#the original book art style but like elevated??

[innuendostudios]

new video about Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, and how everyone* keeps getting them wrong! this video is sponsored by Nebula, a place where you can watch the original version of this video before I had to tweak it for YouTube's copyright bots. (by clicking that link, you can get an annual subscription for 40% off.) or you can just back me on Patreon, which is also cool and good.

transcript below the cut.

I adore Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy. I flirted with making a video about it ages ago, had a draft of a script, but ultimately decided it wasn’t about anything except “here’s a thing I like, and here are its (I thought) very obvious themes.” So I shelved it. But, in the years since, I have seen multiple video essayists on this here website claim that these movies are about growing up and taking responsibility. (I say “multiple.” It’s not a lot. But it’s more than one! And that’s enough.)

These people are 100% wrong.

Lemme lay it out: the Cornetto Trilogy is not about growing up. It is not about taking responsibility. It is the exact opposite, and that’s not subtext. It is three movies about stunted manchildren thrust into extraordinary circumstances, and each, in the end, is saved - is redeemed - by abandoning his character arc and failing to grow or change. It is a three-part love letter to immaturity.

And I guess I have to set the record straight.

Sometimes making a video about a thing you love is an act of appreciation. And sometimes it’s out of spite.

The Cornetto Trilogy is three movies: Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End. All three are written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright; Pegg stars, and Wright directs; all three center on a relationship between Pegg and real-life best friend Nick Frost, which makes each film a reunion of the core team behind Spaced (excepting, but for a small role in Shaun of the Dead, Jessica Hynes). The three films span three genres: zombie apocalypse, buddy cop, alien invasion; each features a Cornetto ice cream cone: strawberry to represent blood, original blue to represent the police, and mint to represent little green men; this is a joking nod to Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Trois Couleur films, Bleu, Blanc, and Rouge, which were based on the colors and themes of the French flag (I don’t care what you say, Emily: #TeamRouge); that nod is funny because Trois Couleur is high-art drama and these are comedies. All three are parodies of, tributes to, and actually surprisingly good executions of their respective genres. And the hook, the gag at the center of all these movies, is that Simon Pegg plays a character wholly unsuited to be starring in this kind of film.

Shaun, the burnout, is the wrong person to survive the zombie apocalypse; by-the-book British bobby Nicholas is the wrong person to lead an American-style bombastic actioner; and alcoholic asshole Gary is the last person to save the world from aliens.

And I think that’s where people get stuck. Because “schlub finds himself protagonist of a genre film” is the elevator pitch for like a dozen Adam Sandler movies. The genre trappings may be as mundane as parenthood or mandated anger management classes, or as high-concept as action movie, whodunnit, or time travel It’s a Wonderful Life if Clarence were Christopher Walken as the angel of death (that… that makes it sound good, it’s not, don’t see Click; leave Frank Capra alone, Adam). But all these movies have the same basic shape: an extraordinary situation forces a guy to confront his shortcomings, which always stem from having never grown up. And you probably haven’t seen all of these movies, but if you’ve seen any, I bet you have assumptions about how the rest end: even though “Adam Sandler acts like a child” is generally the selling point of an Adam Sandler movie, they all end with some lip service toward becoming an adult: hey man, grow up a bit; appreciate your family a little more; square your shoulders; clean your room. This is so standard, it was parodied mercilessly in Funny People.

And this was a formative microgenre for my generation! Whole universe turns itself upside down to teach some shitty dude to, like, do the dishes and pay his wife a compliment now and then - Liar Liar, Bruce and Evan Almighty (all directed by the same guy, by the way). So I don’t blame people of a certain age for seeing the first act of Shaun of the Dead and thinking “I know where this is going.” And when, at the last minute, it swerves and goes someplace else, you could read that as a gag, a final subversion of expectation, still the same basic shape. But no! No! Once is a gag - thrice??? Thrice is a thematic statement!

So lemme make my case. I’ma take you through these movies one by one - we’ll talk about the manchildren and the expectations set by the genre, and then we’ll talk about that last-minute swerve and what it means. And then you’ll tell me I’m right and apologize!

Shaun of the Dead:

Shaun is a man in his twenties. What kind of manchild is he? He’s the slacker.

What is his problem? He needs to sort his life out. Shaun doesn’t know how to take action. He hasn’t advanced since college - he’s been working the kind of job a teen takes over the summer for like a decade, lives with the same best friend, has the same petty fights with his stepdad, goes to the same pub every week with the same group of people. He can’t make a reservation, he can’t manage a calendar, he’s a washup. This makes his girlfriend, Liz, feel stifled, trapped; he is a weight around her ankle, taking her on the same date week after week, keeping her from living her own dreams, having her own adventures. She gives him one last chance to prove he can sort his life out, and he blows it, and she dumps him.

And then: a zombie movie happens.

The genre forces him to confront his shortcomings: to survive, and save his loved ones, he’ll have to take action, make plans, be decisive. This is a common fantasy: when you feel ground down by the mundanity of life, you might imagine, oh, if only a crisis would happen, like a zombie virus outbreak, where my normal-life problems like “am I gonna make rent,” “is my girl gonna take me back,” “is my roommate gonna kick out my stoner buddy who’s crashing on the couch” become meaningless, and it’s immediately clear what’s really important, what matters. Then I’d know exactly what to do. It’s why disaster movies work as escapism: a necromantic plague - or at least the fantasy of one - is sometime preferable to normal life.

Hot Fuzz:

Nicholas is a man in his thirties. What kind of manchild is he? He’s the hall monitor.

What is his problem? He can’t switch off. He is a hypercompetant police officer with a rulebook where his brain should be. He’s so good at being a cop that he’s spotting and unraveling crimes even on his day off. He can’t maintain a relationship, has no friends, all his coworkers hate him because he keeps finishing their work for them, and his stats show up the rest of the force so badly that they scuttle him out to the country.

Now you might be thinking, “Mmm. A fastidious police officer who can’t have fun? How is that a manchild? Sounds pretty grown-up to me. You’re reaching, bud.” Ohhhh ho ho, smartass, do you remember this scene? [bar scene] Yeah! Nicholas Angel has a five-year-old’s notion of law and order. He’s still playing cops and robbers.

And that’s a problem, because then: an action movie happens.

It doesn’t happen all at once: he goes out to the country and finds they do things a bit differently there. They are (ostensibly) less concerned with rules than what than the rules are for: if the purpose of drinking laws is to keep the streets safe and orderly, and letting some people off with a warning or allowing kids drink so long as they do it inside achieves that end, the rule can be bent. That’s a judgment grown-ups can make; I mean, they’re the ones who wrote the rules in the first place. So be lenient with shoplifters, don’t hassle people for speeding; this isn’t the Big City, you can use your better judgment. But Nicholas never got past doing whatever Mom & Dad said; obedience, and trusting whoever’s up the chain, is his entire moral framework. He can’t accept that bending the law could be more righteous than following it.

But also maybe there’s a criminal conspiracy murdering people and writing it off as accidents and the police chief might be in on it. Or maybe Nicholas is so desperate for a big case with no moral ambiguity that he’s seeing things where they aren’t. 

The genre forces him to confront his shortcomings: either there’s nothing going on and he needs to chill out about procedure, or the department is corrupt and he’ll have to go rogue like it’s Point Break - and this is how he experiences Point Break. [“paperwork”]

No matter what, he’ll have to bend the rules, which he constitutionally cannot do.

The World’s End:

Gary is a man in his forties. What kind of manchild is he? He’s the delinquent.

What’s his problem? Pfffft. What isn’t his problem? Gary is a manipulative, narcissistic, lying, self-destructive, ignorant, violent, thieving, shit-talking, unapologetic asshole who peaked in high school when being all those things was still kind of badass. The greatest night of his life was the drunken pub crawl after graduation he and his friends didn’t even finish, and he’s been tumbling downhill ever since. He’s spent his life ruining everyone who knows him until there’s no one left to ruin but Gary King. So now it’s time to bully the old gang into going back home with him to relive that night by finishing the pub crawl, because, in his own words, it’s all he’s got. And he and his friends have to confront how home has changed since they left - the bars have gentrified, not everyone recognizes them; the defining, epic deeds of Gary’s youth have been forgotten. You can’t actually go back because that place doesn’t exist anymore.

And then: a sci-fi movie happens.

Turns out the town’s been taken over by aliens, and all the people who couldn’t conform to their new order have been replaced with robots! That’s why no one recognizes them! And that’s why the pubs all look the same: the aliens are homogenizing everything! And it’s clear, if they can’t get Gary and his friends to play ball, they’ll roboticize them as well! The obvious move is to get the hell out of town, but Gary keeps inventing excuses to stay and finish the pub crawl, and they sound pretty sensible because the group’s already five pints in. The genre forces him to confront his shortcomings: sooner or later he’s gonna have to give up on recapturing his youth and do what’s best for him and his friends now, even if it means running back to the city where all his problems live.

So there we have it: the characters cross the threshold into an unfamiliar world where an external conflict cannot be addressed without resolving the tension within. The slacker will have to get his shit sorted, the hall monitor will have to break the rules, and the delinquent will have to do what’s good for him. And, to an extent, all three know this! The movies Wright and Pegg pay homage to exist in these stories - Shaun knows what a zombie is, Danny keeps Nicholas up watching Point Break and Bad Boys II, and Gary and friends know bodysnatcher movies so well they have philosophical debates with the robots about whether “robot” is the PC term.

So, yeah, if you turned the movies off there, I could forgive you for thinking that’s where they’re headed. But you goofballs watched them to the end and then made content about them, what is wrong with you???

What actually happens in the second halves of these movies?

Shaun twigs that he’s in a zombie movie and, at first, tries to play the part - his survival plans are miniature hero’s journeys with him as protagonist, wherein he’ll save the day by neatly confronting all his flaws. He’ll resolve parental conflict by saving his mom from his zombified stepdad, resolve romantic conflict by showing his girl he can come through when it counts, and resolve internal conflict by being a man who saves the day. And all his plans suck! It’s just the same plan he always comes up with! Dragging around the same useless liability of a bestie, collecting the same group of people, and holing up in the same pub! He doesn’t save his mom: his stepdad apologizes, resolving their conflict for him, and then survives in zombie form but Shaun’s mom gets killed; most of the friend group gets killed because the crisis does not actually suspend but in fact amplifies their personal grievances; and he doesn’t save the day, just manages not to die long enough for the military to show up.

But… well, Liz wanted adventure and now she’s had enough for a lifetime, so… she’s down to just be boring with him for a while - sit on the couch, watch TV, hit the pub. Beats running for your life. Tensions with the roommate are gone cuz roommate died, but rent is covered cuz Liz moved in. Zombies don’t get eradicated, just folded into normal life, so Shaun can mindlessly play video games with his bestie forever, and it’s not a problem that bestie doesn’t have an income cuz he doesn’t need food or shelter.

The zombie apocalypse doesn’t make Shaun sort his life out, it changes the world til he doesn’t have to.

When Nicholas discovers that, yes, there is definitely a murderous criminal conspiracy inside the police department, he recognizes the only way to bring about justice is to become what Danny has always wanted and go Dirty Harry on the town. It’s either that or just swallow the crimes. But he does neither. He and Danny go on an epic shooting spree, recreating famous movie scenes, taking out the entire criminal organization against all odds, and spouting badass one-liners… but everyone who helps them is a cop, they don’t actually kill anyone, all perps are formally arrested, and they fill out all the paperwork. I think he even properly signs out the weapons. He never switches off, never breaks a rule, does absolutely everything by the book, only… louder. And this violent showdown saves him from the chill town with lax rules he thought he’d moved to. Now he, with his five-year-old notion of right and wrong, is in charge of the police department.

The buddy cop actioner doesn’t make Nicholas bend the rules, it changes the world til he doesn’t have to.

Gary knows exactly how a movie of this sort is supposed to go and spends the whole movie running from it. Friends and secondary characters keep sharing these poignant moments with him, because they know this story, too: yeah, he’s gonna reject help at first, but sooner or later he’ll hit rock bottom and then someone will get through to him. And, as the night goes on, and the characters get drunker and drunker, and Gary passes up more and more opportunities to abandon the pub crawl and go home, these moments take a tone of desperation. They start to sound more like interventions; like, Gary, we all know you’re going to come to your senses but could you hurry up with it??? How many of your friends need to literally die for you to shape up? Are you gonna get them all killed?

And the answer is: Gary will never shape up! To Gary the Human Dril Tweet, his friends trying to save him, psychiatrists trying to treat him, and aliens trying to assimilate him are all the same thing. He doggedly makes it to the end of the pub crawl and confronts the alien overlord who tells him all the technological advancements of the past few decades - all the efficiency and homogenization that’ve changed the face of his home town - are their doing. The Information Age is an intervention on behalf of Earth, a pan-galactic effort to save humanity from itself. And the reason they’ve been replacing people with robots is some people are too fucked up to go along with it.

And here’s Gary, King of the Fuckups, brashly declaring that fucking up is what makes us human. There is no freedom without the freedom to ruin your life. We are endowed by our creator with the right to be drunken, ornery pieces of shit.

He tells the aliens to piss off and he’s so fucking annoying that they do, and they take the Information Age with them.

Now… I know… ugh… I know a lot of people love this movie, say it’s the best of the three. Some friends who’ve struggled with mental health or just being an adult under late capitalism really identify with Gary, and the valorization of being a mess. I see you, you’re not wrong, I get it, I really do. But can we just… not “but” but “also” can we… can we also admit that this ending is… this is Space Brexit.

Like, literally it’s an alien invasion but symbolically this is Gary rejecting the adult world of rules and authority and doing what’s best for the community and that’s how Brexiters view the EU. And people keep telling him “Gary, this is in your best interest” and Gary says, I don’t want my best interest! I am registered in the anti-Gary’s Face Party and I will cast my vote by cutting my nose! I choose to do what’s bad for me.

And, like a true Brexiter, he chooses for everybody.

Now tell me that’s a movie about growing up. Gary collapses human civilization in its entirety rather than change, and in the world that follows, he thrives… by being an immature, irresponsible bag of garbage.

To Wright and Pegg, growing up is death, and these are movies about being alive. These characters don’t cross the threshold back into the ordinary world with the ultimate boon of character growth; all three stay in the extraordinary world. The zombies remain, the robots remain, Nicholas is offered his London job back and chooses to stay in the country. These are stories about normal life spontaneously turning into a genre film, and they are made with deep love for those genres; why would they end with leaving those genres behind? Because it’s what Adam Sandler would do?

So there you have it. I rest my case.

“Okay Ian. Why does this matter?”

…what was that?

“You’ve made your point: these movies aren’t about growing up or taking responsibility. So what?”

Uhhhh.

“Bring it home for us.”

…

“Why do you care so much?

[breath]

I wrote the first draft of this script when I was around Shaun and Nicholas’ age, and “so what?” is why I shelved it. Now I’m Gary’s age, this video’s been in the back of my brain the whole time, but I got this far and “so what” is where I got stuck, again. This is why the CO-VIDs came out quicker, cuz I let myself end with “so that’s interesting!” and got on with my life. But there’s clearly something sticky here, more than “someone is wrong on the internet.” (Also, to the YouTubers I’m vaguebooking, who said these were movies about growing up - I’m way more annoyed at the folks I’ve argued with on Twitter about this, you just made a better rhetorical device; you do not owe me an apology!) (Also, to the commentariat: I am not extrapolating this from like two data points, this is chronic and recurring and has been bothering me for years.)

There are a few directions I could take this to give it some “cultural weight.” I could put on my social justice hat and talk about how the “crisis of adulthood” doesn’t play as broad comedy unless you look like Adam Sandler or Simon Pegg, or put on my class analysis hat and talk about how signifiers of adulthood are, traditionally, ways of spending and accruing capital which are, today, often inaccessible to people under 40.

And that’s all legit, but here’s the real deal: I’m just mad at Gary. The world changed around Shaun such that he could stay a child. And Nicholas ended up somewhere he could stay a child. If you missed that, you’re wrong, but whatever. But to say that Gary grew up grinds me, because Gary chose this. The whole movie is people telling him to grow up, and he says no! He says it out loud! He says it to the literal end of the world. To walk out of the theater and say “that’s a movie about growing up” is more than a mistake, it’s a refusal. It’s trying to “fix” the movie by fitting it into a more familiar shape, so it doesn’t say what it says, so Gary isn’t who he is, who he chooses to be.

I’m being cheeky when I say this because he’s a fictional character, but saying Gary grew up is enabling.

Gary says there’s no freedom without the freedom to ruin your life, which is the problem with alcoholics and libertarians: it’s not just your life, Gary! You live in a community, a culture, and an ecosystem! Your actions - everybody’s actions - impact other people! That’s just the way the world is! You can’t shit yourself at the bar without other people having to smell it. We’re all fuckin’ connected, man! You don’t want anyone’s will imposed on you; you spend the whole movie imposing your will on everyone else! You say humans don’t wanna be told what to do, and then you decide humanity’s future by yourself with no input or consent from anyone!

People point to Gary ordering water in the last scene instead of beer as evidence that he got sober, like that’s proof that he did grow up in the end, which are you fucking joking??? Getting sober is a shorthand for maturity the way buying a house is, it doesn’t signify anything in and of itself! Gary drank to escape the adult world of rules and responsibilities! So, yeah, under normal circumstances getting sober would mean he’s made peace with that world and is ready to integrate. But that’s not what happened! The thing he was escaping doesn’t exist anymore! He literally destroyed it!! People died! Probably millions! Now he lives a happy life LARPing as Omega Doom - no I don’t expect you to catch that reference! He doesn’t need to drink! He is literally reliving the best day of his life forever. And even if it did mean personal growth, the idea that a person could make what would be, unequivocally, the most selfish decision in human history, and then spend his life celebrating the outcome, oh but if he overcame a personal demon in the process then on balance that’s maturity? That is lightspeed solipsism! Who are you if you think that way? Are you all Adam Sandler???

And none of that makes this a bad ending, or Gary a bad character. I mean, he is the reason The World’s End is my least favorite, and I don’t like the ending, but I don’t think it’s bad that I don’t like the ending. Rather than watch another addict pull his life together or destroy himself, we watch a downward spiral with so much gravity the whole world self-destructs alongside him. And that’s why The World’s End is the most interesting of the three: it is a bold choice, and I think we are free to feel however we want about the conclusion Gary engineered for himself. I don’t think it’s valid to pretend it didn’t happen.

In the context of the trilogy, we see that Shaun’s immaturity is mostly a problem for Shaun: he would be, at worst, a footnote in the lives of the people who love him; “yeah, I liked Shaun a lot, but I couldn’t carry him through life anymore.” Nicholas is the kind of overachiever that is useful if pointed in the right direction; juvenile code of ethics aside, he is, empirically, helping the community (within the entirely fictional framework where that’s a thing police do). If the world hadn’t changed to turn their flaws into strengths, they would still be relatively harmless. Gary is what happens when immaturity isn’t harmless, and shows us how a world built by that immaturity would look.

There is an appeal to Gary King, a wish fulfillment. Letting your id fully off the leash because you no longer care what anybody thinks - it’s why some people drink, and it’s why some people would like to drink with Gary. But if that’s not just your Friday night, not just your twenties, but that’s your life? There is a destination at the end of that road, and it’s Gary doing something truly ugly. And we see that ugly thing the way Gary sees it: as awesome. But then you see the reality: the Monday morning after the Friday night. We went out with Gary and he did something terrible.

And I’m not telling you to hate Gary for it; I’m not saying Gary can’t be forgiven. In fact, seeing it for what it is is the only way Gary could be forgiven, because, if he “grew up and took responsibility,” there’s nothing to forgive.

I think this is the only way the trilogy could have ended. I mean, you make stories about boys who get older and older and don’t grow up, it eventually becomes a problem. There’s only two ways to resolve it: you either end with a guy actually sorting his shit out, or you go for broke and show what happens if he doesn’t. And I think some of us boys saw that and said, “no, noooo, they did grow up! all three of them!” rather than say, “haha! hahaaa! ……………shit.”

[lazyjellyfish300]

just a man

Synopsis: on the night of Shibuya, Kusakabe wrestles with his obligation to aid his fellow sorcerers and risk his life. Normally the pretty bartender that he and Kento both like to share after hours, he decides to visit you alone before he does. Spinoff of a drabble I made.

Words: 6.1k 🖤

CW: MINORS DNI, XFEM!READER, SMUT(P IN V, SEMI PUBLIC PDA (ELEVATOR) FINGERING, CUM EATING, DOGGY STYLE, BREAST & NIPPLE PLAY, SPANK, ROUGH SEX, ORAL F RECEIVING) DANGER, LITTLE ANGST, CANON DIVERGENCE, MIGHT BE SPOILERS

A/n: yes, this is a repost. Since the original failed to show in the tags. Trying to see if this will get more interaction. Thank you for reading if this is your first time 🫶🏽 and my deepest most gracious thank you to those who did already read and reblog and comment.

@1-900-venusluvs @thatone-writer

The dampened streets of Shinjuku are far from asleep despite the nighttime wandering into the darkened hours past midnight.

A chill laced with something ominous in the late petrichor-ridden air of October delivered a rush of restlessness throughout Atsuya Kusakabe's body as he stared into the night, the illuminating residual of neon signs painting a a rosy halo around his form.

His darkened eyes solemnly scan the crowds of young passerbys donning their eclectic outfits in light of the Halloween holiday, joyfully ignorant to the heavy knowledge he possessed of a greater storm that was brewing in the district of Tokyo just south of where he stood.

He got the call, he just didn't want to go. Truthfully, why was he needed when other first grade sorcerers such as the likes of Kento Nanami were already there?

There was something different about tonight's mission. He could feel it. He spent his whole life running from things that seemed so big and insurmountable. Yet he chose a life that regularly brushed elbows with danger.

The modern pressures of life can cause one to make choices uncharacteristic of them in the name of survival.

He was being selfish, but was wanting to stay alive really a selfish thing to want? Or was it a wise and sensible thing to hope for?

Jujutsu Sorcery didn't need to be this big dramatic display of self-sacrifice all the time. Chasing nobility in hopes of carrying the outward label of martyr while you wouldn't even be alive to see it was a fool's errand in his eyes. But it clashed with the institution he committed to whose sole mission was to produce sorcerers capable of such selfless acts to serve the non-sorcerer sphere of humankind.

What kind of hypocrite would he be if he failed to show up for the battle he'd beaten every last lesson in the book of preparedness into the mind of his students?

Before he joins them, he figures he'll make one more stop.

It might be the last time after all, experiencing that divine warmth your eyes exuded that made moments feel like a lifetime. Temporary solace he sought somewhere at the bottom of a glass and between the smoky haze and sensual opulence of an upscale bar past midnight.

Pretty eyes and a mouth that dripped salvation onto his throbbing cock in between sheets that smelled like you and him, delivering him to a heaven on Earth even better than the one in the clouds, one where jujutsu didn't exist.

He just wanted to feel like a man one more time. He would walk the formidable road of danger that was expected of him, but he'd do it on his own terms and at his own leisure.

It was his life, after all. Who could blame him?

He turned and made his way down the alley of Shinjuku suited for self pleasure and indulgence, ironically in the opposite direction of the selfless weight of the noble duty that called him.

------

Kusakabe stepped inside to be greeted with the familiar atmosphere of the lavish art deco styled speakeasy where you worked. It was one of many spots in the district where upper classes came to unwind, the motivation of tonight propelled by the autumnal festivities after dark.

The air hung heavy with allure and old money swank that was brought out by worldly imbibement and blackened clouds of burning tobacco from expensive cigars, smooth jazz, clinks of glass and murmured speech, occasionally interrupted with hearty belly laughter coming from certain patrons.

Dim booths that felt mobby with men in fine linen suits, running their gold adorned fingers over the suggestive hosiery of their female companionship. Intimate secrets whispered in ears and lustful gazes over lipstick stained glass rims.

"Hey, darlin...aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

You hear his deep, rough voice behind you. You turn gracefully, flashing the handsome acquaintance that disarming smile of yours, noticing his usual, equally handsome companion was not with him.

"Hiya, Kusa! Just you tonight?"

"Just me tonight, doll..." Rugged charm oozes out of his expression, sitting on one of the bar stools directly across from you, a masculine spice gently wafting from him as he opens his coat, stripping it off and handing it to a passing butler who bows and promptly walks away. "Hope that's alright."

"It's more than alright, handsome." You touch his arm and his heart flutters. "Be right back, okay?"

He feels a swell of pride to his ego and he smirks. "Take your time, angel, but don't keep me waiting long, ya hear?"

"I won't, Kusa." You flirtatiously pout your lips.

He looks at you fondly and sits back in his chair as he raises the fresh glass of bourbon to his lips, those oaky eyes lingering on your form as you float away into the haze of smoke and the low enchanting light of the ritzy air of tonight as he loosens his tie.

----

Hours later, he beckons you closer when it appears you have a minute to spare and the initial buzz of the night has started to burn out, having graduated to a darker corner of the bar accented by the elegant polished mahogany.

He's clearly in the mood to flirt which you can place immediately with the way he's leaning towards you and how his eyes possess a gleam of playfulness.

But, he wasn't going to be a dick about it. He turns his considerate attention towards you to inquire about your current state,

"How's your week been, sweetheart?" He asks, honey dripping from his voice.

Your lips curl upwards and he all but fails to remove his hungry gaze from the inviting way your gloss makes them look so plump.

"My week has been alright, thank you for asking, Kusa. But a little tiring if I'm honest."

"Mm? Tell me about it."

He can't help but notice you seem a little guarded, as though you were carrying it in your shoulders, keeping him at arms length. He knew from the stiff curve of your smile that you weren't letting him all the way in.

He studies you, tilting his head. "I don't bite, y'know doll..."

You shake your head, scrunching your nose in false coy as you wipe down the bar, "I know you don't, handsome...." Your eyes sharpen briefly as you focus on a stubborn spot.

"....just not used to seeing you here without Kento."

Ah, of course, Kento.

"Heh...you do have a special liking for Kento, don't ya, sweetheart?" He inquiries light-heartedly, raising his glass to his lips.

You shrug, although the shy expression and the warmth you feel in your cheeks gives you away.

"Maybe, I mean, he's very sweet. And handsome..."

Kusakabe smirks while clapping a hand against his chest in feigned offense,

"What 'bout me, doll? I'm not?"

You unseriously roll your eyes as you crack your bar rag against the polished wood before tossing it into the soiled bucket underneath.

"No! Of course you are, Kusa..." You lean in with a sunny smile, your fingers dance along his forearm before you give it a squeeze.

He feels his heart patter in his chest but he disguises it with another smirk,

"M'just giving ya a hard time, doll. I apologize..."

He takes another long sip of his drink, ice cubes leaving his thin lips wet with bourbon as he sighs.

It was no secret that women loved Kento, and you were no exception. Truth was, he was used to being compared to him, but he gave up long ago trying to fill the shoes of Kento Nanami, both in their pursuits as sorcerers and in courting women.

But, despite the sinful arrangement of sharing a pretty woman like you after hours with Kento (that he considered all good in fair fun), sometimes after the heat died down and the throes of passion became more crystal clear as you laid sandwiched between him and his comrade, he found himself falling asleep wondering what it would be like if he had you all to himself.

He eyes you pensively before he looks down, fishing out a fresh lollipop from his pocket and unwrapping it.

"I am a little rough with ya, aren't I?" He sticks the pink lemonade flavored sucker in his mouth.

You grin again, looking down as though the motion could keep the internal fluster at bay.

"I mean, I don't mind that, it's just that he's..."

"More gentle?" He asks, leaning in a little closer to you, moving the stick of the lollipop to the other side of his mouth with smooth intrigue. The soft manner of his question throws you for a loop as you gaze back at him.

There's something curious in his eyes that you haven't seen from him before.

He places his hand on top of yours.

It somehow felt more intimate despite the fact he's explored the deepest parts of you, and seen your face as he and his friend delivered you to heaven countless times before.

"I can be gentle, too, doll..."

He whispers. He notices goosebumps raise on your arm above where he's tracing broad shapes with his thumb on the back of your hand.

Your pretty lips gently part, your bottom lip catching on the tempting shine of your lip gloss.

Kusakabe groans, the heat traveling swiftly in his body and down to his pants.

He has you right where he wants you and he prays you'll stay with him tonight.

"I could show you..." He smiles. "How 'bout I take you somewhere after this, beautiful?"

He notes your slight hesitation. Somehow it felt a little more intimidating knowing it was just him this time. Keeping in mind the rough sex he preferred made you feel slightly weary, since you were used to Kento's gentle and more giving touch to balance it out.

But, here he was promising to show you a good time with just him, and if sweet and slow was what you wanted, he'd give it to you.

"Promise I'll take good care of ya, doll..." He reassures. "You'll be safe with me. We'll go at your pace and if you wanna stop, we'll stop."

You smile and can't help but feel the warmth trickling through your shoulders, the soft way he's looking at you, a man with a gruff shell gazing at you like you're an ethereal goddess sprawled from the sea whom he's cajoling from the cerulean curtains of ocean foam to meet land for the first time.

Asking you like he's only barely allowed to breathe in your presence despite bedding you several times before, and the dark, enchanting brown of his eyes only adds to the flame.

You can't say no to him.

You smile with silent confirmation, and he grins, bringing the back of your hand against his mouth,

"You're an angel, sweetheart, thank you... I'll be waiting out front for ya."

"Okay Kusa, I just need to cash out my drawer but I'll be right there!"

"Course, baby. Take your time. I'll be right outside." He gives you one more charming smile before he retrieves his coat, leaving your mind reeling above the clouds.

----

The hotel lobby is equally stuffy but it's heavy and sensual, mirroring the opulence of the speakeasy you just came from, maintaining this area of Shinjuku's reputation for catering to those donning white collars in the upper ranks of wealth.

A couple patrons sit at the bar, cigarette smoke in casual clouds dusting the high embossed gold of the marble ceilings, dull candlelight and vintage luxury on jade velvet couches, tall palm leaves in obsidian pots and dry martinis swirling against the translucent glass as they spoke in low voices.

Kusakabe has you tucked under his arm, his fingers barely ghosting the curve of your ass as his hand sits low on the soft flesh of your hip.

"You wearin that new set Kento and I bought ya, angel...?" His fingers tease along your collarbone.

Your skin prickles with goosebumps and your stomach twists with the promise of what's to come. "Yes, Kusa..."

"Good girl...gonna have to keep it on when I'm going down on ya, sweetheart..."

His husky murmurings in intimate volume only you can hear emulsifies your insides into honey as he slowly stokes the flame, getting you nice and warmed up.

"So pretty, doll. You're always so stunning."

His lips brush the shell of your ear as soon the elevator doors close. You turn to him with heavy lidded eyes and your lips crash together in a frenzy of pent up lust.

He groans into the kiss, his tongue exploring the glossy seam of your lips before you open them and he prods inside with steady, building intention and want. He explores carefully while clutching both sides of your neck tenderly, the whiskey lending itself to his movements, slightly sloppy but somehow it made things even more steamy between you as you drowned in the spicy taste of bourbon with undertones of the sweet pink lemonade sucker weaved in his mouth.

You feel his palms slide under the hem of your shirt, gently replacing it with the subtle chill from his skin sliding up your stomach until both hands come to reside on the soft mounds of your breasts, greeting them with deliberate, teasing swipes of his thumbs over your responsive nipples, leaving a column of goosebumps shooting up your spine as it arched.

Your eyes roll back at the sensual feeling of his growing cock through his pants as he softly ruts his hips against you.

You two stay locked like that for several steamy moments accentuated by the exaggerated pants into each other's mouths as you hump one another in the quiet elevator, his forehead rests against yours, jaw slack as he watches you melt underneath his hands, the epicenter of pleasure radiating from how he's groping your breasts and rubbing his hips against your ass in just the right way that it carries such irresistible preview of the fervor and passion he promised to fuck you with for real as soon as the door to your suite closed behind you.

Without warning, his hand wanders to your sex, his molten gaze remains locked on you. You whine loudly and suck in air between your teeth.

"Fuck..." He hisses as he feels his cock elongate all at once, strained under the confines of his pants. You wiggle for a moment in his grasp, trying to align the pressure of his hand with your throbbing clit. The delicious discovery of which you announce with another trembling moan.

"Kusa..." You feebly whisper, the publicity of the sexy act, dwindling time of the elevator's ascent before it reaches your floor, and the union of friction between Kusakabe's skilled hand and your clit place you in serious danger of cumming for him in your pants.

"Hold on f'me, angel..." The corner of his mouth twitches with satisfaction.

"Kusa, please..."

"I know doll...." He kisses your throat. "Just teasin ya for a bit..."

"Kusa, slow..."

"I know, doll, I remember..."

You jaw falls open as a low purr escapes your throat, the ending accentuated by a whine as his finger moves at a coaxing tempo.

"Nice...n' slow..." He whispers, his words rolling off his tongue in devastating synchronization of his movements over your clit, before two of his fingers slip beautifully inside you with a deep moan.

Just as you thought you were beginning to bloom, he withdraws his hand swiftly and stuffs it in his pocket, the movement and quick emptiness making you wobble on your feet.

He catches you with his other arm, pulling you against him as the doors slide open with a ding. An older couple nods politely as they step in, seemingly unfazed by your clearly disheveled clothes and wild eyed expression.

Kusakabe merely smirks as he guides you out of the elevator and down the hall to your awaiting room.

-----

You can't help but sigh deeply as your lips connect with Kusakabe's again.

This felt divine after a long day. He could feel his worries dissipate and dissolve into the air that began to hang heavily around you, not allowing his lips to disconnect from yours even for a second as he removed his coat, stripping yours off you with careful precision, the sensual sound of the fabric hitting the floor.

You were plunging headfirst into a sea that swallowed you whole completely, lost to the tides of lust.

As your head hits the pillow of the king sized bed, you weave your fingers in the loops of his belt to occupy your hands while he quicky moved to unbutton your shirt. You shivered as you felt the fleeting graze of his fingers against your breasts that were slowly becoming revealed to him. Your sudden movement interrupts his trance, briefly, only to remember the promise he made you earlier.

"Sorry, doll..." He murmurs, his wet lips move to the corner of your mouth as he gently circulates his hands that contain your soft breasts in them in wordless appreciation. "...this still okay?"

"Mhmm...." You weakly mewl out, all sense of your surroundings trickle down the drain when he begins fondling your tits, struggling to maintain control over the volume of your moans, "Tha-that'so good, Kusa...hard to be quiet when it feels so good..."

"Fuck em..." He groans as you arch your back. "Keep moanin for me like that, angel..."

Kusakabe closes his eyes, both your foreheads resting against one another as though he could absorb your warmth. Your little pants and whimpers egg him on as he plays with your breasts but he remains chained to his word to take things slow.

"Kusaaa...."

But that particular breathy utterance of his name that fell from your lips causes him to dip his head down, his hands guiding your bra straps down to easily move the lacey cups as he took your left breast in his mouth, his cheeks hollowing and your head gently rolling back as his tongue slowly lapped at your nipple.

Your hand flies to his bulge, massaging and feeling him up through his slacks. Another groan rumbles in his chest, the deep pitch prompting you quickly to clench your thighs. You sigh when his mouth departs your left breast, leaving the nipple perky with a wet pucker and sloppy kiss, moving to the right.

His eyes flicker up and remain trained on you every so often. Watching you slowly be reduced to putty little by little with every warm, wet brush of his tongue, bathing your breasts in worship with his wanton mouth.

You begin to grow impatient, your weeping cunt desperately begging to be full of him, the heated foreplay giving you more than enough preparation to take him, but he continues loving on you like this without pause for several heavenly minutes.

"Kusa, baby...can't take it...need your cock, Kusa..."

"Mhhnnn.....hold on, doll...I've still gotta taste ya..."

Kusakabe's fingers trail to your black skirt, greeting the plush of your stomach with a kiss. "This okay?" He checks in gently again. You nod and he slides off your skirt and pantyhose, leaving the deep emerald lace of the panties he bought for you exposed to his hungry eyes.

"God, you're something..." He whispers.

"So are you, Kusa..."

"Oh yeah?" He purrs, running a finger along the sheer fabric that only scantily hid your wetting sex away from him as he wet his lips. He unbuttons his shirt, dipping his head down before slowly inhaling your scent.

"What am I, angel?"

You feel the pad of his thumb hook underneath the gusset.

"You're...."

A moan is ripped out of your throat the minute his tongue teases the outer delicate flesh of your pussy. "Kusa..."

"Go on, baby..." He teases a kiss to the soft mound.

"You're...so good..." Your toes curl as his tongue glides between your arousal dripped folds. "Ohhhh you're so fucking sexy, Atsuya..."

"Ffffuck me doll..." He turns you on your stomach. "You can say my name like that all night long."

He removes his shirt completely, pulls your panties to the right and leans in, kissing and kneading the tender fat. One of his hands frees his aching cock.

"Atsuya....mmm, Atsuya..."

"Such a gorgeous ass..." He groans, moving the panties slightly as he frees and slides his cock between your asscheeks, loving how the globes envelope around it, the second best thing he loved seeing wrapped around his cock, besides the warm silky walls of your cunt.

"Gotta be my favorite part of you, angel..." He leans over, swirling his tongue against your shoulder blade before punctuating it with a tender kiss, blazing a long trail down your spine, provoking you to arch for him again.

Kusakabe groans at your responsiveness and bestowing him the beautiful sight of your ass in the air again. When he reaches the bottom, he gives he gives your asscheek another tender squeeze in preparation.

"Relax for me, doll..."

The hinge in your jaw slowly unravels, going slack completely as Kusakabe begins eating your pussy from the back. You feel his nose push against the slit, completely and shamelessly coating his face with your arousal. His tongue wettens the seam of your folds, exploring them like a paintbrush against a canvas. You let yourself grind on his tongue, the languid laps of him stroking your sensitive flesh making you ache for the sweet stretch of his cock, settling for the sensation of his nose brushing the sides of your clit instead. He groans and you feel the low purr reverberate against your pussy and you respond to the delectable sensation by sticking your ass even more into his face.

Somehow the fact that he was tongue fucking you while just pulling your panties to the side made it even sexier.

"Christ, babydoll..." He chuckles huskily. "You're soakin f'me..."

"Atsuya, baby..."

"Ohh...angel. M'right here..." He senses your body moving closer to the edge, as he has several times. He moves his tongue quicker, moving his hand to start pressing on your clit. The pad of his index finger was doused immediately in the slick, producing a breathy cry from your lungs, your legs twitching as he hangs you on the edge of sweet release, massaging the tender nub as it grew puffier from the stimulation.

"Atsuya! "You whine. "F-fuck me please, oh please!"

"Mmmm...gotta cum f'me first..." He leans over you, licking the shell of your ear while his finger gently toys with your clit. "That's it, thaat's it. Lemme have it, doll..."

He kisses your shoulder. "Cum on my fingers, babygirl..."

Your fingers dig into the pillow as you gush on his hand. He chuckles softly, bringing his hand to his mouth, the lewd sound of his fingers popping from his cheeks as he tastes your love.

"Here, lookit me, angel..." He gently turns your chin with his other hand, barely prodding his fingers against the seam of your soft lips. "Taste yourself..."

You groan, drunk off the haze of post orgasm bliss as you taste his fingers, letting your tongue lick all over them and saliva dribble out of the corners of your mouth like a cock hungry slut.

"Mmm..." you purr with heavy eyelids. "So yummy, Kusa..."

His cock twitches, a generous bead of precum leaking from the tip. He kisses your temple.

"So gorgeous doll, such a perfect, naughty girl f'me..."

A whine halfway squeezes out, getting caught in your throat as you feel him discard your panties completely before he begins to swirl the broad tip of his cock at your weeping entrance and you hear the sound of his trousers falling completely on the floor behind you.

"Kusa..." You bite your lip. "Make love to me..."

"I will beautiful..." He purrs, leaning in and nuzzling his face against your ear. "Kiss me, angel..."

You lips meet and you groan when more of your lingering taste in his mouth melts onto your tongue. He kisses you deeply as his cock begins to delve into your warm cunt from behind. You pant slightly into the kiss as you feel him stretch you. Your velvet walls hugging his cock, slowly sucking him in.

"S'alright..." He breathes into your mouth. "S'alright doll..." He kisses you softly, sloppily, more deeply to distract you from his size.

"Doin so good....so good, pretty..." He coos roughly.

You feel yourself surrender little by little, the ridged, sinful feeling of the veins of his cock massaging your plush walls, delivering euphoria from the heavenly friction. You released a breathy moan in tandem with the husky grunt he makes in your ear when he eventually bottoms out inside of you.

He pauses and you feel the generous length twitch, making you bite your lip. He sits up a bit, reverently, admiring the sight of himself buried deeply into you from behind.

Your beautiful ass all spread out in front of him, pussy molded to his cock like it was meant for him. Like this was truly the first time he was giving himself to you. The other times before paling in comparison to this exclusive moment with you, all to himself.

He groans and runs his palms over the expanse of your ass, cementing the image in his psyche permanently before leaving a couple small kisses on your lower back.

"M'gonna start moving, doll..." He whispers, interlacing his fingers in between yours on the pillow.

You feel his chest press into your back as his hips retreat slightly. A quiet, filthy squelch from the buildup of arousal around the base, before he rapidly presses his cock back inside you in one deep fell swoop with a wet plop.

"Mmm...Kusa..." You moan as he feeds you stroke, after slow stroke. The prolonged time between thrusts, the increased drag of his cock carried promise that was quickly fulfilled so deliciously and deeply with each time he thrust inside you. The tempo was smooth, soft. It was erotically intimate, his lips brushing your ear, cradling your chin in his hand while he slowly fucked you.

"Fuck...fuck.....mnnnnhhh...baby, grippin' me so tight..."

You let his presence overpower you, nothing in this moment besides being under this man, this rugged, fine man showing a side of himself that surely had your mind and body falling for him, and letting him fuck you deeply with his cock.

"So damn beautiful....so pretty..." He gently grips your throat.

You feel yourself dripping, your pussy hungrier for more connection, more intensity as the pleasure began to flood you from the inside.

"H-Harder, Kusa..."

Kusakabe groans, tapering into a breathy chuckle as he scoffed.

"Wanted it nice n'slow all night, n'now you're wantin' me to go rough on ya, doll?"

He teases as he nibbles your ear, the slow pumps of his cock unrelenting, until he gives one abrupt, sharp thrust that sets every nerve on fire and brain fogged with euphoria.

"Ohhhhh.....God yes...yes Kusa... harder....faster...please!"

He moans deeply, his hips picking up the pace. When you begged so sweetly for him, he couldn't do anything but say no.

"Shit, baby...." His fingers press into your cheek, bringing your face closer to his, his hoarse pants in your ear as he drilled his cock into you from behind.

"Gonna be real hard to last much longer if you keep beggin..."

His thumb slips into your mouth and you moan graciously. The new pace felt heavenly but you needed more. More rough, more dirty. Moving past taking things slow and soft to just having him absolutely fuck all sense out of you.

"Harder, Kusa..."

And a switch goes off, taking the liberty of reverting back to his usual style of rough and fast, but with no shortage of passion and pleasure as he wound his fingers tightly into your hair, using his other hand to grip your hip and pull you into his feverish thrusts.

Your asscheeks clap together as he pounds your pussy into the mattress, moving from keeping his hands in your hair and his lips brushing your ear to sitting back on his heels, pressing your cheek into the mattress with a hand on the back of your neck and fucking you at a harsher angle.

You moan and pant loudly releasing an unending chant of his name, "Kusa....fuck Kusa....so good, so good..."

"Fuck..." He smacks your ass, his chest coated in a sheen of sweat as he sits back like a king, watching his slick covered cock slide rapidly in and out of your soaked pussy, the entire length disappearing and nearly completely pulling out before abruptly driving back into you.

"Keep taking my cock beautiful.... that's it, thaaat's it." He closes his eyes, tossing his head back momentarily as he senses his release right around the corner.

"Gonna paint this gorgeous ass all over with my cum..." He leans in. "You want that don't you, doll...? Tell me you want it..."

He presses a soft kiss to your cheek, his thrusts slowing down considerably but the length of each stroke remaining long and agonizingly deep, nearly reaching your cervix every time with every deep roll of his hips.

"Want it Kusa...want your cum..."

"Say you want me..." He whispers.

"I want you, Atsuya. Fuck me so good and cum just for me, please, baby..."

"Jesus... FUCK!"

He pulls out quickly, grunting as his hand grips his shaft, coaxing long generous ropes of milky white cum all over your ass and lower back, his voice hoarse as he pants with exhaustion.

You stay there, frozen, numbly, panting as well as you untangle from the throes of pleasure.

"Hold on, doll..." Kusakabe gets up, flashing a very pleasant view of his back and cute backside, a scar here and there imprinted in between the ridges of muscle.

He returns with a towel, wiping up his cum and then kissing your shoulder before he climbs into bed with you, running a hand through his hair as he pulls you into his chest.

"Here..." He gestures for you to sit up, unclasping your lacey bra that had remained on during the entire time, both of you sighing deeply as your bare skin met in sensual bliss underneath the sheets.

"Much better..." You say softly, closing your eyes.

Kusakabe smiles tenderly at you, leaning in to kiss your forehead. "You're too good to me, sweetheart." He sighs again as his nails brush your upper arm in haphazard circles. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Kusa." You look up at him and smile sweetly, a playful look in your eye that says the late hour hasn't gotten to you just yet.

He hums, drinking in your features, a finger winding its way amidst a stray piece of hair framing your face. As his mind becomes less clouded, he remembers his obligations in Shibuya and his phone in his pocket that must have dozens of notifications by now, a subtle feeling of dread beginning to assemble in his lower belly.

He wished he could shatter time.

You look up at him, taking in his warm irises, his musk that remained subtly laced in his aftershave, his sharp jaw. You could sense a shift, a hidden disquieting energy simmering in his silence.

"You okay, Atsuya?"

He looks at you balancing your chin on his shoulder, a pleasant expression tugging at his mouth at the pretty sight of you staring up at him.

"Yeah..." He leans in kissing you. "Yeah, m’alright, doll, you? Ya tired?"

"Good..." You murmur, pausing with your eyes closed after his lips retreated a short distance from yours, gently shaking your head. "I'm okay. Do you have to go tonight, Kusa…?”

Kusakabe sighs, rubbing a hand over his face as you asked him a question he still did not have a concrete answer to.

"I might...but the room's booked for the night as always, you're welcome to stay..."

He looks down at you, a bit of concern in his eyes at the sight of your slight disappointment at his answer.

Not wanting you to feel used, he tries to reassure you.

"But I'm in no rush..." He gives you a warm smile, gently squeezing your inner thighs. "You're not ready to get some sleep yet?"

"No..." a playfulness marks your pupils which Kusakabe picks up the underlying implications immediately. "I could lose another hour, or two."

"Could you now?" Kusakabe's eyebrows crinkle with mischief, shoving thoughts of Shibuya aside once he had something much less grim, much more lovelier, much more intimate, enticing, and alluring beckoning for his attention once again.

"Mhmm.." a faint smirk begins to curl on your lips.

"That's good.." Kusakabe whispers.

You moan weakly as he lets your thighs fall open and he begins softly rubbing your clit once again, his lips brushing your ear.

"Cause right now, I have all the time in the world."

-----

Your eyes close and flicker open quickly, the disorient of sleep confusing you momentarily, realizing that at least a couple hours must have passed despite the seeming blink of an eye.

A little bit of disappointment creeps onto your face when you see Kusakabe silently dressing, pulling his white dress shirt over his broad bare shoulders that outlined against the faint glow of empire city lights behind the drawn silk curtains.

"Where are you going, Kusa?"

He is alerted to your awake state, sighs, and turns as he manages a smile.

"Gotta take care of some business in Shibuya, angel. You know how it is." He melts a little bit when you take his hand and pull him closer, pressing your cheek against it.

"Don't go, Kusa..."

He groans a little bit. Why'd you have to be so damn sweet?

All at once, he's aware of something odd. A feeling for you he didn't quite place before. Something that lasted beyond just the wrinkled sheets, the low light and seductive atmosphere of the bedroom. Something real that transcended the sensuality of the night and remained in the morning when you could wake up side by side together. And, as you look up at him now, he knows he's screwed.

"Believe me, I don't wanna go either, doll..." He sighs deeply as you start slowly kissing his palm.

Fuck, and you had the nerve to do it while looking dead at him with those lovely twinkling eyes of yours.

"Would much rather stay in this bed with you..."

His eyes nearly pop out of his skull when you press his palm against your breast. He's immediately unable to resist squeezing it as you pull him back on top of you, still fully dressed, the rough fleece of his brown coat on top of your soft, naked body.

"Fuck, don't look at me like that, doll. Y'know what that does to me..." He mumbles weakly as you kiss each other deeply, before he pulls away briefly for air.

For a moment suspended in the passion, all you see is warmth staring back at you and it simultaneously dawns on him.

Moments like these were worth staying alive for, worth not risking his life tonight for. An angel like you. Someone he could idle hours away with. Learning one another. Sharing space with someone he didn't mind tangling souls with for a bit. Softness and warmth and connection.

Could you be his?

"When will I see you again?" You whisper, brushing your nose against his.

Kusakabe kisses your hand. "Soon, angel. You'll see me real soon..."

"Kusa..."

He groans, a cloak of protectiveness over you that completely overwhelms him as he hugs you tightly one more time.

"Be safe, okay? You'll watch out for Kento too, right, Kusa?" You murmur against his chest, drinking in the oasis of his spiced cologne along with the smell of the city when rain mixes with smoke until you can imbibe in each other again.

Kusakabe looks at you, the round tips of his fingers combing the circle of your face.

"Course I will, doll." He smiles bittersweetly, knowing your confidence you had in him betrayed any he had in himself.

But he'd try. He'd try his very best, for you.

"Get some sleep, angel. I'll be back for you soon..."

He whispers as he leaves you tucked in the billowy white sheets that clung the scent of your reunion that slowly coaxes you to sleep.

-----

He sighs as he wearily steps onto the midnight saturated street with the weight of something finally greater than himself that he left buried in that warm master bed in that grand hotel.

He puts one foot in front of the other as he gloomily trudges in the direction of the Shibuya district, thoughts of your eyes guiding every step as he quietly ponders the foreboding unknown that lay ahead.

[kingdomoftyto]

I've started and deleted three drafts now trying to get my thoughts into a coherent recommendation, but there's just so much.

Let's start with the basics: You should read the graphic novel if you're a fan of the original show. You just should. It's new content of your old faves, and I'm telling you now that the art and writing are great and that you should give it a shot based on that alone.

But as for exactly why I'm losing my mind over it this much...?

It... feels like watching the show. But a version of the show unafraid to explore its own worldbuilding. A version of the show where continuity and character growth matter. A version of the show without jokes written by people far too old to understand mid-2000s teens.

And it is actually, honest-to-goodness funny. I went in fully braced for a badly shoehorned "fruit loop" one-liner, and instead I got incredible deadpan asides like this:

The art, too, manages to perfectly ride the line of looking enough like the original style to be convincing, but improving on the expressiveness of the characters' faces and actions to elevate it to something arguably better than the show:

(Like, I'm being so serious when I say the fight scenes are among the best I have ever seen in comic form. I'm the kind of person who tends to go for anime over manga because the fights are harder for me to follow in little sequential snapshots, but I can tell exactly what's happening in these battles AND they still look super cinematic and cool.)

And the story. Man, the STORY.

I won't spoil any of the plot here, but it's... really good. A little winding and goofy toward the beginning, but once things get serious, it really grabs you and refuses to let go til it's done. (Much like the best episodes of the show! Funny how that works.) It has a satisfying conclusion, but it also leaves a massive door open to continue telling more stories in the setting.

And I want more stories in this universe. The threads being dangled here might be even more enticing than those left by the original show. There is potential here for an INCREDIBLE series of comics.

We just have to prove how badly we want it.

If you can't buy the book yourself right now (it's relatively cheap for a graphic novel--I think it was about $15 even with tax from my Barnes & Noble), then please at least let other fans know it exists (I wouldn't have had any idea if not for tumblr) and keep the hype going on social media. I'm stoked to see that DP is trending on tumblr, at least, and I hope the same is true elsewhere. It's a small thing, but it's something corporate decision-makers take note of.

Fingers crossed we get to see more someday. This is one series that deserves to come back from the dead.

But, whether or not we get that continuation: welcome back, Phandom. Congrats and happy release day. 💚

[onyv]

ART NOUVEAU

Art Nouveau appears at the end of the 19th century and spreads widely across Europe and the United States. It draws inspiration from the Japanese, Oriental, Byzantine and Celtic arts as well as Impressionism.                                                      The peculiarities of the style are highlighted decoration and strong interest in the ornament and curve line. Stylised floral motifs and human images combined with asymmetric compositions are used. The emotional suggestions that are inherent in style are: refinement, elegancy, spirituality, variability, expressiveness, romance, love, tenderness, nostalgia, dreaminess.

.

Origin of Art Nouveau. 

On the one hand, it is the English Arts and Crafts movement from the middle of the nineteenth century and headed by William Morris. The basis of this movement is Morris's idea of affirming the value of handmade handicrafts against the industrial products. His followers replace cheap mass production with quality handmade items. They stem from the beauty of natural forms, the tradition of old medieval styles and folklore.

On the other hand, the ideas of Art Nouveau are also based on the works of Augustus Pugin, who seeks reforming society through the plastic forms of Gothic, which he considers to be the bearer of Christian values.The artists and designers of the 1990s developed the ideas of Puigin and Morris and enriched them with new forms and materials. This also determines the aesthetic basis of the new style. The materials used for everyday use are very high quality.

It has been assumed that all forms of plastic visualisation are equally valuable (until this moment it is believed that such activities are under the artist's dignity.) 

The essence of Art Nouveau is that the art shape is particularly important, it is even more important than the content and even the most prosaic content can be represented in a highly artistic shape.

Another important aesthetic feature is the appearance of the female figure. Portraits of women are common in this style. The most common image is just a woman as a center of composition, in the way that the figure is an integral part of the ornament in the whole.

The art of posters is also developing in Paris.The emblem of this art becomes Alphonse Mucha. He designs theatrical posters and settings, but also made designs multiple packaging and patterns for mass consumption. Frequently used in them are stylised images of women whose long hair has been turned into complex decorative ornaments.

Like many of his peers Toulouse Lautrec follows the principles of Japanese engraving, which is based on the flat construction of the shapes, the exaggerated facial expressions and the strong theatrical compositions. The objects of his inspiration are dancers, actresses, singers, courtesans. He works a lot in the field of poster and advertising, raising this genre to the level of real art.

Gustav Klimt is the leading figure of the Vienna Secession. His works are very decorative and filled with erotism. Again, the woman is his main inspiration and is elevated to a cult.

In conclusion, Art Nouveau is one of the last attempts to create a common style in plastic arts, architecture, interior and furniture design, poster, book design, and more.

The aim of the architect, the artist, the designer is the creation of a synthetically complete work of art that enters the private life of man through the items that surrounds him. That's why this style is cosmopolitan.

As far as Art Nouveau artists and designers are concerned, it can be said that they develop and enrich the ideas of Pugin and Morris, and because of everything listed above we can define their work as a top-class art.

[vintagerpg]

This is Cults of Cthulhu (2022), a fantastic and weirdly long overdue sourcebook for Call of Cthulhu (It’s a Call of Cthulhu kind of week!).

Why is it overdue? Well, Cthulhu is a pretty key part of the name of the game, but the big squid was really only featured in one adventure, the first CoC campaign, Shadows of Yog-Sothoth. Since then, if there is a prime antagonist of the CoC game writ large, its Nyarlathotep. That’s a cosmic entity who gets around.

With Cults of Cthulhu, we get the first serious and fairly exhaustive examination of the worldwide Cthulhu cult hinted at in Lovecraft’s story. The overview is provided in an in-universe style by two characters: Mildred Schwartz works off Professor Angell’s original research to provide a history of the cult from the dawn of history to 1930. David Eberhart’s blog builds on Schwartz’s timeline, detailing developments from the ‘30s to the present. This isn’t quite so thrilling to read as the Delta Green timeline, but it is certainly entertaining and feels a bit more usable for a game.

Following that, the book presents five cults in depth. There are two old ones, the Louisiana swamp cult and the Esoteric Order of Dagon, and three new ones, the Elevated Order of Morpheus (a Victorian occult club), the Society of the Angelic Ones (a California cult) and the Church of Perfect Science (a riff on Scientology). Those new ones are the subject of lengthy scenarios later in the book and have a thread connecting them that ends on a deliciously ambiguous note. There is also a robust guide to creating your own Cthulhu cults, something I feel like I could do indefinitely. All this is wrapped up in a handsome package, as well — I generally like Chaosium’s production values these days but this one feels a bit above their average in terms of art.

An instant classic, basically.

[random-weirdo]

This originally started out as a s3 Crowley outfit idea and then turned into something else, so here's my brain blurt.

What if, in season three, Crowley's fashion style becomes a little more relaxed, or laid back. Like-

he would still wear his tight-women's skinny jeans and small black turtlenecks and blazer-jacket-things and shoelace-tie, but he would wear large t-shirts, and baggy pants or long skirts from time to time.

And maybe he would do that because he doesn't feel the need to be dark, evil and mysterious anymore, now that he officially is no longer on "Hell's side".

And maybe he dresses like that because he picks up some of Nina and Maggie's, and maybe even Anathema's style.

And maybe he also grows his hair out and let's it fade, maybe he has long hair again, with the slightest pinkish-ginger undertone to it.

And maybe he's more emotional, and less closed off because of Nina and Maggie.

And maybe one day, after Crowley got his still-empty apartment back, he decided to visit The Bookshop. So, he got into The Bentley and drove to Whickber Street. The car drive would be silent except for the quiet sounds of the motor and the slightly louder sounds of the traffic outside.

And maybe once he gets to Whickber Street, he parks outside Give me Coffee or Give me Death and looks at The Bookshop from across the road. And while he looks at The Bookshop, he spots Muriel in the window, reading a Jane Austen book in Aziraphale's study. On the armchair he used to sit in and study his first editions while Crowley would sit and watch him on the small sofa next to it in the corner.

Maybe as Crowley watches Muriel read their book through the window he smiles. not a grin, a small smile. And it isn't a happy smile, or maybe it is.

Maybe it's a sad one, looking back on the memories and silently wishing they had last for eternity.

And maybe, as he was doing that, Nina walked out of her coffee shop, and banged on the windows, but got no reply. Maybe she continued, and eventually Crowley noticed, and rolled down the window. "What."

Maybe Nina would roll her eyes, but smile. and say: "six shots?" And when Crowley would nod slightly in silence, Nina would walk back inside her coffee shop, and walk back out a few minutes later with a takeaway cup, filled with six shots of espresso.

But maybe before Crowley could take it from his open window, Nina walks around the other side of The Bentley and gets in.

Maybe they wouldn't say anything to each other the whole time they sat in The Bentley with each other.

And maybe someone just being there was enough for Crowley.

And maybe, hopefully, that was the start of a new story, perhaps of friendship and healing.

And maybe a few months of healing and looking after an old bookshop with an angel who would grow to be like a child to Crowley.

And perhaps Crowley, Nina and Maggie grow a friendship, which forces Crowley to open up a little. But he doesn't really care.

And he would trust them.

And perhaps, one oddly sunny spring day, Crowley picks up his daily six shots of espresso from Give me Coffee or Give me Death, and as he walks across the road back to The Bookshop, he notices something.

The pub.

The elevator.

it opens.

And out comes an archangel.

A blonde one.

The archangel looks around, taking in the sights of the street he used to live in, and walks across the road.

Towards The Bookshop.

Crowley is stood outside The Bookshop door, looking at Aziraphale.

Aziraphale looks up to Crowley from the bottom of the front steps.

"Crowley." He says.

"Angel." Crowley replies.

A small smile is exchanged, and they both walk into The Bookshop together in silence.

Whatever the hell I just wrote was very heavily inspired by @goosetooths art, and Muriel's Stories by rayvennswritingdesk on Ao3!!

Anywayyyy hope u like it,, I will admit, I did get lazy a the end, so idk if this is any good and I wrote it at like 2:30-3 am ssoooooooooo.....

[kramerblogrealgood]

Comic books that you should read!!! Yes you!!! Right now!!!

These are comics I really enjoy! I'm trying to stick to slightly more obscure comics, preferably stuff that's a little newer, but that's by no means a rule! This is my list baby, I make the rules!

#1: Local Man (Image Comics, 2023)

Local Man follows Jack Xaver, who was once the superhero Crossjack before being unceremoniously kicked out of his team and legally barred from any vigilante activity. Moving back in with his parents in his destitute former hometown, Jack starts to unravel a conspiracy that has ties to both his old team and his old town.

It rules! It's funny and heartfelt and thrilling and if it were a TV show you'd never stop hearing about it. It's also one of the few modern original Image series that actually takes place in the "Image Universe", so it's packed with references to characters like Shadowhawk. You don't need to know all these guys to enjoy the comic by any means, but it's fun for long-time fans.

Most of all, I'm a fan of the basic conceit of this comic: it looks at The Dark Age of Comic Books with the same reverent-yet-critical eye that so many other comics used on the golden and silver ages. I think that rules! A lot of this stuff deserves reappraisal!

#2: The Wrong Earth (Ahoy Comics, 2018)

The concept for this is pretty simple: what if Adam West's Batman got sent to the world of the Nolan trilogy, and Christian Bale's Batman got sent to the world of the 1966 TV show?

They hit all the dramatic and comedic beats you could imagine coming from this premise, and a few you probably couldn't think of. It's not just a one-dimensional parody, though: really sharp writing and an engaging mystery elevate what could easily be, like, a Dorkly video into something special. Which is to say: if you think this premise sounds good you'll love this comic, and if you think it sounds stupid you'll probably still like this comic.

There are some cool character designs here, but my favorite is the villain in both universes:

His name is Number One, and he's a crime boss with an egomania/numbers gimmick. (Sorry for the compressed jpegs)

I imagine "design an original 1960s villain, and then design his edgy 2000s reboot version" would be a difficult prompt for an artist, but Jamal Igle knocks that shit outta the park. Number One really feels like he could fit into Batman's rogues gallery, but he's not a riff on anyone in particular- he's kind of like all of them. The "1"-shaped scar is an especially great touch.

#3: Ice Cream Man (Image Comics, 2018)

(This image isn't from any cover as far as I can tell, it was posted on instagram by writer W. Maxwell Prince.)

Hey, another from Image Comics! And it's my favorite genre, too: horror anthology. If the pic I chose didn't tip you off, this one gets SPOOKAY! The basic premise is that every issue is a one-shot that features a character going through some kind of horrible misfortune. Tying all these tales of woe together is the enigmatic Ice Cream Man, who seems to be somehow torturing all these humans for his own amusement. We eventually learn that he's an evil god-type thing named Riccardus, and he has a good counterpart who's trying to stop him- all the lore stuff is a little vague, but that doesn't mean it's not interesting! The art style used by artist Martin Morazzo is almost uncanny-valley, it reminds me of The Shivering Truth.

Some of the "horror" in this comic is really personal and upsetting, by the way- the one about dementia made me cry. Actually, a lot of these made me cry. Full on snotty gasp-sobbing. 10/10. Riccardus has real sexyman potential if the freaks on this site would ever read something besides fuckin Wayne Family Adventures.

#4: Wayne Family Adventures (DC/Webtoon, 2021)

What? It's cute, fuck you. "eeuuuhhh it's out of character" you sound like a dweeb man

#5: Eight Billion Genies (Image Comics, 2021)

Just like The Wrong Earth, this has a killer elevator pitch: what if every single person on Earth got exactly one wish, all at the same time? Also like The Wrong Earth, it takes it's premise in every angle you can think of- there's wish trading, wish stealing, cities that are kept safe from the chaos of the outside world but you have to give the city government your wish to get in, you name it. No wonder Amazon bought the rights. Keep an eye out for that movie/series, I guess.

Ok, I need some non-image comics.

#6: Giant Days (Boom! Studios, 2015)

Anime fans, this one's for you: you know all those series you love about groups of cute girls just going through their daily lives? Well imagine if those cute girls were over eightee- hey wait where are you going come back

Giant Days is a slice-of-life story about three young women facing the challenges of college life. Apparently it's a spin-off of a webcomic with like 15 years of strips, but I don't care about all that and neither should you! It's a little like gilmore girls in terms of tone. The dialogue is snappy, all the characters play off each other in ways that's fun to see, and there's this 7 foot tall Australian rower chick who's completely obsessed with her reedy loser boyfriend. It's just comforting. It's like a big plate of mashed potatoes, this comic.

Hey, speaking of slice-of-life:

#7: Megg, Mogg and Owl (Indie/Fantagraphics, 2013ish)

This has the honor of being the only comic on this list that's been adapted to another type of media, in the form of a segment on Justin Roiland's weird kinda-shitty Hulu halloween special. Not much of an honor, I guess.

Anyways! MM&O is about a group of "friends" who live together in drug-addled squalor. Megg is a chronically depressed witch just waiting to die. Mogg, Megg's boyfriend, is a talking cat who just wants to keep the degenerate lifestyle they've built for themselves stable, and Owl is a neurotic sex addict who wants to make something of himself but doesn't want to lose his only companions, and Werewolf Jones is a drug-dealing sociopath. It's like Peep Show! I absolutely love this comic, I reread it constantly, but I'm having a hard time pitching it.

If Giant Days is a plate of mashed potatoes this is like... a gas station hot dog eaten over a storm drain or something. Still kind of comforting, just in a different way. Let's cleanse our palette with some capeshit.

#8: Planetary (Wildstorm/DC, 1998)

Planetary rocks. We follow an amnesiac immortal named Elias Snow as he travels the globe with his top-secret Planetary Investigations team to uncover the secrets of the Wildstorm universe. Think of it like... The X-Files crossed with The Venture Brothers. X-Files in that they investigate weirdo mysteries, Venture Brothers in that every genre of speculative fiction- from Doc Savage-style pulp heroes to Kaiju to James Bond superspies- all exist, or existed, in some form.

Also on the team besides Snow are The Drummer (who has some kind of information-based power I never really understood) and Jakita Wagner, the super-strong ADHD daughter of a Tarzan expy. It's hard to do it justice in a post like this, buy a copy! Or pirate it, if you don't want to give Warren Ellis any money!

#9: Bad Enders (Indie, 2020)

Hey, this one is free! Check it out here: https://beany-tuesday.itch.io/bad-enders-pilot-issue

Bad Enders is a shonen pastiche with all the humor and charm you could expect from a @beanytuesday joint. It's great! It follows a burnt-out twentysomething who once had ambitions of becoming a demon hunter, but has since resigned himself to a life of filling out excel spreadsheets. Beanytuesday has stated there probably won't be any more Bad Enders content, but he has another comic called GUE (https://beanytuesday.tumblr.com/tagged/gue/chrono) that takes place in the same universe.

#10: G-Man (Image Comics, 2009)

i bet you thought i was done with image huh

Anyways, this was my jam back in like 3rd grade and you know what? It holds up. When they say "all-ages" they fuckin mean all ages, I'm a grown man and I can enjoy this.

The story of this entry is that I wanted to end on 10 instead of 9.

The story of this comic is that a kid named Mikey G gets his hands on a magic blanket that allows him to fly, but his brother ALSO uses the magic blanket to fly with and they become, like, rivals, but this other kid can also fly and he starts fucking with them... better than it sounds. There's also this crazy arc later in the series where they have a baby brother but- hold on, I'll show you

See? Nuts.

Ok, that was all of them bye

[moonfeatherblue]

Blue Mooney Intro ~

Hello and welcome! It's so lovely to see you 💙

At this point in the timeline, I am still Blue Mooney AKA moonfeatherblue. I'm a writer of fantasy and a shy magical library in human skin 📚✨

(art by @/yukijanc_)

I stream a variety of fantasy-creative-writing-related content on YouTube at 10 am aest every Monday (except when I don't... and I promise to let you know when I don't). The occasional gaming and chatting stream also occurs, among other random fun times. Like reading streams! And maybe some karaoke now and then? Blue loves to sing 🎶

Audiobook-style videos of the short stories we write and/or edit on stream are slowly being published on YouTube, as well. These short stories are also available to read on Wattpad, Inkitt, Scribble Hub, and of course, here on Tumblr (eventually Tapas too, but the website currently hates me, and we haven't worked out our problems yet).

What I want to do as Blue, more than anything else, is fill my metaphysical shelves with fiction of the fantastical nature. In other words, I want to share all my stories with you ~

Let's start with my main magical project! I'd love so much to share it as a series of light-novel-style audio web novels on YouTube, chapter by chapter. And once each novel in the series is posted on YouTube, publish them as e-books! Oooh, and release original songs as themes for each instalment, that sounds fun ~

Here's a terrible too-long elevator pitch for the series!

"Kaz is a smartass, a deadbeat, and a former delinquent. He's definitely not destined to become a fire-gauntleted magical boy. Or to save the universes from an evil alien warlord.

... But he'll do in a pinch!

Keen to show up his aloof space kitten mentor, Kaz hurls himself headfirst into magical urban warfare, thrashing monsters and protecting his city. The battles are brutal and the recognition non-existent, but hey, at least he's got work! Kaz might be crushing his sparkly new career, but this invading force is ruthless, relentless, and hell-bent on mounting his magical head on a spike. Good thing he's got a strong support system at home, but come on - are his siblings trying to sniff out Kaz's magical secrets? One thing's for sure: he won't be fighting this war solo much longer."

There are so many more stories I want to write - intrigue-stuffed high fantasies, disturbing shape-shifter fantasies, action-packed dystopias, amphibian-centric quests... more magical boy/girl/people adventures - but this main magical project still takes priority in Blue's heart 💙 Who knows how many light novels this series will take? Many, many, many, many...

I hope to see you around the library again!

... That's me. I am the library.

(art by @/Nura01012333)

[letstalkloz]

Let’s Talk the Twilight Princess Manga- Book #1

Released on March 14, 2017, volume 1 of Akira Himekawa's Twilight Princess manga adaptation kicks off an 11 part series retelling the story from the original game from 2006, Twilight Princess. The final volume of the series came out in English the other day on April 11th, 2023. With 11 volumes over 6 years, I figured now is a good time to go through the series and see how well it holds up. Since this is a longer series, each book will get its own post. I have a lot of opinions about this adaptation of Twilight Princess, so let’s talk about it.

The Good

First of all, the art style that Akira Himekawa uses for this series is easily the best we’ve seen out of The Legend of Zelda manga adaptations. The amount of detail put into every page perfectly captures the vibe of the scene and the emotions of the characters involved. As someone who has read the other 10 volumes, let me tell you that the art only improves from here, and it's already very solid. The art style is the number one thing I hype up about this series when I recommend it to other people. Even if some of the changes they make in this adaptation don’t work for you, I suggest picking it up anyway for the art alone.

Rusl is another highlight, especially in volume 1. Himekawa perfectly captures that stern but caring father figure vibe for Rusl, having him be the voice of reason while also being the one to comfort Link early on. He also takes his job as the protector of Ordon seriously. I like Rusl in the game, but I feel like we see more of his personality in the manga. Maybe I’m biased because I hate playing through the opening section of Twilight Princess and zone out until we hit the first temple, but even so Rusl is a much needed character in this first volume.

Something else I greatly appreciate is the T rating here feeling earned. The manga adaptation takes those scenes that likely gave the game a T rating in the first place and elevates them, raising the stakes a considerable amount. While I love the previous manga adaptations of Legend of Zelda games, they were all clearly made for children. I appreciate Himekawa giving us a series that doesn’t shy away from its rating.

The Bad

In the first couple of pages, we're shown scenes of Midna fighting alongside a wolf. It's difficult to explain why I am not a fan of this inclusion in the manga without spoiling future books that we'll talk about regarding this series, but this early on inclusion feels unnecessary. If you've played Twilight Princess though, you know who this wolf is supposed to be. I understand wanting to have a link between the Twilight realm and the Light realm, but we didn't need a literal Link to connect them. Plus, we're shown a much better connection between the two realms later on in the series that I'll discuss at a later point.

I hate to say it, but book 1 Link does a terrible job at convincing people to keep reading. He's a bratty teenager to say the least, which can be fun, but his personality feels very different than what we're shown in Twilight Princess. His personality reminds me more of Link from early on in the Four Swords manga, which works for that series, but feels a little out of place here. I am all for making changes from the source material, but this change doesn't make sense, especially considering his new tragic backstory introduced in this series.

The Neutral

Link is given a mysterious backstory in this series, coming from a city that vanished one day after Link tried removing a sword from a stone. The Hero's Shade rises up from the ground as the whole city gets sucked into this strange portal, leaving Link as the lone survivor. This backstory feels very out of place in book 1, but I am placing it in the neutral category because I do believe it has its moments in the story that help add emotional depth and world building. It's weird here, yes, but if you keep going it does get interesting.

Midna's reveal early on is something else that I think is okay. Keeping her true form a secret was good for the game back in 2006, but it's 2023. With the target audience for this series being dedicated Legend of Zelda fans, there's no reason to act like we don't know who Midna is. Her true form is still kept a secret from Link, but getting a scene in the beginning where Midna introduces herself doesn't take away from that eventual reveal later on. The only reason it's not up there with the good parts is because I cannot get over the fact that she has a wolf before she meets our main Link. It just feels like unnecessary fanservice to add in the golden wolf right away and have him know Midna.

Conclusion

Overall I think volume 1 of the Twilight Princess manga adaptation does a decent enough job setting the scene and introducing us to a lot of characters all at once, with the main highlights being Midna's introduction and Rusl's whole character. Every page is crammed with beautiful artwork that matches the game's style, but some of the plot points are lacking early on. However, since I have finished the series, I will say to keep reading past book 1. Even if some of the changes annoy you, it's worth it to keep going.

Unlike Ocarina of Time where I was biased in favor of the manga, with Twilight Princess I did play the game before reading the series, so I may favor the game more at times. If you love something that I labeled as bad, tell me why it works for you! All of the things mentioned here are just my opinion, so I'd love to hear what moments worked or didn't work for other people. For anyone looking to read this series, I will try and find the website that I used to read a few of the volumes online. If I find it, I'll share it in the responses of this post, and I'll see you again for volume 2!

[ufonaut]

out of curiosity, what's your recommended reading for Rex Tyler?

REXY MY FRIEND REXY!!!! they're not too many but more than half of these are coincidentally some of my all time favourite comics:

secret origins (1986) #16 -- a rare gem from roy thomas and definitely some of his best work, this is precisely what it says on the tin but rex's realization that the rats he'd tested miraclo on had died a little after he'd already taken a first dose himself is as viscerally horrifying as ever and the beginnings of rex's addiction are explored in no uncertain terms

sandman mystery theatre (1993) #29-32 -- this is nearly a direct adaptation of rex's first appearance in adventure comics (1938) #48 and while the art has none of bernard baily's charm, there's few things i love like rex's manic episode after taking miraclo and the way he hysterically declares "nothing can hurt me anymore!" minutes after being hit by a car. turns out things do hurt him, he just can't feel it! this arc is like a best friend to me

hourman (1999) #5, #24 -- it's no secret i'm not a fan of rick or the android hourman but both these issues explore the superior hourman and we get my absolute favourite characterisation of rex ever published as well as a more in-depth look at his addiction to miraclo. #5 is more or less an origin issue that circles through rex's entire life ("he grew up poor! he grew up poor! rough edges... no social validation whatsoever! his whole life, he had to accomplish miracles just to feel adequate!" is maybe the one comic book moment i think about the most on a weekly basis) and #24 is a middle-aged rex grappling with what miraclo has done to his life, his inability to be a good father to rick or husband to wendi due to the little matter of blacking out every weekend, and we even get poor kent nelson dragged along into a marital argument between the tylers. most of all time

smash comics (1999) #1 -- this is part of the 1999 one shots collected under the 'jsa returns' title and while the overarching story can be understood via all-star comics (1999) #1-2, i think it stands well on its own. this particular one shot sees known odd couple rex & charles mcnider sent on a mission together and it's genuinely one of the funniest comics ever published as far as i'm concerned. you won't believe the sheer number of people i've seen take as literal fact the story rex tells when fucking with mcnider by saying he became hourman because someone threw a clock through his window ("yes, father, i shall become a bat" year one style!)

dc 2000 (2000) #1-2 -- not a rex-focused story per-se but a great look at his dynamic with the rest of the jsa and great fun in general. highlights include wes & al bullying rex into taking his miraclo cause he's "pretty dull company" otherwise

solo (2004) #7 -- he's wired, baby! he's gonna get the shakes! what's a guy supposed to do when he's taken his super coke and there's no crime to stop? this little story will tell you!

all-star squadron (1981) #34, #44, #49, #50 -- there's some great rex action in squadron as a whole, by far his best ongoing, but the issues i've linked are basically a highlights reel of rex's various miraclo-induced heart attacks. as far as i'm aware, this is the earliest comic to have explicitly acknowledged rex as an addict and to have dealt with the consequences of it in a realistic manner, something i'm always on the lookout for and greatly enjoy here

the golden age (1993) -- the quintessential rex comic. the rex manifesto, even. robinson's clearly very inspired both by adventure comics and by roy thomas' work on squadron but on both counts he manages to elevate the very concept of hourman to another level entirely, and evidently the mature tone (and themes) of the book work in rex's advantage like few things do. his vivid hallucinations in #2 make for one of the most memorable sequences in the entire medium and that end note of "one day, maybe, rex will tame his inner demons. maybe" is a gut punch to me every time. a magnificent book as always

starman (1994) #11, #37, 77-79 -- see: the golden age above. rex's starman appearances are in effect just more of what robinson had already previously established but they're an endless delight to me and i enjoy the varying time periods as even with rex's addiction and his untimely end (we were still on zero hour territory here after all), there's still glimpses of rexy at his very best

justice society of america (1992) #1, #5-6, #8-10 -- the series is a must-read for any jsa fan, of course, but it's especially important on the rex front. #5 marks the first time we see rex go to a NA meeting and as this deals with the then-present day jsa, we also get the pleasure of seeing rex slowly and awkwardly try his hand at repairing his relationship with rick

these are roughly in chronological order (in-universe chronological order, that is) and i'd also like to give a special shoutout to elseworlds jsa: the liberty file 2000 and jsa: the unholy three 2003 -- which have some of the most fun rex appearances in history, as well as confirmed socialist leanings -- and dc: the new frontier 2004 #1 -- which doesn't actually include the jsa in a real sense but does feature a wonderful article about rex's death and the public's attempt to reconcile hourman the hero with rex tyler the addict, really great stuff in there.

rex's golden age stories are great -- bernard baily's art is just entirely something else -- but they're often hard to find and even more so in readable quality, hence their absence from this list. i wholly recommend them though, even if rex's evolution as a more mature character had obviously been a wholly necessary one. enjoy! :)

[sciralta]

out of all the choices books, which ones do you think would have worked better with a different art style? (like, for example I would love to see some of their horror stuff with a comic book-ish art style like what they used for hero bcs i think that'd be cool)

You guys have heard me say my reasons for how I think Choices’ current art style could be improved—adding texture, not making the sprites so rigid, individualising major character sprites etc—so I won’t go at length about that here. But in general, I think I’d be interested to see what the current style looks like if they added/left in the line art. Maybe that might help with the texture issue?

I think for fantasy books, returning to an art style like they had in TC&TF would’ve truly elevated the experience of Blades even further. That style had more grit, and for lack of a better descriptor, wasn’t ‘plastic doll-y’ like the current art style. It’s just one of the many factors that can help set and hone in on the tone. I think this same style could also serve their horror books well.

For a future sci-fi book like Across the Void, I’d actually be interested to see what that would look like in a style like the series professional comic book artist Lucas Werneck did designing what the X-Men might look like in the MCU. He has such an amazing style and I think I could actually work really well with a sci-fi heavy book.

Speaking of professional comic book illustrators, I’d actually really be interested to see what one would do with Hero. The original art style worked amazingly for the book, but I do want to see the alternate universe where the sequel wasn’t cancelled and someone like Travis Moore or Russell Dauterman stepped in to do the character art.

Continuing in this vein, if we ever get the hypothetical gay book, I want Nick Robles working on it because that guy gets it. He gets it.

Now to switch it up, are there books where I think Choices’ regular/current art style is the best? Yes, actually! I genuinely think it works really well for books like Desire and Decorum, Queen B, and also Perfect Match. I don’t think I can imagine any other art style for those.

[de-lyc-ful]

Meet the artist! Kind of…

This is not your traditional meet your artist post (though it is traditional art) but I figured I’d introduce myself.

My name is Corey (he/they), I am a freshman in art school, and this is my tumblr! I can also be found on other platforms under the username Sawbearsweets.

Here’s some things to know about me!

I have AuDHD (Autism + adhd. Officially diagnosed as of 12-18). My special interests include/have included werewolves, contemporary musicals, D&D, and cats! There have been more but these are the big ones

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, but originally I wanted to study geology! (I still really like rocks)

I have a delightful cat-son who I will talk about endlessly if given the chance

I read so much… chances are I have 3 books on me at any given time (ask me for book recommendations!!! Please!!!! I want to talk about books!!!!)

I am majoring in animation, with a focus in storytelling and concept development (I do not have the patience to actually animate). I have a couple minors as well so I can work on live-action projects

One time I built an elevator shaft and half a house. I have photos somewhere.

I dabble in a bunch of different mediums, but my favorites are graphite, pen, and digital! My style is very sketchy so I like mediums that can keep that look while also remaining refined and professional

Below is some of my art from the past few months that I haven’t posted!

[my-job-is-a-series-of-sidequests]

As a certified Elder Geek, I have been exposed to gaming products over a lot of years. Many of them haven't aged well. But there is a special place in my heart for roasting things that someone, somewhere, should have asked some hard questions about before they ever saw print.

Welcome to the first installment of Elder Abominations, a look at old RPG books where they should have known better.

Our first contestant comes from fallen industry titan TSR, and comes with a little backstory. But first:. The cover!

Fuck yeah! Scary dude floating in space and smashing bubble helmets! And that other guy looks like a budget wolfman! I'm fuckin' sold!

So, the origins of the Buck Rogers XXVc roleplaying game are amazingly mercenary. To assist me, I shall call upon the credits to the book. Also, keep in mind that the people below worked on this book, and maybe could have thought things through. I'm not trying to divine their intentions behind the book, and make no claims about that. All I know is what's on the page.

That's 1990, which can only have been about fifteen years ago, right?

Oh, right, I forgot. Never do the math about how old you are.

In 1990, Gary Gygax had been forced out of TSR and Lorraine Williams was the new boss. There's a lot of backstory I'm eliding here because it's not germane to the issue at hand. (Also, there are books you can read! I'm currently reading The Game Wizards.)

Williams is relevant here because of something buried there in the credits. "Buck Rogers and XXVC are trademarks used under license from The Dille Family Trust." The Dille Family Trust owned the rights to Buck Rogers. And you know who one of the major beneficiaries of that trust was?

That's right, Lorraine Williams. She had TSR try to create a franchise so she could double dip on the profits. It was not a smashing success, but Younger Elder Geek me didn't know or care about any of that.

The franchise did spawn an RPG boxed set, a handful of sourcebooks and adventures, and a couple of Gold Box style computer games by SSI. Loved those.

I did (and still do, somewhere) have a copy of the box set, as well as today's victim. Pictures are from a PDF, because it's just easier.

The elevator pitch is great. "What if we did a kinda hard sci-fi version of Rayguns and Rocketships? The aesthetic is all fishbowl helmets and Cadillac fins on spaceships!" Fuckin' rad. And they just lifted the mechanics wholesale from AD&D, with THAC0, descending armor class and all.

But. This book.

Perhaps my fascist sense is a bit overdeveloped, but this book bothered even the Tiny Elder Geek. Let us just say that someone on the design team had opinions.

I will grab our examples from one small section of the book, because synecdoche. Here's a bunch of NPC groups your heroes can interact with!

Huh. The super-virtuous good guys are called the Libertarians. I'm sure that's just a bit of fluff. Let's take a look at this Green Earth group?

Oh, cool. Ecoterrorists. And, no. There is not a group of good guy environmentalists to work with. And these guys don't get along with...

Wait, what? The Sixth Fucking Reich? Okay, so they absolutely have to be bad guys, right? Everyone loves punching or shooting Nazis, right?

Um. "Realm of Earth to come?" They're... Space pirates? Known for... being good at pirating? No acknowledgement in any way that the name might raise eyebrows anywhere, ever? I am utterly baffled as to why anyone would choose to do that, ever, in a published product.

No, I'm sorry. That is a lie. I know pre-fucking-cisely why someone would choose to do that.

Also, behold the art. Good enough, except for the fact that it definitely previously appeared in the core set. You know, the books you would absolutely need to have in order to use this book for your game? And, also, definitely not in line with that raygun aesthetic.

Last picture, I promise. We need a moustache-twirling villain. Dude needs a name. I'm sure it's a very subtle reference that...

Oh.

All of that in a mere ten pages of this book. Commies and hippies bad, rugged Libertarians good, and Nazis? Meh, they're okay.

I highlight this because this shit is pernicious. Unlike RPGs of today, this shit was squarely aimed at kids. This is stuff that gets in your head to help form your politics before you have a grasp of what politics even is.

And, while it's among the worst I've seen from TSR, it's not the worst I've ever seen. Perhaps that will be another day.

[parisaika]

Why Should You Invest in an Armchair?

When it comes to home décor, the armchair is a timeless piece of furniture that offers both style and comfort. Whether you're curling up with a book, entertaining guests, or simply adding a focal point to a room, an armchair can be a versatile addition to any home. This guide will explore why investing in an armchair is a smart decision, particularly when considering the allure of art-inspired pieces like the Art armchair, Art table, Art coffee table, and Art ottoman.

1. The Perfect Blend of Comfort and Style

An armchair is more than just a place to sit; it's a statement of style. The design of an armchair can significantly impact the overall look and feel of a room. Choosing an Art armchair allows you to merge comfort with high-end aesthetics, creating a centerpiece that can elevate the ambiance of your living space.

Art-inspired armchairs often feature unique designs, bold colors, and luxurious materials that make them stand out. Whether you prefer a modern minimalist look or a more traditional style, there’s an Art armchair that can complement your taste. These chairs are not just functional but also pieces of art that can enhance the visual appeal of any room.

2. Versatility in Functionality

One of the significant advantages of investing in an armchair is its versatility. An armchair can fit into various rooms and serve multiple purposes. For example, placing an Art armchair in your living room can create a cozy reading nook or a sophisticated spot for conversation. In a bedroom, it can serve as a comfortable seat for putting on shoes or simply relaxing.

The versatility of an armchair extends to its ability to pair well with other furniture pieces. For instance, an Art table can complement the armchair, providing a place for books, lamps, or decorative items. The combination of these pieces can create a harmonious and functional space, whether it’s in a living room, bedroom, or study.

3. A Statement of Personal Style

Investing in an Art armchair is an opportunity to express your personal style. Unlike mass-produced furniture, art-inspired armchairs are often unique, with designs that reflect creativity and individuality. By choosing an Art armchair, you’re not just buying a piece of furniture; you’re acquiring a work of art that can showcase your personality and taste.

An Art armchair can also serve as a conversation starter. Guests will likely notice the distinct design and ask about its origin or inspiration. This can lead to interesting discussions and allow you to share your passion for art and design. Pairing the armchair with an Art coffee table or an Art ottoman can further enhance this effect, creating a cohesive and stylish environment that reflects your unique sense of aesthetics.

4. Longevity and Durability

High-quality armchairs, especially those designed with an artistic flair, are often built to last. The materials used in creating an Art armchair are typically of superior quality, ensuring that the piece remains durable over time. Investing in a well-crafted armchair means you’ll enjoy both comfort and beauty for years to come.

Durability is an essential factor to consider, especially if the armchair will be placed in a high-traffic area. An Art armchair is not only built to withstand regular use but also designed to maintain its appearance over time. The same goes for an Art coffee table or an Art ottoman; these pieces are crafted with longevity in mind, ensuring that they remain as stunning as the day you bought them.

5. Enhancing Your Living Space with Art-Inspired Furniture

Art-inspired furniture like the Art armchair, Art table, and Art ottoman can transform any living space into a gallery of creativity. These pieces are not just functional; they are designed to inspire and captivate. Incorporating them into your home can elevate the décor, making your space feel more sophisticated and refined.

An Art coffee table can serve as the perfect companion to your armchair, offering a place to set down a cup of coffee or display a beautiful book. The table itself can be a piece of art, with intricate designs or bold shapes that draw the eye. Similarly, an Art ottoman can add both comfort and style to your seating arrangement, providing a place to rest your feet while also contributing to the room's overall design.

6. A Reflection of Cultural and Artistic Appreciation

Investing in an Art armchair or other art-inspired furniture is a way to show your appreciation for culture and creativity. These pieces often reflect artistic movements, cultural influences, or the vision of a particular designer. By incorporating them into your home, you’re not just decorating; you’re celebrating art and design.

The choice of an Art armchair can reflect a specific period or style, such as mid-century modern, contemporary, or even a fusion of different artistic influences. This allows you to create a space that resonates with your interests and passions. Whether it’s the clean lines of modernism or the ornate details of classic design, an Art armchair can help you express your love for art in a tangible and functional way.

7. Comfort Beyond the Ordinary

Comfort is a primary consideration when choosing an armchair, and an Art armchair doesn’t compromise on this aspect. While the design is a significant factor, these chairs are also built for relaxation. The ergonomic design, plush cushions, and supportive structure ensure that you can sit comfortably for extended periods.

An Art ottoman can enhance this comfort, offering a place to rest your feet or even serve as an additional seat when needed. The combination of an Art armchair and an Art ottoman creates a cozy and inviting space where you can unwind after a long day. This blend of comfort and style makes investing in an armchair a wise decision for those who value both aesthetics and relaxation.

8. Creating a Focal Point in Your Home

Every room benefits from a focal point, a piece that draws attention and anchors the space. An Art armchair can serve this purpose beautifully. Its unique design and artistic elements make it a standout piece that can define the character of a room.

Placing an Art armchair in a strategic location, such as near a window or in a cozy corner, can make it the star of the room. Complementing it with an Art coffee table or an Art table can further enhance the visual appeal, creating a cohesive and stylish environment that’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

9. Versatile Design Options

One of the joys of choosing an Art armchair is the variety of design options available. Whether you prefer bold, vibrant colors or subtle, neutral tones, there’s an armchair that can match your vision. The designs can range from abstract and modern to classic and elegant, allowing you to find the perfect piece for your home.

The same versatility applies to other art-inspired furniture like the Art coffee table or Art ottoman. These pieces can be customized to fit your specific style, whether you want something that stands out or blends seamlessly with your existing décor. This flexibility makes it easier to create a cohesive look that reflects your personal taste.

10. An Investment in Quality and Craftsmanship

Finally, investing in an Art armchair is an investment in quality and craftsmanship. These pieces are often handcrafted by skilled artisans who take pride in their work. The attention to detail, the choice of materials, and the design process all contribute to creating a piece that is not only beautiful but also built to last.

When you choose an Art armchair, you’re investing in a piece of furniture that has been thoughtfully designed and meticulously crafted. This level of craftsmanship is what sets art-inspired furniture apart from mass-produced items. The result is a piece that you can enjoy for years, one that will continue to impress and inspire.

Conclusion

Investing in an armchair, particularly an Art armchair, is a decision that combines comfort, style, and artistic expression. These pieces offer more than just a place to sit; they are works of art that can elevate the décor of any room. Whether paired with an Art table, Art coffee table, or Art ottoman, an Art armchair can create a cohesive and stylish environment that reflects your personal taste and appreciation for quality craftsmanship.

With their unique designs, durability, and versatility, Art armchairs and other art-inspired furniture are not just functional but also timeless investments that can enhance your living space for years to come

[wedezine]

Quick & Stylish: Temporary Interior Solutions for Bangalore Renters

Renting an apartment in Bangalore offers the excitement of living in one of India’s most vibrant cities. However, the limitations of rental agreements can make it tricky to express your personal style. While your stay may be temporary, your home doesn’t have to feel generic. With smart, budget-friendly design tricks, you can turn your rental into a cozy, stylish haven—without breaking any rules.

At WeDezine, we believe that every living space should be a reflection of your personality, no matter how temporary. Whether you’re renting for a few months or several years, here’s how to transform your apartment into a home that’s uniquely yours, while keeping things temporary and landlord-friendly!

1. Personalize with Removable Wallpaper & Decals

Tired of bland, white walls? Removable wallpaper and decals are the perfect way to inject personality into your space. These peel-and-stick options come in a wide range of colors and patterns, allowing you to create feature walls that give your apartment character—without the commitment. In Bangalore’s fast-paced rental market, this quick fix ensures you can personalize your space and easily revert to the original look when it’s time to move.

Pro Tip: Opt for patterns like bold geometrics or soft botanicals to create a focal point that elevates your space’s overall vibe.

2. Maximize Space with Multi-Functional Furniture

Bangalore’s urban apartments, particularly in high-demand areas like Koramangala or Indiranagar, often come with limited space. Invest in multi-functional furniture to make the most of every square foot. Think foldable dining tables, sofa beds, and ottomans with hidden storage. These pieces don’t just save space—they add versatility, making your home feel both stylish and functional.

Pro Tip: Neutral furniture offers a timeless base; layer it with colorful cushions, throws, or statement art to inject personality.

3. Brighten Up with Temporary Lighting Solutions

Lighting can make or break the ambiance of any space, but most rental apartments come with basic, often dull fixtures. Plug-in pendant lights, floor lamps, and LED string lights are ideal temporary solutions. They don’t require rewiring and can be placed anywhere to enhance the lighting and mood of your home.

Pro Tip: Use adjustable floor and table lamps to create a warm, inviting glow, especially during Bangalore’s cozy monsoon evenings.

4. Define Spaces with Rugs

Rugs are a renter’s best friend. Not only do they add warmth and texture to a room, but they’re also non-permanent and easily transportable. Whether you want to soften tile or wood floors, or simply create defined areas in an open-plan space, rugs can do the job effortlessly. In Bangalore’s apartments, where space is often precious, rugs help break up the room into functional areas like a living zone, dining nook, or study space.

Pro Tip: Choose a mix of textures—like jute for natural warmth or plush wool for coziness—to layer your space with depth and comfort.

5. Opt for Temporary Shelving & Storage

Most rental agreements forbid drilling into walls, which means permanent shelving is off-limits. But that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice style or storage. Freestanding shelves, ladder shelves, and adhesive wall hooks offer clever storage solutions that add personality and function without causing any damage.

Pro Tip: Style your shelves with plants, books, and decorative accents to give your apartment a sophisticated, curated look.

6. Customize Window Treatments

Landlord-provided curtains are often bland and uninspiring. By investing in custom curtains or blinds, you can instantly elevate the look of your apartment. Window treatments not only control light and privacy but can also enhance your décor in subtle yet impactful ways.

Pro Tip: Coordinate curtain colors with your sofa, rugs, or cushions to create a cohesive, polished look throughout your space.

7. Accessorize to Add Personality

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to transform your rental is through accessories. Throw pillows, wall art, vases, and mirrors bring character and warmth to any room. Since they’re entirely portable, they’re perfect for frequent movers who want to create a personalized space without making permanent changes.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to go bold with patterns and textures—accessories are where you can really let your personality shine!

8. Spruce Up Your Bathroom with Temporary Touches

Rental bathrooms are often functional but lack personality. However, with a few easy tweaks, you can turn your bathroom into a spa-like retreat. Stick-on tiles, removable showerheads, and stylish mirrors can transform the space without the need for major renovations. These upgrades are easy to install and remove, making them perfect for tenants.

Pro Tip: Add a pop of color with a bold shower curtain and plush bath mats to make your bathroom feel more inviting.

9. Create a Gallery Wall with No-Damage Hanging Solutions

If you love artwork but are afraid to hammer nails into the walls, don’t worry—there’s a solution. Damage-free adhesive hooks allow you to hang framed art, mirrors, or decorative items without leaving a mark. This gives you the freedom to create an artful gallery wall that adds charm and sophistication to your rental apartment.

Pro Tip: Mix frame sizes, colors, and orientations for a dynamic gallery wall that feels curated and personal.

10. Add Life with Indoor Plants

Bringing a touch of nature indoors instantly enhances your space and creates a calming atmosphere. Whether you have a small balcony or simply want to brighten up a corner, indoor plants are a fantastic way to add freshness and life to your apartment. In Bangalore’s bustling urban environment, plants provide a welcome connection to nature.

Pro Tip: Opt for low-maintenance plants like snake plants, succulents, or pothos—perfect for busy tenants who want greenery without the upkeep.

Conclusion

Designing a rental apartment in Bangalore doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style or comfort. With these temporary, landlord-approved solutions, you can transform any rental space into a home that feels personal, functional, and inviting. At WeDezine, we’re passionate about helping tenants create beautiful, livable spaces, no matter how temporary their stay may be. Whether you’re in Bangalore for a short stint or a long-term lease, these ideas will help you make the most of your apartment—without breaking the rules.

Ready to transform your rental into a stylish retreat? Contact WeDezine today for personalized design consultations that cater to your needs, budget, and lifestyle!

[noisycowboyglitter]

The Art of Brown Trout: Stunning Paintings and Illustrations

Brown Trout Fish Art celebrates the beauty and allure of one of the most sought-after freshwater game fish. This artistic genre captures the essence of the brown trout, known for its distinctive coloration and patterns, in various mediums and styles.

Buy now:19.95$

Artists often depict the fish's characteristic olive-brown body adorned with black and red spots, sometimes set against a backdrop of rippling water or lush riverbanks. Watercolors, oils, and acrylics are commonly used to portray the trout's iridescent scales and the play of light on its sleek form.

Brown Trout Fish Art ranges from hyper-realistic portrayals that showcase every detail of the fish's anatomy to more abstract interpretations that capture its spirit and movement. Some artists focus on close-up studies of the trout's distinctive features, while others place the fish within its natural habitat, creating scenes that resonate with anglers and nature enthusiasts alike.

This art form isn't limited to traditional paintings. Sculptures, wood carvings, and even digital art have all been used to celebrate the brown trout's elegance. Many pieces incorporate fly-fishing elements, connecting the art to the popular sport.

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Brown Trout Fish Art appeals to a wide audience, from dedicated anglers looking to adorn their homes or fishing lodges with reminders of their passion, to nature lovers who appreciate the fish's role in aquatic ecosystems. These artworks not only serve as beautiful decor but also as a tribute to the majesty of this beloved species.

Derek DeYoung is a renowned artist famous for his vibrant, abstract fish paintings. A Derek DeYoung Fisherman Gift typically features his distinctive artwork and is highly prized by anglers and art enthusiasts alike. These gifts can range from original paintings and limited edition prints to a variety of products adorned with his colorful fish designs.

Popular items include apparel such as t-shirts and hats, home decor like throw pillows and wall art, and fishing gear like fly boxes and rod tubes. DeYoung's unique style, which often focuses on close-up, abstract representations of fish faces and patterns, brings a modern, artistic flair to traditional fishing motifs.

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For the avid fisherman who appreciates art, a Derek DeYoung gift combines their passion for angling with striking visual appeal, making it a thoughtful and memorable present for any occasion.

Top Gifts For Fly Fisherman cater to the specialized needs and passions of angling enthusiasts. High-quality fly rods, reels, and lines are always appreciated for their performance enhancements. Fly tying kits allow creative anglers to craft their own lures. Waders and waterproof gear ensure comfort during long days on the water. For

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tech-savvy fishermen, advanced fish finders or action cameras can elevate their experience. Personalized fly boxes or engraved tools add a special touch. Books on fly fishing techniques or local fishing spots provide valuable knowledge. Lastly, guided fishing trips or memberships to exclusive fishing clubs offer unforgettable experiences for the dedicated fly fisherman.