#btw I made that artwork at the top if anyone is wondering!

[minniebbang]

within the forest | chapter 6

pairing: fairy!Chan x princess!reader word count: 1.6k words summary: another day with Chan but someone seemed displeased with your decision. a/n: posting this while waiting for my food which took longer than I expected...btw, hope you have a wonderful day today!!

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“Come on! You will miss the sun kiss, Chan!” She ran to him, helping him carry one of the easels. Chan let a smile dominate his lips as he quickened his pace toward their painting place for today - his mother’s favourite place. While positioning the easel, he caught her spinning around the meadow - hands spread widely and her sky-blue skirt billowing. Her brown lock shone under the golden afternoon light - her eyes reflected it.

His action died down in an instant. He twirled his hand in a motion. Flowers around her bloomed after a wave of yellow dust flew across them. She seems more like a fairy than himself - glowing under the sunlight and with a beaming smile. He called out her name.

“You got entertained easily, little flora”  He ruffled her brown hair gently as she glanced up. Rosy cheeks and a broader smile plastered for him to witness. Under his touch, she still felt like the little girl he had met. It doesn’t matter if she ages up, she always would be Chan’s little flora. His flora that he would protect and care for until the end.

“We don’t live forever, Chan. So, I make sure every moment spent is exhilarating.”

“I’m glad you have that mindset. Should we start our painting session, Your Highness?” He offered his hand. She placed her hand on top of his palm - playing along. The easels were backing each other so there was no space for peeking at the other’s artwork. Beside the easels, a table stood with a colour palette and a plate of creampuff. 3 stems of purple lilac were on the plate.

“One question before we start. Why did you place the easels like this?”

“I want to keep our artwork as a surprise for each other. We’ll reveal it on my birthday”

“Whatever makes you happy, channie”

Silence took over when their hands reached for the palette and brush. The low sound from the caressing brushes was barely heard because they thought deeply about what to draw. The first stroke - your first action - will determine the outcome. 

Hours passed and the drawing began to take shape. Chan tilted his head to check up on her. With a brush on her right hand, she carefully placed black paint onto her canvas. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration before continuing to paint. She probably didn’t realise the smeared purple paint on her cheeks. He kept quiet because she was adorable with it.

“I have never seen you in a full dress before” 

“I’m not really into dresses. It limited my steps and most of my dresses were only for special occasions so I can’t wear them daily,” she replied, not sparing any glances at Chan.

“What a bummer…” he sighed and faced the canvas. He peeked at her once again before painting the features on his drawing. 

“You would look lovely and exquisite in one, little flora"

“If you are that eager, how about you be my stepbrother?” she chuckled but deep inside, she meant it. If Chan were her brother, nothing would stop their relationship - they could have fun daily without anyone judging glare.

“I would scare everyone in the palace with my hideous wings then”

“What are you blabbering about, Chan?” She set the brush away and approached him. She ran her fingers through his wings. Despite what he said, she was always fond of his wings - it was the part of him that made him special. Chan stood up and pulled her into a hug as a gesture of thank you. Parting away, the breeze blew his dark hair along the sudden ‘thud’ behind them was heard. An arrow bulged on the side of Chan’s canvas that had fallen to the grass. 

Chan yanked the arrow and untangled the tight-up paper on its shaft. Ripping the paper, a single line of words was written in red ink. He crumbled the paper and grabbed her hand. His indecipherable face caused curiosity to crawl into her. 

“You need to return now, little flora. They found me” he said, voice oddly calm.  

“Who did?”

“Them. Meet you tomorrow, safe ride” He closed his eyes as black feathers began consuming her. She vanished when the feather turned into dust. Chan eyed the canvas, a contemplating sigh escape. He twirled his finger and all of the equipment entered his cottage. He unfolded his palm, the paper uncrumpled, revealing the sentence - the bigger threat is coming, better watch out.

The strong light blinded her as she sat up, pondering while looking around. Open flower fields filled with her mother's favourites. Why is she here? Why did Chan send her back? Despite the strong light, she could make out a silhouette at the gazebo far away - a fully dressed woman, rushing toward her. 

“Flora? Where have you been?!” 

Oh, it was her mother, face worrying than ever. Her mother helped her stand up. 

“I was walking around, reliving my childhood. You don’t have to worry, Mother”

“How couldn’t I? I asked anyone about your whereabouts and nobody saw you!” 

She took her mother’s hand into hers, lips resting into a tender smile. Sometimes chasing her freedom, she forgot the one who allowed her to experience it - her mother. Was it a selfish act? Lying to her queen to save Chan and herself from being punished? Her grip tightened, yet careful so she didn’t hurt her.

“I’m sorry, mother.” 

“Let’s go inside. Father and Seungmin must be waiting for me” Her mother nodded and they went inside the palace. 

[later that night]

He threw the paper into the forked flame of the fireplace, watching it crumble into pieces and turn into ashes. His eyes were shut when a line of memory hit him, returning him to the past he wanted to forget. His wings wrapped around him as if they were comforting him. The scar that stretched across his right wing was visible under the fire. 

“Did the fire remind you of that accident?” A deep, familiar voice spoke out from behind the chair.

“What are you doing here, Duncan?” He asked, clearly unwelcoming the guest of the night. A figure lurked out of the shadow - a tall man with a pair of wings similar to Chan. His wrinkly face was wearing a sinister grin, it was more like a mocking grin the more Chan stared at it. A modern suit fitted him, an expensive suit for a man like him. He must be out on another hunting. 

“I heard from Minho that you made a new friend. The Stelious Princess, wasn’t it? What a decision when you’re on the verge of death. The king already had threatened you”

Chan faced him “You would tell me that if you have an offer to make. Stop beating around bushes.”

Duncan chuckled “Work with us again and I’ll guarantee your safety. Besides, could you bear your siblings mourning over your death?”

Chan’s face remains stoic although Duncan’s words twisted his inside. Imagining it was enough to terrify him. 

“Say yes, chan. You aren’t risking your life for a stranger” Duncan extended his hand in an inviting gesture, unfolded palm shoved in front of Chan. Chan wanted to take his hand but he stopped when a screeching scream rang in his ear. He hesitated, hand hovering over Duncan’s.

A train of memory winded in his head, and his hand instantly retreated. He questioned himself - do you want to experience the pain again? Do you want to be called a betrayer again?

“Your offer was sincere, Duncan but I say no. I can handle the king by myself”

“Minho will continue working with you. I’m not capable of it” 

Duncan scoffed, turning around. “Then, all the best. I’ll be there if you change your mind” 

"We'll see how far you will go for that girl"

Outside the cottage, two fairies watched Chan through the window. They couldn’t understand their discussion due to the distance they were in. The brunette fairy stood on the branches, holding the trunk to balance himself on the thin branch. He huffed. The forest was cornered with huge black thorns that grew from the ground. It will be difficult for someone to barge into the forest now.

“That fairy caged us in here, Taehyun!” He sulked while he nibbled his sugar cube.

“It’s for our safety as well, Beomgyu. The king will kill us if he sees us”

“But…”

“Another sulking from you and I’ll throw all of your sugar cubes, gyu”

“Fine!”

Her footsteps rang loudly in her ear as she headed toward her bedroom. The dim light from the candle in the hallway did less to brighten her path. As she took a step, the guilt from the dept of her heart escaped as the image of her mother flashed in her mind. How could she neglect her duty as a good daughter to her mother? Why did she realised it now?

“Make up your mind, Gale! Kill the fairy or I’ll execute your son!”

Her steps halted as well as her breath. She glanced beside her, instantly stepping back when she noticed it was the King’s office. The shadow on the floor shows how the king was grasping his hair in frustration. 

“Locate the dark fairy. We’ll attack him as fast as possible. As long as he’s alive, our people’s safety is at risk”

She covered her mouth with her hand as a gasp was let out. She hears her father’s words, nice and clear. Her heart dropped to the pit of his stomach at the realisation. Her father was the one who sent the arrow. She ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. 

Both males in the room jolted at the slam. The king felt unease so he perked his head outside his room. Only the night wind greeted him, causing his shoulder to slump forward. He was being paranoid for nothing. He slowly closed the door behind him.

“What was that, Your Highness?”

“I’m not sure”

“I hope it wasn’t Flora”

[natrogersfics]

btw there are users on x calling you out . they saying your “lazy” because the anthology chapters is short .

Hi, anon! Yes, I’ve been made aware. I didn’t really want to address this, but seeing as it’s spreading across the comments section on AO3 and my inbox/dms here, let me just put this all to rest now.

At the end of the day, everyone is entitled to their opinions. Not everything I write will be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s 100% okay. I would never want to force anyone to read any work of mine that they don’t think is worth their time. On my end, I just really enjoy collaborating with @faith2nyc as it’s a great outlet for us when life gets crazy and that’s really why we continue to create Romanogers fics and artwork. Sharing the byproduct of that in this community just happens to be the wonderful cherry on top.

As for the way The Anthology was written, I won’t apologize for that. I had meant for it to feel episodic, as though you were watching mini music videos while listening to the tracks and that’s why the chapters are as short as they are. Even with what I know now, I still wouldn’t change the approach to it.

All of this to say - thank you, anon, for your concern (and everyone else who reached out!), but please do not put anyone on blast. They are entitled to their feelings and I'm happily moving on to my next project. Onwards and upwards!

[24-7-testing]

I posted 1,180 times in 2022

25 posts created (2%)

1,155 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@24-7-testing

@enrichment--center

@humanwheatleyslefttoenail

@the-dangerous-mute-lunatic

@ratt-core

I tagged 1,180 of my posts in 2022

#aperture science - 1,170 posts

#aperture laboratories - 1,170 posts

#portal 2 - 1,047 posts

#chell - 498 posts

#testing queue - 346 posts

#wheatley - 329 posts

#glados - 326 posts

#portal - 270 posts

#companion cube - 157 posts

#caroline - 67 posts

Longest Tag: 116 characters

#this unlocked a deeply repressed memory of me playing petz in my grandparent's basement on an old macintosh computer

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

"Welcome, gentlemen, to The Aperture's Fortune. Aristocrats, soldiers, bilge rats -- you're here because we want the best, and you are it. So: Who is ready to plunder some gold? [laugh] Now, you already met one another on the dinghy ride over, so let me introduce myself. I'm Captain Johnson. I own the ship. That eager voice you hear barking orders is the lovely Caroline, my First Mate. Rest assured, she's stashed your excess gold with the rest of our loot. Isn't that right, Caroline?"

"Yes, sir, Cap'n Johnson!"

"Hardest working deckhand, Caroline. She's the backbone of this ship! Pretty as a postcard too. Sorry scallywags, she's married; to the sea!"

I've been playing a lot of the game Sea of Thieves with a good friend lately (highly recommend it btw) and we got talking about what a Pirate Portal AU would look like. Surprisingly enough, there doesn't seem to be any fanart of Portal characters as pirates at least that I've found.

So, thanks to an art commission done by the amazing @sapient-nes , this new multiverse now has some content! Here's Captain Cave Johnson and his First Mate Caroline sailing the seas on their ship, The Aperture's Fortune, looking for adventure, plunder, and any crew members brave enough to accompany them on their voyages!

I'm very happy with how the artwork came out. The artist did a wonderful job and was great to work with too! Go commission them if you like what you see!

Also, if anybody out there has seen any other Portal-themed Pirate content, send it my way!

138 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

#4

I've been seeing a lot of people slightly confused by it, so I thought that I would point out that Aperture Desk Job is not part of the main timeline of Portal and Portal 2.

From the Steam page for the game:

It's a story in the expanded universe of those games, ie the Multiverse! That being said, it's extremely fun and should definitely be played!

Hopefully everyone can keep this in mind while developing fan theories about the content of the game. 😊

258 notes - Posted March 2, 2022

#3

The end of the year gets tough for a lot of people, especially the last few years. Because of this, I am once again excited to announce the return of…

The Portal Holiday Spirit Initiative!

To try and lift people’s spirits up this year, I will be making and sending out FREE Portal-Themed Holiday Cards to anyone who asks for one! The cards are customized to match any December Holiday of your choice and mailed to you physically or emailed digitally!

This will be the fourth consecutive year I have run PHSI, and features the return of the nifty Postcards from last year! But don't worry: All physical cards will be mailed in themed envelopes this year, so your postcards should arrive in much better condition! :)

These postcards are are also special and unique, because they feature new artwork made by eight different artists from the fandom, specifically for this event! The design of the postcard you receive will be based on what you select in your Card Request. I can’t express the amount of thanks these artists deserve for volunteering their time and talents to make PHSI 2022 special!

If you would like to receive a Portal-Themed Holiday Card:

Visit bit.ly/portal-holiday-spirit-initiative …

Answer the questions on the form…

Wait for your card to be made and sent!

It’s that simple! Card Requests are now open, and close on December 20th in order to give me enough time to make and send all the cards before the end of the year. Please submit sooner rather than later so I have time to finish them all!

Also, please don’t be afraid to request a physical card if you don’t live in the US! It might take a bit longer for you to receive your card depending on what country you live in, but they do get mailed to whatever address you provide, whether domestic or foreign. Last year I mailed/emailed a total of 141 cards to Italy, Australia, Canada, Colombia, The Czech Republic, Germany, England, Finland, France, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Russia, The US, The United Kingdom, and Vietnam!

I’m glad to be a part of the Portal Fandom and hope to bring a smile to others in the Fandom this year! While not a requirement to receive a card, please visit ko-fi.com/247testing and click the Donate button if you’d like to give $2 to cover the cost/postage of your card and someone else’s too. Thanks!

Answers for common questions and concerns under the cut:

Worried about providing a mailing address, for whatever reason?

PHSI has an eCard option! All you need to provide is a name for me to call you by and an email address to receive your card!

Worried about requesting a card because you don’t live in the US?

PHSI mails to any address provided, whether domestic or foreign! However, please wait patiently for your card, due to the current global rate of shipping.

Worried that you can’t give $2 to cover the cost of your card and someone else’s?

Requesting a card from PHSI has been and will always be FREE! However, giving $2 to the initiative helps me buy card supplies and postage to mail physical cards (visit ko-fi.com/247testing if you’d like to contribute). I gratefully appreciate any contributions received, even if it’s just a comment saying thanks!

Worried because you don’t know how to support the artist of the card you received?

Each artist's social media are listed on the back of every card featuring their artwork. Look them up, commission them, reblog their art, and support them however you can!

Worried because you haven’t received your card yet?

Double check your email inbox and junk folders. I send everyone an email that either confirms your Holiday Card has shipped or includes your eCard! If your physical card fails to show up after the first of January, please reach out to me and I’ll send you a replacement eCard!

Worried because you received your card and don’t know what to do now?

Make a post about it! Include pictures, videos, or anything you’d like, and tag me in the post (@24-7-testing) so I can reblog it! If you don’t want to show your card off, that’s ok too!

274 notes - Posted November 20, 2022

#2

A Study Of Lies, by yours truly.

460 notes - Posted April 17, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

!!!

From the article:

"We've gotta start Portal 3, that's my message to you. Anything you can do, let's do it, let's just make it happen. Because yeah, I am also not getting any younger like we are reaching the point where it's crazy to think, literally gonna be too old to work on Portal 3 so we should just do it," said Wolpaw.

Wolpaw went on to say that Portal fans should make their appeals known to Gabe Newell, though the writer was quick to point out that he doesn't think these appeals will help the game materialize. However, if Newell and Valve see an interest, it certainly couldn't hurt! 

632 notes - Posted April 18, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[cascadena]

Rekindled - Prologue & Ch 1

SUMMARY: Post-BotW. Zelink. Hyrule now turns to an exhausted Princess Zelda to pick up the fragments of the fallen kingdom. Link, who is still piecing together his own past and traumas from his own journey, realizes that he has to be the one to help Zelda back on her feet. Together, they travel the land to begin the rebuilding process, and uncover a new, mysterious threat along the way...

GENRE: Adventure, Romance, Hurt/Comfort

WORDS: 44K

STATUS: Complete

RATING: T for Teen | Contains Action/Violence, Blood, and (Of-Age) Alcoholic Beverage Consumption, Kissing Scenes.

[Read on FF.Net] - The ENTIRE story is already posted there for your reading pleasure!!

[AO3 Posting coming soon!]

-

PROLOGUE

Link

The clouds of malice curling above me dissipated upon the Princess’s eradication of Ganon, leaving behind an untainted sky that shone with a more vivid blue than I had seen since awakening from my slumber. Rising from where I’d landed with my paraglider after sending the final ancient arrow right into Ganon’s core, I rubbed a particularly sore spot on my right shoulder where Calamity Ganon managed to land a more severe blow with an ancient blade in our duel at Hyrule Castle. The bleeding had slowed from my adrenaline rush but it would only hold off the pain for so long. I gripped my arm as I cautiously approached the girl whose voice I had only heard in my mind since my revival. Though we’d just destroyed the malicious Calamity Ganon, my heart still beat quickly in anticipation of the reunion with the beautiful girl from my memories.

The Princess lowered her arm, facing away from me as she took a slow, deep breath. I flinched when she began speaking. Her soft voice was just audible over the whips of wind as the last of the malice storm cleared around us.

“I’ve been keeping watch over you all this time… I’ve witnessed your struggles to return to us as well as your trials in battle. I always thought—no, I always believed—that you would find a way to defeat Ganon.” She paused for a moment as she seemed to consider her next words. “I… never lost faith in you over these many years,” she said. 

Finally, she turned. A strangely familiar warmth pulsed in my chest as she faced me for the first time since I died in her arms a hundred years ago. Her small smile was familiar to my memories. I wondered how in the world I’d ever been able to keep my focus on the demands of my duty to protect her in the past. 

“Thank you, Link...the hero of Hyrule.” Her expression softened. I nodded and swallowed a smile, unable to speak as hot tears welled in my eyes. Zelda seemed to notice, and a weight visibly lifted from her shoulders as she clasped her hands in front of her. “May I ask… Do you really remember me?”

“Yes, Your Highness, I do,” I managed to reply, but my voice cracked as a tear escaped down my cheek. Zelda smiled as she clasped her hands over her face as she suppressed a cry.

“We’ve finally done it,” she breathed, and then her balance shook. 

Within a second of seeing her waver, I leapt forward, just in time to catch her in my arms as her legs gave out beneath her. I cushioned her as the weight pulled us both to our knees. I wondered if holding Hyrule’s Princess so close was proper for her Appointed Knight. However, when I felt her arms tighten a little in gratitude around my shoulders, I knew it was acceptable in this circumstance. “Even now, you protect me from any harm when it threatens me,” she said into my shoulder. 

A smile dared to cross my face, until I realized my wound had begun to bleed onto the back of her dress. I inhaled sharply as the pain began to throb. The adrenaline was wearing off for both of us.

“Link!”

My head flipped to the right towards the source of the voice. A covered wagon charged towards us from the East. I instinctively reached to the hilt of the Master Sword at my shoulder but relaxed when I saw a familiar girl hop out and run ahead of the caravan to meet us.

It was Paya. The Sheikah had come to help us.

-

-

CHAPTER 1

Link

Everything that happened next was a blur. The Sheikah caravan halted and Dorian and Cado jumped out to assist Zelda into the wagon. A million pains began pulsing through my body.

“M-Master Link… We left as soon as we heard the rumble of Vah Ruta’s laser,” said Paya. She took one look at my arm before she fetched a makeshift bandage from the wagon and handed me a water skin. “Please, let us assist you…”

We began the journey back to Kakariko Village, where the Sheikah could help us. I insisted on riding Epona, my horse, to give Zelda more space in the wagon, as the exhausted Princess had passed out shortly after being helped inside. Epona was a tough girl, and though she was exhausted from the battle with Ganon, I knew she could make it to Kakariko after Paya fed her a hearty mix of swift and endura carrots.

Epona followed the wagon on a lead as we made our way towards the Dueling Peaks. Hyrule seemed so peaceful as usual, and I briefly wondered if any of the civilians were even aware yet that the calamity had finally been destroyed. Surely, the Sheikah weren’t the only ones to witness the Divine Beast lasers fire. 

I glanced into the open flap on the backside of the wagon and could see Princess Zelda sleeping in a shaft of sunlight. Her mouth hung open as she curled up on the cushion inside. After a hundred years of fighting off Ganon, her nap was well deserved. Looking upon the exhausted Princess in her dirtied, bloodied prayer gown, I felt a wave of guilt pass through my gut and my jaw clenched. If I hadn’t fallen a hundred years ago and just slayed Ganon back then, she would not have had to suffer and fight for so many years. 

Her pain was a result of my own failure.

I knew I would have to apologize to her at some point. But how could one possibly apologize for a hundred years of suffering and a fallen kingdom? My thoughts began to drift as my consciousness faded away with the rhythmic thud of Epona’s trotting. The shadows of moblins, guardians, and lynels flashed through my mind in a hazy dream as my brain processed all I’d just endured. I had fallen asleep on horseback a few times previously, but never for very long stretches of time. It was a miracle that I didn’t fall off Epona and drown in the river right there. 

The golden light of the sunset fell over the mountaintops surrounding Kakariko Village, casting the village in shadow so that only the warm illuminance of the resident’s windows brought light into the streets. When our caravan arrived in front of Impa’s house. I jolted awake as Dorian’s small children called my name. A few other curious villagers crowded around before Dorian shooed them away. 

Zelda awakened, and I was grateful that the evening light would prevent us from drawing much more attention from the villagers as we ascended the steps to the elder’s home under the cover of darkness. Only as I climbed the steps did I begin to realize how exhausted my body felt: navigating through the rubble of Hyrule Castle, defeating Calamity Ganon, and then riding all the way back to Kakariko all in the same day had done a number on me. However, I couldn’t complain, because the girl stepping up next to me had just fought off the ultimate demon for a hundred years straight.

We had not even reached the top of the stairs when the doors to the house flew open. Zelda gasped from beside me, faltering before she whispered. “...Impa?”

Impa grinned down on us. “It has been a long time, Your Highness.”

-

Before she began preparing food, Paya fetched a red potion from Impa’s cabinet for me. I felt  the pain in my arm and head dull considerably with the first sip. I then went to sit down with Princess Zelda where she kneeled beside Impa’s cushion. We briefly made eye contact and she smiled, though I could see fatigue clouding in her emerald green irises. I offered a crooked grin of my own in return. A flash of surprise crossed  her face, though she said nothing of it.

“You look like you haven’t aged a day,” said Impa as she placed a hand on Zelda’s own. “Some of us aren’t so lucky, unfortunately… At least Link has all those scars to prove he battled in the calamity, even if his memory is still imperfect.”

I almost choked on my potion with Impa’s joke. Robbie must have talked with Impa about how he confirmed my identity. 

Zelda glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow before she shook her head. “I was locked in a state of stasis. Even now, I don’t fully understand how everything has changed since I last walked through Hyrule.”

Impa chuckled softly then nodded. “I am sure it will take quite a while for you to process everything that has come to pass.”

Zelda clasped her hands on her knees in front of her. Her white dress, though stained from the events a hundred years ago, still fell around her in graceful, unwrinkled folds. “We… we must immediately plan the next course of action,” said Zelda.

“Indeed,” said Impa, shifting to lean forward in her seat. She put her hands on her knees and leaned forwards. “Hyrule looks to you, Your Highness.”

“Well, yes…” Zelda’s eyes flickered wide for a moment as if it had only now occurred to her that the leadership of the kingdom now fell solely on her shoulders alone. I frowned as the memory—though still a bit broken in my head—came back to me. A hundred years ago, we’d fled the castle in a hurry when the Guardians corrupted around us. Zelda had not seen her father die in the castle that day, but I knew of his fate from speaking with his spirit. 

She may have not had any time to even consider his death at all, until now.

“Impa… tell me, as my Royal Advisor, what do you think we should do?” Zelda asked in a low voice. Her hands fidgeted with the folds of her skirt.

Impa tightened her lips. “I believe we should start with the restoring of the castle. It is the heart of Hyrule Kingdom.”

Zelda swallowed and looked down at her hands. “Right, the castle…”

��There are monsters everywhere inside,” I said. Zelda glanced at me when I spoke. “We will need to get them out first. I also think there are some things inside that could possibly be salvaged.”

A hint of hope glimmered in Zelda’s eyes but it was lost a moment later. “Who will help us do this? The entire army is gone. The last of our soldiers fell in the battle at Akkala Citadel.” She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. “We could do nothing to save a single soul.”

“The Sheikah have always served the Royal Family,” said Impa. “I will see to it that we do everything we can to assist. Perhaps you can ask the other races of the kingdom for help too.”

I could tell Zelda’s mind raced as her fists clenched the fabric of her dress. “Perhaps. Thank you, Impa.”

“I am sure they will be willing to help,” said Impa. Zelda nodded but fell quiet. 

A few minutes later, Paya placed a tray of steamed vegetable skewers in front of us. My mouth watered at the sight of the colorful vegetables. I hadn’t eaten since I swiped some  raw mushrooms from a moblin’s hoard in the castle’s ruined dining hall. Zelda reached out to take one of the skewers, and I suddenly remembered something.

“Eat slowly,” I said before she even touched the hearty radish on the skewer. She sent me a questioning gaze. I blushed when I realized I’d given an order to Her Highness. I needed to clarify. “Uhm… when I woke up after a hundred years, my stomach rejected food for a few days.”

Zelda nodded, now understanding, and narrowed her attention as she delicately pulled off the radish on the end of the spear. I dug into my own skewer without much regard for table manners, savoring the sustenance while Paya and Impa watched me, a hint of amusement evident on their faces. Apparently, I used to be a slightly more... refined eater when I served in the castle.  After only a few bites, Zelda put a hand on her abdomen and offered the rest of her skewer to me. My hunch was right—her body was still fragile from her long stay in stasis.

Paya served the rest of the meal to us: meat, rice, and fortified pumpkin pie for dessert. I ravenously enjoyed the meal, much to Paya and Impa’s entertainment—but Zelda only took a small taste of each dish to be polite before she said she felt too nauseated to continue. After the meal, I cleaned my hands and asked Paya if I could assist her in washing anything, which naturally sent her into a flustered frenzy as she declined any help whatsoever from me or the Princess. 

-

I found Zelda outside on the back porch later that evening, leaning against the wooden guardrail, her head inclined up to the starry sky. Her dress, though stained with the blemishes of battle, still reflected the silver light of the moon.  The trickle of the nearby waterfall and stream broke the silence of the night. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard me approach. “May I join you, Your Highness?” I asked. 

She nodded. I stepped up beside her and leaned against the railing. “Are you feeling alright?” I asked.

She bobbed her shoulders and I knew that probably meant ‘no’ but she would not admit it. “I am…” She paused, considering her words, before continuing. “I am worried… the races of Hyrule will be angry at me as I am responsible alone for the state of the Kingdom. I owe them all an immense apology for failing them, and I do not think I can ever repay them for it.”

My heart sank with hers. I leaned an elbow on the railing. “I believe the ones who helped me cleanse the Divine Beasts would each take up the role of becoming Champions—leaders to assist in leading a rebuilding effort—if you wish to designate them.”

Zelda tightened her lips. “It is because of me that our old Champion friends, their greatest warriors, perished in battle.”

“That was because Ganon corrupted the Divine Beasts before we even knew what happened,” I reminded her. “Besides, they will all warmly welcome you with the news of Calamity Ganon’s defeat. That is good news for all.”

Zelda nodded and looked down at her folded hands. A frog jumped into the water below us with a splash. A quiet beat passed before Zelda spoke again. “Thank you for the prompt warning about eating earlier,” said Zelda. “I suspect I would have become quite ill had I forced too much food on myself so soon after coming out of many years of stasis. I’m sorry you had to experience that.”

“You’re welcome, Your Highness,” I said. “I wouldn’t want you to feel sick either. Fighting Ganon was more than enough pain for one day, let alone a hundred years.”

Zelda cracked a small smile. “You know, we never spoke nearly this frequently a hundred years ago. You used to be so quiet. I always wished I had more opportunities to talk with you like this.”

I straightened up a bit and stared at Zelda as I processed this information. Had my personality really shifted that much since my memory reconstruction?

If so… What would she think of me now? How would she feel about me?

Zelda drummed her fingers on the guardrail as she continued. “I do wonder how we will both fit into this world now. We have not aged like those around us who are left that we knew before the calamity.” She shook her head. “I’m still processing the drastic difference of Impa’s age, to be honest. When I first saw Paya, I thought she was Impa because she has such a striking resemblance. But no, she is her granddaughter.”

I nodded. “It’s been strange meeting people who knew me from before, though I didn’t remember most of them at first.”

Our conversation was interrupted by the shriek of one of the villagers in the plaza behind us, followed by the cry of a bokoblin. 

Instinctively, I grabbed Zelda’s hand led her into the safety of Impa’s house. I pushed through the front doors to view the commotion in the village below. I halted when I saw that Dorian and Cado, Impa’s guards, had already taken care of the stray bokoblin and its body disappeared into thin air.

Several villagers gathered in the area below, nervously discussing the monster. Zelda appeared beside me and I heard her exhale heavily in stress. One of the villagers noticed her and called up at us. “It’s the Princess!”

All of the Sheikah turned their heads to look up at us. A few cheered in delight as the crowd migrated towards the base of the stairs. Several people began yelling things at us at once.

“Princess!”

“Did you finally defeat the Calamity?”

“Are you really Princess Zelda?”

“Why are there still monsters attacking us?”

“What was that giant laser?”

“Will you defeat all the monsters around the village too?”

Zelda held a hand to her chin and took a step back as the villagers yelled all of their questions at her. Dorian and Cado waved their arms in an attempt to quiet down the excited villagers.

“Enough.”

Impa’s voice boomed over the village and the crowd fell silent. I glanced over to find Impa at the top of the stairs. She crossed her arms and frowned down at her villagers. 

Zelda cleared her throat and I could see her hand shaking as she lowered them. “I assure you I will see to the concerns you have,” she called down to the crowd. “Please know that Calamity Ganon is defeated, and Hyrule will rise from the ashes.”

Several of the Sheikah cheered upon the news of Calamity Ganon’s defeat. However, one of the young child villagers ran forward in the crowd. “Then why are there still monsters attacking the village?”

Zelda pursed her lips. “We will investigate,” she said.

More villagers began to ask all kinds of questions. I glanced at Impa and she nodded at me, as if to understand my thoughts. I reached over to Zelda and grabbed her hand before I gently pulled her back towards the door to Impa’s home.

“I will take all of your concerns for the Princess in due time,” Impa called as I pulled the door open. “For now, good night, and stay on your guard for stray monsters.”

-

Zelda let go of my hand when we reached the sanctuary of Impa’s house. She paced around in a circle and sighed. “Why did a monster come into the village? Monsters should never come into a village on their own, right? What are we going to do about this?”

“Your Highness, it was just a stray bokoblin—“ I started.

“The monsters should all be tame now. We defeated the calamity. They have no reason to feel irrational anger and come to attack people now. We should be able to live in peace with them.” Zelda held her arms to her head and leaned over as she panicked. “I did seal it away, right?”

“Your Highness…” I tried again.

“I must research this. The Calamity may not have been properly sealed away—“ Zelda stopped when I placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She flicked her head around and faced me. Though she was slightly taller than I, her green, anxious gaze pierced directly into my eyes. I prayed I was not acting out of line by touching her without permission.

“It was just a bokoblin. They aren’t very smart. It probably just wandered in behind us when it saw the caravan. Dorian and Cado took care of it,” I said while looking into her eyes. “Everything is fine. You don’t need to worry.”

She looked straight into my eyes with such great intensity that I wondered if I should step away before she broke the eye contact and looked down at the ground. She sniffed and nodded as tears began to form around her eyes. “I’m sorry, I think I’ve… overreacted…”

Impa cleared her throat. “I think the Princess needs to get some more rest. How about we clean you up and then send you to bed? We can continue talk of Hyrule Castle and monsters when you wake up in the morning.”

Zelda nodded slowly and Paya escorted her upstairs to her personal quarters. I wanted to follow and give her a tight hug, although I knew that would probably be way out of line to my duty as her appointed knight. Impa told me I was welcome to stay as well but I decided I would stay at the inn that night to offer them all a little more privacy. 

I attempted to fall sleep early that evening but my mind kept drifting to the events earlier with Calamity Ganon. I decided to instead use the time to address my arm wound once more. I probably should have been seen by a doctor but I was not in the mood to answer a million questions about the battle yet. I retrieved a fresh bandage from Epona’s saddlebag and walked to the peninsula at the pond where Kakariko’s Goddess Statue resided, and sat myself down under the light of the torches. 

The red potion had luckily healed much of the delicate internal damage I’d acquired but the wound from Calamity Ganon on my shoulder would take some time to heal completely. I removed my tunic and undershirt before I applied potion-infused ointment to several minor wounds all over my torso that I accrued from monsters and malice burns in the castle. I smirked when I looked down at my abdomen. A Gerudo woman had once scoffed at me for not even having visible abs early on in my journey but there was… some muscle defined there now from months of climbing Hyrule’s mountains and cliffsides. It was clearly enough muscle needed to defeat Calamity Ganon, anyways.

My ears twitched when footsteps treaded on the grass behind me. I instinctively thought to grab my sword, but then came a quiet, “Link?”

I looked over my shoulder, and relaxed immediately when I saw the figure behind me. “Your Highness, shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

Zelda folded her hands in front of her. Her golden hair was tied up behind her head in a bun and she wore a blue sleeping gown underneath a Sheikah robe that Paya must have lent to her. “I...wanted to thank you for calming me down earlier before I settled in for the night. I was just a little overwhelmed at how suddenly everything has changed.”

I turned around and wiped the remaining healing ointment from my hand onto my arm. “Nobody else seems to understand exactly what we’re going through right now.” I muttered. 

She nodded and pulled the collar of her robe up around her chin as a chilly breeze floated between us. If we weren’t having such a serious conversation, I would have considered more how it was quite a cute thing to do. She held her palm to her face as she sighed. “I...I do not think I am ready to go anywhere near the castle yet. Though it’s been a hundred years for everyone else, the memory of the destruction and loss is still too fresh, too painful in my mind...”

I stepped closer to her and she looked into my eyes once again. The light from the torches behind me flickered shadows onto her fair face. Fear and exhaustion plagued her face. 

My heart ached for her. 

She had just fought an unimaginable horror in the castle for a hundred years and now was expected to immediately begin facilitating the reconstruction of Hyrule. The villagers didn’t understand how they had set off this expectation in her mind, of course. Impa was correct that the castle needed reclaimed as soon as possible—but did Zelda really have to be there immediately?

I realized she had said something to me again but my mind had been lost in my thoughts. “Sorry, can you repeat that, Your Highness?” I asked, shaking my head.

“I said, I can see all of your scars... You have collected so many, if you don’t mind me saying. You’ve endured so much pain for us,” she said with a frown.

I looked down. The scars, a mix of the severe mortal ones I’d endured a hundred years ago and newer ones from my journey, littered in violent slashes across my body. I tightened my lips. People so easily understood I had been through pain when they saw my scars. However, nobody else seemed to notice Zelda’s struggle right now. 

I was probably the only one who could even somewhat understand what she went through with the events of the calamity. And now, she faced the immense pressure to rule Hyrule by herself. Such pressure on a single person was incredibly difficult to bear. In the past—as Zelda had reminded me earlier—the intense pressure of being the chosen wielder of the Master Sword had driven me to silence. I could not let Zelda fall to a similar fate of anxiety. 

  “Your Highness, would you like to go somewhere? To get away from everything for a bit?” I blurted before I could consider my own words.

She blinked in mild confusion. “Leave here? What about the castle? Hyrule?”

“With all due respect, Your Highness, you won’t be assembling the castle by yourself. You just defeated Calamity Ganon. Let some other people begin work on the castle.” I put my hands on my hips. ��Your Highness, you need a rest, even if a brief one. To be perfectly honest, I need one as well.”

“What about my sworn duties?”

I laughed. “The land has lasted a hundred years without an active ruler. The people can wait just a little longer for you to recover. A lot of people don’t even know that you’re still alive.”

Zelda folded her arms and tightened her lips. “Where would we go?”

I thought for a moment. “Hateno Village? I have a house there. It’s very safe there, and nobody would bother you. We could visit Purah’s Lab.” I tapped my jaw as I considered the other perks of Hateno. “There’s also a beach nearby, so you could see the ocean.”

Zelda furrowed her brow as she considered my proposal. “It does sound like a lovely place... I’ve never visited there before, actually. I would love to see Purah again too.“ A smile graced Zelda’s lips as she nodded. “It’s decided then. I will direct Impa to lead the Sheikah to begin the reclamation of Hyrule Castle, and inform her that I will be taking a short rest before I begin the rebuilding process.”

I smiled back at her and nodded. “We’ll leave at first light in the morning.”

“Wonderful,” She bowed her head lightly. “Good night, Sir Link, I’ll see you in the morning,” she said cheerfully before turning away and retreating back to Impa’s house.

My cheeks heated against the cool air when she used the formal title. It only then occurred to me that she’d never used any kind of title with me before that I could remember.

...Exactly how close had we been before the calamity? 

[tigerkirby215]

5e Sona, the Maven of the Strings build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Shilin Huang. Made for Riot Games.)

(Shit meme by yours truly.)

Revealing my Champion Mastery just to say that I play a lot of Sona. Don’t flame me for playing Seraphine and Yuumi I swear to god, and I have no idea why Teemo is in my top 10 highest mastery champs ngl.

Anyways you have no idea how happy I am as a Sona main that my girl is now top tier. I came to League of Legends from Overwatch (yes really) and I used to main Lucio in OW along with some of the more “techy” characters like Symmetra and Torbjorn. (Came to OW from TF2 where I mained Engineer and Medic.) Sona was a natural fit for me as a champion who was both easy to play and very similar to Lucio. It also helps that I joined the Rift during the single most engaging meta to ever grace this game. I was kinda too shit to play Janna but the Ardent Censer meta is also why I have such a high mastery on Lulu tbh.

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But enough about my history with League: Sona! Honestly when I think of an archetypical support Sona pops into my head a lot sooner than Soraka: a champion based on empowering their teammates in as many ways as possible with heals, shields, movement speed, and CC to hold the enemy team down. I’ve always loved playing her because she feels like much more of a macro oriented character than other supports, with team-wide support as opposed to keeping one person alive like Soraka or Yuumi or focusing on CC like Morgana and Nami.

I’m going to build most if not all the champions eventually but man I am happy to tackle Sona now. She’s always been on my mind as my main but it was pretty difficult to think of how to make her. I think this build is good enough though!

Wow that was much longer of an intro than I’m used to. You can really tell which champions I’m excited for lol.

GOALS

Everything in harmony - Sona boosts everyone on her team with her songs as they fill the air.

Triple time! - Sona’s ability to boost her whole team into a good position is always beneficial.

Crescendo! - Fun fact: Sona’s ultimate is canonically extremely painful as she forces you to contort your limbs against your will. Why is Sona needlessly macabre? Well remember that Riot also wrote Volibear as an Eldritch old god.

RACE

Sona is Human but if you want to be cool you can make her a Kalashtar for resistance to Psychic damage and advantage on Wisdom saves. Regardless we’re going to be making what’s known as a dollar store Kalashtar with Variant Human. Increase your Charisma by 1 as well as your Constitution because we kinda don’t need much else. You also get proficiency in one skill of your choice which will of course be Performance, and a language which you can pick as you fancy: you won’t be speaking it anyways lmfao.

That’s because “Only you can hear me summoner; what masterpiece shall we play today?” Grab the Telepathic feat to complete this dollar store Kalashtar package. Increase your Charisma score by 1 and get a 60 foot telepathy to speak while being mute. You also learn the Detect Thoughts spell and can cast it once without using a spell slot. "Did he want... four autographs? I don't understand."

ABILITY SCORES

15; CHARISMA - Charisma is tied to performance and all the other stuff a Demacian noblewoman is expected to be good at.

14; DEXTERITY - Something something medium armor; even if you wear a dress there’s no reason you can’t have some padding beneath it!

13; STRENGTH - Hey this isn’t something something medium armor!

12; CONSTITUTION - Sona may be squishy in League but I value not dying more than good skill checks honestly.

10; WISDOM - Speaking of not dying: Wisdom saves are more common, and Insight is more useful than most Intelligence skills.

8; INTELLIGENCE - We had to dump something so unfortunately Intelligence gets the short end of the stick. You may have studied under the illustrious Buvelle family but most of those lessons were music classes.

If you want a better stat array going 13 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 10 / 14 with Point Buy is perfectly viable, and if your DM is cool enough to let you multiclass without Strength then you’re more than welcome to dump it.

BACKGROUND

There’s two obvious backgrounds that fit Sona: the first is Entertainer for proficiency with Acrobatics and a skill of your choice (since we already took Performance lol.) You also get proficiency with Disguise Kits and your Etwahl! (That’s what Sona’s instrument is called btw.) Your background feature By Popular Demand allows you to play any stage once. "Some, just the once.” You can perform in exchange for a place to stay, and when you do so the local people will remember your wonderful performance!

But making an Entertainer Bard is kinda cliché, no? If you want to lean into Sona’s Demacian heritage go for the Noble background. This gives you proficiency with Persuasion and History as well as a gaming set of your choice: unfortunately Tellstones isn’t an option (unless your DM decides otherwise!) so a Dragonchess Set will do well enough. Oh and you get another language that you won’t speak: fun! Your Position of Privilege makes it easy for you to arrange meetings with other important people, and the commonfolk will be kind and cordial with you.

(Screenshot from the Tellstones: King’s Gambit trailer by Riot Games.)

I personally opted to go for Noble when making this build, but if you want to choose Entertainer go right ahead! Backgrounds don’t affect too much overall and it’s up to you (and your DM) to make your own Sona!

(Artwork from League of Legends Wild Rift. Made for Riot Games. RIOT PLEASE UPDATE MUSE SONA ON PC I’M BEGGING YOU!)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - BARD 1

I mean what else did you expect? Bards get proficiency in three musical instruments of their choice: a Lyre is the closest you’ll get to Sona’s Etwahl, though a Dulcimer is also pretty close. I’d also recommend grabbing a Lute since most magical instruments come in Lute variety.

You also get proficiency in 3 skills of your choice like Perception to watch wards, Insight to watch people, and Athletics for a bit of Tenacity to break out of grapples. (As well as potentially grab some people yourself! Although Acrobatics is also perfectly fine for escaping grapples.)

As a Bard you can boost your ADC with Bardic Inspiration, letting them add a d6 to attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. You have a number of these equal to your Charisma modifier and they come back after a Long Rest.

But of course the main reason to play a Bard is to do Demacian-banned Spellcasting! You learn two cantrips from the Bard list like Vicious Mockery for some diminuendo, making it harder for the enemy to hurt your allies while also cutting them down to size. (I don’t know if your DM will let you slap your Etwahl angrily and then point at them judgingly, but you may have to break your vow of silence every now and then.) You can also learn Prestidigitation for all sorts of general magic stuff that you really shouldn’t do in front of anyone important.

You of course also learn 4 Bard spells like Cure Wounds and Healing Word for the atypical healing spells, Dissonant Whispers for some Hymn of Valor damage, and Detect Magic which you’ll likely be expected to cast as the designated support. *Sigh* Always gotta buy wards.

LEVEL 2 - BARD 2

Second level Bards could be called a Jack of All Trades, as you get to add half your proficiency bonus to any skill you aren’t proficient in. This means even if your ability scores are bad the skills you don’t have proficiency in are still good enough! You also get Song of Rest, letting your allies recover an extra d6 of health during Short Rests. And if you have Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything  Magical Inspiration will let your allies add their Bardic Inspiration to the damage or healing of a spell they cast!

And finally you can learn another spell: against as the designated support you’re expected to take Identify.

LEVEL 3 - BARD 3

Third level Bards get Expertise in two skills: Performance is an obvious must and Persuasion would probably be good as well.

But more importantly you get to choose your Bardic College and if you want to both shield your allies and speed them up look no further than the College of Glamour! That’s because Mantle of Inspiration grants 5 temporary hitpoints to a number of creatures within 60 feet of you equal to your Charisma modifier (which can include yourself by the way!) Additionally those creatures can move up to their movement speed as a reaction without provoking opportunity attacks, making this a great tool to reposition an ally who’s caught in a dangerous position!

You’re also capable of creating an Enthralling Performance: if you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to inspire wonder in your audience. At the end of the performance you can choose a number of humanoids within 60 feet of you who watched and listened to all of it, up to a maximum equal to your Charisma modifier. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you.

While charmed in this way, the target idolizes you, and speaks glowingly of you to anyone who talks to them. They also hinder anyone who opposes you, although they avoid violence unless it was already inclined to fight for you. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour unless they take any damage, you attack it, or it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of its allies. If a target succeeds on its saving throw the target has no hint that you tried to charm it, and you can use this ability once per Short or Long Rest.

Finally you can learn second level spells like Hold Person, for a one-man version of your ultimate.

LEVEL 4 - BARD 4

Ah the first of many Ability Score Improvements. You may have noticed our deliberately uneven Charisma modifier: that’s because I’m going to be taking the Fey Touched feat for +1 to your Charisma, the Misty Step spell (for Flash, of course), and the Gift of Alacrity spell from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount for a Song of Celerity! Accelerated movement? I concur.

You can also learn another spell as well as another cantrip! For your cantrip take Mage Hand for help warding those hard-to-reach areas, and for your spell take Lesser Restoration, because yeah it’s also your job to buy Mikael’s. *Sigh.*

LEVEL 5 - BARD 5

5th level Bards get a Font of Inspiration that lets their Bardic Inspiration come back after a Short Rest as well as a Long Rest. That’s good because your Bardic Inspiration increases to a d8, which also boosts your Mantle of Inspiration to grant 8 temporary hitpoints!

You can also learn another spell like Hypnotic Pattern: while it won’t do any damage and your allies can’t hit the dancing enemies it’ll still be the best recreation of your ultimate for now.

(Artwork by Katie “TeaTime” De Sousa. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 6 - PALADIN 1

I hope you weren’t expecting this to be a pure Bard build, because then I’d just be building Seraphine again! Grab your something something Medium Armor as well as a shield (well technically you need both hands free to play a musical instrument) it’s Paladin time, master of auras! 

Paladins get a Lay on Hands pool equal to 5 times their Paladin level for some more healing. You can touch a creature to give them any amount of health from your Lay on Hands, or use 5 hitpoints from your Lay on Hands pool to neutralize a poison or disease affecting them. You also get Divine Sense to locate any Celestial, Fiend, or Undead as long as they’re within 60 feet of you and not behind total cover. Don’t worry it gets a lot more exciting later.

LEVEL 7 - PALADIN 2

Second level Paladins can choose their Fighting Style and you’re still more of a mage than a warrior, so Blessed Warrior will give you two cantrips from the Cleric list that use your Charisma! Guidance is an obvious must for a support and Toll the Dead is a great option if you want to go full AP.

Should you have options for attacks to target enemies who have high Wisdom? Yeah probably: Sacred Flame might be a good choice.

Of course cantrips also imply more Spellcasting! You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier plus half your Paladin level (rounded down) which is currently a freaking lot of spells. Let’s just go down the list, shall we?

Bless is great to buff your team and make them harder, better, faster, and stronger.

Command is a mostly harmless Enchantment spell that will force your foes to do as you, well, command. I’d argue “dance” is a reasonable Command.

Protection from Evil and Good is never bad to have in your back pocket in case you’re fighting either Kayle or Fiddlesticks.

And Shield of Faith will let you boost your ADC’s survivability with Ardent Censer!

I know you can prepare more spells but there isn’t much I want from first level of Paladin. I am contractually obligated to mention that you can also turn your spell slots into a Divine Smite if you hit an enemy with a melee weapon, but you aren’t really going to be using weapons in this build. That’s right boys hop aboard the caster Paladin train!

LEVEL 8 - PALADIN 3

Third level Paladins get to choose their Sacred Oath and Oath of the Watchers may seem weird but it’s really good at defending your allies. That’s because you get two different Channel Divinity options: Abjure the Extraplanar works similarly to the Cleric’s Turn Undead feature except it affects Aberrations, Celestials, Elementals, Fey, and Fiends.

Watcher’s Will meanwhile lets you choose a number of creatures you can see within 30 feet of you, up to your Charisma modifier. For 1 minute, you and the chosen creatures have advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws. This means that in a party of 6 this ability can give your whole party advantage on all mental saves, which is huge for keeping everyone alive against nasty casters! See? Demacia can use your magic!

Speaking of magic you get Alarm and Detect Magic as Oath spells. (Might want to swap Detect Magic from your Bard list with Mass Healing Word ty Tasha’s.) You can also use Harness Divine Power to regain a spell slot equal to half your proficiency bonus a number of times per Long Rest. And you get Divine Health, because you don’t take a sick day to stop complaining about Seraphine.

LEVEL 9 - PALADIN 4

4th level Paladins get another Ability Score Improvement: cap off that Charisma for maximum AP scaling!

(Artwork by Kelly Aleshire & Esben Lash Rasmussen. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 10 - PALADIN 5

5th level Paladins can finally prepare second level spells! As a Watchers Paladin you get access to Moonbeam as well as See Invisibility, both of which are very good for dealing with incoming gankers.

You can also prepare spells like Aid to boost your allies’ HP, Prayer of Healing (ty Tasha’s) for some out-of-combat healing, and Warding Bond for a Knight’s Vow.

Oh and you get an Extra Attack, which sure would matter if you were actually using weapons.

LEVEL 11 - PALADIN 6

6th level reasons get the main reason Sona’s a Paladin: Aura of Protection! All your saving throws are increased by an amount equal to your Charisma modifier, which is a full +5 currently! But what’s special about this ability is that it also applies to your allies within 10 feet of you, letting you give out auras a plenty to keep your allies safe!

You can also prepare another spell but again: not much I really want. So we’re going to be waiting a little while longer once again.

LEVEL 12 - PALADIN 7

7th level Watchers Paladins get Aura of the Sentinel, or as I like to call it: Song of Celerity. When you or any creature of your choice within 10 feet of you roll for initiative, they gain a bonus to initiative equal to your proficiency bonus. While this may make positioning a little difficult (everyone’s going to have to huddle around you) this ability guarantees that you can speed up all your important allies to make sure they get their powerful abilities off!

LEVEL 13 - PALADIN 8

8th level Paladins get another Ability Score Improvement or a Feat. You may have noticed your uneven Constitution score: grab good ol’ Resilient Constitution for a boost to your health and even more insurance on your Concentration checks. With your Paladin aura and proficiency you’d have a +12 total to your Constitution checks currently, meaning that if you take 24 damage or less you won’t even have to roll for Concentration!

LEVEL 14 - PALADIN 9

You are probably the only Paladin who cares about spells, so it’s nice that you get 3rd level spells now! Watchers Paladins get two very strong third level spells: Nondetection will help you deward and keep your allies safe from enemies that may try to sneak a peak at you, but Counterspell is the true best choice to stop danger from befalling your allies. What’s very good about Counterspell is that as a Bard you get to add Jack of All Trades to the skill check, meaning it’s far easier for you to deny an incomming spell than any other spellcaster! “Mages have enough problems without you.”

Of course you can prepare some more spells like Aura of Vitality for Aria of Perseverance, and Revivify for an ADC’s Guardian Angel. But having access to spells like Remove Curse, Dispel Magic, Crusader’s Mantle, and even Daylight on the Paladin spell list are all extremely useful to be able to prepare. Remember that you are doing yourself a disservice by not taking time to think about what the best spells to prepare would be for your current quest. "Every note is important."

(Artwork by Kelly Aleshire & Esben Lash Rasmussen. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 15 - BARD 6

Now that we’ve got all our auras it’s time to go back to Bard for Mantle of Majesty! As a bonus action, you cast Command without expending a spell slot as you take on an appearance of unearthly beauty for 1 minute. During that minute you can cast Command as a bonus action on each of your turns without expending a spell slot. Additionally any creature charmed by you automatically fails its saving throw against the command you cast with this feature. You do have to concentrate on this feature (like a spell), and once you use it you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

You can also learn another spell but there isn’t much I want from the third level of Bard, really. Oh and you get Countercharm which is awful and I hate it, but since you didn’t take a 10th level in Paladin I suppose you have to use it. Spend an action to give allies advantage on their saving throws against charms and fears, I guess.

LEVEL 16 - BARD 7

7th level Bard; 4th level spells. Freedom of Movement will let you help either yourself or an ally with Mikael’s Crucible, and Dimension Door is great to get into lane fast, or back to base fast!

LEVEL 17 - BARD 8

8th level Bards get another Ability Score Improvement, and if you don’t like the look of something something Medium Armor then the Eldritch Adept feat might be able to help. Take the Mask of Many Faces invocation to be able to cast Disguise Self at will to change your skins as you please.

Could you have taken this earlier? Absolutely. Are there better invocations? Yeah probably, but by level 17 you can make some of your own choices. Build your own Sona: this is merely a guide and you can make your own choices.

Speaking of own choices: take whichever spell you want at this level. There’s plenty of great ones for a 4th level Bard and I can’t recommend anything in particular to you. Every musician has their own style, and it’s up to you to find your own!

(Artwork by Yan Li. Made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 18 - BARD 9

9th level Bards get to pretend that increasing Song of Rest from a d6 to a d8 by total level 18 is helpful.

You do get access to 5th level spells like Mass Cure Wounds, which is like Mass Healing Word but better! "Harmoniously."

LEVEL 19 - BARD 10

10th level Bards get Expertise in two more skills: Perception is an obvious must to watch over your wards but beyond that? Honestly pick your poison with whatever skill you want since by level 19 you can make your own choices. (Though my personal choice would be Athletics to hopefully give some more safety against grapples.)

But of course the main boon of reaching level 10 in Bard is the Magical Secrets! ...I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you again: there honestly aren’t any spells in particular I want as Magical Secrets. Sure I could recommend spells like Haste or whatever but are they really going to be that great by total level 20? To be honest even the spells on the Bard list like Animate Objects, Greater Restoration, Hold Monster, Rary's Telepathic Bond, Scrying, and Synaptic Static are very good (although I’d sooner replace some of your old spells with them.)

Again I know this is supposed to be a “guide” but most people won’t hit level 19 anyways, so I don’t think it’s that bad for me to recommend you take your own steps to make your own Sona. Hell, build some AP if you want! I know I would!

LEVEL 20 - BARD 11

Our final level is the 11th level of Bard and I’ll be honest: it’s just to add Otto's Irresistible Dance to your spell list. It can only affect one person but it’s still your ultimate by total level 20.

Oh and you were supposed to get a cantrip last level. Uhhhhh I dunno take Mending lol.

FINAL BUILD

PROS

The rhythm connects us all - You have dozens of spells to keep your team alive and active during a fight, not to mention that all your Paladin auras and abilities really help them give 110%. It’s worth mentioning that Gift of Alacrity combined with Aura of the Sentinel is a d8 + 6 to an Initiative roll, which will almost always guarantee that whoever you want to go first will be going first!

A true masterpiece should celebrate living - Despite your somewhat weird level split you maxed out the only stat which matters for you: Charisma. And woah holy shit turns out Paladins are really good with maxed out Charisma! +5 to all saves means even your lowest save is a +4, and the saves your proficient in vary between +13 for Dexterity and Constitution (both very common!) and a whopping +16 save on Charisma!

Curtains up; I'm ready - Jack of All Trades also does quite nicely to help your middling skills. Even though I dumped most of your mental skills you’re still proficient enough that you won’t be completely helpless when caught off guard. And when you’re in the zone with Persuasion or Performance you are easily the best girl around!

CONS

Don't make me get off stage - It was my intention to recreate Sona’s positional gameplay with this build but it does present some gameplay issues when trying to maximize your effectiveness. Where do you position yourself as a character who’s still primarily a squishy caster despite your good saving throws and AC? Can you give everyone in your party support, or are they too spread out to get value out of your 10 foot range auras?

Quiet, please! - You have a damn good concentration check, but what do you concentrate on? Not only do you have a ton of spells but they all scale very good with levels and you have spell slots that go far higher than your maximum level spell. It can be hard to choose what to do with those 7th and 8th level slots.

The world is cruel... Until that changes, I'll never stop playing - One of many “meta” problems with this build was my choice to focus almost entirely on support. Sure Toll the Dead is a great damaging cantrip but your only two damaging spells are Moonbeam and Dissonant Whispers. Again: you don’t have to follow my build point-for-point and while you’ll be flamed in League for building Sona full AP I don’t think your friends will mind if you take some damaging spells.

But if you can’t tell it was really hard for me to come up with those downsides. With the exception of the positional requirements a Bardadin is a very strong build and Sona is a very strong support. Boost your teammates with your own amazing power and make sure everyone’s alive and jamming! Your power may have been forgotten over the years but no one’s ever upset to have a great support at their side. And remember: Seraphine may be in K/DA but you’re in Pentakill, and you have your own label! No one can replace DJ Sona!

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[wolfnitewrites]

The Story of Will Martinez

About me: Hello! My name is CJ, and I am a high student that loves to write. (You can skip this part btw) Thank you for clicking on this story out of all the other ones here, out on Tumblr, it means a lot. If you happen to like this shortish story, please follow or whatever because I hope to post a lot of stories I make in my spare time on here! I want to become better at writing, so if anyway has any tips for me to become a better writer and help me fulfill one of my dreams of becoming an author, shoot me a message (I’ve only been on Tumblr for about 5 minutes so idk if u can send messages). If u read this, then thank you. ONTO THE STORY.

“Ughh.” I thought to myself. At least I thought I did because everyone was staring at me. We are in a huge math test and obviously, no talking.  

“Why is everyone looking at me?” I asked everyone in the classroom. I just say stuff aloud without thinking about it. I used to write down or record myself complaining when I was mad or upset so I could just get it out of my mind. That was a while ago. Looks like I have never gotten out of the habit of speaking my mind, literally. Then reality hit me, maybe everyone in the class had heard me sigh.

“Mr. Martinez!” Yelled my math teacher Mr. Mitchell. “You know there is no talking during a test. Go down to the principal's office now or I’ll escort you there myself.” Mr. Mitchell was the oldest teacher in my school, and the strictest. He used to scare me when I was walking down the hallway in sixth grade. Even now, I’m in eighth grade I’ll admit he does sometimes give me the creeps. Every night, my friends and I would talk trash about him at the skate park after school.

“Go now!!” Mr. Mitchell yelled again.

“Ok, ok, ok.” I answered with a little attitude. 

“I'm going alright.” I swiftly left that classroom planning on never returning there ever again. 

“Alright,” I whispered to myself. “I got two options, go down to the principal's office and get yelled at loud enough so the whole school can hear. Or do my other option which is just camp in the bathroom.” Then I realized something. For some reason Mr. Mitchell makes sure the office knows you're going down there.  Not going down there can cost you another week or two on top of my detention I am going to get. He makes it obvious that he calls the office though. To my knowledge and personal experience.  He’s the only teacher that does that sort of thing. 

When I got near Ms. Silver’s office, she was already waiting for me. She was new to the school and looked pretty young, maybe in her twenties or thirties. Although she was pretty short, maybe 5 feet tall. She also had the bluest eyes a human could ever see on another human. She didn’t look like a principal at all. She looked like a laid back english teacher. 

“Will Martinez?” Ms. Silver said to me. She didn’t sound like she was unsure about who I was. She sounded like she knew exactly who I was.

“Uh yea, I’m Will.” I spoke in a frail voice. I have never spoken so weakly before. I usually just speak normally, not like I was a nervous wreck. 

I walked in her office and there was artwork everywhere.  It looked like she made them herself though. You can see progress in her paintings. Some not looking so good, and some looking like a professional artist made them. 

“Mr. Martinez!” She yelled so loud that I think the whole school heard that. “How dare you disrespect your teacher and his test!” Ms. Silver turned from a sweet looking teacher, to a horrifying monster you would expect to read about in the Goosebumps books. See, I'm used to hearing yelling from Mr. Mitchell, but nothing this intense.

“Mr. Martinez!” she yelled once more. I'm getting the vibe from her that she absolutely loves yelling at kids.

“I am going to ask you one more time, why were you disrespecting your teacher and his test?” I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, my throat felt like there was something clogging it or something. I’ve never felt this way before. Before I knew it, I was turning pale and sweating. My stomach was knotting up and I felt like I was going to throw up. 

“I-I,” I said in an effort trying to get words out of my mouth. 

“I didn’t mean to disrespect anyone or anything.” I don’t know what it was, but at this point in time, I was petrified of her. Just looking in her general direction scared me, so I just started looking at the artwork. Well, that was until she grabbed my face and made me look at her. 

“Answer me!” She begged for an answer, but I couldn’t talk. The pain and clogging in my throat is getting unbearable. 

“Okay, you can go.” She said. “I got everything I needed from you.” 

“Are you going to tell my parents?” I managed to get those words out. “Get out of my office before I do it in front of you.” She responded. I felt relieved and started to walk out. After my brain finally processed what she said, I started panicking. She meant she was going to call them, but not when I was in the room with her. 

“Crap, what do I do now?” I asked myself. I wasn’t thinking rationally anymore, I was picturing my parents beating the crap out of me if they knew what I did. To think of it, asking one question led to this. I started wondering why my school was so strict with everything. 

“Just asking one stupid question surely doesn’t lead to this in other schools. Right?”

Chapter 2

After my panic attack of what just happened, I just decided to wait out the day in the bathroom. I was frightened of just the thought of going home. I would always get beat and cut by my parents. I always came into school with small scars and bruises on my body. I tried my best to hide them from everybody in my school. More times than I would like to count, people asked why I was so cut up. They never got their answer. It didn’t help that my parents picked me up for school. 

“What would happen if I just ran out of the school before the day was done” I thought to myself. 

“Maybe Terrance won't mind if I stay at his place for the foreseeable future.” Terrance always skips school to play video games, or sleep. Without thinking, I bolted out of that bathroom and into the hall. Sweat was already streaming down my face for some reason, the cool air of the school pressed against my body trying to keep me inside the doors. I run faster and faster until, BAM. I crashed into the doors not knowing that they are locked during the day. Ms. Silver heard me bang on the door and came running out of her office. After regaining my balance I immediately started to run again.

I remembered that there are doors near my classroom, all I have to do is run fast enough so the kids in the classrooms can't see that it's me running through the halls of the school like a complete lunatic. 

I bashed into the door. It had opened. I saw the school's security running through the doors as well.

“Wow they really don’t want me to leave.” I said under my breath. Without hesitation started running in the direction of Terrance’s house. All I was hoping for is Terrance to awake and ready to talk because there is one thing I have been keeping from everyone.

Chapter 3

When I got to Terrance’s house, there were no cars in the driveway, but that didn’t stop me from knocking on the door. I suddenly felt sick again, like I was going to throw up. There was sweat streaking down my face from running so much. 

I was standing outside of Terrance’s door trying to summon the courage and strength to just hit the door with my fist.

“Ok.” I said, “All I have to do is knock on the door, like I have done countless times before.” For some reason, today felt different from every other time I went over his house. It was really quiet, too quiet. Too quiet. There is almost always some form of complaining coming from the house. 

“Here goes nothing, literally.” I said to myself trying to get myself to knock on the door.  Surprisingly, Terrance opened the door.

“Hey, why aren’t you at scho-.” Terrance was cut short because I immediately grasped him in a hug. That hug wasn’t the type of hugs you give your best friends when you haven’t seen them in a while. It was the type of hug where they immediately know there is something wrong. That was the first time I have actually hugged someone.  It felt good. It felt like someone cared about me and was worried about me. I didn't want that.

“Will?” Terrance asked. “What's wrong?” 

“Could I come in first?” I asked him, almost starting to tear up like crazy, but I held myself together.

“Yea sure, come in” Terrance said. I could tell, Terrance was worried about me. He only wears one face when he's around Randy and I. Reckless. This was a different face, it was his caring and worried face. I’ve never seen it before though. I don’t think Randy has even seen it. We both sat on his bed and there was a moment of silence before Terrance asked, 

“Will, what's wrong? You are never like this.”

I was always very hesitant about answering this question. Mainly because I didn’t like the answer I would have given. I tried to summon the remaining strength I had left in my body. I have never told anyone the truth about how I was feeling. I was too embarrassed about all my feelings. 

“The truth is.” I wanted to just stop answering and restart the day over again but I was already too deep in to change the subject.

“The truth is, I had very bad depression basically my whole life. I couldn’t tell anyone because I felt people would just stay away from me and ignore me, thinking I’m a loser who is nothing but a sad, pathetic loser. I feel like it has gotten worse between my house, and school. My parents have been,” I was wondering why I couldn’t stop myself from talking. I felt like I was talking way too much. “My parents have been hitting and cutting me. It just happened all of a sudden, and I have no idea why. That’s why I always have bruises and cuts all over my body. They don’t give me rational answers anymore.” I was out of breath from talking so much. I couldn’t stop myself from talking, I wish I could’ve. I looked at Terrance’s face. He looked like he was thinking about everything I just said. 

“Will.” Terrance said to me in a reassuring voice. “I promise you, everything will be alright. Randy and I will always be here for you no matter what you are going through.”

“Thanks Terrance.” I responded.

“Is that why you ran out of school?” Terrance asked. 

“Yea, at least I think so.” I responded. I was caught off guard by that for some reason. I knew that question was coming, I didn’t know when. So I made the mistake of letting my guard down. 

“Ok.” Terrance started speaking all of a sudden. “I'm sorry but I think you should go, my parents are going to me home soon and I have to be prepared to tell them why I skipped school again. Without saying anything extra, I walked out of his house.

“Where am I going to go now?” I asked myself outside of Terrance’s. “I can’t go back to my house because I don’t want to be killed, literally.” It’s the sad truth, but at least it's the truth, my parents will kill me if I go home. I have to think of something.

On the walk home I was thinking about a way to deal with my horrid parents. There were about five hundred different ideas, but I didn’t like them. There was one in particular that I have thought of doing in the past. Calling the police on my own parents. I always seemed to talk myself out of it. They were my parents after all, and they were basically the only family I had left. This time was different though, I felt, vengeful. It’s a feeling I have never felt before. I haven’t felt something new in a long time. The only two emotions I have been a custom to is pain and depression. 

I kept trying to talk myself out of calling the police on my own parents, but at this point, nothing could change my mind. 

“Ok.” I said trying to build up the courage to take my phone and just dial 911. “It’s so simple. All I have to do is press the nine once and then, one twice.” I said once more trying to amp myself up to try and press three numbers. 

Chapter 4

“911 what’s your emergency?” I was nervous, like at school, I couldn’t speak at all. I have never talked to anyone associated with the police before. The police dispatcher sounded very calm, like he has dealt with this type of situation a million times. 

“Uh, hi” I said in a really frail voice. “My parents have been beating and cutting me badly and I have no idea how to deal with it anymore.” I started to cry while on the phone. I haven’t cried in years. Real crying. I have always teared up, but never cried. I absolutely never explained to people what my parents do to me, especially strangers.

“Alright, where do you live so we could send an officer there.” 

“66 Abbey Road.” I replied. There was pain in my voice, like my soul being stabbed over and over again. It wasn’t a good feeling. Not in the slightest.

“Alright, an officer will be there no less than ten minutes.” She said. I didn’t even say “thank you,” I couldn’t. How could I say thank you. I just called the police on my own parents.  

“There is no going back now.” I whispered to myself. When I started toward my house, my legs were getting heavy, like it was my body telling me to not go near that house. My head was getting light, and my eyes started to water. 

“What’s going on with me?” I asked myself expecting an answer. I never got one. Why was I trying to get closer to that house to the house that I was trying oh so desperately to avoid. I will never know. The closer I got to that house, the worse I felt. With every step, the closer I was to collapsing. 

I was in front of the house. That was the worst mistake I have ever made. In front of my view, an overly large house. With two faces in different windows, looking at me. At first I had no idea I knew they were, but upon looking closer. They were my personal devils in my makeshift hell. My Mom and Dad. 

My heart beating faster and faster, quivering more and more violently. I couldn’t stop myself from feeling all of these things. I usually could stop myself from feeling anything. It was like a light switch. I could flip it to turn off my feelings. This time was different . I felt weak and helpless.  I couldn’t control anything in my life anymore. It was a weird feeling but I didn’t care. That was the least of my worries. The biggest of my worries was the two demons that live in my house.

I walked up to the door, put my hand on the doorknob, then. I felt a glimmer of hope. I heard the sirens of the police. That was my hope. My final hope. They were seconds away, for once in a long while. 

“I could take a couple seconds in my personal hell.” Oh I was wrong. When I walked through the doors of hell, “WHAM!” My Dad's belt came flying across my face. 

“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?” He was yelling, if you could call it that. It was way louder than yelling, but a little quieter than screaming. I could barely feel the belt across my face. I was already a custom to it. Maybe too custom to it. 

“SKIPPING A MATH TEST THEN RUNNING OUT OF SCH-” before he could even finish his thought, he was taken down by a police officer. My Dad's yelling was so loud that no one couldn’t hear anything in their surroundings. My face was so red, it was like when I was embarrassed by something. 

“Are you ok kid?”

“Yea, I think so.” I answered the cop. My face was turning numb. I couldn’t feel a thing.

“What's going on down here?!” My mom stormed down the stairs. She only saw me though. She didn’t notice the cop right in the living room. She took the nearest belt and started using it, but improperly. Again, thirty seconds later I was getting beat again. This time I didn’t care as much. The cop saw it start.

Both my Mom and Dad where in handcuffs and getting led to the cop car. I felt, happy. For once it was something different besides pain and pain only. I started to lounge on the couch, then the cop came up to me.

“Hey I need to talk to you, before you relax too much.” 

“Yea sure what’s up?” I was very confused why he needed to talk to me. I had done nothing besides call the police on my own parents. Maybe that was the reason, to ask why I called the police on them.

“Since you are only 14, you obviously can’t live by yourself. So uh, do you have any family in the area that could take care of you?” This was another topic I often avoided. The rest of my family, the ones who cared about me, disappeared. No one knows, even the police who are great detectives, couldn’t figure it out. It would’ve been nice to have like an Uncle you could talk to, or a cousin who was your closest friend. They are all gone though. 

“Uh, no. They all died, well I’m guessing they did.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. When we get down to the station we’ll ask you Mom or Dad if they know anyone who could take you in.” His voice sounded like he hated saying that sentence. He was only telling me the truth though. I couldn’t argue with that at all. He was telling me the truth.

“So what is going to happen to me then?” 

“Well.” The cop went on. “I’ll let you stay here, for the night. If your Mom or Dad doesn’t find anyone to take you in, then you’ll be put into an orphanage.” I couldn’t believe anything he was telling me at this point. How could I. This had to be a nightmare. It wasn’t, it was real life with a real human being telling me the real, painful, truth. This was horrible. 

“Uh, okay, lets just hope that they can find someone.”

“Yea, let's hope.” The cop responded. His voice sounded comforting. Just what I needed to hear funny enough. 

He started towards the door.

“See ya kid.” The cop said before leaving the house.

I heard the car start, then drive off.

“What am I going to do now?” I panicked. I took my phone and tried to call Terrance. 

“Oh please pick up,” I pleaded to the phone. “Pick up. Pick up. Pick up!” There was no answer, just the answering machine that answered if no one picked the phone. I immediately went to call Randy. He always picks up no matter what. He could be inside a volcano being burned alive, and he’ll still pick up the phone. 

“Hello?” Randy picked up the phone, he sounded tired though. I would’ve felt bad if the orphanage wasn’t on my mind.

“Randy something good, and bad just happened.”

“Why what happened?” He always sounds very interested whenever either Terrance and I say something remotely interesting, he zones back in. Then asks five-million questions about that subject. He was the only one who had known about my parents beating the crap out of me every other hour of every day.  Well until I told Terrance. 

“I finally broke, I called the police on my parents.”

“Wait, what do you mean? Why did you call the police on your parents?” It seemed like. he had completely forgotten about what I told him about my parents. 

“Well, I called the police on them because they were hitting me and cutting me every other hour, glad to hear that you forgot.”

“Oh no, I didn’t forget that, it just doesn’t seem like you. Calling the police on your parents.” He spoke, but not like he was happy, like he usually does. It sounded like he was concerned about me, it sounded like how Terrance sounded when I told him about everything. 

“Yea, but that's not the worst of it though.” I spoke. Suddenly my tone had changed from confused, to scared.

“Go on.”

“If my parents don’t find someone to take me in and obviously, take care of me. They are going to put me into an orphanage or something like that.” I had already forgotten where I was going if my parents don’t feel like finding someone to take care of me. 

“Oh my god, are you sure or was he just saying that?” He said, I could tell he was quivering. His voice sounded very shaky. He was as hurt by that as I was, maybe more. If that’s possible.

“Yea, I’m sure.” I didn’t know what else to say, my brain was turning into a foggy mess. 

“Oh hey Will, my parents need me. Uh I’ll be right back. Ok?” 

“Uh yeah that's fine.”

Chapter 5

It was like an hour back before I started to consider hanging up on Randy. I honestly can’t believe I didn’t hang up before then, but thank god he came back to the phone.

“Hey, sorry I took so long. Oh wow that was about an hour.” Randy caught me off guard. I was just wasting my time watching TV, not expecting Randy to come back to the phone. Funny enough, he did.

“Oh, uh it’s fine, I think haha. Wow, I can’t believe it’s already 10:30.” I usually go to bed around nine o’clock. It wasn’t my choice though, it was my Mom and Dad’s choice. I was fourteen, and I still had a nine year olds bedtime schedule. I have to admit, it feels good that I don’t have to go to bed.

“So if you don’t mind asking, what did your parents want?” I asked. He was gone for over an hour, so I want an answer why he didn’t come back faster. I obviously didn’t say that, but I was certainly thinking about it. 

“So, in theory. If you could have the chance to live with my family, would you.” He asked. I could tell Randy was very nervous asking that question. I get why though, asking your best friend to ask to move in with them.

“That’s random. Before I answer, why do you ask?” While I was asking that I think I already knew the answer. My parents called Randy’s parents, asking if I could live with them. 

“Well,” Randy started talking, but I was too excited to think or listen to what Randy had to say. Then I started thinking, why did my parents call Randy’s house, if they didn’t care about me in the slightest. Maybe they did, they just didn’t know how to say it. But then why did they keep hurting me. Nothing made sense, but I didn't care. I will be living with Randy, one of my closest friends.

“My Mom wanted to know why I got a 60 on a math test. Then I just told her what type of position you were in. I told her that your parents are in jail, but you had no one to take you in. Long story short, I offered if you could live with us. Obviously, she was very uncertain about having you living with us. It took a whole lot of convincing, but they said yeah. Well, a lot more than just ‘yeah,’ but whatever.” Randy said that all in one breath. By the end of that paragraph, he was trying to get his breath back from talking so much. 

“That’s great news, well for me haha. Are you sure your parents allowed this.”

“Come on, Will. You know me, I tell no lies.” I couldn’t believe this in the slightest. 

“I’m going to live with, Randy.” I thought to myself.

“Hey, I’m tired. I am going to bed, my family will be picking you up around one o’clock.”

“Okay, thanks Randy, well I guess I should get to sleep also.” I said before passing out on the couch.

Chapter 6

When I looked at the clock in the living room, 

“Oh no.” I said looking at the time. “Is it really almost one o’clock?” I was in disbelief that I had slept for fourteen and a half hours. To be honest, I still can’t believe that. In the back of my mind for the whole time I was waiting for Randy, one thing was just floating around. What will Terrance’s response to this whole situation be? I chose not to worry about it too much though.

I quickly packed all of my clothes and a few other things like headphones and chargers into a bag that was too small. I didn’t care in the slightest. I looked at my phone, the time read one o’clock.

“Randy should be here any second now.” I assured myself. I was nervous the whole time I was awake, but as soon as I saw one o’clock on my phone. It was like I was back outside my house trying to get the courage to walk inside as if it was yesterday. Which it wasn’t, it was a brand new day. A fresh start. 

When I heard that doorbell rang, I almost killed myself by running down the stairs so fast.

“Well, this is it, a fresh start at life.” So many emotions that were completely new to me flooded my mind. Most importantly, happiness. I took one good last look at my now old house, and opened the front door to find Randy holding a huge suitcase.

“Uh, Randy. Why do you have a suitcase.” I said utterly surprised to find him holding a suitcase the size of him. I had no idea they made them that big, I guess I was wrong.

“It’s to transport your belongings to my house of course! What are you stupid or somethin?” 

“I have no idea anymore Randy.” I spoke softer than usual, but I don’t think Randy noticed.

“And uh, I have everything here, in this very small bag.” I pointed to the bag that was on my back. My parents barely bought me anything, and I am just lucky I got food to survive, clothes and a phone. Well that’s just great to get from parents who don’t like you in the first place.

“You’re joking right? Your parents barely bought you a couple pieces of clothes and can barely working phone?” Randy’s voice sounded like he was sorry for me. His eyes looked like he wanted to ask me how I survived for fourteen years. He remained quiet though. 

“Yeah, it’s the sad truth, but it is the truth. I barely came out of this year alive though. This year was the worst one of my life.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that Will.” Randy just looked at my body now, especially my face.

“Were there that many scars and bruises on your face, and your body?” He started to quiver as if he could feel my own pain. A friendship becomes special when he can feel what you're feeling. That’s what just happened, another person feeling what I was feeling. We started towards Randy’s house. My new house. Randy said something fairly interesting. 

“You know Mr. Mitchell right?” Randy said slowly. Why was he asking me this, when he’s my homeroom and math teacher.

“Duh, how could I not, he’s my homeroom and math teacher.” I responded in a tone that implies he was sorta wasting my time.

“Ok, so there is something that is always moving in my backyard, and it’s not an animal. I think it’s Mr. Mitchell.” Randy said, terrified. Something was clogging my throat just then, like someone was in control of my body, preventing me from speaking. I have no idea what this feeling was, but I absolutely hated it. We walked the rest of the way to his house in complete silence until I got the urge to say something.

“Maybe we could prove it’s Mr. Mitchell.”

“Yeah, how are we going to do that. We are only 14 years old.” Randy was right, we couldn’t do that. We were stupid middle schoolers. Couldn’t even try to pull off trying to steal something from the corner store.

Chapter 7

“It has been a couple years since I have written here” I whispered to myself looking at my old diary. It was covered in dust. I opened it and the last entry was November 5th, 2015.

“Wow, five years.” I immediately started to wonder why I stopped writing in the diary. I looked around on the page, not reading it and I saw water stains. They were small stains, tooked like someone had taken an eye dropper to it. It was weird, but it got way weirder. I read that page.

“November 5, 2015, that’s the date that my family died (present parents excluded).” I felt sick, like I was going to throw up. Those water stains weren’t eyedrop drops, they were tears, my tears. 

“Why can’t I remember any of this? That time of my life is completely blank.” Then I started to do what I do best, panic.

“RANDY!” I screamed. I usually have no one to talk to, but since I'm now living with Randy, I finally had someone to talk to.

“Yea, yeah I’m up.” Randy said, trying to mask the fact he fell asleep at eight in the afternoon. 

“Hey Randy, Please tell me you weren’t sleeping.”

“Of course not, why would I.” Randy said, trying so hard not to close his eyes for longer than a second. It was funny, seeing a fourteen year old falling asleep at only eight o’clock in the afternoon.

“Whatever, well I found my old diary.”

“Wait, for real.” Randy sounded really interested now, as usual. 

“Yeah, It was in my bag, I have no idea how It got there though. I don’t think I even packed it.” I completely forgot that I had a diary to begin with. For some reason, I can’t remember anything that had happened before 2016. I didn’t really take note of it though. I just passed it as another way my brain hates me, not letting me remember anything important. 

“Well, how did it get there then?” Randy sounded as surprised as me, maybe more. He always made a bigger deal out of things than needed. 

“Well, what are you waiting for, read the page. If you dare. Haha.” Randy said that. He didn’t expect me to actually start reading the page. Well, I was going to until we heard rustling outside my room window. 

“What’s that?” Randy asked. We both went to the window.

“Ha, maybe it's an animal.” Randy said stupidly.

“What type of animal would be out at this time of night, that could make the leaves rustle.” Sometimes I can’t believe how stupid Randy could be. It amazed me how small his brain could be.

“Wait.” Randy had turned pale, like he had just seen a ghost. He pointed to a shadowy figure in the distance. It was a human, it was standing on two legs. It’s clothes were worn out, almost ripping. Jeans so torn, I was surprised they were still in one piece. It's very messy hair, looked like it hadn’t been washed for at least a couple years.  

The human looked our way, I could tell Randy was as terrified. For once, I was more horrified than Randy. 

“Will, it’s looking at us. It is Mr. Mitchell!” Randy was paralized, he could barely move, so was I. 

“Holy crap, why is he in your backyard?” I wanted to start yelling, but I couldn’t.

“We gotta get out of this room now!”

“Good idea, really good idea. You know what that’s the best idea you have ever had.” I responded to Randy’s great idea. 

Mr. Mitchell looked like he was carrying two human-like objects. I looked closer before running out of that room. I saw two small children. I immediately started running, but Randy must’ve accidentally locked the door. I pounded and pleaded on the door. I heard running to the door. Randy was too late, Mr. Mitchell had grasped me. I felt bad for Randy, he saw his best friend get taken away from him.

Chapter 8

“Oh good.” A familiar voice filled the room. I must’ve passed out when Mr. Mitchell had taken me hostage.

“Took long enough to wake up.” I thought that it was a cop speaking to me, going to start asking questions on who kidnapped me. Oh how wrong I was. I was in a bomb shelter type room. Then I saw him, Mr. Mitchell. I looked around the room, it was very large. Maybe the size of a lunchroom. There was science equipment everywhere. It looked as if he was doing experiments. There was liquid in large containers in all corners of that room. I saw children. Hanging from the ceiling, but not by their feet. I couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Are you going to kill me?” I summon the energy left in my body to start speaking. It was very soft, but at least I could talk. Mr. Mitchell didn’t respond. He took a bottle of the liquid from one of those corners. 

“Let’s see if this version works.” Mr. Mitchell was shoving a test tube down my throat and made me drink the mystery liquid. It tasted like drinking ocean water. It was absolutely disgusting. I would’ve thrown up, but I was using all my energy in my body just trying to keep myself breathing. I looked at myself, I was hooked up to a computer of some kind. 

“Dammit!” Mr. Mitchell yelled out. “Looks like you’ll end up like everyone else who didn’t pass the test. He looked up at the children on the ceiling. 

“So you are going to hang me?” I asked

“What, hang you, hahaha.” Mr. Mitchell sounded, not like a human. An animal who evolved to look like a human, but wasn’t human.

“You deserve something way worse.

” What could be worse than being hung?” I thought to myself.  Mr. Mitchell pulled something out of his desk drawer. It was shiny. Looked like something that would be in a fancy kitchen, but this wasn’t anything like a kitchen. I took another glance at the object Mr. Mitchell was toying with his hands. It was a knife. Then I realized what he was going to do to me. He was going to stab me. It was one thing I haven’t felt yet. I honestly thought I was going to experience it way sooner than today.

Mr. Mitchell took the knife, and slowly put it to my side. As anyone could imagine, it hurt worse than getting hit in the face by a belt at full force. I felt the knife going further and further into my body, then it got pulled out. I heard a door cave in. 

“Police put your ha-” The cop didn’t even finish his sentence before tackling  Mr. Mitchell. He had him handcuffed then called for a paramedic.

“I need a paramedic here at 10 Howard Drive this instant. I felt the blood gushing out of my body. 

“Help me!” I said, trying to yell out. The cop came running towards me, he applied as much pressure to the stab wound as possible, but it wasn’t enough to slow the bleeding. I started to feel weaker than I did before, I started to get tired. My vision started to get foggy when I saw in the very far distance, paramedics. 

I woke up later that night. Well, I think it was night. I didn’t even know how long I was sleeping. My memory was foggy, I barely remembered what happened the day I got kidnapped.

“Is anyone here?” I asked aloud. A doctor swiftly came into the room.  He looked like he had been up for hours, there were bags under his eyes and he was a little clumsy walking in the room. 

“Oh finally, you are up.” He sounded relieved that I was awake. Maybe there were several police officers wanting to talk to me or something. 

“There are some people here to see you, they say their names are Randy and Terrance.” For some reason I was sorta disappointed to learn that police officers have not come to see me about all what happened. 

When Terrance and Randy walked into the room, I could tell something was wrong. What did the doctors say to them, if they said anything at all. I did feel sick, however. It wasn’t like a sick feeling I get when I come down with the flu. It was different, very different. Every once in a while, I could feel my stomach, like almost move. It was a weird feeling. 

“Is everything okay?” I asked Randy and Terrance. They weren’t acting like themselves. They didn’t answer me, they just looked around the room. It looked as if they were avoiding looking me in the eye’s. They studied what machines I were hooked up to, but never looked at me. Randy had tears forming under his eyes, same as Terrance. Terrance never shows his tears, I didn’t even know that guy cried. 

“Guys, what’s wrong.” I asked in a worried tone. I was scared they knew something about  my condition or something. Something I didn’t know about myself.

“Nothing is wrong, we are just worried about you, that’s all.” Randy spoke. Immediately after he spoke, Terrance hit him. It was like he didn’t want me to know anything. 

“What do you guys know?” I asked a couple times. I still got no answer. They were both tearing up at this point. It was funny. I had just got maybe three days worth of sleep, and I still felt tired. It felt like what I was feeling in that bunker, but not as severe. 

“How long was I out for?” 

“About 4 days.” Terrance said. It sounded like he was going to start crying while replying to me. I finally put the pieces together. I was dying. Whatever Mr. Mitchell gave me, it didn’t do what he wanted to do what he intended. It was instead poisoning me, killing me very slowly. 

“Randy, am I going to die?” Randy looked at me, then smiled. He didn’t have to answer. His smile gave me the answer really quickly.

“Let’s go Randy, can’t let my mom think we forgot about her.” There they went. As quickly as they entered, they left.

Chapter 9

Weird, looks like Will was keeping track of what happened in a journal. Wow,

he’s a really good writer. I'm not as good as him. I haven’t properly introduced myself yet, so sorry about that. I am Randy, Will has mentioned me a lot here actually. Anyway, I know I have marked this down as “Chapter 9,” but it isn't really a chapter. It is really to tell you what happened to this awesome writer. Almost a day after we left that hospital room, Will passed away. It was about a year after his death. I think it was a day later, maybe a week. Anyway, I am just finding this notebook. I knew he liked to read, but never thought he liked to write. Wow I am getting off topic really quick. Anyway, The teacher who did this to Will, Mr. Mitchell. He had been put into a maximum security prison. Terrance took it really hard though. He was never the same after Will’s death. He was almost never at school. When he was he always wore black clothes. He used to wear jeans and a blue t-shirt no matter the temperature out

I think I am going to try and get this published. At least try and share It to my whole school. That’ll be hard to do, but it’s worth a try. I think Will would’ve asked us to get this out to the public. Or at least hinted to it.

“If you can still hear me buddy, just know we all miss you.” 

THE END

[kryptsune]

Kit’s OC Time {Part 2}

🌼So I got this wonderful ask from @chocolatetwix and I got super excited. There is a lot here so I just decided to make a huge post about it. That and I can save it and work on it too so that’s a bonus. You can’t really do that with asks. This will be in a couple different parts so that it’s not too overwhelming!

Let’s continue! 

Costume/ CC: Back in my DA days I used to draw a lot of animals and I had a fursona as well. Now I am not sure if I am going to keep her or not but I do actually still like her design. I might just tweak it a tad.

I have an incredible piece of artwork from Nukerooster of her and I just need to share. Go check them out as well (>>>LINK HERE<<<) 

Akuma: Another fluffy boy but I have this OC named Akuma, original... I know. He will most likely make an appearance in my Hell world once I re work him a bit. Basically he was a demon that caused a lot of Chaos and havoc but messed with the wrong village. Mid transformation he got a blessed sword rammed through his chest keeping him that way until the sword is released. It also perpetually bleeds, never heals, and drains his power. Poor demon baby boy. Also I realize that he is old... but like... I still love his design if that is even possible. He used to be red in color which I will post and then I redrew him a few years ago to see how he would look more current. Now he is teal ish. 

Nuke also did this incredible one of Akuma. 

Because of my major I sometimes randomly come up with cute RPG character designs and I really wanted to do one of little monster animals. I created this little guy during one of my classes. 

Spip: He is a little vampire ghost bunny. The cross shaped vile around his neck is filled with his HP restore (Blood) If you have a lot the vial will be full but if you don’t have enough it will deplete over time. Poor little Spip just wants to be friends with people but because of what he is they run away. He is kind of my homage to Bunicula if anyone remembers that book. I have ideas for his little buddies too like a Frankenstein cat and so forth. Just a cute little idea.

Lastly we have the Infernum (name will probably change I am kind of thinking about calling it Twisted Otherworlds or just Otherworlds) cast which is even larger than the Hell side and I don’t even want to think about that right now X’D It is a little overwhelming. What I do have however are some of the designs I made for them, costume wise. This was back during my fashion degree projects. Think realms with twisted fairytale characters that happen to used to be real people from different periods in time. This is the point I really started to dig into the horror genre and it kind of shows though looking back I think I always kind of have been... 

The story is basically a fairytale romp and during the day light hours it’s perfectly fine all zanny and fun but at night is a whole other story. You see the souls that live in these Realms used to be living breathing people. The only thing is that if you end up here though you lose all memory of that life. The Madness which is like a magical curse infects these souls and turns them into their own personal fears or horrors. It’s all back story based and intense so I won’t go into it. There are different monsters and characters and even though it’s an older idea I do think it still has a lot of potential. The realms of the Muses so to speak. Their day and night are switched as well so no matter where you are in the world you dream in the daylight and it’s night there soooo your usually going to get a pretty lucid horrifying nightmare but if you sleep during the night time you will have good dreams. Just don’t fall asleep during the day light hours X’D 

Anywhoo! Here are some of my favorites and again these are really old so their designs will be tweaked for the long run. I also apologize for the quality the actual PSD files are not on my laptop so I have to settle with the project photos I took a long time ago. In order you have the Rae the Black Rabbit, Lucian the Hatter, Ace the Cheshire Cat, Crow (probably change the spelling) the Scarecrow, The Woodsman, and one of Pan’s Lost Boys. I also included the top hats I made for them because I still think they are pretty neat!

There are also some REALLY old designs for the Twisted Otherworld characters. They had more of an anime flair to them. That said there are a couple characters that I want to share since they are actually important despite the artwork being older than Methuselah. 

Maximillian March/ Mad March: Crazy March Hare? I think so. He is a puppet master of sorts in the story and I have to redraw him but he has these deep swirly eyes and sharp teeth. (huh... looks like that design choice happened a long time ago... WELP)

Tweedles: One of my friends was able to pick this out immediately but yea... these are the Tweedles. Their nightmarish 1910′s gas mask Orwellian horror cyborg versions anyway. I have a full image of Dee somewhere that I need to find... (edit) AH there he is... btw I was like 15 when I did this design so I gotta question what the heck was going through my brain.. unless it was that Doctor Who episode with the children that just freaked me out... yeah.. that was probably it. Are those real organs and muscles you ask... yes... yes they are.

[honey-bri-books]

You don’t have to like it when people write in books, just because the people who do are more “open-minded” and “sweet.”

"Books are meant to get messy, not to end up as museum pieces" 

True. But not everyone appreciates books the same way. Some like them without text that’s not meant to be there, and if certain people don't think they're supposed to be museum pieces, why do they condone writing additional text in the book? Or underline, highlight, color in the book and then share it with the community, where they know a lot of people are going to read it? Seems that all of our takeaways from what we read are meaningful and beautiful, so that would be adding “art” to the book? So, I write in a book because it’s not the same thing as a museum piece, but does that mean my writing isn’t a kind of artistry?

We’re not all the same, so not all will go “Oh, I’m so happy this person wrote in this book, before me!”? It’s great to keep books like that to own, in case you want to re-read or for the sake of the memories attached with the book. Like, a journal within a book. Personally, I wouldn’t want to let go of something like that.

You’ll find someone’s scribblings or notes in another book, from the library or used book-store (?), it’s not uncommon. But once I was reading a library book and it had a note at the top of a late chapter in the book...

“Skip this chapter! You’re welcome!” Um...

And no matter how used a copy is or worn out, the only way the experience of reading the book gets cheapened (for me) is if I turn the page and there’s a bunch of squiggly lines or colored underlining, and then I’m taken out of the moment. For me, it interrupts the author’s voice.

It’s different for everyone, but if books are getting donated or shared, and they have writing in it or artwork or an excessive amount of highlighting, it’s almost mocking or degrading to the next reader. Like, if I were the one who got to read the copy before the next guy and made my mark on the book by adding my pen to the pages, hoping or assuming the next reader would be grateful for what I added to the author’s book...I wouldn’t feel good, doing that.

I’m not sweet. I’m not nice. I’m honest. I don’t like it when people write in books and then donate them, assuming others won’t mind. A lot of people won’t! Some will be filled with joy at the sight of the underlining. But not all.

A note or two is one thing, but what if you’re reading a book and then encounter underlining four or five pages, back-to-back? Or text that’s crossed out and written notes “This is inappropriate” “Don’t read this page” or translations of what the author is trying to say (according to the previous reader), because the person assumes it’s going to be beyond the understanding of others?

That’s why I don’t write in books, and don’t like it when I encounter it in other books. I expect it with shared books, but not to such a degree, where it’s pages and pages and....I can’t. I donate books, but always check to make sure there are no notes or scribbles in them. before doing so. I’m not saying this makes me special or whatever. I’m not better. Just wondering if anyone else chooses not to write in books, out of respect for the next reader?

Other Person: “I believe in sharing books BTW!” ❤😁💖💕✨

Me: “I believe in sharing books with respect.”  😉 

Tabbing and highlighting and journaling is great, but why would anyone want to part with something so personal and special to them? If a book has been heavily tampered with or altered, I just wouldn’t assume others would get my notes or scribblings, so I’d keep it as a “museum piece.” 

Both sides are valid.....BOTH SIDES. I feel that this side doesn’t get to speak out as often as the other one does (not true really, but why do I feel like the bad guy, all the time?). Are we the lesser side? Are we less “open” and “giving” and “positive” and shit?

There is no wrong way to share books, so maybe this was just a rant that means nothing. I just don’t want to add to the experience of reading any book for the first time, by adding my musings to the author’s text, is all. Or underlining something that carries especial meaning for a group of people, but not everyone. Or underling an entire chapter, for the hell of it. 

Anyway.....read something. Lol.

💖

Also, a hot tip: If you’re reading a used book, or a library book......It’s super-possible the book has been read before you by someone else, so you don’t need additional notes or underlining as a sign that someone else handled the book before you. I could be wrong about that, though... 😂

[girigirizine]

“Happy Birthday Keith!”

My dear friend @fiery-mullet and I wanted to create something cute and nice for Keith’s birthday. I’m so glad to have met her, her writing always beautify my artworks by 200% ♥ (btw, this one is a tribute to one of my fav anime: Tamako Market)

She writes, I draw, and here is our present to Keith this year, enjoy~

@fiery-mullet : And so Kya had this beautiful idea of drawing Keith looking so soft and genuinely surprised with people celebrating his birthday. And then it just went from there… For what it’s worth enjoy!

To my dear Kya, this fic would not be here if it wasn’t for you. Thank you for being my Keith. For always saving me from sadness and utter lack of faith in myself. As many times as it takes.

Black Forest and a Purple Candle

After a couple of knocks, the door opened and James’ head popped in.

“Hey Keith, have you seen Kosmo?”

Keith, who was in one of the Galaxy Garrison’s conference room with Pidge and Hunk- or rather was pulled into it by said Paladins about a couple of hours ago- frowned.

“No, why?”

“Commander Iverson messaged me just now and said there was drool all over the stuff in his office.”

“What?! Wait, why would he be in Commander Iverson’s office in the first place?”

“Uh… Oh, you know Commander Iverson. He loves the cosmic wolf. Maybe he offered him a treat or something.”

Keith sighed. “But I still-“

“No, it’s okay Keith. Hunk and I still have to make a few adjustments to the upgrades like you suggested. So it’s not really urgent. You should go before Kosmo teleports Iverson somewhere we can’t find him.”

“Yeah! Besides I still have to send the recipe to-“ Pidge elbowed Hunk, fiercely, before he could finish his sentence.”

“To his mom! He wants to teach them how to make food goo.”

“Yeah! My dad’s been dying to try it.”

Keith wondered why anyone would want to try food goo. Maybe because it was an Altean dish? And his dad wanted to try space cooking?

“Okay. I’ll go get the wolf then. Let me know if you guys need anything.”

Keith left the room, following James to Iverson’s office. The automatic doors opened and closed. Keith didn’t have the fondest memories of this place. In fact, the last time he was there became his last day in the Galaxy Garrison as well, which he honestly thought was the end of his piloting dreams. But it was all in the past.

“Commander, I heard the cosmic wolf came here. I hope he didn’t cause any trouble.”

“That little fella was such a good bo-“ Iverson stopped mid sentence and cleared his throat. His fond smile quickly changed into his usual grumpy face. Just as Keith remembered before he was booted from the Garrison. “A troublemaker, cadet!” He yelled. Keith noticed there was something off about his tone. It wasn’t as fierce and loud as he recalled. “He chewed on a lot of my stuff, and I had to wipe them dry. Wasted my time.”

“I’m sorry, commander. He does that when he’s lonely. If you just played with him for a bit.”

“Oh I did! He even let me pet him and-“ For a few seconds Iverson’s face lit up, but as if he had caught himself, he put his stern face back on. “But I have things to do, cadet. I can’t possibly play with him all day. Just remember to watch your wolf from now on. I have business to discuss with Griffin. You may leave.”

“Sir!” Keith saluted and exited the room.

Frowning, Keith still couldn’t understand why the wolf would even go to Iverson’s office. However, before he could ponder on it any longer, his communicator beeped and Allura spoke.

“Keith! Kosmo’s down in the archives! Could you come pick him up before chews any more storage devices?!”

“Why is he down there?!”

“How am I supposed to know?! Come and pick him up this instant!”

“Okay! I’m coming!”

-

Keith ran down to the other end of the building where the Garrison archives were as fast as he could. However, when he got there, only Allura, Coran, and Matt were there. Matt looked up when he came in.

“Oh, hey Keith!”

“Hey, Matt. Where is he?”

“He just left.” Coran said, twirling his moustache.

“What.” Keith’s eyes drooped. Okay, something wasn’t right here. First, Iverson’s office. Now, the archives. He knew his wolf was a curious little creature. But why was it going to all these places? And what was even weirder, was leaving every time he came to fetch him?

“Wait!!! Kosmo!!! Come back here, you little-!!!”

Keith’s head jerked to the hallway where Lance was chasing after the cosmic wolf. Allura looked on in disbelief as Matt slapped his forehead. Coran sounded thoroughly amused as he said, “Well then young Paladin, I guess you’ve found what you came here for.”

Keith groaned. He dashed out of the archives and saw the cosmic wolf turn at the corner with Lance tailing behind. He ran after them but by the time he caught up to Lance, who was on all fours, panting, the wolf was gone. “That guy’s too fast.”

“Why were you chasing him?”

“I had to… the scarf…” Lance panted.

“What?”

Lance flinched before he got up. He frowned, and seemed to make himself sound annoyed on purpose. “I said your cosmic wolf took my meemaw’s scarf.”

Keith thought back on the bluish-grey scarf with a light streak that was tied on the wolf’s neck. His visual memory is pretty good, and he was sure that was the same scarf Hunk tied around the cosmic creature whenever Hunk had him deliver food to the Voltron pilots and their passengers while they were on the long trip back to Earth. “Wasn’t that Hunk’s?”

“Shut your quiznak, it’s my meemaw’s!”

Keith sighed. This conversation was going nowhere. “Fine. I’ll find the wolf and give it back to your grandmother.”

“No!”

“What?”

“I mean, you don’t know where she lives! Just give it to me, I’ll give it. Hasta la later, Keith!”

And he went on his way

“What’s he talking about. His whole family lives in the Garrison now.” Keith mumbled, watching Lance’s retreating back with a disbelieving face.

“Hey Keith! Kosmo is here at the weapons room. Could you come pick him up?”

And that was Romelle.

-

Keith’s head drooped. The day just kept getting weirder. He couldn’t decide what was more bizarre, the wolf going to the weapons room or Romelle being there, surrounded by dangerous artillery and there have been no explosions or reports of anyone getting hurt. Yet.

He got there in time just to see Romelle slip something into the scarf tied around the wolf’s neck right before he vanished again. More than that, he noticed another person in the room. “Acxa.”

“Keith.”

Ah. That was the reason why the Garrison was still in one piece despite Romelle and firearms being in the same room. Keith inwardly sighed in relief, grinning at Acxa.  

“Romelle, why did-“

Before he could finish his question, his communicator beeped again. This time, it was Shiro.

“Keith, I need you at the hangar.”

“I’ll be right there,” Keith said before dashed out of the weapons room.

-

“Shiro! What wrong…?”  Keith gaped when he saw the cosmic wolf standing beside Shiro.

He crouched down and rubbed his favorite spot just above his nose. The wolf closed his eyes, relishing Keith’s gentle touch. He folded his ears when Keith’s hand moved up to the top of his head.

“What have you been up to, buddy?”

“We asked him to collect a few things. And now we’re down to the last thing on our list.”

Keith got up and looked at Shiro, asking “What’s that?”

With a soft smile, Shiro simply said “You.”

The next moment, Keith’s eyes went wide as Shiro wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. They stayed like that for a long while, until Keith relaxed in his hold, letting his eyes drift close. Resting his head on Shiro’s shoulder, Keith let himself just breathe. For just those few minutes, he wanted to forget all his worries. His responsibilities. His duties.

Shiro finally let him go, and looking down at the cosmic wolf, he said “You know where to take him.”

The cosmic walked towards Keith, and the second they touched, they vanished, leaving only Shiro who could still feel the warmth in his arms.

-

The place they reappeared in was the new base the Blade of Marmora had set up on Earth. Keith wondered why it was so dark. Worried that there might’ve been an attack, he was about to take out his bayard when a candle was lit. From the dim light, he could see a purple pillar candle stabbed right smack in the middle of what looked like an elaborate Black Forest cake- with all its icing, chocolate shavings, and cherries on top mysteriously intact.

Krolia stood beside him and ushered him in. Voice as gentle as always, she greeted her son. “Happy Birthday, Keith. Now blow your candle and make a wish.”

Keith was speechless. The last time he celebrated his birthday was before his father passed away. He had given up ever having another birthday party since, much less one with his family.

“We didn’t know how humans commemorate the day they are born. So we asked the other Paladins, and they told us to make you a sweet confection with a candle on top.”

“I chose it! I made sure to pick purple to represent our heritage! Do you like it Keith?” The taller Blade beside Kolivan and quite the bubbly Galra, Llaf, proudly declared.

“It’s… a very nice color.” Keith grinned lopsidedly.

Closing his eyes, Keith made a wish. Surrounded by his mother, his wolf, and their Blade family, there was nothing else he could really ask for. All he wanted was to be able to make a lot of new memories with them from now on.

After the party, Keith opened his presents from the other paladins and the Garrison. It turned out that that’s what Kosmo had been collecting from everyone, and it was all Pidge and Hunk’s plan. Inside, there was a note from from Shiro.

Hey Keith, We hope you enjoyed our little surprise. It’s been a long time since you celebrated with your mom, and now you have the Blades. So we figured it was best to let you guys bond for today. Happy Birthday!

At the bottom, there was a hastily scribbled message.

We have something for you at the Garrison as well, so don’t think the celebration’s over just yet! -Pidge

Keith couldn’t help but smile.

Fin

Follow her on Tumblr @fiery-mullet  Follow me on Twitter @wonder_kya // Instagram @wonder_kya

[muthur9000]

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As part of our creatives series, Wayne Haag answers some questions on Science fiction and fantasy, also giving us some insight into his work.

Clara Fei-Fei: My first encounter with your work was for The Fifth Element (which I LOVE). I always wondered what sort of design requirements did you have to meet for the movie? Did you speak to Luc Besson about what he wanted?

Wayne Haag: As a matte painter I didn’t have to meet any design requirements, that was all taken care of by the concept designers.. who were Jean-Claude Mézières and Moebius, among others. I just had to paint to their designs. Within the scope of the matte painting itself, there are mini design problems or choices and those I discussed with my supervisors and Luc a few times for the various matte painting shots I worked on.

CF: What’s your favourite Scifi movie? 

WH: Alien with Empire Strikes Back a very very close second. I know Star Wars isn’t strictly science fiction, more fantasy but for me, it’s about a sense of wonder and they both have it. I still have every Marvel Star Wars comic btw.

CF: Wow awesome! And who is your favourite character from any Scifi movie/comic/game?

Favourite character… I don’t have a favourite actually… If pushed I’d have to say Luke Skywalker, he’s the archetypal hero we all relate to.

CF: If you could enhance your body using robotics, what abilities would you choose?

WH: Eyes… Mine are going! Visibility into a much larger part of the EM spectrum – IR, UV, X-ray etc, zoom capability, heads-up display – data overlay, distance measurement, image capture…

CF: What inspired you to pursue work in concept art? For anyone wanting to pursue the same line of work, where do you suggest they start?

WH: I had always wanted to be an artist, always wanted to make images. It was never an option to not be an artist. This has encompassed professional photography, matte painting, illustration for publishing, concept art, mural painting, oil painting. Start drawing and painting, nothing more to it than that. Learn what you need to be a competent illustrator and the rest will follow.

CF: Could you give me an idea of what it’s like during production? What sort of guidelines you are given and what’s your average turn around time for the work you have done?

WH: That’s a large question. Every production is different, the vibe is different, some are relaxed some are stressful. It’s why I prefer to work from home mostly. Gigs like Alien you have to be there every day in house which is fine, can’t be a hermit all the time! Guidelines are simple – make this scene/shot look awesome – There’s the script, here’s the director’s brief now paint something that fulfils that brief. Don’t care how you do it, just get there.

Turn around time can vary from several (6 to 8) quick paintings in an afternoon to an evolving painting over several weeks. Not continuous of course, but bigger paintings I might have 3 or 4 days, it may sit around for a bit when you finally get feedback and you jump back onto that painting and off it goes into the cycle again. Some finish quickly and get approved just as quickly and you never see it again. Some hang around like bad smells!

CF: What is your favourite piece you ever created?

WH: One of my oil paintings, titled Sky Burial #2. It encapsulated everything I love about sci-fi, sense of wonder, mystery, story, history, spaceship wrecks, the desert.

SKY BURIAL #2

CF: What variant of the Xenomorph is your favourite? 

WH: The original.. because you didn’t see much of it. It was the implied cold-blooded violence that was scary, not so much the beast itself – which was scary as hell in its own right, I just preferred the implicit horror.

CF: I really loved Daniels cabin in the Covenant, what work did you do on that?

WH: The design for Daniel’s cabin evolved quite a lot for many months. A couple of concept artists had started the process, set designers etc, all working towards the final. My contribution was to bring the design language in from the other interior sets Steve Burg had designed and made it feel more modular like you would find on a ship. Then it was a matter of painting a couple of frames that illustrated the lighting and mood, which is my main area of interest.

  Daniels Cabin on the Covenant

White Room

CF: I read that the white room is inspired by 2001, what aspects of the movie did you consider when creating this set?

WH: Firstly, no one concept artists create ‘the set’, it really is an army of people that have some contribution at some point along the way, from top to bottom. The overall layout was inspired by a physical location in Sydney that they wanted to use but could not, so the decision was made to build the set at Fox. I had plans for the location and built that in 3D to scale. Then as I mentioned above, I paint the scene up for lighting, mood and composition, ie. camera position and lens choice. (which was used by Ridley on the day of the shoot).

No references to 2001 were used, not by me anyway. I approach each painting/set as a real place and try to work out how I would shoot it if I were really there, what kind of lighting situation, time of day, weather, season etc etc. Unless the director specifically references another movie, I go with my own references and ideas that I think to fulfil the script/story.

  Before

After

CF: What work did you do on the mothership in The Crossing and Alien: Covenant? What other aspects of the engineer city did you work on?

WH: I didn’t do any design work on the Mother Juggernaut, that was all Steve Messing. As we all have access to the 3D resources, I used the model he built simply as a prop within the greater scene. Again, setting up composition, lighting, mood. Although I did build the city and surrounds in 3D as one big model to scale so that everyone could see how shots would look if you were standing in the plaza. The 3D allows me to place human figures in the correct relative scale to a known real-world camera and the renders provide a basis with which to paint on.

My model of the plaza was based on Steve Messing’s original plaza layout. As the set designers finalised buildings and sets, I would incorporate them into my huge Maya file, kind of like a master file. Then I’d place 3D cameras around matching pov’s Ridley wanted.

Like all film designs, they grow, evolve and change. The final city you see in the film is quite a bit different from the city I built, so the VFX guys had further developed the city layout as per Ridley’s ongoing massaging.

  Image converted using ifftoany

Image converted using ifftoany

CF: What was the inspiration for the shower scene?

WH: T&A as far as I can tell…

CF: (lol)

CF: Do you have a list of the art pieces you infused into the movie?

WH: Not really, when you’re working on a film you don’t have time to immerse yourself in the art references and meaning, least I don’t anyway. All art choices are Ridley’s, I just create the scene as if it were really there and I shot it with a camera. The decision to not use the Francis Bacon triptych in the white room was solely due to licensing costs, nothing more than that. The Bacon estate wanted too much money. The Bugatti chair was also a licensed design and the prop was to be destroyed in front of lawyers once shooting wrapped.

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

CF: What pieces of yours made it the final film? Was there anything that didn’t?

WH: What pieces had an influence you should ask, concept art never makes it into the film per se, it is a tool for solving creative visual, technical, financial problems. How will this set look? How big will it be? How much VFX will be needed for that shot, how will the DP light the set etc?

It’s an internal document that hopefully answers the director’s, art director’s and production designer’s questions. If not, try something else, or remove things from the artwork. For example, I had two statues out front of the Cathedral and was asked to remove them from the piece. If that artwork had been disseminated throughout the production, someone may have assumed those statues were to be made and start spending money making them!

There are several paintings I did that you can see as shots in the film, they aren’t exact, but the overall compositions had been faithfully translated.

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

CF: What would you say has been your favourite project to work on?

WH: Fifth Element, The Wolverine, Alien Covenant, three best projects of my career.

CF: What is it like working on a large scale production such as Alien compared to smaller scale ones?

WH: Depends on who you’re working with and answering to directly, i.e. production designer. Some large-scale projects are overly corporate and anal, smaller ones are creatively easy going. It can also be the reverse too! Alien was super creative, very easy going (hard work, long hours but no BS!). Great people all around. Some tv commercial gigs can be a giant PITA, some smaller directors can sometimes want to prove themselves by having too much attitude and want to override your ideas, big directors like Ridley don’t have those insecurities and are therefore great to work with.

CF: Congratulations on winning the award for your work on Alien: Covenant.

WH: Thank you!

CF: Is there anything you are working on currently?

WH: I just finished working on a pitch project for Pixar and as I write this, doing concepts for a Chinese comedy film shot here in Australia.

CF: In future what sort of opportunities would you like to be involved in?

WH: Well I currently work freelance, for the most part, I teach part-time (at Production Art Department PAD http://www.productionartdepartment.com ), I’m starting to put out video tutorials of how to paint etc and I need to get my arse into gear and get back to oil painting my own project. As far as the future is concerned, I’d like more time to paint my own work.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, I look forward to having you on Yutani Podcast soon.

  Creatives: Wayne Haag As part of our creatives series, Wayne Haag answers some questions on Science fiction and fantasy, also giving us some insight into his work.

[easyfoodnetwork]

These Soothing Instagram Food Drawings Are Also Raising Funds for Restaurants

Natasha Pickowicz

Folks are putting pen (or colored pencils) to paper as an outlet for stress and as a way to support the industry

The colors of the strawberries, peach slices, and fresh-flower flourishes on top of the cakes — themselves imperfect circles, and slightly off-kilter — are bright, but also kind of faded, and definitely smudgy. These are not Instagram-perfect bakery shots. Instead, they’re all drawings, done by hand, of what might be a cake but is maybe a flan — or a pie.

Natasha Pickowicz’s artistic handiwork has pivoted these days from pastry to paper. As the pastry chef at Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar in NYC, Pickowicz was put on furlough in mid-March due to the novel coronavirus; the hardest transition, she said, “was not being able to make things with my hands anymore.”

“I ached to build cakes, develop spring menus, do the early morning bake off, process fruit,” Pickowicz said in an email. “All of these physical rituals just disappeared overnight.”

She turned to drawing and sharing her work online, and she’s not the only one. In the past few weeks, chefs, cookbook authors, and other restaurant industry loyalists have been sharing their hand-drawn art on Instagram. For some, it’s a stress reliever and outlet for anxiety while stuck at home. It’s also a vehicle for doing good, using artwork to raise much-needed funds for the restaurant industry.

Liz Ryan, a professional illustrator, has always used Instagram as an outlet for her work. Last week, she started posting illustrations specifically of small food businesses, mostly restaurants she personally loves in her Boerum Hill/Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn. She’s been posting one illustration per day, along with a caption about the place and a corresponding relief fund to support it. Then someone who has made a donation or purchase to support that place or fund receives the illustration.

View this post on Instagram

Today’s illustration supports @eastonecoffee and the employees that were laid off in light in of COVID19. East One is still open so definitely keep them in mind for your coffee + nom needs, but today we’re focusing on staff relief. Navigate over to their page and donate via the Venmo account pinned to their profile (There’s also a walkthrough video in my stories if you need some help). Anyone who donates between now and 12pm EST tomorrow (03.31.20) will be entered in a random drawing for this illustration, just DM me a screenshot of your donation confirmation. Thank you @eastonecoffee for all that you do and thank *you* for supporting small businesses! #covid19 #covid19relief #eastonecoffee #illustrationforgood #nycrestaurantrelief #brooklyncoffee #localroasters

A post shared by liz ryan (@lizryandesigns) on Mar 30, 2020 at 9:14am PDT

Ryan started by having the first person to DM her with proof of donation — say, a screenshot of a confirmation page, or a receipt for a gift card — receive the artwork; she’s now shifted to make things less of a race, whereby anyone who donates and sends a confirmation within a 24-hour window will be entered in a random drawing for the illustration. So far, each illustration has gotten multiple responses, with the most recent illustration — of East One in Brooklyn — raising $112.

“The project was motivated by the responsibility I felt to take care of and give back to my neighborhood,” says Ryan in an email. And with so many folks at home right now, bonding through screens while social distancing, Instagram has turned into a less curated, gentler vehicle for that.

“I normally feel pressure to prioritize sharing polished content but the internet feels incredibly kind right now,” says Ryan, who says response has been overwhelmingly positive. “In my feeds, social media has shifted from a curated landing page to a tool for documenting and assembling authentically. I’m here for it.”

View this post on Instagram

Filipino American, woman owned, sustainability-driven @clairesprouse quickly became a woman I admire and with her, @hunkydorybk quickly became my regular spot, a sanctuary and escape from my apartment and the chaotic, outside world. After work, I decompress with a glass of wine (or two) and cave into ordering their french fries (with extra mayo, please). I work remote there, perched at the bar, enjoying @mariebasile’s company, bartender turned dear friend, after she saved me from a terrible first date, “let me know when you want me to kick him out .” (She did, btw). I won’t find another space as special as this. Here, the @diasporaco turmeric-soaked eggs with black peppercorn, original ph: @abhishek14_. @diasporaco is also woman owned, helmed by @sanajaverikadri, who began Diaspora Co. in 2017 to share the complex cultures of India, and share regional spice varieties to the broader public. Diaspora Co. is donating $4 from the sale of every $12 jar of #PragatiTurmeric to their food communities’ employees’ @gofundme. Turmeric is also anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting — perfect to keep you healthy during this crazy time. Both @hunkydorybk and @diasporaco have @gofundme pages, please donate, or purchase this print! ✨ALL✨ proceeds will go back to the illustrated businesses. DM for details. Stay safe out there. #nkpcreate #illustration #digitalart #foodillustration #cherrybombe #bombesquad #procreate #digitalartist #fooddrawing #supportlocalbussiness #buylocal #shoplocal #newyorktimes #nyt #tumeric #eggs #indianfood #indiancuisine #spices #helpourhunkys #timelapse

A post shared by @ nkpcreate on Mar 23, 2020 at 8:45am PDT

Nancy Pappas is also a professional illustrator. Halfway through March, she also pivoted her feeds to focus on spotlighting specific food businesses and restaurants, sometimes featuring multiple businesses within a single illustration (like the turmeric-soaked eggs from Hunky Dory, featuring Diaspora Co. turmeric).

Each illustration is for sale, with Pappas vowing the split the proceeds among the illustrated businesses. As Pappas wrote on Instagram, “While I am self isolating indoors, I’ll be illustrating some of my favorite local businesses. I’m going to try to do as many as I can while we ride this damn thing out.”

As a food writer, Hugh Merwin’s Instagram feed isn’t typically filled with artwork. But last week, after posting a few black-and-white cartoon drawings, he posted a similar project: Send over a food-based drawing request — “your favorite food, your least favorite food, or your favorite imaginary food” — and proof of donation to a nonprofit like Feeding America or Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, or receipt from a local food business, and he will post a custom drawing for you. Since then, Merwin has posted 23 drawings, ranging from a rare New York strip steak to a morel riding a scooter.

View this post on Instagram

An unintentionally goth layer cake, for @zaneta316, made with mango, passion fruit, and pomegranate. (There are a few unasked-for loquats on the middle tier, too, got carried away there, sorry.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ _____ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I will draw your favorite food, your least favorite food, or your favorite imaginary food if you help out one of your local restaurants, food businesses, nonprofits, relief orgs, or any GoFundMe campaign your favorite restaurant may have set up in the last few days). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ DM me your request with a screenshot of your donation, in any amount, and I will post your drawing here. It may take a few days — apologies! — but I'm excited to keep this going.

A post shared by hugh merwin (@hugh.merwin) on Mar 26, 2020 at 11:00am PDT

Like Merwin, Pickowicz isn’t an illustrator by profession, but has found drawing to be a valuable outlet while out of work. “To help combat my mounting anxiety and stress, I started doodling the layer cakes and pastries that I wished I was making,” she says.

She’s turned to Instagram to post them and sell them as both a personal stress reliever and fundraiser. Her caveats, she says: “Doodles will be mailed out at random with no subject matter requests, please be patient in receiving your drawing, and donate any amount of money you like.”

View this post on Instagram

Cake calisthenics

A post shared by Creeps Suzette (@natashapickowicz) on Mar 17, 2020 at 6:53am PDT

Within 24 hours, she had nearly 100 requests for illustrations and had raised $3,500, with donations ranging from $5 to $100. All of the money is being donated to a GoFundMe set up by Matter House, the hospitality group that owns Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar, that specifically benefits their more vulnerable and at-risk employees.

The response, says Pickowicz, “was mind-blowing and so, so moving — people overwhelmingly just wanted to express their support, and suddenly I felt like I had a purpose.”

And Instagram followers — sitting at home, scrolling endlessly, wondering what good they can do right now, especially to support an ailing restaurant industry — may feel the same way.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/33Z81Mk https://ift.tt/2V6skUb

Natasha Pickowicz

Folks are putting pen (or colored pencils) to paper as an outlet for stress and as a way to support the industry

The colors of the strawberries, peach slices, and fresh-flower flourishes on top of the cakes — themselves imperfect circles, and slightly off-kilter — are bright, but also kind of faded, and definitely smudgy. These are not Instagram-perfect bakery shots. Instead, they’re all drawings, done by hand, of what might be a cake but is maybe a flan — or a pie.

Natasha Pickowicz’s artistic handiwork has pivoted these days from pastry to paper. As the pastry chef at Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar in NYC, Pickowicz was put on furlough in mid-March due to the novel coronavirus; the hardest transition, she said, “was not being able to make things with my hands anymore.”

“I ached to build cakes, develop spring menus, do the early morning bake off, process fruit,” Pickowicz said in an email. “All of these physical rituals just disappeared overnight.”

She turned to drawing and sharing her work online, and she’s not the only one. In the past few weeks, chefs, cookbook authors, and other restaurant industry loyalists have been sharing their hand-drawn art on Instagram. For some, it’s a stress reliever and outlet for anxiety while stuck at home. It’s also a vehicle for doing good, using artwork to raise much-needed funds for the restaurant industry.

Liz Ryan, a professional illustrator, has always used Instagram as an outlet for her work. Last week, she started posting illustrations specifically of small food businesses, mostly restaurants she personally loves in her Boerum Hill/Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn. She’s been posting one illustration per day, along with a caption about the place and a corresponding relief fund to support it. Then someone who has made a donation or purchase to support that place or fund receives the illustration.

View this post on Instagram

Today’s illustration supports @eastonecoffee and the employees that were laid off in light in of COVID19. East One is still open so definitely keep them in mind for your coffee + nom needs, but today we’re focusing on staff relief. Navigate over to their page and donate via the Venmo account pinned to their profile (There’s also a walkthrough video in my stories if you need some help). Anyone who donates between now and 12pm EST tomorrow (03.31.20) will be entered in a random drawing for this illustration, just DM me a screenshot of your donation confirmation. Thank you @eastonecoffee for all that you do and thank *you* for supporting small businesses! #covid19 #covid19relief #eastonecoffee #illustrationforgood #nycrestaurantrelief #brooklyncoffee #localroasters

A post shared by liz ryan (@lizryandesigns) on Mar 30, 2020 at 9:14am PDT

Ryan started by having the first person to DM her with proof of donation — say, a screenshot of a confirmation page, or a receipt for a gift card — receive the artwork; she’s now shifted to make things less of a race, whereby anyone who donates and sends a confirmation within a 24-hour window will be entered in a random drawing for the illustration. So far, each illustration has gotten multiple responses, with the most recent illustration — of East One in Brooklyn — raising $112.

“The project was motivated by the responsibility I felt to take care of and give back to my neighborhood,” says Ryan in an email. And with so many folks at home right now, bonding through screens while social distancing, Instagram has turned into a less curated, gentler vehicle for that.

“I normally feel pressure to prioritize sharing polished content but the internet feels incredibly kind right now,” says Ryan, who says response has been overwhelmingly positive. “In my feeds, social media has shifted from a curated landing page to a tool for documenting and assembling authentically. I’m here for it.”

View this post on Instagram

Filipino American, woman owned, sustainability-driven @clairesprouse quickly became a woman I admire and with her, @hunkydorybk quickly became my regular spot, a sanctuary and escape from my apartment and the chaotic, outside world. After work, I decompress with a glass of wine (or two) and cave into ordering their french fries (with extra mayo, please). I work remote there, perched at the bar, enjoying @mariebasile’s company, bartender turned dear friend, after she saved me from a terrible first date, “let me know when you want me to kick him out .” (She did, btw). I won’t find another space as special as this. Here, the @diasporaco turmeric-soaked eggs with black peppercorn, original ph: @abhishek14_. @diasporaco is also woman owned, helmed by @sanajaverikadri, who began Diaspora Co. in 2017 to share the complex cultures of India, and share regional spice varieties to the broader public. Diaspora Co. is donating $4 from the sale of every $12 jar of #PragatiTurmeric to their food communities’ employees’ @gofundme. Turmeric is also anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting — perfect to keep you healthy during this crazy time. Both @hunkydorybk and @diasporaco have @gofundme pages, please donate, or purchase this print! ✨ALL✨ proceeds will go back to the illustrated businesses. DM for details. Stay safe out there. #nkpcreate #illustration #digitalart #foodillustration #cherrybombe #bombesquad #procreate #digitalartist #fooddrawing #supportlocalbussiness #buylocal #shoplocal #newyorktimes #nyt #tumeric #eggs #indianfood #indiancuisine #spices #helpourhunkys #timelapse

A post shared by @ nkpcreate on Mar 23, 2020 at 8:45am PDT

Nancy Pappas is also a professional illustrator. Halfway through March, she also pivoted her feeds to focus on spotlighting specific food businesses and restaurants, sometimes featuring multiple businesses within a single illustration (like the turmeric-soaked eggs from Hunky Dory, featuring Diaspora Co. turmeric).

Each illustration is for sale, with Pappas vowing the split the proceeds among the illustrated businesses. As Pappas wrote on Instagram, “While I am self isolating indoors, I’ll be illustrating some of my favorite local businesses. I’m going to try to do as many as I can while we ride this damn thing out.”

As a food writer, Hugh Merwin’s Instagram feed isn’t typically filled with artwork. But last week, after posting a few black-and-white cartoon drawings, he posted a similar project: Send over a food-based drawing request — “your favorite food, your least favorite food, or your favorite imaginary food” — and proof of donation to a nonprofit like Feeding America or Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, or receipt from a local food business, and he will post a custom drawing for you. Since then, Merwin has posted 23 drawings, ranging from a rare New York strip steak to a morel riding a scooter.

View this post on Instagram

An unintentionally goth layer cake, for @zaneta316, made with mango, passion fruit, and pomegranate. (There are a few unasked-for loquats on the middle tier, too, got carried away there, sorry.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ _____ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I will draw your favorite food, your least favorite food, or your favorite imaginary food if you help out one of your local restaurants, food businesses, nonprofits, relief orgs, or any GoFundMe campaign your favorite restaurant may have set up in the last few days). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ DM me your request with a screenshot of your donation, in any amount, and I will post your drawing here. It may take a few days — apologies! — but I'm excited to keep this going.

A post shared by hugh merwin (@hugh.merwin) on Mar 26, 2020 at 11:00am PDT

Like Merwin, Pickowicz isn’t an illustrator by profession, but has found drawing to be a valuable outlet while out of work. “To help combat my mounting anxiety and stress, I started doodling the layer cakes and pastries that I wished I was making,” she says.

She’s turned to Instagram to post them and sell them as both a personal stress reliever and fundraiser. Her caveats, she says: “Doodles will be mailed out at random with no subject matter requests, please be patient in receiving your drawing, and donate any amount of money you like.”

View this post on Instagram

Cake calisthenics

A post shared by Creeps Suzette (@natashapickowicz) on Mar 17, 2020 at 6:53am PDT

Within 24 hours, she had nearly 100 requests for illustrations and had raised $3,500, with donations ranging from $5 to $100. All of the money is being donated to a GoFundMe set up by Matter House, the hospitality group that owns Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar, that specifically benefits their more vulnerable and at-risk employees.

The response, says Pickowicz, “was mind-blowing and so, so moving — people overwhelmingly just wanted to express their support, and suddenly I felt like I had a purpose.”

And Instagram followers — sitting at home, scrolling endlessly, wondering what good they can do right now, especially to support an ailing restaurant industry — may feel the same way.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/33Z81Mk via Blogger https://ift.tt/2yl9VLm

[easyfoodnetwork]

Natasha Pickowicz Folks are putting pen (or colored pencils) to paper as an outlet for stress and as a way to support the industry The colors of the strawberries, peach slices, and fresh-flower flourishes on top of the cakes — themselves imperfect circles, and slightly off-kilter — are bright, but also kind of faded, and definitely smudgy. These are not Instagram-perfect bakery shots. Instead, they’re all drawings, done by hand, of what might be a cake but is maybe a flan — or a pie. Natasha Pickowicz’s artistic handiwork has pivoted these days from pastry to paper. As the pastry chef at Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar in NYC, Pickowicz was put on furlough in mid-March due to the novel coronavirus; the hardest transition, she said, “was not being able to make things with my hands anymore.” “I ached to build cakes, develop spring menus, do the early morning bake off, process fruit,” Pickowicz said in an email. “All of these physical rituals just disappeared overnight.” She turned to drawing and sharing her work online, and she’s not the only one. In the past few weeks, chefs, cookbook authors, and other restaurant industry loyalists have been sharing their hand-drawn art on Instagram. For some, it’s a stress reliever and outlet for anxiety while stuck at home. It’s also a vehicle for doing good, using artwork to raise much-needed funds for the restaurant industry. Liz Ryan, a professional illustrator, has always used Instagram as an outlet for her work. Last week, she started posting illustrations specifically of small food businesses, mostly restaurants she personally loves in her Boerum Hill/Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn. She’s been posting one illustration per day, along with a caption about the place and a corresponding relief fund to support it. Then someone who has made a donation or purchase to support that place or fund receives the illustration. View this post on Instagram Today’s illustration supports @eastonecoffee and the employees that were laid off in light in of COVID19. East One is still open so definitely keep them in mind for your coffee + nom needs, but today we’re focusing on staff relief. Navigate over to their page and donate via the Venmo account pinned to their profile (There’s also a walkthrough video in my stories if you need some help). Anyone who donates between now and 12pm EST tomorrow (03.31.20) will be entered in a random drawing for this illustration, just DM me a screenshot of your donation confirmation. Thank you @eastonecoffee for all that you do and thank *you* for supporting small businesses! #covid19 #covid19relief #eastonecoffee #illustrationforgood #nycrestaurantrelief #brooklyncoffee #localroasters A post shared by liz ryan (@lizryandesigns) on Mar 30, 2020 at 9:14am PDT Ryan started by having the first person to DM her with proof of donation — say, a screenshot of a confirmation page, or a receipt for a gift card — receive the artwork; she’s now shifted to make things less of a race, whereby anyone who donates and sends a confirmation within a 24-hour window will be entered in a random drawing for the illustration. So far, each illustration has gotten multiple responses, with the most recent illustration — of East One in Brooklyn — raising $112. “The project was motivated by the responsibility I felt to take care of and give back to my neighborhood,” says Ryan in an email. And with so many folks at home right now, bonding through screens while social distancing, Instagram has turned into a less curated, gentler vehicle for that. “I normally feel pressure to prioritize sharing polished content but the internet feels incredibly kind right now,” says Ryan, who says response has been overwhelmingly positive. “In my feeds, social media has shifted from a curated landing page to a tool for documenting and assembling authentically. I’m here for it.” View this post on Instagram Filipino American, woman owned, sustainability-driven @clairesprouse quickly became a woman I admire and with her, @hunkydorybk quickly became my regular spot, a sanctuary and escape from my apartment and the chaotic, outside world. After work, I decompress with a glass of wine (or two) and cave into ordering their french fries (with extra mayo, please). I work remote there, perched at the bar, enjoying @mariebasile’s company, bartender turned dear friend, after she saved me from a terrible first date, “let me know when you want me to kick him out .” (She did, btw). I won’t find another space as special as this. Here, the @diasporaco turmeric-soaked eggs with black peppercorn, original ph: @abhishek14_. @diasporaco is also woman owned, helmed by @sanajaverikadri, who began Diaspora Co. in 2017 to share the complex cultures of India, and share regional spice varieties to the broader public. Diaspora Co. is donating $4 from the sale of every $12 jar of #PragatiTurmeric to their food communities’ employees’ @gofundme. Turmeric is also anti-inflammatory and immunity boosting — perfect to keep you healthy during this crazy time. Both @hunkydorybk and @diasporaco have @gofundme pages, please donate, or purchase this print! ✨ALL✨ proceeds will go back to the illustrated businesses. DM for details. Stay safe out there. #nkpcreate #illustration #digitalart #foodillustration #cherrybombe #bombesquad #procreate #digitalartist #fooddrawing #supportlocalbussiness #buylocal #shoplocal #newyorktimes #nyt #tumeric #eggs #indianfood #indiancuisine #spices #helpourhunkys #timelapse A post shared by @ nkpcreate on Mar 23, 2020 at 8:45am PDT Nancy Pappas is also a professional illustrator. Halfway through March, she also pivoted her feeds to focus on spotlighting specific food businesses and restaurants, sometimes featuring multiple businesses within a single illustration (like the turmeric-soaked eggs from Hunky Dory, featuring Diaspora Co. turmeric). Each illustration is for sale, with Pappas vowing the split the proceeds among the illustrated businesses. As Pappas wrote on Instagram, “While I am self isolating indoors, I’ll be illustrating some of my favorite local businesses. I’m going to try to do as many as I can while we ride this damn thing out.” As a food writer, Hugh Merwin’s Instagram feed isn’t typically filled with artwork. But last week, after posting a few black-and-white cartoon drawings, he posted a similar project: Send over a food-based drawing request — “your favorite food, your least favorite food, or your favorite imaginary food” — and proof of donation to a nonprofit like Feeding America or Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, or receipt from a local food business, and he will post a custom drawing for you. Since then, Merwin has posted 23 drawings, ranging from a rare New York strip steak to a morel riding a scooter. View this post on Instagram An unintentionally goth layer cake, for @zaneta316, made with mango, passion fruit, and pomegranate. (There are a few unasked-for loquats on the middle tier, too, got carried away there, sorry.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ _____ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I will draw your favorite food, your least favorite food, or your favorite imaginary food if you help out one of your local restaurants, food businesses, nonprofits, relief orgs, or any GoFundMe campaign your favorite restaurant may have set up in the last few days). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ DM me your request with a screenshot of your donation, in any amount, and I will post your drawing here. It may take a few days — apologies! — but I'm excited to keep this going. A post shared by hugh merwin (@hugh.merwin) on Mar 26, 2020 at 11:00am PDT Like Merwin, Pickowicz isn’t an illustrator by profession, but has found drawing to be a valuable outlet while out of work. “To help combat my mounting anxiety and stress, I started doodling the layer cakes and pastries that I wished I was making,” she says. She’s turned to Instagram to post them and sell them as both a personal stress reliever and fundraiser. Her caveats, she says: “Doodles will be mailed out at random with no subject matter requests, please be patient in receiving your drawing, and donate any amount of money you like.” View this post on Instagram Cake calisthenics A post shared by Creeps Suzette (@natashapickowicz) on Mar 17, 2020 at 6:53am PDT Within 24 hours, she had nearly 100 requests for illustrations and had raised $3,500, with donations ranging from $5 to $100. All of the money is being donated to a GoFundMe set up by Matter House, the hospitality group that owns Café Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar, that specifically benefits their more vulnerable and at-risk employees. The response, says Pickowicz, “was mind-blowing and so, so moving — people overwhelmingly just wanted to express their support, and suddenly I felt like I had a purpose.” And Instagram followers — sitting at home, scrolling endlessly, wondering what good they can do right now, especially to support an ailing restaurant industry — may feel the same way. from Eater - All https://ift.tt/33Z81Mk

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