#the curse of my camera being angled to show my entire studio and i will not use that shitty blur filter

[vvelegrin]

my psychiatrist not realizing he's about to fucking obliterate me: oh your room looks a lot cleaner this week

[ecargmura]

Dandadan Episode 4 Review - Crabby Turbo Granny

Wow, I just witnessed a masterpiece of an episode. From animation to storytelling to voice acting, this episode was fantastic in every way. This episode alone just put Science Saru on the map in terms of being a powerhouse animation studio. Man, I felt as if my eyesight got cleansed…and this is coming from someone who got LASIK three years ago.

This entire episode is just about Momo and Okarun facing off against Turbo Granny in hopes of curing the latter of his curse and get his thingy back. I like that the episode does not diverge away or have side content. It’s just a battle between them and the granny from beginning to end. It’s nice in a way. Sometimes, anime episodes do have a tendency to cut away to other characters.

The animation was *chefs kiss*. The camera angles are fire and how the characters move around is seriously amazing. My favorite part is when Momo decided to be Okarun’s guiding hands as she uses her powers to help him turn and fly. Not only is this amazing animation, but it also shows their impeccable teamwork even though it’s only been a day or two since they met. The choice to have a rendition of a classical song while Okarun went full throttle for the second time was so cool. Seiko is also in on the plan as she has been waiting at the front of the Kamigoe area as it’s the only way to defeat both spirits. 

I loved the twist of not being just Turbo Granny but also the location-bound spirit that they have to deal with. It’s interesting that spirits turn into crabs. It could just be Japanese folklore on that part, but that’s an interesting detail. It turns out that Turbo Granny is a protective spirit underneath her malice as her tendency to gobble up men’s peckers is because the tunnel she had resided in had been used as a place where girls would’ve been taken to get violated, mutilated and then killed. Turbo Granny had been a bit of a protective spirit for those lost girls’ souls. In a way, it makes her a bit sympathetic. It also makes sense how she was able to find Momo so easily in the first episode in that she traveled through the phone as she sensed a girl in danger and that was why she bit the aliens’ things.

The voice acting was also amazing. Shion Wakayama has seriously proven herself to be a strong rising star with how she screams and yells at different instances and she makes them sound realistic. However, her best performance in this episode has to be at the end where she was fighting with her grandmother Seiko over the crab legs and then she started making unhinged noises when chewing crab legs. Everyone else did amazing as to be expected of established voice actors.

Now that the Turbo Granny arc has come to an end. However, it doesn’t seem like Okarun got his balls back given that the story is still on-going. I do wonder what’s next in store for the story. Will they meet more ghosts or will their next adversary be an alien? What do you think?

[aion-rsa]

How WandaVision’s Doctor Strange 2 Connection Evolved

https://ift.tt/2PXAD5F

This article contains WANDAVISION spoilers.

WandaVision withdrawal is widespread as we reach the first Friday without a new episode of the acclaimed Disney+ series to ravenously consume and pick apart. True to any broadly celebrated television event, the series complemented an action-packed climax with an array of unanswered questions, especially regarding where it left Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff—now uber-powerful and fully-realized as the Scarlet Witch—for her imminent big screen return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Interestingly, while it did tout teased connections, they came about quite late into the show’s production.

The expectation that WandaVision would provide a point of transition for Wanda’s return alongside Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme in star Benedict Cumberbatch’s upcoming Doctor Strange sequel was prevalent due to reports—later confirmed—of Olsen’s casting for Multiverse of Madness and a subsequent TCA comment from Marvel Studios chief creative officer Kevin Feige stating that the series “goes into a feature.” However, the indicatively titled March 5 closer, “The Series Finale,” didn’t exactly deliver a direct Doctor Strange sequel tease—like, say, a cameo by Cumberbatch. While it did provide an intriguing setup for the sequel (more on that later), Olsen and head writer/executive producer Jac Schaeffer reveal in a Variety postmortem interview that the Doctor Strange aspect wasn’t a factor in the show’s initial conception.

“Truthfully, the connection between WandaVision and where we leave Wanda and Doctor Strange 2, it was sort of fluid for a time, because we were very much under way before they were entirely underway,” explains Schaeffer. “So, it was a conversation. From where I’m sitting, it’s been very organic.” Indeed, the series spawned myriad theories that led many analysts (this writer being no exception,) down a canard cul-de-sac about it being the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s gateway to a Strange-pertinent multiverse angle to codify the company’s usage of the returned X-Men and Fantastic Four film rights. This notably centered on the almost-cruel tease of using Fox X-Men movie speedster Pietro Maximoff, Evan Peters, to play an ersatz “recast” of Wanda’s deceased MCU sibling; a character who turned out to be just a bewitched local denizen named Ralph Bohner.

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Of course, the non-multiverse plot development, which disappointed segments of the fandom, wasn’t intended as an elaborate prank perpetrated by Schaeffer on the show’s eagle-eyed community of Zapruder-film-treating theory-spouters. Rather, it was simply the story she had set out to tell; one that would happen to undergo an evolution due to external factors connected to the studio’s plans for Phase Four of the MCU, which WandaVision ended up launching after the pandemic delayed the big screen plans of Black Widow. Moreover, it turns out that Doctor Strange wasn’t even on Olsen’s radar during the vast majority of the show’s production. “I didn’t know my part in Doctor Strange until right before we got back to filming during the pandemic,” says the actress. “We had two months left, and we’d filmed the majority of our show already. Really, I knew nothing until that moment when they pitched [Doctor Strange 2] to me verbally.”

Thusly, by the time Olsen became privy to Wanda’s imminent return in Multiverse of Madness—and likely with a general idea about how that will play out—she had to exercise discipline in retaining focus on the task at hand. “I tried, as much as I could, almost less so to have [Doctor Strange 2] affect WandaVision as have WandaVision affect it. I think that’s really been where the connection is. It’s almost like we’re trying to make sure that everything is honoring what we did [on the show].” Having navigated that challenge, the Strange-pertinent additions to WandaVision eventually manifested late into the production—during the pandemic—with Wanda in a post-credits scene from the finale, which added literal and figurative dimensions to her eventual return. The scene in question shows a once-reluctant Wanda dressed casually in sweats, sipping a hot drink while sitting on the front porch of a small, remote, mountain wilderness-set cabin that clearly resembles the cursed cabin from The Evil Dead film series, serving as a meta-minded reference to director Sam Raimi, who’s directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It doesn’t stop there, though.

Marvel Studios

The scene then delivers a double dose of Strange-evocative sorcery when Wanda walks into the cabin’s spartan kitchen to refill her cup, leaving the camera to pan away into a back room, in which we see another Wanda—presumably the real one, who projected the relaxed doppelganger—in full Scarlet Witch garb, eerily floating and using her abilities to unlock powerful tome the Darkhold (liberated from the now-neutralized Agatha Harkness), as we hear the voices of her Westview-created twin sons, Billy and Tommy, calling for her help. Thus, we not only see that Wanda has mastered a version of Doctor Strange’s astral projection, but she’s diving deep down the dimensional rabbit hole to somehow materialize her sons; a potentially dangerous endeavor that seems destined to ping the radar of Doctor Strange, not to mention magic-minded villains like Mordo, Dark Dimension overlord Dormammu and, yes, maybe even the clear heavyweight champion of widely-nursed red herring WandaVision theories, classic Marvel devil figure Mephisto.

Regardless, Schaeffer seems satisfied that WandaVision managed to stay true to the substance of her vision (both the concept and the character), and it does seem that the phenomenon of stifling studio meddling was minimal, despite its connection to grandiose franchise designs. “The acceptance arc [Wanda’s coming to terms with grief and latent magical powers] was the point of WandaVision, but the falling action evolved,” emphasizes Schaeffer. However, she embraces what the show managed to do for Multiverse of Madness, which is currently in production. “It’s a lovely way to do a handoff,” she lauds. “I’ve been over here wishing them well in Los Angeles, as they’re in the U.K.”

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While WandaVision has signed off the proverbial airwaves, the MCU will be back with another highly-anticipated television offering, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which premieres on Disney+ on Friday, March 19. Wanda’s return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently scheduled to hit theaters on March 25, 2022.

The post How WandaVision’s Doctor Strange 2 Connection Evolved appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/30AxYRC

[talakhouri]

Forefront - Cursed

Cursed is an animated short by Studio AFK, it talks about a villainess who enjoys being evil. But after a hero catches her eye she goes through a drastic change, tries her best to get his attention, the pursuit and result are very funny and treated nicely. Besides the animation looking well animated, The one thing that grabbed my instant attention are the facial expressions.

What I noticed in the face in this animation is the amazing use of each animation principle in it. I know this might sound very obvious, but I never worked with facial expressions following this way, after going through this short frame by frame I noticed that squash and stretch and anticipation are very used.

In these screenshots, those two animation principles are very easily noticed.

In this one the anticipation I think is more flagrant than all the other ones, the way she kind of looks down with different angles of her smiles before taking the final form of the facial expression with a more exaggerated head tilt and smile. this should help me a lot.

couldn’t ignore this because I never realized how much squash and stretch for the face alone can add to the entire piece, it not only exaggerates the movement but it also gives the audience the feeling that this person is thinking and making an effort to feel or do a certain thing, which alone makes the character more relatable.

What also struck me is this piece is the comedy in it, having a villain trapping a princess is extremely cliche, but I never before have seen the villain falls in love with the hero and have the hero in such a “bad boy” vibe, I personally love how the story is treated and the little added details to make the audience giggle is something I am going to try to implement in my own work. Finally, the overall feel of the entire animation is amazing, I think it works really well as a facial expression reference, it pretty much guides the audience to know on what and for how long to pay attention, the staging and the camera movements help emphasize that as well. for example, when the villain is very happy, the camera is zoomed in so that we can see all the details in her face and expression, as the white sparkle in her eyes that show how in love with the hero she is.

I’ve been worried about this stage a lot, but after this somehow research and knowledge on what to look for in animated pieces had made me more confident to take on this facial expression journey.

References:

Kaufman, L. (2019). Cursed - BetweenTheFrames - Medium. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/betweentheframes/cursed-8789144c136d [Accessed 1 Jul. 2019].

Derksen, N. (2014). Cursed. [Blog] Nicole Derksen. Available at: https://nicolederksen.com/work/cursed/ [Accessed 1 Jul. 2019].

[lonelypond]

PhotoJazz, Chapter 4

Love Live, NicoMaki, 6.6K, 4/5

Summary: Nico and Maki invade LA for a photoshoot.

A Fine Romance

Maki was not a morning person. Not going to bed was the only way she was ever up early enough to see the sun rise. And that usually only happened if she was near a beach. Or caught by an idea. And yes, Maki, was caught at the moment, but it was more like tripped up by circumstances beyond her control and snared by a semi-scenic view while bothered by bitey gnats, rather than calmly enjoying the horizon. Sunglasses, coat, 2 cameras, a laptop, and a change of clothes shoved into one bag, plus the sweat pants, t-shirt, and a hoodie comfortable enough to sleep on the plane in she was wearing. Nico was bright eyed, impossibly bright eyed behind large sunglasses, and practically merry, dressed in a svelte black knit dress with a gray shawl thrown over her hair and shoulders. She waved at Maki, pulling her bag behind her as she approached with a chirped, “Good morning.”

Maki glared over her sliding sunglasses, “Not until I sleep it’s not.”

“You look terrible.” Nico frowned, pushing Maki’s sunglasses back up the redhead’s nose. Maki was too tired to startle at the encroachment.

“Flattery, how kind.” Sarcasm before noon was a given, Yazawa might as well get used to it. “It’s your fault.

A smirk, of course it was a smirk, “Oh, did thinking about Nico keep you up all night?”

“Researching your photo shoot did.” Maki followed Nico to the gate.

Nico waved her free hand airily, speeding along, “Nico has it all under control.”

“No, I took a look at the venue on line last night. And Houdini. I have some really good ideas.” Maki raced a bit to catch up to Nico, cursing herself for sounding eager.

Nico stopped, turning to face the photographer, “Nico knows what works.”

Maki was beginning to believe half of her conversations with Nico were hallucinations. Unacceptable. Maki was not going to get dragged around LA like Nico had dragged her around Evanston and Chicago. Maki pulled her phone out her pocket, showing Nico the message stream, “You sent me this: ‘She redid Garbo’s image like Nico needs you to do with hers.’”

“That was last night. Now Nico has a plan.” Nico frowned at Maki’s vibrating with censure.

“A plan you didn’t ask me about? That’s like having a Ferrari and only taking it out to go to the grocery store.” Maki was shouting, people were staring, “Did you even research what I can do?”

“Ferrari?” Nico snorted, dodging Maki’s question. “Curvy and fast and driveable?”

“Expensive, a fucking work of art, and extremely temperamental.” Maki caught herself before a glass window met her phone, shoving it deep in her coat pocket.

“Do you do your own PR?”

“Yes.” Maki began speed walking toward the gate again. “Why did you even call me?”

“We worked together well. You were nice to my little brother. You’re cute.” Nico smiled as she matched Maki’s pace.

“We did not work together well. It was only going to be one time so I just bit my lip to get it over with.” Maki glared down at the speedy speck keeping up with her too easily.

Nico’s look was a carefully nuanced take on ‘who’s fault was that?” and Maki felt like spitting. Then her brain threw up on the word “cute.”

“I am not cute.”

Nico giggled, “I beg to differ. You’re adorable.”

“I am not.” Maki huffed, changing the shoulder she had her bag slung over . “You just said you were ‘a fucking work of art’ so obviously you’re not into being modest. Nico knows cute.”

Maki stopped. “Cute is for little kids and puppies.” She stared at Nico, “Is all this an attempt to...are you trying to…” Maki felt a shiver, “date me? Is that why you...the flowers...” Maki had been trying not to let a suspicion form in her mind but the ROSES had kept staring at her from her studio work table.

Nico doubled over, with laughter or potential cramp, Maki wasn’t sure. Then she heard the sniggering. “See. Adorable. No, Nico is not trying to date or drive you, Ms. NishiCARno. Nico really really needs a photographer and Nozomi is being a really really terrible friend, leaving me like this, right when people are interested in Nico’s next step.” Nico blinked, her eyes soft, deep and hopeful, “But Nico needs people to pay attention so if I have to be out of my comfort zone, being associated with someone stylish, hot, intriguing, high class, and talented doesn’t hurt my image.”

It was all plotted out, emotionless, practical, rapacious, their interactions designed to boost Nico’s profile and image. Maki respected the thought process while swallowing the hurt at being revealed to be as much of a tool to Yazawa as her camera.

Nico’s next statement was softer, “Nico has no time for personal, right now.” She rested her hand quickly on Maki’s, “But I don’t mind the eye candy.”

Oh gods, somehow that made it worse. Not only was Maki a tool, she was practically a pinup. How very impersonal. Maki pulled her hand back, inhaling, forcing her voice not to quaver. No one was walking over her, certainly not this tiny template of terror, “I ordered props. For part of this, we will be doing things my way.” She stood as tall as she could, eyes narrowed, jaw set. “Or I don’t get on the plane.”

Nico shrugged casually, as if Maki were being silly about which ice cream flavor to choose, and vroomed down the corridor leading to their plane, Maki struggling to keep up as adrenaline drained from her system.

Fancy hotel, penthouse suite. 2 rooms and shared spaces. The entire floor. Private elevator. When Maki travelled, it was usually to a family holding, the beach house, the mountain cabin, the friend’s barely off Broadway loft. This much space was...disconcerting. Strange. It made her want to be close to someone, but the only person to be close to was Nico and that wasn’t happening. Maki missed Eli and Umi, even Alisa. They were always good for pointing out a new side of things, of finding amusing quirks to tease at, there was a comfortable level of banter, honed over college studies and joint travels. With Nico, it was like Maki had been swept up in a hurricane of extroverted celebrity status with a steady rain of charming and washed ashore someplace she’d never even seen on a map. Disorienting. Plus, the eye candy thing...how did you even respond to someone who dismisses you so thoroughly, then compliments you in the same sentence.

Nico and Maki barely spoken on the flight (Nico had taken the time to inform Maki about the decibel levels of her snoring when they landed) or the limo ride here. No comfort level, no banter or patter or...Maki sighed, threw herself on divan number 3 and started carefully examining the nearly 10 pounds of wood and brass and leather bellows of the camera in front of her. She had a page up on her laptop that demonstrated all the ways the lens could be angled and modified. It was fascinating. And a little scary. But Nico had said the camera was hers so Maki was more confident than she might have been in how much fun she could have. The hardest part would be not seeing the pictures until she got to a darkroom. And figuring out how to use a darkroom again. Maki had taken many photos on film and gone through the basics at school, but she’d focused so much on digital and animated manipulations that physical ones would have to be forcibly remembered. An interesting challenge. Nico seemed to present them.

Maki lifted up the film holders, choosing one to slide in. Now what would make an interesting test picture? Nico came out of the bathroom, in the very definition of a little black dress, shiny metallic heels adding to her height, hair swept up in a bun, eyelashes lengthened, eyes, well, the eyes, they were judging, Maki could tell.

“Nerd.” Nico pursed her lips, “Go get changed.”

“Huh?” Maki glanced up from where she was cautiously trying to slide the frame into the camera without scratching any of the carefully ground glass necessary for operating the contraption.

Nico rested a hand on her hip, “We are attending a party. You have people to meet. Nico is helping you extend your social circle.”

Maki shook her head, pointing to the camera, “This is the only company I need.”

Nico pouted, “There’s food. Don’t you want dinner? It’s in the ballroom downstairs so you can always wander back here.”

“What’s the party for?”

Nico shrugged, “Thursday? I don’t know. Someone’s premiering something, some company brought several cases of champagnes, lots of actresses are wandering around looking for someone to compliment their choice of designer charity. And shoes. Always pay attention to the shoes. Dates have been ruined over the clash between Louboutin fans and my Brian Atwoods.”

Maki slowly finished sliding in the negative, “You sound jaded. And are shoes really that important?”

Nico’s laugh was harsh and throaty as she sat primly on the edge of the couch, not quite near Maki, “You should see Nico in her Georgia Vic boots. They lace up to here.” Nico traced a line midway up her thigh with a finger. “Your inner Mapplethorpe would drool.” Nico stared thoughtfully at her current shoes, sleek, stiletto and silver gold leather, “Nico has been doing this for a long time. I thought it might be fun to bring new eyes.” Nico leaned in toward Maki, lengthy eyelashes fluttering as Maki’s fought her tendency to focus on the color variations of Nico’s lips. Tonight the pink had a touch of gray. Nico continued, almost wistful. “Such pretty eyes too. Would you prefer lovely lavender or amazing amethyst when I TWIG about you?” She pulled out her phone and prepared to take a photo of Maki.

Flushing, Maki knocked away the phone as the camera clicked, her hand briefly brushing Nico’s. “Vexed violet if you post that shot. Please stop with the compliments. They don’t work on me.” Maki hefted the Century Universal between them, “You wouldn’t get any closeups from here with this thing.”

Another pout, “That’s a not subtle way to get Nico to back off. Isn’t it? Pretty camera though, they took good care of it.” Nico stroked the cherry and mahogany as Maki put the camera back on the table. “Come to the Gala with me. Nico needs a wingwoman.”

“I didn’t bring anything formal.” Maki slouched, still in her sweats. “All working clothes. And I thought you weren’t interested in dating.”

“There’s dating and there’s…” Nico winked, stretching a hand out, neatly trimmed nails painted silver catching the light, “flirting with possibilities.”

Maki refused to acknowledge Nico, back to fidgeting with the camera as Nico watched her, amused at Maki’s discomfort at the subtext.

“Hmmmm….” Nico started entering numbers into her phone, “I’m sure the concierge can scrounge up a tuxedo jacket.” Nico glanced at Maki speculatively, “And I’m betting you packed at least one impressive street art inspired t-shirt. Just tell me you have something that isn’t sweats.”

“Black jeans.” Maki admitted.

Nico flashed the okay sign as she spoke into her phone, “Hi, this is Nico Yazawa in the penthouse suite. Do you think you could scrounge me up a tuxedo jacket in a medium-ish size, decent shoulders, tapered at the waist, and some kind of street style fashion forward hat….Yes, it’s for the Gala...Half an hour would be perfect. Thank you!”

Maki couldn’t remember agreeing to go with Nico. That seemed to be happening near daily since Eli’s marriage. But then Nico was shoving her playfully off the couch with a laugh and Maki went to change into the only respectable piece of clothing she’d packed.

My Funny Valentine

The band was good. That seemed to be a feature of parties where Maki and Nico’s paths crossed. Jazz again, with a singer. Nico rolled her eyes and pulled Maki to the bar, grabbing them both champagne flutes.

“Here’s to taking Hollywood by storm, Imogen.” Nico’s eyes fizzed with daring as champagne bubbles tickled Maki’s nose.

“Imogen?” Maki wiggled her nose to hold back a sneeze, then tilted her glass to tap Nico’s.

“Imogen Cunningham, nudes and flowers.” Nico puffed her chest out like a feathered show off about to strut and crow. “Nico now knows more about photographers than you do.Want to know why Berenice Abbott used black and white in her photos of New York City? Nico can tell you.”

Maki giggled, a little stunned by Nico’s sudden desire to be an encyclopedia of photographers. “Do you want a camera for Christmas too? I’ll let Santa know.”

Nico pouted, “Nico is fine. What does Maki want to talk about?”

Maki glanced around the ballroom, the quartet at the front breaking into a lively rendition of “My Funny Valentine.” She poked Nico with her empty flute, suddenly giddy and wondering if she shouldn’t have just gotten some rest or food first, “Name the composer.” Maki swept her arm out to point to the band, Nico ducking under.

“Hey watch it.” Nico confiscated the glass, “Let’s get you some food.”

“Composer.” Maki was going to continue stubborn, no matter how much her stomach rumbled at the thought of tasting anything solid enough to chew.

“Rodgers and Hart. Nico was in a production of Babes in Arms in a community theatre in high school. Want me to sing ‘The Lady is A Tramp”’ for you? You seem too hungry to wait for dinner this late.” Nico’s smile bumped up several notches and she reached out to pull someone into a hug, “Ags! I haven’t seen you in forever.“

‘NICO!” A tiny blonde screamed and leapt into Nico’s embrace. “You’re back!!???!?!”

“With two degrees.” Nico announced proudly as most of the room focused temporarily on this reunion.

“I’m so impressed. Everyone was saying you’d get bored and Northwestern would be too hard.”

Maki noticed Nico’s jaw tighten, but her smile only got brighter, “Studying lines is good practice for college.”

Ags giggled, “It would be. Maybe I’ll find someplace with cute fraternity guys.”

“Go for it.” Nico raised her hands to her temples, “Nico Ni recommends it.”

Ags lost it, giggles pouring out of her, “Oh, Nico, it’s been years. You’re still so...Nico.”

Again, a tightening of Nico’s jaw. Ags’s brown eyes finally noticed Maki, “Who’s your date?”

“This is my friend, Maki Nishikino. She’s a photographer. Had a show at the Annenberg two years ago.”

“Ooh, good looking and distinguished. You could always pick ‘em.” Ags extended a hand, “I’m Agnes Villeneuve, Nico and I did a few shows together.”

Maki shook Agnes’s hand, unimpressed with how lightly it rested in hers. Wouldn’t trust that grip with any of her cameras. She wondered what other facts Nico had filed away about her career, right alongside Harriet Ruth Louise’s, Martha Cooper’s, and Berenice Abbott’s. Maki started twirling her hair as Nico filled Agnes in on the plans for her LA visit. When Agnes started to dish gossip from her latest job, Maki excused herself to grab some food.

Ah, everything was better and more bearable with half a tray worth of savory smoked salmon vol-au-vents, Maki realized, surveying the party again, calmer, not sure where Nico had gotten to. Then she was stumbled into with a giggle. She glanced down to find her arms full of a woman filling out a slip of a scarlet dress.

“Are you all right?” Maki asked politely as she assisted the woman to her feet as rapidly as possible.

“Are you Maki Nishikino? My friends and I were wondering. I’m Amy, hi!” Blue eyes in too pale skin blinked at Maki.

Maki smoothed her hair back over her ear, “I am. Did you…”

“OH MY GOD! So what were Anju and Erena like? Did you have a threesome?” A grab of her arm and Maki found herself stumbling backwards, “I’d pose naked for you. Do you like bubble baths?”

Maki thought as often as she heard some variation on that, she’d be used to it. But no, her whole body went to ‘avoid apocalypse’ mode while her face turned as red as biologically possible and her brain refused to provide anything that could qualify as conversation, or even syllables. It was a little like scat singing with only the empty, creaky passage of air through her vocal chords. “Drink” came out eventually as Maki picked an adjacent clump of partygoers to dive into, nodding at one, inadvertently elbowing another, escaping as quickly as possible. She picked up another flute of champagne at the bar, wondering if she should just retreat upstairs and get a bottle of Laphroig from room service.

“What the hell did that woman say to you? Offer to pose nude?” Nico’s voice barked, loud enough that everyone nearby turned to stare. Maki felt the flute slide out of her fingers. It tilted when it hit the bar, spilling. “Really? Wow. You have it worse than Nico.”

Maki gulped, not making eye contact with ANYONE and mouthing “Water” at the bartender. He popped the lid on a small bottle of Limonata San Pellegrino and handed it over. Maki took a swallow, hissing a little at the citrus bite.

“Hand me a champagne, please.” A smooth voice slid into Maki’s hearing. She turned. A tall, elegant woman in a black and gold suit, with matching stacked bracelets, smiled at her, “Maki Nishikino, right? I’m honored to meet you.” Maki picked up a flute and handed it to the new person, feeling Nico lean into the bar on the other side of her. After a sip, the conversation continued, “I’m Jada Jefferson. I saw your work at the Annenberg, but what I really loved was how you worked mythology into your Tsubasa Kira shoot. She said it impacted the songs she wrote for her next album.” A slow smile, a toasty welcome to match the warm brown of Jada’s skin tone, “Impressive to have that much of an effect.” Jada tilted her glass toward Maki, who could feel Nico vibrating next to her.

Then Nico’s hand reached across Maki to grab her own glass of champagne. “We were having a conversation.”

The smile got broader, “Nico, right? My little cousin loved your show. My aunty used to buy her your albums for her birthday and Christmas. Fun stuff for kids. She cried when you retired.”

Nico spluttered. Maki was a little fascinated and found herself half turning to watch. Jada continued, cutting off any response from Nico. “What brings you to LA, Maki?”

“Nico.” Nico and Maki both spoke at the same moment, with completely different intonations. Nico huffed as Maki continued, “She dragged me out here because one of my best friends eloped with her pet photographer. They’re on their honeymoon in Australia right now.”

“Ah, that explains it. You seem more panther than tabby.” Jada sipped her champagne.

Maki was only watching Nico out of her peripheral vision but she swore the tiny tantrum went white with rage, “Nope. Just a favor for a friend. Temping.” Maki laughed, “Haven’t done that since college. It’s nice to be flown first class though.” Maki admitted.

“Well, if you want a tour of LA’s...” Jada paused, “Of anything LA, really, nightspots, museums, statuary, here’s my card. My schedule’s fairly flexible. I have my own law firm.” Jada’s fingers lingered on Maki’s hand, gold and onyx bangles jingling on her wrist.

“Thanks!” Maki pocketed the card with a nod.

“You won’t have time.” Nico muttered, nudging Maki with a sharp elbow, as Jada moved to a group of people she was obviously friendly with.

Maki raised an eyebrow, “I don’t have a personal assistant for many reasons, one is that so no one tells me my schedule.” Maki’s grin was provocative, “Plus, after I’m done with you…” Maki shrugged.

“Classy, Nishikino. Nico has friends to find.” Nico whirled away, her mood stormy. Amused, Maki wondered if she should try a test photo with the Century, but she didn’t want to waste the negatives. Did Nico have anything to wear for the Houdini part of the photoshoot? Maybe the concierge could help out again, if Maki asked for something channelling the Debbie Ocean at the end of Oceans 8 vibe. She should go upstairs, look over her Houdini research and plan her shots. She would save a dozen negatives for that and keep the Fuji handy. How far into Houdini mode would Nico be willing to go? Obviously, actually escaping required practice Nico didn’t have, but Maki had ideas to make it look like Nico had without endangering her. Getting Nico in the water tank would probably take some persuading. Maki finished her water and headed to the elevator. Time to write it all down and sketch out the best angles. The Century Universal and the limited film at hand made her choices more weighted.

The More I See You

Maki stumbled out of her bedroom. Too early again, two days in a row. Nico was already awake, with variety breakfast options spread out on the table.

“Sit and eat. The limo’s due in a half an hour.” Nico tilted her head at Maki as she picked at a fruit salad, “Your hair’s standing up. Have a nightmare?”

“Right now.” Maki grumbled, grabbing a scone.

“Rude.” Nico stuck out her tongue and pushed a mug in Maki’s direction, “I made coffee.”

Maki grunted, chewing through the scone, “Donuts are nice.”

“Not healthy.”

“Morale is important.” Maki inhaled coffee, leaning over the mug, waking up brain cell by brain cell.

Nico leaned back, laced her fingers together and stretched. A few more of Maki’s brain cells woke up. Nico bopped to her feet. “Nico is going to change. We’ll pack up what you don’t eat. Don’t need you getting silly from hunger again, like last night.”

“There won’t be champagne.” Maki pointed out.

Nico stopped by the couch, picking up a garment bag, “The concierge had this delivered. What is it?”

“For the Houdini part. I told her Sandra Bullock with the martini at the end of Oceans 8.” Nico didn’t say anything and Maki wondered if she’d gone too far, picking out a look, “That’s okay, isn’t it?”

Nico nodded, unzipping the bag halfway, but black and white formal isn’t terribly gripping without a frame to drape over, “It’s fine.” Nico licked her lips, thoughtful, “Nico is just surprised by your attention to detail.”

Maki shrugged and grabbed a strawberry, “I don’t want to waste your time. I planned out a few shots. We can discuss them on the ride over. It shouldn’t be anything too difficult.” Maki was beginning to doubt the wisdom of the water tank, by late afternoon, it might be chilly. “If anything makes you uncomfortable, we’ll skip it.”

Nico seemed surprised by the concern in Maki’s voice and took a minute to zip the bag back up. Her reply was hesitant, almost deferential. “Nico wants to know how you see this. I can manage whatever you have in mind.”

Maki nodded, digging out more berries, both straw and blue, and skipping on to the next topic in her head, would the chains drape well? And would the linen fabric of Nico’s shirt get caught or dragged?

I Don’t Know Enough About You

The morning had gone fairly well. The Century Universal had proven surprisingly cooperative to work with, as had Nico. Maki was impressed by Nico’s professionalism. There was no flirting, no patter, just some questions about poses and locations, a few smiles for the assistants helping with lighting and props, the initial conversation about the charms of the grounds. Nico hadn’t even blinked when she’d seen the water tank...or the chains. There might have been a sharp glint in the ruby deeps, sparked off the Mapplethorpe jibe Nico swallowed as she twirled handcuffs around her finger, but no actual cutting remark.

“Nothing locks. I made sure. We can test it on me first.” Maki hurried to reassure Nico that she had taken proper safety precautions.

“That’s quite an offer, Maaaki,” Nico dragged out her name with a wink; Maki rolled her eyes and went back to looking for the tripod in the collection of gear they’d had the assistants carry onto the grounds. “I have to get changed and do makeup.” Ignored, Nico put the handcuffs back in their place, “Will you be ready in 20 minutes?”

Maki found the tripod, set it up, and crouched to push at the legs to see how securely it was going to sit.

“Maki?” Nico prodded Maki on the shoulder and the redhead glanced up, not paying full attention, “20 minutes?”

“Sure.” Back to the tripod. Now to check the connections between camera and base. Then Maki could work on sliding in the frames without jostling the camera. What had Nico said?

When Nico returned, in a long black and white gown, hair loosely gathered at the back of her neck to fall gracefully down her back, agile lips a dark pink, sparkling eyes framed by dark lashes, expressive eyebrows raised for comment, cheekbones carved with exquisite and subtle strokes, Maki just stopped, struck by a Nico stripped down to her roots, caught by the stark beauty of Nico’s profile, the pull of the star’s focused glance, the drive and dash that came through with each flicker of a change of expression. Holy fuck, Maki thought, this was what drew moviegoers into the dream realms captured on the screen, this distilled power, this fascination. Maki found herself getting excited, eager to see what a vintage classic could capture of a modern one.

It was relaxing Maki realized, as the shoot progressed, to just be this focused on her camera and her work and trust Nico to be where, what and who she needed. Nico didn’t need coaxing or compliments, if Maki happened to blurt out a genuine appreciation for Nico’s eyes at that angle or the way the star’s smile teased between fire and flirt, Nico barely acknowledged the photographer had spoken. No attention drawn, Maki happily working in a cocoon of obliviousness. Then one of the assistants spoke quickly to Nico, pointing to something on her phone while Maki was making a position change for the camera. They were shooting by the Waterfall and the Grand Stairway, Nico bravely scrambling over rocks for the angles Maki wanted, careful only for her gown.

Nico frowned. “Security says someone is here for you.”

Maki was confused, Eli didn’t even know where they planned to shoot. “Nope. Can’t be. Nobody knows I’m here.”

Nico crossed her arms as Tsubasa Kira appeared at the top of the stairway, in a chic, green crushed velvet suit, waving, her voice echoing, “Maki! You should have told me you were in LA. We could have had dinner last night.”

“Oh, hi, Tsubasa!” Maki stepped out from behind the Century, grimacing apologetically at Nico.

Tsubasa took her time descending the staircase, heading immediately to Maki and sliding her arm through the photographer’s, “Introduce me.” Tsubasa raised an eyebrow at Nico, “Although I know who you are, Nico. Your TWIG feed told me where to find my favorite photographer.”

Tsubasa gleamed at Maki, who shook off her arm, hands going to her pockets. “Tsubasa Kira, Nico Yazawa.”

“I’m a performer as well.” Tsubasa extended a hand to Nico, who watched the action warily before a quick, hard shake.

“I know. Mermaid, right.” Nico gritted, “You’ll enjoy the grotto. It’s damp. There’s a koi pond up there you can dip your fins in.”

“I’m so glad that picture is pulled so often when someone is doing an article about the genius of Maki Nishikino. I’m glad to have been a humble help.” Tsubasa bowed, smiling in Maki’s direction.

Nico snorted and Maki stared at her. Nico winked, causing a blush and a turnaway, then flipped her attention back to Tsubasa, “Yeah, Kendrick’s def rapping about you.”

Tsubasa decided to stop clashing with Nico and check out what Maki was doing. With quick steps she moved to the Century, hands out, curious. Nico leaned against a railing.

“Don’t touch it.” Maki snapped at Tsubasa, who made a big show of leaping back.

“Is it that unsteady?” The singer wondered, unbuttoning her jacket.

Maki bobbed her head back and forth for a few seconds, “You just have to approach it with respect.” She checked the tripod again, and glanced at Nico. “I have to adjust the bellows. Nico, didn’t you need a gown change?”

Nico had her arms crossed and shook her head, “I’m only adding a shawl. Ben can help me.”

“Ok.” Maki started stretching the bellows out, changing the angle of the lens while one of the more eager assistants carefully sorted through the clothes on the hanging rack.

“You really do look 16.” Tsubasa, having taking steps to the left, was now back in Nico range and taking the time for a thorough once over, “No wonder no one takes you seriously.”

Nico bit her lip, Maki thought she saw a fist clench on the side of Nico turned away from the conversation. But Nico’s voice was confident and calm, her shrug exquisite, bare shoulders rolling confidently through disdain and dismissal, “Their mistake.”

Tsubasa glanced back to Maki, “Do you mind if I hang around and watch?”

Maki shook her head, frowning, “We need to catch all the natural light we can. And there’s a few stunts I want Nico to do after this batch of poses, so no, I really don’t have the time for company.”

“We really don’t.” Nico repeated, her tone mild, her pose tolerant.

Tsubasa moved in closer to Maki, reaching to caress the photographer’s forearm, “Maybe we can meet for dinner somewhere with a view of the ocean. I’ve missed your perspective on art and music. I’m finishing a new album.”

Maki stood, hands on her hips, glancing quickly at a very still Nico, still biting her lip, eyes staring off to the side, disinterest too obviously a performance choice to be a clue to Nico’s real thoughts. Maki smiled down at Tsubasa, “Thanks for the visit, Tsubasa. Call me if you’re in Chicago and we can catch dinner and a view of Lake Michigan. My treat.”

Tsubasa tried for delighted at the prospect, but her mood had wilted, “It was good to see you, Maki.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss Maki on the cheek. “I’ll send you concert tickets when I tour the Midwest this February.”

“Thanks.” Maki waved, then went immediately back to her camera, ignoring Nico, who chuckled, waved grandly at Tsubasa, and let Ben hand her the shawl.

“Where do you want me, O Unwerth-y one?”

I’m Beginning To See The Light

Maki was surprised. Somehow a Nico who looked so girly and frilly and perfect in pink was also pulling off a disconcertingly dashing level of ‘wow’ with an undone tie, open at the collar linen shirt, black pants, sable hair falling soft and silky below her shoulders, eyes sharp and shrewd. Then came the shots of Nico bold in a hidden, shadowed archway, chains wrapped around Nico’s arms, neck, and torso. They’d started with locks, arrayed as Houdini usually had them, but leaving them off made for a better visual. Nico easily handled the added weight of the chains as she moved, as if she worked with them every day. Then came the water tank, set up in the late afternoon sun in front of the lower entrance to the Clock Tower, lion guardians vigilant.

It had been a long day and the stretches of silence lengthened. There’d been a quick break for lunch, but Nico had been telling entertaining on set stories to the assistants, keeping them amused while Maki ate enough to fuel her for the rest of the day. She’d been happy with the lighting and the poses from the Garbo part of the shoot, Nico alternating between staring aslant the camera with an almost ethereal intensity to challenging the lens with a winsome, smirky smile. Somehow a fishing rod had been briefly involved, which led to snarl when Maki mistook Nico’s intent, thinking she was going to cast in the direction of the camera. No koi were tempted by the shiny lure.

And then they came to the moment. Nico and Maki, standing practically hip to hip, staring at the tank. Nico subdued.

“He really did it, huh?” Nico stared, watching the water move as a breeze blew over the open tank.

“In two minutes. Hanging upside down from stocks. There were tricks, of course.” Maki stared down at Nico, who was still watching the water.

“So I go in, float for a minute to give you time to take that picture and change out the negative, and then drop the chains and push myself out of the water while you take that picture with every camera you have.”

“Exactly.” Maki thought she might have sounded nervous, while Nico just seemed as calm as if she were asking about their dinner plans.

Nico smiled, “You asked for it.” Big inhale, “Take a great picture or Nico will never forgive you.”

Maki nodded, her hand resting briefly on Nico’s shoulder. Nico climbed the step ladder, letting two of the assistants help her reposition the chains and place her in the handcuffs, which were designed, as the shackles for her feet were, to break apart when Nico tugged. Nico sat on the edge of the square, six foot high tank, her feet in the water. Maki was starting to feel a bit dizzy and then she remembered breathing. Nico would have to hold her breath, Maki would have to manage her cameras as best and rapidly as she ever had.

Nico’s eyes, wide and worried, caught her, through the camera, as Maki, dark cloth over her head, focused the cocked lens, and prepared to slide in the film holder and press the cable release. Maki stepped back, letting the fabric fall.

“You okay, Nico? We don’t have to do this.” Maki knelt to check the timer on her digital set up; it would take a flurry of photos once she hit go. No time like now. Maki took a deep breath. Go.

“Nico never disappoints a lady.” Nico winked and blew a kiss that the camera managed to catch.

“Noted.” Maki walked over to the tank, eyes serious, “I’ll give you a signal and once you drop in, I’ll take the pic, then I’ll need about 20 seconds to switch out the film frame. I’ll have to recock the lens. The digital camera will be taking pics the whole time. If you’re having trouble, knock on the tank and we’ll pull you out.”

“Got it.” Nico gave two thumbs up, carefully tilting the handcuffs. Maki thought she caught a shiver. Nico had had her lower legs in the water for a few minutes. Maki racewalked back to the camera, doublechecked the lens, positioned the film frame, and draped the fabric over her head again. As she grabbed the cable release, she shouted, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1.”

Nico dropped into the tank, bending her knees as she hit the bottom, hair and tie buoyant in the water. She stared straight at the camera, determination flaring in her eyes as she yanked apart her bonds, and started to slip out of the chains. Maki took the shot, slide the shutter back in, ripped out the holder and replaced it, raising her hand as a signal. Nico dropped to the bottom again, water and motion distorting her slightly, bent her knees and sprang to the top, arms catching the front of the tank, wiry muscles taut, linen shirt half open and see through and sliding off her shoulders and torso, eyes flaming and defiant, her gaze blasting through the camera to Maki, daring Maki to make a choice as bold as this, shirt plastered against every shivery, exquisite detail of...Maki pulled the shutter open, clicked the release and tried to keep breathing, stunned by the raw energy of this wild, unfiltered moment.

A shaking Nico, shrunken, changed into her own clothes but still drenched, wrapped loosely in a blanket watched from a camping chair as Maki treated the film she was locking away in a light proof case as gently as if it were a kitten. Maki noticed the scrutiny and smiled gently at Nico. “Are you cold?”

“Duh.” Nico sniggered, trying not to cough.

“We’d better warm you up.” Maki reached into her duffle and grabbed her hoodie, wrapping it around Nico as she pulled the smaller woman to her feet. Maki was proud of herself. Her voice didn’t quaver, her hand didn’t shake, and she met Nico’s glance as if there weren’t seismic shocks shuddering through her at what the water had revealed about both of them. Maki did let concern warm her tone and her hands lingered on Nico’s shoulders, settling the hoodie. “They’re nearly finished loading. The tank’ll get picked up tomorrow. Let’s go you find something warm to drink.”

Maki couldn’t sleep. After they got back to the hotel, Nico, with a half hearted jokes about ‘Maki getting Nico so wet,’ had collapsed in her own bed.. Maki had stayed on the couch, transferring digital files from her cameras to her laptop. She wasn’t going to sleep. Not tonight, not tomorrow, not ‘til exhaustion overtook the images racing through her mind, reacting with her body. Nico’s appeal, Nico’s strength, Nico’s drive...she’d seen them in their most primitive form today, as much of a shock as when Nico had come out of the water, and Maki realized the tiny...temptation had chosen to leave off the tank top, nipples dark and pressing through the transparent linen, breasts small but...Maki groaned. She had it all on film and filed away digitally, not to mention the indelible images now etched in her mind, right next to the audio of Nico saying “no, Nico is not trying to date or drive you.” Maki wondered how fine the details would be when she saw the exposed film, how much cropping would she need to do, did Nico realize that would happen? Maki closed her eyes, massaging her scalp, knees drawn up to her chest. What could she possibly say to Nico in the morning? How could she possibly sleep when Venus rising from the sea had been replaced with Nico rising from the tank. And did that final shot look as good as Maki hoped it did? She was terrible, truly terrible at suspense. It was another reason she preferred digital photography. Instant gratification. You always knew right away if things turned out the way you planned.

Eli. Maki picked up her phone, and hit “Call.” Eli answered.

“FInd me a darkroom.” Maki demanded, “I’m in LA.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Call someone. Get me a darkroom. I have to know.”

“Maki, what’s goi…” Eli paused, probably reminding herself of Maki’s inarticulateness in the face of inspiration, “You’ll tell me later.”

“Just get me…”

“A darkroom.” Eli sighed. “I’ll call you as soon as I know. Remember to eat.”

Eli knew better than to urge sleep. Now to leave Nico a note. Then head to the darkroom and end the suspense. And avoid an awkward flight home where Maki was too self conscious to look Nico in the eye.

A/N: Howdy. Jazz is still taking over my brain. Much thanks to my buddy @KristynBurtt (and her autocorrect) for the "hideous Houdini mansion" inspiration. If you're interested in dance and/or entertainment news, she's a great resource.Hope this finds you well. Now for lunch and Casual Lunacy progress. Take care!

[poweredbycoffeeandwine]

Snapshots from Haven

Chapter 2: Into the Woods

Elina Trevelyan x Cullen Rutherford - DA Inquisition Modern AU.

Cullen and Elina meet up to visit the woods near Haven as planned. Atticus is just as charming as ever.

<-Previous

During his monthly card game with Bull, and a few of his other co-workers, Cullen slipped up and had accidentally brought up meeting a woman. Bull’s husband, Dorian, had set his novel and glass of wine down and grilled him for every possible detail. Slowly, his friends had filtered out of the house, realizing that Dorian was not going to let the faint glimmer of hope for his love life go. Cullen couldn’t help but think that the man would make a fantastic interrogator. For all of his attempts at keeping the opportunity to meet her a second time to himself, Dorian had smelled blood in the water, and pressed until the wee hours of the morning.

Dorian had considered it from every angle. What would happen when he picked her up, would it be presumptuous to pack lunch, did she even want to spend that much time with him, had they discussed how long the trip up the mountain would take? The man had even inquired about his clothes. Cullen had scoffed at the idea of letting him plan his outfit, but suddenly he had been filled with doubt.

Which was why he was in his current predicament, Atticus huffing at him, massive head resting on paws atop a stack of once clean sweaters. He was being ridiculous, and because he was aware just how foolish he appeared, he was annoyed with himself. Piles of discarded clothes littered Cullen’s normally tidy room. It was finally Friday, he hadn’t had work to keep him occupied, and he’d spend entirely too much time anticipating the trip into the woods with Elina Trevelyan.

A knock at his door startled him out of his melancholy. He made his way to the door, and was only mildly surprised to see an apologetic looking Bull next to a determined Dorian. The latter brushed past him, muttering a snide comment about the jeans and flannel shirt he had chosen,and then spent the next half hour tossing garments around until he came up with something suitable. Cullen couldn’t decide just how the many layers would go as he ran hotter than the average person, and hoped he wouldn’t have sweat stains to hide on top of his awkward behavior. He had to admit that he did look well put together in his original flannel shirt, grey sweater, and navy vest. Thankfully he let him wear his jeans, too. He did appreciate his friends coming to his rescue. Dorian wouldn’t have helped if he didn’t care, and Bull would have reigned him in if he thought they were overstepping their bounds. He was lucky to have made such valuable friends.  

After passing Dorian’s inspection, he packed up his truck, deciding against a full picnic, and rushed out the door. If he left early enough, he would have time to pick up coffee and pastries. He and Elina had been texting over the last few days, and he gleaned a little more about her.  She had informed him that she lived in the apartment above her photography studio, which must be both a blessing and a curse. He knew that if he lived so close to his work, he would be in danger of spending every night sleepless, burning the midnight oil.

He arrived early.  He told Atticus to wait and slipped out of the truck.  He was sure that Elina wouldn’t want him tracking muddy prints into the shop. Morning rain brought with it an invigorating fresh smell; that he found he appreciated more and more as he lived in Haven. It took his thoughts away from the dirty city streets of Kirkwall. A small tinkling bell sounded as he entered, but nobody was in sight. Her studio was beautiful. The space was open, large windows allowed for natural light to filter in, and various backdrops were scattered about. Fabrics in various hues were folded neatly on a nearby table or draped across other portions of the room. Chairs, stools, benches, baskets, all the materials she might need for props, were on a far wall on shelves, labeled neatly in her beautiful script. She obviously loved her craft.

The woman herself appeared from the stairs near the back, carrying a large backpack he assumed held her camera and supplies. Maker... she was lovely. Her dark tresses tumbled down her shoulders, beanie and oversized emerald knit sweater complimenting her dark eyes and golden skin. He was sure he was blushing pink at the mere sight of her.

“Good Morning, Elina.” He cleared his throat and rubbed at his neck, “I’m early, but hoping coffee makes up for it.”

She laughed, “Punctual and bearing gifts. My, my, Mr. Rutherford, you’re setting rather high standards for our first date.” She made her way across the studio to him, flicking lights off as she went. “But… I will gladly accept. I overslept a bit, and didn’t get the chance to make any.”

He suppressed a grin, and basked in the knowledge she considered this a date, even if it was only light banter. “Long night? We can reschedule if you’re feeling too tired.” He offered, though it would kill him to do so. He had been looking forward to learning more about her.

“No, don’t be silly,” she replied, reaching out to take the coffee, fingers lightly brushing his. “I wouldn’t miss this for all the world.” She sounded so sincere, Cullen couldn’t help but smile as he reached out to take her bag from her. “Unhappy customers would normally bother me to distraction, but I don’t see how I could have done anything to please them. I just want to forget they ever hired me.”

“Is everything alright? They weren’t aggressive, I hope?” He knew he had a over-protective streak, and possibly even a damsel-in-distress complex (his sister Mia was only too happy to point that out), but that didn’t stop him from voicing his worry.

“No, no, no, nothing so drastic,” She sighed heavily, pausing to sip her latte, “but a recently engaged woman was angry that the photos I took were not up to her expectations. Honestly, had I done any more editing, no one receiving her announcement would have recognized her.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It is sadly more common than you think. People are looking for the glam factor tossed about by wedding magazines. They come in with pre-conceived notions, and aren’t happy if reality doesn’t match. Which is a shame, because she really did look lovely.”

“Well, it is her loss then, your work really is spectacular.” He replied, voice taking on a softer tone as he examined a canvas shot of a toddler in a ballerina’s tutu. The subject was blissfully unaware of the photo being taken. All of her attention was on the window pane in front of her. One hand held a curtain of blue aside, and the other clutched a large lollipop. She was still in an adorably chubby phase. Elina moved to stand in front of the portrait, dark eyes misting, a look of longing crossed her face, “One of my favorites. My niece, Celia. She is perfect. I...” Her voice cracked, just enough for him to catch. Her eyes closed, she shook her head, and attempted a smile, “Hey, we better get going, didn’t you say it was a bit of a drive?”

Cullen moved to hold the door open for her, thoughts swirling about what could have happened for her to react that way. Whatever it was, they hadn’t known each other long enough for him to inquire, but he hoped that one day, she might trust him with her pain, to let him help her carry her burden.

Atticus barked at their approach, excited to see his new friend. Cullen chuckled, sound in the knowledge that his faithful companion was just as lost for her as he was. “Move over boy, Elina gets shotgun.” The mabari lept to the back seat, giving up his spot, and Cullen rushed to sweep the seat off. “Sorry, I should have thought to bring something for you to sit on. I hope he didn’t shed too much.” His brow wrinkled with concern.

“Cullen,” she touched his shoulder, “we are about to go tromping into the wood after the rain. A little fur won’t bother me.” She scratched Atticus under his jaw, and buckled her seat belt. She didn’t even scold the giant dog as he rested his hulking head on her shoulder.  “It looks like we are comfy. Let’s get this show on the road,” she grinned tossing him a wink.

A chilly wind blew through crisp autumn leaves, Elina stood at the edge of the small creek, wisps of hair sweeping across her face. Fog had rolled in, making the forest near Haven seem otherworldly. Cullen was right to suggest this spot for photos. She smiled to herself, pleased with the new material she had to work with. Her finger-less gloves did not provide much in way of warmth, forcing her to tuck her camera safely in its bag. Shivering and sitting cross legged to rest near a large tree, she wrapped her arms around herself hoping to bring life back to her frozen fingers.

Elina lost sight of Cullen and Atticus, but she wasn’t worried, the mabari’s happy barks reached her ears often enough that they couldn’t be too far away. The woods were majestic, far prettier than anything she had the opportunity to shoot before. Her imagination ran wild, ideas for portraits barreling through her mind. Not only was it conveniently located, only about an hour outside of town, the wilderness was a photographer’s paradise. Fall colors blended beautifully, logs were artfully strewn about, and there was a damn adorable babbling brooke. The whole scene looked like it was ripped straight from a fairytale.

Landscape aside, the ride had been easy, and she couldn’t think of a better companion. Andraste’s flaming sword the man was attractive; with his chiseled jaw and just the right amount of stubble. She was sure criminals threw themselves at him to be handcuffed. Since the day she met him, he had found his way into the majority of her thoughts. Especially while working in her studio. Thinking of new poses, he was the model her brain would conjure. It was maddening. The worst part was how much she didn’t mind.

She had only met him, but was already infatuated with his slow smile, dry humor, and, oh Maker, his blushing. She hadn’t even realized there were men still capable of the reaction. Beyond that, he was kind, almost to a fault. At the coffee shop earlier in the week, he had held the door for her, pulled out a chair, shielded her from the freezing rain. He was like a blasted knight in shining armor. Realizing how starved for warm interactions she was startled her. Elina was well aware that men considered her attractive, but more often than not it earned her superficial praise and creepers. Cullen was refreshing in that he hadn’t come onto her like most of the men she had met lately.

Her sister, Isaura, and her mother had forced her on more blind dates than she cared to remember. Every single one of her suitors had come from a respectable family, and was devastatingly handsome but horrendously shallow. A number of dinners ended when the prospective suitor began prematurely planning their future lives, down to the very last detail, so sure she would fall over herself to marry them. The last had been an up-and-coming brilliant physician. Dr. Thelia Trevelyan considered him her protege, and had high hopes that he would finally tame her unruly daughter into wedded bliss. She didn’t know what hurt more, the fact that her mother clearly did not see fit to leave her to her own devices, or that she actually apologized to the prig of a man for her child’s indecent behavior. She had not asked for the unwanted physical attention he decided she desperately wanted, and couldn’t help that her wine had found its way into his lap before she stormed off. She had packed her bags, and left Ostwick the moment her mother reminded her she wouldn’t be beautiful forever, and should stop wasting opportunities to catch a man.

The invitation for the wedding of her best friend had been like a sign from the Maker. She had never seen love shine so wonderfully bright as it did the day Sera and Dagna swore themselves to each other in front of all their friends. Elina had decided to leave the only place she’d ever known and build her dream studio, family opinions be damned. She had been sad at first, realizing how easy it was to pretend her family didn’t exist, but, the longer it went on, the more liberating it felt. The sound of footfall brought her out of her revery. Atticus approached her, merrily crashing through fallen leaves. Scattering oranges, reds, and yellows through the air. He was magnificent. Playful, intelligent and damn observant for an animal. It was obvious why Fereldens were so in love and protective of their mabari if they were all like him.

He stopped abruptly and let out a satisfied huff, dropping a pile of slightly wilted, partially damaged wild flowers at her feet. “Well, if you aren’t the sweetest thing!” Elina exclaimed reaching over to scratch him behind the ear, “It’s been too long since I’ve received flowers from a handsome guy, yes it has.”

“Maker’s breath, does he have to be so smug about it?” came Cullen’s gruff voice from behind her.

Elina laughed and pressed her fingers to her lips, “Oh, well it’s obvious Atticus doesn’t deserve all the credit. I would be happy to give you a little pat as a reward.” She offered, eyes gleaming mischievously.

“Ah, no,” moving to sit beside her on the ground he continued, “I don’t think, um, that is necessary.”

They sat in companionable silence, Atticus moving to use Cullen’s knee as a pillow. HIs small snores and sleepy chuffs began almost immediately. “He is exhausted, being cooped up with the weather lately has made him a grump. We’ve not had much opportunity to get out.”

“I’m glad we came.” She sighed and leaned over so her head rested on his shoulder. “Thank you for letting me tag along.”

His grin spread across her face, and he flushed from head to toe. Maker he was glad she couldn’t see his reaction. “You can join us any time.”

“I’m available tomorrow... We could have dinner?” She asked, face upturned to his.

At this angle he could see individual lashes, and every fleck of gold in her dark eyes. He smiled warmly back at her and replied, “I’d like that.”

[horrible-monstrosity]

Man, SPESS DADNY is really fucking good. But watching it I can't help but think of Studio Trigger and compare it to their works, as much as I hate to... NAW JUST FUCKIN KIDDING I LOVE IT, I FUCKIN' LIVE FOR THIS SHIT

It's occurred to me that Trigger's animation, while usually lauded (and it is probably the best thing they have going for them... certainly ain't writing quality), isn't actually that good. I mean, it's not *bad*, but it might be what my boy Zach would call "good?..."; good but with a question mark. Mostly it just isn't that... interesting. You have the characters going all rubbery noodles all over the place and sure it looks smooth and lively and stuff, but it feels like there's a lack of interesting camera angles or scene compositions. Not to mention the animation style looks nearly the same between all their works. Meanwhile Spess Dadny has stylistic flair and like camera angles and shit, in addition to the wacky alien and environmental designs that greatly outstrip... I dunno, the forgettable fairy workers in LWA. I don't think I've even seen a Trigger work try to design something interesting like that, actually- sure doesn't sound like the DIEnosaurs are anything fucking much of an anything.

To add insult to injury Spess Dandy somehow feels more like a Gurren Lagann follow-up on some level than anything Trigger has ever produced, despite, as far as I know, Studio Bones having absolutely no ties or relations to Gainax. Maybe they have some staff overlap, but you see I wouldn't know because they don't wear it on their fucking cumrag.

Studio Bones is actually a good comparison to Trigger- their works tend to have really good and highly stylistic animation, but at the same time they have a particular... thing that keeps popping up in their writing. For Bones it's their inability to write an ending; you could say they produce more Gainax endings than Gainax themselves. But even then it's nowhere near as bad. Their shows have distinct art and animation styles- compare Ouran to Soul Eater to Spess Danny to whatever else, they all have a distinct look and feel that suits and strengthens the general "feel" of the show. And the shit endings are... at least interesting. Often (for example the original FMA), I find myself wishing the anime adaptation had actually gone off the rails a bit earlier so they could flesh out the nonsense they came up with. And some of them aren't even that bad. Like Ouran's last two episodes, while they did feel a bit "off", they kept in line with the general thing of the show and capped things off well (while still leaving room for further adaptation, even- second season when?) (not that there was much to go off the rails with anyway, being a not-supernatural series, while works like soul eater, star driver, heroman, etc could go fucking wyld with what they had to work with... an interesting observation on its own there)

Speaking of better than Trigger I've recently finished Anohana and I have to say it's pretty good. Not a masterpiece, plenty of corny/dumb shit happens, but the emotions at play are entirely human  even if they're taken to ludicrous heights and it can be quite engaging. I've enjoyed it. Despite what some reviewers claimed that Mari Okada was entirely at fault for characters yelling their emotions at each other an shit in Kiznaiver it's not nearly as bad in Anohana, and even when it does happen it's more interesting and nuanced compared to the flat meaningless default lines in Kiz. Like the last episode has them yelling, but instead of just expositing their feels it's them saying things from their childhood as they finally say a proper goodbye to Menma and the emotions are properly implied rather than stated. Well, they're also stated, but it's brief and makes sense in the context of the conversation being had. And the one time a character says "it/that hurts" straight up like that cursed scene in Kiz it's some good subtle shit. The Koizumi-looking guy grabs her to talk to her, she says it once; he lets off assuming he just grabbed her too roughly and continues trying to talk about the thing and she says it again, making it clear she means *emotional* pain before running away. UNF.

speaking of which, let's think about how to fix the- what was it that one review called it, with the MUH ABANDONED CITIES an shtuff- low-value dialogue in that particular scene. it's a pretty interesting consideration, actually- since most of them are just having someone else's emotions shoved into them, there's *not* any deeper nuance that could be drawn out from the characters themselves... so you'd need to find something else to draw interest from. Because you do need *something* interesting or else you get "IT SURE IS ABANDONED CITY AROUND THERE". So you'd have to explore what having someone else's specific emotion shoved onto you would actually DO. yeah, amazing that they couldn't even just do that, huh. Maybe their chest gets so tight they say "I can't breathe"... It depends on how things work, too. It was pigtail's angst over jock guy that was getting spread, right? Now you have to ask if the heartbreak is all that gets distributed or if the desire to zuc dic gets passed on as well. If it's the former you might have everyone crying out for whoever they want dick from, putting the romantic centipede to good use for once, and possibly getting something interesting out of not-normie and the ice queen who're a couple by now and kind of getting along suddenly being feeled that they're both rejecting each other, that's gotta fuck with them. And ambiguously homosexual masochist guy either sits in the corner not having anyone to angst for but being forced to feel an angst anyway or he starts going for white-haired guy's dick if you wanna go that way. If it's the latter then shit gets weird fast. I don't even know what would happened if shit's transmitted as "why won't jock guy love *me*"; if it's done as "why won't jock guy love pigtails" I guess it ends up with them all swarming around him begging him to love her... virulent sympathy. Jock guy himself I don't even fucking know. See, this is a really weird and fucked-up and thus *interesting* scenario that coulda had something done in it but instead we got... no.

akjfshjdk

I also enjoyed the old Rozen Maiden and Black Butler adaptations which she was involved in if I remember correctly, and thought the Black Rock Shooter series thing was okay as well... admittedly it's been a while since I watched the former two, but I figure if there's things I remember liking about them my opinions wouldn't change too much now. So clearly this proves that Twigger had the power to ruin anything they come into contact with regardless of who's actually responsible for creating it. And that's why it's their fault Franxx is so bad even if all the writers are from A1. Clearly

Oh and then there's a new Bones anime coming out at some point with Mari Okada directing and with a nice unique-looking art style. Sounds good to me, fuck I'll check it out.

[danielphowley]

'Shadow of the Colossus' review: One of the best games ever made is reborn

‘Shadow of the Colossus’ is one of the most beautiful games ever made.

“Shadow of the Colossus” is regarded as one of the most beautiful video games ever made. When it was released in October 2005 for Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation 2, the game’s striking visuals, incredible sense of scale and simple, yet stirring story did more to advance the argument that video games are art than nearly any title before it.

Next to the kind of 4K, HDR graphics found in today’s multi-million dollar games, though, “Shadow of the Colossus’” once groundbreaking visuals look quaint. At least that was the case until Sony’s Japan Studio and Bluepoint Games set out to resurrect “Shadow of the Colossus” for the PlayStation 4.

Complete with 4K, HDR graphics, and more than twice the detail in a single temple than the PS2 version’s entire game world, the PS4 remake of “Shadow of the Colossus” is easily one of the most visually arresting video games I’ve seen to date. And whether you’ve played the title before, or never laid eyes on a colossus before, this is the edition to get.

It’s hard to beat a game that looks as incredible as ‘Shadow of the Colossus’ does on the PS4 Pro.

Beautiful in its simplicity

Unlike narrative-heavy games, “Shadow of the Colossus” doesn’t hit you with dozens of characters whose backstories could each fill every line of a 300-page novel. But it’s also not the kind of game that eschews a story entirely. Instead, Studio Japan built a tale about a young man named Wander on a quest to restore life to a young woman named Mono who was sacrificed for her “cursed fate.”

The colossi are as massive as buildings and hit just as hard.

To revive Mono, Wander travels to a forbidden land and seeks out a being called Dormin that is said to have the power to resurrect people. But Dormin, represented by a booming, disembodied voice from above, tells Wander he must first slay 16 colossi before Mono can be revived. And from there, you set out on your quest. The only other characters in the game are a shaman named Lord Emon, a small handful of soldiers and the 16 colossi. Oh, and your trusty steed Argo. God, I love that horse.

This is the story about the lengths one will go to for the person they care about, and, without giving away any spoilers for a 13-year-old game, its finale is as opaque as it is beautiful. The title’s brilliant score is as much a part of the narrative as the characters, and is already a classic. 

At times the game can crush you with its emptiness. Outside of Argo, Wander has no other emotional anchor, which makes traversing the vast deserts of the forbidden land feel daunting. What’s more, the game is sure to remind you of its incredible scale by pulling back the camera just enough for you to see the expansive landscape in front of you.

Outside of Argo, you’re alone in the forbidden land.

I specifically remember watching one of my best friends play the original “Shadow of the Colossus” during my sophomore year of college and thinking how gorgeous the game looked. But the PS2’s limitations forced the developers to make “SotC’ ” deserts look as though they were engulfed in never-ending dust storms.

The PS4, however, allowed Bluepoint to create a desert with undulating sand dunes and dust storms that cloud your vision, but don’t obscure the distant cliffs surrounding the forbidden land. Streams running through the lush forests of another portion of the forbidden land are inviting enough to dive right into, while the geysers and discolored earth of another region look as inhospitable as a distant planet. Even smaller details like individual blades of grass sway in the wind as you ride past the Shrine of Worship. Argo’s hoof prints also look realistic.

It’s not just the environments that are beautiful, though. The titular colossi are equally stunning with their enormous, lumbering bodies, stone-like armor and huge swaths of life-like fur.

You spend a lot of time looking at this fur, so it makes sense that Bluepoint put a good deal of work into ensuring that it looked and behaved as fur would in real life. Grab onto a colossus and climb up its back and its fur will react properly as the beast tries to shake you off.

See that dam in the distance? You can go there.

Naturally, killing a colossus isn’t as simple as shimmying up its leg and poking it in the head. And that’s the other reason “SotC” is so loved. See, in order for Wander to take down a colossus, you need to figure out how to uncover its weak spot. At first that can be as easy as latching onto its fur, but as you progress through the game, you need to put more and more thought into figuring out how to find a colossus’ vital point.

Essentially, the colossi serve as moving puzzles that can also crush you, blast you with giant electrified orbs or suffocate you with poison gas. Its overcoming those obstacles and learning how to beat these immense monsters that makes defeating the colossi so satisfying.

Looks or performance

The PS4 version of “SotC” comes with two play modes for PS4 Pro owners: cinematic and performance. Cinematic mode is designed to highlight the game’s graphics in 4K, HDR with gameplay that runs at 30 frames per second, which is about average for most console games. If you don’t have a 4K TV, Sony says “SotC” will run at 1080p resolution from a render target generated at 1440p. The idea is to make the game’s visuals look smoother, with fewer sharp edges around objects.

Your bow isn’t going to be enough to stop the colossi.

Performance mode, as its name implies, is designed to show off the PS4 Pro’s performance capabilities. In this mode, the game will run at buttery smooth 60 frames per second. The game’s graphics will still look gorgeous, but you won’t get the kind of benefits available through the cinematic mode.

I preferred playing in cinematic mode, since I wanted to see the game in all of its glory on my 55-inch 4K, HDR TV. After all, this game is designed to look amazing, so why wouldn’t you play it in the mode that does it justice?

And the included photo editor, which is accessible by pressing down on the directional pad, lets you capture images from the game as you play. See a particular landscape that you find irresistible? You can take a picture of it, change the camera angle, adjust the sharpness and saturation of the image and then share it for all the world to see.

Some things never change

One of the chief criticisms about the original “SotC” was how its camera could make tracking the colossi during battle, or even getting a view of the world around you somewhat difficult. And that same issue creeps up in the remake, as well. There were a few times when I was fighting different colossi and the camera kept moving in the direction the game wanted me to look, not where I was looking.

The lush forests in the forbidden land are as desolate as its deserts.

I noticed the same problem when crossing large land bridges, or when I wanted to just get a view of the world around me. Each time I moved the thumbstick to adjust the camera angle, the game would force it back to where it wanted me to look. For a title that’s meant to serve as a template for the kind of visual effects video games can achieve, that’s a bummer.

In close quarters, Argo’s controls, like seemingly all horse controls in games, felt disconnected and slow to respond at times. At full speed, though, Argo steamed ahead with ease.

Should you get it?

“Shadow of the Colossus” for the PS4 is every bit as gorgeous, memorable and tremendous as it was when it debuted for the PS2 more than a decade ago. It’s a graphically stunning piece of art with a narrative that drives you forward with a sense of wonder despite its vagueness.

If you’ve never played “Shadow of the Colossus,” the PS4 remake is your chance to experience a classic in its most perfect form. And if you played the original for the PS2, it makes revisiting the forbidden land well worth it.

What’s hot: A beautifully crafted remake of a PS2 classic; Cinematic mode makes owning 4K, HDR TV worthwhile; The ultimate version of an already fantastic title

What’s not: Camera doesn’t always cooperate with your movements; Argo’s controls felt unwieldy in close quarters

[diemondgaming-blog]

BEYOND: TWO SOULS REVIEW

        Beyond: Two Souls is a very special entity. I can’t give this game to a movie reviewer because they’ll sit there saying “why is this movie 9 hours long and why do i have to hold this controller the entire time?” Spiritual successor to Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls is made by Quantic Dream and directed by David Cage. If you care this company and director have made other video games known as Fahrenheit and Heavy Rain. The company prides itself on making really cinematic games and I’m here to tell you if what they did was actually entertaining. 

Story:

        Beyond: Two Souls follows the life story of Jodie Holmes, who has the ability of being able to interact with spirits. This ability has been both a blessing and curse on Jodie���s entire life. While she’s able to interact and communicate with the dead she’s also able to be attacked by them. To make matters worse, Jodie has been attached to an entity since birth known as Aiden. This spirit has acted as a hindrance and protector to Jodie throughout her whole life and without it she would’ve either died or went insane long before her adult years. As you play through the game you will learn along with Jodie the possible joys and horrors of being able to connect to the other side. With that said there is one MAJOR complaint I had with the story. Not the story itself, but how it’s structured. Beyond: Two Souls does not follow the traditional beginning, middle, and end format. Oh No, this game constantly makes random jumps in and out of Jodie’s life. One moment you’ll be playing as a child version of Jodie when she was still trying to cope with her fears of the unknown and the next in a war zone as a full-grown adult. The problem with this style of storytelling is that you WILL be broken out of immersion when it happens and that’s TERRIBLE for a game that prides itself on an immersive experience.

Gameplay:

        As previously stated, “Beyond: Two Souls” is a videogame stuck in a movie’s body, but unlike the Uncharted series it doesn’t try to hide that fact. The reason I put the section “Story” before “Gameplay” in a videogame review is because of that fact. The gameplay is VERY cinematic and simplistic. Only having to do one tutorial at the beginning of the game, it drills into your head that all you’re going to be doing is moving your analog stick along the direction of your characters’ movement. For those that don’t play videogames that often, these actions are known as “Quick time events” meaning you must do the following action displayed on screen within the allotted time. If you fail to do so then your character could end up being injured or killed resulting in failure of that level or specific action. There really isn’t a deep and intricate combat system but that was never the point of the game. Despite the fact that there is no complex fighting or leveling system in game there were a few times when the games camera would be pointing at a bad angle to not accurately show you the character’s movement resulting in you failing that current quick time event. This game was meant to tell a story much like all the other games to come out of Quantic Dream’s studio. This company is known for making interactive movies and they did just that.

Characters:

            In my opinion there are two types of forces that drive a story forward. There is a character driven story and plot driven story. Beyond: Two Souls follows the character driven aspect by showing Jodie’s life in detail and having the viewer ultimately choose the path she’ll take to get to the ending of their story. The plot of this game is a driving force without a doubt, but you’re ultimately there for the characters. Due to the constant time skips and the fact that you’re playing through Jodie’s life, you will inevitably meet many types of characters. These ranging from an uncaring foster family, homeless folks with hearts of gold, and of course dead people. While I personally cannot remember most the character’s names due to the constant time skips, I can say that you’ll remember their personalities and what they do for and to you. You’ll remember the characters for how they interact with you. Thus, you play this game for the character interaction between Jodie, Aiden, and everyone else related to them.

Sound:

           This section is going to be divided into two different categories for simplistic sake. First being in-game sound for anything auditory related to the environment, voice acting, and authenticity of the overall sound in your playing experience. Second Section is for Original Soundtracks (OST). This includes all music created for the soul purpose of this game.

           The voice acting in Beyond: Two Souls is spot on and the actors really do sound like their characters. This comes as no surprise due to Quantic Dream hiring voice actors you would see in Hollywood such as Ellen Page (Jodie Holmes) and Willem Dafoe (Nathan Dawkins, scientist that adopts Jodie). Hollywood actors in videogames normally wouldn’t be important due to being an interactive medium, however it’s much appreciated here. The primary reason for this is Quantic Dream’s effort in trying to make the most cinematic games on the market. Thus, I believe the company made the right decision to hire actors like these to get a 9-hour movie to be sold. As for the authenticity of the sound in game, it all felt correct. Nothing in game sounded out of place. For example, in another game known as DayZ, you would hear the ocean in the middle of forests with literally no water around you. Quantic Dream focused on making the game feel correct in all aspects and they did just that here. No sound glitches or out of place ambient noises were discovered during my multiple play-through’s of the game.

         The OST’s in this game were produced by Lorne Balfe. His most popular works are from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Crysis 2, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, and Assassins Creed 3. These are of course the most popular games he’s worked on but Mr. Balfe is an industry veteran that has worked on video games and movies music since 2004. While his music is impressive for setting the tone and atmosphere in games and movies, they aren’t very nice to listen to on their own (In my opinion). Beyond: Two Souls soundtrack is pleasant in game, but when I listened to the music on its own I didn’t really enjoy it.

Personal Enjoyment:

           Beyond: Two Souls is an interactive movie. The gameplay is very lackluster, but you wouldn’t get this game for an in-depth gameplay system. You’d get it for the story. The game does have a few immersion breaking moments like character faces looking downright dumb during serious moments or the time skips, but overall I enjoyed the game. I loved the story and the interaction with it. Although I enjoyed the game I would not recommend to buy this at the full $60 price. It is an interactive movie after all.

 Final Verdict:

Positives:

·       Well written story

·       Great voice acting

·       Great gateway game

Negatives:

·       Unnecessary time skips

·       $60 price tag for initial release

  � ��D