#plus plus i really like the glowy icon look ^^

[lrgoescrazy]

Hi hi um you helped me with one of my drawings on the criticism club, tysmmmmmm for that, I've fixed it a lot but I'm not done colouring so I won't be posting it yet :) your advice was insanely helpful, because I realised the arm wouldn't be there,and a BUNCH of other things

I was just exploring your posts and OMG HOW YOU RENDER SKIN AND HAIR IS SOO PRETTY AND GORGEOUS OMG!!! AND I LOVE THAT ONE DRAWING OF AN EYE U MADE AHH!

Sooo while i was looking at my fav post of yours, I was reading the description and you were talking about the new blend brush in magma! So, I'm assuming you use magma? I've been using it for like, half a year, but im not a pro at digital art so I don't really know what all the layer settings and whatever are. I did watch a video but it was a bit confusing. I know about like opacity and whatnot but I'm still a bit confused on mainly the layer settings. Also, I can't find any tutorials on magma apart from blending :(

I was wondering if U could maybe explain a bit, just the basics like multiply and add and most of the layer settings a begginer would use :) I'm sort of stepping out of my comfort zone because I don't usually bother with colouring and stuff. Any tips U recommend for magma would also help tons! Omg I just realised that this is kind of a stupid request because you probably have to explain a lot... Sorry!

idk how to end this ┐⁠(⁠ ⁠∵⁠ ⁠)⁠┌

ok ok this will be a long post!!

i made this graphic a long time ago for my friend @mythology-lover, this is using all layer blend modes with the colour bright orange, so you can see what each one does. most of them are self explanatory, I hope. there is no "add" in magma, but colour dodge is similar. I'll go over how to use the blend modes below!

not sure if you want to know how to use the blend modes to render stuff but i'll show you anyway lol

this was a drawing i posted, and i actually detailed my step by step process for my friend again, but I use multiply or darken for shading, its the best way to shade and personally I use dark red for shading but this can change based on lighting. obv I also lower the opacity cuz I don't want bright red. my tip for using multiply is to use a colour more saturated/brighter than you think you would use, cuz multiply ends up darkening the colour anyway.

i recommend using blend modes for shading because they have some "transparency" to them, if you put on shading in a block colour with no blend mode it'll just cover up things you already drew like blush or makeup. i also just create more multiply layers to build up darker and darker shadows.

also, when it comes to more dramatic lighting, ill just put a multiply layer over the WHOLE drawing since in real life in a dark scene there will be a shadow over everything including darker shadows for the actual details. after I add the multiply layer (this one is blue because its supposed to be a nighttime scene and the sky is dark blue) I just erase parts where light is hitting the object

(this isnt well done because im making this quickly)

and when it comes to lighting i like to use overlay, it creates this really nice saturated glowy effect. you can use colour dodge too but it creates these weird artifacts of pixels that are a completely different colour, at least for me

with overlay

also maybe you already know this, but the little square icon next to the opacity bar is alpha lock its useful if you don't wanna have to make a whole layer and clip it to the layer underneath

also... my BEST advice for magma has got to be to use filters, they save my life, and I frequently use them when my colours arent looking too good. and I specifically LOVE using the "curves" option when you click filters.

they let you control how bright the drawing is, and specifically the amount of each colour (red, green, and blue) in your drawing

here i reduced blue, increased red, and reduced yellow, plus reduced contrast and increased saturation plus made it a bit brighter. looks a lot better in my opinion, filters can really save a drawing lol

random tips: use lasso selection its basically necessary! if the paint bucket/fill tool isn't working that great, increase tolerance and turn on anti-alias, you can also try using the smart option. although I gotta say generally I don't use fill tool as it only really works if you have very clean, sharp, and connected lines. usually what I'll do instead to save time on colouring is make a layer below the lineart, and then make the target layer "above," and then fill it, then fill in the gaps manually. i also recommend using the full mode layout option, unless you have a small screen then it's most optimal, because then you can see all the tools and options.

i also use this layout thing, idk what its called, and have each one be a different brush with different settings (for me, one will be a soft brush with hardness and density lowered, another a hard round (default) brush, another a textured lineart brush, a brush for stars, freckles, or other scattered dots where I just turn up spacing, scattering and jitter for size variation)

also... make sure you flip your canvas to catch your mistakes, you wont notice them until you see it from a different perspective, and the flip canvas button is up top

its this one

this is for colouring, but periodically go to "view" and click "show in greyscale" so you can see the contrast between your colours. if everything's the same shade or similar shade of grey, you need to make some parts darker or lighter to make them stand out

ngl i think that's it, unless there's something else you need to know. just realised I've been using magma for like 4 years at this point, time really flies by. hope I helped!

[haknew]

yes yes yes to splash ver icons!! - kub anon

hi kub anon ! 🥺💖✨ yeeees i just scheduled the post for them ! i hope everyone likes them ^~^ !!! 💖💞💓✨💕💗💘

[canonical-transformation]

"why do they let characters die to a 2% crit in the tutorial maps?" [A'lear part 2]

So it turns out the dragon is Queen Lumera, ruler of Lythos and A'lear's mother. Lumera is overjoyed to see her daughter awake again after her thousand year slumber, and despite the latter's missing memories, it's a happy reunion.

A'lear takes a moment to admire a pigeon (wow, a pigeon!) and grab some acorns from the ground. It's possible this is just instinctive dragon hoarding behaviour. It's very adorable.

Queen Lumera turns back into a giant dragon and offers them all a ride on her back. They head to her castle.

Exposition time: there are five nations in Elyos. The four human nations, arranged in a ring, are Flowers, Mountains, Snow, and Desert. (Or spring, autumn, winter, and summer, if you prefer. The world map animates falling leaves over the mountain biome.) In the centre of the map lies, Lythos, home of the Divine Dragons — well, the Divine Dragon, singular, last of her kind right up until A'lear woke up this morning.

(oh and there was also a huuuuge landmass where the Fell Dragon ruled, but that's sealed beneath the waves, never to be seen again, never ever.)

A thousand years ago, the Fell Dragon Sombron appeared out of nowhere and fought the Divine Dragons for control of the Twelve Emblems. Once every thousand years, the Twelve Emblems can combine their power to do Plot Device Magic. Last time, they were used to seal the Fell Dragon Sombron away.

Isn't this just the plot of Shadow Dragon and The Sacred Stones?, wonders A'lear.

No, not at all, says Lumera. You see, the Emblems aren't just magic gems; they're magical glowy avatars based on Lords/protagonists from prior Fire Emblem games. It's kind of like cross-marketing — Sigurd fans will want to buy this game to see him, and others meeting him for the first time here will be hyped for the inevitable Genealogy of the Holy War remake.

Who's Sigurd?, asks A'lear.

We'll get to him soon, my child, says Lumera. He's really fun to use in this game, you're going to love him.

So... this is like Fire Emblem Heroes?, asks A'lear.

Well, not exactly like FEH—, says Lumera.

Oh, of course. It's like Fire Emblem Heroes but there's no gacha?

Good gracious!, it's time for training!, says Lumera.

Chapter 2

It's time for training! Lumera summons some Fabrications — glowy humanoid figures with empty eyes, who, she hastens to explain, are totally not like the Corrupted because they're blue instead of red. They're here for a mock battle.

On my first attempt at this level, an archer scores a 2% critical hit on Clanne, instantly felling him. He bleeds out before a distraught A'lear, whimpering garbled nonsense, while Lumera stands nearby and kindly tells her daughter that she must learn to face her fears, even the fear of those under your care dying in your arms. The real enemy, after all, will not hold back.

Anyway, I reset the chapter.

The second time round, the archer does not crit, and merely sticks an arrow through Clanne's ribs, which his sister immediately heals with magic staff magic.

This map is designed to introduce two key mechanics for this game: Break and Chain Guard.

Break is this game's take on the classic Weapon Triangle, which now uses the same coloured icons as in FEH and looks great. Landing attacks with weapon advantage (sword < lance < axe < sword; daggers/bows/tomes < martial arts) will break the opponent's guard(*), letting your next attack on them go uncountered. It's great for seeing up your glass cannons — let your high-dodge swordmaster chip down the big Handaxe beserker, then your own zero-defense mage can fling a few fireballs safely.

Chain Guard is only available on certain classes: Martial Monk (generic healer), Martial Master (generic healer plus master seal), and Dancer (dancer). These "Qi Adept" units can go into a guard stance, blocking a single hit on behalf of an adjacent ally, and losing 20% HP in the process. Often this is not worth it, but sometimes having your healer go down to 15/25HP saves their 45HP allies from fatal damage.

In my opinion, the coolest thing about Qi Adepts are that these dedicated healer classes can occasionally pull their weight via damage prevention instead—explicitly with Chain Guard; implicitly when they're roundhouse kicking an enemy mage in the face—making them more flexible.

The second coolest thing is that enemy healers are now an active concern on player phase, often standing in the right position to prevent damage — or even a break! — against a boss.

Framme and Clanne help take care of some Fabrications, leaving most of the EXP to A'lear, who handily reaches Level 3. Lumera takes the field, but is defeated with the power of teamwork.

So then she sets up a second drill, in which she pulls out all the stops.

Meet Sigurd of Grannvale, from FE4: Genealogy of the Holy War. When equipped, Emblem Sigurd grants Mov+1 and Canter(**). When Engaged, Sigurd grants an additional Mov+5/6/7 depending on class. That means that if you're playing this level for the first time and you're not counting carefully, the UI will be telling you that Lumera's attack range ends waaaaay over there, and then Lumera will suddenly sprint eleven tiles — ⅔-way across the map — and take out most of Vander's HP with Ridersbane.

Luckily, this is my second run on the game, and I am counting carefully, so Framme is ready with a chain guard.

"Wow, what a powerful Emblem!" Vander says sycophantically, as Lumera's attempted 20 damage to him becomes a very underwhelming 6 damage to Framme.

Then Clanne sets the Queen on fire, Vander whacks her with an axe, and A'lear finishes the job.

Lumera offers A'lear a ring. It's the gift she promised A'lear as a birthday present, one thousand years ago. A'lear refuses the gift for now: she doesn't remember anything from back then, so it feels like receiving a gift meant for someone else. Perhaps if Lumera waits until A'lear gets her memories back?

Okay, it's a promise.

Lumera is so proud of her daughter. She's so happy to be reunited. They're going to have so much time together now, and make so many happy memories.

And on that note, with her most important wisdom imparted, and promises made for the long future they'll have together, Queen Lumera gifts A'lear her own sword, and says she's so proud of her and she'll see her in the morning.

She then monologues to herself about all the idyllic times she and A'lear have ahead of them. Then proceeds to leave Sigurd with mysterious instructions offscreen.

Truly, all of Queen Lumera's affairs are in order. I guess she's going to bed, and will see A'lear in the morning?

Idk, something feels off here.

-----

(* Was considering Photoshopping a FEH trailer image for the following wall of text, but can't be bothered. The new mechanics work approximately as follows.

When a unit initiates combat with weapon advantage and damages foe, foe cannot counterattack, and after combat, inflict [Break] on that Foe until their next action.

[Break]: "Unit can't counterattack. Remove [Break] at end of combat."

Chain Guard: When a foe initiates combat against an adjacent ally and would hit that ally, instead unit loses 20% HP and ally is not damaged by that attack. Activate only at full HP. Chain Guard ends when it's triggered, or when unit loses HP, or when unit is next active.)

(** Canter — move up to two spaces after acting — is almost universally a safe pick for skill inheritance, regardless of unit or class. However, it costs 10 levels worth of SP and occupies one of two skill slots, so it's not always the best choice, especially in the early game where SP is scarce. (Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. Feigning certainty makes for more succinct writing.))

[rosies-pastimes]

thank you very much!! working hard (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

ahh yes the eyes just get drawn to them (not exactly the same but when I clean and reorganise my things I end up reminiscing about memories that relate to certain objects? and uhh the actual cleaning doesn't really happen 😔)

seriously!! (how's your progress with the lessons heh I don't want to accidentally spoil stuff)

ooh which icon though :o and yeahh it's nice to change it! (would you want to maybe 👉👈 be friends on there? I send AP :D I haven't figured out how to add someone directly yet but only if you want to of course!)

yes that is a wonderful world 😌

can't agree more! plus it's awesome to get to make friends through those fandoms :)

I will I will ^-^ ohh is that so? thank you I am relieved! do you know if we can still catch the glowy fish? or if they were event exclusive ;-;

aha yes reserve judgement until thoma comes home *manifesting him for you* and same I've seen some really aesthetic layouts but I just slapped the house in the middle and have some plots on the side... plus a few furnishings sets for the adeptal energy really (it doesn't look nice at all T-T)

ahhh yeah if you just got yoimiya then it might take a while to build up pity and then there's the 50/50 :(

me too me too I've also been trying not to play that much so when 2.2 rolls around I won't have a lot to wish with 😔 (thing is I'm also close to soft pity and I have a guaranteed this time so I'm biding my time to get someone I really want 😬) and I don't know that much about 2.2 leaks so I'm trying not to think too much about it haha

++ 👀 vanitas no carte huh? the op and ed my heart- (I haven't watched the anime + not caught up with the newest chapters yet but I am reading the manga!)

- 🎮

pls i stared at my owl shaped candle holders (that i affectionately named bokuto, akaashi and konoha) for so long hecause i remembered how i'd always use them when i first got them 😭😭

not to mention the notebooks i used to write original stories on lets not unpack those-

im still at lesson 20 cuz i havent been playing the main storyline as much as before because im building my cards and stuff 🥲

ooh what if we were obey me friends too indeed 👀👉👈

PLUS PLUS in fandoms, you find people who collectively agree that yall share some common issues 😌 ESPECIALLY if yall simp for ome character in particular HAHAHAHA

the glowy fishes are sadly event-exclusive :((

TOHMA WILL COME HOME

I CAN FEEL IT IN MY HEART OF HEARTS SKSJAKKA imagine exerting all this effort for a man ✋🙄 i would never irl- kskahsiaj

i just have the house, the plant-thingies, the fishes and some random characters hanging out together 😌 its totally fine 😌

i have absolutely no idea which five star i want to pull for like??? 😭😭 i just want the four star man dressed like jollibee pls 😭😭 im happy with my five stars alreadyyyyy

im trying to filter out the leaks i let myself see 😌 i squeeze out the ones i dont wanna see out of my brain and memory and so far, its working because i forget them eventually help HAHAHAH

AND YES VANITAS NO CARTE domi call me mon cheri challenge ✋🙄 girl, i'll love you-

im at ep 10 already, took a break to play genshin akankaak and i might read the manga too soon!

doing it all in one sitting will result in another tokyo revengers aka breakdowns at 3 am and puffy eyes tomorrow, so i'll do it maybe tomorrow? i started reading the haikyuu manga this morning eh-

s i g h s so many things to do

[solivar]

Quoth @eledhiel13 Talon Zenyatta?

It was so subtle that Jesse was not entirely sure that he wasn’t just losing his goddamned mind, finally succumbing to the weight from years of accumulated paranoia, sudden but inevitable betrayal, and a carefully cultivated outright inability to trust others long-term. (“It’s not paranoia if they’re actually out to get you, kid,” said the voice in the back of his head that he usually considered at least a cousin to common sense and which sounded rather suspiciously like the man who’d taught him just about everything he’d ever known about all of the above, plus psychological hardening techniques on the side.) It wasn’t even something he could solidly but a finger on so that he could say, “This. This right here isn’t right.” Not to anybody else, not without sounding like he was losing his mind. (“Observe. Document. Play it close until you have enough to actually bring others to the table.” Common sense was starting to sound a little irked with him and for good reason -- he hadn’t been out of the covert ops business long enough that this approach shouldn’t still be second nature. And yet he was having a hard time justifying spying on a teammate, even to himself.)

Observation the first: Tekhartha Zenyatta is an omnic. He was mostly humanoid in form but that was, ultimately, where the similarities ended. His faceplate was a convenient location for broad spectrum sensory arrays -- he never really had an expression that you could read, or an attempted lack of the same that could be equally telling. His voice was a carefully modulated synthetic approximation, one that he explicitly chose to keep on the warmly soothing end of the spectrum, even in times of high stress. He had no real body language -- no involuntary twitches, no nervous mannerisms, no subtle changes in stance or posture that could betray mood, direction of thought, an increase or decrease in tension.

Until he did. And it was subtle almost to the point of invisibility, the sort of thing you’d only notice after living with a body for months and getting accustomed to the way they did and did not act on a daily basis. A sudden tremor in the line of his shoulders; the set of his spine taking on a posture that could be assessed as almost furtive, encountered as he was in a part of Gibraltar he didn’t generally frequent; a visible change in the way he held his hands. Jesse managed to get a picture of it and ran an image search that yielded nourishes the divine feminine and seal of the inner source and silence arises and all senses awakened. No way to tell if that was good, bad, or freaky beyond the telling of it without consulting someone who might know more. The Shambali were notoriously terrible about checking voice messages and answering their email and the only other option at home was...Genji. So not really an option without also bringing him in.

Observation the second: Zenyatta’s balls. Orbs. Spheres. Floaty, glowy things that orbited him like his own personal planetary system. It wasn’t entirely clear, at least to Jesse, what exactly they were -- an intrinsic part of his body? Something he’d picked up somewhere along the way while he was doing his own stint as a wandering sage? Zenyatta’s brother Mondatta hadn’t had anything resembling them and neither had any of the monks occupying the Shambali monastery when he’d visited years ago, but he wasn’t sure how much that actually meant. They seemed to sometimes have a mind of their own, spinning off and following other members of the team, sometimes at a respectful distance, sometimes a bit closer, if that someone was one of the walking wounded, physically or otherwise, emitting something that wasn’t quite healing biotic field but which had a similar palliative effect.

Now they were hanging close to him all the time -- closer and quieter and darker than they’d been since the day they first met. The change itched at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t be sure it was a bad thing or a normal one. And, again, no one to ask except Genji.

Observation the third: Zenyatta was a creature of habit. He had, within the first couple days of his arrival at Watchpoint Gibraltar, crawled all over the place, explored it from top to bottom, and thereafter turned most of his attention to the areas outside the base proper. Jesse couldn’t really blame him -- the Watchpoints were designed for utility first and aesthetics second, if at all, and he couldn’t imagine finding anywhere inside it an adequate place for meditating on the fundamental spiritual oneness of all life, not when you had the option of floating up to an actual nature preserve located right next door. When he wasn’t roaming the paths on the Rock itself, or down at the beach, he could normally be found in the quarters he shared with Genji in the family accommodations block, or in one of the recreation areas where the team in whole or parts tended to congregate after meals or missions, or in the combat simulator when his presence was requested for team training exercises.

Zenyatta did not, as a general rule, attempt to socialize with Torbjorn, whose attitude toward artificially intelligent machines in general and omnics in specific was well documented, and thus he assiduously avoided the engineering lab, except on the four occasions in the last month when Athena’s internal monitors found him there when no one else was present, either absent in the field or at godforsaken hours of the night. Athena’s sensors had likewise detected him in the communications tower, the medical research block adjacent to the infirmary itself, the security drone bay. Some of that could be innocent -- his body needed maintenance like the rest of them needed regular patching up and, while he certainly could have asked Winston or Angela for help, it wasn’t impossible that he preferred to handle his own basic repairs himself -- but Jesse could not think of one damned reason why he would need to be in the drone bay, ever, much less three times in two weeks. And there was, of course, only one person he could ask about that.

Jesse flipped off his workpad and set it aside, security access logs and tiny bits of security camera feed scrolling across the inside of his closed eyelids. It was not completely beyond the bounds of possibility that a totally innocuous reason existed for all of these observations, individually and all together. It was also not beyond the bounds of possibility that he was simply calcified into an irreducible state of suspicious and untrusting by hardships untold and dangers unnumbered. He hoped he could find the answers to all his questions without breaking either the trust or the heart of his best friend.

Moving slowly, so as not to awaken the even less trusting man sleeping at his side, Jesse slipped out of bed, slipped his hat and gun belt off the headboard, picked up his boots and stepped out into the hall in his stocking feet. He didn’t put his boots on until he was past the accommodation block completely and out into the halls beyond that led to the main rec center, the kitchens, the exterior access doors. The communications array hidden in his arm interfaced smoothly with Athena’s systems and, taking her cue from him, she responded silently when he hailed her, text-only.

Good evening, Agent McCree, how may I assist you?

I need you to establish a secure location in the base, known solely to yourself and me. He opened a secondary communication line and input the Blackwatch command level access permission codes that, in years prior, would have allowed him to make such a request at any functional Watchpoint; Athena accepted them without comment. Deep Black level encryption protocols on all communications in and out and on any files locally stored on your servers. Feed me copies of all your security logs, the security drone recordings, the internal security camera records, everything, for the last three months to current.

The Blackwatch suite is located three levels down and below the communications tower, Agent McCree, Athena replied. I have reactivated its systems per your request, currently running diagnostics. The requested data is downloading and will be accessible at your arrival.

Thank you. He signed off and closed down his comms and thought, not for the first time, I hope to God you know what you’re doing.

Ώ

The Blackwatch suite was exactly that: two rooms located in an otherwise completely unused sub-basement three levels below the Watchpoint communications tower buried deep in the rock of the cliff itself, visited only by the occasional housekeeping drone if the relative shortage of dust on the work surfaces was anything to go by. He might not want to sack out on the cot in the next room or make use of the world’s tiniest refresher unit in the absence of a check on the plumbing, but the equipment locker was at least still fully stocked with useful odds and ends. The workstation powered up at a touch and came to life in seconds with Athena’s icon flashing in the center of the screen; he activated the workstation’s own intrusion countermeasure systems and turned his comms back on. “Comms check.”

“I am receiving clearly, Agent McCree.” Athena replied serenely. “Deep Black communication protocols enacted. My remote systems diagnostic found no hardware systems failures or inadequacies with regard to the equipment in the suite.”

“Thank you kindly.” The files he’d asked for were waiting, along with the onboard suite of analysis tools he needed to whittle all the raw data down to manageable; he started with the security logs.

“If I may ask...what precisely are you looking for?” A politely curious modulation to her generally sweet tone.

“I’m not sure myself.” He paused, considered, chose not to ask for her help in sorting the mess just yet. “I’ll know it when I see it.”

He saw it about four hours in, once the pattern analysis had run two passes on the security logs and come up with nothing and one on the video footage, just as he was about ready to declare himself wrongly mistrustful and possibly in need of rendering Zenyatta an apology, even if the monk never actually knew what for. Two hits, in relatively close succession, both on oddities in the drone hangar footage. Separated out and isolated from the rest of the stream of workaday images, the cause was clear: the recording had been altered, looped at least twice over a period of several hours, the timestamps adjusted to display the proper passage of time, the sort of thing that would be all-but invisible to anyone not specifically searching for such a thing. Twice in the last week, made to look as though the drone hangar were empty when he had the rather strong feeling it most emphatically was not.

Jesse flipped his comms back on. “Athena, my sweet, can you run a diagnostic on the drone hangar security systems and let me know if you find anything unusual?”

“Of course,” Athena sounded, as always, more than a trace element of amused at any attempt to sweet-talk her. “This will require a moment.”

“Take all the time you need.” He restarted the pattern analysis pass on the security footage, watched as the images flickered past at a rate faster than the average human eye could follow, every nerve alive and twitching.

Hits three and four were from the infirmary. A little over a month prior, Genji had come back from a mission that had, to put it mildly, gone spectacularly tits up after a relatively uncomplicated first and second acts, in a condition that reminded everyone who had known him back in the day and informed everyone who hadn’t that one of his in-action hallmarks was a certain reckless disregard for his own safety in the defense of others. Lucio’d been the medic assigned to the team and had done his best to patch Genji up in the field and hauled him home for repairs, the injuries well short of life-threatening but also well outside the kid’s level of biomechanical engineering expertise. They’d called Zenyatta in immediately, of course, because after Hanzo he was the next-nearest Genji had to family and, unlike his brother, the one with the actual ability to enhance his state of cyborg ninja chill to a level that allowed him to stay on bedrest for a couple days with only minimal protest. The alterations in the security feed occurred within hours of each other the first day back, looped to hide no more than a twenty minutes each, during those periods of time when Angela was neither consulting with nor checking upon her notoriously restive patient.

He checked, because basic investigative thoroughness required it, but he already knew, and the knowledge was a cold knot in his gut and sudden ice in his veins: all of the things he’d observed, everything he’d hoped this little exercise would let him unsee, had occurred after that mission, after those couple minutes of carefully concealed time at Genji’s bedside.

“Fuck.” Jesse breathed, completely heartfelt.

“Agent McCree, I have completed my examination of the drone hangar security systems. All appears to be in order.” Athena murmured in his ear.

“Thank you, Miss Athena, I appreciate it greatly.” He thumbed the communicator off and swore with even greater feeling. “Fuck a fucking duck.”

Athena’s security systems were most emphatically not in order. Athena’s security systems had been provably compromised at least four times. Athena’s ability to perceive and diagnose her own state of compromise was, in all likelihood, being actively interdicted. And he couldn’t be certain, at all, that his own poking around had not or would not draw attention or a response. Could not, in fact, be sure of anything but the actual black ICE built into the standard Blackwatch security suite, which would have to be good enough for now.

He pulled his cell out of the thigh pocket of his pants and powered it up. Blackwatch field doctrine suggested that agents deployed alone in hostile territory possess more than one method of communication in case the primary was lost, disabled, or otherwise compromised. He routinely carried at least three and the cell had the advantage of not being reliant on Athena’s network for connection, particularly once he made his way back above ground, typing with his thumbs as he went. Where are you right now, darlin’?

I still cannot believe you drop your Gs in text. Hanzo replied ten seconds later. In the kitchen preparing breakfast. You?

Out on the bluff, taking the lovely cool morning air. Join me? The sunrise was staining the sky over the Rock and the mist still hanging in the trees a vivid rosy golden -- red sky in the morning and he couldn’t help but think that might, just might, be a sign for more than just sailors.

I will be there momentarily. Coffee?

Please. Jesse leaned back against a convenient spit of rock, still cool from the night and damp from the dew, and considered.

Ω

Medlab had, by far, the single most secure intranet in the entire Watchpoint for a multitude of reasons, the greatest of which was Dr. Angela Ziegler’s thoroughgoing dedication to the confidential relationship between a physician and her patients, and not the least of which was that a solid half of her patients were carrying around as an intrinsic part of their bodies the sort of technology that at least all the governments of the Earth would sell their collective soul to possess. Genji was, of course, the prime example: partial cybernetic modification had been a thing since as early as the mid-30s but the entire fact of his existence represented a quantum leap beyond that relative plateau. And it was not for ego nor for aesthetics that he went around with God of War laser-etched into his breastplate; back in the day, his deployment in the field was a tacit admission that the precision application of lethal violence was, indeed, an acceptable resolution to any given situation his team might encounter. It was with this knowledge in mind and a certain quantity of regret in his heart that Jesse, once again ensconced in the untrammeled depths of the communications tower, cut right through the lab’s multiple layers of intrusion countermeasures using tools designed by some of the most exquisitely subtle, paranoid, and vicious intelligence operatives to ever make their living at a computer terminal, a task made substantially simpler by Angela’s absence from the lab and the fact that Athena had no part in maintaining its security, at the insistence of both.

It meant, baseline, that while Athena could request access to that particular internal network she wasn’t automatically and immediately aware of anything that went on inside it and thus his quest for information culled from the infirmary medical monitors might well go unnoticed for an appreciable length of time. (Hanzo had listened to everything he’d had to say over their morning stimulants of choice, his expression and body language growing progressively more still, until they reached the point where Genji’s brother turned off completely and the assassin who had spent ten years picking off half the Yakuza command structure in Japan and abroad, an assortment of corrupt officials both corporate and governmental, and no fewer than a dozen wanted war criminals without coming within even a long shot of being caught himself poked his head out and started talking tactics. Extracting information from the medlab intranet was entirely his idea, a trick he’d used while building his approach on a particularly well-defended ex-senior-military-advisor-turned-mercenary-despot whose departure from the mortal coil could not happen soon enough. Turned out, the asshole had a congenital heart condition and Hanzo hadn’t even had to shoot him to accomplish the terms of his commission.) If he found something, it also meant that, until he got to it, that internal network was at least secure and could be secured more completely by the addition of several nasty tricks courtesy of Blackwatch counterintelligence research and development. And this time he was at least not searching blind but had an actual time frame to concentrate on, and if something was there he would know in minutes instead of hours and --

Something was there. Right there, not even five minutes in. Angela must have stepped out -- Angela probably stepped out the instant Zenyatta arrived because Genji with one arm more off than attached and with some sad attempt at armor-piercing rounds still sticking out his chest was exactly the sort of Genji who would be insisting that someone else needed her attention more. (Nobody needed it more. Genji could be even worse than Hanzo that way.) No data for Zenyatta himself, of course, since he wasn’t attached to any of the monitors but Genji’s neuromechanical systems output spiked through the roof, his temperature redlined, and his internal comms produced four short-range, hugely information-dense transmissions spaced seconds apart, each one no more than a few seconds long themselves. Genji’s emergency systems came online, brought his temperature back down to normal, stabilized him. The whole thing took no more than five minutes total but since when did a hit ever really take a long time?

Bad news. Jesse typed with one hand and backed out of the medlab systems with the other, salting his path with tiny packages of pain and delight for anyone who might try to follow it back to its point of origin.

Genji? Hanzo replied, a heart-stoppingly full minute later, given his present presumed location in the Watchpoint.

Probably compromised. Definitely the origin of...whatever it is that got Zenyatta. Might be the same thing. Genji had done nothing to draw attention but, then, every characteristic that looked suspicious on Zenyatta was a perfectly ordinary aspect of his existence. That alone made him want to run the footage again and he was more than half afraid of what he would find if he did.

I am afraid I do not have any better news. It took five minutes for Hanzo to come back, during which Jesse heroically assumed he was maneuvering into a place where it was safe to type and not being horribly killed by his little brother. I selected six of the drones that were in the bay at random. Each one was altered in some way, some more extensively than others. A selection of pictures scrolled up the screen.

Is that what I fucking think it is? Jesse asked, half-impressed, completely appalled.

An explosive device of some sort, yes.

Jesse breathed in peace. You could say that. Breathed out stress. That is some kind of zero-yield tactical device -- probably not a nuke, we don’t have the components to cobble one together here, but I’m willing to bet they could and did make something pretty nasty out of the heavy pulse ordinance that we’ve got in the armory. Or maybe even something experimental that Winston was working on. Probably more than one. Athena had a solid two dozen functional security drones active at any given time, and more than half that sitting in assorted states of disassembly, in the process of being cannibalized for the parts needed to keep the rest functional.

Hanzo was silent for a perfectly terrifying length of time. I see.

I think we need to move up our operational timeframe a bit. Jesse pulled up a secondary screen and opened the eyes they planted around the Watchpoint during an exceptionally vigorous and thorough morning constitutional, finding the rest of the residents: Lucio in his own workspace in the medlab, clearly deep in the throes of composition from the look of intense concentration on his face; Mei in the rec center, curled up on one of the less enormous pieces of furniture and reading on her tablet with a cup of tea at her elbow; Reinhardt and Brigitte down in the engineering lab advancing the endless quest to make his armor even spikier. Genji was, in theory, in the combat simulator running his daily solo exercise regimen and Zenyatta --

Was nowhere to be found.

Get out of the drone bay RIGHT NOW.

He flipped back through the video feed just to make certain that he hadn’t missed anything: Lucio still in the medlab, Mei still in the rec room, the engineering lab now empty. Jesse took a deep, deep breath of calm, made certain doors to the suite were locked and the automated security precautions active, and began extracting potentially useful items from the equipment locker in the next room. He tended to prefer his own ballistic armor since it was custom built to personal specifications but there were always nifty little add-ons to be hung on belts or utility webbing, like that disruptor that messed with motion detection technology or the thingamabob that jammed all forms of wireless communication within a certain radius of its activation and the kinetic energy absorption mesh that Reyes had sworn by as a lifesaver right up until the day it completely failed to save his life. He took a bit of everything plus one the little medkits that came with an assortment of biotic-impregnated goodies for emergency field usage. Unfortunately, none of the ammunition was suitable for Peacemaker and in the back of his mind he was working out the quickest and least exposed method of making it back to his quarters and the box of assorted specialty rounds occupying the back corner of the closet when his phone rang.

Rang.

The number was Hanzo’s cell, the voice on the other end, when he picked up, was not. “Agent McCree.” The worst part -- the absolute worst-- was that while the voice was technically Zenyatta’s it also and absolute was not, too coolly, malevolently mechanical by half. “I must confess, I find myself in a bit of an awkward position. You see, I was explicitly warned not to underestimate you. The precise words used were ‘he’s smarter than he looks’ and ‘obfuscating stupidity is a real thing as far as he’s concerned.’ And yet, despite all these warnings...I seem to have done so.”

“Good of you to admit it,” Jesse drawled in reply, “But, in your defense, the accent tends to throw lots of people off.”

The laugh on the other end of the line sounded like two sharp, spiky things crushing something small and helpless between them. “Thank you. I will put that in my after-action report. Alas…”

Jesse flicked through the video feeds again and found both the rec room and the medlab empty. The floor of the rec room was covered in bits of broken ice and a couple puddles of something he desperately hoped was water.

“...I cannot permit either your charming accent or your attempts to thwart my mission succeed at their chosen tasks.” The quality of sound coming over the speaker changed slightly, taking on a hint of an echo.

“Then it seems that we’re at something of an impasse -- what should I call you? ‘Cause it isn’t going to be Zenyatta -- you don’t deserve that and neither does he.” There was just enough room on his arm’s internal storage to suck down what he needed out of the Blackwatch ICE archive but not enough to keep a constant running track of the eyes and their video feed, so he cut the stream.

The voice made a sound that would, on anyone else, have been a mildly disapproving tongue-click. “Such unnecessary hostility.”

“Trust me, I have not yet begun to be hostile, much less unnecessarily so.” Jesse kept an eye on the passive sensors lining the halls leading down to the hidey hole as he set to work, as quietly as possible, opening up the recessed wall panel that led to one of the four alternative exits from the nether regions of the comm tower. “Why don’t we cut the dancing around it and get down to telling me exactly what you want?”

“What leads you to believe I want something?”

“Because if you were only trying to distract me, Genji would’ve already been down here sticking something sharp between my ribs.” The motion detector hit at the top of the stairs leading down into the sub-basements; Jesse stopped what he was doing long enough to check specifics and then start the countdown on the workstation. “So let’s cut the bullshit.”

A brief silence. “Very well. I have someone you want, and you have someone I want. Let’s make a trade, shall we?”

That gave him a moment’s pause. “Really now.”

“Yes.” A certain silken menace in that single syllable. “My employers wish to extend an offer but they tend to prefer engaging in such negotiations...face to face. I assume that you would prefer that your partner exit this situation identifiable by something other than his dental work.”

“Well, if you’re going to put it that way -- “

“He can hear you, Agent McCree.” Again all sorts of smoothly malevolent and Jesse felt it turn his blood to ice and clear his head completely all at once.

“Hanzo.” His voice sounded almost preternaturally calm in his own ears. “Darlin’. I’m on my way. Promise.”

He cut the call off and slammed the phone on the edge of the workstation hard enough to shatter the screen and reduce the delicate internal workings to bits, then left it where it lay. The back exit dropped at least three meters straight down into pretty much total darkness, hand and foot holds cut into the rock to aid the descent; he pulled the recessed panel shut behind him and climbed as quickly as he dared, not wanting to risk an ankle since he rather felt he was going to need both of them in the relatively near future. The downward bore ended in a tunnel that angled off away from the edge of the cliff, back towards the bulk of the Watchpoint itself.

Up above, the countdown ended and, just as the door of the intelligence officer’s hidey hole slid open, the security countermeasures deployed, all of them, all at once. Even deep underground as he was, he heard the screaming, and added it to the list of things he was going to do something about.

[poledancingghostson]

Which is the more iconic look? A) the march of the falsettos glowy outfit B) McKinley's feather boa

Look. Let me preface this by saying that they’re both iconic as fuck. I wouldn’t do away with either. But if we really get down to it, nothing is more iconic that that March of the Falsettos outfit.

Nobody who sees it may forget that florescent piece of art. I mean, propeller hats. There is not a single person on this planet who did not want a propeller had when they were a kid, okay?

Plus, when you add in the symbolism and how reflective they are off Bill Finn works in general–mixing humor and entertainment with deep emotions and a significant and important message–there’s just so much now depth to them. What may seem like a ridiculous costume design has so much more to it.

So, yep, that was my long-winded way of saying that, as much of a look as the feather boa is, March of the Falsettos will forever reign as one of the most iconic set of costumes in musical theatre.

[gothify1]

"This palette is a little bit of an investment, but as a makeup artist who specializes in makeup for clients 40 and older, I think it's so worth it! It has great pigmentation and blends like a dream. It's the perfect neutral palette." "Ditto to what I said above! But this palette is better for those who prefer cooler shades on their lids."  "This new launch for spring is a better bet if you're on a tighter budget for Mother's Day but still want to give your mom something special. This palette has gorgeous spring colors in the brand's signature highly pigmented, highly blendable formula." "This deeply hydrating primer is formulated to act as a filter pre-foundation and immediately blurs away the look of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. It's also rich in antioxidants and absorbs quickly, which a mom on the go is sure to appreciate!" "Another primer option, but this one is from Bobbi Brown! This formula has tons of skin perks but also makes sure our makeup applies effortlessly and smoothly. It's luxurious and hydrating but oil-free so your mom won't have to worry about looking greasy or too dewy."  "It seems like this product is on everyone's wish list, including my own! It's designed to give a beautiful glow to the skin and can be used under makeup or mixed with foundation or just applied wherever you want some extra glow." "Adding more light to our complexions gives our skin a youthful radiance—all good!!" "Take your mom to a makeup counter and get her matched for this foundation from Chanel! It's such a beautiful foundation, especially for more mature skin. I love it because it's long-lasting, lightweight, and offers a beautiful, velvety matte finish that's really flattering on older skin especially. Plus, it's such a chic beauty gift with that great all-black packaging." "So many older women, myself included, struggle with lipsticks feathering into the fine lines around our mouth. (Not a cute look!) This is an essential makeup product that's super affordable and helps remedy the issue. Just trace the pencil around your lipline!" "Your mom wants one of these iconic lipsticks, even if she doesn't know it yet! They're luxuriously creamy, so they won't dry her lips out, and they also offer highly saturated color, which she'll love for durable, all-day or -night wear. Erin knows these are always at the top of my want list! The colors are so pretty I recommend taking stock of your mom's current collection of go-to lipstick shades and splurging on a few that are similar." "The ultimate eye elixir! Not only does this formula help correct issues like dark circles, puffiness, lines, and wrinkles, but it also offers a dose of SPF 35 to protect us from age-accelerating environmental damage." "If your mom has been thinking about filler, this is the ultimate skincare alternative! Not many people have heard of this brand, but its formulas are inspired by new and exciting medical techniques, and this eye correction cream in particular targets the delicate area around our eyes to help us look brighter and younger. Plus, it's not crazy expensive, which she'll appreciate when it's time to restock!" "Erin introduced me to this product from Japanese-inspired skincare brand Tatcha, and I've been obsessed with it ever since! It's one of the gentlest, least-irritating exfoliating products I've tried, and no other product has ever left my skin so smooth or glowy after just one use. Now I'm addicted, and I think every mom deserves to own this! There are a couple of different variations of the formula you can decide on depending on her skin type. I love Deep." "This serum is a best seller and a cult classic for a reason. It's a miracle worker! I've noticed a dramatic difference in how bright and even my skin tone and texture is since I began using this, and the inevitable brown spots I've accumulated as part of the aging process have also diminished significantly. Every mom deserves to have this serum in her skincare routine. It's the first product I recommend to all of my friends." "I feel pretty lucky to have a beauty editor for a daughter, especially since she loves letting me experiment (and sometimes steal!) her favorite products when she's home visiting. Aware of my addiction to SkinCeuticals' cult-loved C E Ferulic, she brought this new launch from the brand back with her a couple of months ago, and I've been smitten ever since! You wear it overnight in lieu of your night cream, and it helps promote exfoliation and natural cell turnover. In other words, your mom will wake up with a bright and dewy complexion!" "I'll be forever thankful to Erin for introducing me to this amazing skincare brand. Yes, this is a true investment piece when it comes to your skincare routine, but I'm being 100% honest when I say this serum, in particular, has made such a visible difference in my skin! I've tried a lot of anti-aging serums, but this one is top notch and has made my sag- and wrinkle-prone skin look plumper, dewier, firmer, glowier, and all around healthier. Oh, and its Anti-Aging Eye Serum ($285) is also a favorite. I know Erin practically drinks the stuff!" "I love It Cosmetics because I think a lot of its formulas—both makeup and skincare—are compatible for older, more mature skin types. So many popular and 'trendy' brand's aren't! You can't really go wrong, but a standout product for me is this brightening eye cream. Are you sensing a theme here?"  "The do-it-all cream! Erin once told me this is the go-to cream of makeup artists, and I've seen enough beauty buzz around the internet to believe her! It's made in Switzerland, which makes it seem even more luxurious, but the super-rich mixture of oils and beeswax speaks for itself in terms of hydration and glow-boosting. Use it everywhere!" Next up: 18 Items From Nordstrom's Beauty Department That Will Give You Flawless Skin

[robertshugartca]

There are so many skincare products on the market that sometimes...

There are so many skincare products on the market that sometimes the easiest thing to do is just to buy the stuff you’ve heard of a million times. But are super-hyped products always worth it? As a beauty editor, I’ve tried so many moisturizers, serums, toners, and masks (rough life, I know) that I’ve become pretty desensitized to what’s buzzy and try my best to pay attention to what really works .

Sometimes the trendy stuff really does live up to its reputation, but often there are sleeper hits hiding on less-visible shelves that are either cheaper or have higher-quality ingredients. In an effort to help you get the most out of your purchases, I’ve put together this very honest list of eight products you’ve likely bought due to how much air time they get, plus eight swaps to consider instead next time you shop.

Keep scrolling to take my beauty editors’ take on overrated versus underrated skincare.

Having a jar of La Mer’s iconic $175-per-ounce moisturizer on your vanity is certainly a fashion statement. But if what you’re going for is a rich night cream that will seal the skin’s moisture barrier while infusing it with soothing, hydrating ingredients like omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, brown algae, aloe, and antioxidants, consider giving this fairly new, cutely packaged brand a try. No shade to Drunk Elephant, whose eye cream is Sephora’s #1 best seller. But if you’re looking to switch things up and save a little dough, I’m really into Caudalie’s nourishing, brightening formula, which offers similar ingredients like stabilized vitamin C, vitamin E, and peptides. Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser has a cult following I don’t want to mess with, but my favorite cleansing lotion comes from this French drugstore brand that boasts a delightfully short, gentle ingredient list, perfect for super sensitive skin types. The product is free of detergents and irritants but still works really well to cleanse the skin and remove light makeup.  Facial rollers are definitely cool, and we love this one from Nurse Jamie for improving skin firmness and circulation. But learning the right facial massage technique can be just as effective—and all you need is your hands. This video demos a quick facial-massage method created by an esthetician at Japanese skincare brand Koh Gen Do that I personally swear by. (The moisturizer above is amazing for performing your massage but you could also swap in a more affordable option like Cerave’s daily lotion, $10.) The beauty community loves fun, flashy peel-off masks, but if you’re looking for pure efficacy without all the bells and whistles, may I recommend these sheet masks from celebrity facialist Joanna Vargas? The deeply hydrating sheets are soaked with powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients to lift and plump up the skin. I’ve heard dozens of celebrities name Mario Badescu’s drying lotion as their spot treatment of choice, but esthetician Renée Rouleau’s lesser-known formula is mine. Whenever I find a rogue blemish, I dot this camphor, sulfur, and zinc oxide-packed formula on at night and wake up to an amazingly noticeable improvement. If you’re into hypnotic-smelling, radiance-inducing oils, I suggest stepping up your product game with this fancy blend of Ayurvedic herbs and saffron, which is lightweight in texture and always leaves my skin almost unfairly glowy.  As delicious as Fresh’s beloved lip scrub is, the truth is that a mix of coarse brown sugar and organic coconut oil will exfoliate your lips with similar efficacy for a tiny fraction of the price.  Next up: Check out five breakout basics dermatologists think everyone with acne-prone skin should own.

source https://gothify1.tumblr.com/post/183441963815

[flawdecay]

We’re halfway through the summer and Pixi has put together some of its iconic summertime favorites for the occasion. Today I’m going to be talking about these glowy essentials (their Endless Shade Sticks, LipLift Max Gloss, Large Lash Mascara and Summer Glow Palette) and I will be reviewing them and showing you swatches. Keep reading!

Before we start, I have to point out that these products were kindly sent to me by Pixi‘s team for review purposes. The following are all my honest opinions and thoughts.

Pixi is a cruelty-free brand created by makeup artist and product developer Petra Strand. Their products, of which the amazing Glow Tonic is probably the most famous, are infused with botanicals and beneficial ingredients.

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Shade Sticks, Gloss, Mascara, Palette and Bag

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Shade Sticks, Gloss, Mascara, Palette and Bag

The PR package included the cutest bag with our names on them. I’ve already started giving it good use – I love how spacious and useful it is! It has a zipper, which makes it safer to carry around.

It also includes makeup products ideal for that effortless, natural, glowy summer look. This is the first time I’ve tried their cream shadows or their mascara, so I was very excited about that!

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Customized Bag

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Summer Glow Palette Sheer Sunshine

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Shade Sticks, Gloss and Mascara

Summer Glow Multi-Use Palette

$20 – £18 – €16.45 | Cruelty-free | Vegan*

*I haven’t found solid information online, but the only “flagged” ingredient is a synthetic replacement for Lanolin that may be vegan. Plus, Pixi’s palettes are usually vegan, so it would make sense if this one were, too.

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Summer Glow Palette Sheer Sunshine

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Summer Glow Palette Sheer Sunshine (Swatches)

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Summer Glow Palette Sheer Sunshine (Swatches)

This multi-use palette is simply perfect for daily use and travel. It is pretty compact and can fit in small bags or suitcases easily for trips. It contains different bronzing, contouring, highlighting and blushing shades, however, I do feel like they could aim a little darker for deeper skin tones.

It performs really well though, and I haven’t stopped using it ever since I got it. It’s my new face go-to, the variety of shades makes it really easy to go from very light contour to full glam.

Endless Shade Sticks

$14.00 – £12.00 – 13,95€ | Cruelty-free | Vegan | Shades: CopperGlaze & MatteCocoa

Infused with Green Tea, Aloe, and Chamomile, these vegan eyeshadow sticks are highly pigmented and can help you create a fuss-free flawless look. The coppery metallic one (CopperGlaze) is absolutely stunning and paired with the matte, dark brown one (MatteCocoa) there is no need for anything more to create a really gorgeous eyelook like the following, for which I only used those + a very light brown from the Summer Glow Multi-Use Palette in the crease.

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Endless Shade Sticks in ‘CopperGlaze’ and ‘MatteCocoa’

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Endless Shade Sticks in ‘CopperGlaze’ and ‘MatteCocoa’ (Swatches)

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Endless Shade Sticks in ‘CopperGlaze’ and ‘MatteCocoa’ (Look)

Large Lash Mascara

$16.00 – £14.00 – 18,45€ | Cruelty-free | Vegan

The next product in our summertime basics has to be mascara! This waterproof and smudge-proof mascara will give the ultimate volume and intensity to your lashes. I was positively surprised by it. It separated the lashes nicely and they looked very voluminous considering the size of my actual lashes (and below’s the comparison so you know what I’m talking about).

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Large Lash Mascara Try-on

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – Large Lash Mascara Try-on

LipLift Max Gloss

$14.00 – £12.00 – 15,95€ | Cruelty-free | Not Vegan

And last but not least, Pixi also sent one of their LipLift Max Glosses in one of their most summery colors. A gorgeous and flattering peachy shade suitable for all skintones, that will hydrate and plump your lips and make them look effortlessly juicy. It has become one of my absolute favorites in very little time: I’d already tried the formula, but this color is simply marvelous.

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – LipLift Max in ‘Sweet Nectar’

Pixi by Petra’s Escape & Let’s GLOW! Collection – LipLift Max in ‘Sweet Nectar’ (Swatch)

And the best part? Its fresh mint flavor that I simply adore. A summer must-have.

Conclusion

Pixi‘s well-known for its amazing and awarded skincare, but this collection proves once again that it’s not their only strength. I’ve loved everything from it and think the prices are quite affordable for the quality and results you get.

My favorite products have to be the LipLift Max Gloss in Sweet Nectar, one of the very few glosses I’ve sincerely enjoyed ever, and the Endless Shade Sticks. They are the perfect combo for anyone on-the-go that needs a quick eyelook.

I’ve also really loved the Summer Glow Multi-Use Palette – the perfect addition for anyone looking for a palette that carries anything you might need for contour, bronzer, blush or highlighter. Or even eyeshadow!

All in all, I was very positively surprised by this collection of summer picks by Pixi.

I hope you enjoyed this post! What products interest you the most?

Before you leave, don’t forget to follow me on social media. I try to be more active there, and it’s an easier way of seeing my follow-ups and updates! ♡

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Youtube

Hi guys! Today I will be reviewing Pixi's Escape & Let's GLOW! Collection of Makeup Products. Some of them are *really* worth the hype! Have you tried any of them? #newpost #beautybloggers We're halfway through the summer and Pixi has put together some of its iconic summertime favorites for the occasion.

[fashiontrendin-blog]

This is the genius reason Meghan Markle always wears her hair in a low bun

http://fashion-trendin.com/this-is-the-genius-reason-meghan-markle-always-wears-her-hair-in-a-low-bun/

This is the genius reason Meghan Markle always wears her hair in a low bun

Meghan Markle never has so much as a hair out of place.

How? It’s all down to a clever hairstyling hack she swears by.

Eagle-eyed Markle fans may well have noticed that the new royal has a penchant for a low chignon hairstyle – and for very good reason.

According to Byrdie, Meghan favours a low bun look due its versatility. The website reports: “With a full schedule of day and night events, there can’t be much time for Meghan to perform a full hair wash and restyle in between. So, unlike a hair-denting ponytail or root-ruffling topknot, a low bun is like a form of damage control. Markle can wear one all day and then quickly unwind it — letting her loose waves fall beyond her shoulders, ready for the evening’s function.”

Genius, right?

Meghan Markle: Her gorgeous hair & makeup moments

We also recently discovered that Meghan has been doing her makeup herself.

Despite having the world’s best makeup artists on speed dial, Meghan has been opting to beautify herself… and this is why she’s quickly become our new favourite royal.

Speaking about her beauty look on her recent royal tour, her go-to makeup artist, Daniel Martin, said: “I didn’t [do the makeup] but she’s so good herself, right?” He also added: “She did her makeup herself for this.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Has Meghan Markle officially made her best friend her stylist?

So what ARE the secrets behind her royal glow? Read on…

We already know how she gets her pre-wedding skin glow thanks to her facialist, Sarah Chapman, and now we’ve got an insight into how Meghan Markle banishes her blackheads.

Sarah, founder of Sarah Chapman Skinesis, is the woman behind Meghan’s glowing skin – and she’s shared an insight into the skincare regime that keeps Megan looking glowy and youthful.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, she shared the simple regime that she follows when treating her client’s skin.

She said: “First wash your hands. Then begin by using a facial steamer to open the pores and prepare the skin – or have a bath or shower. Apply a balm cleanser like my Ultimate Cleanse to the whole face, using massage techniques to work it deeper into the skin, and then circle the blemish with the pads of your fingers to soften the blockage further.

“Apply a warm flannel to the affected area and start to apply gentle pressure with a wiggle to either side of the blemish, stopping immediately if you see any blood. It is important to always use your fingers and to avoid using your nails, as this can cause trauma to the skin.”

We will definitely be trying this at-home spa treatment to get rid of blackheads, beat large pores and give our skin that lit-from-within glow.

As well as discovering her skincare secrets, we were also given an insight into her makeup regime. For anyone hoping to get the glow, we have good news. According to fan site, Meghansfashion.com, Meghan used the £30 Becca Cosmetics’ Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter to get the look.

According to Cult Beauty, this creamy powder luminiser is like ‘crushed gemstones in a compact’ – ultra fine and virtually weightless, to blur imperfections and grant skin an enviable, lit-from-within glow.

You can use it to highlight the high points of your face, or as a ‘setting’ powder – dusted lightly on top of foundation to fix things in place and grant your complexion a subtle, ‘your skin but better’ effect.

If it’s good enough for Meghan…

We also recently discovered how Meghan keeps her brows in check, according to her brow stylist.

Sherrille Riley, of Nails & Brows Mayfair, has been looking after Meghan’s brows since last year, according to Mail Online. Luckily for us, she’s shared her top tips for on fleek eyebrows; the same tips she swears by for keeping Meghan’s brows looking fly.

First off, stop obsessing over symmetry. “It’s completely normal to have one arch higher than the other,” says Sherrille. “They’re not supposed to be the same; they’re sisters, not twins.”

Instead of trying to aim for something Mother Nature didn’t give you, Sherrille instead recommends following your natural shape and just adding a bit more colour and depth.

She then revealed Meghan’s preferred celebrity eyebrow inspired look – the Audrey brow, named after Audrey Hepburn.

“With the Audrey, I try to reduce the arch and create a straight look but make sure the ends are quite lifted and gradual all the way through, rather than a tick,” says Sherrille.

We can definitely see the resemblance!

Furthermore, about shapes, Sherrille believes that a high arch can make women look ‘angry’, so she encourages them to grow their brows in as they’re actually less high maintenance.

Lastly, a piece of advice we can all use – don’t overpluck them.

“Sometimes with over-plucking, the follicle gets disturbed or the hair doesn’t grow back as well. When I was 13 years old, I shaved my brows because I wanted them shaped but I didn’t know what I was doing. Eventually, I ended up with two half brows and they didn’t grow back properly also the hairs created shadow. That’s really where my obsession with brows came from because my own ones were a mess. Now, my mission is to educate women on what can be achieved and how.”

Meghan’s brows are definitely #goals, so it looks like Sherrille’s advice and treatment have paid off.

9 eyebrow products to help you nail a full, fluffy and fabulous look

Another thing that Meghan is renowned for in the beauty world is her gorgeous skin – and she actually swears by a budget beauty hero.

According to The Sun, Meghan can’t get enough of Nivea’s Skin Firming Hydration Body Lotion (also known as Nivea Q10 Plus Skin Firming Lotion in the UK).

Speaking to Beauty Banter, she said: “I use this religiously. It’s honestly my favorite lotion on the market, it’s so affordable, and makes my skin look and feel amazing.

“I would buy a case of this at a time if I could find it.”

So what’s all the fuss about? The brand say the lotion has been developed with CoEnzyme Q10, a natural component of your skin which actively works to keep it firm. The brand’s formulation apparently helps you enrich your skin’s natural level of CoEnzyme Q10, helping to revive and strengthen your skin’s ability to remain toned and supple. Well, if it’s good enough for Meghan…

Ever wanted to see Meghan doing her makeup in the back of a cab? Of course you have! A video went viral earlier this year which which according to GLAMOUR US is a partnership between Bobbi Brown Uber, and stars the former Suits actress as she effortlessly applies products from the Retouching range. Meghan explains that she’s on her way to a meeting about a new film as Suits is on hiatus.

Given that rumours about Harry and Meghan’s relationship began circulating at the end of 2016, it’s likely that she may have been dating, or about to start dating, the prince at the time.

Sat back in the seat of her Uber, Megan gushes over the dreamy products. And the finished look? This royal-to-be absolutely slays.

With the royal wedding coming up later this year and word on the street being that Meghan will be going for a ‘natural look’, I think we can safely say she can cancel the makeup artist!

You can watch the full video on Facebook.

It isn’t the first time we’ve got an insight into the bride-to-be’s beauty routine.

Meghan Markle’s former makeup artist revealed a few tidbits about her regime – and it’s shockingly simple.

Lydia F. Sellers, who was responsible for beautifying the royal for two years before she moved to the UK, divulged that the Suits star swears by one crucial beauty ritual.

The secret behind Meghan’s flawless look? The Armani Luminous Silk Foundation applied with a beauty blender.

Speaking to Refinery 29 about working with Prince Harry’s future wife, Lydia said: “Every time I’d do her makeup, she’d say, ‘Can we just make sure my freckles are peeking through? I don’t want a ton of foundation’.

“It was more about the amount of product that went on her skin and keeping it really fresh and dewy, rather than caking it on.”

As well as the cult foundation, which has an army of celebrity fans, Meghan swears by Touche Eclat by Yves St Laurent, which she claims makes her look “alive”, Diorshow Iconic mascara and Nars Orgasm blusher.

28 brilliant foundations for your best base yet

Prince Harry and Meghan announced their engagement on November 27 and will tie the knot this weekend.

Now we just have to wait patiently to see what beauty look she opts for on her wedding day.

[rosies-pastimes]

hii sorry I missed your answer and just saw it whoops

I've been okay! a lot of coursework and essays to write but it'll be over soon

ahhh haha well um have fun going through them all asjkdfhs

let's hope he'll actually learn something from those classes please he's got to be able to cook something right?? [you could leave the cleaning to him he'll probably just use magic or something :P]

oh yes yes I would not be able to actually handle them they'd probably overwhelm me in an instant ;-; and dear beel precious beel I'm sorry :(

hehe yesss update! I managed to get both belphie and beel's card so I'll be able to get their icons too :D so happyyy

ah 😀 I just read it before writing this and if I don't acknowledge it it never happened right? yeah everything's fine

yesyesyes I'm so so so glad I picked it up it too is my favourite currently ^-^

as of now I have yet to finish the quest (I haven't had much time and I forget to do it when I log in 😬) I did a speed run of the fishing event and unfortunately I didn't get the region specific rods but we got the other one from doing the quests :D I just managed to catch one crystalfish and two dawncatchers before it ended! looking forward to doing more fishing in the game ~ and yess the glowy fishes look very very niceee

noo I've just been placing things to get adeptal energy not really designing any layouts and stuff yet hehe [yes it does take a lot of focus doesn't it]

oooh I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to pull for kokomi because I'm nearing pity and since I lost the 50/50 on kazuha's banner I'll get her for sure, which is nice :) but I lose my guarantee... but then the 4 stars on her banner... uhh and I may have come across some leaks for the next banners in 2.2 so I'm conflicted ahhh [plus there are still some characters that haven't been released yet in 2.1 👀]

- 🎮

dw about it ladkksks im just glad you're back hehe

goodluck on your work nonniiiieeee, YOU GOT DIS ♪ \(^ω^\ )

...that's a totally fair point HAHAHAHA plus, cleaning is not my most favorite chore because i end up getting distracted by the little knick knacks i find laying around while i do so-

mc might burst a blood vessel one of these days having to deal with them i swear 😭

i'll finally be able to change my icon too, i've had the same one the entire time ive been playing 🥲

DONT WORRY BAE in my world, they're all happy and suffering highschool just like we are 😌 MY WORLD KEEPS ME SANE OKAY-

there are just some fandoms i am glad i sold a fraction of my soul and my firstborn child jk to because they are very good distractions from the real world 😌

TAKE YOUR TIME DW

and i think the region specific rods are permanent? you can buy them from the fisher-people in the respective regions!

the glowy fish are the only things that look good in my teapot and childe i guess 🙄 cant wait to put tohma right next to him and judge them both for their life decisions and i wanna make it really cool and aesthetic but 🥲 well 🥲

kokomi looks like a mermaid and my childhood self says she wants a mermaid, but myself says no because we are nowhere near pity because we accidentally got yoimiya at soft pity dkdksk-

the only leaks my brother tells me about are tohma leaks, as he should, and i see the other leaks on here or tiktok, so im not too informed on the 2.2 leaks?? so im just sitting here in quiet contemplation with my wishes hoping that characters i want to pull for arent gonna come one after the other-

OANXISJS I STG MIHOYO MANAGES TO GET ME BACK INTO MY GENSHIN ADDICTION EVERY TIME I START SLIPPING 😭😭

[solivar]

WIP: Talon!Zenyatta ficbit

There’s more written on “Ghost Stories” but it’s not yet a complete scene -- and, of course, it’s a structural plot load-bearing scene so I don’t want to post it in its current form.

On the other hand, I started writing this a while ago when discussion turned to thoughts on what other-than-usual-suspects would look like as Talon operatives -- in this case, Zenyatta.

t was so subtle that Jesse was not entirely sure that he wasn’t just losing his goddamned mind, finally succumbing to the weight from years of accumulated paranoia, sudden but inevitable betrayal, and a carefully cultivated outright inability to trust others long-term. (“It’s not paranoia if they’re actually out to get you, kid,” said the voice in the back of his head that he usually considered at least a cousin to common sense and which sounded rather suspiciously like the man who’d taught him just about everything he’d ever known about all of the above, plus psychological hardening techniques on the side.) It wasn’t even something he could solidly but a finger on so that he could say, “This. This right here isn’t right.” Not to anybody else, not without sounding like he was losing his mind. (“Observe. Document. Play it close until you have enough to actually bring others to the table.” Common sense was starting to sound a little irked with him and for good reason -- he hadn’t been out of the covert ops business long enough that this approach shouldn’t still be second nature. And yet he was having a hard time justifying spying on a teammate, even to himself.)

Observation the first: Tekhartha Zenyatta is an omnic. He was mostly humanoid in form but that was, ultimately, where the similarities ended. His faceplate was a convenient location for broad spectrum sensory arrays -- he never really had an expression that you could read, or an attempted lack of the same that could be equally telling. His voice was a carefully modulated synthetic approximation, one that he explicitly chose to keep on the warmly soothing end of the spectrum, even in times of high stress. He had no real body language -- no involuntary twitches, no nervous mannerisms, no subtle changes in stance or posture that could betray mood, direction of thought, an increase or decrease in tension.

Until he did. And it was subtle almost to the point of invisibility, the sort of thing you’d only notice after living with a body for months and getting accustomed to the way they did and did not act on a daily basis. A sudden tremor in the line of his shoulders; the set of his spine taking on a posture that could be assessed as almost furative, encountered as he was in a part of Gibraltar he didn’t generally frequent; a visible change in the way he held his hands. Jesse managed to get a picture of it and ran an image search that yielded nourishes the divine feminine and seal of the inner source and silence arises and all senses awakened. No way to tell if that was good, bad, or freaky beyond the telling of it without consulting someone who might know more. The Shambali were notoriously terrible about checking voice messages and answering their email and the only other option at home was...Genji. So not really an option without also bringing him in.

Observation the second: Zenyatta’s balls. Orbs. Spheres. Floaty, glowy things that orbited him like his own personal planetary system. It wasn’t entirely clear, at least to Jesse, what exactly they were -- an intrinsic part of his body? Something he’d picked up somewhere along the way while he was doing his own stint as a wandering sage? Zenyatta’s brother Mondatta hadn’t had anything resembling them and neither had any of the monks occupying the Shambali monastery when he’d visited years ago, but he wasn’t sure how much that actually meant. They seemed to sometimes have a mind of their own, spinning off and following other members of the team, sometimes at a respectful distance, sometimes a bit closer, if that someone was one of the walking wounded, physically or otherwise, emitting something that wasn’t quite healing biotic radiance but which had a similar palliative effect.

Now they were hanging close to him all the time -- closer and quieter and darker than they’d been since the day they first met. The change itched at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t be sure it was a bad thing or a normal one. And, again, no one to ask except Genji.

Observation the third: Zenyatta was a creature of habit. He had, within the first couple days of his arrival at Watchpoint Gibraltar, crawled all over the place, explored it from top to bottom, and thereafter turned most of his attention to the areas outside the base proper. Jesse couldn’t really blame him -- the Watchpoints were designed for utility first and aesthetics second, if at all, and he couldn’t imagine finding anywhere inside it an adequate place for meditating on the fundamental spiritual oneness of all life, not when you had the option of floating up to an actual nature preserve located right next door. When he wasn’t roaming the paths on the Rock itself, or down at the beach, he could normally be found in the quarters he shared with Genji in the family accommodations block, or in one of the recreation areas where the team in whole or parts tended to congregate after meals or missions, or in the combat simulator when his presence was requested for team training exercises.

Zenyatta did not, as a general rule, attempt to socialize with Torbjorn, whose attitude toward artificially intelligent machines in general and omnics in specific was well documented, and thus he assiduously avoided the engineering lab, except on the four occasions in the last month when Athena’s internal monitors found him there when no one else was present, either absent in the field or at godforsaken hours of the night. Athena’s sensors had likewise detected him in the communications tower, the medical research block adjacent to the infirmary itself, the security drone bay. Some of that could be innocent -- his body needed maintenance like the rest of them needed regular patching up and, while he certainly could have asked Winston or Angela for help, it wasn’t impossible that he preferred to handle his own basic repairs himself -- but Jesse could not think of one damned reason why he would need to be in the drone bay, ever, much less three times in two weeks. And there was, of course, only one person he could ask about that.

Jesse flipped off his workpad and set it aside, security access logs and tiny bits of security camera feed scrolling across the inside of his closed eyelids. It was not completely beyond the bounds of possibility that a totally innocuous reason existed for all of these observations, individually and all together. It was also not beyond the bounds of possibility that he was simply calcified into an irreducible state of suspicious and untrusting by hardships untold and dangers unnumbered. He hoped he could find the answers to all his questions without breaking either the trust or the heart of his best friend.

Moving slowly, so as not to awaken the even less trusting man sleeping at his side, Jesse slipped out of bed, slipped his hat and gun belt off the headboard, picked up his boots and stepped out into the hall in his stocking feet. He didn’t put his boots on until he was past the accommodation block completely and out into the halls beyond that led to the main rec center, the kitchens, the exterior access doors. The communications array hidden in his arm interfaced smoothly with Athena’s systems and, taking her cue from him, she responded silently when he hailed her, text-only.

Good evening, Agent McCree, how may I assist you?

I need you to establish a secure location in the base, known solely to yourself and me. He opened a secondary communication line and input the Blackwatch command level access permission codes that, in years prior, would have allowed him to make such a request at any functional Watchpoint; Athena accepted them without comment. Deep Black level encryption protocols on all communications in and out and on any files locally stored on your servers. Feed me copies of all your security logs, the security drone recordings, the internal security camera records, everything, for the last three months to current.

The Blackwatch suite is located three levels down and below the communications tower, Agent McCree, Athena replied. I have reactivated its systems per your request, currently running diagnostics. The requested data is downloading and will be accessible at your arrival.

Thank you. He signed off and closed down his comms and thought, not for the first time, I hope to God you know what you’re doing.

Ώ

The Blackwatch suite was exactly that: two rooms located in an otherwise completely unused sub-basement three levels below the Watchpoint communications tower buried deep in the rock of the cliff itself, visited only by the occasional housekeeping drone if the relative shortage of dust on the work surfaces was anything to go by. He might not want to sack out on the cot in the next room or make use of the world’s tiniest refresher unit in the absence of a check on the plumbing, but the equipment locker was at least still fully stocked with useful odds and ends. The workstation powered up at a touch and came to life in seconds with Athena’s icon flashing in the center of the screen; he activated the workstation’s own intrusion countermeasure systems and turned his comms back on. “Comms check.”

“I am receiving clearly, Agent McCree.” Athena replied serenely. “Deep Black communication protocols enacted. My remote systems diagnostic found no hardware systems failures or inadequacies with regard to the equipment in the suite.”

“Thank you kindly.” The files he’d asked for were waiting, along with the onboard suite of analysis tools he needed to whittle all the raw data down to manageable; he started with the security logs.

“If I may ask...what precisely are you looking for?” A politely curious modulation to her generally sweet tone.

“I’m not sure myself.” He paused, considered, chose not to ask for her help in sorting the mess just yet. “I’ll know it when I see it.”

He saw it about four hours in, once the pattern analysis had run two passes on the security logs and come up with nothing and one on the video footage, just as he was about ready to declare himself wrongly mistrustful and possibly in need of rendering Zenyatta an apology, even if the monk never actually knew what for. Two hits, in relatively close succession, both on oddities in the drone hangar footage. Separated out and isolated from the rest of the stream of workaday images, the cause was clear: the recording had been altered, looped at least twice over a period of several hours, the timestamps adjusted to display the proper passage of time, the sort of thing that would be all-but invisible to anyone not specifically searching for such a thing. Twice in the last week, made to look as though the drone hangar were empty when he had the rather strong feeling it most emphatically was not.

Jesse flipped his comms back on. “Athena, my sweet, can you run a diagnostic on the drone hangar security systems and let me know if you find anything unusual?”

“Of course,” Athena sounded, as always, more than a trace element of amused at any attempt to sweet-talk her. “This will require a moment.”

“Take all the time you need.” He restarted the pattern analysis pass on the security footage, watched as the images flickered past at a rate faster than the average human eye could follow, every nerve alive and twitching.

Hits three and four were from the infirmary. A little over a month prior, Genji had come back from a mission that had, to put it mildly, gone spectacularly tits up after a relatively uncomplicated first and second acts, in a condition that reminded everyone who had known him back in the day and informed everyone who hadn’t that one of his in-action hallmarks was a certain reckless disregard for his own safety in the defense of others. Lucio’d been the medic assigned to the team and had done his best to patch Genji up in the field and hauled him home for repairs, the injuries well short of life-threatening but also well outside the kid’s level of biomechanical engineering expertise. They’d called Zenyatta in immediately, of course, because after Hanzo he was the next-nearest Genji had to family and, unlike his brother, the one with the actual ability to enhance his state of cyborg ninja chill to a level that allowed him to stay on bedrest for a couple days with only minimal protest. The alterations in the security feed occurred within hours of each other the first day back, looped to hide no more than a twenty minutes each, during those periods of time when Angela was neither consulting with nor checking upon her notoriously restive patient.

He checked, because basic investigative thoroughness required it, but he already knew, and the knowledge was a cold knot in his gut and sudden ice in his veins: all of the things he’d observed, everything he’d hoped this little exercise would let him unsee, had occurred after that mission, after those couple minutes of carefully concealed time at Genji’s bedside.

“Fuck.” Jesse breathed, completely heartfelt.

“Agent McCree, I have completed my examination of the drone hangar security systems. All appears to be in order.” Athena murmured in his ear.

“Thank you, Miss Athena, I appreciate it greatly.” He thumbed the communicator off and swore with even greater feeling. “Fuck a fucking duck.”

Athena’s security systems were most emphatically not in order. Athena’s security systems had been provably compromised at least four times. Athena’s ability to perceive and diagnose her own state of compromise was, in all likelihood, being actively interdicted. And he couldn’t be certain, at all, that his own poking around had not or would not draw attention or a response. Could not, in fact, be sure of anything but the actual black ICE built into the standard Blackwatch security suite, which would have to be good enough for now.

He pulled his cell out of the thigh pocket of his pants and powered it up. Blackwatch field doctrine suggested that agents deployed alone in hostile territory possess more than one method of communication in case the primary was lost, disabled, or otherwise compromised. He routinely carried at least three and the cell had the advantage of not being reliant on Athena’s network for connection, particularly once he made his way back above ground, typing with his thumbs as he went. Where are you right now, darlin’?

I still cannot believe you drop your Gs in text. Hanzo replied ten seconds later. In the kitchen preparing breakfast. You?

Out on the bluff, taking the lovely cool morning air. Join me? The sunrise was staining the sky over the Rock and the mist still hanging in the trees a vivid rosy golden -- red sky in the morning and he couldn’t help but think that might, just might, be a sign for more than just sailors.

I will be there momentarily. Coffee?

Please. Jesse leaned back against a convenient spit of rock, still cool from the night and damp from the dew, and considered.

Ω

Medlab had, by far, the single most secure intranet in the entire Watchpoint for a multitude of reasons, the greatest of which was Dr. Angela Ziegler’s thoroughgoing dedication to the confidential relationship between a physician and her patients, and not the least of which was that a solid half of her patients were carrying around as an intrinsic part of their bodies the sort of technology that at least all the governments of the Earth would sell their collective soul to possess. Genji was, of course, the prime example: partial cybernetic modification had been a thing since as early as the mid-30s but the entire fact of his existence represented a quantum leap beyond that relative plateau. And it was not for ego nor for aesthetics that he went around with God of War laser-etched into his breastplate; back in the day, his deployment in the field was a tacit admission that the precision application of lethal violence was, indeed, an acceptable resolution to any given situation his team might encounter. It was with this knowledge in mind and a certain quantity of regret in his heart that Jesse, once again ensconced in the untrammeled depths of the communications tower, cut right through the lab’s multiple layers of intrusion countermeasures using tools designed by some of the most exquisitely subtle, paranoid, and vicious intelligence operatives to ever make their living at a computer terminal, a task made substantially simpler by Angela’s absence from the lab and the fact that Athena had no part in maintaining its security, at the insistence of both.

It meant, baseline, that while Athena could request access to that particular internal network she wasn’t automatically and immediately aware of anything that went on inside it and thus his quest for information culled from the infirmary medical monitors might well go unnoticed for an appreciable length of time. (Hanzo had listened to everything he’d had to say over their morning stimulants of choice, his expression and body language growing progressively more still, until they reached the point where Genji’s brother turned off completely and the assassin who had spent ten years picking off half the Yakuza command structure in Japan and abroad, an assortment of corrupt officials both corporate and governmental, and no fewer than a dozen wanted war criminals without coming within even a long shot of being caught himself poked his head out and started talking tactics. Extracting information from the medlab intranet was entirely his idea, a trick he’d used while building his approach on a particularly well-defended ex-senior-military-advisor-turned-mercenary-despot whose departure from the mortal coil could not happen soon enough. Turned out, the asshole had a congenital heart condition and Hanzo hadn’t even had to shoot him to accomplish the terms of his commission.) If he found something, it also meant that, until he got to it, that internal network was at least secure and could be secured more completely by the addition of several nasty tricks courtesy of Blackwatch counterintelligence research and development. And this time he was at least not searching blind but had an actual time frame to concentrate on, and if something was there he would know in minutes instead of hours and --

Something was there. Right there, not even five minutes in. Angela must have stepped out -- Angela probably stepped out the instant Zenyatta arrived because Genji with one arm more off than attached and with some sad attempt at armor-piercing rounds still sticking out his chest was exactly the sort of Genji who would be insisting that someone else needed her attention more. (Nobody needed it more. Genji could be even worse than Hanzo that way.) No data for Zenyatta himself, of course, since he wasn’t attached to any of the monitors but Genji’s neuromechanical systems output spiked through the roof, his temperature redlined, and his internal comms produced four short-range, hugely information-dense transmissions spaced seconds apart, each one no more than a few seconds long themselves. Genji’s emergency systems came online, brought his temperature back down to normal, stabilized him. The whole thing took no more than five minutes total but since when did a hit ever really take a long time?

Bad news. Jesse typed with one hand and backed out of the medlab systems with the other, salting his path with tiny packages of pain and delight for anyone who might try to follow it back to its point of origin.

Genji? Hanzo replied, a heart-stoppingly full minute later, given his present presumed location in the Watchpoint.

Probably compromised. Definitely the origin of...whatever it is that got Zenyatta. Might be the same thing. Genji had done nothing to draw attention but, then, every characteristic that looked suspicious on Zenyatta was a perfectly ordinary aspect of his existence. That alone made him want to run the footage again and he was more than half afraid of what he would find if he did.

I am afraid I do not have any better news. It took five minutes for Hanzo to come back, during which Jesse heroically assumed he was maneuvering into a place where it was safe to type and not being horribly killed by his little brother. I selected six of the drones that were in the bay at random. Each one was altered in some way, some more extensively than others. A selection of pictures scrolled up the screen.

Is that what I fucking think it is? Jesse asked, half-impressed, completely appalled.

An explosive device of some sort, yes.

Jesse breathed in peace. You could say that. Breathed out stress. That is some kind of zero-yield tactical device -- probably not a nuke, we don’t have the components to cobble one together here, but I’m willing to bet they could and did make something pretty nasty out of the heavy pulse ordinance that we’ve got in the armory. Or maybe even something experimental that Winston was working on. Probably more than one. Athena had a solid two dozen functional security drones active at any given time, and more than half that sitting in assorted states of disassembly, in the process of being cannibalized for the parts needed to keep the rest functional.

Hanzo was silent for a perfectly terrifying length of time. I see.

I think we need to move up our operational timeframe a bit. Jesse pulled up a secondary screen and opened the eyes they planted around the Watchpoint during an exceptionally vigorous and thorough morning constitutional, finding the rest of the residents: Lucio in his own workspace in the medlab, clearly deep in the throes of composition from the look of intense concentration on his face; Mei in the rec center, curled up on one of the less enormous pieces of furniture and reading on her tablet with a cup of tea at her elbow; Reinhardt and Brigitte down in the engineering lab advancing the endless quest to make his armor even spikier. Genji was, in theory, in the combat simulator running his daily solo exercise regimen and Zenyatta --

Was nowhere to be found.

Get out of the drone bay RIGHT NOW.

He flipped back through the video feed just to make certain that he hadn’t missed anything: Lucio still in the medlab, Mei still in the rec room, the engineering lab now empty. Jesse took a deep, deep breath of calm, made certain doors to the suite were locked and the automated security precautions active, and began extracting potentially useful items from the equipment locker in the next room. He tended to prefer his own ballistic armor since it was custom built to personal specifications but there were always nifty little add-ons to be hung on belts or utility webbing, like that disruptor that messed with motion detection technology or the thingamabob that jammed all forms of wireless communication within a certain radius of its activation and the kinetic energy absorption mesh that Reyes had sworn by as a lifesaver right up until the day it completely failed to save his life. He took a bit of everything plus one the little medkits that came with an assortment of biotic-impregnated goodies for emergency field usage. Unfortunately, none of the ammunition was suitable for Peacemaker and in the back of his mind he was working out the quickest and least exposed method of making it back to his quarters and the box of assorted specialty rounds occupying the back corner of the closet when his phone rang.

Rang.

The number was Hanzo’s cell, the voice on the other end, when he picked up, was not. “Agent McCree.” The worst part -- the absolute worst-- was that while the voice was technically Zenyatta’s it also and absolute was not, too coolly, malevolently mechanical by half. “I must confess, I find myself in a bit of an awkward position. You see, I was explicitly warned not to underestimate you. The precise words used were ‘he’s smarter than he looks’ and ‘obfuscating stupidity is a real thing as far as he’s concerned.’ And yet, despite all these warnings...I seem to have done so.”

“Good of you to admit it,” Jesse drawled in reply, “But, in your defense, the accent tends to throw lots of people off.”

The laugh on the other end of the line sounded like two sharp, spiky things crushing something small and helpless between them. “Thank you. I will put that in my after-action report. Alas…”

Jesse flicked through the video feeds again and found both the rec room and the medlab empty. The floor of the rec room was covered in bits of broken ice and a couple puddles of something he desperately hoped was water.

“...I cannot permit either your charming accent or your attempts to thwart my mission succeed at their chosen tasks.” The quality of sound coming over the speaker changed slightly, taking on a hint of an echo.

“Then it seems that we’re at something of an impasse -- what should I call you? ‘Cause it isn’t going to be Zenyatta -- you don’t deserve that and neither does he.” There was just enough room on his arm’s internal storage to suck down what he needed out of the Blackwatch ICE archive but not enough to keep a constant running track of the eyes and their video feed, so he cut the stream.

The voice made a sound that would, on anyone else, have been a mildly disapproving tongue-click. “Such unnecessary hostility.”

“Trust me, I have not yet begun to be hostile, much less unnecessarily so.” Jesse kept an eye on the passive sensors lining the halls leading down to the hidey hole as he set to work, as quietly as possible, opening up the recessed wall panel that led to one of the four alternative exits from the nether regions of the comm tower. “Why don’t we cut the dancing around it and get down to telling me exactly what you want?”

“What leads you to believe I want something?”

“Because if you were only trying to distract me, Genji would’ve already been down here sticking something sharp between my ribs.” The motion detector hit at the top of the stairs leading down into the sub-basements; Jesse stopped what he was doing long enough to check specifics and then start the countdown on the workstation. “So let’s cut the bullshit.”

A brief silence. “Very well. I have someone you want, and you have someone I want. Let’s make a trade, shall we?”

That gave him a moment’s pause. “Really now.”

“Yes.” A certain silken menace in that single syllable. “My employers wish to extend an offer but they tend to prefer engaging in such negotiations...face to face. I assume that you would prefer that your partner exit this situation identifiable by something other than his dental work.”

“Well, if you’re going to put it that way -- “

“He can hear you, Agent McCree.” Again all sorts of smoothly malevolent and Jesse felt it turn his blood to ice and clear his head completely all at once.

“Hanzo.” His voice sounded almost preternaturally calm in his own ears. “Darlin’. I’m on my way. Promise.”

He cut the call off and slammed the phone on the edge of the workstation hard enough to shatter the screen and reduce the delicate internal workings to bits, then left it where it lay. The back exit dropped at least three meters straight down into pretty much total darkness, hand and foot holds cut into the rock to aid the descent; he pulled the recessed panel shut behind him and climbed as quickly as he dared, not wanting to risk an ankle since he rather felt he was going to need both of them in the relatively near future. The downward bore ended in a tunnel that angled off away from the edge of the cliff, back towards the bulk of the Watchpoint itself.

Up above, the countdown ended and, just as the door of the intelligence officer’s hidey hole slid open, the security countermeasures deployed, all of them, all at once. Even deep underground as he was, he heard the screaming, and added it to the list of things he was going to do something about.

[robertshugartca]

My thoughts: The main intrigue of this foundation, for me at...

My thoughts: The main intrigue of this foundation, for me at least, was the formulation—it contains a mushroom extract that’s rumored to be so hydrating that it will actively improve your skin’s moisture and radiance levels, making it look and feel softer, as you’re wearing it. It was also promised to be lightweight in texture. And the finish is supposed to be subtly glowy and light-reflecting, but still matte and controlled enough to look grease- and flashback-free in photos. Like your real skin, but better. Since I only ever really wear foundation for special occasions when I know I’m probably going to be photographed, and I still like my skin to look human, that all sounded ideal to me. In practice, the texture of this foundation was every bit as lightweight as promised, and it did an impressive job of evening out my freckly skin tone and dark under-eye area without looking cakey. And as the selfie here proves, it looks pretty damn flawless in photos. My only qualm was that after 12 hours of wear, the foundation started to separate from my skin a tiny bit, so there was some flaking happening. And in person, it didn’t look *quite* as seamless or invisible as my holy grail foundation (by Japanese brand Koh Gen Do). But I can definitely see myself reaching for this stuff for a night out when I know there are going to be flash photos around, confident that the result will be worthy of an Instagram Story—no filter needed. My thoughts: Unlike Amanda,I’m a little bit of a foundation fiend. When it comes to my makeup M.O., I’m either completely barefaced, or I’m completely made-up—full coverage foundation, bronzer, mascara, highlighter, lipstick—the whole nine yards.And, I’m notorioulsy picky AF when it comes to foundation formulas. (There are only a select few I’ve ever loved and wear on a routine basis.) That said, I happen to truly love Laura Mercier as a makeup brand and consistently wear their Flawless Fusion Foundation ($48) (a liquid like this one but more matte), the Flawless Fusion Concealer, and an assortment of highlighters and transluscent powders. (My crease-prone under-eyes would be lost without the brand’s iconic Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes $28).  Typically, I prefer a matte or satin finish when I shop for foundation and rely on my collection of bronzers, blushes, and highlighters to deliver whatever ratio of radiance I want. It’s not that I don’t like the idea of luminous foundations, per se, but more often than not I’m left with a slick, oil-stricken face come 2 p.m.—not what I’m after. But again, since I trust the brand to create excellent top-performing formulas, I remained optimistic. As Amanda pointed out, the feel and texture of this formula is addictively lightweight. I don’t know a single person who enjoys the feeling of foundation on their face, so this foundation is a 100% win on that account. It also does a superb job in terms of coverage. Due to stress and horomones, I had some extra redness and acne, and this foundation covered both (without looking cakey or heavy) pretty effortlessly. I was impressed.  Once I arrived home from the event and had more opportunity to inspect the foundation on my face, I was left a little undecided. I’m super particular about the way every aspect of my makeup is applied, and even though the makeup artist I worked with was incredibly talented, I just didn’t think I looked like myself, which ultimately ended up hindering my opinion of the foundation. I resolved to try it out the next morning (aka today) on my own, which would also give me the opportunity to feel first-hand how it would apply and work with my other makeup staples. Fast forward, and I was obsessed. Once again, I appreciated the amazing yet natural-looking coverage of the formula, and although the finish isn’t quite as luminous as you’d think it would be, that’s probably a good thing as you are left with a radiance that never treads the line of overly dewy or greasy. Plus, I think it actually looks prettier and more flattering as it settles and melts into the complexion. Overall, I’m sold, and I can definitely see myself rotating this formula with my bottle of Flawless Fusion. Boasting vitamins A, C, and E, this creamy, featherweight gel is the makeup artist-preferred way to prep your face pre-foundation. (As someone who historically despises most primers, this one I actually love.) Whereas most makeup sponges absorb more foundation than they apply (especially annoying if said foundation has a price tag that stings) this new, ergonomically designed sponge doesn’t. You can use it damp or dry, and the unique shape is easy to maneuver, promising to hit every curve and crease of your face.  According to the makeup artists Amanda and I worked with, this is the best concealer to pair with the new foundation formula. It had already been a longtime favorite of ours (I actually turned Amanda onto it a few months ago), so no surprises there.  A newer take on the brand’s OG loose settng powder, this new glow-inducing option ensures a finish that’s pretty and radiant but not aggressive or “sparkly.” Instead, it keeps your foundation application in place all day or night while simultaneously delivering a touch of shimmer that's flattering, not fake.  We would go out and buy this brush simply for how cool it looks, but the fact it was specially designed to dust the brand’s beloved Translucent Loose Setting Powder (see above) is just an added perk. The unique shape ensures utmost precision so your powder actually falls where you want it to. For once. Next up, this unexpected hairstyle is cool again thanks to Poppy Delevingne.

source https://gothify1.tumblr.com/post/182069326715

[gothify1]

My thoughts: The main intrigue of this foundation, for me at least, was the formulation—it contains a mushroom extract that's rumored to be so hydrating that it will actively improve your skin's moisture and radiance levels, making it look and feel softer, as you're wearing it. It was also promised to be lightweight in texture. And the finish is supposed to be subtly glowy and light-reflecting, but still matte and controlled enough to look grease- and flashback-free in photos. Like your real skin, but better. Since I only ever really wear foundation for special occasions when I know I'm probably going to be photographed, and I still like my skin to look human, that all sounded ideal to me. In practice, the texture of this foundation was every bit as lightweight as promised, and it did an impressive job of evening out my freckly skin tone and dark under-eye area without looking cakey. And as the selfie here proves, it looks pretty damn flawless in photos. My only qualm was that after 12 hours of wear, the foundation started to separate from my skin a tiny bit, so there was some flaking happening. And in person, it didn't look *quite* as seamless or invisible as my holy grail foundation (by Japanese brand Koh Gen Do). But I can definitely see myself reaching for this stuff for a night out when I know there are going to be flash photos around, confident that the result will be worthy of an Instagram Story—no filter needed. My thoughts: Unlike Amanda,I'm a little bit of a foundation fiend. When it comes to my makeup M.O., I'm either completely barefaced, or I'm completely made-up—full coverage foundation, bronzer, mascara, highlighter, lipstick—the whole nine yards.And, I'm notorioulsy picky AF when it comes to foundation formulas. (There are only a select few I've ever loved and wear on a routine basis.) That said, I happen to truly love Laura Mercier as a makeup brand and consistently wear their Flawless Fusion Foundation ($48) (a liquid like this one but more matte), the Flawless Fusion Concealer, and an assortment of highlighters and transluscent powders. (My crease-prone under-eyes would be lost without the brand's iconic Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes $28).  Typically, I prefer a matte or satin finish when I shop for foundation and rely on my collection of bronzers, blushes, and highlighters to deliver whatever ratio of radiance I want. It's not that I don't like the idea of luminous foundations, per se, but more often than not I'm left with a slick, oil-stricken face come 2 p.m.—not what I'm after. But again, since I trust the brand to create excellent top-performing formulas, I remained optimistic. As Amanda pointed out, the feel and texture of this formula is addictively lightweight. I don't know a single person who enjoys the feeling of foundation on their face, so this foundation is a 100% win on that account. It also does a superb job in terms of coverage. Due to stress and horomones, I had some extra redness and acne, and this foundation covered both (without looking cakey or heavy) pretty effortlessly. I was impressed.  Once I arrived home from the event and had more opportunity to inspect the foundation on my face, I was left a little undecided. I'm super particular about the way every aspect of my makeup is applied, and even though the makeup artist I worked with was incredibly talented, I just didn't think I looked like myself, which ultimately ended up hindering my opinion of the foundation. I resolved to try it out the next morning (aka today) on my own, which would also give me the opportunity to feel first-hand how it would apply and work with my other makeup staples. Fast forward, and I was obsessed. Once again, I appreciated the amazing yet natural-looking coverage of the formula, and although the finish isn't quite as luminous as you'd think it would be, that's probably a good thing as you are left with a radiance that never treads the line of overly dewy or greasy. Plus, I think it actually looks prettier and more flattering as it settles and melts into the complexion. Overall, I'm sold, and I can definitely see myself rotating this formula with my bottle of Flawless Fusion. Boasting vitamins A, C, and E, this creamy, featherweight gel is the makeup artist-preferred way to prep your face pre-foundation. (As someone who historically despises most primers, this one I actually love.) Whereas most makeup sponges absorb more foundation than they apply (especially annoying if said foundation has a price tag that stings) this new, ergonomically designed sponge doesn't. You can use it damp or dry, and the unique shape is easy to maneuver, promising to hit every curve and crease of your face.  According to the makeup artists Amanda and I worked with, this is the best concealer to pair with the new foundation formula. It had already been a longtime favorite of ours (I actually turned Amanda onto it a few months ago), so no surprises there.  A newer take on the brand's OG loose settng powder, this new glow-inducing option ensures a finish that's pretty and radiant but not aggressive or "sparkly." Instead, it keeps your foundation application in place all day or night while simultaneously delivering a touch of shimmer that's flattering, not fake.  We would go out and buy this brush simply for how cool it looks, but the fact it was specially designed to dust the brand's beloved Translucent Loose Setting Powder (see above) is just an added perk. The unique shape ensures utmost precision so your powder actually falls where you want it to. For once. Next up, this unexpected hairstyle is cool again thanks to Poppy Delevingne.