. I have to learn to let it go, and internalise all of the above. If I can make most of my readership have the vague emotional response I’m looking for, I’m winning.

I’ve mostly succeeded at this. I’m certainly better than I was two years ago.

(I’ll probably write more about spoilers and twists and stuff down the line. I’d note that setting up twists that *are* easily guessable by the hardcore is part of the methodology. Having a nice big twist foreshadowed heavily is a good way to hide another twist behind it. “Hey – pay attention to this less subtle sleight of hand while I perform the actual sleight of hand over here.” In which case, there’s less of an Oh Poop response and more of a cackling evil mastermind response.)

The sigh can occasionally be accompanied with a “Hmm. I wouldn’t have posted that” or – more likely – “I wouldn’t have posted that THERE.”

To stress, what follows isn’t about my work per se, but culture generally, and is very much personal. This is stuff which good friends disagree with me on.

As a fan, I never tweet my own fan theories. I only tweet joke ones. Even my crack theories I don’t tweet, as they’re normally so bizarre that if they actually DO happen, I wouldn’t want to take the thrill away from people. Even in person in conversation I make sure we’re going into a deep fan hole before sharing them, aware that they may be true.

In a real way, the more likely I think something is true, the less likely I’ll say it. As this is my job, I tend to see basic structural ways stories are heading way in advance of most people. I’m a composer. I know how music works. You have a vague sense of what way they’ll go.

(One day I’ll write down my crack theory for the end of the previous Game of Thrones season. Maybe after next season, as it’s not impossible that they may end up doing it, though it’s increasingly unlikely.)

If I had a really good theory I’ve gathered evidence for? You can guarantee I’d put it beneath a cut. That’s the stuff which bemuses me. It’s a cousin of posting major spoilers about any piece of culture the day it comes out. The worst is one regular twitter trope – I’m always bemused when people do a “Calling it! XYZ will happen” tweet. Which strikes me a little like standing up in the cinema 20 minutes into a film and shouting out that you’ve guessed the ending. This ties back to the stuff I wrote above about twists being less effective in the modern age, except in a place where you can control the context and conversation. People may message in movies, but they rarely message everyone in the room.

(In passing, as it’s vaguely on topic – you may remember the research from a few years ago saying people who know a twist enjoy the story more than people who don’t know a twist. Even if this is true – and a single study should always get an eyebrow raise – it strikes me as a confusion over what “enjoy” means. All pleasure isn’t equivalent, and you can only have surprise on your first time through a work of art. That’s novelty. You can have that and then gain the “not surprise” experience second time through. If you spoil a work, it means the “novelty” experience is something you will never have. You may enjoy something more if you know the twist but you can always rewatch it to get that pleasure. If you’re spoiled, the individual specific pleasure of that first watch has been stolen.)

But that’s a conversation of social mores. Really, it doesn’t change anything in terms of how we act… and sometimes, I even grin when someone gets a twist in advance. The machine is working as intended. It’s actually kind of worrying if no one is thinking something is up in an area you’ve set up to be iffy. And… the alternative is worse – hell, there’s buried twists and details in Young Avengers that no one’s managed to figure out yet.

Twist ending: oh, no, I was a ghost all along.

****

I'm pretty sure the asker was asking about the Woden/Blake/Jon twist, and I'm primarily talking in terms of balancing the various needs of the group.

The problem with this twist was less making sure that people didn't get it, but making sure that everyone understood its import. If, hypothetically, I didn't want (barely) anyone to get it, we wouldn't have mentioned Jon after we introduced him in issue 6. Problem being, everyone needs to know Jon is a person who is Blake's kid when they hit this beat. My solution was to just reintroduce Jon hard, and resolve it, knowing that most people would just accept that. Then everyone knows who Jon is, so the father/son switch makes sense.

(In other words, far better some people suspect Woden is Blake rather than everyone going “Jon who?” Especially because the real horror of the Woden/Blake reveal is in its details.)

There's the other aspect to it as well – it's the sacrificial decoy aspect that I mentioned above. Even if guessed, it's a big enough twist to distract people. I reveal this at the start of the issue, so people will probably suspect that's enough big reveals for the issue. Yet no.

(See also: issue 11's dual deaths)

In reality, I was much more worried about the relatively small leap from realising Woden Is Blake And Jon Is Pink Woden to Mimir Is A Head.

But more on that later, I suspect.

Anyway! Storytelling!

There is something incredibly instantly disturbing about Blake without the helmet on, right?

Persephone's line was tweaked a bunch. I cut it as far as I could while still existing. It's a tiny moment of Rising Action, immediately squashed.

The switch to green as the cage goes to full power, plus Matt Wilson's wonderful pixel effects.

Love the Tron-eque light-bike trails seguing into flashback...

Page 6-7

The first date is just before Ragnarock 2013, where we first saw Jon on the stage in Laura's Flashback in issue 6.

This is a “Performance” by Jon, so is presented as such, in the same manner of Persephone's performance in issue 20. Jamie's integrated circuitry design is great, and allows us to go to a limited palette. 8 panel, 8-bit glory.

And Jon Blake.

You write and discover the characters. Jon has barely been in the book – he has a couple of lines of dialogue in issue 14, and that's it. I always knew why Ananke rejects him as unsuitable, but specifically how that would be articulated was something I thought I'd discover on the page. Writing a new character this far into the book is the sort of thing which keeps it interesting.

I was worried it would be hard, or shallow, as surely all the relevant little bits of me are already taken with the rest of the cast? Within a couple of sentences of typing, I knew I had completely forgotten one Gillen archetype.

I realised Jon was a heroic take on Lloyd/Mr Logos.

I laughed. Of course. Perfect.

The 11 days later says so much about how intricate the timeline is around here. It's the day before Baal and Sakhmet made their public debut.

The “She's a fucking weirdo/language” panel is a joy.

Yeah, Ananke really does like hanging around in people's gardens.

I specifically called for Ananke to be in an outfit from a previous God-creation sequence...

Page 8-9

...so Jamie could reuse the masks and only draw Jon transforming, and pull an extra page out of the budget.

The most embarrassing bit here is that I wrote this from my memory of Mimir's legends in the early drafts, and only remembered to actually check my notes at lettering. In fact, I'd got a couple of minor details of Mimir wrong.

(Or rather, didn't grasp the complexities of Mimir – it's very hard to get a take on Mimir, because the main myths we have of him are contradictory.)

Page 10-11

Man, I want to go to Mimir's club night.

In my original draft I wrote it as Jon cutting off Ananke's “Mimir” so that the god name wasn't revealed until the last page of this whole section. As in, it would stop people putting the book down, googling “Mimir”, realising “Heads” and then possibly seeing where we were going at the end of the issue.

I decided against it, in that's only going to be a tiny fraction of readers. If people want to break the flow of their reading to look up facts, I can't control that. Even then, I also knew it would be far from certain that just because they realised Mimir is a head, that they'd then realise others could be a head before the end of the comic.

And NOT including Mimir breaks the flow for everyone else, and is a bit cheap. Better than that.

That knife gets around.

Page 12

First panel: I never get bored of modern blur photoshop to show this kind of effect.

PoV shots are something I adore in comics. The six-panel grid gives it lots of space as well.

Honestly, that last panel with Mimir's own reflection is the creepiest thing in the world, and I love it.

Page 13

Yeah, I'm much happier with the interstitial here. Horrible.

(To state the obvious: Pinocchio reference.)

Page 14-15

I just imagine the tension in this room. Ugh.

I originally had a bunch more written for Woden here, but cut it. It was much better in the silent. He may say some of it down the line, but cutting it right to the basics – the particularly creepy basics – seemed key.

We went with a normal gun. Normal guns were at the start of the story, and have sort of disappeared. Once more we return.

Lots to unpick in all this dialogue, so won't give anything else. I'll say the whole exchange about the machine was as finely picked over to imply the meaning as much as anything else in the book – that's the thing about comics. The flowery fancy stuff? That's great and fun. But the real job is the compressing of precise exact detail, especially in a book which is nothing but precise detail.

I was chatting to Jamie about issue 34 earlier, and Jamie said how much he likes drawing Mimir's helmet. Looking at page 15 makes me see it – the second and fourth panels are just excellent in completely different ways.

Page 16-17-18

Jamie chose the steady angle, I believe, with a background drop, and Matt working the colours to show the emotions.

First panel is where the last of the fun drips out of Cassandra's expletives, and we're just left with something that's really just offensive and ugly. If there's any point where the issue reaches the black cover, it'd be this sequence.

I'm glad they've got here though.

Clearly, this is a Jamie masterclass. Pick it apart, learn. delight. Like – penultimate panel on page 16. The pause, the glance aside. Perfect. Look across page 17. There's a mixture of emotion and sheer dullness and boredom and fear, and how it all pushes and pulls again.

(“And I got it” is something else)

I believe I've said WicDiv contains a recapitulation of basically everything I've ever done as a creator. Mainly the Jamie and me stuff, but basically everything. I realised Laura's arc on Imperial Phase is me reprising what I did in Generation Hope – probably one of my least remembered things, which strikes me as fair – it only landed properly as we inched towards the end of the year. The plot was basically “Is Hope Good Or Bad?” when the answer was “Her Dad died a few days before the issue started. She's fucked up.” Only in mainstream death-happy superhero comics would that work as a twist. This was a bit like that – we distance the reader from Persephone and just show the actions and see what you make of it.

“Try to be kind. You have no idea what people are going through.”

That was the stuff I'd had planned from the start, but it only got more specific as I got nearer it and WicDiv became what it was. I've talked about having mixed feelings about WicDiv's success. Laura's arc is it writ large. I hate that the definitive work of my career is this. If my Dad was not dead I would not have written this book. There is a guilt and anger that is hard to articulate directly there, and is the material I was mining for this.

On a boring technical level, we did a lot of work with Cass explicitly saying facts to ensure that no one in the readership thinks Laura is confessing to killing her family. In an issue as twisty as this, I suspect some people would have.

(The second panel on page 17 is another one – tall enough to have a bunch of half ideas.)

And Laura, after making a breakthrough, immediately crumbles to another mistake.

The “Laura” line is a nod to the song, and one of the lines in the original WicDiv document sheet.

Page 19

I was going to tweak Cass' line – in some myths he's a giant – but that she's musing gives her a little freedom to dance around what we know.

You know, I suspect one reason why Mimir was never brought up as an option connected to Woden is that he's one of the very few Norse myths who've never appeared in a Marvel superhero comic. Or at least I don't think he has.

Normally we'd put something as big as the head remove on a page turn, but it's a physically small beat, so not something you will automatically recognise out the corner of your eye when you're reading.

I love Cass' thinking face in the penultimate panel. Thinkythinkythinky.

Two major beats happening on this page, of course – it appears Mimir is a head (or a robot head, perhaps?) and Mimir thinks the machine does nothing.

And then we hard-cut to what we do, but it's worth dwelling on this a little. When thinking of plot structure, I talk about a few ways to disguise twists. Earlier, I mentioned a Big Twist can make people suspect the twists are over. This is something I tend to think of as a revealed move. As in, you create a machine of logic with a missing part. You add the missing part as late as possible, and then immediately move to what has been concealed before the audience is able to process the new information.

Hence two beats and a hard-cut...

Page 20-21-22-23

Anyway – this clearly had to be a page turn. To state the obvious.

Steady angle shot here, to have the awfulness of it there. I suspect if I’d had space I'd have had the last panel on page 19 be a third of a page, so the two removed heads could mirror one another.

As a minor detail, Minerva's running feet in the second panel of 20 are really good.

Minerva's gesture on page 21.2 is a joy. I know that feeling, Mini.

I really wanted Inanna to be talking from off panel on page 21, but that definitely would give the game away. The problem with distinctive fonts...

And 22 is the reveal on the heads. Probably best not to say much more about this, as I suspect any of the design elements will intersect with what happens in issue 34, so I'll talk a bit about it then.

Tara and Inanna's expressions really are wonderful.

Luci's line came surprisingly late. The “Talking Heads” interstitial came early. The only reason I wasn't going to use it here was in case I wanted to use it later. I decided I didn't.

Okay... twists.

In reality, for me, it's a case of once you've decided that this is the plot, the only way to do it is dovetail towards an issue like this. Any of these individual beats provide too much connective tissue to the other ones, meaning all must be revealed or none.

(You could argue about Minerva, I suspect. Maybe.)

It's been strange writing a book like this – when so much is there early on. Seeing who got what and who didn't, and how people reinforced people has been interesting. That the core WicDiv tumblr community has never really suspected Minerva was off is in some way a surprise – though I've had people talk about that directly and personally. Blake/Jon and Minerva-is-Off-In-Some-Way were the two twists I would guard, but their primary importance was in how they led to the Heads.

When Ray Fawkes told me “There's a reason you're doing all the decapitations, right?” circa issue 2, I suspected that I'd overplayed the hand by having a literal talking head in issue 3... but it turned out fine.

“Played the hand” is interesting phrasing, and telling. Writing something as intricate as this is like doing a slow-motion card trick, in public, constantly. It is a form of constant stress. I have been paranoid of fucking it up in stupid ways, and it's impacted every single conversation I've ever had about WicDiv. Like just writing one name when I mean another or something. There was a hilarious panic when I added ‘Killer Queen’ to the playlist, just thinking of it as a quite funny Ananke song... and then realised there was only one character in the cast with a connection to the band Queen, and that was Minerva. Should I take it off the playlist? No, someone may notice that, and it's against my rules anyway. I quickly added a few other things to camouflage it.

As if anyone is watching that closely, y'know?

That's an extreme example, but an entirely characteristic one. I have lost sleep over it. Even a year ago, I wished I could just get to 33 and not worry about it. When 33 dropped, it was simultaneously excellent (the response was basically what we expected) and an anticlimax (The amount of emotional and intellectual effort you put into doing this is not worth it. It could never be worth it.) I've been telling friends that I'll never write a story that operates like this again. Partially that is because I wouldn't want to repeat myself, and partially because – as I said above – I think twists are less effective in long-form serialised work in 2017, but mainly as I don't think I want to do this to myself again. I'll find some other way to torture myself.

(Spangly New Thing certainly abandons the Scorpion's-Tale narrative model in favour of an intricate character clock of woe.)

Actually, talking playlists...  I have prepared something. There's a secondary WicDiv playlist which I've been using since July for songs which speak to the end of year three and the remainder of year four. I didn't want to add these songs to the main playlist in case a particularly determined WicDiv fan worked out issue 33 from them. This says a lot about the high levels of anxiety I've been running on for the last few years on this topic. It would be terrible to blow it in such a dumb way. Now, those reading in issues know secrets the trade readers don't. So it's going to be an interesting few months.

Here's the playlist. Keep it mum. I'll add it to the main list when the trade's out. Don't shoot me for the first track.

You may have seen us trying to prod people to reread WicDiv before 33. This was partially in response to a friend who read 33 before it came out who said – I paraphrase – “I wish I could tell people to reread the series now, because after they read 33, those issues are gone, forever.” She's right – it's a pure ‘everything changes’ issue, and you can't reread the comic earlier, because everything has transmuted beneath your fingers.

Which is by our design, but is still a grim thing to think about. We've destroyed all those issues on the shelves, and replaced them with a new story. On the bright side, we've given you 35 free comics. I suspect this returns to Jamie’s and my twitchiness over comic prices, and trying to make ours better value, every way we can. In this case, we want to make rereading valuable and exciting.

SIGH! This has been a journey, friends. I'm glad I no longer have to think about any of the above. There's huge stuff coming in the final year, but it's got entirely its own character and momentum. The cards we're playing with have fundamentally changed. There's so much stuff to come, but it builds from this.

Oh – I'm sort of regretting mentioning the thing about the third theme in the backmatter, as it's clearly the sort of thing that's going to drive a certain strata of reader to distraction – especially as if there's any number of other themes in the book. The one I was thinking intersects a little with pre-existing major themes, and speaks to the particular spin on them. We'll get to it eventually. Don't worry.

Anyway, to sum it all up, clearly with four talking heads, WicDiv is four times as good as Sandman. That is a FACT.

Christmas Special shortly, the trade collection in January, the 1923 Special in February and we're back with issue 34 in March, with the new arc.

Thanks for reading.

Final Lookbook Evaluation 

I really like the overall appearance of the front page of my Lookbook and feel that it communicates the trend well. The landscape background, pink flag and middle image with the yellow coat all have clear links to festivals and therefore festival camping. The key shapes for the trend are clear across the pictures along with most of the colour palette. As I’ve previously mentioned I think that the font used works well and isn’t too overpowering for the trend in terms of communicating a simple concept with additions of practicality and sustainability. When I was finishing off the mood board I was torn between the red coat or a pink matching set that I have now gone on to use on the fabric and key shapes page. I’m now questioning if I made the right decisions as the slight bit of jeans that you can see on the picture with the red coat could potentially give off the wrong impression of the narrative for the Lookbook, especially with it being one of the pictures on the front page that is supposed to set the scene for the Lookbook. To further develop this page, I would either bring the red coat image down or replace it with the red coat picture from the narrative page as it needs to be a red garment really to ensure that all of the main colours of the colour palette are represented.

One of the main points of the narrative is the use of sustainable materials, which I have extended further by incorporating repurposed materials alongside the recycled ones. You wouldn’t know about the sustainability side of the trend if it wasn’t for Repurposed in the title. However, the background is a natural landscape and as long as sustainability is present across the inside of the Lookbook, the link to it should be clear enough throughout. I could go on to ensure that the sustainability aspect of the trend is clear on the front page by using an image of a garment that has been made from recycled or repurposed materials. This would be easy enough to do with the number of brands starting to have a sustainable collection such as ReBurberry for example.

In comparison to my rough plan that I did early on, both the front and back pages have turned out near enough how I wanted them to. I used a continuous landscape picture across the pages, and I was even able to find one with a tent on it which helps to communicate the narrative and also works well alongside the single image on the back to help to fill the page. The single image that I used is also a Raeburn design which I’d suggested using on my plan. I also used three main pictures on the front page all in different sizes. However, the title is more central than I had planned for, as I decided to add in an extra element to help to portray the narrative. Having a rough plan to work from really helped me to stay on track and not lose focus on what I wanted there to be on each page. Going forward this is definitely something that I will continue to do for each project, where appropriate, to ensure that I know what I want my finished result to look like.

I’m also pleased with my use of InDesign for these two pages as I had to split the mood board that I had created in Photoshop across the two pages in InDesign, whilst also keeping them linked so that they would still update when I had made changes to them. I did have help with this and had it demonstrated in one of my tutorials, but I was then able to go away and complete the action on my Lookbook by myself with my notes. I also feel that I used Photoshop well for these pages with my use of the eraser and managing the layers. I also used the stamp tool to surround the welly and white trainer with the surrounding grass, which I think looks effective in bringing the whole page together. I tried to do the same with the sandals on the back page, but it just didn’t look right so I left it as it is, which unfortunately makes her look like she’s floating above the grass. To develop this page further I would go on to add something in front of her feet altogether and I would also add more detail to the bunting as it looks very simple and unrealistic. As I develop my understand and knowledge of Photoshop, I hope to be able to progress and add more detail into images including shading which would work well with the bunting.

My narrative page in my Lookbook is very busy with lots of different images going on. However, the narrative is clear, the tent represents camping, the festival campsite in the background links that side of things in. There are examples of both recycled and repurposed materials with the use of some Raeburn examples, along with the key shapes and colour palette. Going forward it would be worth thinking about trying to simplify the page and take some imagery away, but my only worry would be that you could potentially be taking away something that represents a part of the narrative. The written piece about the narrative is clear and explains the concept of the narrative well. Recycled and recyclable nylon does sound quite confusing though so I have gone on to specify a brand for the recycled nylon on the fabric forecast page.

Following on from the feedback that I was given in my tutorial I have made a few changes to my Lookbook. I had already said how I thought that the whole of my narrative page looked rather busy as there are so many pictures on it with the full campsite pictures behind as well. I was advised to change the transparency of the background image to take some of the focus away from it and to bring it to the front where the different garment pictures are. To do this I just changed the opacity of the two pictures to 50%, however by changing the opacity you could see where I had overlapped the pictures in the centre of the page to make it a mirror image. I removed the strip of overlapping pictures by using the rectangle marquee tool to cut both pictures down so that they finish exactly in the centre of the page without any gaps or overlapping. Changing the background transparency has really helped to differentiate the difference between the background image and the relevant narrative imagery in front, this should now go on to help the reader to understand the narrative fully without any confusion. In regard to my feedback, I also made the title semi-bold in the narrative text box, however I was unable to change the text where Delivery is slightly more to the right in comparison to the text above, this is because of how I shaped the original text box to fit the text into as it curves slightly in the bottom corner. To perfect this, I could go on to remake the textbox that the narrative text is in.

I think that my colour palette page is clear, and the colours are relevant to the narrative and are interpreted in a creative way. From quite early on I had an idea to use tents to show the colour palette as it will also link the page back to the narrative whilst additionally having the colours as the main focus on the page. I found a range of different tent styles online to use and I filled them with the colour palette colours. Once I am more confident with Photoshop, I would like to develop this page further by creating the tent designs myself rather than having to rely on premade versions online, this will also enable me to be able to choose the designs and add in any additional detailing. I used the same font for the colour names that I have used throughout the Lookbook, I would have printed this out to check that the colour names are easily readable if we were in university. Following on from my feedback from my flyer, I also made sure that the text boxes lined up with one another to support the structure and overall layout of the page.

I am happy with my use of Photoshop for this page, especially with the coverup that I did in the far-right corner by placing a tent in front of a car which didn’t link in well with the overall aesthetic of the page. I also like the 3D effect of the rope across the corner of the page. I do question if there’s too much going on, on the page again though. Once I had put the tents on the mood board, I did actually leave it like that for a bit, questioning if it needed any more images on there. I decided to include some relevant key garments in the specific colours. I do like how this looks and how the whole page flows together. But could the page have done without the additional pictures?

To further develop this page, I would go on to recreate it with my own tent designs, once I feel confident enough to do so, and I will leave it with just the tents and colour descriptive wording without any of the additional images as those other elements of the narrative are clearly represented in other areas of the Lookbook.

For the first time in the Lookbook you can actually see some open space on the key shapes and fabric page, this makes a nice change and is quite refreshing after two full on pages of imagery and narrative links. By just having a couple of examples of the different key shapes with supportive key words you are able to clearly see the concept of the trend and what silhouettes are relevant. Garment shapes are not my strong point, however with the help of the Fashionpedia book I was able to include a few shape examples within the page. Looking forward, understanding different garment shapes is definitely something that I need to work on and research, this will then go on to support me in future modules where technical knowledge is needed.  I think that by including primary photographs of fabrics I have been able to add another layer to the page which also helps to describe the different materials. I haven’t been very specific with my wording for the different materials, therefore, to further develop this page I need to research relevant repurposed and recycled materials and name them as the materials on this page.

Originally, I had said that I was going to extend the trend by including more garment shapes including dresses, influenced by Raeburn’s airbrake collection. However, I struggled to find any relevant imagery for dress designs that linked in with the narrative, so I decided to remove dresses from the key shapes for the trend. In doing this I have been able to focus my research on a smaller number of key shapes for the narrative, enabling me to find a more diverse range of pictures. Additional features are an important part of my narrative, this is why I included a section on them on this page. having three different points of the narrative is too much really, even with the page having open space, but without the additional features section, part of the narrative would be missing. To develop this further and to spread out the points of the narrative I would go on to make this page just about fabrics and features and I would move the key shapes to a page of their own. There would be space for more pictures on the key shapes page if it was moved, enabling the page to have more images on it, some of the pictures from the narrative page could be moved onto the key shapes page to relieve the narrative page and make it clearer.

I like the way that the fabric samples look realistic across the page as I was able to leave the frayed edges as I didn’t have to use the eraser on them in Photoshop as the object selection tool removed the background from them without leaving any bits that needed tweaking. However, I was unsuccessful in being able to fully neaten the white trainers at the bottom of the page, because the trainers were on a white background, I was unable to get a clean finish on them even after being precise with the fine eraser as it was difficult to tell the trainer and the floor apart, resulting in me distorting the shape of the shoe multiple times, so I ended up leaving a little bit too much excess in the end on the bottom. I was also unable to use the stamp tool to conceal the trainers with the grass underneath as the filter across my background image from when I changed the sky was preventing the stamp tool from picking up grass. To further my development, I would like to learn how to deal with difficult editing like white shoes on a white floor for example, and then go to develop my own Photoshop skills by practicing with multiple pictures before returning to this one and perfecting my inaccuracy.

In my tutorial I was advised to make some alterations to my key shapes and fabrics page so that it matches the other pages in terms of text size and the overall layout of the page. To start with I changed all of the text size to the same as the other pages which is 12. I did this easily by selecting the paragraph style that I had already created. Once I’d made the text smaller it looked out of place, so I moved it round the page and settled on putting it in small lists along the right-hand side of the page. I also changed all of the text so that it is aligned to the right as before some were to the left and some to the right and it confused the overall layout. Using the terms recycled nylon and recyclable nylon also caused a little confusion in my tutorial so I have made this clearer in my list of fabrics by changing recycled nylon to an actual branded recycled nylon called Econyl. Happy with the overall look of my Lookbook, I then went on to package it in InDesign, ready to be uploaded to Moodle. 

Previously I mentioned that I wanted to extend the trend into a more festival focused narrative, looking into how festival looks could be more sustainable. I believe that throughout my blog and as I’ve done more research, I have gradually linked the trend more and more to a festival camping based concept, and I have also looked into the different types of sustainable materials that are currently in use. I think that there is a clear camping element throughout the Lookbook which does link in with what I wanted to achieve. However, I’m not confident in the fact that I’ve thoroughly shown a festival and especially a clear sustainability link within my Lookbook. I think that the first two pages have festival links, however this would not be clear to someone who does not know that the flag and campsite pictures were taken at a festival. The sustainability side of the narrative is definitely not clear throughout the Lookbook, this is mainly down to there being a lack of descriptive words across all of the pages except for the fabric page where there is a sustainable fabrics list. To combine the two, festival posters promoting recycling and global change could be used within the Lookbook. The Lookbook could also be further developed by including key words across all of the pages mainly about sustainability, but some could also reference festivals too. For example, just by putting sustainable, recycled, repurposed or biodegradable across one of the pages, there would instantly be a link to the sustainability part of the narrative.

Fig.70 Love the Farm, Glastonbury Festival (n.d.) History.

Film Review - Chaos

Ok folks, time for another film review before I start tackling my TV series reviewing backlog (which may be delayed depending on when my latest Amazon order arrives).  Sticking with the films I got for Christmas 2020 but shifting away from superhero animation to a live-action film in the action genre, this review is going to take a look at yet another action film headlined by British action star Jason Statham.  Ladies and gentlemen (and anyone outside of those two options), please enjoy my review of Chaos…

Plot (adapted from Wikipedia):

Seattle PD Detective Quentin Conners and his partner Jason York are implicated in the death of a hostage taken by a carjacker named John Curtis. After a fellow police officer, Callo, testifies against them, Conners is suspended, and York is fired. In reality, York tried to shoot John, but accidentally killed the hostage. John in turn fired back, but Conners killed John in self-defence.

Sometime later, Lorenz and four other criminals take hostages in a bank. Lorenz has only one demand, to negotiate with Conners. Conners is reinstated but put under the surveillance of a new partner, the recently-graduated Shane Dekker. Conners is given control of the negotiations, and after a bank teller is shot, he orders a SWAT unit to cut the building's power and go in. During an explosion, the criminals flee during the ensuing panic and chaos. 

Dekker and Conners learn more about each other at a local diner, slowly building a friendship, but Dekker disapproves of Conners' "cowboy cop" methods. Dekker explains that during negotiations, Lorenz was making many cryptic references to chaos theory. As they leave to examine new evidence, Conners puts a ten dollar bill on the table for his share of the bill. Dekker swaps the ten for a twenty of his own. A TV camera caught a shot of one of the criminals, who is arrested together with his girlfriend at her home, where banknotes are found with a scent used to mark evidence collected by the police. The banknote serial numbers did not come from that day's robbery, but had been placed in police storage and signed out two weeks earlier by Callo. He is found shot dead in his home, together with incriminating evidence linking him to the heist. 

When reviewing video footage from the bank, Dekker notices one corner of the bank is deliberately shielded from view. In that corner, they find the bank regional manager's computer. Fingerprints on the keyboard reveal the identity of a hacker that Conners himself had arrested, but whose conviction was overturned after the shooting on the bridge. Conners and Dekker want to question the hacker, but he is shot dead by Lorenz, and a gunfight ensues, during which Lorenz manages to escape. Dekker questions the hospitalized bank robber identified in the news footage and finally breaks him when he casually explains the impact of a massive overdose of morphine while slowly injecting something into the suspect's drip. An amazed Conners watches and later calls him a hypocrite. Dekker responds by explaining he only injected more saline solution.

The suspect reveals Lorenz is Scott Curtis, the brother of John shot earlier, and Conners leads a stakeout at an address where all the gang are to meet that night; Scott's house. Forced to go before Scott arrives, a shootout results in both suspects' deaths, and a bomb blows up the building while Conners is inside. Dekker is devastated but realizes that Callo's signature requesting material from the evidence storage was forged by the evidence custody officer, who reveals that Scott is actually York. In a flashback, York stands on the bridge and fires the first shot, killing the hostage in the opening sequence. Tracking Lorenz/York's mobile phone, Dekker surprises York at a diner, and York takes a woman hostage in a reversal of the standoff on the bridge. Dekker chases and eventually kills York. 

When Dekker pays for his coffee at the diner, he discovers the banknote Conners used to pay for lunch with is also scented, which means Conners was also involved in taking the money from police evidence. Dekker finds a copy of James Gleick's Chaos: Making a New Science in Conners' house, showing he had faked an earlier ignorance of the mathematics. On a hunch, Dekker looks for airplane tickets booked in Gleick's name and runs to the airport. 

During a mobile call between the now disguised Conners and the searching Dekker at the busy airport, flashbacks reveal how the seemingly unconnected events in the film form a pattern, just as predicted in chaos theory. Conners reveals that he placed his badge on the corpse of one of York's henchmen before the explosion. Conners and York recruited a group of ex-convicts from their past. Callo was framed for being a dirty cop. Conners ends the call, walks casually to a private jet, and takes off while sipping champagne. 

Review:

One thing I’ve learned about action films like Chaos is that sometimes you can be attracted into buying it for the sake of trying out a new action film based on the cast, and then find you’ve acquired something less-than-brilliant (In the Name of the King being a key example). As such, I didn’t put this film on my Amazon wishlist until I’d had the chance to watch it on TV, and a few months back the folks at Film4 kindly obliged by having it on their schedule at a time when I wanted to stay up and watch something.  Fast-forward to now, and the film is now in my Blu-Ray collection. 

So how does Chaos stand out from other films in the same genre headlined by Jason Statham?  As long-time followers of my reviews will know, I’ve reviewed a fair bit of this actor’s work, including his early days in films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and its remake Snatch, as well as some of his more franchise-based work like The Transporter and The Mechanic.  The first thing that differentiates Chaos before you even watch the film is the cast that joins Statham as the film’s headliners, namely Wesley Snipes and Ryan Phillipe.  Snipes would certainly have drawn a lot of people to this film when it was originally released back in the ‘00s due to his then-recent headlining of the Blade trilogy, and Philippe was a well-known actor of teenage characters around this time, with films like Cruel Intentions being somewhat par for the course where he was concerned. 

To this trio of well-known actors, Chaos then adds a lot of things that go beyond the basic, obvious kind of action-film tropes. First, it ends up set in Seattle rather than the more stereotypical US locations like the cities of California or the US eastern seaboard, and then the nature of the film itself changes as the story progresses.  What starts out as an apparent hostage stand-off style of action film ends up turning into a bit of a mystery thriller, and for the intellectuals watching, the film ultimately reveals itself as a kind of case study in chaos theory, from which the film’s title is actually derived. 

It’s this combination of intrigue, genre-shifts within the film and the three big-name stars being supported by some fairly decent but lesser-known actors that helps Chaos to stand apart from the other Statham-headlined action films that have been produced over the years. It’s also interesting to see all the instances where the concept of loyalty between police officers arises within the film, now we’re watching it in the midst of the Black Lives Matter activism.  The idea that loyalty to one’s fellow officers surpasses any adherence to the law, and that officer need to ‘bend’ rules when the system ‘fails’ as a means of ‘compensating’ for those failures is part of a culture that has undoubtedly existed for decades and almost certainly enabled the kind of irresponsible use of force that BLM has rallied against.

From this perspective, Chaos can also potentially be seen as a kind of warning sign, showcasing a very dangerous attitude in policing that no law enforcement institution in any nation should allow.  Loyalty and dedication to doing the right thing is admirable, and I can certainly agree that in some extreme instances, laws have to be bent or even broken to do the right thing.  However, when someone is employed with upholding the law, when it is their duty to always do the right thing from a legal perspective regardless of whether the law is right or wrong, that person cannot also take on the role of vigilante.  If the concept of police as enforcers of the law is to retain its value, no officer should take it upon themselves to disregard the laws they are supposed to enforce and uphold.  It’s when we lose sight of this that we get heavy-handed officers acting against the public interest, including discrimination-based uses of excessive force. 

Factoring in this kind of inadvertent relevance to a major societal issue that has existed for a long time before its recent highlighting, Chaos is a mostly great film.  Frankly, though, Statham’s efforts to put a slight Americanisation on his accent and the relative lack of a build-up in action throughout the film (the first act felt more climatic than the third act) make the film fall short of a maximum score.  My end score for this one is a respectable 8 out of 10.