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system76 · 3 years

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Behind the Scenes of System76: Industrial Design

Since moving into a factory space in 2018, System76 has delved deeper and deeper into manufacturing hardware in-house. Three years later, we’ve introduced five Thelio desktops, fine-tuned the hardware, developed our fully configurable Launch keyboard, and optimized our production processes. Helming the design process is Mechanical Engineer John Grano, who wears a number of different hats here. We sat down with John this week to discuss industrial design and the team behind our beautiful open source hardware.

How would you describe industrial design for people unfamiliar with the term?

To me, industrial design is basically the art of making something into a usable product. In industrial design, you have to balance looks and function, and that drives your form. It’s kind of like hardware UX in that it’s really important to have the right feel. If you can make the system connect better with people, they’ll like it more. Adding that softness we do with Thelio, like slightly rounded edges and darker wood, it makes it a little more approachable to have a semi-natural looking system and not something that’s blinking at you with red lights all the time.

System76 itself is a group of hardcore programmers and people that are really into Linux, but I think the idea of trying to democratize Linux is extremely important. If you can create something that doesn’t have that robotic aesthetic, it will provide people with something that feels more familiar and usable. No one really wants to go sit in a car that looks like a square with wheels on it. They want something that makes them feel something, maybe openness or comfort, when they’re in it.

What inspired you to get into mechanical engineering, and how did you end up at System76?

The way my brain works lends itself well to engineering, for better or for worse. There’s a lot of really solid engineers who don’t have much creativity, and then there are a lot of people who have great creative ability, but can’t do math. I kind of fluctuate in the middle; I wouldn’t say I’m the best at math or the most creative person in the entire world, but I have enough of each that the combination pushed me towards mechanical engineering. I like working with my hands, and it’s more of a study of how things work in the real world versus computer science, which is a purely digital and nontangible practice.

During school I worked mainly as a bike mechanic, and that helped me to think about how to build things better. That led me to my first internship at a bike company working in a wind tunnel, which was really fun. Realizing that I could probably never get a job there—or at least one that would pay me enough to live—I started working at an environmental engineering company, where I prototyped scientific sampling systems for R&D that would process materials with all these gasses at really high heat and tried not to die. It was kind of fun making these large-scale systems that were basically just gigantic science experiments, but I didn’t really have the creative outlet I wanted in terms of making something that looks good.

One of the main things that drew me to System76 was being able to have a solid influence on what tools we were able to use and how we were going to push the design. In the past three years, it’s pretty wild to see what we’ve been able to accomplish coming from a completely empty warehouse to being able to crank out parts.

I had also previously, while working at these scientific instrument companies, been working with a local company to design and develop a cargo bicycle, so I had that experience as well in terms of consumer product development with overseas manufacturing. I think that helped get me in the door here.

Let’s talk a bit about your team. Who do you collaborate with on a typical day?

It’s a very small team and everyone does a lot. I pretty much lead the mechanical engineering team slash design team...slash manufacturing team. Being a small company, we are all wearing a bunch of different hats. Aside from doing the initial design work on all of our Thelio desktops and the Launch keyboard, I also program our laser-punch machine and our brake press and run through all of the design for manufacturing hang ups that show up. Those changes tend to be a result of our current tools, and internal capabilities.

Crystal came on last August as our first CNC Machinist. She heads up all of the machining, trains our operators, makes sure our parts are coming out in a nice clean fashion, and has done a lot of work on minimizing machine time and maximizing the parts we can get out. She also provides really great feedback on what's possible and what kind of special fixtures or tools we'll need to make for a specific part. Around the same time we picked up our first Haas 3-axis CNC mill to start working on the Launch project. That led to some other opportunities to make parts for Thelio and improve the feel of some of the parts that we were pumping out.

We just hired Cary, who came from a similar background as me in consumer product development, as well as low-scale scientific machine development. He’s going to help build manufacturing tools for us, and he’s only been here now for two or three weeks. Going forward, Cary will be heading up the Thelio line long-term, and I’ll be moving to some interesting R&D work.

And Zooey?

Zooey doesn’t really do much. She just kind of sits there and waits for people to feed her their lunch. I take her out for walks during the day so she can get away from everyone petting her. She doesn’t like when they do that.

What was the R&D process like for Launch?

Launch is a less complicated product in that we don’t have to deal with things like cooling. Even dropping a PCB into aluminum housing deals with multiple processes, like using the laser and CNC machine. This was a start to looking at those processes to see how much time it takes to produce parts, the costs going into making them, and monitoring the cutting quality. You have to be familiar with the machines and know what you’re looking for when you see a tool going dull.

We first let the software experts do their thing and optimize a layout they wanted for their programming life. Then I was given that template, built a couple of sheet metal chassis that we wired up to test that layout, and made a bunch of little changes to that to get that right secret sauce for our keyboard-centric workflow in Pop!_OS. Once we got a sheet metal product that we were sure was going to be usable, we decided officially that we were going to pursue making a keyboard. That came with a whole new set of manufacturing requirements that we would have to look into.

We spent a ton of time working on pocket profile. When you look at a Launch, you’ll see that it’s not a perfect rectangle. That’s because when you’re using a mill, you have a round tool, so you can go through and get close to a pretty small radius on the corner, but you can never make it exact. If we wanted to get a very small, tight pocket, we’d have to use a very small cutter that takes an extremely long period of time.

We’re taking raw billet, which are these huge 12-foot-long sticks of aluminum that we cut down to get our final product. We went with a rounded rectangle so that we could use our cutter and decrease the overall time to machine that part. There was a lot of work in that and making sure the pockets were all 13.95mm versus 13.9mm versus 14.1mm.

We also did a lot of R&D on how we go about putting the angle bar on. Magnetic assembly seemed to be a good idea. We went from trying to glue magnets in to doing what's called press fitting. The bars come right out of powder coating while they’re nice and warm, when the aluminum is slightly larger than when it cools down. Those magnets aren’t actually adhered to anything in the bars; they’re squeezed in nice and tight from the aluminum cooling and contracting around them. That’s called a press fit, and doing that makes the process faster and less expensive.

It’s similar with the bottoms of Launch; we have steel plates that we press fit into that part as opposed to gluing or screwing, but that we do before powder coating; steel rusts, and we don’t want someone opening up their keyboard in a year and finding a little bit of rust floating underneath their super high-end PCB. So we do that, sand it down, use our media blaster to clean off the surface from the tool paths you see from the mill, and then we powder coat it through and through.

Word on the Denver streets is that Thelio Major is getting a redesign soon. What does that entail?

We’re bringing Thelio Major a lot more in line with Thelio Mega in terms of a different PCI mount for graphics cards, because we know that’s been a pain point for a lot of our users. We want to provide a little bit more robust installation for these graphics cards, which continue to increase in size and weight. The NVIDIA 3000-series cards are almost a pound heavier in some instances, and that’s a lot of weight to be shipping across the country.

We also want to continue to make Thelio Major cooler and quieter when it’s running with these new GPUs. Our new brake press allows us to make radius bends on parts, so we’re starting to run through R&D of a laser-welded external. It’s a wholesale departure from us using custom brackets and 3M VHB tape. That will provide a nicer finished product to our end user, and it’ll allow us to make our product faster with less material and less steps.

What qualities do you look for when adding someone to the team?

Creativity is extremely important. As a small manufacturing company, our priorities can shift on a day or in an afternoon where we don’t have the full line of product anymore. There are all sorts of examples in the past few years of times where you have to react pretty quickly. The motherboard’s been EOL’d, or we have to change our sheet metal design, build a new part, things like that. Making sure that someone can adapt to those changes on a moment’s notice is one of the key parts of the job.

We also want people who get excited about a new challenge and have the desire to keep improving something. I look for people who like to make things and go back in and refine it and not hold it up on this pillar. It’s good to not look at something like it’s perfect.

You have a lot of love for your Audi. What do you love about it over other options?

I like German cars. We have a family of them. They’re high-performance and not too expensive if you do all the work on it yourself. There’s a huge after-market community that tunes and changes these cars, which is pretty fun. Plus I prefer the metric system. Having a standard system drives me nuts, because what the [REDACTED] are fractions?

My real love, though, is bikes. I love tuning and riding bikes, and I love that more than I like to work on cars. It comes out of tinkering. I work with carbon fiber, I’ve done a lot of repairs on bikes over the years—there’s a certain sense of freedom you get from riding a bike that you can’t get from anything else. Not motorcycles, not cars.

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mercurytrinemoon · 4 years

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On synastry and how to approach it

If you follow me you may have noticed few of my posts where I'm fixating on the fact that I don't know a certain person's birth date. And I said I'm sensing a nice Venus-Mars connection and honestly now that I think about it, I feel like Jupiter is heavily underlined in here as well. So that made me think of synastry a lot (not that I don't think about it on daily basis) and it made me want to elaborate a bit. Also because I see this weird approach where people single out certain aspects and turn them into "make it or break it" kind of deal and that is just wrong.

Actually it's similar with natal charts. The difference here is obvious - you have two individuals which means double the options in which way the energy may go and more potential for aspects to cancel each other out. So while natal interpretations of, for example, planets in the houses will resonate with you, all the black and white interpretations of synastry house overlays belong in the dumpster imho. And I knooow, I knoooow, one of my first posts was about house overlays. It was very generalized one and I did disclaim to take the entire chart into consideration. But sometimes I see these descriptions where people say "oh my god Venus in the 8th house! This is highly sexual aspect!" But what if none of the people have their Mars nor Venus activated, maybe except for a Venus-Saturn square that puts a big dump on the whole thing. Also, this may as well indicate taking care of shared resources (because that's one of the main themes of the 8th). Besides - and that's my personal take - overlays are less important than aspects between planets unless a) you’re putting a stellium in someone’s house b) it's about angles, because having the same planet as someone's ascendant is a big thing and I can guarantee you that most of the people you create bonds with will have that configuration with you.

Speaking of which, the type of people you attract is highly dependant on your chart. Angles are important but so are aspects and planet placements. I'll give you an example based on my own natal chart, because, obviously, I know myself well and I pay attention to charts of the people I come in contact with. As an Aquarius rising, I attract a lot of Aqua personal planets, Leo risings and people with personal planets in Leo - surprisingly not a single Leo Sun. As a Sagittarius dominant person, most of my friends are Gemini Moons or Sag Moons. Surprisingly I only befriended one Gemini Sun in my life + my belowed dog who was a Gemini. My Aries Moon makes me weak for Aries Suns. Sun is opposite Mars (5th house) - it, again, points to Aries (and Scorpios as well). Dominant fire element and Aries in the 3rd (easy communication) helps here a lot. Having Sagittarius in the 11th (house of friends) and Jupiter in the 7th (house of partnerships), I tend to be friends with other Sadges BUT that Jupiter in the 7th makes me very attracted to Pisces as well. So DO take classic rulership into consideration!

That leads me to another point - modalities. I have a lot of mutable energy so I love other mutable energies. SQUARES omg, especially in romantic/sexual relationships. They do bring tension but hear me out. You need trines and sextiles but squares bring spice. I can guarantee you that having a flowing Mars-Venus contact will give you a pleasant feelings for one another, easiness in communication and a natural synchronicity, but it's the square that will make you wanna rip each other's clothes off. Soooo... I mean, whichever you prefer I guess. Squares are also stimulating, with trines the energy flows nicely, squares bring interest... it's a different element, but the same modality... a perfect mix to make you drawn to the other person. It's similar yet intriguing. Another example, as a Sag Venus my tastes concerning arts and music should clash with a Pisces Venus - that’s what a textbook definition will tell you - but surprise, surprise, half of my favourite artists have Venus in Pisces.

Now with oppositions it's a completely different thing. I think they work wonderful when there are yin-yang planets involved. As I mentioned earlier, as a Sagittarius Sun I love Gemini Moons. They compliment each other. The thing is, with opposites you either get each other or you just pass each other. So it fluctuates. I've noticed that especially when there's the same planet involved. Two people having Mercury opposition will get each other so well they will finish each other's sentences one day and then completely miss the mark the next. Like two vehicles driving in opposite directions.

Trines aren't 100% amaaaazing. I know many people who, like me, have inner planets in fire signs and our values, ways of thinking and approach to certain issues are completely different. We do express them in the same manner though, which is by being loud lol. Trines also bring laziness so if you have too many of them the relationship may just fizzle out. Sextiles on the other hand are so underappreciated. Air fuels fire and water nourishes the earth - it’s way more interesting than a trine where both signs are in the same element, imho. Some astrologers will tell you sextiles are "weaker" but that's just stupid. They’re just as important, okay?

Sometimes you don't even have to have an actual aspect. Whoa, I know, mind-blown. But I see that constantly. Obviously having planets in a tight aspects is very important but let's say you have Aquarius Venus at 5° and the other person has Sun in Aqua at 20°. They don't make an aspect but it's the same sign, therefore you're going to express these energies in the same manner - which makes you compatible (tho I don't like that word). Now the smaller the orb, the more significant the aspect is. I've read somewhere that the aspect with the tightest orb kind of represents the theme of the relationship - I haven't been able to really analyze this theory tho. When it comes to orbs overall, Alexander Von Pronay is suggesting to use aspects up to 7°. I'd do that and then look at aspects under 2° to really see which energies are stronger. Liz Greene said that if you're feeling an aspect, even if the orb is wider, well, you're feeling it and it's there. I suspect it may depend on what energies you're sensitive to. If, for example, your chart ruler is Venus, you may feel Venus aspects more. And then with Uranus, Neptune and Pluto I'd say up to 2°.

What's actually awesome are so called double whammies. It's when the same two planets are aspected both ways. So A person's Sun is trining B's Venus and B's Venus is sextile A's Sun. Or A's Moon is conjunct B's Sun and B's Sun is opposite A's Moon. I like double whammies cause they provide mutuality. People often ask "wHo FeeLs iT mORe????". First of all, there's no clear answer to that because everyone's different and their charts are different and some respond to the energy one way and some, other. That's why I like to ask people: well, how do YOU feel about that aspect (if you, of course, know astrology well enough to pinpoint the energy). But with double whammies you basically exchange the same aspect so, hopefully, in 99%, it will be mutual.

What I also love is having the same aspect natally. Let's say you have a Mars-Mercury trine natally and the other person has it conjoined. That is awesome. It's like going through the same experiences in life and going "yeah! I went through that too! I understand!" Better yet if then those planets also make an aspect in the synastry chart. It's great. You're going to vibe so much.

About mutuality... A few weeks ago I was watching a livestream from Nina and Shaina from Party Trick Astrology (love those girls) and they were talking about synastry so I asked them a question related to these things cause, you know, I bet they've seen hundreds of charts and I'm always curious about other people's observations. So I asked about mutuality and one of them gave an example of a girl whose Venus was beautifully aspected by a guy and the guy's Venus not being aspected at all. And how this, for example, pointed to the guy being into the girl but not vice versa. And I thought that's interesting because I'd assume it would be the other way around. Her planets didn't activate his Venus so he shouldn't be into her romantically. And I actually experienced that myself one time. I had this Aqua friend and had literally zero aspects to my Venus. Not even a semi-sextile, not even a quincunx, not even a wide generational planet connection. And I didn't see him through these romantic lens. So I guess there are no rules to this. OR it’s all about projection (which btw happens a lot in astrology). That's why I like to look at synastry charts and just get the overall vibe.

Now with that being said, the shocker. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ASPECTS WITH THE OTHER PERSON AT ALL. I know, a bummer. Here we, astrology junkies, are in the lookout for the perfect synastry chart but as I look at charts of celebrity couples I often see them having no Sun connections, no Venus or Mars connections, lame Moon aspects etc. That is indeed disappointing. That's why I was so stoked about that Britney-Justin synastry. Because I don't see connections like that one between all the "it” couples of today.

So I guess... astrology is bullshit... Nah, just kidding. But it is complex. Sometimes it’s quality over quantity. And you should approach synastry as a whole, just feel it out, you know? And I’ll leave you with that for today because it’s getting long.

#synastry #astrology #astro notes #astrology notes #mercurytrinemoon

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440mxs-wife · 3 years

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The Hunter’s Princess - Chapter 9: Matters of the Heart

Pairing: Dean x OFC Kira, Prince!Dean x OFC Lady Kira. Other Characters: Sam Winchester, Prince!Sam Winchester, Castiel, Rowena, Gabriel, King!John, Queen!Mary, Lucifer and assorted minor characters.

Chapter 9 Word Count: 3020+

Warnings: This is going to be a bit angsty still. Show-level violence, Prince!Dean being kind of a jerk

A/N: This is from some material that’s been rattling around in my head from another project that changed direction. Couldn’t let all this content go to waste, though, so here it is. It’s a work-in-progress, and I will try and update as regularly as I can. If you want to be tagged in this series, send me a message!

A/N2: I would like to thank everyone for your support and your comments so far. I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am having fun writing it.

Thank you and happy reading!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dean wandered through the bunker to the library. He sat down at the table and opened one of the lore books belonging to Kira's parents, absently flipping through it. It's all in Gabriel's hands now, he thought. Hopefully he got through and delivered his message. I need a sign, though, something to tell me this is going to work and that I'll get to see my Kira again, Dean pleaded.

With a yawn, he relaxed in the chair, leaning forward onto the table. Dean folded his arms and rested his head in the crook of his right elbow then closed his eyes. It wasn't long before his breathing evened out and he was asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In her room at the castle, Kira assembled the ingredients in the bowl as instructed by Gabriel. She took one of her knives and slashed across her palm, letting a few drops of her blood mix with the contents of the bowl. Kira then threw a match into the bowl, igniting the ingredients and as they burned, she invoked the spell. "Somnium Lucem, Somnium Noctis. Nuntius Mea Cor Tuum," she chanted. ("Dream Light, Dream Night, Message from My Heart to Yours")

"Dean? Dean, please wake up, it's me, Kira," she pleaded.

"Kira? Where are you, sweetheart?" Dean mumbled, eyes still closed.

"I'm coming to you through your dream, but I don't have much time. Gabriel got through to us over here, and we're getting everything ready to come home," Kira remarked.

Dean sat upright, fully awake now. "Baby? Where are you? Why can't I see you? Please, I'm so lost without you," he said, frantically looking around the library, desperate to see his sweet love.

"I know my love, let me try something," she replied. Kira closed her eyes and concentrated on Dean.

Suddenly, a glowing figure appeared behind Dean's chair in the library. It slowly came into focus to reveal his Kira, the one his heart longed for. "Oh, sweetheart," he whispered, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He reached out his hand, as did Kira, but they passed through one another.

"Hello, Dean," Kira whispered back, smiling, but with her own tears threatening to fall. "I'm so sorry to be so far away from you, my love, but we'll be together again soon," she promised.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. I miss you so much," he murmured. His voice was thick with emotion and tears were silently tracking down his face.

Kira reached out to try and wipe them away, but her hand still passed right through. "I wish I could be there to dry your tears. Just remember, no matter what happens, you are always in my heart and I love you," she said as she gave him a watery smile.

"I love you too. Please be careful where you are, darlin'. We need you back here," Dean reminded her.

"I know, Dean, I will. You be careful too. Lucifer's here, and he said he has demons watching you and Sam," she explained as her image started to fluctuate. "I'm sorry, I have to go, now, my love. Be home soon," Kira's voice faded along with her glowing figure until there was nothing left but the silence.

"Oh, my Kira......" Dean whispered, finally breaking down.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rowena wandered through the courtyard, where she saw Lady Serena surrounded by the other competitors and some of her admirers. As tempting as it was to cast a harmless but embarrassing spell on her, Rowena resisted and instead listened to their conversation.

Lady Serena mentioned that the princes and Castiel had ridden on horseback out to a nearby Eastern province. They were sent to investigate an animal attack. Rowena had been with the Winchesters long enough to know that 'animal attack' is code for 'werewolf'.

As she walked past the stables on her way back to Kira's room, Rowena overheard a stable hand speaking to Collins. The man had heard about the animal attack in the Eastern province. He said it may be worse than originally thought, and he was worried for his family in that area. Collins assured the man that help was on its way, not to worry and to please tend to his duties.

Collins noticed Rowena as she walked by and hurried over to her. "Begging your pardon, Lady Rowena, but have you seen Lady Kira?" he asked.

"Last I saw, she was in her room, not feeling well. She and Prince Dean had a bit of a....falling out, you might say," Rowena explained.

Collins looked away, shook his head and mumbled something under his breath about Prince Dean being a damned fool, then he returned his attention to Rowena. "If you see her, please tell her that Prince Dean is in trouble, and that her weapons skills could be very useful," he pleaded.

Rowena laid a hand on his arm to reassure him that she would take care of everything and not to worry. He promised that Kira's horse, Midnight, would be saddled and waiting for her when she was ready.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rowena hurried up to Kira's room to explain the situation, meeting Sarah on the way. When they opened the door, Rowena noticed the altar and smelled the burnt remnants of the spell cast by Kira. They also saw Kira laying on the floor, nearly passed out from exhaustion. "And just what have you been up to, young lady?" Rowena demanded.

Kira lazily turned her head as best as she could to look Rowena in the eye. "Gabriel told me how to communicate with Dean through his dreams," she replied. A faraway smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "And I saw him, Rowena, I did it. I told Dean we got the message, and that we'd be home soon. I told him I loved him, and he said he loved me too," she finished, then seemed to lose consciousness.

"Och, darlin' this is the absolute worst time for you to be out of commission! The princes and Castiel have caught word of an 'animal attack' in the Eastern province. It's a few hours' ride from here, but the problem is bigger than was originally reported. You know what they're up against, dearie, and they're going to need your help, so please wake up," Rowena pleaded.

Kira's energy had not quite returned from the effects of the dream communication spell, so Rowena's words had no effect. Rowena knew how critical the situation was with the princes and Castiel, so she had no choice but to use her magic. Her eyes glowed purple as she channeled her energy and her words into returning Kira to her normal, rested state.

A wave of energy seemed to wash through Kira and she was instantly awake and sitting upright. "Whoa, whoa, I'm up! No more zapping required. Gabriel said that the spell would take a lot out of me. I guess I wasn't prepared for just how much it would take out of me. Thank you, though," Kira said to Rowena.

"You're welcome my dear, but perhaps in future, you may want to leave the spellwork to the experts? No more dabbling," Rowena gently chided.

"Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. No more dabbling," she promised then stood up. "I have to get dressed more appropriately if I'm going after the princes and Castiel," Kira replied. She wasted no time in changing out of her day dress. She pulled on her tunic, a pair of leggings and her boots, similar to what she wore for the weapons competition.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Miss? It sounds rather dangerous, and you have your audience with the king and queen in 20 minutes!" Sarah exclaimed.

Kira put her hands on Sarah's arms and looked her straight in the eye. "Sarah, yes, I know that this will be dangerous, but it's nothing I haven't faced before. And regardless of what happened between Prince Dean and me, I can't turn my back on him or anyone else in trouble.

"The audience with the king and queen can wait. Or not, I don't really care about anything except getting the princes and Castiel back, safe and sound. What happens to me afterwards is irrelevant," she muttered as she tied her bag closed and headed for the stables.

"Don't forget this," Rowena handed Kira the locket. "Collins assured me that Midnight would be saddled and waiting for you," she explained.

"Thank you, Rowena," Kira replied. She fastened the clasp on her necklace and tucked it into her tunic. "I'll be back as soon as I can. If the king and queen somehow get wind of what's going on, please let them know that the situation is well in hand," Kira asked.

Rowena nodded and said she would explain the situation, should the opportunity arise. She mumbled a protection spell, then kissed Kira's forehead to complete the process. Then Kira and Midnight rode off into the waning hours before nightfall to assist the princes and Castiel.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Collins told the princes about a werewolf attack in one of the Eastern provinces, one not far from the castle. The report said only two or three werewolves, which they had tracked to an abandoned barn. The men decided to hide in the bushes and keep watch to see what they were up against.

While they waited, Samuel decided now was as good a time as any to try and fix things between his brother and Lady Kira. "Hey, Dean? What happened between you and Lady Kira?" he asked.

Dean looked at Sam. "Seriously? You want to do this now?!?" he said incredulously.

"I just want to know. I mean, one minute, you're spending every waking moment together. The next thing I see you arm-in-arm with Lady Serena. Who is a bit arrogant, in my opinion," Samuel added.

"I'm afraid I'm with Prince Samuel, Your Highness. You and Lady Kira seem so well-suited for each other, and I've never seen you so happy as when you're with her," Castiel added.

"Yeah?? Well, tell that to the man that was in her room last night. I asked Lady Kira to go for a stroll through the gardens, but she begs off, saying she was tired. I went into the garden, cut down a yellow rose and was going to give it to her as a token of my friendship. Only I heard her with someone else and their conversation was more than friendly," he retorted.

"But maybe it's not what you think, Dean. Think about it before you--" Samuel was cut off by his brother.

"Drop it, Sam," Dean demanded. "Look, over there. Two werewolves, no wait--now there's three more," he remarked.

"This is too many, we can't take this many on, Dean," Samuel said.

"Yeah we can, we have to. There's nobody else to do it except us. Here's what we do," he started.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kira rode Midnight as fast as she could to get to where the princes and Castiel were battling the werewolves. Part of her was asking, why am I doing this? Prince Dean rejected my friendship and moved on with my fiercest rival. The other part, the bigger part....still cares about him. With that thought, she spurred Midnight on to ride just a little faster.

An hour later, Kira had found the abandoned barn where the werewolves were last reported. She saw where the royal horses were tethered and secured Midnight with them. She could hear shouting from the princes and Castiel, along with growling and snarling from the werewolves.

Kira dug in her bag for her silver throwing knives, then re-tied the bag closed. She sheathed the knives in leather pouches tied around her thigh and waist. A silver dagger was tucked into one of her boots. With her weapons secured, she crept up to the barn and into the battle.

She carefully opened the door and saw that Prince Samuel was the one most immediately in front of her. Two of the werewolves were already dead, leaving three more. Prince Samuel was on his back on the floor, a werewolf hovered over him with long, sharp claws ready to strike. She pulled out two knives and threw them in quick succession, embedding themselves in the heart of Prince Samuel's assailant.

Prince Samuel rolled out from under the werewolf just in time to keep it from crashing on top of him. He got to his feet and looked around to see who had thrown the knives. When his eyes landed on Kira, his face registered genuine shock. She gave him a quick smile and a salute, then the two of them went to help his companions.

A werewolf had Castiel pinned up against a wall, snarling and snapping its jaws at his captive. Castiel was managing to keep it at arms' length, but Kira knew his strength wouldn't hold out forever.

Kira threw a knife at its back to pull his attention away from Castiel. The werewolf howled in pain, arching its back and releasing its hold, allowing Castiel to drive his silver dagger into its heart. Castiel managed to give Kira a weak but grateful smile, followed by a weary salute, after which they all went to find Prince Dean.

The three of them found him in the next room, hunched over in pain and being stalked by the last werewolf. Kira could see blood on his ripped shirt and knew they didn't have much time. Prince Samuel, Castiel and Kira fanned out, trying to draw their attention away from Prince Dean.

The werewolf noticed the three newcomers and shifted its focus, deciding that Kira was its next target. She withdrew her knife, took aim and threw it at the creature. However, at the last second, it moved, causing the knife to only strike it in the left thigh instead of its heart.

Missing her target only angered the beast even more, as it continued to stalk her. She drew her silver dagger out from her boot. When it lunged, she tried to dodge its blow, but its claws managed to graze her upper arm and she dropped the dagger.

Kira cried out in pain, holding the injured arm and kept moving away from the creature. This gave Prince Samuel an opportunity to retrieve the dagger, which he drove into the last werewolf's heart, thus ending the battle.

With the battle over, Prince Dean collapsed to his knees in pain. Prince Samuel and Castiel rushed to his side and each took an arm to support him so he could walk. Kira's tunic was torn at the bottom, so she ripped off a strip to use as a makeshift bandage for her arm. She brought a first aid kit, but it was back in her bag with Midnight. She had just finished tying off her bandage when the men reached her position.

"Lady Kira, that was amazing. I was unaware of your hunting skills, and I am suitably impressed. Thank you for coming to our aid," Castiel remarked with a slight bow.

"It was truly fortunate that you were able to find us and take out these werewolves, Lady Kira. Your assistance was invaluable," Prince Samuel said.

Kira waited for Prince Dean to say something, anything, or to even acknowledge her presence. She decided to speak up first. "Your Highness," she said as she gave a slight curtsy. "I can see that you are injured. I have a first aid kit out--"

"What are you doing here? How did you find us? We had the situation well in hand before you showed up. What were you thinking?" Prince Dean ranted.

"If that's your way of saying 'thank you', save it. You could learn a few things from your brother and Castiel about showing gratitude," Kira retorted.

"'Showing gratitude'? Saying 'thank you'?" he responded sarcastically. "You could've been injured much worse or even killed!" he thundered.

Kira's anger had reached its boiling point and there was no going back now. She was going to let him have it and to hell with the consequences. "Oh yeah? Fat lot you care! One minute we're holding hands in the garden, talking about moonlight strolls. The next minute, I see you running around with Lady Serena on your arm.

"You barely speak to me, so I can't find out whatever I may have done wrong to even try and fix it. You broke my heart by taking away our friendship. But you know what? Despite all that's happened between us, I came out here to help. I cannot and will not turn my back on you or anyone else in trouble. Now, if you'll excuse me, Your Highness, it's time I got back to the castle," Kira finished, turning on her heel and heading towards the horses.

"Okay, you want to talk? Fine. Let's talk," he shouted as they walked. "Why don't we talk about there being a man in your room that night after dinner? I asked you to go for a walk but you said you were tired, so you went up to your room.

"I cut down a rose from the garden and was bringing it to you as a token of my friendship with you. But I stopped in front of your door because I heard you flirting with another man. You lied to me, Lady Kira. Lied about why you didn't want to spend time with me that night, and who knows what else. You probably even lied about your feelings for me," he accused.

By this time, they had reached the horses and Kira opened her bag for the first aid kit. She threw it to Prince Samuel. "Your Highness," she said as she looked straight at Prince Dean. "I could tell you that I never lied about anything with you, which I did not, but you won't accept that. I told you some things that would have me locked away for being crazy, but you somehow believed them," she pointed out. Castiel assisted her up into the saddle. "Why won't you believe in me now?" Kira choked out as she and Midnight rode off towards the castle.

Part 10 here!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @janicho88 @akshi8278 @magssteenkamp @swiftlymoniquesblog @lyarr24 @miss-nerd95 @distefano123 @hobby27 @deanwanddamons @jessica-noel94 @wayward-mikaelson @jawritter @gabrielslittleangel @jensengirl83 @deangirl93 @ellewritesfix05 @supernatural-jackles @babygurltt @flamencodiva @ejlovespie @deandreamernp

The Hunter’s Princess Series Tags: @supernatural-love14

#dean x ofc #dean winchester x ofc #au dean winchester x ofc #au dean winchester #au supernatural #spn #The Hunter's Princess Series

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alloveroliver · 5 years

Text

Oliver x MC |Alice| “Time.”

Angst: Oliver Knight

Warning: Character Death, Blood WC: 4,376

Ikemen Revloutlin Fanfic

• · . · ´ ` · . ·•· . · ´ ` · . ·•· . · ´ ` · . ·•· . · ´ ` · . · • Their dates tended to be all over the place. Oliver’s workload would fluctuate drastically from day to day making their meetings utterly unpredictable. A brunch date here, or a 2 a.m. tea party there were regular occurrences for the couple, albeit strange to anyone else that held a relationship. Today, though, he finished all his morning work and invited Alice out for a walk in the midafternoon hours. The sun was shining bright and the breeze, gentle as they made their way to the ocean. A seagulls caw echoed against the blue sky while the flock studied the waves that spilled onto the shore. The seaside by the black army barracks was rocky in some places and smooth in others. This distinct structure made their beach more desirable and exciting to explore for the locals. It was a hotspot for camping or day trips from people all over the black territory during the summer months. During the day, Oliver Knight was much smaller than he appeared in the evening hours. Resembling a young boy was the epitome of an oxymoron since his age far surpassed what his tiny hands and short stature indicated. However, that didn’t stop him from spending what time he could with his girlfriend. Time was fleeting, passing without regard for anyone or anything. Before you knew it time would pass by in the blink of an eye, and there would be no returning. Oliver knew time very well. He was thoroughly acquainted with its lack of compassion and knew well of its own self-service. Time’s utter disregard for any type of consideration boiled Oliver’s blood hotter than any other concept of which wherein one could not control. Time moved from one moment to the next, leaving everything that mattered in one second only to push forward to the next second. It did this forever. It had been doing this since its conception. “Careful of the rocks,” Oliver called out to Alice who was ahead of him. The loud rush of the waves racing onto the land resounded around them while the gust of wind blew her slightly off balance. “Thanks, I didn’t actually see them sticking out of the sand like that.” Her hair gently swayed in the continuing breeze. “Hold my hand in case you trip. We know how clumsy you are.” He held out his palm to her, averting his gaze down the coastline when she looks at him curiously. No matter how long they were together, his heart still skipped a beat when they touched. He wove his fingers in with hers and walked with her side by side. He blocked her body from the sharp sediments to the left, making sure to take some of her weight while she hopped from one rock to another. “What are those monstrous boulders?” Alice pointed a ways down the seashore. “Sometimes they have caves. A lot of people sneak over there to camp out.” “That’s cool! Can we go explore them?” Alice beamed a smile in his direction. Her silhouette was glowing as her face blocked the harsh sun from his view. He’s was captivated by her for a spell but shook his head to bring sense to the forefront of his mind. Oliver furrowed his brows. “It can be dangerous. The rocks are sharp, there’s probably broken glass and trash, plus it’s a long walk back.” “Please, Oliver.” She advocated, bringing their clasped hands up and cupping his knuckles with her other palm in a pleading prayer. “I promise to be careful! You said people go camping there all the time. It doesn’t seem that dangerous.” He tsked. That was something he said, but it still didn't change the fact that it could be dangerous. Yet, he found Alice's pleading hands convincing and charming. “… Fine.” He bit out. “It’s about a 45-minute walk.”

“We have time!” She beamed.

Oliver knew better, but she had him wrapped around her little finger whether he’d admit it or not. They soon set off for the cove, discussing future plans and catching up on his newest project.

He was the Cradles go-to for any festival event to create something spectacular for the evening. From light shows, synchronized fireworks, and infusing ballrooms in a shower of shimmering glitter that washed over the dancers, Oliver knew how to make the town folks jaw drop every time. They left their shoes at the entrance to the beach, allowing their feet to dig into the rich, warm grains of sand that spill off their toes with every step they took. Grains in an hourglass were coarser and darker than these smooth pale granules were. After a long walk, dipping their toes in the water and finding a few seashells, they made it to the first cave. It was unconcerning, mostly filled with sand and smoothed rocks due to the high tide waves. She found a few more shells and a couple that were still, surprisingly, attached to a small creature. Oliver plucked a hermit crab from the edge of the small tidepool and wordlessly showed his girlfriend the unique find. The twisted shell spiraled around and protruded like a spike to one side. She tried several times to find her own hermit crab, but it proved fruitless. The next cave brought back more of Oliver's previous concerns. More jagged rocks were filling the space, but the majority was still covered in sand. The couple took a break, sitting down on one of the larger boulders side by side. Oliver let go of her hand to dust off his legs from the sand, and she took out a few shells and admired them in her palm while they relaxed. The salty scent of the ocean filled his lungs as they stared out at the water on the horizon. Time shared with Alice was precious to him, and he was happy to be able to feel so relaxed in her presence. For once, Oliver could be true to himself without concern for whether the other person understood his sarcasm or not. He was used to people misreading him and thinking his intentions were ill when he only wanted what was best for the people he cared about. Alice understood him, better than he understood himself if he was honest. She took his sarcasm in stride at first, but now she was able to quip back without much thought. She was a smart girl, able to keep up with a mad thing like himself, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of his acknowledgment of that fact out loud. “We should have brought food. I’m hungry.” Alice mentioned, showing Oliver a pretty green shell she found at the previous cave. He took it into his fingers and smoothed over the ridges, removing the embedded sand with his thumbnail. “You already ate a large lunch before we came here.” He smiled up at her. “Your appetite is a force to be reckoned with.” “Yeah, but after all the exertion you must be hungry too.” “Kind of, now that you mention it.” He slid the green shell into his pocket and hopped off the rock. “Why don't we head back now? I can make some tea, and we can eat some snacks before dinner time.” “There’s one more cave! Let’s check that one out first and then we can head back.” She leaped off the rock too and began to saunter over to the next entrance. “You aren’t tired of these musty holes in the earth yet?” He narrowed his eyes while he followed after her, trying to keep up with her wide stride. Alice went ahead and began exploring the bleak cave. Oliver held back at the narrow entrance, eyeing the massive structure. The floor was mostly jagged rocks, void of the usual sand that spilled between that filled the other caves. Alice began walking over the smoothed rocks between the spiky ones. She skipped from one to another as she explored further into the damp crevasse. A stream of light poured into the cave and shimmered off something next to where Alice was headed. “Alice be careful. I think that’s broken glass next to you. Hold on to the wall.” He alerted. He went to take a step towards her, but Oliver slipped on a loose stone. The crashing sound of the rocks falling spooked Alice. She lost her balance when she looked back to see if he was alright. Her yelp echoed on the walls of the cave as she also slipped and fell. It all happened so fast. As soon as Oliver gained his balance again his girlfriend's leg was trapped between the serrated rocks. His throat went dry at the sight of her. “Alice!” Oliver cried out, pushing up on his scuffed up hands. “Shit, I think it cut me.” She mewled, closing her eyes to keep tears from falling. He held his breath while reaching his arm out absently to her. “You’re going to be okay.” Oliver cooed walking closer to see the gore. The glass sliced through her calf while a jagged rock cut into the bottom of her foot. “Everything is going to be fine. Stay calm, okay babe?” “Wow… It must be really bad if you're not scolding me right now.” Trying to keep her voice even proved futile. The strain that came from the outcry she held back punched a hole in his chest. Oliver’s heart rate increased watching her life spilled out and mixed with the small pools of salt water and sand. Alice let the tears stream out of her eyes as she looked down at the ghastly sight. “Stay still. I’m going to get you out of there.” His even, calm voice felt foreign to him. All sarcasm left his tone while his mind went into protective mode. “I can’t really feel anything right now. I don’t think it’s that bad.” Her tongue sounded heavy as she spoke. “Shh, shh...” He lulled, finally making his way around behind her. Oliver knew the fact that she couldn’t feel her leg was a bad sign. She must have severed a nerve, making it almost impossible for her to walk. “That is… a lot of blood though.” She commented, moving her hand to pull up her skirt. “I’m going to carry you out of here okay?” The moment the words left his lips he cursed inwardly. His face scrunched up at his own limitations as he stood silently. Alice didn’t reply, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hoist her weight at his current size. “I can try to walk.” She swayed, words slurring as she spoke. “Let’s get you off this rock first, okay? Then we can see what we're dealing with.” His small hands moved down to her waist and pulled forcefully. Oliver anchored his feet on the cave floor, and Alice used her arms to help dislodge her leg. Pebbles tumbled around them while they pulled. Finally, her leg broke free, and Alice let out a sob. “Oh no…” She sniffled. “It hurts now… really bad.” Alice filled her lungs double-time as the pain coursed through her being. Oliver hugged her to his chest for a long moment before moving her to lay on her back. Putting her down gently over the jagged rocks proved difficult. Her leg gushed blood, and the cuts were more numerous than he previously thought. Panic filled his chest. How could he get her out of here? Should he run and go get help? It wouldn’t be another few hours before night would fall and he could carry her. However, their walk out to the caves took almost an hour, by the time he would make it back with help he would already be tall enough to carry her. “What do we do?” Alice asked him, putting her arm over her eyes so he couldn’t watch her cry. “I could run and go get help, but…” He murmured, pushing her hair off her clammy forehead. “My vision is getting fuzzy,” Alice confessed, her voice strained and garbled. He ripped the bottom of her dress into a thick piece of cloth and wiped sand off her wounds. The blood soaked through the garment quickly enough to soil it entirely in a matter of seconds. “I’m going to try to wrap this around your leg. It may hurt…. more.” He bit his lip, hoping to keep the anxiety at bay. “I- do what you….” Her arm went slack. “Alice?” Oliver shook her shoulders. “Alice!” He watched for a long moment while her chest rose slowly. He felt his shoulders relax, glad she had just passed out and not something worse. With trembling hands, he took another large piece off the bottom of her skirt. “I could wrap it or…No. I need to stop the blood flow.” He took the cloth and tied it under her knee, above all the cuts and the large gash. Twisting it tight, he uses the fabric as a tourniquet to halt blood flow to the limb. Oliver removed his belt and tied the cloth around the leather strap, using it to twist the fabric even tighter. Some remaining blood gushed as he secured the tie around her leg with a quick pull. He cried out as the panic rushed to his chest. “HELP! SOMEONE HELP!” His fingers trembled, and his mind raced. His cries for help only echoed off the cave walls, never reaching anyone outside. Defeat stung the corners of his eyes and anger bubbled up within him at his own helplessness. Insecurities suddenly bloomed in his mind. How could he have been so naive? Someone like him, blunt and crass, didn’t deserve to have a loving partner like Alice. She was nothing but kind to everyone she met, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt without judgment. Their relationship was too good to be true, a proverbial needle in a haystack. And now, he was useless to her. He sat frozen in place, reflecting on all the times he felt like he took her kindness for granted. She only said yes to their first date because she was nice, and Alice only continued dating him because he took advantage of her kind heart, right? He sighed heavily and raked his hand through his hair, tugging the ends in frustration. His harsh words echoed in his mind, ones he spoke directly to her face. Idiot, dummy, child, empty-headed. Who would want to be with a man that becomes half of himself as the day breaks?

He slammed his fist onto the rock. Self-loathing bubbled to the surface, settled in on his torso, and weighed heavy on his chest. A gust of air whipped past him and filled the small chamber, whistling as it sliced past the cracks in the wall. Shoving his hand into his pocket angrily, he felt the green shell she gifted him pass between his fingers.

No. Oliver opened his glossy eyes and sat up straighter. No, none of that was true. She loved him despite all this. He tried to remind himself of all the proof she cared for him, more than she’s ever cared for anyone. She’d never tell anyone else of her fears and what she wanted for the future. They planned their lives around each other, hoping that they would always be together no matter what. Oliver let out a sigh of relief, seeing the bleeding from her leg had mostly stopped. There were still a few more hours left before night, so he weighed his options. “Alice.” Oliver moved her arm off her face and wiped her drying tears with the back of his hand. “Alice wake up.” He swallowed thickly, brushing her hair away from her face. She didn’t stir, but she was still breathing steadily. Oliver sat back against the uncomfortable rocks and got well-situated. He wasn’t a doctor, so there wasn’t anything he could do but try to get her to one. He looked down at his feeble hands and useless legs and rolled his eyes. Hours passed while he gazed away from the dark abyss of the cave towards the small opening. Alone with his toxic thoughts, he watched the sunset slug across the expanse, taking its sweet time. Or was it time that was making the sunset slower than usual? Orange and pinks painted the sky like a beautiful canvas. He didn't try to wake Alice again. She had been out like a light for hours, and he was sure she wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. Instead, he used his energy to get up from the lumpy boulder. Pebbles and sand fell off his clothes as he stood and faced towards the sky. Time was not on his side today, just as it never was. The last streaks of color faded and stars begin to twinkle in place of the sun's rays. Oliver waited, allowing every miserable second to pass as slowly as it dared. Soon, the last bits of sunlight melt away, and the sky dimmed to an inky black. Oliver turned to his girlfriend just as his transformation took into effect. His arms grew before his eyes as he reached out for her. He picked her up into his arms, carrying her as if she were as light as a feather. Twice his height from moments ago, he ducked out of the small entrance to the cave while adjusting her to fit comfortably in his arms. The trudge down the cost line was strenuous. The sand broke away every step he took making his stride irritatingly uneven. Alice groaned in pain while stretching in his arms. He was happy at least to have her move on her own, but the pain kept her consciousness under still. “You’re going to be okay, Alice. Like I said, everything is fine.” He spoke in a brittle voice, sure she couldn't hear him but hoped some of what he said would break through. He was desperate for her to know he would always take care of her no matter what. “If you wanted all this attention you should have just asked me. I would have cleared my whole day for you.” He smiled gently to himself, walking just out of the waves reach on the shore. The moon was bright enough to illuminate his path while the faraway black army barracks came into view. After an hour and a half of walking his calves burned, feet ached, and arms trembled keeping her close to his chest. “Once I get you to the headquarters you will be in good hands. I will fetch Kyle, that bastard better not be drinking yet, and have him take care of you.” Oliver continued to speak to his unconscious girlfriend. He refused to look at the extensive damage to her leg, the sheet-white limb, her blood-soaked dress, or acknowledge the fact that she stopped moving an hour ago. The barracks grew closer, and Oliver sped up despite his feet sinking into the sand with every step. He rubbed his hand quickly over her cool upper arm to help warm her skin as he took long strides. “I see the headquarters now. After we get you clean and patched up, you can stay with me for a bit, and I can help take care of you. Can’t entrust the gun maniac or anyone else there to take care of you properly.” He scowled at the thought of someone forgetting to change her bandages or being there for her when she needed them the most. No, Oliver made up his mind. He would be the one to nurse her back to health properly. She remained still even as he burst through the front doors of the barracks. Like a whirlwind, the officers spouted orders to bring in a doctor. Luka pulled the unconscious Alice from his arms while others looked away from the gruesome sight. “I’m going to fetch Kyle, I want him to take a look at her,” Oliver shouted over the chatter towards Ray. “Of course, I will allow it.” Ray nodded to him with his brows bunched in uncertainty. With that, Oliver pat her hand and smiled. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” He’d spent all day with her even though their date was supposed to be a simple afternoon break. He smiled at how he would tease her later. She’d wanted to spend the day with him, but he was so busy lately there wasn’t much time for dates. If only they could have gone somewhere less distressing and with some food. Alice would have liked to go on a food tour with him if she had her way. She could really put away more food than he could, and that was a considerable feat. Maybe, once she was feeling better, he could take her on a date like that. Oliver hailed a carriage and set off towards Kyle’s home in the red army headquarters. ... A few weeks later, Oliver, Blanc, and Kyle sat at a circular table in their favorite tavern. Blanc delicately held his wine glass between two fingers while Kyle and Oliver knocked back the rest of their pints unceremoniously. With a loud clunk, they both dropped their cups back down on the solid wood table. “I- won.” Kyle slurred. “Pretty sure mine hit the table moments before yours did.” Oliver wiped his mouth drunkenly with the back of his unbuttoned sleeve. “Wha-whatever!” Kyle turned to Blanc and blinked slowly. “Who was it. Who won?” His finger moved between pointing to himself and Oliver at his side. With a broad smile, Blanc chuckled “Oh my, don’t put this on me. I was hardly paying attention.” He swirled the liquid in the glass, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Come on, old man. What are you good for?” Oliver chuckled, trying and failing to gain the busy waitresses attention with a sloppy wave of his hand. “I’m just glad we could all be here together. It’s been a rough couple of weeks…” Blanc stared down at his cup as if there were answers just below the surface of the liquid. Deciding there weren’t any answers at all, he slowly brought the glass to his lips and allowed the deep red liquid to pass over his tongue. “Hm,” Kyle’s averted his eyes from the table and glared down at the wooden tavern floors. The trio grew quiet until Oliver broke the tension. “My week was fine. However, I am exhausted. Alice woke me up so early this morning the sun wasn’t even out yet.” Oliver rubbed his weary eyes with his thumb and pointing finger. “I think she was having a bad dream.” He divulged. Kyle and Blanc exchanged glances with a worried look and then collectively peered at Oliver. He yawned in his seat, took off his hat, and sat it next to him on the table. The waitress passed him again, but with a tray littered with drinks was unable to take his order. “Oliver, how are you feeling?” Kyle asked quietly. “As I said, I’m just tired.” Oliver adjusted the bow on his hat and continued his thought. “After Alice fell back asleep, I found I was too awake to do the same. I ended up starting the day by working in my garage.” Blanc sat down his wine glass and took a deep breath. “Did you get to take a nap at all? You need to get some rest, Oliver. The bags under your eyes are getting darker.” “Don’t go worrying about me,” Oliver scoffed. “Of course I didn’t have time to nap. I was busy.” “We can call it a night here. Pay for our drinks, and you can go home to get some rest.” Kyle’s brows pinched as he watched his friend wearily. “Not necessary. I would like another drink.” Oliver stood from the table. “Do you want anything?” He asked both of his friends. “Um, I guess another beer then.” Kyle picked up his empty glass and waved it around. Blanc shook his head ‘no’ wearing a gentle smile. Oliver took off towards the bartop to order directly from the bartender to acquire his drinks faster than the waitress could on this busy night. Once Oliver was out of earshot, Kyle let out a long exhale. “What are we going to do?” Blanc stared somberly at his drink for a long moment. “At this point, I haven't a clue what we could do to help him.” “She’s been dead for two weeks now, and he pretends she's still here.” Kyle shakes his head profusely. “I think this is his own way of grieving his loss. He’s in denial, and soon he will move to acceptance.” Blanc reassured, taking a long gulp of his red wine. “He’s gone mad.” “That’s one way to put it.” Blanc licked his lips of a stray droplet. “The more time that passes, the more delusional he becomes...” “Should we say something?” Kyle looked down at his hands that rested in his lap. “He needs help. This fantasy isn't healthy if it continues. Plus, Oliver doesn’t look like he’s gotten proper sleep in days.” “No, he hasn’t. He works in his workshop all day and night. I think it distracts him from the truth.” “What? That his girlfriend is dead and that he's slowly going insane because of it.” Kyle moves back to rest against the tall chair. “They didn’t have any more pale ale, so I got you a new one to try.” Both men flinched at his sudden presence. Oliver sat the fresh pint in front of the young doctor. “Thanks…” Settling back into his chair, Oliver took a long swig of his whiskey. “Why are you two so quiet all of a sudden?”

`If you knew Time as well as I do,’ said the Hatter, `you wouldn’t talk about wasting it.’ - Mad Hatter, Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

Thank you so much for reading! I worked on this piece for a very long time and I hope you enjoyed reading it! Sorry it was sad! But, I wanted to write an emotional piece and try to push the boundaries of what I thought I could do. <3

𝔸𝕤𝕙 - 𝔸𝕝𝕝𝕆𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕆𝕝𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣

#ikemen revolution #oliver knight #oliver x mc #angst #ikemen revolution fan fic #ikemen revolution angst #Oliver knight angst #TW: blood #tw: character death

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yourkeeperoftherunners · 6 years

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A Brief Commentary on Clothing Construction

I’ve seen a lot of people on here and other social media platforms discuss fashion, especially why things cost so much and why our favorite celebrities spend so much money on expensive brands or goods. I know for many people it’s shocking to see someone wearing something that can cost a month’s rent or even the down payment on a property or car for a single item, but keep in mind the following factors:

Your favorite celebrity was probably borrowing/renting the clothes for free. Luxury brands are striving to get likeable role models wearing their clothes, which in turn spurs their fans and other individuals in that age group to buy or consider their brand.

A stylist probably chose that clothing item or brand so the celebrity looks modern and pulled together. These people are paid to make celebrities look good and photo-worthy – while they may take input from their clients, they’re dressing the celebrity to fit an image.

Based on the celebrity’s profession and net worth, they may have been purchased with their funds based on their personal taste.

Regardless of the reasons, I know many balk at the price tags of things and wonder why spend so much when you can get something cheaper. Below the cut, I delve into some of my learnings from sewing and clothing construction courses I’ve taken, plus general observations I’ve made as I’ve done my own projects and information I’ve read. Please note I am not an expert in this field – these are my personal thoughts.

Back in the olden days, people either made their clothes at home (sewing was a practical skill taught at a young age) or if you had money, you paid a tailor to make you clothes based on your measurements. It wasn’t until the 20th Century when clothing that was made and ready to purchase and wear was sold in designated clothing shops and boutiques. (Ready-to-wear)

Sewing as a skill has evolved throughout the recent years – before the invention of the sewing machine, you sewed by hand, which is a tedious act that requires focus and patience. Modern sewing machines nowadays can create beautiful rows of even stitches that will stay in place with every tug, pull, and stretch that the garment goes through. (Also it requires less time to assemble pieces of fabric into something wearable.)

Rundown of Sewing Methods/Machines

Hand sewing: Takes the longest, requires a steady hand, and a lot of patience and practice to achieve. Ideal for small fixes (Ex. Loose buttons, small holes in clothes, etc.) in a pinch. Often fashions houses will employ this technique when applying a decoration or design treatment to highlight the craftsmanship. (The latter may contribute to a higher price as this cannot be achieved by a machine – often an individual or artisan is doing this one by one.)

Basic Sewing Machine: Good for the home sewer, pre-programed with basic stitches and sewing functions. Anyone from a beginner to an expert can use one. Most of the models are digital and have screens where you tap to adjust the stitch size, width, and type before using a foot pedal to make the machine start sewing. Typically these are suited for lightweight and medium fabrics – exercise caution and care if sewing with heavier duty fabrics like furniture upholstery and leather. (The latter will require special needles.)

Industrial Sewing Machine: Like the name indicates, these are for factories who produce tons of clothing on a regular basis. They are robust machines that can sew any type of garment with any fabric with few errors or issues. There are a few available for regular home sewing purposes, but keep in mind these are going to be bigger and may require more space.

Serger: If you’ve ever seen the hem on a t-shirt and turned it up to see a complex network of threads intertwined in the back, while 2 parallel lines are visible on top, this was done on a serger machine. Often these are in factories and they create finished seams in garments, creating a cleaner look inside the garment. (Also they reinforce the areas where pieces were sewed together – the complex network of threads helps to keep those areas sewed together.) There are home versions of these machines, but smaller.

Reasons for Higher Cost

Where was this made? Every garment has a tag that states where your clothing was made. If your clothes were made in a first or second world country, chances are the costs are higher to produce that garment, based on wages for the workers, conditions, etc. Third world countries have different labor laws and it’s cheaper to outsource goods – this is why many people will see Made in China/Vietnam/Thailand/etc. on cheaper clothing.

What materials were used to make this? Synthetics like polyester, nylon, and some viscose blends are manmade and they’re cheaper to manufacture. Natural fibers like cotton, silk, and wool came from plants and animals – depending on a variety of factors including weather and conditions where the fiber was produced, the cost of natural fibers can fluctuate based on demand and availability of raw materials.

How was it constructed? Study the seams and the decoration application. One of the basic things they taught me in clothing construction was a variety of seams, from zigzag to French seams. Flat fell seams and French seams require more time to complete and finish than a zigzag seam. The high end designers tend to use these last two seams, along with serger finishing for a clean look. If you’re a woman/identify as one, you may notice some rounded seams in the chest areas of dresses, blouses, and other fitted apparel – these are called princess seams and they’re added to help the fabric lie/drape around your chest in a flattering way. (They can be tricky to construct but they can elevate and improve the fit in a garment – another detail you may find in designer clothing.) If you notice that something is lined (inside of a jacket, inside of an evening dress, etc.), that may be a contributing factor to the cost. Essentially, you’re making a thinner/lighter “shell” of the item to put inside the main garment to give it a more professional finish and feel. In many cases for jackets, linings hide seams and the person wearing it will have something softer against their skin. (Ex. Sports letterman jackets are usually made of wool/wool blend , but the main body of the jacket is lined with a satin or silk fabric so it’s gentler on the wearer’s body and makes it easier for them to slip their arms into it.)

Misc

Leather can be difficult to work with. Based on the animal your hide came from, how old it is, and the treatment done to the leather, prices can vary on leather goods. Those who work in the material tend to make a draft version in a cheaper fabric (a muslin) before they start sewing because once you put a hole in leather, it cannot be removed/disappear like a knit or a woven. No two hides are the same and every single one will have imperfections, unless the designer cuts or treats the leather in a way that hides those imperfections. The trade off with this material is that it is very durable and with proper TLC can last for a long time. (You’ll often see it for motorcycle and biker apparel because it will protect the wearer if they fell from their bike and not rip open.) Doc Martens are known for being made of very stiff leather that requires patience (and pain in many cases) to break in and mold to your feet – the original intention of these shoes was a practical, long-lasting utilitarian shoe for the worker that would protect their feet while working.

Modern clothes are colored with synthetic dyes, which is how you can achieve vibrant colors in a broad spectrum of shades. Anything made with a natural dye (from plants) will have a less vibrant shade, unless the garment has been dyed multiple times to get a deeper/richer hue. Often the natural dyes will be in more neutral colors and the dye job may look uneven, depending on the treatment/process. (Ex. BTS’s RM wears a lot of clothing from Visvim, many of which were dyed using veggie and plant-based dyes, which are gentler on the earth.)

Denim has changed, due to material availability and a broad range of body types in consumers. Previously denim was 100% cotton and was stiff – often it required many wears to soften the denim and mold it to fit your body well. With people being different shapes and sizes, majority of denim seen in regular retailers will have higher percentages of elastic and synthetic fibers that are stretchy to accommodate different wearers. The elastic and synthetics are more forgiving to those with curvier figures and they won’t be as stiff to wear off the rack. (Most Western brands utilize this material composition as it allows them to sell their pairs to a wide range of consumers.) In contrast, Japanese selvage denim is constructed with a higher cotton content and minimal elastic/stretch and in some cases is dyed with real indigo plant dyes. (Western brands are rarely utilizing true indigo dye and rely on a manmade version to achieve the denim blue color.) Japanese selvage denim will have a stiffer feel and will take time to break in, but the pairs may last you longer as there’s less elastic fiber content. (Over time, elastic stretches out and with frequent washing and drying at high temperatures, fibers snap and break, often resulting in the jeans losing their shape and looking baggy.)

#clothing construction #sewing #clothing 101 #fashion #high end fashion #reference #yourkeeperoftherunners original #These are a few things beyond the whole name brand reason for high pricing.#number 2598

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sayosdreams · 3 years

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1, 12, 15 for the book asks?

1. Describe your experience reading/writing this year in one word.

Fluctuating

I went through severe writers block for a big chuck of time this year but there were also moments of inspiration & motivation when I was on a roll. Also, I had a reading slump but I also had intense periods of reading books. (I finished my goodreads goal early for once! Usually I’m scrambling at the end of December)

12. What book/project most surprised you this year?

Writing: This was rly hard to pick because I tend to write very spontaneously (since I’m a very moody based writer) so technically a lot of my writing is surprising. Stylistically, Summer Nights and Faerie Lights was not something I’d thought I would write, and Étude des senses surprised me because it flowed so easily and I loved it! The biggest surprise though was probably Love, Elain. I’ve always identified the most with Elain, but given the way the fandom centers her in ship-based arguments or just in bashing, I never thought I could write something so character centric and still get a great response! I’ve always thought that character-centric fanfiction would be interesting to explore but I never thought I could develop my writing enough to do it justice — I’m so glad I tried it this year :)

Reading: Oof, this is a tough one as well. CC was surprisingly good (and complex!). I expected RWRB to be overrated (since it’s SO hyped up) but it still somehow managed to exceed expectations. These Violent Delights was just AMAZING (don’t spoil book 2!) and the Brown Sisters trilogy were the healthy romance novels I never knew could be possible. (Seriously, the relationships and characters were so healthy and not toxic that I was actually shocked and ensmoured) My biggest surprise was probably Raybearer (don’t spoil book 2!) because I felt that it was a rly unique tale (especially the relationships and character dynamics are so different from the stereotypical YA novel) that kind of reignited my passion for books when I was beginning to feel a little tired of YA.

15. What's your favorite book of all time, and are you thinking of it differently this year?

I don’t know if this is surprising, but I’ve never had one favorite book. So many books own parts of me / my childhood and it’s always been really hard to pick just 1. I’d say it’s probably six of crows (and has been for a few years now). The characters mean so much to me that I can’t even watch the show. (If that doesn’t make sense I’m sorry I’ll explain it to you.) I think I’ve come to realize that as much as I enjoy contemporary romance books, I don’t think of them in the same way that I think of fantasy books or even realistic fiction books that don’t center around romance, meaning that if/when I eventually write a book, it probably won’t be a romance novel.

Thank you so much for this ask! Sorry this god kind of long 😅

#answered asks #sayosdreams asks #bookish asks

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creativemorningsdublin-blog · 3 years

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Meet our musician: shiv

Meet our Musician: shiv

For February’s CreativeMornings event we are joined by shiv as our musical guest.

shiv is a Zimbabwean/Irish musician based in Dublin. Having established herself as a house DJ, she turned her attention to where her passion truly lay in song-writing.

Her music, though simple in its musicality, envelops you in her world. She uses her unique blend of R&B and Lo-fi Hip-Hop with elements of Soul and Neo-Soul to create music that is emotive and brimming with feeling. Shiv’s silky-sweet voice wraps you in a hug that carries her soulful lyrics and brings them to life over the warm, hazy instrumentals.

Our music co-ordinator, Molly, sat down with shiv to ask her about all things music and creativity.

How did you transition to being a full time musician?

In a weird way, Covid definitely made that happen. Music has always been in my life but to be actually doing it full time with nothing else going on is great. This is my primary focus right now. Before Covid, I was working in a restaurant alongside doing music and when restaurants closed down and the Covid payment was instated, I had to rethink what I was doing. So, it really threw me into music. I was DJing for a little while before all of that because I didn’t really think of singing as a career path, necessarily. I felt like it was a one in a million kind of thing where only a few people are chosen and you have to be chosen by a major label. The old industry model. I thought DJing was a great way to express myself musically without necessarily being a musician or a singer but music was always part of my life.

When my sister was getting married and I was the maid of honour, I was meant to write her a speech but I just don't like public speaking. I don’t really enjoy speaking in front of more than about 5 people. It's too much. So I decided I would write her a song instead. I put that song up on YouTube and my managers at the time saw it and suggested that I consider doing this as a career. Then I just went from there, slowly but surely building things up right and learning more about production and how to put everything together. And yeah, I guess that sort of brings us up to now.

Do you use that song that you wrote for your sister’s wedding in your set?

No, I don't use it. It was the very first song I wrote so I thought about putting it out, but I ended up going in a different direction.

A lot of creatives find that their confidence fluctuates, as a byproduct of their creativity and their values being such a huge part of their work. Do you feel in a good place with your confidence?

Yeah! Before releasing my EP I was definitely in that turtle mode. It’s the pressure of knowing people are looking at you and that people have expectations of you. That was really hard to swallow I guess, and even though at the time I don't think many people were looking at me or are looking at me currently, it just really felt like they were. I felt like I had something to prove. So, at that time it was difficult but because the EP is about all of that stuff, that was my way of processing all of it.

I do feel like that’s behind me though. I’ve come up with coping mechanisms and would like to think that I have a more internal locus of evaluation, to put a psychological spin on it! Obviously that's easier said than done though, you have to also be in a good frame of mind to be able to rationalise all of that.

So that was a big thing. Being able to just say ‘look, create for you. If you're happy with it, that’s the important thing and if anyone else likes it - amazing, obviously that’s such a bonus. But if not, whatever.’ You haven't lost anything by putting yourself out there, you know.

People need to like your music to spend money to see you perform those songs. So that’s definitely part of it.

I think it's just about finding the right balance between being sure that you’re doing it for yourself and appreciating people who enjoy what you’re doing.

Your EP ‘Me 2 Me’ gives off that vibe of sitting in the grass in the summertime. At the same time, the tone of the EP is driven by introspection and exploring the insecurities that you described earlier. Are there still narratives that arise around your creativity that you have to work on silencing?

Yeah, definitely. The big one is comparison, thinking things like, ‘oh well, this person is doing this so I should be doing it like that too.’ But then it can just cripple you completely from even wanting to try. With the process of making music, another negative narrative might be judging what I’m doing as I’m doing it but the more that I just ease into it and just do it, I stop thinking. At the very least maybe you’ve finished something. If it’s not good then maybe it might inspire something else that you make later on.

So, I think they are the two big things. Trying to get to a place where I just have patience with myself. Showing up is half the battle really, just showing up and doing it. It doesn't matter what you come up with at the end of the day ‘cos it's gonna all build towards something good in the future. Sometimes it’s just about having the confidence to know that if you’ve done it before you can do it again. It’s in ya! It wasn't a fluke. Understanding that was a big thing. Patience and compassion for yourself.

We often hear creatives talk about how it’s so important to let yourself make bad work. It sounds like a lot of your creative process is just allowing yourself to sit with it and try things.

Exactly, yeah. It's not that you're setting out with the intention of sitting down to specifically write a bad song. Even though I’ve heard Blindboy say that before on his podcast, he's advised people to sit down and write something bad. I've never done that personally, but if I'm going to write a song or going to do some work on music, I do like to set myself a time where I just sit for two hours and just see what happens in that time. It could be bad, it could be good or it could be something that you draw inspiration from for future projects and future work.

You never know what subconsciously comes from those moments. You could look back at a Logic session and be like ‘oh my god, that’s where I got the idea for that little melody line.’

Was there anything that has surprised you about your creativity over the past year?

I don't know if anything surprised me, necessarily. Nothing's jumping out at me that I was like, whoa, I didn't know that. But I did have a realisation around discipline and how it’s just so important. If you're disciplined in every other area of your life and you have a routine set up, then it leaves space to be free with your creativity which is how it should be.

I guess I did just realise how important discipline is and how important it is to do at least one creative thing a day, whether it’s a journal entry or a poem or drawing something. Also, making sure you go on some little adventure to the shop or for a walk because you end up soaking up things that you didn’t even realise, or making new connections that you wouldn’t have made before.

It’s so easy to just be stuck in the house and stuck at your piano or your computer forcing yourself to create. The space outside of where you create is just as important, those experiences where your conscious mind is off and your subconscious is ready to pick up on those little bits and bobs, those moments are really valuable.

The theme for this month’s CreativeMornings event is Divergent. What comes up for you when you think about that word?

At the moment I've been thinking a lot about the building racial situations and everything that’s been happening around that. I feel like being mixed race is a weird one because you don't really fit into either category. It’s like you’re too white to be black and too black to be white. So I definitely feel like that's such a divergence from the norm. That's how I'm finding myself at the moment, but not necessarily in a negative way. I’m just something different, I'm a diversion from what is the standard on either side of the spectrum.

It can be really difficult to know when to include something so personal in your art, if ever. Especially with things that are so fresh. Do you keep those things in your life separate until you know how to approach them or do you tend to dive in?

I think you definitely need to take time to process things a little bit, even though writing does help with processing. But sometimes when stuff is too raw, I don't feel like sharing it unless it's completely just something I'm writing for me, but even just seeing it on a page sometimes is too much.

I have been writing about it. I feel like I have a lot to say about it at the moment so it is coming through. But you do need to figure out what you want to say and how exactly you feel about it before you can really put pen to paper and make a song out of it.

Your music currently sits in that soothing R&B, summers day soulful genre. If you could click your fingers and jump into another genre for a day, which one would you gravitate towards?

That's an interesting question. I wouldn’t deviate too far from R&B and soul. I think I would happily be a rapper or a jazz musician, if I could do that. Then I’d love to be a house musician as well because I did DJ for a while and I loved it. Sorry, that’s three!

DJing must have been so fun. Was that your full time gig?

No, I was doing it on the side. I used to do two nights a week. I had a residency in Berlin Bar on Dame Street. DJing was fun, it was a nice way to make money and it was just a good buzz but when I needed to take the next step to make it a bit more regular, I couldn’t really find the motivation to do that. That’s when I knew it was just a hobby, you know. I was thinking, ‘oh maybe I could do this full time,’ but then I don’t think I could be excited to DJ full time. It’s definitely fun though, I do miss it.

Your visuals are such a well matched extension of your music. They portray that same warm and authentic sense of self that we hear when listening to your songs. Is there a particular way that you approach them or is it just about going with what feels good in the moment?

In the beginning, I didn't have a budget or any support so it was all about getting friends on board and explaining what I had in my head. It was about saying, ‘let's just put something together and see what happens’. I didn't really put too much thought into any of them, especially because I don't come from a visual background at all. It's not my comfort zone, not one bit! So, I just wanted to put across whatever I could.

Moving forward, I would love to get a bit more professionally and creatively involved in the visual aspect because I feel like it's such an important part of the whole story of the music. I know it can engage a whole different audience, so I do think it's important. Possibly a little to my detriment, I haven’t put enough effort into the visuals, but I also feel like sometimes it is just about what feels right and fleshing out a basic idea that you have in your head. And like all aspects of creativity - it’s about getting started with an idea. Then more ideas just kind of flood in once you get the ball rolling, you know.

-- You can catch shiv on Spotify here.

#cmdivergent #creativemorningsdublin

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loubuggins · 7 years

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Raven’s Revenge (Teen Tyrants)

Author's Notes: So I'm starting this up top this time, so that I can introduce y'all to this new story. I have had this idea sitting on the shelf for a while now, and some of you may notice parts of it come from a drabble I did a while back. Well, that was the inspiration behind this story! I wasn't going to start this project yet, but I had a lot of requests and inquires into it, I decided why not? I will warn you all, I am in college and I have a job, so my writing time is very limited. I also am still working on Every King Needs a Queen, which is a collaboration effort with my best pal @bearhow2, who was also so kind as to be my beta reader for this project. So, do not expect updates to happen right away. They will fluctuate as the year comes on. I plan to finish this story no matter what, and updates will happen when they happen, but I will say that reviews are my biggest motivator. Knowing people actually enjoy this story, makes me want to write more of it. So please keep that in mind. Anyway, thank you all and I hope you all enjoy the story!

- LB

A doctor dressed in a white lab coat that covered most of their body, was walking briskly down the wide halls of Arkham Asylum. On either side of the man were two largely-built police officers, who were covered in bullet proof padding and a clear shield over their faces. In their hands, they each held a large assault rifle, the safety off, and trigger fingers itching over the trigger. The group walked down to the end of the hall, stopping in front of a solid metal door that read only one word at its center - Logan.

"Okay, Doc, make this quick. This one tends to be tricky." The officer on the doctor's left commented. The doctor gave a curt nod, and with a quick look to his partner, the officer that had spoken stepped forward and banged on the door.

"Wake up, Logan! You have a house call! Stand facing the wall with your hands up!" The officer instructed as he slide open a tiny window on the door, and peaked inside. His cold gaze drifted across the room, but saw no sign of the prisoner. Unlocking the door and sliding it open, the two security men charged inside.

Inside the room, the single-sized cot in the corner was torn to pieces, and most of the wall space had deep claw marks. Over by one of the walls, a young man (probably in his late teens) squatted in front of the wall staring intently at the markings that he himself had clawed into them. He was completely green from head to toe. His hair was short, but messy, with his forest green locks falling in varies different directions. His ears were large and pointed, flicking slightly at ever sound. His emerald pupils were narrow like a cat's eyes. His face was expressionless as he stared up at the wall.

"Up against the wall, Logan!" The officer commanded before moving to grab the green mutant, until he was stopped by the doctor's arm.

"No wait!" The doctor called. He turned his attention to the man on the ground. "Mr. Logan, can you please explain what you wrote on the wall?"

Logan's ears perked up and his head spun around to face the three men standing off to his side. The guards tensed, ready to jump into action if the patient tried to escape. The doctor remained impassive on the outside, but Logan could smell his nervousness and sense his curiosity. The monster's eyes were lifeless and bloodshot, but shimmered in the darkness eerily. His face battered and scarred from both his past and his present.

"The Gem. Shall set me. Free." He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

The doctor tilted his head slightly in confusion. "And what does that mean?"

"It's a prophecy." The beast spat with an added snarl. "A prophecy that already happened, that shall happen again."

The doctor looked at him with amused curiosity. He didn't take this lunatic seriously, but he was always fascinated with the insane. "Oh? And when will that be?"

Logan's lips curled up in a large, wicked grin. His sharp, jagged teeth glistened in the artificial light of the room. He suddenly burst into an obnoxious crackle like a drunk hyena. He then snapped his head back forward and looked the doctor dead in the eye. "Now."

Before the guards could react, a large black hole opened under the changeling and swallowed him up.

"Shit! How'd he? That little bastard!" One of the officer's cursed as he pulled out his walkie-talkie and reported what he had just witnessed. The other officer cursed too, and kicked the wall in frustration. The doctor was more shocked than angry. He walked up to the markings on the wall, and ran his fingers over the words carved into it.

"You are truly a remarkable specimen, Mr. Logan." He muttered to himself. "I do hope our paths cross again."

Somewhere off in the nearby woods, another black puddle of magic appeared and the green man popped up from it. As quickly as the magic came, it vanished. The man was on all fours and he shook himself like a dog.

"Man, I hate when you do that." He growled as he ended his violent shake.

"Well would you have preferred I left you there to rot?" Came a sarcastic reply. He looked up to see a relatively short, curvy woman, wearing a skin-tight red leotard and a blood red cloak. She had the hood of her cloak over her head, hiding her pink, short hair.

"No." He said weakly.

She came closer to him. "That's what I thought." she knelt down on one knee and wrapped her hands over the man's face, forcing him to look up.

His ears perked up at the sudden contact, but when her scent washed over him, he quickly relaxed and purred into her hands.

"That's right my pet." She cooed as she used one of her hands to comb through his green locks. "Mama's here." Her gentle smile turned into an evil grin.

"Mama's here."

A giant boulder became entrapped in dark magic and rolled over to the side. Behind it, opened a large cave made entirely of stone and earth, littered with small patches of grass and other greenery. A green wolf ran inside and began sniffing at the floor and walls of the shelter. After walking in circles for a few moments, the wolf came to a stop and looked up to his rescuer that waited by the entrance.

"It'll be dark. Too dark to see inside." He warned through their telepathic link.

She rolled her bright red eyes, and strolled inside the cave without a second thought. With a snap of her fingers, a bright fire magically burned in the center of the cave floor. It just so happened that the wolf had been standing close enough that his tail caught the bite of the flame and with a pained yelp he leaped in the air. Panic-stricken, he jumped and howled in pain around the cave, the flame on the tip of his tail chasing after him. The sorceress watched him passively, only half amused at the situation. Finally, the canine dropped to his rear and began dragging it against the dirt, like a dog does to brand new carpet. Once he had successfully put out the flame, he stopped and shifted back into his human form, panting from the exertion.

"Damn it Rae!" The distressed changeling cursed.

Raven simply smirked at him, then slowly stepped closer to him. Instinctively, he bowed his head down in submission as she approached him. She ran one of her pale hands through his shaggy hair, making his right leg twitch with the urge to bounce it.

"You're such an idiot Garfield Logan." She murmured as she dropped down to her knees, becoming eye-level with him. Gently, she rubbed the back of her hand down his cheek, then caressed his face with both her hands. Their eyes locked in an intense gaze, before she slowly leaned into him and pressed her full, dark lips against his own. Their mouths moved in sync as they enjoyed the feeling of their touch for the first time in a year. It was Raven who pulled away first, and her warm breath brushed against his skin. "I've missed my idiot."

With that she stood back up and made her way to the other end of the cave. She whispered her mantra, and the ground shook as a rectangular shape revolted against the wall. Grass sprouted from the surface of the mound, creating a natural bed. She removed her boots and cloak and casually tossed them aside before laying her lithe petite body down onto the bed, her back pressed against the soft grass and her arm bent under her head as a pillow. Her other hand draped over her hip. She let out a comfortable sigh and closed her eyes in a moment of peace.

"So, how'd you escape again?" The rough voice of her den-mate broke her tranquility.

"I already told you." Her voice dripped with annoyance. "I had to wait until today, so that I could draw in the power of Trigon. It was the only way to rebuild my strength."

"Yeah, I get that, but..." The shape-shifter started as he staggered over closer to her bedside. "What exactly...did you do?" He looked up at her like a dog begging for a treat. Raven opened one eye and peered down at him, and smirked when she saw his eager expression.

"Well, my love, it was simply really. Once I harnessed my father's power, I simply took my full demon body out for a much-needed walk." She said ominously.

The man's ears wiggled with glee. "Give me the dirty details." He begged.

"Fine." She sighed, pretending to be disinterested when really, she thrived on the attention. His attention. There was something about his child-like personality that was so unlike the rest of the despicable human race. "As soon as the sun rose, giving birth to this day, I concentrated on my father's presence from his cell down below. Once I could feel his power crawl against my skin, I allowed my body to transform into my natural self."

Garfield growled with excitement as she continued retelling her escape.

"Then I broke out of my chains. The guards came rushing in, and with one swipe of my hand they collapsed on the floor dead. I flew out of the room and sent a blast of magic to clear the hall. I flew through the halls of the asylum using my tentacles to spear through dozens of doctors and military men. I destroyed their precious research and returned all the blood they had stolen from me back to my body. I found the psychiatrist they had assigned to me and took her into a portal with me. I placed us outside the asylum hidden away in the Arctic. The snow and ice circled around me, as I used my power to crack the ice of which the building stood on, and laughed as the chilling water devoured it. Lastly, I turned to the girl who lay at my feet, I told her I was sparing her life only so she could deliver a message for me. I wanted Arkham to know. I wanted the world to know. I want him to know, that I was free and that I am coming for him."

When she finished her story, Garfield cheered and jumped up onto Raven, smothering her with wet kisses. Raven gave a girlish giggle as she caught the lobe of his ear with her teeth. As she nibbled at the sensitive ligament, Garfield's kisses became deeper and more passionate. His chest rumbled with a low growl and his hands began to explore her body from her breasts down her sides to her smooth legs. Raven moaned as he assaulted her neck with a mixture of kisses and bites. With a flick of her wrist, the large boulder that had once kept them away, rolled over, closing them off to the outside world.

"Are you ready for your birthday present, my mate?" The changeling said in between bites.

Raven moaned her reply. "Well don't leave me in suspense."

The enchanted flame sent a low light dancing across the walls. The sound of their love-making echoing through the cave.

A loud ringing of an alarm filled the bedroom, causing a muscular young man to sit up in a cold sweat. His breathing was irregular as he turned his blurry, tired gaze around the room. Finally, his vision began to clear and the loud alarm grabbed his attention. He turned to face the source of the noise, his circular communicator blinking red and sitting on his nightstand.

"Hmm…what's going on?" A small, sleepy voice called from the other side of him. He turned to glance at the woman's hourglass frame that slept beside him. Her long black hair bellowed out on her pillow, and although she had spoken, her eyes never opened, and she was already shifting in her spot preparing to drift back to sleep.

"It's nothing Kom…go back to sleep."

She quickly did as she was told. With a heavy sigh, the raven-haired boy glanced back at his communicator, the device still buzzing on the nightstand. With a groan, he reached over and pulled the device from the charger it was plugged into with a tug. The cord popped out of it, and he brought the device over to his pale face. With his brain still in sleep-mode, he forgot to check the caller ID, and instead swiped the accept call button.

"Hello?" His voice came out rough and groggy.

"Robin, this is Doctor Harley Quinzel, I am the psychiatrist tasked with the patient Raven."

Robin's body tensed at the sound of her name. "Yes?" He replied feebly.

"Well it looks like you were on her emergency contact list, as well as another patient by the name of Garfield Logan?" The woman over the phone questioned.

"Yes, that is correct."

"Well unfortunately, both patients have escaped their respective holding locations, we are already looking into..."

The woman's voice became drowned out as memories began to play over in his mind. Visions of the torture he had to endure under her reign. Visions of the fight that had broken out among them. The look in her crimson eyes as they led her away in chains and the venom foam from her mouth as she swore her vengeance upon them. His hand shook as he pulled the communicator away from his ear, the doctor's voice ringing out through the speaker, but he ignored it. He dropped the device onto the nightstand, and threw the covers off his legs. He rolled out of bed, and staggered to the nearby restroom. He stumbled over to the sink, where he twisted the valve and ice-cold water flowed freely out of the faucet. He dunked his hands over the running water, and then splashed the cool liquid against his face. He gave himself a violent shake, before looking up into the mirror that hung in front of him. He starred back at his reflection, his eyes dark from stress.

"The gem shall return." He mumbled to himself. "The gem shall return, and all will meet her wrath." The words fell heavy on his tongue as he recited the prophecy given to him a year ago from today, uttered by the very gem herself.

"Raven is back."

#bbrae #garrae #robin #blackfire #raven #garfield logan #beast boy #teen tyrants #raven's revenge #RR #teen titans #fanfiction

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beast-in-the-trees-blog · 4 years

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ghostlystore · 7 years

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The New-York based artist guides us through Several Shades Of The Same Color.

Max Ravitz, aka Patricia, produces techno with a spelunker's wide-eyed exploratory flair. His new album offers infinite ways in which a listener can roam along with him. Released July 14th across three 12"s, Several Shades Of The Same Color was Bleep's album of the week and is featured among Bandcamp Daily's essential picks — they summarize it well: "The whole thing is a marvel, the kind of maze-like album that keeps revealing surprise left turns and secret passages. Several Shades reveals Patricia to be a true synth artist, comfortable in multiple mediums, bending all of them to his will." Below, Max fields our questions with patience and consideration. Sit back, cue up the kaleidoscopic trip, and get to know the mind behind the maze.

[ Several Shades Of The Same Color in The Ghostly Store | iTunes | Spotify ]

Suppose by nature an interview asks us to defy some of Several Shades Of The Same Color's listening tips ("Don't think; Just hear."). If that's alright, explain your mindset behind encouraging listeners not to over-analyze?

I could literally write a several page essay on this one topic, but I'll try my best to keep it reasonable... I'm gonna start with this immense quote by Igor Stravinsky (anyone reading who isn't familiar with Stravinsky, get familiar): I consider that music is, by its very nature, powerless to express anything at all, whether a feeling, an attitude of mind, a psychological mood, a phenomenon of nature, etc....If, as is nearly always the case, music appears to express something, this is only an illusion, and not a reality.... In my mind, music serves as an extension of language, aimed at expressing ideas that can't be described with words. Obviously lyrical music has the capacity to make this expression a bit more overt, but music began as a non-lyrical tradition and it's real power lies in abstraction. To our brains, all sound is just stimuli used to generate information. Our ears monitor fluctuations in air pressure, and our brain filters these fluctuations through past experiences to determine the source of the sound, and its meaning. For example, say you've watched an action movie with gunfire, after which, you hear a gunshot in person without seeing the shot fired, you will assume the sound was made by a gun, because you recognize it as similar to the sound from the movie. Your brain looks for these associations to derive meaning from sound, and in turn, generate the appropriate bodily response. Music, in its simplest form, is nothing more than a series of these air pressure changes, and our brain tries to translate this stimuli into information. Determining the source of the sound is often the easy part, as most people know what different musical instruments sound like, but our brains trying to understand the meaning of music is where the great nebulous mystery lies. Music journalism is often an attempt to translate this mystery into words, and its pervasiveness nowadays encourages people to approach listening from an analytical point of view where music has to have meaning. Personally, I don't listen to music in an attempt to glean its message. I'm not looking to understand why music makes me feel a certain way, the fact that it makes me feel things I don't always understand is more powerful than knowing why. If my goal as a musician was to convey some clearly discernible message through my work, I might as well just be a writer. Music inherently defies description, so the record's listening suggestions were meant to encourage people not to analyze it too much.

On that topic, what is 'body music' to you?

Well I consider body music to be any music that a listener can feel, as opposed to think about. I would say most lyrical music strays away from being body music, as the addition of words will lead the listener to consider what is being said. Also, to be clear, body music can of course elicit thoughts and ideas, but is able to do so without using formal signifiers like words. Ultimately, I tend to avoid defining musical concepts, as definitions can give rise to rules and restraints. I also avoid classifying music by genre , because in my mind, genres are essentially a set of guidelines for what a type of music is 'supposed to be'. In general, you'll find I have an aversion to the idea that music needs to follow any rules.

Your music is recorded live. Is there a certain effect or freedom or constraint to this approach?

My current solo recording process is aimed at heavily restricting what I allow myself to do. I used to spend weeks, if not months editing songs to death trying to achieve some sense of perfection, then I'd reach the end of that process and not even like what I made. After moving to New York, I met a few likeminded producers, and began collaborating more and more. Having worked in relative isolation up until that point, getting to see how other people would approach recording and production was very useful for me. Eventually I made a rule for myself that I could never take longer than a day working on a song, and if I couldn't finish it in a day, I'd just move on. In the past, I would get attached to ideas, and like one element of a song so much that I'd try to force it to work, but having a one day limit makes me move on from ideas that aren't working. In the end, I find the songs I like best, are the ones I make quickly anyways.

When performing live, how closely do you follow the recordings?

Not at all. My live and studio practices are two entirely different things. I've been collecting recording gear since I was 15, so I have a lot of equipment. On any given song I record in my studio, I can be using drastically different gear, so trying to approximate these different techniques live becomes difficult. My solution has been to just approach live performance differently. At shows, I play 90% improvisational material that has almost no relation to my recorded stuff. Occasionally I'll end up liking something from a live set enough to try and recreate it at home, but that doesn't happen often.

What were the conditions or emotions and logic that lead you to this record? When did the concept of three LPs, an epic, first enter your mind?

My only real goal in developing the record was to make something long. I wanted the opportunity to show a wider range of my musical interests than a 4-5 track record would allow for. I think that longer albums are often given more exploratory leeway than something like an EP, and I wanted to show some weirder/slower/different music than I had released in the past. I thought about doing a 2x12", but I became fixated on the idea of the 3x12", and was lucky enough to have Sam Valenti from Ghostly be open to the idea. The track-listing itself was arranged by a friend of mine named Russell Butler, who also releases on Opal Tapes, the label that put out my first and third Patricia records. I sent him the 15 tracks to listen to, and asked him to come up with the sequencing because I was struggling to do so, and I'm really happy with what he arrived at.

The title and artwork reflects the music's stoicism in ways I can't quite define. Can you?

Well the title has a few personal meanings to me, but I'm not going to share them, as I don't think they're relevant to the music. In terms of the artwork, it was done by my friend Molly Smith. I just sent her the music, gave her very little input, and she did all the heavy lifting. It was an incredible amount of work on her part, as all the images are meticulously-drawn pointillist pen drawings, and she did all the layout and graphic design work on top of that. It was a wonderful symbiotic working relationship, and I couldn't be happier with how the records came out. The chosen imagery could be related to her interpretation of the music, but that's really a question for her.

Spectral Sound is releasing the album in conjunction with your own label, Active Cultures. It's a pretty new venture — tell us about it.

Well I wouldn't even call Active Cultures a label, it's more a swirling entity lacking in form :) While releasing music will be an aspect of the project, it's really just a means to not only give myself more freedom to explore ideas, but also support my friends who are making interesting things. I find the idea of curation intriguing, so Active Cultures will allow me to flex that muscle a bit. Actually, Molly Smith who did the artwork for my record has helped develop the aesthetics for the project. I also worked with Bill Converse aka Tide Eman, who produced the Active Cultures record that came out in June. That was followed up by the Patricia LP co-released with Spectral Sound. There are a few other releases coming together, but the next record will be an archival release of music recorded by Todd Sines in the '90s, from around his .Xtrak and Enhanced days. I also recently started working on developing a website with a friend of mine named Jesse Pimenta, who records music as Dreams and has a record coming out on Apron records soon. Not sure what else to say, time will tell where it goes.

#ghostly #ghostly international #the ghostly store #patricia #max ravitz #interview #bandcamp

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them20somethings · 7 years

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I just did a full astrology chart on myself and this shit is on point.

Here is some of the quotes that stood out for me in the reading. Sun in Aries "Impatience is a definite vice, and innovation is a huge strength." "She has a strong personality and an entrepreneurial spirit. She is ambitious and self-willed, stubborn, obstinate and tenacious." -55 Square Sun - Uranus "Your identity rides on your sense of personal freedom. It can be quite a challenge to get you to do what you don't want to do, simply because you see any attempts by others to push you in a certain direction as threatening to your sense of freedom." Moon in XII "You need frequent moments of solitude in order to recharge yourself emotionally, and this need, while strong, can also lead to feelings of isolation and of being misunderstood." 826 Conjunction Moon - Mercury "You have an outstanding memory and tend to pick up a lot of information from your environment. You love to chat and to exchange ideas. Even if you are shy, once you're friends, you love to talk about pretty much anything under the sun, and you enjoy sharing stories from your past!" "You listen! Yes, you do talk and occasionally interrupt in your excitement, but you are a curious person who does want to hear what others have to say, and that is a real pleasure. In fact, you are more able than most people to get others talking, simply because you are very receptive and sympathetic. You pick up others' feelings and body language readily." 77 Trine Moon - Jupiter "Broad-mindedness is a wonderful characteristic." Mercury in Taurus "She is faithful to her ideas, unchangeable and quietly opinionated, persistent, but discreet." "Learns best through the senses, not through the traditional educational system." Weaknesses: stubborn, obstinate, withdrawn. Slow to react. Mercury in XII "She has difficulty expressing herself, especially when young. Does not talk much, she does not speak for the sake of it. She works in remote and quiet places. She is discrete and philosophical." "You make an excellent confidante--you are very discreet and secrets go into the vault." Venus in Gemini "Pleasing Venus in Gemini involves supporting their need for fun and variety, showing interest in their brainpower and knowledge, and giving them space for friends and activities outside of the relationship." Venus in I "The need to be liked by others, and/or to keep the peace, might lead to feelings of resentment or general unrest if you feel that you give up your own power to others." Mars in Aries "Quick flare-ups characterize the Mars in Aries character, but their anger usually doesn't last for too long." "Sometimes they're downright rude and impatient, but with Mars in Aries natives, you generally know what they're after. " Mars in XI "She achieves her ambitions. She is impulsive and presses on without thinking. She starts something new without necessarily finishing the last job. She likes to dominate and lacks diplomacy where friends and professional relations are concerned." Saturn in XI "She appreciates the company of older people of intelligence and good counsel. These will help success in professional life. She has few friends and has difficulty in finding a partner. She is very reserved." 21 Trine Saturn - Pluto "She perseveres, achieves her projects through hard work." Uranus in Aquarius "Gets over-excited at the start of a task that interests her." 76 Sextile Uranus - Pluto "She fights to improve her daily life, she is persevering." 27 Trine Uranus - Ascendent "She is always changing, is unstable. She is ready to innovate, to change everything. She is inventive." Ascendant in Gemini "Those born with Gemini rising see the world as a place to learn. They are curious about the people around them." " A certain lack of warmth in presentation can be the result, and although this style is generally a facade, it is not immediately apparent to most." "Another distinct "style" is a rather cool and intellectual demeanor. These natives are often quite witty and clever, but they present themselves in a less cheerful and changeable way than the first group. Their observations are sharp and the overall manner is a tad brusque." Hmmm???? "Many feel their upbringing lacked some warmth. In one-to-one relationships, Gemini rising people often seek a certain amount of personal freedom and space." House II in Cancer "Cancer is a fruitful sign to have on a money house. She can rely on sound instincts to acquire and save money. Very good money sense, although financial fluctuations may be frequent in her life. She can use her keen ability to hone in on what the public wants and needs, and benefit financially. She may be a hoarder, but certainly assigns much sentimental meaning to personal possessions." House VII in Sagittarius "Either marriage with a foreigner, or a marriage abroad, or marriage with a foreigner abroad." Well this should be interesting for my traveling wanderlust House VIII in Capricorn "Natural death in very old age. Inheritances." So like does this mean I get inheritances or I give inheritances when I die? House X in Aquarius "Success in teaching. Likes contact with others, to speak and explain." I've been told I'm a good teacher even though I don't want to teach. Yet with my profession I feel as if I have to at some point in my life.

#thoughts

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alfstop50 · 7 years

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Game #1

January 31st, 2014.

It was a precarious time in my life: I had transferred universities halfway into my third year in college, settling back in with my parents after two and a half years studying in another part of the state. I had just purchased a used PlayStation 3 three weeks ago, both to take advantage of an online order being cancelled and to celebrate getting my driver’s license. My new school was still taking some getting used to (particularly the mountain of catching up I had to do in Japanese), but I was cautiously optimistic, and having a new system to play new games on was one way to help me through these times.

There was one game in particular that had caught my interest at that very moment. It was a game dearly beloved by a large group of friends I frequently hung around (and still do to this day). It was a game that, while not as beloved as its successor, was still held in high regard by these friends. It was a game that had been poured over countless times by these friends in the past, for research in forum games or just because they really liked the characters and story.

I was somewhat familiar with this game, having watched someone from this group streaming it a number of times back in 2013. I knew about how it handled every day life through school and forming connections with people, while blending it near seamlessly with darker fantasy elements. I was even intensely aware of how this game’s successor had a gigantic impact on someone from this group of friends, to the point where it had saved their soul and improved them as a human being just from playing it. But it wasn’t just him; the series from which this game and its successor came from was directly responsible for a number of people that I happened to know finding the will to better themselves, due to the messages imparted to them from these experiences. And now that I had the means to dive into that game and that series to see what all the fuss was about, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t say no to.

This is the story of what happened after that. This is the story of my yearlong experience with that game from the moment I downloaded it onto my PS3. This is the story of how, over the course of the experience, I grew to understand what made that game and the game after it so beloved by my friends. This is the story of how I came to discover how much the game actually meant to me years later, and how it became my favorite video game of all time.

This is the story of my experience with Persona 3.

The reason why it had taken so long for me to finish Persona 3 in the first place was due to a variety of reasons. The first such reason was that school was especially trying during this period, often giving me 4-5 classes to juggle per semester and keeping me away from video games most of the time. Secondly, my job situation had gone from me working roughly two days a week at my mom’s place to getting a full-time job at a Kroger immediately after school was out for the summer (which of course then became part-time work on the weekends during my next semester at school). Add to that many other things like new games coming out, my own ongoing projects, obligations with other friends, and general life mishaps and it was a miracle that I managed to even beat Persona 3 before the year was over.

But every time I did play it, it would suck me right in. I would learn so much about the characters and the setting, what time to catch people for Social Links, what to say to them to bond closer to them, what to do to avoid getting on their bad side, and how I could form more connections with more people. Even within a month or two after playing the game, I could feel the effect it was having on me as I conversed with people outside of the game; even if I never finished it, its sub-goal of getting me to interact with other people more was already working as intended.

Then came the dungeon crawling itself; going through them was usually a slog, but battles were really strong. Prior to playing it, my only experience with the Shin Megami Tensei series was playing SMTIV on the 3DS, so I was well prepared for a brutal “kill or be killed” style of turn-based combat. But I actually found the combat in Persona to be a lot more fun; the protagonist was endlessly customizable with various weapons and Personas to obtain, and the All-Out Attack mechanic was a brilliant way to reward going straight for weaknesses and knocking all the enemies down. At its worst, this would usually turn each encounter into a game of weakness sniping and make the novelty wear off fast. But in some of the more creative fights (usually bosses), it challenged you to work around specific gimmicks until you were in a good position to go all-out. Still kinda wish you had control over your party members, but that represents a part of the game that I’ll get to in a bit.

During the entire year that I played through Persona 3, I would continually make new discoveries about myself and other people. I discovered the deep connections some of my friends had with some of the other characters in the game (one friend in particular could relate really well to Kaz’s S. Link). I pursued the options that many had considered to be among the best in the game while making my own discoveries along the way. I learned, I grew, I was with the friends I had made through the good times and the bad, and especially when everything seemed its bleakest. I made as many people as I could happy, and it was through these bonds that I was able to overcome the unbearable darkness.

And once I had finally finished the game on December 17th, 2014, after all the work I put into it and all the time I had spent with the game... I hadn’t immediately recognized the worth of the game. I thought it was an exceptionally well-made game and I could see why people loved it so much, but for some reason at that moment, I couldn’t think much else of it beyond that. Funny how that just tends to happen sometimes.

The following year, when I started playing through Persona 4, I couldn’t help but think back on my time with Persona 3. It wasn’t that Persona 4 was a bad game or anything - far from it, in fact - but I slowly started to realize what made Persona 3 so special. I thought about the themes of the game, what it was going for, and how it stuck the landing on all of it nearly perfectly. I thought about one character in particular that I identified so strongly with that they became my all-time favorite video game character (that was back in February of 2015). It was enough for me to put the game in my list of all-time favorite video games, though it was still at #3 just below Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Kid Icarus: Uprising.

So now, what happened to bring this game to this position? What conclusion could I have reached to declare this game my absolute favorite game? What answer have I found that explains what this game is about and why I love it so much all in one sentence?

After extensively mulling over my thoughts on Persona 3 after finishing it and while struggling to complete this project, the answer I have found is this:

Persona 3 is a game about life.

People will often tell you that you’re in control of your own destiny, but for some of us, it isn’t like that. Life is crazy, turbulent, unpredictable, and seemingly random at times, forcing you to bear the brunt of whatever it brings you. You go through events and circumstances that you weren’t even prepared for, misfortunes that you couldn’t have seen coming, and tragedies that seemed designed to make your life miserable. And the absolute worst feeling is when you feel like you have no control over how these events occur or what you can do to avoid a crisis; sometimes you’re just expected to take these incidents on the chin and move on with your own existence. It sucks and it’s incredibly unfair. But that’s life.

Dealing with other people is its own exercise in frustration. Some human beings out there don’t want to listen to what you have to say, being so stuck in their own way of thinking that they block out all other reason. There are those who hate others just for being different, and will gladly take the chance to ruin their reputation just for their own satisfaction. Attempting to understand and connect with someone you do know can fluctuate wildly from “easy” to “nearly impossible,” because we are all so different from each other, and no matter how hard we try, we can’t possibly understand absolutely everything about anyone. And the reality is that no matter how much you say you don’t want to be around people, being completely alone in the world is the worst situation to be in by far. It’s a sobering thing to know. But that’s life.

There always things in life that we don’t want to do. At best, it’s just a tedious slog; at worst, it’s something that you don’t think you’ll ever make it through. Whenever you do something you’re not looking forward to, be it work, or school, or a hangout you begrudgingly accepted an invitation to, all you can do is act naturally and hope that it all passes soon. It doesn’t help when outside sources of stress come in to make the situation worse than it needs to be, like people being uncooperative, or a bug making you feel sick, or a situation from a while back rearing its ugly head to haunt you at every turn. It’s ugly and stressful having to do the things we don’t want to do day in and day out. But that’s life.

And yet, the biggest paradox to the ugliness and futility of life is how beautiful it is. Even if you’re not ultimately in control of where you end up, having a goal to work towards keeps you motivated and looking forward to the next big thing, all while you’re improving yourself as time passes. Even if some people can be aggravating to deal with, it’s the people that you stick with the most that end up becoming your most long-lasting friends; the kind that you laugh with, cry with, and bear the burdens of life together with to make everything more worthwhile. Even if you don’t want to do things like work or school, going through with them may give you the needs to survive, and learning from these experiences will better prepare you for the future.

It’s still not a perfect solution and it’s not guaranteed to work out for everyone, but the joy of life comes from continually improving yourself and your relationship with others, helping one another through the trials and tribulations of life, and sharing experiences that will last a lifetime. In that sense, I can consider Persona 3 the ultimate celebration of life itself.

But Persona 3 is also a game about death.

No matter who you are, or what you’ve done in life, death is inevitable to everything and everyone. It can happen when you’re old and frail, dying of natural causes when your body finally gives out. It can happen when you’re young and a horrible accident takes you before your time. It can happen from a disease, either when you’re in your senior years or from a horrible disease destroying you when you’re not even an adult. It can happen when an individual willingly murders another human being and forever taints their soul with their victim’s blood. It can even happen when an individual sees no point in living anymore, throwing their life away by committing suicide.

For many people, death is a horrible thing to think about. Whenever someone dies, that death is felt by someone out there; whether it’s just one person who cares or the entire world that cares, everyone mourns the loss of life. Desires and regrets bubble to the surface, making people wish they had spent one more day with them or had attempted to rebuild bridges that had been burnt down. The worst aspect about death is the painful loneliness that comes with never being able to see the dead again, no matter how much you miss them. And the fact that there is not one unified idea in all of human history on what happens to us after death is far too terrifying to even think about.

And the absolute scariest part about death is that no one knows when it comes or who it comes to. It could happen to you or someone you know, it could be decades down the line or within this very year, but no matter what, there is no escaping it. All that awaits us is the cold grip of death.

So why speak about death when there’s no joy in discussing it? Why talk about something so horrible that it seems like there’s nothing to be gained from talking about it?

Because death is part of life.

We live our lives because we want to make the most of them before we die. We want to take those precious few moments that we have on this earth to fulfill ourselves in any way we can before our time is up. We earnestly want to make a difference in the lives of others, whether it’s by supporting them in their time of need, or making things that speak to people and draw them together. We want to do whatever we can to make life better, for either a few people or a lot of people, and most importantly, for ourselves as well. Life itself is harsh and unforgiving with only death awaiting us, but if we can make the most of it through the things we do and the people we connect with, then we may be able to pass on with no regrets.

This is the ultimate lesson of Persona 3, and the one that stuck out to me the most. I couldn’t begin to tell you how many long nights and endless work hours led me to this conclusion, but after everything I’ve learned about myself through this project, it was the answer that made the most sense to me. Persona 3 was a game that taught me about the joy of life and encouraged me to take a more active role in connecting with other people. It taught me about the nature of death, how to best cope with it, and how to support those who were grieving over losing someone to death or how to deal with the looming specter of death.

And, perhaps most importantly, it allowed me to come to terms with myself. It’s helped me to acknowledge my own fears and worries over the future and my own life. It’s helped me to realize my own problems with anxiety, and what I can do to help fix that. It’s helped me to recognize that no one man is an island, how everyone has their own set of worries and anxieties, and how being with friends and encouraging them allows us to bring out the best in them. And it’s helped me realize the importance of just... living out my own life.

And for that reason alone, for everything it has taught me and how much of an effect it’s had on me, it’s only right for me to say that my favorite video game of all time is...

Game #1: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 “Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey. One is always aware that it lies in wait. Though life is merely a journey to the grave, it must not be undertaken without hope. Only then will a traveler's story live on, cherished by those who bid him farewell.”

Released: July 13th, 2006 Synopsis: A young, teenaged orphan transfers to Gekkoukan High School for the start of a new year only to discover the Dark Hour, a period of time between one day and the next, where malicious Shadows roam. When they awaken to a newly discovered ability called Persona, they join other students with the same abilities in exploring Tartarus, a mysterious tower that appears in place of their high school during the Dark Hour. Chosen Music: Memories of You

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iamthestrangerinmoscow · 7 years

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autistic studying advice

by an autistic undergrad

1) Don’t trust all study guides by NTs

Their brains are wired differently and some things that work for them won’t work for us. There’s a chance those tips and tricks won’t do anything for you, which might make you feel like a failure. You aren’t! If something doesn’t work, move on. It’s okay.

2) If you have executive dysfunction, laziness and lack of motivation is not your problem

When you struggle with executing tasks it may feel like you are lazy and aren’t motivated enough, but that’s not necessarily true! You might be hella motivated and still not be able to do a task. Trying to motivate yourself in that case will only make you more frustrated.

3) Get distractions out of the way

Little things that would not distract a neurotypical person might distract you, in which case you won’t be able to work to your full capacity. Build a sensory friendly environment with no noises, bright lights, bad smells, etc. Use ear plugs or music if you need to. Get stim toys if you stim a lot to concentrate. Good environment is very important and is probably the reason why you struggle at school/college/uni where your senses might be overstimulated.

4) If you tend to hyperfocus, learn when it happens

Hyperfocus can be incredibly useful for studying, so if it happens to you, try to identify when it happens. For me I tend to hyperfocus when there are absolutely no distractions (for me that often means when I have headphones on and I’m alone). Then replicate those factors to get more done.

5) Learn ways around executive dysfunction and limited energy

This is the most difficult part. Studying when you have problems with executing tasks and limited spoons (energy resources) is tough. Here’s how you can deal with it.

6) Understand your priorities

You will not be able to do as much as NTs do in one day. Deal with it now. Understand that simple tasks such as brushing your teeth or talking on the phone also require energy. So prioritize. Assume you can only do one thing today, the most important/urgent one, and do that first. Then the less important thing. And so on.

7) “Don’t half-ass things” is a lie

Half-ass things. Quarter-ass things. If you can only do one math problem today, do it. That will be one less math problem later. If you can only read a few pages of a textbook today, do it. It’s also easy to think “if I can’t write the essay and finish that project today, might as well do nothing”. That’s a lie too. Do a small thing but do something. Do something badly but still do it. You might be able to fix it later. There’s no shame in being disabled, no matter what society makes you think.

8) Do the most complicated thing first

If you have several tasks and one requires more executive functioning, do that first. Your planning skills are probably at best right after you wake up, before you have time to spend any energy. So that’s the best time to do tasks with many steps or to plan tasks ahead.

9) Rest and take breaks right

It’s important to take breaks in between work, but you have to do it right. You might be tempted to do something useful for a break to be productive - like take a walk or read a book or talk to someone. Do not, or at least do not unless you are absolutely sure. Switching to another task requires mental energy, so that will only deplete your energy sources.

For breaks, do something ridiculously easy. Go on social media. Listen to a song and sing along. Watch a YouTube video. Stim. Daydream. Even lay down and close your eyes for five minutes. Just don’t switch to tasks that also require energy.

10) Don’t try to learn by repetition

Studies show that learning by repetition doesn’t work for us. It will not help you make more connections in your brain. Instead, do different tasks. Read from a book. Write down important points from the book. Read them out loud. Try to repeat them without looking. Pretend to explain it to someone. Answer questions related to the material. Draw it. Watch a video about it. Make a mnemonic for it. Whatever. Just don’t sit there reading it again and again.

11) Be kind to yourself

Your energy levels and capabilities will fluctuate from day to day, and you can’t always know how it will turn out. On some days I can write an essay from scratch in one sitting. On others I struggle to make myself a cup of tea. That’s normal, and it’s not your fault. Blaming yourself for it will only upset you and make it less likely that you do at least something today.

Imagine it like this: you are playing a game, and the difficulty setting randomly switches every day. On some days it’s on easy and you get through five levels with no problems. On some days it’s on very difficult and you can’t even get to the first checkpoint. That’s okay. Say to yourself, “my abilities haven’t changed, the difficulty changed”. Today, just get to that checkpoint. Tomorrow you might get through five levels.

12) Learn from other autistic people

For any other problem you might come across, other autistic people are the best source of knowledge. Allistic parents, teachers, friends, mentors, etc are likely to not understand your problem at all, or give you bad advice. Instead consult the real autism experts - actually autistic people. There are plenty of us who got through school, college and/or uni. Reach out to them. They will help.

Good luck!

#actuallyautistic #autism #studying #should I make an autistic studyblr?#maybe if I'll have time in the second semester #mattie on tumblr #long post

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cebu-realestate · 4 years

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Philippine Real Estate During COVID-19

AKIN to world crises prior to now, the present coronavirus illness 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic apparently has forged doubt on the Philippine real estate economic system’s prospects. And but, for all of the doom and gloom eventualities, one factor for certain, in line with Philippine real-estate specialists and gamers, is that this well-being emergency opens up alternatives for each the real-estate traders and builders.

With this in thoughts, they agreed that now’s the right time for the market to accumulate a bit of a property as builders want to satisfy their expectations simply after they take care of present conditions of their subject amid the unfold of the virulent, lethal virus.

“Highest and best use of Philippine property will become even more important for investors and developers. Flexibility is key. Covid-19 is indeed a crisis, but every crisis brings opportunities,” KMC Solutions Cofounder Amanda Carpo advised the BusinessMirror.

“While the pandemic has brought about many uncertainties and challenges across a broad spectrum of investors and customers, basic microeconomics principles still point out to clear advantages of investing in property.… I do believe that developers should be sincere in adapting to the different rigors and demands brought about by the new normal,” added Golden Bay Landholdings Inc. (GBLI) Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jardin Brian Wong.

Philippine Real Estate is Crisis-proof

NO matter what the financial setting is, actual property, not like some industries, is resilient sufficient to offer good returns. In reality, it’s the third-safest funding subsequent to gold and certificates of deposit, per an examination by world public opinion and knowledge firm YouGov.

“Property has long been the gold standard for investment because of a plethora of reasons,” Wong famous.

Foremost of such causes, he stated, is that it’s extremely tangible funding that the consumers can see and really feel. Second can be the legacy side—these belongings will be handed out from era to era—arguably giving them a way of safety.

The third is its worth era. “Over time, Philippine real estate tends to increase in value exponentially while in comparison, actual money contracts due to a plethora of reasons like supply and demand, inflation and fiscal pressure,” Wong identified.

He was famous that property investments are thought of to be secure not like different potential income streams like shares, bonds, and different securities that have fluctuating tendencies and are extra inclined to market shocks.

Sharing the identical concept with him, Carpo views actual property as a great instrument for traders to diversify their funding portfolio. She stated: “Equities are much more volatile and carry more risk in general, and real estate can help manage volatility and risk and make your investments more efficient. More than ever, investors need to understand the effects of volatility. That is what we will be experiencing in the near future.”

Cautious transfer

ALTHOUGH property is effective funding generally, the prime mover of KMC Solutions cautioned consumers to be extra sensitive about their targets and timeframe.

In these troublesome occasions, a downward development in real-estate values is predicted. Nonetheless, it could be a great time for traders to come back into the market.

“If you are investing, you should know whether you are a safe, aggressive, opportunistic investor,” Carpo stated. “You should know your expected return and the volatility involved.”

Because excessive returns include excessive dangers, it’s pure for property seekers to search for belongings that aren’t so risky however have an honest return.

“Real estate is efficient in that sense,” she stated. “An investment in real estate is a long play and balances the volatility of a portfolio of equities, bonds, and cash. It builds wealth and helps grow wealth since you can also use it for leverage.”

For the good thing about property homeowners who must promote their belongings—given the risky markets paired with unpredictability on when the well-being disaster will finish—Carpo had this as a reminder: “If you need to liquidate, make sure that you will be able to re-invest the proceeds or use it for something essential. It may be time to tighten belts. It may be time to discard ‘sentimentality.’ Be flexible.”

For those that nonetheless have sufficient assets or money available, she admonished them in a different way. “If you have income-producing property or one that has good intrinsic value and can afford to hold on, it’s my personal preference to play the long game.”

Maximize your funding

STILL within the lockdown mode, traders can maximize their real-estate funding in two methods, Wong stated.

An adage that claims, “Our home is our sanctuary” works—practicality-wise—throughout this time that the Luzon-based enhanced group quarantine (ECQ) is carried out to assist comprise the speedy unfold of the virus.

“I believe that investing and having our own homes during a pandemic provides that extra safety and security mechanism that everyone should have,” he stated

Second can be the economical side. The COO of GBLI stated real-estate belongings is usually a lifeline to help dwindling earnings streams or to help cash-strapped stability sheets.

“Consumers can leverage these tangible assets to secure much-needed funding or aid during extraordinary emergencies like this,” he stated.

Looking past the well-being emergency, traders must leverage on the stretched fee phrases and lock in adjusted costs that builders now provide to them. Availing themselves of such drastically reduces the month-to-month publicity of every shopper.

“Most of these payment terms are over three or four years. So, hopefully, by then the world economy and global health system would be over the initial ‘shock’ to the market and would have adjusted fairly well. When everything goes back to normal, buyers might enjoy the same benefits they would get,” Wong careworn.

Catering to market demand

EXPECTING a heightened shopping for an impulse from the market throughout this pandemic, Golden Bay assures that it has an agency grasp of the promotion it operates in.

“We adapt to market conditions and try our best to bridge impending gaps between market trajectory and consumer appetite,” the COO bared.

At current, he stated initiatives underneath design improvement and development phases are being reviewed and, subsequently, strengthened to suit future market necessities.

“As a company, we always make it a priority to be nimble and reactive to the ever-changing demands of the market, and we are prepared to adapt well to these changes,” emphasized Wong.

In a bid to be delicate to prospects’ wants given their present state of affairs within the time of Covid-19, he stated the agency is within the strategy of implementing versatile and extra inexpensive fee schemes for his or her goal consumers.

AboitizLand, Cebu Landmasters

This effort is much like different gamers’ initiatives to in some way assist property seekers, particularly those that have misplaced their jobs or technique of livelihood due to the government-imposed ECQ, to manage.

In a current developer webinar sequence of Lamudi, AboitizLand Inc. offers incentives to consumers, reminiscent of reductions, to assist them in their monetary want. This reward scheme can also be given to sellers by adjusting their fee charges in recognition of their being “frontliners” within the enterprise.

“The challenge is not just in the new model of selling. The challenge [is more on the fact that] the people we’re selling to have [fewer] resources. In fact, that’s the bigger challenge. You’re talking now to people who have [fewer] resources, and not only [fewer] resources, but the uncertainty of that resource,” stated David Rafael, chief govt officer (CEO) of AboitizLand.

Regional participant Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI), however, has prolonged fee schemes for many who acquired pre-selling items. Also, the agency reassures shoppers by telling them that the costs received change.

“In the next few months, prices of construction materials will soften because a lot of the inventory was not acquired. There are possible adjustments, a review of the pricing,” CLI CEO Jose Soberano III stated.

Torre Lorenzo Development Corp. (TLDC), in the meantime, has a special strategy. Considering that it caters to the high-end market, whose widespread concern is the time of supply of the items greater than versatile fee phrases, the corporate offers very important info to maintain patrons within the loop.

TLDC CEO Tomas Lorenzo additionally shared that they’re working for the Philippine real estate rental market. He stated: “People who can’t afford to buy are going to shift to leasing. In Torre Lorenzo, we have quite a substantial portion of our projects for lease.”

New regular

THE unprecedented well-being emergency the world is now going through is altering the best way individuals work, play, eat, and stay.

“Some of these adaptations may be permanent,” stated Carpo. “Just like 9-11 where, over time we recognized we live in a world where terrorism is possible and we are used to security checks, screening, and metal detectors, this pandemic will force workplaces, homes, shops, restaurants, factories to think of health and safety measures to prevent disease.”

Apart from the necessity for properties to have correct airflow, sanitized areas, and social-distancing measures, amongst others, she stated that one other new regular can be a change in design ideas.

“We will have to rethink high-density living. We will have to, more than ever, think of our environment and the space we live in,” she famous, including that each trader and builders must turn into data-driven of their decision-making. “We are in uncertain times and we must be willing to adapt. Adapt or die.”

Golden Bay, for one, sees plenty of expertise utilization from the best way they do enterprise will emerge from the disaster.

“From an operational point of view, some jobs would be done remotely from the confines of employees’ homes. Investment in technology for sales and marketing purposes will rise significantly since developers will try to reach customers through the web. Over-the-counter payment forms will be forgone in favor of cashless transactions. On the engineering front, developers would want to review existing and future projects in the pipeline to adapt to new demands of society,” Wong stated.

“Business Mirror by Roderick Abad (May 10, 2020)”

#Coronavirus #COVID

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