#i also. need to finish art for an upcoming campaign and get back on my oto work . . . . . .

[miodiodavinci]

a heem heem whimper

[princesspuresarahk]

Meg Fanfic

Chapter: 5 Lets go for a drive! a phone call from Lois?

he weekend went by in peaceful bliss feeling like a dream to Meg she wished it could last forever but she knew it wouldn't be long until her 'family' got back.

"Meg, do you want to go somewhere today?" Donna asked her.

"hmmm going for a drive sounds nice it that's if that's alright with you Donna," she suggested while helping Donna clean up wearing a comfy oversize lavender sweater with jean leggings and fluffy socks during her 'stay' (from what she can think as) at the Brown house she offered to help Donna and Roberta around the house with chores to which Donna at first said there was no need but Meg wanted to help as she found it kinda relaxing folding fresh clothes and blankets hot from the dryer smelling like a clean autumn breeze after the cold rainstorm they had everything outside was foggy and murky with the chill that can make you almost see your breath went outside

"Yes, it does sound nice," Donna responded.

They finished the rest of the laundry they went upstairs to put the rest away into the rooms Meg dropped off Jr.'s and Rallo's on their beds before heading to Roberta "Hey Roberta here's your clothes to put up, also me and your Mom are going for a drive would to come?" She asked smiling even though she's a year older than her Meg wanted to get to know Roberta now that she'd started a friendship with Donna.

"Yeah, I would love to come~" Roberta replied. She does want to see what Meg and her mom have been doing lately. With the laundry put away the three headed out the car with Donna having already warmed up the car with the still chilly weather keeping them warm inside “Woah, it’s so cold.” Meg remarked, slightly shivering.

"yeah it's freezing out here Mama it's October and already feels like November how did Cleveland live out here," Roberta did as well checking her phone for Federline as they on the car Meg in the passenger seat Roberta wanted to sit in the back and have room to herself enjoying the space in the car while her stepfather and brothers are away.

Meg felt relaxed throughout the car ride. It gives her a piece of mind.

Onward they drove listening to music and talking about little things with the topic of the upcoming Halloween party sharing ideas for the fairytale theme Meg suggested some little flowers scarf toppers and hanging sparkling stars ✨⭐ "to give it a magical feel to it," she explained "and we can even make them by scratch with arts and crafts oh and with little hearts 💖 to bring a little romance in the air for the couples attending," Donna is intrigued by the idea. “That sounds great. We could also add in some pink roses too. We can also add some cute lace on it.” She suggested.

"That sounds great," Roberta replied.

They talked about more ideas they could work on the campaigns even some charity ideas they could bring to the council to raise money for newer school supplies and enhancements ideas of a bake sale, an event stand to sell goods at sports, games, dances, and talents something Meg learned at a school when her and the Griffins stayed in Texas at her Aunt Carol's and went to one of their football games

One of the few things their school didn't have that could bring new opportunities to the students.

After driving around two hours the trio stopped at a gas station for a bathroom break and had something to drink Donna got a unexpected call. Checking it was Lois she told Meg and Roberta to on ahead inside as she took this call Meg wondered what her Mother was calling about as she and Roberta went inside.

"She's probably asking for something dumb." Meg should not expect something positive from Lois.

It'd be 5 minutes until Donna came in to find Meg and Roberta who had already chosen their beverages of bottled water, an energy drink with a slim Jim, a mini bag of honey roasted peanuts, KitKat and M&M's "Hey Donna what did my Mother have to say," Meg asked while Donna got herself a small coffee and roasted honey pecans she had a slight annoyance on her face "Lois called if you could stay with us for a few days it turns out Peter got himself stuck in jail for causing a fight and trashing the Airbnb with reckless driving and won't be out until she tries to convince her Father to send them the money to bail him and pay for the damages oh I swear why Cleveland is friends with that fool of a man child," she mumbled that last part but Meg heard she understood that part being hard with living with a man child there are days she questions her Mother why she stays with him and why Peter even bothers to be a dad? Meg couldn't help but let out a sigh in disbelief knowing Peter was bound to get into his dumb shenanigans but hey at least she wouldn't have to see them for a little longer she looked at Donna who put a hand on their shoulder her phone now gone rising into a sweet smile and her doing the same as she said "so it looks like you'll be staying with us for sometime baby girl we'll stop by your house later and get you a suitcase packed and you'll be staying in our guest room for the time being," giving Meg a wink "Thank you, Donna I really appreciate it,"

Meg loves this. Now, not only does she get to stay longer in the Tubbs’ residence but also, but she is also staying longer away from her family.

It strangely felt good, things felt good for Meg and with her new friendship with Donna and blooming one with Roberta her time with the Browns, it's going to be a brighter one.

Later that evening after enjoying their long drive they headed back to Spooner Street only stopping by the Griffin house for Meg to quickly grab a couple of clothes and a few things while she stayed at the Brown's house until Griffins got back.

'I can't believe this is actually happening.' Meg thought excitedly.

She never thought something could happen like this being with a kind woman like Donna who willingly came to the mother and aunt-like figure she needed her own 'Auntie Mama!'

Right now after coming back from their long drive, she was helping Donna out in the kitchen preparing dinner having decided on hot creamy pumpkin soup with little bacon bits that made the kitchen smell good aroma of fresh hot soup on the stove as Meg was putting the ingredients Roberta studying the table while talking with Federline Donna was on the phone with Cleveland. Good cause they needed to talk!

“Cleveland, you got to do something about that friend of yours! I don’t like how he treated Meg!” Donna exclaimed.

Cleveland sighed knowing this was coming is a topic that he and Donna have been bickering about lately he knows Donna hasn't liked the Griffins ever since they moved back to Quahog even for a time forbidding him from being friends with that Peter and see how they treat their children Cleveland knows this and understandingly knows it's wrong especially how they treat their oldest child heck he's been having second thoughts about their friendship lately but then again they were best friends "I know Donna it's just that I know Peter for a long time and he was my best friend he saved my life a couple of times and how can I repay for something like that?"

He and the boys were having a campfire roasting hot dogs when Donna called and with the kind of topic and tone she was having he knew this needed to be a private call excused himself to the car for a few minutes as he and Donna talked about the issue about Meg "I know it's truly wrong with how he treats his oldest child Meg is a sweet little girl always has been has been Peter seemed to love her in the beginning I just don't know why now he treats her like dirt don't even treat my kids like that if there was a way I could take her in myself I am her God Daddy after all Donna but I don't know how to do that without causing drama,"

"Then tell that man to not be such a horrid father! the same goes for his wife!" Donna chided.

"you're right Donna I'll have a talk with Peter about it as soon as they return I promise," he replied in a sweet loving tone but Donna knew he was going to keep his promise "All right baby we'll see you guys when you get back tomorrow I love you Cleveland give Rallo and Jr. A good night hug from me and you boys stay safe out there,"

With that, they hung up Donna went to the kitchen to finish up making dinner "Donna how was Cleveland and the boys doing?" Meg asked curiously

“They are just camping. Seems like they are enjoying their time.” Donna responded.

"they must be having a lot of fun I like camping," Meg smiled

They finished up making dinner filling their bellies with nice hot soup and grilled cheese. Later the girls decided to do some karaoke! With Meg and Donna starting with some Dolly Parton!

“🎶Tumble out of bed

And stumble to the kitchen

Pour myself a cup of ambition

And yawn and stretch and try to come to life

Jump in the shower

And the blood starts pumpin'

Out on the streets, the traffic starts jumpin'

For folks like me on the job from 9 to 5,🎶" shaking their hips and body to the groove pink and purple karaoke microphones in hand

🎶"Workin' 9 to 5

What a way to make a livin'

Barely gettin' by

It's all takin' and no givin'

They just use your mind

And they never give you credit

It's enough to drive you

Crazy if you let it

9 to 5

For service and devotion

You would think that I

Would deserve a fat promotion"🎶

The song was cheering up Meg. She started to move her body to the beat.

"🎶 Want to move ahead

But the boss won't seem to let me

I swear sometimes that man is

Out to get me, hmmm

They let you dream

Just a watch 'em shatter

You're just a step on the boss man's ladder

But you got dreams he'll never take away

In the same boat with a lot of your friends

Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in

And the tide's gonna turn

And it's all gonna roll you away

Workin' 9 to 5

What a way to make livin'

Barely gettin' by

It's all takin' and no givin'🎶"

She and Donna sang their heart out into the beat as Roberta watched with amusement watching her Mom and Meg sing shaking their hips and body to the groove pink and purple karaoke microphones in hand

"🎶 They just use your mind

And you never get the credit

It's enough to drive you

Crazy if you let it

9 to 5

Yeah, they got you were they want you

There's a better life

And you think about it, don't you?

It's a rich man's game

No matter what they call it

And you spend your life

Putting money in his wallet

9 to 5

Oh, what a way to make a livin'

Barely gettin' by

It's all takin' and no givin'

They just use your mind

And they never give you credit

It's enough to drive you

Crazy if you let it

9 to 5

Yeah, they got you where they want you

There's a better life

And you dream about it, don't you?

It's a rich man's game

No matter what they call it

And you spend your life

Putting money in his wallet

9 to 5!🎶"

The two said the last part out loud before collapsing to the couch to catch their breath laughing as they did the invigorating tune radiated through the whole room as the two women danced.

They continued singing their hearts out with Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Raise Your Glass with Roberta later joining the two in a contest singing another Pink song Get This Party Started!

"🎶I'm comin' up so you better get this party started

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started

Get this party started on a Saturday night

Everybody's waitin' for me to arrive

Sendin' out the message to all of my friends

We'll be lookin' flashy in my Mercedes Benz

I got lotsa style, check my gold diamond rings

I can go for miles if you know what I mean

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started

(I'm comin' up, I'm comin')

I'm comin' up so you better get this party started

Pumpin' up the volume, breakin down' to the beat

Cruisin' through the west side

We'll be checkin' the scene

Boulevard is freakin' as I'm comin' up fast

I'll be burnin' rubber, you'll be kissin' my ass

Pull up to the bumper, get out of the car

License plate says "Stunner number one Superstar?"

After singing song after song, the women were all tuckered out from singing and ready to head off to bed Meg has a feeling that tomorrow will get even more better.

And indeed it was in another peaceful autumn Monday morning before they were back at the school for the week the girls spent the morning enjoying eggies in a basket with turkey bacon and later the girls cleaned up the house some more when Cleveland and the boys get home from cleaning the kitchen, living room, laundry and bathrooms the satisfaction of a nice clean house. Meg got the last load of bedding for her room she couldn't help but press the sheets against her skin still hot from the dryer signing at the smell of Downy Bliss of Sparkling Amber and Rose "Mmmm so warm and soft I love it and I love it here with Auntie Donna," she whispered before putting them in the basket heading upstairs to finish remaking her bed. When the Browns moved back in they decided to set up new arrangements now that they were a family of 5-6 (with Meg now in the mix for the time being ) with setting a part of their attic into a guest bedroom whenever they had guests over and needed a place to sleep making it comfortable and cozy for the person staying.

“This looks very nice, Auntie Donna.” Meg feels comfortable with the bedding.

"Anything to make sure our guests are comfortable baby so you be snug as a bug here," Donna cooed giving a little kiss on her head as Meg giggled.

“Thanks again for letting me stay here, Auntie Donna.” The younger woman said in gratitude.

Later that evening the sound of Cleveland's car could be heard pulling up the driveway he and his boys had returned from their trip as the women came out to greet them "Welcome home Cleveland did you and the boys have a fun time," she greeted rushing to her hubby to embrace him in a big hug kissing her husband. Cleveland returned the hug and kiss "Haha it's good to be home baby, the boys had an amazing time by the time we got back to Quahog they were tuckered out haha Rallo even fell asleep on the way," motioning to the car as Cleveland Jr. helped a very sleepy Rallo out of his car seat "hi miss Donna it's good to be home I sure missed my warm bed and being home while camping," he said happily as Donna picked up Rallo into her arms as her youngest opened his trying to stay awake "Hi Rallo did you have a good time baby," she cooed as Rallo let out a tired yawn, Rallo looks at her somewhat dazed and part of his afro is "dented" from lying on the seatbelt.

"Best trip ever Mama..yawn.. didn't want it to end..yawn..I hope we can go back again..yyaawwnn.." he sleepily explained before hearing soft snores coming out as sleep took over Rallo again as he cuddled up against his mother lost away in dreamland.

Donna gave Rallo as everyone made their way back inside Cleveland chuckled "Haha It's good to be home,"

Donna sighs, "Yes it is...~ But a few things that need to be discussed..."

She whispered as Rallo fell back asleep in her arms Cleveland nodded understanding what she meant "Yes baby I know I plan to talk to him as he and Lois get back," he's going to do the right thing for his God daughter's sake.

It made Donna proud of her husband "That's good Cleveland now come there's lots to talk about," The family headed inside for a hot dinner was waiting for them of crispy za’atar chicken and cauliflower with roasted sweet potatoes.

The family enjoyed the dinner later getting together to talk about how their weekend went and the upcoming plans for the party until it was time for bed as everyone wished each other a good night of sleep and rest for a new day.

Yup! plot twist Cleveland is revealed to be Meg's Godfather how will he confront Peter's treatment? what will happen when the Griffins get back?

stay tuned for Chapter: 6 Cold rainy school days and friendship?

credit to the beautiful Taffy aka www.tumblr.com/queenofcandynso… for being part of this fanfic : )

credit to Dolly and Pink of their songs

[coeurdastronaute]

Essays in Existentialism: Plus One, Ch. 2

Previously on Plus One

It oscillated every other minute between being an amazing idea, but also being the worst idea of all time, and Lexa was mostly exhausted of bouncing back and forth. It might be easier, she decided, if she just got herself on board with it being a good idea, but a deep, gnawing hole seemed to manifest itself in her gut at the very thought of seeing her ex. 

As she went through the motions of finishing the day, of doing inventory because it was Wednesday, Lexa tried not to distract herself with the thoughts of her impending trip. In just forty-eight hours, she’d be face to face with Costia, who she hadn’t seen in months, who she avoided before occasionally running awkwardly into each other at mutual friends’ events. She’d come face to face with her ex who was getting married. 

And she was going to do it with a complete stranger on her arm. 

With a heavy sigh, Lexa tossed her clipboard on her tiny desk in the storage closet and plopped down in the squeaky chair, tipping it back with a wail. Her sister was the worst. 

It was quiet in the shop, closed for just a handful of hours, Lexa always took a day to inventory and repair the damage of the week. She enjoyed the late evening work, when her workers were gone, and the shop was empty and full of dreams. No one knew how the cabinets stayed so clean, or how the scratches on table tops got sanded and fixed, or how the wobbly table by the window was miraculous cured one day, or how the ceiling fans got dusted, just that it all happened, and Lexa was off, meaning she didn’t come in until at least ten, the following morning. 

But Lexa sat in the chair and let her brain do the same mental gymnastics it always seemed to do in the new quiet she found herself craving. She opened her laptop and ignored the awaiting spreadsheet, and instead opted to look over the answer Clarke had given her to the “Know your partner” quiz Clarke googled and made them both do. A mix of basic information and Newlywed Game style innuendos, Lexa filled hers out after a bottle of wine and anxiously waited for Clarke’s. 

That was what started the daydreaming. She scrolled through Clarke’s answers and furrowed, doing her best to memorizing all that she could, as if she’d be tested on it all, as if it’d be impossible to believe she could be happy with someone like Clarke. 

And when those thoughts started to seep into her brain, Lexa leaned back again and dug the tips of her fingers into her eyes. 

In a week it’d be over. 

And with that and a deep, heavy sigh, Lexa looked at the screen again and went about learning Clarke. 

She started professionally, of course, looking at her corporate page and resume, because this was, if not anything, simply a business transaction and Lexa thought it was easier to parse a person if she didn’t actually have to fall for her. 

A graphic designer at Anya’s firm, Clarke held accolades and a long list of references. The link to her work showed a wide range of commercial campaigns and a certain amount of talent evident by her list of upcoming projects. A graduate of a small, private, liberal arts university, her academics leaned heavily scientific, which was a surprise until Lexa read some of the answers in the survey about a degree in physics given up for art. 

Lexa promised that she wouldn’t have looked at Clarke’s Instagram if Clarke hadn’t requested her first. She wasn’t someone who lurked, or at least she thought she wasn’t. She didn’t want to be someone who snuck around, digging through someone’s past, analyzing every filter and caption like a private investigator. But then Clarke appeared. 

And there were pictures of Clarke with friends getting drinks on a rooftop. And then the one with her laughing and baking. Or the Christmas party where she was on a corporate Santa’s lap, smiling so wide her eyes were shut. Despite herself Lexa found herself smiling along with the girl in the pictures. The one who went hiking with a pack of dogs, and the one who seemed to always be eating something. The one who had a lot of friends and enjoyed making them smile and laugh. The girl who posted storie about her morning run, and the girl who seemed to have a healthy work life balance. 

Lexa closed the webpages and stared at her inventory for exactly two seconds before curiosity won again and Lexa started looking at Costia’s account. There were the standard pictures of her pre-wedding planning. There was Costia working out. There was her new bride-to-be, happy and smiling at a gift for her birthday. 

And then a throwback that made Lexa’s stomach drop as she stared at a familiar image of Costia smiling in a bikini on a beach. It was from the last trip they took. Lexa was the one behind the camera. 

Three weeks after that picture was taken, Lexa walked in on Costia and a girl in the middle of the afternoon. Right in their own bed. Only to then discover it’d been going on for months. And it wasn’t the first. And then, Lexa didn’t remember much except that she moved into the apartment above her coffee shop and woke up one morning alone on sheets that weren’t familiar, in a room full of boxes. 

It seemed even more difficult to start inventory after that shot to the gut. 

But her phone went off, and Lexa leaned back in her chair after shutting the laptop again, wondering if that sinking feeling ever went away when it came to someone you love, or loved, or once loved, even for a moment. She didn’t have anything to compare it to, and she didn’t have any idea what love really was. 

It felt like a deep wound was scratched open, the scab pulled back, and a burning numbness gnawing at the bottom of her spine. It felt like it would swallow her whole, and Lexa hated, more than anything, giving anyone the power to do anything as such over her. 

Hey! Do you think this will go with your outfit?

An image came next, of Clarke in a dressing room wearing a very pretty dress, with very messy hair with her tongue sticking out. Lexa didn’t notice the gnawing feeling disappear. 

We don’t have to match completely. 

We do! Don’t you know how to date?

Not really. 

Another picture of another dress came a moment later. Clarke was pretty. She was happy and silly and kind. It felt oddly normal, for as crazy as the whole scheme actually was. 

I like that one, Lexa wrote, making sure to add a heart-eyed emoji to emphasize her point. Maybe that was flirting. Maybe she was allowed. She definitely needed more rules. 

Good, I do too. It matches your tie, you know? And these heels will still leave you a little taller than me. 

Sounds good to me!

Kind of excited. I guess I’ll see you at the airport tomorrow. 

I’ll be the one at the bar. 

I’ve heard it’s possible to find your soulmate at the airport. Something about the crossing of paths and time and space. 

If my soulmate is a bottle of wine, then I reckon I might. 

A love story for the ages. 

Lexa smiled once more at her phone before tossing it to the side and letting her head drop to the desk. With a groan she growled into her hands and broke it down. She just needed to make it seventy-two hours. That was it. She could sleep for about twenty of those. She could drink for another twenty or more, if she really tried. 

But this was it. This was the end. 

And regardless of the weight of everything else, there was something satisfying about knowing it was almost over. 

XXXXXXXXXX

The airport was absolutely teaming with bodies and people, weaving their way through the swelling crowds, loading and unloading the terminals at a constant, steady thumping rate, so regular one could set a watch to the heartbeat of the building. 

Clarke adjusted her bag on her shoulder and tapped the ticket against her thigh as she moved through the security line. The nerves were coming for some reason. That was why she was at the airport three hours before the flight. She was anxious and needed a stiff drink and a few moments to catch her breath. She needed to escape the whirlwind she’d allowed herself to create. 

Carefully, she made her way through the airport, checking the boards and finding her way to a seat in the empty waiting room. Not even an attendant waited at the kiosk. 

Once again, she let herself awkwardly scroll on her phone, learning everything she could about her future date and weekend plans. 

Lexa was nearly non-existent online. She didn’t have any pictures of herself. She rarely posted anything on her personal account, and when she did, it was just a book or a coffee or from a trip. She wasn’t one to enjoy being the center of attention, but when it came to her shop, she made sure to post almost daily, highlighting her employees and their recommendations, she made share to highlight events, she made sure to be as active as possible. 

Anya had already warned Clarke that her sister was devoted to her work. She’d poured all of her effort into being successful and part of the community, and Clarke admired it, she just wished that there was more for her to see. 

And so, once more, she flipped back to the long line of questions they’d filled out before giving up and gazing out the window at the planes coming and going. 

For a moment, she allowed herself to think that she was doing something nice and good. It was an act of charity. It was the shake up Clarke needed and was selfishly trying to package as benevolent. 

“You beat me, and I’m usually the first one here for a flight,” Lexa observed, walking up to Clarke, stealing her from her reverie. 

“I like airports. Just waiting for true love to stroll up and introduce themselves.”

Lexa shoved her hands in her pockets, her bag balanced on her shoulder as she cautiously looked around, surveying the empty terminal slowly. Clarke watched her look around, smiled at the innocence of it. Enjoyed the way she ran her hand through her hair, mussing it up a bit and tossing it to another side. 

“No one likes airports,” Lexa shook her head before taking the seat beside her. 

“I do. They’re romantic.” 

“Romantic?” 

“You can get onto a plane, and a few hours later, you’re hundred of miles away, and it’s different weather, and it’s a different time zone. You can go to sleep in a different state. How can you not be romantic about that.”

“It’s a tin can filled with recycle air.” 

“But there are peanuts.” 

That did it. Lexa cracked a smile to herself and relaxed a little. 

“I was going to be the first one here. Surprise you with coffee, but you beat me to it.” 

“You are quite a good girlfriend. Someone clearly trained you well.” 

Lexa shook her head, somewhat bashful, somewhat reserved. There was always something right there, just below the surface, obfuscated by a kind of resolve to never give anything away, not at any price. Clarke read it between words in their texts and emails, a glaring finality in the simple pixel of a period. 

“Can I get you a coffee? Two creams, two sugar right?”

“You don’t have to--”

“It’s early and I’m trying to be charming. Allow me to somewhat repay you for this whole endeavour.”

“Sounds good. Thanks, darling.” 

With the term of endearment, Lexa nodded, grinning into her chest as she stood and made her way across the terminal in search of sustenance. Clarke watched her take out her phone, texting her sister no doubt. 

Once more, Clarke resumed the digging on her own, scrolling on her own phone at old pictures on Lexa’s profile. She was ready for fun, and she was ready to crack at that facade. 

“I don’t know if this will help,” Lexa sighed as she sat down. “I didn’t sleep a wink last night.” 

“Oh this won’t be good for me either,” Clarke said as she took a sip. “I’m a fairly nervous flyer.”

“And yet you let me get us both coffee.” 

“You made a good point, and I’m prepared to be paid back all weekend.” 

With another grin, Lexa leaned back, her arm going on the back of the chair that Clarke inhabited, naturally, with ease, with a level of comfort. 

“Are you ready to tell me the story?” 

“Which one is that?” Clarke turned to look at her date, returned from an absent moment. 

“How we met.” 

“How we met,” she nodded, her smile bordering on mischievous. “That’s simple. Don’t you remember? It was a very blustery Tuesday, and I was trying to escape the wind and rain. I almost tripped coming into your coffee shop, but you happened to be sweeping, and were kind enough to catch me.”

“You’re severely overestimating my reflexes.” 

“Fine. I ran you over and we both ended up on our asses in the middle of the coffee shop. Coffee everywhere.” 

“Sounds pretty likely.” 

“And I knew right there, I was hooked. Those eyes, all angry and annoyed at me for not looking where I was going, despite my persistent defense that I’d been assaulted by the weather.” 

“Why do I have to be the angry one?” 

“Wouldn’t you be though?” Clarke returned, daring her to be contradicted.

“Maybe,” Lexa agreed over the lid of her cup, fretting with it nervously. 

“So I crashed into you, and you bought be a coffee. I turned up every day after that until I finally asked you out. You took longer than I would have liked to answer me, but I accepted it anyway, and we’ve been madly in love ever since.” 

“And when was this?” 

“About eight months ago.” 

“How’s it going so far?” 

“Splendidly. I’ve already met your sister, who it happens that I work with, which is super convenient for everyone.” 

Quietly, Lexa sat there, going over the story, going over all of the past eight months of apparent bliss in her head. Clarke watched her furrow before softening, her eyes not seeing, but rather looking through the window as a plane took off and another landed. The softening of her features was soon met with a perplexion, a slight, gentle contortion of the brow and the lips, a tightening as a kind of confusion overtook the ease of the entire story. 

“Is it that easy?” Lexa asked quietly, turning her head toward her date. Clarke cocked her head, waiting for more. “Is all of it… just… a wind? Waiting for someone to just ask you out? Is it that easy? Does that happen to people?” 

“It can. How does anything happen in the world? It just… does. The universe is just a series of things happening, all of the time, right?”

“But is it that easy?”

To her credit, Clarke thought about it. She flexed her jaw and took a deep breath before slowing letting it go as she wondered if it really was. 

“I don’t know. Maybe it can be.” 

“How?”

“I guess there has to be a balance to making things happen and letting things happen.” 

“I don’t know if I’m good at either of those things,” Lexa confessed. She sat up straighter a moment later, afraid of her honesty, and surprised more by how easily it came out. 

“I think you can be.”

“That’s probably too kind.” 

“We’ll see.” 

Clarke rubbed Lexa’s shoulder, rubbed the middle of her back between her shoulder blades until she reached the collar of her shirt, where she massaged her neck. She tensed before relaxing, and Clarke didn’t stop, just rubbed there gently, slowly until she knew it was enough and she trailed her palm back toward the seat. 

It was right there, they just didn’t know it.

[barkkletshunt]

Those Worth Fighting For Part four

Have you ever seen a fic update so fast? Four updates in two days?

Part one

Part two

Part three

Part five 

Part six

Part seven

Part eight 

“While I like the idea of them having a red, green, and gold colour scheme going on, don’t you think it would have too much of a christmas theme and take away from the magic of their wedding?” Marinette sat on the same couch as Felix did, across from Kagami and Adrien who, despite their careful appearances, looked frazzled. 

“But those are our favourite colours,” Adrien tried, but Felix held his hand up to stop his cousin.

“Your wedding is in late spring, if you think for a moment that christmas colours are appropriate for that time of year then you need to hand over your fathers fashion industry to me right now.” Felix sipped at his now cold cup of coffee. “If anything, we could do red and gold and have green accents if we used things like leaves and give it a more rustic feel.”

“But that wouldn’t go well with their general aesthetic. They need to look like a king and queen, not a cottagecore couple.” Marinette countered. “I think we could go with a green, gold, and cream theme. That way they both get one of their favourites while keeping with the posh style. Either way, no matter what gold has to be a part of it. That I will not budge on.”

“If we made Adrien’s tie green it would bring out his eyes more.” Felix hummed, looking over at his co-planner. “You have good tastes, Marinette.”

“Why thank you, Felix, your tastes aren’t so bad yourself.” She said back. 

The two planners had successfully gotten their way with the wedding with everything they had put forth. Marinette’s ideas were either on point with Felix’s or close to it so the planning was going a lot easier than either of them had expected. Both had spent enough time with the bride and groom to know their likes and dislikes and due to their fashion background they knew what they were doing. 

They were unstoppable, not that Kagami and Adrien even tried. They saw the fire that was lit behind their companions' eyes and knew better, and it wasn’t like they didn’t like anything their friends had said. In fact, the more the two spoke the more excited Kagami and Adrien felt about the upcoming event. 

“Why don’t we make the groomsmen wear gold ties, just so that Adriens tie doesn’t fade in with the rest of them.” Marinette rambled, showing Felix the designs she had tucked away in her portfolio that she refused to show Kagami. “If you wear green too your eyes will stand out and Adrien is supposed to be the one people are paying attention to.”

“Should the bridesmaids wear green then? If that dress design is anything to go by we don’t want Kagami to blend in with the other girls.” Felix hummed, sliding closer to Marinette without thinking about it. “Can’t have you stealing the show from the bride, you know.”

Marinette’s face grew warm at the compliment, even if it did match her unintentional flirting moments earlier. The added proximity didn’t help, but she could pull herself together. This was Felix, after all, and despite how nice he had been that evening she still needed to see more of him before passing a proper judgement on him. 

The two planners missed the looks between the future Mr. and Mrs Agreste. 

“Well, after the akuma attack today I feel exhausted. I think I shall turn in tonight, since the two of you have it covered.” Kagami said as she stood from her seat. 

“Did you want me to make you a coffee?” Adrien asked innocently enough, but was immediately shut down.

“No, if I have a coffee now I won’t sleep.” Kagami raised her brow at her fiance, wondering if he had caught her drift yet. “And you have business to take care of in the morning. Let’s leave the planning to these two, shall we?”

The blonde man abruptly stood up, realizing what she was getting at. “Oh, oh! Yeah! Of course! They don’t really need our input for any of this stuff anyways, and I’m definitely beat after that sentimonster. We should go to bed.”

The owners of the house bid their goodnights and quickly escaped from the room, leaving Marinette and Felix sitting there dumbfounded. 

“Have, have they always been that obvious in their plans?” Felix finally asked, breaking the silence that had stretched on after their friend's departure. 

Marinette shook her head, “I have only seen them like that once when they were trying to plan a surprise birthday party for me.”

“And how well did that go for them?”

“Adrien ordered the cake from my parents bakery over the phone, but didn’t realize that I was the one taking his order.” Marinette recalled the look of horror on Adrien’s face when he had come to pick the cake up the day prior, and had begged Marinette not to tell Kagami he blew it. “For someone so smart he can be really oblivious, you know.”

“I did live with him for two years, I am well aware of how he can be.” Felix snorted. He shifted positions so he was facing towards Marinette. “I think it actually turned me into a better person, to be honest.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette mirrored his position on the couch. Adrien was an open book to her, she could ask him anything about himself and he’d answer her, and when she asked about his time in England he never said much about it. She couldn’t miss hearing about it from a second party, though. Especially when her friend was the cause of someone becoming a better person.

“Well, as I’m sure you are aware I was a terrible teenager.” Felix started.

“What? You? The man who deleted my love confession and mocked our friends?” Marinette jokingly pushed his shoulder. “I don’t believe it.”

Felix grinned, “I know, I know. I’m such a saint now. I wasn’t sure if you had even recognized me at first.”

“It was a bit difficult without those devil horns you used to wear.”

“Oh those? Those were natural. Grew them myself. Kind of miss them, actually.” 

The two laughed for a moment, enjoying their friendly banter that seemed to come so easily to them. 

“Okay,” Marinette giggled, “tell me how our sweet sunshine child managed to change the demon known as Felix.”

“Well, when he first moved in I was sent into a whirlwind of emotion.” Felix started, “I was still angry that Adrien had abandoned me when my father had died because his father wouldn’t let him call or text us, but I also knew how terrible it was to lose a father even if it was only to a lifetime imprisonment. I had so much baggage that I took it out on him. I think I made the first few weeks of his stay with us hell.”

The blonde man shifted, no longer wanting to look her in the eye as he confessed to his crimes. It didn’t take a trained psychoanalyst to see the regret he felt coming out and causing him to fidget. 

“It was when he transferred into my school and started to get bullied that I changed my tune.” Marinette was shocked. Adrien was so loveable and kind, how could anyone have bullied him? Then it donned on her. He was a terrorist's son. “People would shove notes in his locker with butterflies on it, or draw on his desk, and he’d just smile and say that they must have been doing it because of his fathers fashion symbol being a butterfly. Perhaps he wasn’t oblivious to it, but purposefully ignorant. No one would want to believe their father was the supervillian of Paris after all.”

“It was then that I decided to switch my targets from my cousin to those bullying him, and oh was I ever brutal. I had a few of them expelled for harassment, some I actually got physical with since they assumed I was Adrien. Either way, it was my school and I wasn’t going to let anyone insult my cousin. That was my job.” Felix’s brows pulled together. “It was the fights that got Adrien to step in. He reminded me that the emotions of people were complicated things, and that they were acting out more out of fear than actual hatred towards him. He told me what he actually needed wasn’t another bodyguard, but someone to lead his PR campaign.” 

Marinette remembered when Adrien’s image in the media had changed the first time, when he went from brilliant model to the heir to Hawkmoth's legacy. It had taken almost another full year of Adrien working harder than he ever had before to show the world that he wasn’t a monster, and it still took a live interview from Ladybug herself to convince the rest of the public that there was no way Adrien was involved in any of his fathers crimes nor was he a holder of a miraculous. It had been a wild ride from start to finish, but all considering it only took two whole years to get Adrien back in the world's good graces when the sunshine boy didn’t think he’d ever be able to live it down. 

“I spearheaded Adrien’s redemption. We donated to so many relief funds, I used our similar appearances to go onto talk shows to give a more calculated interviews. I did everything in my power to make people realize how inherently good Adrien is, and it worked.” Felix let out a long breath before turning a kind smile towards her. “But by the time all of that was done I had changed. I had become a person Adrien was proud of, and now I am here planning his wedding with his best friend. Whom, might I add, he talked about almost as much as he did his own girlfriend.”

“Now if you could have told me that, say, five years ago I would have been ecstatic.” Marinette set her portfolio down on the coffee table as she remembered how intense her crush for Adrien used to be. “But I am long over my crush on Adrien.”

“I am sorry about that, by the way.”

“Hm?” Marinette tilted her head to the side, not sure what he was talking about.

“Deleting your confession.” He explained. “It was wrong of me. I was jealous and petty and I’m sorry.”

Marinette wasn’t angry anymore, even if she wanted to be. Felix wasn’t the same as he was all those years ago and neither was she. It was silly for her to hold onto all that anger when he had changed himself so completely. 

“I am, however, not sorry you didn’t end up with my cousin.” He grinned. “Now I might have a chance.”

Maybe not so completely.

“In your dreams, devil boy!”

[capricornus-rex]

A Shadow of What You Used to Be (13)

Chapter 13: The Favorite | Cal Kestis x Irele Skywalker

Requested by Anon

Summary: There is another! Years after young Anakin Skywalker departed Tatooine, his mother Shmi delivers a second child—this time, a daughter. Whilst the circumstance of the girl’s birth remains unexplained, Irele Skywalker has yet to choose the true path between those laid out for her.

Tags: Fem! OC, Irele Skywalker, Force-sensitive! OC, Anakin’s Younger Sister, Skywalker! OC, Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice, Long-lost Sibling

A/N: I’M NEGATIVE FOR COVID, YAY!!1!! That’s the only negativity I need in life lmao

Requesting to be tagged: @heavenly1927​

Also in AO3

Chapters: Prelude – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 | Previous: Part 12 | Next: Part 14 | Masterlist

14 of ?

16 BBY

Battered by the sweat and grit in this confined dojo, Irele had proved her capabilities for battle.

For every instructor that walked in to face her, the difficulty climbed as well.

But the dojo had become her sanctuary. No limitations, no rules. She can be angry as she likes, she can be violent to her opponents, and then there would be no repercussion—it was all at the expense of “training” which was basically they had in mind for her.

Now that she was conditioned for combat, the next phase of the plan laid out for her growth would come next—although it would be simultaneous to this training regimen.

Today marks the first anniversary of her training, the day that started this all. To commemorate the event in some sorts, they sent in an electrohammer Purge Trooper to fight with her. No trooper of this sort has ever come in to this dojo until today. For a second, it startled her; but then she shook off the anxiety from her shoulders and tightened her grip on a weapon she had stuck with since Day One—a javelin.

Her one display of power that warranted Darth Vader himself to pay a visit to the dojo in Nur.

“Admiral, ready my shuttle and chart a course to Nur.”

“Right away, my lord.” The admiral did not give it a second thought, he immediately proceeded with the preparations.

Everyone in Nur knew that Darth Vader was coming, and so they were all in full-blast in cleaning up the place to make it presentable to the lord. Everyone—except Irele, who was too engrossed with her training.

It was just getting good when Vader had arrived in the viewing room of the dojo—Irele’s already picking up the pace in the fight, but the Purge Trooper was nowhere near tired. Suddenly, it seems like out of nowhere, a strong invisible wave had lifted the instructor off the floor and threw him across the room. The last thing Irele saw was her hand held out, fingers curved in a manner as if choking a neck, and vibrating with remnants of that energy that had sent the trooper five feet away from her.

Little by little, her sensitivity with the Force has become more active.

She could not explain it. She couldn’t even believe it, she thought those moments were just illusions or daydreams that she had mixed with reality.

But this moment proved otherwise.

And it intoxicated her.

Although she had not mastered how to utilize it actively and consciously, she would take every chance she gets when she felt like it would come to her aid in the fight.

Vader departs the viewing room and makes his way down into the dojo.

“You fight well, child,” he boomed as he entered, causing Irele to turn to his direction, javelin at the ready. “But you’ve a long way to go if you are to master the art.”

Under his cape, Vader revealed his weapon: a silver cylinder accented with black duraplast grips, covered to the pommel. His leather thumb pressed the switch and out comes a blood-red beam. Irele has heard the stories, but never did she imagined seeing it in person; as a matter of fact, she’s not sure if her javelin has any chance against that.

Irele took the offensive, she moved first.

Vader, unbeknownst to her to be her own brother, effortlessly evaded it as simple as stepping out of the way.

The girl had too much pride in her to admit that her opponent was indeed stronger and more skilled, but she thought she could outsmart him, outmaneuver him, not knowing that her efforts would be in vain.

They traded strikes, but Vader was taking the lead in this fight. Irele’s tiring herself out in evading and looking for an opening, landing fewer strikes than she did with her first opponent—the trooper. The dark lord was neither generous nor kind with the training, he wanted to show Irele different levels of strengths—if she were to be dispatched in campaigns where combat is inevitable, she might as well be fazed now than later out in the field.

“It’s unwise to presume you can overpower me, child.”

With their blades locked in, Irele caught a glimpse of Vader’s face up close. The crimson red film of the lenses of his helmet uncovered a hazy view of his eyes—his real eyes: twin golden discs, glinting with menace and at the same time, a sort of grief.

For a moment, Irele’s expression showed humanity; but in the next second, she remembered the fight.

“I wasn’t planning to.”

Her overconfidence in her strike was her undoing, Vader’s lightsaber swiped it out of her hands, leaving her literally empty-handed.

“Perhaps you should re-assess that teenage confidence of yours, little one.”

Vader was moving in for a killing blow. He dared go that far. The operators in the viewing room think, “He’s going to kill her!” but the unexpected happened. In that one moment, time seemed to have slowed for Irele; Vader’s heavy yet nimble movement appeared to be slower in her eyes, which afforded her mere seconds to concentrate.

She closes her eyes… and focused.

Behind the darkness shrouding her view, she wondered why the strike hasn’t landed her yet, slowly she lifts her eyelids and saw a clear sheen shimmering in front of her—like glass with a frosted finish—while her hands were held up in front of her and wide open, sparks sputtered on all sides of Vader’s saber.

There was no time to comprehend this, but what Irele understood is that she needs to use this to advantage… now.

She pushed one hand further away, towards Vader—in effect, he was being backed away, by her. The girl took one more step, and alternately used the other hand to do the same thing as the first hand. Once aligned again, she slowly gravitated both hands to each other, closing the space in the middle and she watched Vader succumbing to his knees.

“Yes…” he lowed, rather satisfied. “You are strong with the Force. Like the blood before you.”

Those words rang into Irele’s soul, like a heavy bell with its ram, and on the top of her mind, there was one that came: Anakin.

She ceased using the Force and stumbled to her bottom, Vader remained kneeling but he held his head up to face the frightened, confused teen.

“Well done, Irele. You are ready.”

–

15 BBY

Irele’s training program did not hold her back, neither did it confine her within the walls of the fortress in Nur.

Roughly a month after her first year, she was tasked to hunt Jedi. Everything she needs to know about them—she did some reading in her time alone. She studied every form, their art and history: down to the most minute part of the culture and norms. And especially the broken legacy that had was their downfall.

It’s been an impressive second year.

Irele has been training consistently, of course, having nothing else to do—except interact with HY-L33, whose programming has been modified into half-protocol droid and half-nanny droid. Most crew members who had the gall to speak to the girl kept telling her that interaction with a droid does little with human social development and growth, to which, in her chagrin, Irele would reply: “I think I’m too old to be told about pediatric psychology.”

Despite her snark, Irele tries to be learned in terms of battle strategies—she’s juggled combat training with studying naval strategies and ground assault tactics, after learning that she may be dispatched on  missions with a squadron of troopers in a particular planet from time to time. In one or more occasions, she would cross paths with the devilish Admiral Thrawn, but rarely do they meet for conferences—virtual or otherwise. She can’t help but use some of her street smarts in campaigns, which more often than not, actually works.

These privileges that she enjoys were personally decreed by Vader himself, in the hopes that she would maximize her abilities from more than being a reckless warrior. Some were against it because they perceive her as a rebellious, smart-mouthed child; others decide to give her a chance, because after all, she is a growing girl who’s got a lot to learn in this kind of world she’s been thrown in.

Not all know what she was before—but to generalize it, she was just some local girl in a desolate planet in the middle of nowhere.

The droid HY-L33 looked for her master, and found Irele examining and polishing her lightsaber—something she crafted on her own, the exterior at least. The kyber crystal was harvested from a Jedi survivor she killed not too long ago, in a tropical moon where she was dispatched alone with little to no reinforcements as the troopers were designated as patrols in the town.

“Lady Irele, the briefing with the Inquisitors is due in thirty minutes.”

“Ah yes, the Jedi hunters,” Irele’s brows furrowed, “I thought I wasn’t required?”

“Indeed, but it’s been said to be beneficial for your upcoming campaigns.”

“Who said so?”

“Lord Vader, apparently… and the Grand Inquisitor.”

“Right then, thank you, Haylee.”

Irele dressed into her garbs. Tailored to perfection: the bodysuit and pants were a dark gray waterproof fabric so that the garment won’t weigh her down when fighting under inclement weather such as rain, fog, and snow. The standard material for the armor plating was duraplast—tried and tested against Stormtroopers’ blaster fire and Purge Troopers’ electro-powered weapons—and it covered her torso, shoulders, and forearms; an armor skirt made from the same material complemented the utility belt. Supposedly, they’re to be worn when in the field, but since she’s been cooped up in the Fortress in the past few days, she doesn’t bother strapping on the armaments.

Lastly, she slipped into her low, black boots. Looking at the mirror, she bound her hair in a ponytail. It was once a medium bob with ragged tips, but now she’s grown it out to a length just after her shoulders.

“Alright, I’m ready. I’ll see you in a bit, Haylee.”

The droid gave a short bow and Irele departed her room.

Nur has become her home. The metal maze once confused her, but now she knows where she’s going even with her eyes closed.

She stepped into a turbolift and pressed the button that leads her to the level where the holding rooms and war rooms are.

“Holding Room A-121,” she muttered to herself in reminder.

Along the way, she exchanged short or curt bows to the crewmen who bothered tipping their hats or saluting to her as a greeting. When she saw the engraved number on the door, she pressed another button to prompt the door open. Before her was the group of Inquisitors around a table, lounging about like schoolchildren. Her entrance silenced their already hushed conversations and she stepped in, hoping to find a spot to sit the farthest from them.

“Oh, look who’s come to join us. The favorite.” chided one of the male Inquisitors.

“Let’s make this quick so we can forget each other’s sorry asses were in the same room.”

The briefing consisted of the locations where they would be dispatched. Holograms reflecting the planets flashed one by one on the podium, head profiles of surviving Jedi flashed after the planets, and Irele squinted her eyes on a particular one that stood out like a sore, red thumb.

“Do you know this one, Irele?” one of the male Inquisitors, the Second Brother, asked Irele. He noticed she looked at this one Jedi rather specially—or so he thinks.

Irele turned her eyes to the Inquisitor and replied with a frosty “No” and then she scanned the other head shots. She studied them, since she didn’t want her not being a Jedi-turned-Inquisitor to be a disadvantage. She’s got as much as grit as the rest of them. After the briefing, she isolated herself in one of the couches, locked herself away deep in thought that the Inquisitors’ chatter was just white noise.

She couldn’t wait to retreat to her bedchambers, where she can have some time of her own, unafraid that her idea and its credit might be stolen by another. Over time, Irele has proven to be the kind who “does their homework,” for instance, she remained in the holding room when everyone else had left—probably starting their leg of the hunt once they’re off the moon—and studied the briefing’s log.

“The Jedi are going to be extra cautious if they discover the Inquisitors are hunting them out,” she spoke under the finger against her lip. “Inquisitors are too obvious to spot. The uniforms are a dead giveaway…”

Her eyes widened at the thought.

“But I won’t!” she gasped.

Before leaving the room, she humored herself with listening to the voice logs of Stormtrooper Commanders during their operation in Zeffo. She switched between data tapes, hoping to find an inkling if it was the best place to start.

Audio Data 03403, plays:

“Most of the ancient relics have been extracted from the tombs after much deep digging. Although the acquisition of these antiques were done at the expense of some of us here. Captain Kane, for instance. Who was tagged as K.I.A. while excavating more of these relics underground when local fauna attacked her and a few men in her team.”

Irele stopped midway and scrolled a new one in the databank. Audio Data 34735 plays:

“I’m starting to have a feeling that our patrols are thinning out…”

“Finally, something interesting,” she commented.

“We don’t have the luxury of deploying new troops while sending injured men to the nearest Star Destroyer or outpost. No thanks to that Jedi that was obviously headed in the same direction as we are.”

The girl’s eyes widened upon hearing the word. Her chest tightened, her heartbeat was slow but the thumping was heavy, she could almost feel it pulse through the skin of her ribs. She anticipated more.

“Though I don’t think he was after the relics. I think he was after only one relic, that I don’t know though. Whatever it is, it’s important. But another important thing is that we need to do our job if we don’t wanna lose it—or worse, our lives.”

She’s heard enough and stopped playing the audio recordings. She clicked her way to the metadata of the file and saw that both recordings were one and two days old respectively. She rushed back to her bedroom to slip into her armor, entering the room startled HY-L33, leaving her stuttering and practically choking on what words to say.

“Miss Irele?”

“Haylee, run me a quick scan. How far are we from Zeffo?”

Without question, the droid obeyed. For a minute or two, she stared with unblinking photoreceptors, the white light behind them was unmoving as a faint whirring ran in her central processing unit.

“Approximately two and a half parsecs away, milady.”

“Too wasteful to use Anathema’s hyperspace. No small carrier armed with hyperspace, but the speed is there.”

The words literally rolled off of Irele’s mouth as she talks to herself until she comes into an epiphany of an idea.

“Come on, Haylee!”

“Coming, Lady Irele.” the droid monotonously cooed but one can sense the urgency she adapted with her mistress.

[steamberrystudio]

Hello everyone!

Here we are with another weekly devlog!

Writing:

Okay! So...this was a weird week in writing.

I got the potato draft of Caleb-7 finalised but then…...went back and revised a bunch of stuff because it wasn't working and, as I started working on Caleb-8, I realised that the romance just isn't developing fast enough. This is one of those issues that really does require me to go back and change up some earlier chapters. Usually, I try really hard to not do any major editing until everything is complete. But sometimes I end up with an issue that just requires it.

So this week involved some rewriting of some earlier moments in order to boost the romance to where I think it needs to be by the time we get to chapter 8. This means that forward progress didn't really happen since I was mostly editing. I did write a lot but...I had to backtrack a bit and then rewrite things I'd already previously written.

Art:

We received a couple of new BGs this week as well as a couple of sketches. 

I also ended up working on some new sprites. 

I've been trying to think of how to position and announce this...but…

A new person has taken over the highest tier in our Kickstarter campaign. This tier granted the backer the ability to choose a final love interest to add to the game and have some creative input into his route. Because this tier is now in the hands a different person than previously, it's very likely Kauri Leere will not be their chosen LI. This is possible because I hadn't actually started his route and really hadn't done any specific work that that would be exclusive to that route. So even if a new LI is selected, the only thing that will really change is the image on the main screen. LoL

In order to help the new person make a selection, I decided to go ahead and try to get sprites done for some of the other options. So I've spent the last couple of days arting like crazy and staying up way too late (IE until 3 AM) drawing my hand off.

These are the three potentials. No one has been chosen yet but there is one that is more or less out of the running. LoL

Anyway, their names are Edan, Quill and Roan. (Quill and Roan are obviously unfinished still)

Music:

I believe our soundtrack will be releasing for sale on July 3rd. I don't have full info for it yet but I will let you all know exactly when and where you can get it as soon as it's released! Our composer has been working so hard to get this done and we're really excited about releasing the music into the wild!

Upcoming Week:

That's kind of it for this week. I don't know where the week went. 

In the upcoming week, I will probably go ahead and finish Roan and Quill's sprites. Roan just needs his body highlights done and Quill needs some body-highlighting as well as shading in his clothes.

I also want to start writing again and start making forward progress again. Caleb's route is about 60% complete so I really want to get it done soon so I can move on. I believe Jack will be next! So it'll be back to the night side of the planet! 

[signor-signor]

Trending 27th - January 2020

What have been your efforts in the campaign for SaveWOY and what are your upcoming plans to save WOY? Now this is a question worth answering!

In the past, I made a little list of the things I did to support SaveWOY and bring awareness to Wander Over Yonder’s existence and its third season plans. Since then, I’ve done a whole lot more from hand-drawn art to more intricate art. Some of them are almost as special as that signed poster @peepsqueak got from the WOY crew as a token of their gratitude.

Here’s an updated list of everything I did for SaveWOY so far:

Attended the SaveWOY picnic at Griffith Park, where I got to sign a banner.

Pointed out various higher-ups involved in the business of Disney television.

Sent several letters to the higher-ups, some of which had envelopes with an image of the downed space pod taped to them.

Started a weekly Twitter post series, SaveWOY Thought of the Week.

Made Lite-Brite art of Wander and Lord Hater, which Craig McCracken and Francisco Angones liked.

Attended D23 2017 with an Operation: FORCE drawing of Hater, a colored page of Wander and Sylvia and a few facts about WOY, and an orange pen with a green hat (I got the hat from the aforementioned picnic) - there, I signed a bench with Wander and the phrase, “Never hurts to help.”

Signed my name, drew Wander (and my own character, Jacken DeBox), and wrote, “Happiest place in outer space!” on the highest beam for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Wrote a letter (and drew Wander) for the victims of the Las Vegas tragedy with the message, “The darkest times call for the sunniest smiles!”

Got Craig to reveal the name of the ship (said to play a BIG part in S3, made a cameo in Future-Worm) when I commented that we’d have to figure out the name - his response: “The ship is called The Star Nomad.”

Wrote a couple of cards to two Disney higher-ups with the message, “A little nice makes naughty think twice!”

Drew Dominator in a situation that might take place several seconds after she passes the downed space pod, just in time for Noël Wells’s B-day.

Made the Star Nomad with LEGO Digital Designer.

Made three images in the style of the original Star Wars trilogy VHS set.

Posted 50 WOYS3PredictionPolls on Twitter.

Made an image of “The First 5 Years” with over 140 individuals (including the question marks for 3 new mains and 2 new regulars - I still want to know what they look like!) and one cleverly made Hidden Mickey.

Shared WOY-related images from my 1st 5 Years fan art on Twitter acknowledging the B-days of most of the voice actors (Charlie Adler, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ken Marino, Josh Sussman, H. Michael Croner, James Adomian, Jason Ritter, and Piotr Michael clearly noticed).

Typed a summary of how I think the S3 premiere would go.

Typed lyrics to “Let’s Go Soarin’ and Explorin’,” a song from my aforementioned S3 premiere summary. Wouldn’t it be great if Andy Bean used it?

Made a microgame with WarioWare: D.I.Y. where the player has to spin the fan to make the Star Nomad fly. Part of a chorus from “Let’s Go Soarin’ and Explorin’” included.

Started FanCharacterFriday on Twitter - more Tumblr users seem to like Dr. Otmar Vunderbar.

Made a short comic page of Lord Hater trying to break out of the DTVA vault plus a sly reminder that Disney owns the rights to WOY.

Shared a list of potential episode titles for S3.

Made an actual LEGO Star Nomad based on the model made with LDD. Hopefully, those who worked on WOY have noticed. In case you missed it, here’s a picture...

Now, the ideas I have in mind for further boosting support for the campaign. I may not be able to do most of them myself, but they are certainly for everyone’s consideration.

Provide updated information of higher-ups (if any).

As soon as we find out what Kid Cosmic looks like, expect fan art of him saying, “Watch my show and tell your friends so we’ll make that Mousey Company pay for what they did to my half-brother!”

Another SaveWOY picnic - if there’s one in my general area, you can count me in.

LP album artwork of My Fair Hatey.

A mural identical to that of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate consisting of not just characters from WOY, but also characters who were said to debut in S3 and characters who’d fit in perfectly, namely some of my OCs.

Pumpkin stencils of the main characters for Halloween.

Drawings of various WOY characters stuck on the ex-secret planet explaining why they need to leave said planet. Maybe I could also show how the galaxy’s villains would react if they learn that Lord Dominator’s been bested by Lord Hater.

Drawings consisting of SaveWOY-related messages spoken by the main characters from Disney shows that got at least three seasons (e.g. DuckTales, Fish Hooks), tons of love from the viewers and the executives (e.g. Gravity Falls), or both (e.g. SvtFoE, Mickey Mouse ‘13).

Example with Phineas and Ferb:

Phineas: “We may be creative and famous, but we’re not the ones who came up with the Star Nomad. It’s the ship powered by orbbles! Orbbles! I’d LOVE to see it take flight, wouldn’t you? If you let Mr. McCracken end the show his way, and not the executive way, which, truth be told, is the absolute worst, Wander will surely be elated!”

Ferb: “The Orbble Transporter was invented by conjoined twin brothers, voiced by the performers of the theme song.”

Irving (peeking in from the side): “Speaking of voices, the titular main character sounds JUST LIKE ME! How could you possibly resist?! And look, just because I’m the biggest fan of these guys (gesturing to P&F) doesn’t mean I have no interest in what’s planned for the furry orange fella!”

Since I’m a full-time Disneyland cast member, I should be able to make contacts with anyone who might have more clues about what S3 would entail. It might be a long shot, but if I’m able to convince Disney that WOY’s influence on my life boosted my chance at gaining employment at the company, they should understand.

A weekly Jeopardy-type pop quiz on Twitter - here’s the catch: you must refrain from finding information online when you read the answer (I bet you that the most hardcore fans of the most popular shows will get most of the questions wrong).

Example: This arachnomorph got his name from a dog tag he swallowed when he infiltrated a fish-shaped ship. He later became Lord Hater’s beloved pet.

-Who is Captain Tim?

Summaries of S3 episodes I made up myself a while back.

More fan-made characters - my most recent is an elected official of Cluckon, Mayor Spye C. Drumstick.

Conjuring a logo that best fits the status of S3/TV movie - Wander Over Yonder: The New Galaxy (the center would have the silhouette of the Star Nomad with Wander and Sylvia on it).

Brainstorming possible ideas for the three new main characters.

If all else fails, I suggest we make a web comic based on the hints we accumulated back in 2016 and what we learned from the cameo in Future-Worm’s finale. Team Sea3on has been taking that approach for SatAM Sonic the Hedgehog S3, though they are also making an animated version.

That’s about all I’ve got so far. In closing, I have several questions to ask as the new decade kicks off.

Disney executives: Are you even listening to us WOY fans? What more do you want? I’ve done so much for the campaign that I feel I’m entitled to know everything that was planned for WOY’s third and final season, especially now that I’m working full-time for your company. If you tell us what your demands are, we’d be happy to oblige.

@crackmccraigen: Are you aware of how hard the fans and I have been trying to talk Disney into giving you the chance for true closure? We’ll make sure we watch KC when it comes out on Netflix. If we’re lucky, we might see WOY get added to Disney+, where it should get that closure, assuming you’ll have finished KC your way before then.

@suspendersofdisbelief: I know you’re super busy with DuckTales and you love the plans for WOY S3 so much that you can’t bear to reveal it all in one post, but it’s been waaaay too long since we got any hints from you. Are there any other WOY S3-related facts you could describe in much greater detail? The campaign could do with more motivation.

Non-WOY fans: Are you convinced? Need I remind you what’s in the end tag of the “last” episode of WOY? You know there’s much more to life than tales from the land of Ooo, a blue middle school cat boy in a world of unusual individuals, adolescent twins in an Oregon town filled with oddities, a half-gem half-human protagonist, a coming-of-age princess of Mewni, a trio of ursine trend-followers in San Francisco, and all that jazz. If you’re not one bit interested in Hater’s origin story and all that was planned for S3, it’s your loss.

Pessimists: Will you please dispense with this unnerving “Wander is dead” talk? As a certain Popeye would say, “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!” You’re not trying to let the Disney bosses win, are you? You probably used to think previously canceled shows like Hey Arnold!, Samurai Jack, and Young Justice could never be brought back. The point is, all is not lost.

@peepsqueak and WOY fans/SaveWOY supporters: Have I been of assistance? Almost every remark I’ve ever made shows wit and perception. I mean, just think. Wander is still stuck in that vault where his goal of reforming Lord Hater remains incomplete, and he has no idea of what threat awaits him. He says, “Glorn, help us.” It’ll take something big and extraordinary to convince every Disney fan (and perhaps every Netflix fan) to talk some sense into the higher-ups. Not to mention the replacement/back-up voice actors we’ll have to find if Disney takes even longer (we already lost one - René Auberjonois). We shan’t rest until we get the answers!

@disneyanimation

[thessalian]

Thess vs Birthday

43 years old today.

Yeah, my birthday hasn’t exactly been much of a muchness, to be honest. Birthday gifts either were early, or will be late because the gifts themselves don’t actually exist yet. Not that I’m complaining - gleefully waiting for the MCM Comic Con people to start selling the autograph slots for the Critical Role cast, because I couldn’t ask for a better birthday present than that even if it is over three months delayed, and @true0neutral said something about the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount and that’s not out for a little over a month. So there’s a lot of delayed Critical Role-related birthday shit going on. And Mum wanted to get something moderately smaller so I’d have a gift nearer my birthday but she’s been in Canada dealing with some bullshit my aunt’s carer is trying to pull so that’s going to wait too.

It doesn’t help that the job situation is kind of ... unfortunate just now. Agency Guy screwed me up righteously when he forgot that my last contract was coming to an end. The one role he did find for me just never got back to him when he came back to them with my availability (I know the hospital; I am not surprised in the slightest because I know their organisational skills) and the only other job he had to offer me last week was a band 3 role in Ealing. It’d be the last role’s nearly two hour commute all over again, with less pay. I couldn’t justify that. Something will come up; it always does. Just it’s a struggle in the meantime, is all.

All of this basically means that while there’s all kinds of special birthday-related stuff upcoming, the actual day is kind of stressy and depressing and bleh. Storm Ciara’s having its last few hurrahs so the weather’s grim, and trying to do the budget food thing can be difficult when having to cut out gluten. Also means no birthday cake even if there was room for that in the budget. I do have the last of my emergency ice cream, though, and Lactaid, so there will be at least a little bit of birthday treat.

As I continue to look on the bright side? Really nice birthday wishes from my friends. I made someone happy by reblogging their art (it was really good art, too - the dragonborn variants thing? I have thoughts about how to use those in my campaign, actually). I have crafting-related shenanigans to do for @fauxfire76 and @zorathenne, who I kind of prodded into Guild Wars 2 and who are now levelling hardcore so the least I can do is provide them with the gear upgrades they need. There’s still Deadfire to finish up. And it’s not like 43���s a big-deal birthday anyway. It’s happy enough, I guess.

So here’s to the start of my 44th year on the planet. I’d flag up my ko-fi or something but I suck at that so just well-wishes are fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to appropriately greet the Birthday Snail that has slid its way to me on our D&D Discord server.

[legendarymasterwolf]

E3 2019: My Thoughts on What We Saw

Alright, E3 is over this year, which means it's time to go over what we saw and my thoughts on it.

This is late, so some stuff here will be out already.

I'll be going by publisher alphabetically, so first up, we have...

Borderlands 3

I'm so freaking hyped to get lost in this hilarious world again. I've played Mordecai in Borderlands 1, Zero in 2, and Claptrap in Presequel. Still trying to decide who to play as in 3, but right now, it's looking like I'll pick FL4K, since he specializes in long range and has a few cute beasties by his side. Also, we're getting not one, but THREE action skills with each character. Not only that, but you can sacrifice your grenade skill for two equipped skills.

The Children of the Vault look like some worthy successors to Handsome Jack for title of "Best Borderlands Villains", though we'll see how they pan out on release date.

The gameplay that we saw of Moze looks smooth. Heck, everything about this game looks sleek and refined without doing away with the art style. Also, guns with legs.

Anyway, we not only got the gameplay reveal, but also Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary, a new DLC for Borderlands 2 that sets up 3, so I'm scrambling to finish the Handsome Collection on my PS4, which just got a lot more difficult now that I've bought RDR2 finally, along with several other games.

Control

I loved Alan Wake, and this is from the same people, so I’m hyped. The game looks great, has a suspenseful atmosphere, and it seems to play well. I’m looking forward to release date.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reboot

I haven't bought a COD game since "Black Ops 2", though I have played the newer ones with a friend of mine. It looks good visually from the reveal trailer I saw, I'll say that much. No gameplay yet, but I know it'll be gritty, focusing on some of the more shocking moments of the original trilogy, like "No Russian" from MW2 or the nuclear explosion from MW1, so it seems we're bringing in more edge to the series. Still, I'm glad the campaign is back, and I'm interested to see how it will look.

12 Minutes

A twelve minute time loop where you're forced to relive the death of your wife and the only way to break it is to find out why she was killed? Sign me up.

Code Vein

I remember this one from last E3. Still the same opinion, too. Anime style souls game that I might buy for the story, which looks interesting.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

So this looks REALLY good. It's like a deep RPG, deeper than Xenoverse was, with mechanics besides fighting like fishing, and as for the fights themselves, they seem to be more strategical than before, with a healthy dose of classic DBZ fisticuffs in there for good measure.

Elden Ring

A Souls game written by George RR Martin? Don't know too much about it besides that, but it looks cool based on the trailer.

The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan

Basically, another Until Dawn, but on the open sea during a storm. And I'm totally okay with that.

Deathloop

Another game from Arkane? The guys who made Dishonored? I'll take it. Besides, another time loop premise sounds interesting.

Doom: Eternal

If Fallout 76 was any indication, Bethesda desperately needs a win now to restore faith in their studio. Besides a few of the other games announced at E3 2019 that could do so, there was one that stood out in particular: Doom Eternal. I’ve already played all the Wolfenstein games, with the exception of one upcoming entry on this list, and based on what I’ve seen of Eternal, I’m going to like it due to the similarity in gameplay.

GhostWire: Tokyo

The presentation on the new game from the makers of Evil Within, another series to try now that I have a PS4, was memorable for a few reasons. First off, Ikumi Nakamura, the game’s creative director, was the main presenter and she was adorable. Seriously, it’s probably one of the best E3 presentations I’ve seen this year. I can’t remember the last time I saw one so genuine like hers, plus it helps that the Internet has fallen in love. As for the game itself, it looks great, with people disappearing in Tokyo and it being up to some guy with a bow and supernatural powers to find out why. The reveal trailer was all we got, but still, I can’t wait to play it.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood

The first game I’ve ever preordered, and this comes from a guy who never preorders on principle. It’s a Wolfenstein spinoff with BJ’s twin daughters, so yeah, I’ll buy it. Plus, it’s co-op, so I’m playing this with my best friend. Still trying to decide which twin to play, though. Probably Jessie, since my friend is gonna want to play Soph.

Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory

Looks interesting, plus the gameplay reminds me of Shadowrun Returns.

The Sinking City

This one’s already out, but it looks good. Hopefully, it’ll be received better than Call of Cthulu before it. Plus, I’m all for a game where the protagonist is losing his mind, like Dead Space.

Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood

Set in the World of Darkness universe, like Bloodlines, except you're a werewolf instead of a vampire and it's from a different studio. Gameplay was revealed behind closed doors, but it looks good from what I've heard. We don't have too many werewolf games around.

Cyberpunk 2077

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY ALREADY!

Yeah, this might be the first game I preorder for myself, since now we finally have a release date: April 16th, 2020. The new trailer we got gave us a glimpse of a default male V as well as what may be Jackie’s death (please don’t kill off Jackie, CD Project RED, I like him too much already). After V’s employer tries to double cross him, V tries to kick ass with his twin arm blades, which look really unique, before said employer shoots him in the head. The trailer ended with a major surprise: as V comes to in a junkyard, a figure in jeans, a tank-top, and a silver left arm approaches, and kneels to reveal a face and voice that sounds suspiciously like Keanu Reeves.

Yes, that’s right, for those who haven’t heard by the time this is posted, Keanu Reeves is in Cyberpunk 2077 and he’s playing Johnny Silverhand, a legendary rocker in the world of 2077 who may not be what he seems.

After the trailer premiered onstage, Reeves came out onstage to promote the game. He could barely get through the start of his speech, people were that excited to see him in the flesh. There was even a great moment where he described the game as “breathtaking”, to which a fan shouted out, “You’re breathtaking!”, to which Keanu responded in kind. We don’t deserve this man.

Anyway, at the end of his speech, Reeves gave a new look at gameplay as well as the game’s release date. The glimpse was only about 20 seconds long, but still, the new look at the combat, hacking, and what is presumably a digital afterlife or something like that was enough to get me even more hyped for this game.

Seriously, I couldn’t be more hyped. This game is gonna be massive and I just might preorder it.

My Friend Pedro

Switch game, but still looks cool. It’s already out now.

Sea of Solitude

I need to play more games that make me feel like this. The art style looks gorgeous and the theme is depression, so yeah, I may buy this one if I like what I’m hearing.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Honestly, EA's part of the the expo was kind of depressing, especially when it got to Anthem. However, we did get more of Jedi: Fallen Order, and for that, I'm grateful, because this game looks great. Both the combat and lightsaber look slick as does the gameplay in general, and the voice acting is on point, from Cameron Monaghan to Forest Whitaker. We need a good Star Wars game for current gen consoles, and while The Old Republic is still my favorite, that's for PC. Also, while it has been announced that there are no microtransactions in the game, I'm sure EA will find some way to screw it up, but for now, it looks awesome.

Greedfall

I’m interested. Story and premise have me, a mix of 17th century colonialism with horror and the supernatural. Gameplay looks like my kind of jam, and we may be getting romance options too, based on some trailer observations.

John Wick Hex

Gameplay seems unique, plus it’s John Wick. I will always take more of Keanu Reeves.

Grandia HD Collection

I like JRPGs like this one, though it’s for Switch, so I can’t play it.

Way to the Woods

Looks like a cute adventure puzzle game. I might get it for PC.

Wasteland 3

This series looks like tactical Fallout, so yeah, I’m likely to give this one a shot since it looks good.

Blair Witch

A Blair Witch video game? That’s psychological horror?! With an adorable dog companion named Bullet?!?! Yes, please.

We didn’t get much besides a trailer and some gameplay, but I’m eager to see more.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel

Ugh, why is it that last year I was complaining about not having a PS4, now this year I’m complaining about not having a Switch?!

Anyway, this looks great and I want to see more. Especially since I’ve heard it’s going to be scarier than Majora’s Mask.

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening

Looks good on the graphics front, plus the gameplay additions looks promising.

And once again, I can’t play it.

Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Out of all the games on this list, this is the one I want to play most that I can’t play because, you guessed it, I don’t have a Switch.

I loved the original Ultimate Alliance games, so I’m sure the new one is gonna be a hit, what with the new combos, character designs, and references to the MCU, plus it’ll tie us over until Marvel’s Avengers.

Pokemon Sword and Shield

The Pokemon look cute, it is set in the world’s version of the UK, gameplay looks improved, and once again, I can’t play it.

Empire of Sin

It looks cool, plus I need more Mob style games to play. It’s also made by the people who are responsible for the next game on this list...

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

It’s only in pre-alpha, but still, this one looks good. The original is on the Steam store, and there are fan made patches that improved upon what was originally a disaster. The sequel looks like a smoother version of its predecessor, with a few new abilities and mechanics put in. Again, it's in pre-alpha, so the final product will look much cleaner, but for now, I'm excited for its release date.

Shenmue III

First off, I’m royally pissed that Epic stole this one. That being said, the game looks great and I’m looking forward to continuing Ryo’s story on PS4. The gameplay looks great, the atmosphere is enthralling, and the English dub sounds good this time around. Still pissed about Epic, but at least I can play it on PS4.

The Outer Worlds

This still looks great. Since Fallout 76 took a nosedive and kept on going, we need a game like this to get that bitter taste out of our mouths. This still looks like a cross between Fallout and Borderlands, the true New Vegas spiritual successor that we need right now. The companions actually look helpful, have personalities of their own, and the Flaws System sounds really interesting, giving your hero a perk in enchange for a debuff for the whole game. Also the humor is great, too.

Marvel’s Avengers

Yes, the character designs don’t look so hot. However, those can be changed on the road to launch. That aside, I liked what I saw. The gameplay looks great, the voice cast has some top tier talent for the industry, and the promise of more heroes to be added after launch without the attached microtransactions has my attention.

Dying Light 2

I only played the demo for the first one, a game I still need to play, but I liked it enough to want a sequel. The usual free running mechanics look smooth, plus the addition of player choice shakes up the game, making your playthrough unique, so yeah, more of the good old stuff with a few new things sprinkled in.

Final Fantasy VII Remake and Remasters

The remake of FF7 looks AMAZING. The hybrid combat system looks like a dream, plus the character designs look top notch. In addition, the voice cast sounds on point for their respective characters. The hype around this thing was evident from the incessant cheering, we want it that much. We even have a release date: March 3rd, 2020. It’s been a long time coming, but it seems the wait to experience this classic for the second time on a different system will have finally been worth it.

Also, there was content announced for FF14 as well as two remasters: Crystal Chronicles and FF8.

Bet your ass I’m buying the remaster for FF8.

Biomutant

This has been described as Fluffy Devil May Cry. It’s accurate. I didn’t know you’d be able to customize your character, to! Combat looks fun, and it appears there is humor present if the narrator is anything to go by, so I’m interested.

Destroy All Humans! Remake

I never played the original, but I did read about it and hear about it from a friend. From what I’ve seen, the remake looks fun! Good parody of the 1950s and the updated graphics look great. Plus, Krypto seems like a fun, grumpy protagonist.

Gods and Monsters

This looks like a cross between Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Legend of Zelda. Considering it’s being made by the same creators of the former, I can’t wait to see more of this in the future.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

I’ll be honest, I still haven’t played any Ghost Recon games, so maybe here would be a good place to start. Gotta say, I like the way Jon Bernthal presented. He just seemed at ease onstage. Plus, Bernthal’s dog looks adorable. Bam Bam is the real hero of the Ubisoft press conference.

Anyway, it seems Bernthal is playing Cole D. Walker, one of the antagonists of the game. Didn’t see any gameplay, but still, the game looks good. I need to play more tactical shooters in general.

Watch Dogs: Legion

I played the first Watch Dogs game. Thought it was cool, but overall it was a bit disappointing. I still need to play the second one, but I heard it was a major improvement, even if it wasn’t a financial hit. Still, this one put a smile on my face. The ability to recruit and play as anyone? A sarcastic AI as your companion? A grandma assassin? I will take all of it, thank you.

Also, grandma assassin.

Did I mention there was a grandma assassin?

Can’t wait for March 6th.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

The LEGO Star Wars games were some of the first games I ever owned back when I played on the PS2, so I’m hyped for a collection of all 9 films in one game. We don’t know much beyond the announcement trailer, but hey, I’ll gladly take this one when it comes out next year.

Baldur’s Gate III

A video game that plays like a DND game? I can’t wait. Haven’t played the other games, but I’m sure I’ll be fine once I play that tabletop prequel they mentioned.

Battletoads

It’s an Xbox and PC exclusive, but still, glad this is getting a remake.

Bleeding Edge

This looks like an Overwatch reskin. The combat itself looks unique, though, so we’ll see how it goes.

Gears 5

We got a little more on Gears 5 this time around. We’ve got a look at Kait and how the Locust influence is threatening to tear her apart (that’s what I’m assuming, I’ve never played the Gears games). We also got a new mode, Escape. I might get it, since it’ll be available for PC.

Halo Infinite

If this is what Xbox Scarlett looks like, then Sony might have actual competition for once. This is the best the Halo series has looked in years, and considering how let down some felt after Halo 5, it’s about time. We’re getting the same badass Master Chief back, this time with no AI companion, as Cortana has suffered corruption due to being around for longer than normal and has gone psycho as a result. Regardless, the graphics look amazing and I can’t wait to see how it looks when it releases Holiday 2020.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

I never played the original, but I might have to now, because this looks cute. The art style looks great and I’ll always be interested in games where you fight things ten times your own size. Plus, it seems to run smooth, and just by the sound of the story, it already has my heart.

Psychonauts 2

To cap things off, let’s end with a game I’ve been excited for since I finished the original months ago. The game seems to be coming along great, if the first level is anything to go by. Returning voice cast, new enemies and powers, new environments to explore, Jack Black voicing a Brain in a Jar, need I say more?

Also, this game looks to explore the water curse put on Rasputin’s family, so it will be a more personal and chilling story as well.

________________

So, there you have it. That’s my thoughts on E3 2019, half a month late.

What are you guys excited for? Leave a comment letting me know, especially if there was something I left out!

Until then!

[theonyxpath]

Once more into Milwaukee, old friends. That is said with true anticipation, as I’m looking forward to the Mid Winter Convention and also all of all the wonderful people who go to it and run it – including almost all of our Onyx Path Monday Meeting crew.

I also look forward to it with a tidal wave of nostalgia, as Milwaukee, and the Hilton where Mid Winter is held, was also where White Wolf booked our Gen-Con rooms and our parties in the years after Vampire first came out. So there’s a lot of overlay of memories as I walk (stagger) through the hotel and downtown.

Now, as to what we’re doing there now?

First, we’ll be officially announcing four projects that are on our plate this year at our Onyx Path Q&A Social on Friday. From there we’ll also talk about them on the Onyx Pathcast live from Mid Winter, and on our social media. So even if you miss the Q&A, and it’s been sold out for quite some time, keep and eye and an ear out (and maybe an arm, YA lit readers) and you’ll hear about them.

And like I mentioned last week, if you have any questions you want us to answer at the Q&A, send them in via the Comments section of this blog.

Dark Eras 2 art by Luis Sanz

Thursday features panels and seminars for folks wanting to get into or do better in the TTRPG creation biz, and we have a bunch of our folks helping out there; from Eddy Webb’s Developer Bootcamp, to Matt McElroy and myself sitting in on the Kickstarter tips session in the morning. There are freelancer panels with a bunch of our, well, freelancers, like Crystal Mazur and Danielle Lauzon, that are also happening throughout the con.

In fact, on Saturday, there’s a V5 Chicago By Night panel with Matthew and a host of writers from the project that should help illuminate the darkness. Not of a vampire’s soul, but of why Mike Hollywood wrote about particular Chicago landmarks – that sort of thing.

We’ve also got folks demoing and playtesting, with a few secret playtests being run, throughout the convention.

VtR2e Spilled Blood art by Andrea Payne

Let’s back it up, and I’ll talk about Wednesday, which is our all-day Onyx Path Summit where the Monday Meeting crew will be reviewing 2019 and looking towards the next couple of years.

Some of that is just stuff we have to do like budgeting, but the vast majority will be more process and project focused brainstorming.

Some of that will be to review the notes from the team that I’ve posted these last 3 weeks. We’ll look mostly at what we can improve, but we’ll definitely add in the good stuff we did all last year. And there is a lot of that last year. After all, we all need to remember the highs as we take a hard look at what could be done better.

So if you want us discussing your ideas for what we can do to sharpen our saws or new avenues to look into- please drop us a note in the Comments here. We’ll add your thoughts to the mix in the appropriate discussion. We intend to come out of this year’s Summit with strong directions for how to improve what we do while still moving forward with new projects and possibilities.

Last year, for example, one of our directions was to increase our Actual Play presence – and so we made decisions through the year that brought on more venues for that. Such as boosting our Twitch channel to the point where there’s at least one stream running a day and often more.

So, we’ll see what this year’s Summit brings us!

Meanwhile, (Blood) Cults of the (Bloody) Blood Gods (of Blood) for V5 continues to wow us on Kickstarter, and with more than a week left, we’re still going strong! We’ve passed the Chicago By Night KS in terms of number of backers and the pledge amount (in fact we’re just a hair from being 400% funded as I write this). Check out the raft of Cults of the Blood Gods vids and interviews happening just this last week in the Media section below!

Yugman’s Guide art by Shen Fei

New Years Resolutions from Onyx Path:

Here are the resolutions of our usual Monday Meeting cast of characters as we look out into 2020. Note that these are before our Summit this Wednesday, so some of them might refocus after that. Maybe not!

Dixie:

I’m going to revamp how I track and plan my projects so that things are less likely to be late or rushed. I’m also going to be more realistic about my workload and not let myself get overwhelmed because I thought I could do more than I reasonably could. It’s going to be a good year for projects!

Mirthful Mike:

My big one for 2020 is to work on my control issues… namely contracting more of the layout duties rather than trying to tackle 95% of them myself. This not only means bringing in at least one or two more designers, but also working with the devs on updating some of the tagging stuff that I’ve been manually tweaking over the years. 

Matt:

I’m resolving to make better use out of the tools we have available for project management and team communications. We have a lot of projects in development and tools to make managing them easier, so I should be more effective using them.

LisaT:

I resolve to manage my time better on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Ian:

Now that the core Trinity Continuum is out, I’m looking forward to being able to deliver upcoming supplements and game lines a lot faster. We were able to hit the ground running over December with a good handful of releases, and I’d like to keep up a lot of that momentum.

Eddy:

I resolve to clear up the clutter in my work process so I have more time to focus on projects. Being busy is a great problem to have, but it is still a problem if there’s a dozen different things that all need your attention.

Matthew:

I resolve to play and run more games outside my normal horror comfort zone! I want to expand my knowledge of rules and settings in 2020. While I love being the Vampire guy at Onyx Path, it would be fantastic to confidently take on more fantasy and science fiction work, and for me, that requires running more D&D, Scion, and Trinity!

RichT:

Last year, I was able to do much more creative work as James Bell’s efforts as our Kickstarter Concierge really kicked in and I could step back from KS planning and execution: and it was great! For 2020, I resolve to continue pushing forward with more and more creative efforts, from continuing with the ongoing reviews of our projects as our fantastic creative teams pitch and outline their ideas, to full read-throughs of finished PDFs, to expanding the unusual ideas that help define our projects and game worlds.

For example, I feel like I was able to add some fun to the TC: Aberrant KS with the lead-in webcomic, and with some of the character-based design elements for the book, and I think we can run with similar things for our other books. Maybe it’s time for us to come up with a new Deluxe book idea, to play around with some fun packaging that evokes the project specifically.

There’s a lot to look forward to with so many fantastic games to work on, and we’re all excited to be creating our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

BLURBS!

Kickstarter!

V5 Cults of the Blood Gods has passed $119,000 and 2010 backers, and has trumpeted forward passing through Stretch Goal after Stretch Goal right into the new year!

Onyx Path Media!

This Friday’s Onyx Pathcast is a live broadcast from the MidWinter Convention in Milwaukee! Check it out direct on Podbean, or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/

We continue on the V5 Cults of the Blood Gods train this week, starting with an interview between 307 RPG Podcast and one of the book’s co-writers, Jacob Burgess: https://307rpg.com/?p=128

Podcast 67 – Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: the Masquerade) with writer Jacob Burgess

Strange Adventures provides coverage of the Hecata from V5 Cults of the Blood Gods right here: https://youtu.be/TcXwmrLlEPk

Noted Vampire YouTuber Outstar has made her own fantastic video covering V5 Cults of the Blood Gods right here, and it’s worth checking out: https://youtu.be/_oUk-doDepo

Red Moon Roleplaying continue their actual play of The Family, a V5 Cults of the Blood Gods story involving Matthew Dawkins, Klara Herbol, Bianca Savazzi, and Jason Carl, with episode three right here: https://youtu.be/TcH3RZO3Z7s

Our Twitch channel continues with its streams of superb content, including Aberrant, Scarred Lands, Changeling: The Lost, Changeling: The Dreaming, Mage: The Awakening, and Vampire: The Masquerade! Follow us on twitch.tv/theonyxpath to watch us live or catch up by subscribing!

Likewise, continue to tune in to us on YouTube for actual plays of Changeling: The Lost, Pugmire, Vampire: The Masquerade, and much much more!

Subscribe to us on youtube.com/user/theonyxpath

And the Gentleman Gamer, Matthew Dawkins, continues his Gentleman’s Guide to Scion over on his channel, youtube.com/user/clackclickbang

And here’s even more Occultists Anonymous actual plays of Mage: The Awakening for you!

Episode 70: What We Leave Behind The cabal get breakfast with Shanna in order to get some first-hand information about the Mysterium caucus in Mexico. After the sun sets, they have an appointment with a ghost imprisoned in a bench.https://youtu.be/pE4n8Pfgml4

Episode 71: A New Oracle The cabal checks in with Jimmy “Smalls” Patinko and arranges for a jailbreak for their friend out-of-time, Judd. The Leaf Theater Players take to the stage!https://youtu.be/ky8qO-OFP9g

The Story Told Podcast continue their Exalted actual play with episode 22 of the Fall of Jiara, their Dragon-Blooded story: http://thestorytold.libsyn.com/fall-of-jiara-22

Blood on the Tamesis has published a fun video on playing a Lasombra using the resources in the soon-to-be released V5 Chicago by Night: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utI8P5C0AJk&feature=youtu.be

Devil’s Luck Gaming continue their fantastic and epic Scarred Lands Pirates of the Bloodwater campaign over on their Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/DevilsLuckGaming

And back over to Red Moon Roleplaying to close us off with the penultimate episode of The Sacrifice for V5 Chicago by Night, run by Klara Herbol and including Matthew Dawkins as a player: https://youtu.be/9N29X-PWhsQ

Drop Matthew a message via the contact button on matthewdawkins.com if you have actual plays, reviews, or game overviews you want us to profile on the blog!

Please check any of these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games!

Electronic Gaming!

As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)

On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!

Our selection includes these latest fiction books:

Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire

We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game

Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost

Scarred Lands (Pathfinder) books are also on sale at Studio2, and they have the 5e version, supplements, and dice as well!: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/scarred-lands

Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And NOW Scion Origin and Scion Hero are available to order!

Starting today, DTRPG and its affiliated Community Content sites begin the New Year, New Game sale! A huge number of our PDFs are on sale from all of our game worlds, as well as a Big Scion 2e Bundle with 4 PDFs being offered for $13! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/299474/NYNG-Scion-2E-BUNDLE

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!

On Sale This Week!

This Wednesday, we will be releasing the Advance PDF for Trinity Continuum: Aeon Ready Made Characters on DTRPG! We’ll also be releasing the C20 Novel, The Cup of Dreams, and the Tales of Good Dogs Pugmire fiction anthology in the Nook and Kindle stores!

Finally on Wednesday, we’ll be opening the Storypath Nexus Community Content site for Trinity Continuum projects with templates and art packs to get you started, and several projects already submitted to the site!

Conventions!

2020: Midwinter: January 9th – 12th, in Milwaukee, WI. Come see rare appearances by Onyx Path art director Mirthful Mike Chaney, Impish Ian Watson, and a rare US appearance by The Gentleman Gamer himself, Matthew Dawkins! Also, most of our Monday Meeting crew: Eddy Webb, Dixie Cochran, Matt McElroy, and RichT!

We’ll be holding panels, running games, making announcements of hitherto unannounced projects, recording the Onyx Pathcast, and holding down some seats in the Monarch Lounge!

Check out David Fuller’s Athens, Ohio Scion actual play tie-in adventure (soon to be coming to the Storypath Nexus community content site) that will be running at Midwinter. The event url is below: https://tabletop.events/conventions/midwinter-gaming-convention-2020/schedule/402

And now, the new project status updates!

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY WEBB (projects in bold have changed status since last week):

First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep)

Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)

N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)

Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)

Duke Rollo fiction (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

RUST (Scarred Lands)

Under Alien Suns (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Redlines

Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Second Draft

M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Development

Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)

Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)

Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)

Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)

Manuscript Approval

Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)

Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)

Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum Core)

One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)

Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)

Post-Approval Development

Scion LARP Rules (Scion)

Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)

Titanomachy (Scion 2nd Edition)

Editing

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Geist 2e Fiction Anthology (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition)

Dragon-Blooded Novella #1 (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Legendlore core book (Legendlore)

WoD Ghost Hunters (World of Darkness)

Mythical Denizens (Creatures of the World Bestiary) (Scion 2nd Edition)

Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad (Scarred Lands)

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)

Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)

Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)

Buried Bones: Creating in the Realms of Pugmire (Realms of Pugmire)

Post-Editing Development

TC: Aeon Ready-Made Characters (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed (Mage: the Awakening Second Edition)

City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)

W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)

TC: Aeon Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)

Vigil Watch (Scarred Lands)

Scion Companion: Mysteries of the World (Scion 2nd Edition)

Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

Wraith20 Fiction Anthology (Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition)

Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)

Let the Streets Run Red (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)

M20 The Technocracy Reloaded (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)

Indexing

ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

Contagion Chronicle – Finals coming in.

Trinity Continuum: Aberrant

Hunter: The Vigil 2e

Ex3 Lunars – Art is in.

TCfBtS!: Heroic Land Dwellers – LeBlanc working on finals.

Night Horrors: Nameless and Accursed – Contracted. Already seeing sketches.

Cults of the Blood God (KS)

Mummy 2

City of the Towered Tombs

Let the Streets Run Red – Art notes and contracts finishing going out this week.

CtL Oak Ash and Thorn – Figuring out art notes.

Scion Mythical Denizens – Need sketches for fulls.

Deviant

Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad – Got some finals in.

Vigil Watch – Need one more artist.

Legendlore (KS)

Technocracy Reloaded (KS) – Got notes out to artists for halfs and splats.

Scion Companion – Working on art notes for that.

In Layout

Trinity Continuum Aeon: Distant Worlds

Pirates of Pugmire – With Aileen.

Proofing

Dark Eras 2 – At WW for approval and they will be back after the New Year.

Trinity Continuum Aeon Jumpstart

They Came from Beneath the Sea!

VtR Spilled Blood – 2nd proof with dev.

Chicago Folio – Halfway through layout.

At Press

V5: Chicago – Shipping to the KS fulfillment shippers.

Geist 2e (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2nd Edition) – Being printed.

Geist 2e Screen – Being printed.

DR:E – Being printed.

DRE Screen – Being printed.

DR:E Threat Guide – Helnau’s Guide to Wasteland Beasties

Trinity Continuum: Aeon RMCs – Advance PDF going on sale on Wednesday.

Memento Mori – Gathering errata.

M20 Book of the Fallen – PoD proof on the way.

Trinity Continuum Storypath Nexus Community Content – Goes live on Weds.

Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

Late last week was my granddaughter’s one-year birthday! If she demolishes life as completely as she did her birthday cupcake – the kid’s gonna be alright.

[rpgsandbox]

The game is a Pen & Paper RPG, set in a multiverse, where hundreds of magical fantasy worlds exist in parallel dimensions. On Earth, it’s the 1960's, and residents there are kept in the dark regarding other worlds and races. The reason for this omission is linked to the flow of magic and the alignment of the multiverse (more on this further below). A large part of the multiverse is working together under a government called the UVA Concordia.

Each player takes the part of a special agent, working within the Concordia Central Intelligence (the C.C.I.). As a team, players will investigate different occurrences, try to thwart schemes, and stop threats against the Concord. They will be aided by magical equipment, their sharp wits and honed skills.

The rules for the game are easy to learn (especially if you've played one or two RPGs in the past) and support a lot of stunts, high-octane action and dynamic character progression.

Multiple worlds: With a large number of different worlds in the Concord, there are no limits to the variation of missions and adversaries. Here you'll find everything from magic to hi-tech and from jungle ruins to never-ending floating cities.

Science Fantasy: Play as a 9' Ogre Investigator or a 3' Marmoseti Weaponsmith; use mysticism and rituals, as well as guns and lab-equipment; and travel by gate or aether-fueled rocket car. Here, mystic fantasy meets 1960's tech.

Story driven rules: Created to be streamlined and fast paced, the game system is easy to use and we've kept the fancy rule mechanics to the downtime of the game. Lots of character progress and management between session (if you want) but no need for page-flipping when you're in the middle of the action.

Veterancy system: Tired of prancing through the adventure only to botch EVERY SINGLE ROLL against the final boss? The veterancy system allows you to prioritize a few rolls or stunts so that you can have a greater chance of success with each adventure.

Modular setting: This game offers you the ultimate freedom. There is a section in the book for creating your own worlds, creatures and playable classes, and enough room in the multiverse to include them. If you want restrictions, feel free to use the parameters already in place. If you want creative freedom, start making all the worlds and creatures you want for your campaign!

Words matter: All rolls in the game can be subject to Support and Cripple effects. These are standardized bonuses you get from items, abilities or conditions. This means that every time you wonder "Should my wings give me a bonus on jumping?" or "Should the bullet in my shoulder give me a penalty in swimming?” The only thing the GM has to wonder about is "YES" or "NO".

The book is going to be about 200 pages in standard letter format (8.5X11 in), with thick matte paper and hardback cover. It will be full color and brimming with beautiful art. It will contain information on the setting, the rules for the game, and a lot of inspiration and thoughts on how to create fun and exciting adventures!

The game is set in an alternative 1960's, where a secret organization is charged with the safety of hundreds of parallel worlds. With a myriad of species, working with equal parts technology and mysticism, the Agents of Concordia are like nothing you've ever seen.

THE UVA CONCORDIA

The game is set in a rich multiverse with countless worlds, existing in dimensional pockets. Travel is achieved through mystical gates powered by the Aether (that's the element of magic for all you non-casters out there).

Some of the gates have been in place for thousands of years; many worlds have come to co-exist in a Cluster Commonwealth called the UVA Concordia, trading goods, secrets and culture. 

Now you may ask yourself; What about Earth? Where’s all the gates and fantastical, magical wonders?

For good reasons, Earth has been put under a protection protocol, forbidding all mystical activity from being carried out in the open. But even with a strict customs system in place, hindering most evil-doers from reaching Earth, some forces still slip through the cracks.

Enter the Concordia Central Intelligence.  

THE C.C.I

The CCI is the agency in charge of defending the Concord from inner and outer threats. Stopping a secret coven in the midst of Concordia's senate might be just as important as holding back the towering hordes of vagrants beyond the black gate on Artifex.

Many missions take the agents to other worlds with different governments and cultures, and the CCI enjoy all levels of hospitality.

THE PLAYERS

The players will take on the roles of agents from different worlds, banding together into mission-solving teams. There’s a plethora of different species and roles within the agency, each with their own abilities and perks, assuring that all characters will have a unique set of advantages and disadvantages. The missions can (and will) vary greatly in aspect. But whether your team is fighting monsters, infiltrating devious cults, investigating strange happenings or discovering lost temples and worlds, your clearance level should only give you access to a mission you (more or less) can handle.

Beside the Clearance Level mechanic that gives you access to dangerous missions, but also marvelous equipment, you will progress in different Veterancies. They will give player characters an edge in situations she is familiar with, like Exploring or Combat. This is in addition to the ordinary character progression mechanic, giving each player 3 simple but different ways to see her character grow and advance as her life story unfolds.

THE SYSTEM

We have worked hard on finding a game system that fits the essence of the setting. We wanted a fast system that put the focus on the narrative, while keeping the thrill of chance. We ended up with our own action-system we call the Pentivity System, and it works like this: All Player characters in the game have a set of Basic abilities, skills and perks. If you have played one or two RPGs in the past, these concepts will be quite familiar to you. Creating a character is a fast procedure, where you chose different packages for background, education and trade role. This leaves you with more time for defining character depth, or an easily put-together character that you can just jump into the fray with. The players roll all checks, to keep the pace fluent in the game room. To roll a skillcheck, you grab 1-3 12-sided dice (the only dice used in the game) equal to your skill level. You roll them, choose 1 to keep and add bonuses or penalties from abilities, equipment and/or conditions, and compare the result to a target number, set by the GM. Every time you beat the target number, say you get an 11 total when the target number is 5, you get an additional effect.

Penalties and benefits on your rolls use standardised numbers, giving the gamemaster an easy way to discern between relevant and non-relevant conditions.

VISION

Throughout the design process of this game, we have worked towards a bunch of goals, or “game pillars” as they are usually called in the game development industry. I would like to share 3 of them with you as a finishing touch, to give you a better idea of the essence of the game: 1. It's a game we want to play We all have different views of a perfect game, and we want to deliver a game that represents everything we love and appreciate about RPGs. We want to provide something flexible; something with a fast pace that is easy to pick up and play, but also deep enough for longer campaigns and inspirational character development.

2. No hold ups The best memories we have of playing RPGs is when the story is fluent, the players are excited, and pace is consistent. The best way for us to help you achieve that feeling is to make sure the game doesn't require you to constantly look things up in the books. If the rules are persistent and easy to understand, then what you think is right, probably is.

3. Choice + Chance We want the players and the GM to be able to choose where they put their effort. With the veterancy system, the characters have a few points to spend each mission in order to increase the result of a roll, act outside their turn or do something stupid or heroic with a good chance of success. Chance is fun, but choice is equally important. I hope being able to read this has given you a better feeling of what we want to accomplish together with you. A game with a lot of freedom, easy access, exciting story and loads of action! Be sure to check out our upcoming developers’ Vlog for more specific points if you want to know more! And don't be afraid to send us a message.

Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, June 14 2018 9:00 PM BST

Website: Strangewood Studios

[pintando-paredes]

Mural at infant school in Brazil - crowdfunding campaign

Original campaign: https://chuffed.org/project/infant-school-mural-brazil

‘One year on’ update

Hello from São Luiz do Paraitinga in Brazil!

We are now one year on from finishing the mural project and I wanted to take this opportunity to provide an update and account of the project as this is something that has been lacking for a long time.

First of all I would like to start with an apology for this lack of any formal update during the progress of the project - this was due to the involved nature of the project once the painting stage got going and then the pandemic beginning right as we were finishing the project! As I’m sure as many families have been experiencing during this difficult time it has been hard to balance time between working, family and homeschooling. With these time pressures it has taken much longer than I would’ve liked to provide this update, although I continued to update the project via Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pintando_paredes/ hopefully this more in-depth update is worth the wait!

I will provide a quick summary of the timeline of the project picking up from the last update, along with photos before explaining the finished mural!

Sixth month - November 2019

Through November after our winter break in Brazil we continued to paint the wave pattern in preparation for allowing the children to participate for the first time. Much of this was done by myself and a few dedicated volunteers from the school as it was a quite intricate and laborious part of the design. All this base work, whilst time intensive, was necessary to lay the foundations for the greater community involvement in the next stages of the process.

We were also able to start work on the additional section of wall after the building work had been completed to raise the height of it and protect it from the rain, which was important to ensure the longevity of the mural painting.

Seventh month - December 2019

With all the triangles of wave patterns completed by the beginning of December we were able to start on the most exciting stage of the project and get the children from the infant school involved in the painting! The children, aged between three and six, used sponge fish we prepared to help bring the ‘river’ part of the mural to life. Every single child, around 180 in total, participated in the painting and put their own personal mark on the mural. The school day in Brazil is split into a morning admittance and an afternoon admittance (and in some areas even an evening admittance) - owing to the number of children outweighing the number of schools and teachers and therefore capacity - so with the help of the teachers we set up a timetable so that every class, morning and afternoon, would have their chance to paint. The children were really enthusiastic and it was lovely to see the months of work come to fruition in this moment. The best part was seeing them point out their fish to their parents and relatives when they were being picked up walking back past the mural.

With the fish painted and the summer/Christmas school holidays beginning in Brazil we began the next stage of the project - drawing the animal designs onto the wall! This was done using a digital projector to project the design onto the wall at the correct size and then tracing it with crayon on a very rough surface. This was a bit of a logistical challenge as by using this method it could only be completed at night utilising various extension cables, tables and chairs as well as plenty of snacks to keep the energy levels up through the evening. This work was done on several nights over Christmas including New Year's Eve! There are 18 animals in the mural design with each one taking an hour or two to draw, depending on the complexity and including the time to set everything up. So as with the rest of the project it was quite a drawn out and time intense process but also definitely one of the most satisfying parts of the project, seeing the full design come to life on the wall!

During the Christmas period we also began preparing the paint and mixing the colours, starting on Boxing Day. Although it might seem like quite a simple and straight forward part of the process it was one of the most time intensive parts of the process to create the number of colours we needed. Our colour chart plan started with 55 colours for the 18 different animals, although adjustments were made along the way.

Colours were grouped where possible but equally we wanted each animal to have it’s own feel with their own specific colours. The ‘Brazilian snake-necked turtle’ (Cágado-da-serra) is made up of six different shades of brown, which are different from the four shades of brown of the ‘Nine-banded armadillo’ (tatu-galinha), which are different from the four shades of brown of the ‘Capybara’ (Capivara), hence the large numbers of colours!

We made the colours using a mixture of bought masonry paint colours and pigment dyes - these are commonly used in Brazil as an economic alternative to buying ready mixed colours and were really useful in achieving the exact colours we were after.

Saturday 28th December 2019 - Balaio das Artes São Luiz do Paraitinga - Arts Festival

Much of this work over Christmas was in preparation for the Balaio das Artes festival at the end of December - this is an arts festival which takes place on one day across the town and includes various performances, workshops, talks and participatory activities. We were very grateful that the project was included as part of the festival program and it really made a big difference in allowing us to accomplish our goal of it being a truly community participatory mural by opening it up to as many people to be a part of as possible.

As such this was the day we chose to begin painting the animals! It was a very hot day but we were really pleased with the amount of people who came by to join in the painting - parents, teachers, friends, family and many members of the community came to take part and leave their mark on the mural.

The project was always planned with the aim of being a participatory community project and therefore the actual design of the mural reflected this so that everyone, even the young children of the infant school, could take part. The animals were all made up of simple geometric shapes with flat colours so that once drawn on the wall it is simply a case of ‘painting-by-numbers’. With all the colours mixed and the animals drawn it was easy for anybody with any confidence level of painting to take part, it was just a case of following the colour plan and mural design. This is an approach that I always take with my mural projects, the community participation aspect and its lasting impact is as important, if not more so, than the actual art of the mural.

The day was really successful and we made great progress on the first day of painting the animals. It was really gratifying to see the final stage of the mural being initiated and have so many people take part so enthusiastically.

Eighth month - January 2020

A wonderful benefit of being part of the arts festival was that we had reached more people from beyond the school community who wanted to keep coming back to help. This was at an excellent time as well as January in Brazil is usually when lots of people have their annual leave as it is the middle of summer and ties in with the school holidays. So for the first couple of weeks of January we could count on the help of this core group of people to the extent that we were able to organise another community painting day that we advertised in the town, similar to that of the festival. With the participation of so many we made great progress painting the animals through January, so much so that by the end of the month the majority had been finished! The last animals to be completed were those on the newest section of wall, as this was always a couple of stages behind the rest of the work, it was made much quicker though by using the projector to draw both the animals and the wave pattern at the same time and therefore speeding the process up.

We were lucky with the weather as well because even though it was Brazilian summer time this also means humid days and thunderstorms but there were very few occasions where this impacted on our ability to paint.

Ninth and last month! - February 2020

With pretty much all of the elements of the mural painted and finished we spent the beginning of February putting some finishing touches to the mural. As the project had been going nine months in total there were some parts which needed tidying up or cleaning to leave everything finished to the same standard.

After this we organised a protective resin coating to be applied to the mural to preserve the mural and ensure its durability against the weather - this was bought with funds from the school and applied by a specialist with the correct equipment.

The final parts of the wall which were missing their rain protection were also repaired. This means that all of the wall space is now covered by a small covering on top of the wall. This small but important addition means that dirt gathered on top of the wall does not run down its surface when it rains (which can be seen in an example photo in the previous update) and thus helps to guarantee the paint and colours will remain in good condition for much longer.

We had planned to organise a small commemorative plaque to inaugurate the mural officially with the town’s Mayor but unfortunately due to an upcoming election and ‘political sensitivity’ within the small town community it was decided that this would not be possible.

Two elements of the design that we were unable to finish are the ‘Thanks’ wall and painting the large metal entrance doors that break up the mural wall.

The painted doors were part of the original design but as they require different paint we left them to be painted separately at the end of the project timeline. We also began preparing an end section of wall for what would become the ‘Thanks’ wall with the names of everybody who had donated to the project and helped to make it a reality.

Unfortunately it was during this time in March that the pandemic was arriving in Brazil so whilst we were organising these last two parts of the project to be implemented the schools were shut and we began our isolation at home. The schools in the town, like most of Brazil, have not reopened during the whole year since, and as a family we have been contending with the same issues as many other people; self isolating, homeschooling and balancing time with freelance work from home to make ends meet. As such we haven’t returned to work on the mural and I’m sorry to say that I haven’t been able to honor the promise made in the crowdfunding campaign and show my appreciation for your donations by painting the ‘Thanks’ wall as this and the metal doors remain uncompleted.

But please know that I am eternally grateful to everybody who donated and believed in the project. I was blown away by the support of so many friends and family and I hope this update and photos go some way to repaying that support and belief!

Finished!

Owning to the pandemic the project ended abruptly but almost entirely complete, with two unfortunate exceptions. Aside from this it was so pleasing to see the mural in its finished state and slightly surreal in a way that such a big project and something that we had been working on for so long and had put so much work into had come to an end, albeit differently to how we imagined!

More pleasing still was the fact that we had been able to involve so many people in the process, all from different connections in the town and not solely with the school. One of our main aims and philosophies of the project is that the community participation element would be as important as the ‘finished product’ and I am really happy that we were able to realise this in practice. I was particularly pleased that all of the children from the infant school were able to participate, including my eldest son Rudá! We have received so much positive feedback from the local community and it’s really nice to have contributed so positively with your help to the school and the lives of the children who attend.

Thank you

I would particularly like to thank Gisele Claro, the director of the infant school for the opportunity to work on this project and for her patience and constant help and support which was invaluable to realising the mural. It would not have been possible without her great enthusiasm for the project.

Many people took part in the painting of the mural, as it was a community focused project it would be impossible to mention everyone but I would particularly like to thank Wellington Ismail, for his dedication and input at the beginning, and Darly Gonçalves and Márcia Cândido who included the project in the Balaio das Artes festival and who personally returned day after day to continue painting. Also Marina Câncio, Magno and Samara Bueno all of whom generously dedicated many hours to taking part!

I would also like to thank my wonderful wife, Julia, who I wouldn't have been able to complete the project without her support, in all forms! And who spent many many hours painting as well. Also Julia's mother and sister who looked after our children on several occasions to allow us to dedicate some full days to painting.

Thank you for all your support, especially everyone who donated to the crowdfunding campaign without whom this wouldn’t have been possible - a full list appears below.

Andy, family and the team at João Batista Cardoso infant school in São Luiz do Paraitinga, Brazil

xxx

Please connect with me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pintando_paredes/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pintandoparedesbrasil to follow my work and future community mural projects.

Supporters

James Abbott

Kasia Breska

Michelle Brodie

Deryn Bunce

Geoff Bunce

Gill Bunce

Nan & Grandad Bunce

Sally Bunce

Stephen Bunce

Libby Cade

Evely Câncio

Gillian Drew

Eleanor Gee

Hollie Goman

Lucy Hampson

Robin Howie

Trevor James

Richard Johnston

Richard Kent

Nicole Kobie

Nicola Lazenby

Rosemary Little

Moira McNeil

Jack Morris

Kate Morris

Abigail Paget

Victoria Pugh

Kate & Martin Russ

Alexandra Stanyer

Roger & Janet Thornhill

Anthony Watts

Sarah Yeung

[ilovedeadlypremonition]

Deadly Premonition director, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro, officially announced his upcoming “Debt Repayment Life Simulation RPG (with Cats)” The Good Life at his PAX West Panel this afternoon!

We already got a short teaser trailer a week or so ago after the”cat was let out of the bag” but now with Swery’s official announcement we have a brand new trailer, tons of concept art, the game’s crowdfund details, and thanks to the official press release a more detailed plot outline.

THE STORY

Based in an RPG-style town filled with fun activities and fascinating people, THE GOOD LIFE offers a thrilling, twisting murder mystery. At first glance, Rainy Woods looks like a normal country town in Northern England comprised of stone houses built in the Middle Ages, nestled in abundant nature and surrounded by forest. Looking deeper, however, Rainy Woods is home to a bizarre and deadly mystery. Throughout the day, the townsfolk work hard, look out for one another, love their families, and enjoy nightly drinks at the local pubs. Each character has a unique personality and lifestyle. Events change depending on the time of day, weather, and season. Even though some may argue that they live in a video game world, the townsfolk of Rainy Woods still worry, suffer, love, hate, and have fun as any real person would. Rainy Woods and its small English aesthetic exudes a unique sense of charm, fully realized when, in the dark of night, its villagers transform into cats.

Players star as Naomi, a photographer straddled with debt who moves from New York City to Rainy Woods. As an étrangère, players feel both alienated yet strangely comfortable as they must make friends, solve mysteries, and become emotionally invested in Naomi’s quest to make a life for herself in the happiest and most bizarre town in the world. To pay off her debt, she sends reports and photographs on villagers and their town as she uncovers its deadly secret.

THE GOOD LIFE is a mystery tale in the vain of Raymond Chandler or Conan Doyle. Players make a tragic discovery in the town’s river—the brutally murdered body of a young girl, her heart pierced by an ancient, medieval sword. Having first arrived in Rainy Woods to uncover the secrets of the happiest town in the world and payoff her debt, Naomi is thrusted into a bizarre mystery, setting her journalist heart ablaze as she sets her sights on revealing the truth behind the young girl’s murder.

THE GAME

Genre: Debt Repayment Life Simulation RPG Platforms: PC + TBD Console(s) Release Date: Q3 2019 Target Developer: White Owls

So we got a murder mystery/life sim, with cute cats, a cast of bizarre characters with their own 24 hours schedules, AND events that will change depending on the time of day, weather and season?

[More details, pictures and my thoughts under the cut!]

The Campaign

If you are as hyped as I am you can help make Swery’s new game a reality by contributing to The Good Life’s Fig campaign. The development team is hoping to raise at least $1.5M USD to bring a digital version game to both PC and consoles. Fans can lend support via traditional reward based backing or by investing in Fig game shares of the game. There’s a number or different tiers and rewards available for The Good Life ranging from simply receiving a digital copy of the game when it is released for $29 to actually becoming a character within the game as a reward for donating a whopping $35K! Though if any rich fans out there are considering the $35k tier please note that there’s a chance you might end up being brutally murdered in the game. (Yikes!)

Looking at all the tiers though I must say I’m a bit disappointed by the lack of any sort of physical rewards being offered. I mean a real signed message card from Swery is a lot more tempting than a digital one… But there seems to be some hope that this may change looking at the responses to some of the early “backstage” backers. It seems Swery and the campaign team are looking into the possibility of including some physical rewards in the future and are even asking for suggestions!

Personally I would love to see a physical copy of the game or an art/guide book myself! Heck a stuffed kitty Naomi or even a sheep would be pretty awesome additions too!

[Update!]  A physical award tier has been added and for $269+shipping you can get a package with some cool game swag! Now if you picked another tier don’t worry you can update your pledge and pick choose to add a number of DLC and physical items!

The Idea

Even though Swery’s announcement of a new game so soon after returning from retirement and opening his studio, White Owls, was kind of a surprise (or maybe it was just me?) it turns out Swery’s been developing the idea for The Good Life for quite awhile now.

According to the “SWERY’S Voice” video on The Good Life’s fig campaign page that describes the game’s inspiration, vision, and story the idea behind the game was sparked after Deadly Premonition’s producer (I assume Tomio Kanazawa) was suddenly transferred to London, England while Swery continued work on Deadly Premonition in Osaka, Japan. Swery was sad to be left behind but the long distance communication between the two ended up inspiring the idea of being sent to a rural English town and being unable to leave.

Swery’s initial idea continued to refine and expand in the back of his mind over the years even while developing, the now sadly incomplete, D4 – Dark Dreams Don’t Die.

Back in 2015 Swery took a brief retirement from game development to focus on recovering from reactive hypoglycemia and during this hiatus he finished the first draft of a murder mystery novel set in a British countryside town from the perspective of a cat.

I've been eager to hear more about his mystery book for while but now with the The Good Life's announcement I'm beginning to think Swery's novel may have inspired the whole investigating a murder mystery while as a cat angle of The Good Life game.

Now this connection between the game and novel it is pure speculation on my part at this point but given that both are revolve around a strange premise of cat investigating a murder in a rural England just seems way too coincidental.  Plus the novel's working title of " I Am Not a Cat " really makes me believe that the main character may have been a human at some point which is very similar to Naomi's situation in The Good Life as she only temporarily turns into a cat during the night while living Rainy Woods!

By the way the characters listed on the campaign page are kind of amazing…and here I thought the residents of Greenvale were a bit strange. I like how Swery seems to be continuing the tradition of a single black male among a caucasian population (who is also named the “totally normal cat” btw lol) and an insomniac who works with the dead. I wonder if the “person name Kaysen” that has occurred in Swery’s last three games (Spy Fiction, Deadly Premonition, and D4) will also continue in The Good Life?  It is also kind of amusing that the “Handsome Nurse” is known just as “Gay Cat” I’m guessing this means Naomi won’t be able to make any love connections with that bloke?

Game Mechanics

In The Good Life the story mission  focuses on three core points: paying off a huge debt, uncovering the town’s secret, and solving a murder of Elizabeth, the lone daughter of the village pastor.

Photography

Since Naomi is a professional photographer from New York it is no surprise that taking photos is a major gameplay mechanic featured in the game. The monetary rewards for Naomi’s daily reports will heavily factor around the quality and rarity of the photos players take during the day.

Capturing the perfect photo may prove to be a little difficult at first. You won’t actually know how any of your photos will turn out until they are developed them back at Naomi’s house and ranked as either a “success” or “failure” and only successful photos will be sent over to the client for rewards. As players progress through the game there will be opportunities to upgrade and even purchase special cameras that will help the players take better pictures.

Part- time Jobs

But taking photos and sending daily reports isn’t the only way Naomi can cut down her debt. The game also allows players to take a number of part time jobs around town including bartending at the local pub, delivering milk, shearing sheep and other rural tasks.

Some of these part time jobs will give the players opportunities to make a fortune but they can also be exhausting and some can even be dangerous so you have to choose your side jobs wisely!

Any money earned in these ventures can be put towards paying off the ever looming unpaid debt or spent on fun things for Naomi.

Customization

The Good Life is a RPG after all so it’s no surprise that as players progress through the game Naomi stats will improve and fun customizations for Naomi in both her human and cat forms can also be acquired. Naomi’s range of daily activity will expand based on her stamina and movement speed so the more points you earn or temporarily acquire via clothing will allow for more photo taking and fun activities during the day.

Life Maintenance and Stamina

…and speaking of stamina just like in Deadly Premonition and D4  it is important to keep Naomi well fed and rested during her stay in Rainy Woods. I’m pretty excited to see all the English dishes that will be available for consumption… There were a few dishes listed over on the campaign page including one of my favorites, Fish and Chips, which I have a feeling Naomi will end up eat a lot of during my own play through unless there happens to be a lot of smoked salmon…

But eating and sleeping isn’t the only thing players need to keep an eye on during Naomi’s stay they also must balance Naomi’s income so while she’s paying back her debt she will still have enough money left over to not only take care of her daily needs, but also have enough for the upkeep of her camera, the development of photos, and her daily shipments of reports back to New York.

The most surprising examples of one of her special expenses that’s listed over on the campaign page is the need to buy sanitary goods for Naomi once a month. It’s a normal expense in my own life but it’s something I’ve never seen mentioned let alone forced on a player to even consider while in control of a female protagonist before. It’s pretty amazing that sort of detail was even included!

I also thought that way alcohol consumption in the game is handled is really interesting as well. Giving Naomi alcohol will provide some high rewards in the short term as it will alleviate both her hunger and her thirst in one shot but if she continues to overindulge in drink throughout her stay she will develop a dependency for it. It’s pretty neat to see the real life consequence of addiction in a video game... I hope Rainy Woods also has a good 12-step program!

Special Events

The Good Life also features several seasonal events that offer special rewards. The game’s campaign didn’t go into a lot of details but in Spring there will be cherry blossom dance festival,  there’s a Tea Harvest in Summer, while during the Fall Naomi can harvest nuts and catch fat river fish, and in Winter  find minerals and maybe earn a present from Santa Claus(?)

Being a Cat

During the night while Naomi is in cat form players have the opportunity to investigate places you may not have access to while in human form and a chance to get closer to different villagers while they are in their cat forms by bringing them various trash…er I mean “kitty themed” presents…Some items you find while as a cat may even fetch a high price during the day and unlock some more special story events.

A few of the possible treasures a player can find are seen above...Hmm, I wonder if those “suspicious seeds” are anything like the ones you can find in Greenvale…

Graphics

As for graphics The Good Life’s campaign page describe them as being both “Nostalgic and Modern” using low polygon models with simple textures but also making use of CG-esque atmospheric lighting, fog, shadows, and glare elements well.

The game does look rather simple but it still has a very distinct and unique look. I’ve always prefered a great story over great graphics so I don’t mind the game’s simple design in the slightest :) I do think the sheep are really adorable in this art style though!

Atmosphere

If all of the features above hasn’t already peaked your interest maybe the Fig campaign description of The Good Life’s atmosphere will do the trick:

“THE GOOD LIFE has intriguing elements inspired by Twin Peaks. It will also feature the old-timey British traditions seen in classic shows such as Downtown Abbey and Poirot.  This is a Swery Game, so expect a healthy dosage of horror, mystery, humor and taboo topics that helped make Deadly Premonition such a cult hit.  Our humor will reflect some of the elements from Hot Fuzz and other classic British comedies.”

Man it was already a give-in that I would be excited for The Good Life since I’m such a big fan of Deadly Premonition (and Twin Peaks) but I can also expect some Hot Fuzz style humor too?!

Guys, Hot Fuzz is one of my all-time favorite films ever so this comparison has me even more excited to play the game!

Hmm… Rainy Woods is described as the “Happiest Town in the World” with the “happiest people on the planet” which is pretty similar to the situation of Sandford always winning “Village of the Year” in Hot Fuzz…I wonder does Rainy Woods have an equivalent of the Neighborhood Watch Alliance?

Hey Naomi, if the townsfolk start chanting about things being “all for the greater good” I would make run for it!

The Developers

The Good Life will be the  joint effort between three developers: Swery’s studio, White Owls, along with G-rounding and Camouflaj. Swery and his team will provide the creative and artistic direction for the game while G-rounding will manage the production and game creation and Camouflaj will provide both production support and supervision.

I really hope The Good Life’s Fig campaign is successful as it looks like a whole lot of fun. I’m eager to see how the game will come together and “enjoy my best life” in 2019

[aion-rsa]

Immortals: Fenyx Rising Hands-on Preview Shows How the Game Is Inspired by Zelda: Breath of the Wild

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

In October, Den of Geek got four hours of hands-on playtime with Ubisoft’s upcoming action-adventure fantasy title Immortals: Fenyx Rising. In the online demo, which was guided by a Ubisoft demoist, we got to see a bit of the game’s open-world setting, the Golden Isle, which is heavily inspired by the milieu of Greek mythology. The game is vast, epic-looking, and from what I’ve played so far, has engaging combat and gameplay loops that should fill out its open world nicely.

The story revolves around a dark titan named Typhon, who was banished to the underworld of Tartaros by Zeus and the rest of the gods and has returned, thirsty for revenge. He’s imprisoned most of the gods save for Zeus (who’s been stripped of his powers) and the titan Prometheus, who makes a bet with the king of the gods that a lowly human would be the one to save all of their asses.

You play as said human, a warrior named Fenyx who has washed up on the shores of the Golden Isle after an epic sea battle caused her ship to crash. In a fun play on a storybook or Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Prometheus proceeds to narrate your adventure, bantering back and forth with big-headed pessimist Zeus as you set out to free the gods from Typhon’s grasp and restore the island to its former, gilded glory.

What struck me immediately about Immortals was its art style and comedic tone, which reminded me (in a good way) of the ’90s games and cartoons I grew up playing and watching. For example, SNES city-building classic ActRaiser came to mind, a game I still have a lot of affection for. The characters and environments pop with color, and the dialogue between Zeus and Prometheus is funny and irreverent, giving this epic adventure a unique tone. The game’s presentation is cohesive, from the Greek-inspired fonts to the angular and exaggerated features of the characters’ faces, and while some may dismiss the art as kiddy or cartoonish, the game looks pretty incredible at times, especially when you’re looking out on the Isle from a great height. The game’s draw distance is, pardon the pun, ungodly.

Following the game’s narrative initial cinematics, you’re brought to a character creation menu where you can decide what your Fenyx looks and sounds like via a modest set of customization options. From the moment you assume control of Fenyx, the entire Golden Isle is open for you to explore.

It’s hard to ignore that the game is derivative of a few games in the same genre, particularly Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The former’s influence can mostly be found in the way the open world is arranged and curated. That said, comparisons to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey are shallow at best–that game was NOT the first to use Greek Mythology as a backdrop.

But the resemblance to Breath of the Wild is pretty uncanny. You can climb any object in the environment, limited only by your stamina bar. There are puzzle/dexterity-based underground vaults to complete, and the game’s overall aesthetic, combined with the strikingly similar traversal mechanics, makes Immortals look unquestionably similar to Nintendo’s modern classic. 

Despite the clear comparisons one could draw between the two games, the terms “rip-off” and “copy” are far from appropriate here, especially once you delve into the world and story Ubisoft has crafted. Immortals has a voice of its own, and more importantly than that, from what I’ve played so far, the gameplay is absolutely on par with the game’s it’s derived many of its designs from.

Exploring the Golden Isle was my favorite thing I did during my demo time for several reasons. For one, traversal is super easy and a lot of fun, especially once you unlock the Wings of Daedalus, which allow you to glide freely over the grassy fields and winding beaches that stretch out before you. Climbing feels just as good as it does in Breath of the Wild, and there are various beasts scattered about the map that you can sneak up on, tame, and enlist as your mount. My Ubisoft demoist directed me to a field where I found a unicorn, who was quite difficult to tame but made up for it once I hopped on (mounts have stamina meters, too, and hers was sizeable, to say the least). 

The Isle is divided into six zones, each inspired by one of the gods. Aphrodite’s portion of the island, for example, is a verdant painting-come-to-life, with rolling hills and blossoming gardens decorated with Ionic architecture. Hermes’ zone is a darker place, with dry, yellow fields contrasting with burnt treelines, volcanic rock, and a deep purple, starry sky. Gargantuan statues of the gods are featured prominently in their respective zones, which highlight the steep verticality of the game’s environments, which is not only eye-catching but opens up myriad gameplay possibilities.

Combat is familiar action-adventure fare, with time-slowing dodges and parries being as crucial to victory as your light and heavy attacks. You’ll also find godly powers as you progress through the game, like Hephaestus’ hammer, a melee attack that deals massive damage over a large area, and Apollo’s arrows, which you can manually guide to your target. Much of the combat takes place in mid-air as well, with air combos playing a major part in almost every encounter. Overall, the combat is enjoyable, dynamic, and about as complex as it needs to be. I doubt anyone will be blown away by the action here, but it’s only one aspect of a much larger game, and in this context, it does its job.

Fenyx can brandish swords, axes, bows, headwear, and armor, and as you explore the Isle, you’ll find gear of varying levels of rarity and power. I love how the different items are represented cosmetically–so often in games all gear looks the same, but in Immortals, Fenyx can truly look like a different character depending on what armor you’re wearing.

Gear is customizable and upgradeable at the game’s central hub, the Hall of the Gods, where you can change your appearance, upgrade your stats and potions, take on quests, etc. Your character’s skill tree is also managed here, and I found that most of the abilities I saw seemed pretty viable in combat and worth exploring, regardless of playstyle. Ubisoft has really honed its skill tree game over the years, thanks to the Assassin’s Creed games, and the experience shows.

One aspect of the game that I wasn’t particularly impressed with were the vaults, which were challenging but didn’t capture the imagination like other areas of the game. The puzzles are multi-staged and clever, but they aren’t nearly as inspired as what you’d find in Breath of the Wild. And the art design in these sections falters too — a bunch of stone structures floating in space with a pretty galactic backdrop got old quick. But there are puzzles to be found above-ground on the Isle proper, and I enjoyed these a lot more. They’re simple, like sliding tile puzzles and scavenger hunts, but the gorgeous landscapes heighten the experience.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

What made the game feel really promising to me was when I ventured to a small island off the coast that happened to be overrun with harpies. My demoist had given me ample resources to level up my Fenyx to my heart’s content, and yet when I faced the world boss (six in total) at the island’s apex, I got my ass handed to me REAL QUICK. What this told me was that you can’t simply rely on loot and grinding to finish the game–you’ve got to learn the combat system inside and out and hone your skills to succeed.

I came into Immortals: Fenyx Rising with essentially no expectations, and by the end of my time with it, I couldn’t wait to see and play more. I love the comical banter between Zeus and Prometheus, I can’t get enough of the pastoral environments, and the slick presentation looks to be substantiated by engaging gameplay.

Immortal: Fenyx Rising is out on Dec. 3 for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Google Stadia, and Amazon Luna.

The post Immortals: Fenyx Rising Hands-on Preview Shows How the Game Is Inspired by Zelda: Breath of the Wild appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/35mle2J

[llantano]

Turning Leaves, 12. No More Babies

Their meeting had gone better than expected and Dorian was chipper. They had stayed on topic, fielding questions about the economy and job security, and Dorian was so relieved that there were still constituents who were concerned more with her professional plans than her sexual orientation.

The sky had darkened and the temperature had fallen when Amelia walked her to the door that evening with her planner in one hand and her laptop bag in the other. They'd dropped David off for "first dinner" at The Palace. The stillness in the air was broken when they walked into the foyer. "Langston!" Dorian called out. "I'm home!"

Amelia smiled to herself. Dorian always made an entrance.

Dorian slid her coat off and Amelia took it to the closet as Starr rushed down the stairs. She stopped when she reached the landing, standing in front of the campaign poster that now covered the painting on the wall. "Aunt Dorian, please don't shout. I just got Hope to sleep!"

Dorian balled her fist and pressed it to her forehead. "I'm sorry, honey," she apologized, looking up at Starr with sincerity. "I keep forgetting."

Starr slumped her shoulders, exasperated. "Old habits die hard, I guess." She relented to her aunt's apologetic gaze. "It's alright. She's probably getting used to sleeping through all the shouting around here anyway."

Dorian smiled at Starr as she pulled her gloves off. "Starr…." She looked around the room. "Is Langston still home?"

"Oh. She left about a half-hour ago, but she put her article in the other room." Starr gestured toward the door to the sitting room. "It's really good," she encouraged before disappearing back upstairs.

Dorian nodded and waited until Starr was gone before tossing her gloves onto the table and rushing into the other room to find Langston's work.

Amelia followed and draped her own coat over her arm as she propped her bag against the back of the couch. "Dorian… I want to apologize to you."

Dorian paused just long enough to ask, "For what?" before continuing.

Amelia wondered if Dorian had forgotten their exchange the night before. "It's just that I shouldn't have questioned you like I did yesterday after John McBain was here. It wasn't my place."

Dorian was distracted. "Already forgotten."

Amelia watched Dorian. "Do you mind if I stay and read through it, too?"

Dorian welcomed the opportunity to showcase Langston's writing talent. "Of course not – please do!"

The campaign materials that had littered the room before were cleared away, and Langston's article was bound in a purple folder with a pastel pink sticky note attached to the front of it. "Sorry I missed you," the note read. "Hope the meeting went well. Let me know if this needs to say more – or if I said too much." The note was signed with a large cursive "L" and a heart shape.

Dorian ran her thumb over the "L" before she flipped the folder open and read to herself. She stood in the middle of the floor as she poured over the editorial, so anxious to read it that she didn't take time to sit down.

Amelia stood nearby and smiled as she tried to interpret the expressions on Dorian's face. From what she could tell, Langston had written something that Dorian not only approved of, but also was touched by.

Dorian pursed her lips and released a long exhale as she paused to look up at the corner of the ceiling for a moment. When tears came to her eyes, she pretended to pace so that she could turn her back to Amelia and continue to read.

Amelia furrowed her brows in momentary concern. If Dorian had a weakness in this election, it was her girls, and Amelia knew it. The "Cramer women" were Dorian's soft spot, and the biggest threat to Dorian following through on her commitment to their upcoming gay nuptials. David was not much of a threat, as long as Dorian was on board. Amelia figured that between her own dedication and Dorian's pandering to his whims, David wouldn't be that hard to keep in check.

Still, it was heart-warming to see the secret, gentle side of Dorian. Amelia knew Dorian had turned her back on purpose so she took the hint and pulled out her laptop. She placed it on the small desk near the doors and acted as though she wasn't paying attention to Dorian.

"It sounds cliché, but words like concerned, compassionate, giving, genuine and aware are all words that describe mayoral candidate and my mother, Dorian Cramer Lord.

To many citizens of Llanview, Doctor Lord's reputation precedes her. Gossip about her past, personal life, recent political alliances, and her liberal stance on a number of relevant issues seem to be distractions.

However, long-time citizens of Llanview are also aware of the many services she has sponsored and volunteered her time to throughout the years - serving as both a doctor and the chief of staff at the hospital, playing a key role in prison reform, sponsoring various art exhibits, organizing civic functions to raise money for good causes, and representing our town and our nation as an Ambassador. She also supports the local economy through various business endeavors, and is a strong advocate for responsible family planning - supporting a woman's right to choose for herself what is best for her own well-being, as well as accepting that a strong family and a good home can define many different - even unconventional - groups of people.

What most people do not know is that Dorian Lord, despite her active involvement in her community, is an avid and passionate supporter of her own family, in every circumstance. Throughout her life, she helped care for her sisters and her nieces as well as rearing her own three daughters - including me.

As with any normal family, we have our disagreements, but I can honestly say that Dorian always has the best interests of those she loves at heart. Some might even say Dorian Lord is overzealous and overprotective when it comes to her family, but her youngest daughter could not be more grateful for those characteristics.

When I lost my parents, I was alone in the world and unable to deal with my grief. I didn't want to be alone, but at the same time, I didn't want anyone to know how alone I was. I knew that in order to survive, I had to be strong. I had to stand up, and I had to hide.

For a long time, I stood up, all by myself. Then the Cramer women - Dorian's family - found me. They taught me that I didn't have to be alone anymore, and when family services was about to remove me from my home, the town I grew up in, my school, and my friends, my best friend's Aunt Dorian learned of my situation and she stepped in without hesitation. After she brought me into this family, Dorian taught me that I could be strong, but still trust in other people who cared about me.

Simply adopting me to prevent an unpleasant circumstance was not Dorian's intention. As she has with all of "her girls," Dorian Cramer Lord opened her home and her heart, loving me with a devotion and passion that could only be rivaled by that of my own (biological) mother.

She is the core and the strength of our family. We depend on her and we take a piece of her strength with us every day. I absolutely cannot imagine myself with any other family, and I couldn't ask for a better mother.

I truly believe that, as with her family, Dorian Cramer Lord has continuously displayed her concern for, devotion to, and interest in the community of Llanview - a place she and her family have called home for many years.

Her stance on equality is no different, but that cause alone is not what defines her. What defines her is her strength and devotion to what is most important, and I can personally assure you that she has her priorities straight.

What can you say about a woman who will step in and take care of a person before they even realize they need help? How do you describe a person who goes to extreme lengths to protect the people and causes she loves? How do you characterize a woman who wants equal justice for all? What do you do to convey her relentless and generous devotion to her family, friends, and neighbors?

Are those not the qualities that this town needs to nurture it back from its reputation of corruption and the scars it garnered under recent leadership? I am here, as a person who knows Dorian Cramer Lord better than most, to tell you with complete sincerity that she deserves your vote for Llanview's next mayor."

Dorian took a deep breath and let it out as she admired the paper. Perhaps Langston had overused the word "family," but the piece was loving and very personal, and Dorian appreciated the comparison of Langston's situation with the state of the town. It filled her heart and bolstered her courage, though she could not help but wish that her Pulitzer Prize winning husband were there to read it, too – for many reasons.

A few moments after Dorian seemed to be finished reading, Amelia inquired, "Is it good?"

Dorian bit her lip as she smiled and nodded, and dabbed the corner of her eye before turning back around with a confident air. "She said I was as devoted and passionate as her biological mother," she gestured at the paper, "and that she couldn't imagine being in any other family than mine." Dorian grinned at Amelia.

Amelia returned a smile and nodded, allowing Dorian to keep the true depth of her emotions about Langston tucked away. She changed the subject. "The proofs are online if you want to check them out." She offered Dorian the use of her laptop in exchange for the purple folder.

Dorian sat down at the desk, proud and graceful, and gazed at the computer screen. She scrolled with the up and down arrows on the keyboard.

Amelia slipped to the back corner of the room to read Langston's article. She didn't expect to be as impressed with it as Dorian had been.

Dorian felt a tinge of headache at her temple and squinted as she repositioned the angle of the computer screen. She took a deep breath as she scrolled down the page of pictures, which all had neat, strategic watermarks.

She adored the second pose, in which she and Langston looked like honest-to-goodness family, with their dark eyes and hair and hands folded on top of each other. It looked traditional, even Victorian. Langston's light curls fell over her shoulder, capturing the hint of innocence and youth that still lingered in the sophisticated young lady.

There were several pictures that were similar, including one where she had taken Langston's hand and they had smiled at each other. When Dorian saw that shot, she was sure she wanted to order it and managed to use the track pad to check the box next to the picture.

She looked around at Amelia, who was leaning on the back of a chair and appeared to be in deep contemplation as she read Langston's article. She took a moment to inspect Amelia's expression, and decided it was one of interest.

Amelia was not just interested in Langston's words, but enthralled by them as she sat down to absorb what she was reading.

Being a part of Dorian's family had fulfilled the same need in Langston that being an active part of the LGLA had fulfilled in Amelia. She snuck a glance at Dorian out of the corner of her eye. If Dorian could be that person to a young girl in need of a family, she could sure as hell be an icon to people fighting for equal rights.

Without anyone even realizing it, Amelia had just bonded with Dorian. She nodded and raised her eyebrows, inspired and motivated in a way she hadn't been before.

The campaign was no longer just about helping Dorian win an election so that Amelia and the LGLA could use their candidate for their cause. She understood now that Dorian would stand up for them as long as they had her back.

It wasn't a chess game. It was a real, heart-felt, passionate fight for equality – as long as Dorian agreed. And if Amelia hadn't been convinced that Dorian was the right person for the job before, she sure was now.

Dorian was busy inspecting the next couple of pictures – the ones in which she and Langston were hugging. They were almost identical, except that in the second picture, her own eyes were closed.

Her brows furrowed and she tilted her head as she realized that she had lifted her heel to lean on her tiptoes and that Langston had bent her knees just enough to compensate for a difference in height that had been caused by the taller heels in Langston's shoes.

She frowned. The photographer should have caught that. She decided that he had seen it after the fact, since there was a cropped version of the picture that showed them from the back up.

She scrutinized the picture. It appeared that they had hugged each other with open palms that were settled on each other's backs. One of Dorian's hands had strayed upward to caress the back of Langston's head. Langston's head was turned and tilted toward Dorian's arm just enough that both of their faces were visible.

Dorian's was more of a profile – her eyes closed as if in grateful prayer or silent love as she relished the moment in her daughter's arms. Langston was smiling and looking up as if in love or inspired, happy to be receiving Dorian's embrace.

It was absolutely beautiful – a perfect moment. It took Dorian's breath away. She stared at it for a while, keeping diligent control of her emotions, in awe, until she noticed Amelia standing over her, observing.

Startled, Dorian offered her first thought. "I want this picture on billboards." She meant for it to come out as a strong statement, but her voice was quiet.

Amelia grinned and nodded as she leaned over the desk beside Dorian and moved the cursor with one hand on the track pad. She checked the selection box next to the picture and gave Dorian a concerned look when the woman sighed. "Hey, are you okay?"

Dorian nodded and smiled. "Oh, I'm fine," she offered. "A little tired. What did you think of Langston's article?"

Amelia laid the folder down next to Dorian and took her laptop to the couch. "It's great," she emphasized without elaborating on the details. "I want to sit down with her sometime tomorrow and have her stress some of the good points she made … if that's okay?"

Dorian nodded. "Why not tonight?"

Amelia looked around. She was sure that whatever movie Langston and Markko had gone to see couldn't be over yet. "When do you expect her home?"

"Oh." Dorian sighed as she held her arm out and her head back to check her watch. It wasn't even nine yet. "Well … she has been staying out all hours as of late." She scowled with disdain. "Ever since Markko and Cole got that apartment." She stared at the phone but reminded herself that Langston was a responsible young lady.

Amelia traced Dorian's gaze to the nearby phone. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked again. "You seem a bit … on edge? You're not worried about the press, are you?"

Dorian jerked her head toward Amelia. That thought hadn't even occurred to her. She rubbed her forehead and then sighed, gesturing at the laptop Amelia held. "Langston is all grown up."

Amelia wondered, looking between the computer and Dorian's wistful expression. The wheels in her mind turned as she contemplated her new understanding of Dorian's family, and the fact that Langston and Starr were the same age. She hesitated before making the suggestion that popped into her mind. "Did you ever think about adopting another child?"

Dorian was taken aback by Amelia's suggestion. Her initial response was, "Of course not. I love my girls … my family … and the last thing we need…." She let her mind catch up before she finished her sentence. She did not want to imply that having a baby in the house was a burden. She also considered the reasons that Amelia would make such a suggestion.

Amelia lifted her brows, noting Dorian's thoughts. "You do love children. I know adoption and foster care are of concern, and it would be a good way to pull attention away from this whole marriage thing."

Dorian stood and crossed the floor to look out at the darkened terrace as she spoke. Her voice was terse. "Not to mention – yes, detracting attention from our gay marriage, but putting the focus right back on gay families and parental rights." She shot an accusing glance over her shoulder at Amelia.

"It would be putting the focus on family values. Your very strong family values," Amelia tried to convince Dorian, pointing at Langston's editorial.

Dorian slapped the top of the nearby bureau, rattling the number of small, framed pictures and vases on it. "Amelia, you're forgetting, aren't you … that we – you and I," she gestured between them, " – are lesbians together…?" She shook her head and threw her hands in the air, exasperated.

"Oh, that's right," Amelia argued with sarcasm, nodding her head at Dorian dramatically. "Right … we're lesbians … so even if we wanted to adopt a child together…."

"Oh, cut the crap, Amelia," Dorian interrupted, scolding. "Face the facts. No matter what I do – no matter how well intentioned – at this point, it is all going to be seen as one big, fat, gay political agenda! And that part ...is not-my-fault." She ran the last three words together, emphasizing them with a finger in the air.

Amelia stood and took a step toward Dorian, turning her chin as she eyed her. "How does that feel to you?" she asked. "To know that just because people see you as a lesbian, everything you do is defined by that?"

Dorian gave in and looked down at her fingernails. "Point made." She swallowed. "But." She lifted her finger back into the air as she looked up at Amelia again. "If I ever adopted again, it would be out of love – not for any agenda or election." She paused in thought. "Besides, it would be a far better strategy to adopt right before my second term, and use it to get re-elected."

Amelia grinned, very amused. "Yep," she nodded in agreement.

Dorian frowned again, frustrated and annoyed at herself for entertaining the thought. "I have a headache. I wonder if we still have those Belgian chocolates I ordered." She reminded herself not to shout as she headed for the kitchen.

Dorian could drive a person crazy, but it was endearing when it wasn't infuriating.

Amelia massaged her own forehead in thought as she turned to place the order for the photographs. She was still working on sending the order when she heard a buzzing noise coming from the foyer.

A quick investigation proved that Dorian had left her cell phone on silent mode. Before Amelia could decide whether to take the phone to the kitchen, she noticed the name on the screen.

Curious, she looked around the room and waited for the voice mail icon to appear. She moved to the far side of the stairs and tucked herself in the corner as she tried the V-pattern she had seen Dorian punch in a few times, starting with two ones.

It took a few tries to crack the code – one one zero six.

There was a long pause on the recording, as if the call had been accidental, but after several seconds a deep voice with an impatient Latin accent broke through the silence. "Dorian, I need you. You have to pick up the phone sometime. Please return my call."

Amelia's eyes widened. His request sounded more like a demand. Her mind raced in slight panic. Dorian's insistence on dodging the subject of Ray Montez was rooted in her actual avoidance of any contact with him. It seemed there was much more to it than a simple parting of the ways.

A sinking feeling in Amelia's gut told her that Ray's attempt to reach Dorian did not bode well for their campaign – or future marriage. The world slowed around her as she scrambled to delete Ray's message and the record of his call before anyone saw her with Dorian's phone. She felt justified in the fact that Dorian was already evading the man.

She gasped a sigh of relief as she placed the cell phone in the exact place on the table where she had found it and returned to her laptop to finish the order she was placing.

She wondered if she could broach the subject of Ray Montez before the night ended. She had to wonder about the terms of his departure, and she was more uneasy about Dorian's reluctance to discuss him … among other things … than ever.

[jaynearmesiln3001propractice]

                                     Their Website: https://theaoi.com/

AOI was established in 1973, their aim is to maintain the illustration industry, by uniting illustrators and the industry with education, promotion and campaigning to “achieve a thriving industry for all.” They represent a voice for independent illustrators, protecting their rights and creating ethical standards within the industry. 

The lecture was with Rachel Hill (membership manager), she covered a range of information, some of which I have covered slightly on this blog. But I will start with the benefits of joining the AOI, and prices. The AOI help with networking, and have a page on their website dedicated to upcoming events. When you become a member you gain access to exclusive resources that are very valuable and helpful. Once you leave uni, getting the support and advice you need can be hard, but the AOI offer these services. You receive dedicated help by email or by phone 24/7. They can advise you with forming contracts, negotiations and professional practice. Once a member you also receive discounts on their publications, directories, as well as a free magazine subscription. They offer portfolio reviews and feedback and business consultations with professionals. The best time to become a member is now, as the student discount is £56 per year, £4.80 a month. They also conduct a competition called the World Illustration Award (WIA), where the top 200 entrants are sent out to commissioners worldwide.

Their Publications:

- THE ILLUSTRATOR’S GUIDE TO LAW AND BUSINESS PRACTICE BY SIMON STERN

- THE EDITORIAL DIRECTORY

- THE ADVERTISING DIRECTORY

- THE PUBLISHING DIRECTORY

- ALL DIRECTORIES

The Lecture

Self-promotion

- keep your self promotional websites and social media, simple, clean and to the point, Let your work speak for itself, this means thinking about what work you’d like to be commissioned for and making sure your work reflects it. keep your work within one style, otherwise it can be confusing for clients. -Make sure your website works on mobiles, as this is the most common way people will find you. People rarely browse social media on their computers.  Clients and commissioners are not always a huge fan of contact forms, so include an option for direct emails or phone calls. Cut out the middle-man.  

Finding Clients 

- Rachel Hill suggests to study the industry and find your niche, creating dream client lists can help you find your desired specific area in illustration.  - She also suggests to buy directories, which are full on client contacts, that want to be contacted. I have linked these books above and the AOI sells one for each industry sector for illustration. Make sure you are contacting people for valid reasons, do not send blanket emails, these are now against the law. When emailing avoid starting with “Dear sir/madam”, this feels impersonal and can come across as a scam/spam email. Find their name and make sure to introduce yourself, including a link to your website. Your email can include some images, we are all visual people, and like to see pictures.  - try posting physical items to commissioners. Again make sure it’s addressed to a specific individual usually an art director; easily found on LinkedIn. This is something I am already working on, as I am creating a calendar to send to Phil Cleaver. If this is something i want to be do on a more regularly, then postcards work well and are cheaper to send and produce. Make sure my name and contact details are on the front of the postcard. 

Business 

- Register with HMRC as self-employed no later than October 5th in your second year of working, this is the latest date but can be done before.  - File your self assessment  tax form by the end of January.  - Keep up to date with accounts or else you will be swamped before your deadline. Keep all receipts, invoices and contracts from every job. 

Social Media

social media is FREE advertising, so make the most of it.  Twitter - it’s recommended as a freelancer to have a twitter account. Having a sense of community can make the worklife feel less lonely and garner support from all over the world. Though be careful not to rant about bad experiences, these rants can be damaging and cost you future clients. Instead the AOI can help you deal with these issues privately. Make sure you do NOT post about projects that have yet been released to the public. Companies will try to sue you, unless previously discussed and agreed with.  Instagram  - Instagram is also great as its a visual platform, but make sure to keep personal and professional accounts separate. Make sure to use the stories function on instagram to draw people to your profile, and give some behind the scenes footage. Social media algorithms love consistent and constant uploads, so aim to post regularly, minimum twice a week. Also try to invest time into interacting with your followers. It is recommended that 30 minutes a day will keep you relevant enough for the algorithm to promote you. Make sure your instagram account is on ‘business’. 

Rights

When you produce an image, you have the copyright through your lifetime + 70 years after that. You cannot copyright a style, technique or idea only the image itself. This includes all creative fields including photography, so make sure to use multiple images for reference, as even an illustration or graphic portrait can be traced back to the original source. The main case study she uses to express the legal issues with this is the Hope, Obey artwork (below) where clearly the illustration was traced. This lead to a legal battle where the photographer of the original image won, and asked for a significant sum of money. Keep your work as unique as possible; stick to your niche, the more generic the greater the risk for infringement. Fanart is also discouraged for a similar reason. 

- Try to avoid a client that asks for copyright assignment. You will lose all rights to your work, and the client will be able to use the image for whatever they like, without further payment or permission. Try to work on a licensing basis, it gives the clients everything they need, whilst keeping your work safe from any unwanted changed, or applications. The AOI can help with licensing, and offer a downloadable PDF that you can fill out and send to the client. 

Moral rights waiver - is automatic to you, but can be waived. A specimen form of waiver by which the author of a copyright literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or the director of a copyright film, waives his rights to be identified as the author or director of the work in question and/or his right to object to derogatory treatment of the work.

Right of paternity - The right to be identified, known as the right of paternity, applies to the creators of original literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works. Your work is yours, and is identified with you.

Right of Integrity - The right of integrity protects artists from having their copyrighted works altered in such a fashion as to constitute a "distortion" or "mutilation" of the original work, or in a way that harms the author's reputation or honour.

- When uploading your work online, make sure it is in a lower dpi (72) and your name is apart of the file name, so that your work can be linked to you. But beware some sites such as facebook and pinterest strip all file names, so this link is lost. Also Society6 get the rights to your image, and can then use the image for themselves, so stay away. 

Contracts

Contracts are legally binding, they give clarity and show professionalism. They also act as evidence if there are any disputes between the creator and clients and can be used in court. There are two main types on contacts, verbal contacts that usually take place over the phone, and paper contracts, that are more black and white and in my opinion the one i feel most comfortable with. When a client come to you with a contract it will usually favour them, but it is normal to negotiate and bring them in your favour. This can only happen if you have not yet signed a contract, as afterwards they are non-negotiable. You should always have a contract, it is a good habit to get into, just incase. The AOI also offer a template agreement for clients that don’t have their own contracts. The AOI template is a silent agreement, which the client does not have to sign, they just have to respond if the agreement is okay.  Make sure to keep your end of the bargain, and keep on time with deadlines. The license start date is the date in which the client can start using the image, they cannot use it before this date. Make sure to use words like ‘ONLY’ and ‘EXCLUSIVE’, as it emphasises that they cannot use the images for anything else, and its only them that can use it. Things to look out for are copyright assignment, moral rights waiver and irrevocable licenses, always question these motives and get them removed before signing anything. 

Crucial clauses

- Always make sure payment is defined, how and when you’ll be paid. If your working for a large sum on money, make sure this payment is in stages, it ensures you are paid before moving onto the next steps, and if a project falls through last minute, you have at least been paid previously. These stages can be split between, roughs, amends, and final artwork. Allow 3 amends before charging further.  - Termination clause is needed in case something goes wrong and you wish to terminate. Cancellation is when a project doesn’t go ahead but it isn’t your fault. It also ensures payment up to the stage you have work until.  - Sub-licensing sections mean that if a new deal is negotiated regarding your illustrations, you can recieve more money. For example a children’s book, turns into a film.  - Make sure that you get to finish your work. Sometime companies get one illustrator to do roughs and another to finish them. This is not okay and should be avoided, as it complicated your rights as the copyright owner and payment. 

Negotiation and Payments

When negotiating prices and figures with clients try not to give ball-park figures, and do not accept these either. Push the clients (nicely) to give all details before signing anything, this is crucial to figuring out if you still want the job and if it’s right for you. Address clients like this: “Before I can quote I will need more details....”. Clients may also ask you for your day rate; illustrators do not work on a day rate so Rachel suggests that in response send the licensing agreement.  clients know how to get what they want, they often use tactic such as “we are looking at 3 other illustrators” to make you lower your price. Though don’t feel pressured by this, work for what you feel comfortable with. Working for low prices or for free undermines the illustration industry, as well as your future career and potential income. These big companies have the money to pay you, and often it is within their budget, so don’t let them pin illustrators against each other.  Fees change depending on a variety of reasons. The size of the artwork, where it will be seen, how long they are using it, what the exact usage is, how many illustrations. Softer considerations include, the clients industry; business and finance has a lot more money than education. This also applies to products ie an expensive whisky bottle. Make sure to do background research, this may help inform you on fees, budget and reach of audience. The AOI does offer a pricing calculator, and is only available to members. A good guideline for annual income is London’s living wage £18,700 when first starting, This can be increased after 1-3 years of freelancing to £20K-£25K. Make sure when pricing you consider you outgoings ie, software fees, rent, internet bills and general spendings. Keep track of your money! Average annual income per sector:

Editorial - £20K Advertising - £35K Publishing - £25K Products and Packaging - £22K Corporate - £25K 

Advertising - There are two types of advertising, above the line (magazines, newspapers, billboards etc) and below the line (their sites, social media, in house). Above the line means clients have paid for a the space. the term out of home (OOH) means use in public spaces, these are very valuable. Online adverts and social media posts are below the line and are less valuable. The larger the audience the more you can charge. 

Products and Packaging - payment will depend on the size of the company and the exposure. Background information is key, know the price of the product and its target market. It will give you an indication to the profits of the company and how much budget they have. 

Publishing - You get money for the initial illustrations, but then royalties once the book is sold. This works as a percentage of each book sold and ranges from 5-10% depending on if you also wrote the book. Advance fee which is based on the size of the publisher and the territory it is sold. It is advised that if a self-publisher approaches you, to only ask for a flat fee, as often royalties aren't worth the risk with them. Samples and pitches should be paid for a licence too. Uk licence, single use, illustration for client sample presentation use only £X amount. Additional fees should be added for amends, and if there's a quick turnaround (rush fee) make sure you increase you price, the work you put in should be respected, especially when having to work unsociable hours to rush a deadline (ie. a children’s book in 3 weeks).