#spray paint included hopefully

[rapidhighway]

Going to my prof to ask her to let me draw robots this semester keep your fingers crossed

[christabelq]

I was going to post a cosplay photo today, but decided to do another of my tutorial type things instead👩‍🏫. This time it’s for the steampunk handgun I used in my recent Typhoid Mary shoot and also seen in a few of my earlier pics. I’ve found it super useful to have, as it suits a bunch of different characters. If you want to rustle one up yourself, you’ll need these ingredients…

1 x Nerf gun or similar – Choose your gun carefully, as it will dictate what your finished weapon looks like. I went for something small, but chunky, which I picked up cheap in a thrift store (💜 my bargains).

Sandpaper for prepping the gun.

1 x can of black spray paint (or possibly more depending on the size of your gun – tbh I regularly misjudge how much paint I’ll need for stuff and end up having to make extra trips to the craft store to stock up 🚶‍♀️😩

Silver acrylic paint and 🖌️🖌️ to give the gun a metallic look (or gold if you want to bling out).

Assorted fixtures for decorations – I used some gears left over from another project, a bit of an old speaker and some circuitry from a broken tablet, but loads of other stuff will work. Btw, if you haven’t tried it, it’s super therapeutic pulling bits out of an old tablet, especially if it’s one that used to crash on you a lot like mine😈😈😈 

 Plastic knob – Replacement for the cocking thingy at the back of the Nerf gun, as this totally gave away that it was a toy. My piece was stripped off a toy gun I used in another project, but you can use whatever’s available.

A piece of leather – Trim for the barrel to add to the steampunk vibe and (hopefully) make the gun look a bit more realistic.

Needle and thread 🪡 – Most of my projects involve sewing in some way, as it’s something I like doing. Here it was used for finishing the edges of the piece of leather.

Fixative spray – Used to try and ensure I don’t accidentally scratch off any paint when I’m using the gun in a typical display of klutziness 🥴

Normally when I do these tutorials, I start rambling on at this point about whatever bits of the project pop into my head, but this time, I’m totally going to be structured about it, so here’s a step-by-step guide…

Sand off any logos and stuff on your gun, as these always make them look toy like. If the gun you’ve chosen has any smooth surfaces, you might want to sand these as well, as the paint will go on better that way. Top tip here is not to use really rough sandpiper or you’ll end up with nasty scratches.

Strip off any fittings on the gun which don’t look realistic and replace if necessary. In my case, this included replacing the thing for getting the gun ready to fire (I’m sure there’s a technical term for this, but it beats me what it is). I screwed the new bit into the end of the mechanism, so it still works, which is pretty cool.

⛫💨 Spray the gun matt black to prime it, plus any of your fittings which need to match. Usually this has to be done in a couple of stages, as if you’re working on a table or something you won’t be able to turn anything over until it’s dry. Also, no matter how good a surface looks at the time, you often come back to find the paint hasn’t covered something properly 😠😠. Here’s another tip… go off and do something else between coats rather than waiting around for however many hours it takes the paint to dry 💡

🎨 Add the metallic distressed look with the arcylic paint. For this to work, you need to dust the paint on super lightly. I usually wipe my brush on a bit of paper each time I dip it in the paint to get rid of the excess.

Once the paint is dry, attach your fittings. The trick here is to try to make them look like they have some kind of purpose and aren’t just window-dressing. Glue is the easiest way to stick things on, but I use bolts and screws when possible 🪛🔧, as these are more secure and allow gears and stuff to spin around if you want them to. If you’re using leather like me (or any other material), you’ll probably want to sew in a folded overedge before attaching it to stop it fraying 🪡.   

Touch up any damage you did to your paintwork when working on step 5. Maybe you’ll be luckier than me, but no matter how careful I am, there always seems to be some.

⛫💨 Spray on your fixative for protection. This should be done in steady lines with the can about 30 cms away from the gun. It’s best to do a few coats, sometimes working from side to side and sometimes from top to bottom, so you get good coverage. My tip for this stage is to shake the can well before use and do a quick test spray first to make sure the fixative is coming out evenly.

Pick up the finished gun and start rocking it /̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿💥

So there you have it. Hopefully if you’re new to projects like this, it will give you a good starting point. I think you get good results for some pretty easy steps. Let me know if you found it useful or if you have any questions 💬, and stay tuned for more cosplay stuff.

Luv your friendly neighborhood  cosplayer, Christabel ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

ko-fi.com/christabelq instagram.com/christabel.simpson/ deviantart.com/christabelq

[yeagerfate]

camp spiderpine

characters: miguel o’hara, miles morales, hobie brown, gwen stacy

notes: this is a camp au! i love writing these so much. for my AOT followers i promise i will be posting some more stuff soon and hopefully i will get some AOT reqs. as of rn i have one that i am excited to write but i think it might take me a bit as i really wanna take my time with it. sorry i didn’t include pav in this, just wasn’t feeling too inspired with him. might add him later lol. not proofread!

warnings: none!

Being a counselor with Miguel is both fun and exhausting. Your campers have a great bond, which is always lovely to see, but they are so energetic that it is tiring. It’s always fun to do it with Miguel though! He is always super helpful, especially with things like putting on sunscreen. His hands are gentle when he rubs it in, though they seem… hesitant? When he pulls away, his face looks strangely pink, but he says it’s just because of the sun. Strange. Sometimes, Miguel will guard at the lake while some of the kids swim. It’s hard not to check him out. Yet, lately you’ve been a bit… tempted by him. His lips look more enticing than ever, his voice is sweeter to listen to, and he seems more eager to be near you. It doesn’t surprise you when you two share a kiss late one night, outside the cabin on the porch. For each other’s sake, and to avoid the nosy questions from campers, you and Miguel agree to keep it secret. You think some of the campers are noticing with the amused smirks that they give you, and the way Lyla, another counselor, giggles when she sees how close you sit together. It’s all extremely exhilarating and lively, but the summer’s ending soon, and Miguel has to go back home…. which is hours away. Will you two stay in touch?

Miguel’s favorite camper is Miles, but he always denies it. He supervises many different activities for each camp season, but the ones he does the most often are diving, paddle boarding, and baseball. He always forgets to put on bug spray, so every night you see new bug bites all over his body. Sometimes, he accidentally spends too much time in the shower. Gets yelled at for it. Loses his only towel on the first day of camp.

Miles is a nervous camper. It’s his first time at Camp Spiderpine, so it takes him a while to adjust. For his activities, he chooses kayaking, basketball, arts & crafts, and mountain biking. His bunk is right above yours. It’s nice to be bunk mates since Miles is super respectful of your space and your luggage. He shares candy with you, tells you questionable stories from his school, and lets you do messy face painting on him. You’re a bit bummed out after you finish your face painting session on him. Not because you don’t like what you painted, but because you wanted to stay being close to him. His warmth is comforting, and so are the brown hues of his eyes. The next day, when Gwen asks you if you have a camp crush, she laughs when you say Miles. She tells you she’s been waiting for you to realize since the beginning of camp. On the night before the last day, Miles finally gains the courage to kiss you, and it is glorious. It’s messy, extremely nerve-wracking, and not perfect at all, but it’s amazing. Miles promises to stay in touch with you to see where the relationship goes. You’re his first girlfriend, and he wants to make it work.

Miles loses his flashlight early into the camp session, so he trips all the way to the bathrooms in the night. During his first time kayaking, he somehow flipped into the lake, and it took him 5 minutes with your and the instructor’s help to get back in. He laughs it off but is super embarrassed. Has so much trouble getting up so early in the morning that one time he just walked around all day in PJs. Kills all the bugs for everyone who is scared of them.

Hobie’s a veteran camper, and he’s been going since he was 6. He knows where pretty much every cabin and building is at camp. He always ends up helping new people get around. For his activities, he chooses BB-Guns, guitar, paddle boarding, and hiking. The two of you meet when your counselor, Miguel, partners you up with Hobie for the first day of camp. He is required to help you find your way around, and answer any questions you may have. Soon, you learn that you get along great, and become great friends. The two of you partner up together for paddleboarding, but he always falls off. He also gets bit by the fish a lot when the two of you are in the water. Your face feels warm when he helps you get back on when you fall off. His touch is so much more… captivating now? You find yourself wanting more. Now, when he guides you around camp, his hand is rested on the small of your back and his other one lingers near your waist. It’s very alluring. At night, you wonder if maybe it could be more? Are you imagining things? Or is this real?

Hobie plans on becoming a counselor himself when he’s older. Miguel rolls his eyes when he hears about it. All of the campers know him. He’s super popular!Always comes in clutch during ultimate frisbee. His team almost always wins just because of him. Knows all of the camp songs and cheers, but his face is deadpanned when it’s time to sing them.

All the counselors know Gwen as “the quiet one”, but that’s just how she acts around them. Around her friends, Gwen is always laughing and doing weird things like “rating people’s feet”. For her activities, Gwen chooses arts & crafts, creative writing, volleyball, and snorkeling. She is the first to help you find a bed in the cabin you’re both assigned to. The two of you decide to do arts & crafts together, where you make bracelets for your water bottles and tie-dye shirts. One day, during a camp game, you’d taken a horrible fall. You tore a muscle in your leg and could barely walk around. Gwen immediately volunteered to help you to the nurse with your counselor, Miguel. Even though you were in agony, the way Gwen’s supportive words were whispered to you made you feel hot. Suddenly, you began to see her in a different way, especially when she still helped you around camp. Her caring hold was so… comfortable, and wholehearted, and swiftly your heart began to beat faster when she was around. Camp’s ending soon, and you desperately want to tell Gwen how you feel… will you?

She smells like sunscreen and sunshine. Has so many stickers on her water bottle, and half of them are peeling. Dyed her hair pink at camp so her dad wouldn’t know. Miguel was too tired to do anything about it. Her hair takes hours to dry, so her clothes are always sopping wet after she gets out of the lake.

[the-guardianangel]

Future AU ROTTMNT!

Third on the list-

Michaelangelo!

SHIPS VERSION

This will include a personal ship. I plan on making a non-ship version.

(Age:Thirty-four.)

Career

Mikey was a freelance artist and does legal spray paint gigs all throughout his twenties. By the time he was almost thirty, he decided to return to his passion of cooking. He enrolled in an official culinary arts school at a small college and got a diploma (disguised as human of course.)

Now he's just started his own restaurant called "Dr. Delicate's Delights and Dinners!" It's a very small business currently, and it's located in The Hidden City.

Relationship Status(and kids.)

Mikey and (don't hate me) Sunita are together. They are engaged with no biological kids. They have a pet cat and a secret pet revealed later.

These two don't have any biological children and don't plan on any, but do have an adopted daughter. They adopted a kid that Mikey found on a mission a year ago in the Hidden City. Her name is Frankie.

Living Arrangements

Mikey and his family live together in the Hidden City by Sunita's Uncle and her other family. Luckily, it's close to the main entrance the turtles use to enter the city. They live in an apartment.

Additionals

Mikey still loves pizza and makes it often, but only at home and not in his restaurant. He wanted to not be a competitor to Senor Hueso's shop and the skeleton is very glad for Mikey's thoughtfulness.

Of course, he still goes on ninja mission and adores watching cooking shows. Meat Sweats is in the Mystic jail by now and a prison chef, so he found a new show to obsess over.

Unlike his Bad future counterpart, he decided to not practice Mystics as much and stuck to his weapon. So, he cannot fly. The main reason was because he didn't want to be aged fast and look older than his brothers.

I can't draw yet so hopefully the future me can.

[nieded]

So I painted my yoga mat... I'm including the process and credits below the cut.

So, I have been wanting a cork yoga mat for a while. Do I need one? No. Will I pick up yoga again for a month and then quit? Hopefully not, but likely yes.

Every time I get back into yoga, I start looking at cork yoga mats because they're grippier and also very very pretty. The only problem is... they are friggin' expensive.

I first was attracted to cork yoga mats because of some of the really amazing designs, but I can't afford this shit. Instead, I settled for a cheaper cork yoga mat that is plain, and I thought that if I saved up enough money and still cared about yoga enough to buy a fancy one, I would.

But then I got to thinking... could I paint my yoga mat? And the answer is yes, yes I can.

I originally got the idea when I read online of other people doing this to their rubber and PVC mats, so you do not need a cork mat to do this!

Buying the Mat

Even an inexpensive cork yoga mat is still far more than I've ever spent on one before, so I had to choose wisely. I ended up choosing the Gaiman cork yoga mat, which is about 5mm in thickness. It's roughly 68 x 24 inches. One thing I had read is that cork mats can get quite heavy, but this one is pretty lightweight while still being cushy. I was really tempted to use it right away, but I didn't want it to get dirty or oily before I painted it.

The Design

I am not an artist. I cannot draw well enough to freehand something confidently. What I do have is a Cricut Maker. If you don't know what a Cricut Maker is, it's an ill-advised purchase that I got secondhand and is actively ruining my budget. Depending on the model, it can cut out designs on a variety of materials, such as vinyl or infusible ink and can even tool leather. I used cardstock for this project to cut out stencils.

There are many free SVG templates out there as well as images created by other Cricut Makers that are only .99 each. There are many, many other places where you can purchase designs as well, or you can create your own! I am not talented enough to create my own design.

I tried several free SVGs, didn't like them, and then stumbled on this on Design Space, the Circut Maker program/shop. To quote Macklemore, "But shit, it was 99 cents!"

The image was designed by GlamSVG by Emylia and the inspiration came from an embroidery pattern by Emily June, which you can find HERE. I went through an embroidery phase during quarantine, and I have mine hung on the wall. I look at it daily.

I had to resize this image to fit my yoga mat, which ended up being 24 x 36". Because I cut the stencil out of cardstock, I had to segment everything into 8.5x11 pieces, cut, weed, and then piece it all back together on the mat. Once I had all the pieces, I stuck them to transfer paper to keep the floating segments in place. I organized and labeled everything so I could put it back together again easily. It looked like this:

Once it was assembled, I sprayed the backs with temporary adhesive so the stencils would stay down. I removed the transfer paper and began painting the outline. I did end up losing a couple of the floating pieces (see the letter O and the leaf on the far right side), so I had to freehand some of it. Overall, the stencil turned out great!

I had a variety of success with the temporary adhesive. Because I bought a more inexpensive mat, I soon discovered how not durable it is. The 'temporary' adhesive pulled up small pieces of cork after I removed the stencil. This was partially my fault, since I didn't pull up the stencil as I went. Still, there were pieces that were going to lift anyway. This revealed that the cork is only one layer, but fortunately, each piece of cork that lifted was quite small and unnoticeable, and the thread behind it matched in color. It wasn't ideal, but I could live with it.

Some of the cardstock became permanent fixtures on the mat, which I then had to paint over. Also, some of the stencil didn't stick at all, so I had minor bleed through. Problems all around! But it still turned out nicely!

I need to preface that I have never painted anything before. Well, that's a lie. I've painted a wall, and six years ago I had a Bob Ross themed birthday party. The SO, however, is the son of an artist and taught me about mixing acrylic. His first tip was to test out colors. I used Paint.Net and came up with this mock-up:

I knew I wanted the heart anatomy to be shades of red, so that was easy. The flowers were harder. I tried my favorite colors, like yellow and purple, but it didn't sit right visually. I turned to Canva Color Wheel to help me find complementary colors to the shades of red I wanted to use. That's how I came up with the pretty blues. To mix the colors, I used ColorHexa to show me the percentage of CYMK I needed.

Here are some progress shots:

I'm super happy with how it turned out! My color mixing didn't turn out exactly like the mock up, but I love the results. The last step was to let it dry for at least 48 hours. Then I set it with Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer.

I chose Mod Podge since it's non-toxic, and I will be putting my face on it. Also, my dogs walk on it while I do yoga. They think it belongs to them. :) Knowing now that there is only 1 layer of cork, I do worry how it'll hold up to dog nails over time.

Lastly, the real test was to see if it would roll, and it does! So now I just need a yoga strap, and I'm good to go!

[jinkx-monswoon]

hi there aubrey :) it's been a sec since i came and said hello to everyone, so i'm doing it now: hello!! i would love if you updated me on something going on in your life recently, or if you'd rather not do all that, i'd love a fun fact about anything you want!!

HI!!!!!

glad you asked because i went to the GREATEST drag show of my life the other night!! it was the final qualifying round for a pageant and some of the best names in philly drag were competing to make it to the final round

i got to kiki with SO many amazing drag artists, including a certain rumored contestant on the impending dragula season 6!!!

lightning round of highlights:

- i almost got accidentally kicked in the face by a queen

- i got to put a crown on one of the girls at the end of her number

- my favorite girl of the night had her dress spray painted from white to black live on stage and it was so magical that i cried a little

- i saw my "crush" :3 (its this one local girl ill never have a shot with but i just think she's very nice to look at)

- i also saw this really hot person in a big fur coat and a bikini, they were the genderest thing i've ever seen in my life, you had to be there

- and the winner of the night was avery goodname, who u may or may not (hopefully you do) recognize from season 5 of camp wannakiki!!!

i love philly drag so much AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

[minnwaa]

fuuta analysis pt. 2, visual edition

i swear i like fuuta the normal amount, it's not like he's my little meow meow and it's not like I'm projecting to him in any way whatsoever.

lmao anyway i'm here to talk about the visual of backdraft. i'm mainly going to talk about the possible symbolism, the story in the mv, and hopefully can convince you to vote forgiven at least in this turn. long post ahoy (i even included the pictures to the point tumblr said "you used too many pics bruh")

we'll start the analysis with this image. i believe the can and him facing the camera to spray the paint was him saying that this is his time to tell the story through milgram. the can itself (+ barcode) actually led you to milgram's judgement page, so in a way it's like "this is my story, but I'm telling you through this medium (spray can/milgram)"

also just love that red color. red can either means passion, love, or danger. so in a way the color red REALLY suits him. just remember the color red for his "tag".

before we continue, let me write down the history of graffiti because it is heavily used in this instance. graffiti can either signifies the marking of territory or as part of a social/political movement. the marking of the environment is especially popular where gangs are prominent, so the graffiti sign can either act as a deterrent or just to show who actually owns the area. so in a way, it is connected to identity. a person's life. so let's use the graffiti as the symbol of someone's identity.

in the beginning, we see him looking forward with a smile on his face. this might mean that he was looking forward to and anticipating the task at hand.

using football/soccer terminology, he kicks off the first shoot. so he is the one who is starting the job.

in graffiti, you can use tags to show who created the graffiti. kind of like a signature. we can see there's "backdraft", "SAP", and one that i can't read. perhaps in Japanese? there's another one but i can't get a clear glimpse of it at the beginning of the graffiti on the left.

there's also this one, but much like the last tag on the first graffiti, this one is also unreadable.

but seeing that we have multiple tags in two artworks here, meaning that this is a collaborative act. this isn't just fuuta just leading them and them being ignorant, this is "them" working together to create an artwork, or in this case, a situation.

this is the first set of "pressure" graffiti that we've seen. no eyes, warm color, all bright and fiery. this shows that the pressure actually fueled fuuta's ambition. he's still all smirky and smiley, even looking at his target with a smile on his face.

remember when i said remember red as his tag? with this, it's low-key a confirmation that he started the action of erasing someone's mark. in fuuta's case, we know that he bullied people online, so this is him basically erasing the other person's identity. he started it, then followed by other people, signifies by the other color of the spray.

we can see 5 colors here, so it can mean that he was bullying a person with 4 other people. note that the character being erased seems monstrous in nature, so i believe this is fuuta basically saying "we have erased a monster!" which then continued on with another monster, started by fuuta and followed by other colors.

still the same 5 colors, meaning that this squad was the "original" so to speak.

i think fuuta has an extra grudge against the second person he targeted because he's taken the extra step to REALLY cover the artwork with more red. and he thought with this, his "task" is over.

he lets go of his spray can, or his medium to tell a story because he probably thinks that he doesn't need it anymore. his grudge is satisfied, and he can rest easy.

using the spray can as the symbol for his medium for a story, i think his modus operandi is basically overwriting the other story's person. with him covering the artwork/story of another person, instead of him being upfront in his attack, he might've worked by spreading rumors, thus overwriting the old story/artwork with his own spray, destroying the artwork. but he let go of that responsibility, he's done with it. BUT.

even though he let go of that spray can, it still followed his footsteps. the story/medium demanded that he continued by appearing once again, even though he wanted to walk away.

i think this marks the first time a milgram prisoner acknowledged the current reality--mahiru and mikoto are tagged "red" means that they are guilty, while yuno and shido aren't, so they're innocent.

i think that the red spray specifically marked the worst damage the person had in the fight. so mahiru broke her rib (or maybe her collarbone), mikoto has his whole torso marked, amane has less spray on her (which made me to believe that kotoko didn't attack her as much but still though.), and fuuta on the left side of his face. he's currently using an eyepatch, and according to the voice drama he could no longer see in that eye... so...

this then continued by him marking his own neck with the "off with your head" gesture (you know this gesture used over and over again to mean that 'you're dead') with now the eyes appearing, first staring at the fuuta who killed his graffiti-self, then to the graffiti itself. i think that the fuuta who "killed" his graffiti self was the fuuta who got beaten up by kotoko (so our current fuuta), while the graffiti fuuta is his old story. remember when i say that the graffiti represented the identity/the story of a person, him killing it off means that he doesn't like his old self, but the eyes are judging him now. that's pressure. what is Very Interesting is the color used for the pupils. the purple and the blue is the exact same one as the color tag, and the green and magenta one is new. it might signify that two members disappeared, but two new people took their position. they wanted the old fuuta back, and the current fuuta is horrified by it.

the eyes then multiplied, not just the original four. it means that the eyes on him have increased, and the pressure that once upon a time fueled his ambition now became poisonous. the purple here probably meant as poisonous than mysterious, because the shade reminded me of the poison-type pokemon. it's bright purple instead of royal purple which signifies a mysterious person. so now, all this pressure added with the eyes on him made the whole thing... unbearable for him.

when he turned around and realized his impact, he just realized that there is a fuck-ton of people who followed his example. see that the spray cans are now a lot more than just the previous five, and we even see colors that did not show up as the eyes, which probably means that they weren't exactly actively pressuring him, but only followed along for the ride.

remember when i said that the other graffiti reminded me of monsters? this one is the closest one we've got to a humanoid artwork. meaning, that this person (which then we see as a high-school girl) is different from the previous target. this one is a "human", so to speak, so he basically targeted an innocent person.

fuuta of course jumpstarted the attack on the person but notice that his spray is a lot lighter than before. he wasn't covering the face of the artwork, he literally barely covered it. this means that his story was flimsy at best, and he relied on his "friends" to cover the person in the spray.

it is now literally a group effort instead of just him being the leader and doing most of the job. his part even covered by another color, basically saying that yeah he only started it, but the others genuinely followed his steps. and fuuta didn't like that. fuuta is genuinely terrified of it. and if i see the color correctly (i might've missed some, sorry) the color used here is the same color on the pupil that starred at fuuta to pressure him.

again with spray as a medium to tell a story, they are quite literally covering the person with their "story" and we can see that it's not just teenagers who did this, noticed the person on the left with a ring on their finger, meaning that they either already married OR had a fiancee. that's an adult. not just male hands, we also have female hands. fuuta's army is literally filled with not just people his age, but both older and younger. and that terrifies the absolute shit of fuuta who only watched the attack from afar.

under "fire", the girl became a statue and broke under pressure. the hands reaching upward mean that she's probably asking for help, but there's no one to save her. so she broke up with no one by her side, and killed herself to end her suffering.

notice how the statue fell pointing to him. i think this represent the fact that the girl might've asked for his help or he might've saw her reaching out to him post-her death. it might be when he knew that his action has killed a person. sure, it's unintentional, but he created a situation where she might've considered death than surviving. and look at fuuta's expression.

he was also under "fire" and he is feeling the effect of the attack AND the guilt, and moments later his can of spray/medium of story exploded on him, both damaging him AND not allowing him to tell the story. this marks the moment where his "squad" turned their backs on him and now attacked him, probably for his moment of weakness. i also find it interesting that the can is "bloodied" so to speak, to basically say he's no longer innocent and his hands are now covered in blood.

he is running for his LIFE. notice that the gray color on his hand reached up his forearms now, meaning that he definitely did not leave his confrontation unscathed.

and now es, with their own medium to tell a story, covered him with black spray, meaning that "his story" is now overwritten by es, or by extension, milgram, and of course, the judgemental eyes that followed es' steps.

so this mv basically tells the story of him starting something and it went so big that it's uncontrollable. he never meant it to go this far, but it did, and someone died because of his action. he definitely bite more than he can chew. he showed remorse for his action, which is more than i can say for some people... *cough*

[miloscat]

[Review] Butterflies: Episode 1-3 (PC)

They understand the concept of love.

After Bomb Rush Cyberfunk wowed me, I wanted to take a second look at this even more indie project memorialising Jet Set Radio. I've played Episode 1 (and some pre-release demos) before but since then, French lead dev Le Capitaine and their Le Crew have finalised Episodes 2 and 3, and published them to Steam as a bundle. Supposedly it's still to be continued but for now the team is hard at work on an F-Zero homage. Hopefully they come back and keep expanding this because what's there so far is really good!

Rather than using JSRF as a jumping off point for gameplay, Butterflies seems to prefer refining what the original JSR was doing. This means a more realistic sense of inertia, and managing the momentum of your crew of inline-skating delinquents. The dash button is there to pick up speed on the ground and grinding rails is not effortless. It's clearly set on improving the clunky play control of the Dreamcast game though, and the result is fast, technical, and satisfying... when you've put some time into mastering it.

To get you there is a low-pressure kind of game design with a set of missions that populate the large levels. You can roam around, tackling them and finding tag spots as you please without a timer ticking down, which on its own is a big step up from JSR for me. These tasks are usually races that pass through checkpoints or specific line runs that require keeping a combo going—some in Episode 1 are particularly strict—while Episode 3 adds in extra graffiti challenges. Going through the checklist is a nice way of showing off these urban sandbox levels as you hunt for write spots or (as of Episode 2 onwards) collectible music tracks.

Each episode has one map to itself while advancing the overall story. The first two are hilly suburban areas, with a bit of industrial in E1, and E3 features a sprawling inner-city area connected by train tracks. Powerlines to grind on and the ability to wallgrind on almost any wall if you have enough speed help you traverse the high degree of verticality built into these zones. The first two episodes have an interesting grungy, sketchy look while the third revamps things with more colour and shiny detail. Populating the maps are your typical low-poly NPCs (I spotted some modelled on Lammy and Parappa!) as well as bear-hugging cops, flying police drones, and zap-projectile-slinging cameras: as of E3, these can all be dealt with by a quick application of spray paint (which by the way is unlimited).

The story is handled a bit more seriously than in some other street punk simulators. In this near-future world, a Japanese city has seceded and is now run as an independent autocracy by one General Sakamoto, and by the end of E3 the rebellious Nat and her growing Butterflies crew are gearing up to rise above petty rudie squabbles and vandalism to really fight back against the fascism. The inclusion of real-world cultures and concerns keeps the tone grounded, like when one of your teammates Jae (who tags in Hangeul) comments on the treatment of Korean immigrants; another, Zinnie, wears a hijab and interjects in Arabic, while Rin is a trans girl and you follow her journey of self-discovery in dialogue which I thought was handled pretty well.

On top of their characterisation in cutscene dialogue, these touchstones make the characters deeper and more relatable, more than just a cool cel-shaded character design. They also for the most part have clear strengths in their stat distributions; I favoured speed specialist Zinnie for getting around. Each one has distinct graffiti designs (they all get a refresh in E3 as well) that, while simple, usually include their name (in katakana) and tell you something about their personality. Writing involves a three-stage timing-based minigame so everyone has three unique designs, although you might find you end up with the simplest "bare minimum" one all over just to save time with the ~200 spots per map.

Since Butterflies has been released episodically over five years, it's interesting to watch as the new instalments make changes and become more polished. It's still rough around the edges even as of E3 but solid enough, and this release structure gives me hope that even more refinements will be implemented going forward (a better in-game map would be nice!). Either way, I've enjoyed what's there so far, and it's refreshing that multiple projects have been springing up in this vein while having their own character: in this case a little bit subdued, down to earth, but it's got heart.

[iviarellereads]

Nona the Ninth, Day One, Chapter 1

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For detail on The Locked Tomb coverage and the index, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Locked Tomb icon)(1) In which we meet Nona.

Day One comes with a set of teasers.

REGARDING NONA—HOT SAUCE IS WATCHFUL—THE CITY HAS A BAD DAY—NONA GETS A BEDTIME STORY—FIVE DAYS UNTIL THE TOMB OPENS.(2)

Nona closes her eyes and recounts her dream to Cam. Someone with a painted face, who might be, no, is definitely a "her", is above her in "the safe water".(3) Nona knows that Cam's notes often include boring things like what face she makes when she says certain things.

Then, she forgets the rest of the dream, so Cam ends the session and clicks the button on the recorder. Nona launches into action, changing clothes for the day. She's proud she can get changed herself: she once got very upset and claustrophobic when her nightshirt got stuck over her head before she could handle dressing herself.

She had only ever had two tantrums in her life, but it would be humiliating to have a third.

When she's done, Cam praises her quickness, and Nona dives into her daily stretches. She pretends her leg muscles are extra tight, trying to get Cam to help with a certain stretch, but Cam doesn't fall for it. She calls Nona's bluff and says maybe she can't go to school, at which Nona insists she's done, she's up. Cam tells her to go see if Pyrrha(4) needs help with breakfast. Nona wonders, hopefully, if it's gone cold already.(5) Cam says Pyrrha should do Nona's hair, as well, since Cam's going to "talk".(6) Nona asks Cam to write down that she sends her love to Palamedes.

This Camilla Hect did unblushingly, though Nona had to take it on trust. When she squatted down on her haunches, following the strokes the pencil made, she could not make out a single word. She could not even make out a letter, not of any alphabet she'd ever been shown, which interested everyone but herself.(7)

Still, she trusts Cam fully. When the pencil stops, she tells Cam she loves her and asks if they know who she is yet. Cam says she's someone late for breakfast.

Still, Cam smiles a rare smile, and Nona can feel that it's going to be a good day.

Nona goes out into the kitchen. A baby is being loud a few apartments over, and the neighbours below and above are dangerous to piss off in different ways, so Nona walks on tiptoes. Pyrrha is preparing a pan with spray oil, and wearing a string vest(8) and pyjama pants but no shirt. Nona asks if the mix in the bowl is pikelet mix,(9) but Pyrrha says it's just eggs. Nona wants something cold instead, but cold eggs aren't the same, and Pyrrha insists the eggs aren't optional.

Pyrrha asks after Nona's dreams, and Nona says they're same as always, but she wishes she could dream of something else. She asks if Pyrrha dreams, and Pyrrha describes a nightmare about not wearing any pants while giving a speech.

During a pause in Nona's gurgles of mirth, she added solemnly, "It was no fun, my child. I knew I'd be okay so long as I was hiding behind the podium, but I didn't know what I'd do once I had to sit down again. Die, I guess."(10)

When Nona's mirth calms, she asks if Pyrrha was being serious. Pyrrha says yes, but put a mark on the chart for an ass joke anyway. She guides Nona's hand with directions until she's in the right section of the chart. Nona counts(11) seven this month, and chides that Pal will think Pyrrha is skewing the data on purpose. Pyrrha says she "could never help giving the girls what they wanted".

Pyrrha finishes cooking the eggs, fills Nona's bowl, and tells her to eat while Pyrrha braids her hair. Nona asks for one big braid, with two little braids coming off it, so it won't come loose. Also, to avoid the temptation of chewing on the ends of "plain plaits".(12) Pyrrha comments about wanting to get into the cigarette drawer, but Nona says they're bad for her and she loves her.(13)

Nona eats her eggs while Pyrrha styles her long, fine, black hair.(14) Eventually, Pal comes out, in Cam's body. Nona can tell them apart from their physicality, posture, movement, but the easiest way is the eyes: Pal's are brownish grey, while Cam's are fully grey.(15) Pal and Pyrrha banter about meat prices, and then go into the other room to talk while Nona is advised to finish eating her eggs. She eats three mouthfuls then goes to sit next to the door to eavesdrop.

They mention that someone gave them a year, and they're not giving "her" up early.(16) Then they move away from the door, so Nona can hear even less. Eventually they come back closer to the door, and discuss tactics. Why are the BOE running when they're in the best position they've ever had? Pyrrha doesn't know, despite sleeping with the enemy, and she won't tell Pal and Cam her suspicions in case they're interrogated.

There appear to be some barracks with some House personnel barricaded, and there's some discussion as to how to rescue them. Even the locals are split on how to handle it: some of Pyrrha's command are eager to kill the Houses, some would welcome them if they'd just clean up the gangs running wild on the streets. The divisions in the BOE are stronger than their common cause.(17) Pyrrha's ready to steal a ship and get the three-and-a-half of them off-planet and to anywhere else in the universe at any time.

A timer goes off, and Pal has to swap back out again. They discuss whether Nona should go to school or not, but Pal wants her calm. Nona tries to eat the last lumps of egg in her bowl, when Cam asks how long she was listening. Nona admits, nearly the whole time.

Cam eats the rest of her breakfast while Nona drops a cleaning tablet in the dishes and Pyrrha shaves. They dress for outside, with hats and masks, though Nona doesn't think they really need hats or masks. Still, the need to blend in outweighs the practicality of needing or not needing the protection.

Pyrrha runs them through this week's scatter and all-clear words, and what to do in an emergency. Both Cam and Nona defy what Pyrrha wants to hear on the latter, but she sighs and they get on with it anyway.

=====

(1) What could that mean, in this context? This is just meeting Nona and getting introduced to her life. Why is the Locked Tomb here? One fair guess is that it's used as a generic icon since this is the Locked Tomb series, since we know Nona isn't of the Ninth House. There may be other guesses to be made. (2) Awfully ominous for the first pages of a book. (3) Obvious allusions to memories between Gideon and Harrow. (4) Well well! We have located one person whose situation was in some jeopardy at the end of HtN. Only, how did Pyrrha get here? And where is "here" exactly? (5) Definitely something unusual about this young lady. (6) Presumably to Pal, via those notes and tape recorder. (7) My my. Why would someone not be able to read even when taught? (8) Elsewhere might call this a tanktop. (9) Australian and New Zealander name for pancake. (10) Guess I'll Just Die meme. The one with the old guy shrugging. (11) She can count, just not read. Fascinating. (12) This bit still makes absolutely no sense to me. A plait is another word for a braid. It's possible that Muir is distinguishing between an English/plain braid as a plait and a French braid as a braid, but even French braids get ends tied off that are temptingly chewable. You can pin a braid to a head whether it starts off French, Dutch, or English. (13) The tagline that "Nona loves everyone" or "Nona loves you" really isn't kidding, huh? She's so warm and open. (14) Black hair. Well, that rules out Nona being in Gideon's body. This must be Harrow's, then. The veiled allusions to how quickly Nona's hair grows throw back to Ianthe messing with the follicles during the lobotomy process. Only, how did Harrow's body get to the BOE with Pyrrha after the Mithraeum went down… and why isn't Gideon still in it? (Sure, she died, but we know how much that's worth in this series.) (15) Now that's a bit of a swap, isn't it? In Gideon, Palamedes is distinctly described with pure grey eyes, and Cam with brown in the mix. Typo/editing oversight, or intentional clue that something has happened to them in the process of sharing the body the way they do? (16) Presumably, Nona. (17) I can't fit it in without going into far more detail than I think this section really needs right now, so: Ctesiphon Wing is mentioned. Ctesiphon was an ancient city, not too far from modern Baghdad, that served as the seat of power for two empires. So, lots of the BOE wings have ancient powerful city names.

[azureopium]

Say Goodbye To Roaches And Rats With Pest Control

Controlling common pests is something that many people hate to think about, but eventually will need to know how to do. A bit of know-how goes a long way in terms of making a pest problem manageable. The advice and insights found below can make what may seem to be a daunting dilemma something that you can tackle with ease.

Keep in mind that pests are not fond of the same air you are. Your home might not have been designed for proper ventilation in crawl spaces and the attic. However, these spaces need sufficient ventilation so that the environments within them are not suitable to pests who might come in.

Use outdoor sprays around your home to prevent insect entry. Spray your foundation, your steps, porch and any areas that are near windows and doors. Be sure to keep a lookout for cracks that may allow pests to enter your home. Seal up these areas using caulk.

You do not always have to call an exterminator when you are trying to get rid of mice. There are several methods you can use including glue traps and poison. If you are concerned with harming the mice, you can repel them with specially made electronic devices that emit sounds they don't like.

Inspect any seeds or houseplants before you buy them and bring them home. You want to check for current signs of insects. You also want to look for disease issues that might attract insects. Never put something in your home that would attract bugs or pests in the wild outdoors.

Pest likes to hide in cracks and small crevices. You should get a caulk gun and fill all the small hiding places you can find. Check for new hiding places regularly and replace the caulk if you need to. You can spray paint over the caulk if you want to conceal it.

Bugs and rodents are obnoxious to coexist with and they can also make you sick. Hopefully this article has given you some beneficial advice that you can use to solve your problem with them. If not, don't hesitate to call in the experts; you deserve to live in a pest-free home!

Read more here rodent control services

[bethestaryouareradio]

Joys of July Gardening

"Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as paint, and the soil and sky as canvas." Elizabeth Murray

The verdant hills have turned golden as the peak of summertime splendor arrives in July. The sunsets are sensational while the wonders of nature captivate our senses. A girlfriend gifted me the book, Color In and Out of the Garden by Lorene Edwards Forkner, and I find myself swinging in my hammock under my magnificent magnolia perusing the brushstrokes and hues of the garden as I turn the pages.  

 Finally, my months of intense weeding are complete. My hands and fingers are still numb from the repeated motions, yet I am reaping the glorious joy of natures painted floral magic. My garden is indeed the lens through which I see the world.

 The tapestry of color helps me learn to see with eyes wide open what the landscape produces this month. The compact Cezanne clematis boasts deep purple flowers that cover the vine. (I seem to have numerous famous artists in my garden collection including a rabbit named Monet and a bird named Rembrandt) Fluorescent pink perennial sweet pea has covered parts of my hillside and crept into my carpet roses. Speaking of roses, they are flourishing providing continual bouquets of beauty and fragrance. Pink and purple appear to be my summer theme as purple trumpet vine and potato vine climb together in my rose garden where cerise-colored Angel Face roses reign and pink knotweed blanket the soil. A new succulent growing in a container on my front porch burst into bloom in shades of luminous pink/purple. What a joyous, festive summer surprise!

 Birds of Paradise, both the orange and blue varieties, are showstoppers in gardens. Their flowers do indeed resemble birds. They are easy to grow, easy to maintain, and a wonderful addition to a garden when you are seeking a more tropical feeling. Speaking of birds, hopefully, you have included birdhouses, bird baths, and bird feeders in your garden design. Birds are one of our best pest control options. As a bonus, they serenade us with song and provide entertainment as they flit from limb to limb. Install a porch swing, bench, or hammock (my go-to) and enjoy the performance.

 As an experiment, I planted tomatoes, thyme, peppers, and shallots in a large container outside my kitchen window so that I could grab and go. The plants are happy and thriving. I’ve already harvested shallots, peppers, and thyme, and the cherry tomato vines may eventually cover my window! The garlic I planted last fall had green leaves in June, but this past week I harvested it. My recipe for success is to harvest garlic between July 4th and August 1st. When the leaves are about one-third golden, gently dig up the soil around the bulb to see if the garlic is large enough. If so, use a fork to dig, not pull, the garlic out of the ground, shake off the dirt, and don’t wash. If you let the leaves go completely brown the garlic won’t be tasty. I braid my leaves and hang them in a dark, dry place for at least thirty days before consuming them. A dark garage or shed is a perfect location. As with all home-grown produce, home-grown garlic is more flavorful. Also, a solution with garlic and water sprayed onto plants is a natural pest repellent! I also add a clove of garlic to the soil around my roses to deter bugs. 

 In my last article, (Summer blooms brighter: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1710/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Summer-blooms-brighter.html)I discussed the importance of composting. I fill five-gallon buckets with compost, then spread it around my roses, and dig it into the soil in my potager. Compost works miracles and it is so easy to make. Save everything but meat and add to a closed container, pile, or bin. Add scraps of soap if you want to keep the unwanted insects at bay. 

 It is time to start considering the bulbs you may want to plant in the fall. Peruse garden catalogs or ask your nursery expert for suggestions. With ample sunshine and warmer temperatures, we can enjoy a dazzling summer of garden parties and floral displays. Going beyond our backyards, check out community gardens throughout our area that unite neighbors and foster a sense of camaraderie. The joys of July gardening include ecologically friendly practices, promoting biodiversity, conserving water, and supporting the artistic heritage of our environment. The Monarch Butterfly Garden created by the Moraga Garden Club at Rancho Laguna Park in Moraga is a favorite. Get inspired by the collective efforts of Lamorinda residents who have beautified each city by creating vibrant and sustainable green spaces.

 Unleash your creativity and indulge in the art of cultivating colorful gardens and explore the wonders of nature in this glowing golden month.

 Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy July!

  Final Days: Shoe Drive for Be the Star You Are!®  ends on July 30th with a goal of 2500 pairs. Shoes may be dropped off at https://5aspace.com/, 455 Moraga Rd. #F, Moraga or www.TeamHoogs.com, 629 Moraga Road (next to 7/11), Moraga. For more information, visit https://www.bethestaryouare.org/shoedrive

 Photos and more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1711/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-Joys-of-July-gardening.html

 Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia Brian is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com. Her newest children’s picture book, Family Forever, from the series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures is available for PRE-ORDERS now at https://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store. Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures. Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com  http://www.GoddessGardener.com

[hawk-rose]

At the WILD point in my life where I'm buying a HOUSE, holy Hestia Batman (with the help of 4 people, one of them deceased, but still).

We're still in the closing phase, so Hopefully Nothing Goes Wrong, but we did the final walkthrough yesterday and this is the nicest place I will have ever lived since I was a preteen and both my parents ended up on disabilty.

There are a few issues, like the dishwasher didn't get hooked up to the new sink, one bathroom fan doesn't work, and we're not 100% sure the garage door works since they didn't leave the clicky thing in the garage and we didn't want to break anything on accident.

BUT:

All the windows open easily and have mint condition screens (including the sliding door)

The hot water is hot right away

All the lights work

The doorbell works

The water pressure is excellent

The kitchen sink has a functional spray nozzle and garbage disposal

All the wall furnaces work

All the faucets and drains work

Functional washer and dryer

The walls aren't covered in grime or smoke

The carpet is soft and squishy with a deep pad (a bit wrinkled, but clean)

The siding is less than 20 years old, looks new, never needs painting, and won't die if a hail storm looks at it funny

There are no cracks in the foundation

None of the doors have been ripped open while locked

It's not trying to fall down a hill

The garage is cleaner than the average living room. And has wood paneling and a polished, uncracked concrete floor.

None of the door thresholds have sticking up nails

The roof and gutters are not my problem (but still look fine)

The front door isn't rotting

No cockroaches, flies, or rodents

All the windows have functional blinds in good condition (except for the sliding glass door that faces a privacy fence, so)

There is no English ivy, invasive blackberries, or poison ivy in the yard

None of the window frames are rotting

There's only about 70 square feet of gravel for a "yard" so bees and chickens and sheep are a no, but we can container garden on the driveway and NO GRASS, WHOOT!

It is a condo with an HOA, so hopefully that won't suck, but we READ THE RULES and they don't suck too much.

[marinadominguez]

Air Compressors-Top 10 in 2022

Air compressors can be used to do various tasks, including spray painting, to using your brad nailer. You don’t have to be a professional DIYer to utilize one. You don’t need to use these for items at home. You can make use of them in your vehicle too. If you’re looking to change the oil filter on your car, you’ll require an air compressor. We’ve compiled a shortlist of the top air compressors on the market! This will (hopefully) help to determine the one you want to buy. Looking for industrial-sized, large compressors? Consider a 20 Gallon Air Compressor.

Read here for more: https://besthydraulicproduct.com/10-top-air-compressors/

[thegoodthebadthebrutal]

Computer Centre / Wairere House

Wairere House, more commonly known as the Whanganui Computer Centre, was purpose-built to house the National Law Enforcement Database, or the “Whanganui Computer”. This system was New Zealand’s first centralised electronic database, allowing various Government agencies, particularly the New Zealand Police and the Transport and Justice Ministries, to record, group, and share information about New Zealanders — from vehicle registrations and drivers’ licences to traffic violations and criminal convictions. It was described by Alan McCready, the Minister of Police of the time, as “probably the most significant crime-fighting weapon ever brought to bear against lawlessness in this country”.

The Centre began operating in 1976. Because of its purpose, the building was designed for security — it is almost windowless, with thick walls to withstand any attempted security breaches. It’s a good example of the “form follows function” principle — its function as a vault for the Whanganui Computer is what really dictated its form. It’s got the extremely monolithic, block-like appearance typical of the Brutalist style — one local architect said to us that “it’s about as Brutalist as you can get''. This fortified appearance combined with its location right by the river apparently led some Whanganui residents to nickname it the Kremlin.

This building, or more importantly its contents, was a subject of concern for a lot of New Zealanders — many felt like it was a new level of government surveillance and a breach of people’s right to privacy. Comparisons were made to the ‘Big Brother’ of George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. This concern was actually translated into action on the 18th of November 1982, in an event that this building is probably best known for, when “punk anarchist” Neil Roberts attempted to destroy the Computer with a homemade bomb. The bomb did work — the explosion was apparently heard and felt for miles — but only Roberts himself was killed, and there was no critical damage caused to the building or the Computer.

Before the explosion, Roberts wrote a suicide note on a piece of cardboard that included the words: "Here’s one anarchist down. Hopefully there’s a lot more waking up. One day we’ll win - one day”. He also spray painted a slogan on the public toilet across the road that said: “we have maintained a silence closely resembling stupidity”. One of Roberts’ friends, Kathy Ramsay, said that Roberts “hated the idea of people becoming a number in a government file” and, like quite a few others, saw the Computer as a “scary development” for New Zealand.

Despite this event and protests against the Computer, the Centre was operational until 1995, by which time most government agencies had ‘in-house’ systems that made the Computer unnecessary. The building is still in use, though — it’s been used by the National Library to store some of its collection, and the top floor, which was added in 1990, houses law firm Treadwell Gordon.

[oraclekleo]

Yoo Ki Hyun (Monsta X) Ideal Partner Characteristics based on Tarot Reading

Hello and welcome!

I’m Kleo and I’m here to present some k-pop related tarot readings to you.

Disclaimer:

I would like to state that all these readings have a purely entertainment nature and their purpose is to bring some fun into my and hopefully yours lives. I have never ever met any of the idols / actors / celebrities in my readings, I don’t know them personally. Tarot reading isn’t an exact science and I can never guarantee any of it. Most of it is my intuition mixed with fantasy. Don’t take these readings seriously and don’t base any important decisions on tarot readings only, use your common sense.

If you wish to request a tarot reading, please read the pinned post on my profile first to see the instructions on how to request. I only do readings for idols / actors / celebrities of 18 years of age or older. Requests for readings including younger people will be automatically dismissed. If you feel uncomfortable with these tarot readings, do not engage in reading my posts. Thank you for understanding.

Reading Info:

Rating: 18+

Reading Type: Single - Couple

Requested: Yes - No

Deck: Crow Tarot

Spread: Ideal Partner

Questions:

Body

Heart

Spirit

Soul

Time

Place

Full Name: Yoo Ki Hyun

Stage Name: Kihyun

Group: MONSTA X

Yoo Ki Hyun

(Kihyun - Monsta X)

Deck: Crow Tarot

Spread: Ideal Partner

Body - Knight of Pentacles

Kihyun’s ideal partner is likely to be someone nearly ascetic. They’re likely focused on their own projects, can appear absent minded or confused when people talk to them because they are so immersed in their own world. They’re likely skipping meals and sleeping in order to finish their projects. They are likely to prefer comfortable and practical styles of clothing because they simply can’t care less about fashion when there are so many projects and goals in their mind.

Heart - VI The Lovers

Kihyun’s perfect match is likely a true romantic at heart. They are likely longing for their prince Charming or Knight in shining armour, maybe only secretly but they do. They enjoy all the aspects of romance and they spend their life seeking for their true soulmate and will settle for nothing less than that.

Spirit - 5 of Cups

Kihyun’s special person has likely gone through rough times and it makes it difficult for them to see the silver lining of the clouds. They might often slip into gloominess or sadness. They had their heart broken in the past, their trust has been betrayed and got disappointed by people way too many times. They are not losing hope, they are only much more cautious about who they let into their life now.

Soul - 5 of Swords

Kihyun’s ideal partner is likely someone who battled themselves and the others many times before with questionable results. They might feel defeated and bitter about all those times they attempted to stand their ground and were crushed by stronger opposition. They might crave their Knight in shining armour to come and defeat those dragons who seem to be immune to their own weapons.

Time - 8 of Swords

Kihyun might find his love through some kind of adversity, they might be in trouble and Kihyun comes for the rescue. It’s possible they meet when Kihyun’s ideal partner is suppressed in some way by the society. Maybe they are misunderstood artists and Kihyun uses his influence to promote them.

Place - Page of Wands

If Kihyun decides to live with his significant other, their home is likely to be full of tools for creative works. Paintbrushes, canvases, paints, pencils, sketch blogs, carving knives, spray paints, beads, strings, clays; whatever art form you can think of, they are likely to have supplies for it and they probably tried all of them. They are both free spirits and will create an unconventional home, an oasis of creativity and calm.

Thank you for reading!

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Comment! 💬

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[avatarofthebeholding]

Theories About the Ways Eric Delano Tried to Quit the Institute:

1. Blackmailing Jonah (James Wright)

2. Locking Jonah in artifact storage (“Mr. Wright, I refuse to let you out until you fire me”)

3. Just straight up laying across Jonah’s desk and refusing to move. Or in the doorway of his office. Basically trying to annoy Jonah into firing him. (Once he stood in the doorway of Jonah’s office and chanted “Fire me” for the whole day. Another time he glued down everything on Jonah’s desk.)

4. Changing his name (“My name isn’t the name on the employment contract anymore so it’s not legally binding to me anymore right?”)

5. Burning all the case files he was working on - if everything he’d been assigned to do was gone, maybe his tie to the Institute would be broken?

6. Destroying all of the security cameras.

7. Telling EVERYONE at the Institute, even outside of the Archives, about the Eye (and encouraging them all to quit). Even if they didn’t believe him, he made it a point to Never. Stop. Talking about it. If only so they ended up quitting because the weird archival assistant wouldn’t leave them alone. (Eric’s reasoning was that maybe if was Seen for what it was , and lost victims in the form of employees leaving, the Eye would let him go to prevent subsequent losses).

8. Covering up all of the windows in the Archives/at home so nobody could see out (or in) and then pulling a Natalie Ennis (unscrewing all the lightbulbs)

9. Writing a letter of resignation. It physically pained him. He did it anyway.

10. Breaking into Jonah’s office to find (and burn) his employment contract.

11. Somehow getting his hands on one of the closed-eye sigil People’s Church necklaces and wearing it every day (so it would hopefully protect him from the Eye’s sight)

12. When the necklace didn’t work, getting a closed-eye tattoo

13. When the tattoo didn’t work, trying to JOIN the People’s Church. They didn’t let him in.

14. Making a paper mache double and not showing up for a week (it ended up Stranger-aligned, and he got sick anyway)

15. Bringing a different one of Mary’s Leitners to work every day for a solid month or so, including but not limited to...

The one that drops animal bones

One that generates worms when you open it

One that shoots spiderwebs at whatever it’s aimed at when you open it

One that never stops playing circus music

16. Releasing a tarantula in the break room (“ok Web do your thing”). Emma found it and ended up keeping it as a pet.

17. Filling Jonah’s office with creepy dolls that may or may not have been Stranger aligned

18. Filling Jonah’s office with Stranger-aligned taxidermied animals from the Trophy Room. Which just succeeded in annoying Jonah and the animals.

19. Invoking the Spiral and just. Lying. At every possible opportunity.

20. Faking his own death...everyone was VERY surprised when he showed up at work a week later.

21. Bringing a HUGE Corruption-aligned ant farm into the Archives after everyone had gone home one night.

22. Filling the break room fridge with raw meat (Emma looked at the fridge, looked at Eric - who was absolutely SOAKED in blood - and went, “Still not fired?”)

23. Every time he was asked to lock up (Jonah really should’ve known better), and saw an avatar of one of the other Entities nearby, just casually announcing, “OH I’M JUST GONNA LEAVE. THE SPARE KEY TO THIS EYE STRONGHOLD. UNDER THIS MAT RIGHT HERE.”

24. Randomly mailing away statements (with the wrong return address on them).

25. Trying to bribe HR to terminate his employment contract

26. Hiring a lawyer to look through a blank copy of the archives employment contract and (hopefully) find some way he can get himself fired.

27. A lot of WEIRD conversations with union reps (“Look, I just want to get fired so I can spend time with my son.”). He’d get the response “I’d LOVE that kind of job security!” at least once during every. Single. One of those conversations.

28. Refusing to accept his paychecks

29. BURNING his paychecks

30. After a conversation with Adelard Dekker, he once tried to fill the archives with cement after hours.

31. After reading a statement about the Buried almost drowning someone, he turned on the sinks in all the bathrooms before he left one night to try and flood the Institute.

32. Shoveling dirt from the courtyard into a wheelbarrow and dumping it in Jonah’s office (“This is now the domain of the Buried. FIRE ME.”)

33. Bringing a clown into the Archives. Like, just a random clown. (“LOOK! I’m Stranger-aligned!” *hugs clown* “I am the Eye’s Arch-enemy!!!”)

34. Stealing all the keys to the Archives after locking up (again, Jonah should really know better) one night. Can’t be a job if no one can get into the building, right?

35. Using stencils and spray paint to cover the walls of the archives (and Jonah’s office) in fractals

36. Paying people to come in and give false statements

37. After finding Barnabas Bennett’s bones in Jonah’s office, he positioned them outside the door to the institute to scare off potential statement givers.

(Thank you to @demasc , @ofdreamsanddoodles , & @cuttlefishkitch for helping me brainstorm for this monster list!)