technikfreakao3

[technikfreakao3]

Like A Shadow; Lurking || Alucard (Hellsing)

AO3 link for the full fic is here!!

‿̩͙⊱༒︎༻♱༺༒︎⊰‿̩͙

The task was simple.

Follow this man for a week and note down anything of interest. You figured it was easy enough, you just need to keep your distance and keep a close eye on him.

Except the man was Alucard, the infamous vampire himself. Tales of his killings were gruesome and cruel. The stories almost made you sick.

But still, the task was simple. As a private investigator, all you had to do was to be like his shadow, lurking.

‿̩͙⊱༒︎༻♱༺༒︎⊰‿̩͙

You hated it. 

You knew that he knew…and you hated it. 

You sipped the thick foam of the straw-coloured beer in your hand, swallowing the bitter liquid to hide the gulp of fear you took with it. You stared at the array of spirits lining the pub wall, keeping an eye on your target through your peripherals. The coloured liquids and glass bottles reminded you of rare gems. You eyed the hard liquor behind the bartender. You imagined yourself downing a shot or two, but you couldn’t, not on the job. And so you focused on the colourful liquor bottles and sighed, distracting yourself from the fear bubbling in your stomach - anything to calm the nerves.  

You took another sip, you didn’t expect him to come here of all places. You went to this pub with your colleagues about once a week, long enough that the barkeep knew of yourself and your crew’s favourite drink. If the schedules lined up and your colleagues were all free, you would finish off the night with a cheer to celebrate another week of survival doing your job. Some people liked stout but others preferred whiskey… you changed it up every now and then, and you enjoyed your spirits on special occasions. 

But Alucard? He didn't seem the type to be a part of this sort of crowd.

You could feel him burn holes into your side with his stare. All you could see was the raven-haired man mockingly swirling his glass, his sly smirk making you feel on edge. With each sip he took, he slowly licked his lips. With the way he was looking at you that he was right now, it wasn’t the drink that was teasing his appetite. 

The barkeep was working away, completely unaware of the perilous danger you were in. He chatted with the patrons and caught up with the regulars while wiping a pint glass, his smile bright under his salt-and-pepper moustache. 

“How’s the missus?”

“What’s the young ‘un up to? Jack was his name, was it?”

The hustle and bustle of the crowd, the clattering of cutlery against plates piled with comfort food, and the raucous laughter that erupted every once in a while. The rest of the pub continued on as if this was just an ordinary Friday night. 

But not to you. 

Not with him here. 

The bright red of his duster was like a warning sign. It was blurry to your peripherals, especially with the crowd tonight, but it was visible just enough to know he was there. The crimson red contrasted against the dim golden light of the lamps, the red jacket draped down his tall stature and broad shoulders, his body still like a statue. He stared on with an amused grin plastered on his face and you took another sip of the beer, hoping he wouldn’t notice the gulp of fear you just took alongside it. You swallowed the bitter foam, hoping some of the booze would ease your nerves, to no avail.

It was hopeless. You felt as though the terror and anxiety you were feeling were oozing off of you like an infected wound you couldn’t control. 

You knew that he knew.

You knew that he knew you were afraid, and that you were following him for work. Fuck, if the crew weren’t so understaffed, maybe you would’ve been assigned somewhere else, somewhere not following a literal demon king alone for the evening. 

‘Demon King…’

My God, did he suit that title well.

Earlier, you had walked into the familiar pub and already felt something was wrong. You were supposed to be watching him but the way his eyes stared at you like a wild dog craving meat…

If anything, it was him watching you. 

[technikfreakao3]

Just today I got to see a chess book that I remember reading as a little kid. While it didn't give me a lifelong passion for chess, it did give me a lifelong passion for fantasy for its artwork.

The book is "Chess for Young Beginners" from 1975, and here's some of the artwork:

Like, this artwork goes hard. I especially appreciate the colour scheme for the black pieces, with its browns, bronzes, reds and oranges.

This artwork is amazing, evocative, exciting and dramatic. I recommend giving it a look if you have a chance - you can probably scrounge up a PDF of this thing with a bit of searching.

[technikfreakao3]

Today's Seal Is: Hydrogen Bomb

[technikfreakao3]

Season One Archival Team! (Plus Rosie)

[technikfreakao3]

Naoki Urasawa's Monster in real life

So, I spent my holidays in Czechia and realized it would be a good opportunity to try and find the real life references and inspirations for one of my favourite anime series - Monster (haven't gotten my hands on the manga yET). After a bit of research I found that @fuckyeahjohanliebert has already done this almost a decade ago and their account has been extremely helpful. I also used the websites that I've linked at the very end of the post and you should definitely check them out as I didn't get the chance to visit every single location. It is honestly incredible how much work this person has put into their research. With that being said, here is what these places look like as of January 2023, alongside some tips I wanted to share in case you decide to visit them during your stay in Prague!

Let's start with the easiest location: Charles Bridge. It is probably the most visited place in Prague and so it can be quite crowded, especially around NYE.

Next, we have a shot of a tram in front of what today is the Palladium, a large shopping mall. Location: Nám. Republiky 1078/1, 110 00 Petrská čtvrť, Czechia

Okay, this one was a bit tricky because I wasn't able to find the exact reference for the Tri Zaba (Three Toads) sign. Most sources pointed me towards Hotel U Tri Pstrosu (Three Ostriches) which is right besides the Charles Bridge. However, a reddit user posted a picture from U Tri Capu hotel (Three Herons), and someone mentioned it being a possible inspiration in the replies. Therefore, I took pictures of both and upon looking at them closely I honestly cannot be certain about which of the two served as the main inspiration, maybe it was a mixture of both? Looking purely at the shape of the sign the Three Herons (Far Right) seems to be the closest. The positioning of the three ostriches on the other hand (Middle) is more similar to the way the toads are positioned. If you have any sources I've missed pls link them!

I also found this detailing you can spot if you are walking by the Vltava River. A thing to note: I could find this specific fencing only of the side of the river that is next to the Ministerstvo průmyslu a obchodu, If your cross the bridge the design is completely different. Location: Petrská čtvrť, 110 00 Prague 1, Czechia

Now onto the Red Rose Mansion. Fans figured out that the Břevnovský klášter (Brevnov Monastery) served as the main inspiration for the Red Rose Mansion. Unfortunately, the monk that is responsible for the visits was sick during my stay in Prague, and would not be coming back until after I left. You can see the exact room that was referenced for the murder scene in the websites I've linked below. I was a bit sad that I wasn't able to see it with my own eyes but I hope he has a speedy recovery. After all, this gives me a reason to visit this wonderful city again! Tip: Don't be an oblivious zoomer like me and bring cash with you to leave a small donation at the Bazilika svaté Markéty Antiochijské (Basilica of St. Margaret of Antioch). You can get a postcard with the picture of the monastery for about 10 koruna and I'm sure it helps with the maintenance of this beautiful place. Also, there is a small, cozy cafe on the territory and they have really tasty Medovnik cake!

The Rose Garden at the Mansion actually has no roses! It is actually a Cherry Garden, and can be visited at the Orangerie right behind the Monastery (tip: as far as I know it is only open on weekends and closes at 8pm). During this time of year it is obviously not blossoming however it was nice to visit nonetheless and walking in between the tall shrubs made me feel like I was Nina :p

As a bonus I wanted to add this picture of a hanging Sigmund Freud that absolutely startled me on my first day in Prague. Many fans have speculated that the character of Franz Bonaparta was inspired by him, given their similar looks and involvement with Psychology

I hope this was enjoyable and I hope you visit these amazing places if you ever happen to be in Prague! Once again, I'd like to highlight how grateful I am for the research fans have done and as mentioned above here are some of the websites I used:

[technikfreakao3]

Chainsaw Man Cinema

[technikfreakao3]

The (Cheating) Student Hero of Morioh || Josuke Higashikata

Higashikata Josuke, the heroic yet tough student of Morioh, is seen cheating on a test with the help of his Stand by you, but unbeknownst to him, you're a stand user yourself.

You've grown curious about his character; stories of him punching people from 5 feet away? He solved the infamous murder case of Yoshikage Kira, and even managed to kill him?

You had to see this for yourself.

Full Fic:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37024222/chapters/92376439

_________________________________________

Twiddling the pen in your hand, you leaned your cheek against the other, staring blankly out the window. Sounds of pen scribbles, page-turning, and the occasional sigh filled the otherwise silent space in the room. You skimmed your eyes over the hunched backs of your classmates around you, taking in the look of concentration on their faces as they furrowed their eyebrows at the biology question before them.

You had a class test; a favourite little fun time activity. The groans of the students caused a grumble to leave the poor teacher's lips that morning as he set his heavy bag on the desk.

That was ages ago, and here you sat glancing at the test before you, riddled with generic questions on the cell, "True or False" type questions, fill in the blanks, and the occasional diagram of a bacterial cell or a nucleus. You squinted at the poorly printed sheet of paper, almost hunched completely over your sheet as you tried to make out the diagrams. Was that a ribosome? Or a mitochondrion? The black, splotchy ink looked like that of a Rorschach test, and you looked away before your sight go too blurry.

Your ears perked up at the sound of shuffling and creaking, and you glanced your eyes over to the source of the sound, taking note of the figure a few seats away. The gold and dark indigo school uniform, the pursed lips, and glaringly blue eyes, the gravity-defying pompadour...with its size you're shocked it hasn't fallen over yet.

Higashikata Josuke.

You kept to yourself, and therefore only heard about the stories of the guy. You weren't one to engage with school gossip, only familiar with the whispers and stories' nature to be like a game of 'telephone.' The gossip that would go around your school would morph and change from something ordinary to a story completely and utterly ridiculous, that was the nature of school gossip after all.

But Higashikata's stories were different; they started off illogical and stayed that way, if anything becoming more detailed, absurd, and vivid as the weeks went by. Your curiosity only seemed to grow as the specifics would come out bit by bit about the Morioh hero.

His 28-year-old nephew came to visit him? He beat up a famous mangaka, Kishibe Rohan after he insulted his pompadour?

Higashikata solved a crime case and even killed the murderer?

'He's punched people without touching them!'

'Josuke, isn't he that guy that broke the coffee mug and fixed it in a split second? Was it magic?'

'Minato tried messing with him again. 15 teeth came out - I saw!'

There was no way that was all true.

(link for the full fic above!)

[technikfreakao3]

I cant keep things for long, I just lose them.

First its family, then friends, .... then my ability to even love.

_CV

[technikfreakao3]

Writing ship-able couples

Here are some tips for writing relationships your readers can get behind:

1. Give them reasons to click

The two characters must have things in common - a hobby, a philosophy, a background. There has to be some element that connects them.

Your readers will root for relationships in which the characters fit together better than they would with others.

Also, make their traits compatible. Have them share some characteristics or have their strengths and weaknesses be complementary. Is the one hotheaded? Maybe the other keeps their cool well in situations of conflict.

There are endless possibilities. Just make sure there’s a reason these two people like/love each other.

2. Have them be vulnerable in front of each other

Personally, this is the best way to get me to love a couple.

Have them share secrets, open up about their feelings and tell each other things they haven’t told anyone. Have them cry in front of each other and comfort each other.

This can be taken to a whole new level by having them understand the other’s emotions even without speaking and already offer comfort. Keep in mind that this will probably only be possible with long-established couples.

And having them open up is also a great way for them to discover all the things they have in common/love about each other.

3. Build up the tension

I cannot emphasise this enough: DO NOT MAKE YOUR COUPLES GET TOGETHER TOO QUICKLY.

One of the best elements of a romantic subplot (or even main plot) is the tension. Your readers want to see the pining! They want the build-up.

And no, I’m not saying that you should introduce endless, petty obstacles. That can become tedious and appear forced.

Just give your characters time to sort through their feelings. Make them fall in love slowly. Have them be unsure. Insert SOME obstacles/conflicts.

Have them almost kiss a few times. Not all the time. Too many almost-kisses can become frustrating. But you should throw a few in there.

And, if you feel comfortable with it, add some sexual tension. Have them notice each other’s bodies and imagine what they’d like to do to each other (that sounds more explicit than I intended :) )

4. Write a healthy relationship

This could just be me and my rejection of unhealthy romances, but I will not root for abusive relationships.

Have your characters be kind to each other, support each other and truly care for each other.

If your characters are constantly putting each other down, physically/emotionally abusing each other or going against the other’s wishes, they’re not in a healthy relationship.

A great way to write a healthy relationship whilst still maintaining the tension, is to have the conflict in the relationship be external. Instead of having the conflict be due to internal struggles between the two characters, have obstacles enter from outside.

Your readers should want them to be together and for that, they should be good for each other.

5. Have their friends/family see their chemistry

I find it beyond adorable when two characters are still figuring out their feelings for each other, but the fact that they’re perfect for each other is crystal clear to everyone around them.

Have their friends tease them about the relationship. Have family members ask after the them. Have their loved ones conspire to get them to admit their feelings.

If your other characters are rooting for them, your readers will probably do so as well.

Plus, this means that the chemistry between the two characters is so strong that it’s obvious, which is always good for an exciting romance.

That’s all I’ve got for now. If you have any further questions about writing OTPs or any other aspect of writing, feel free to message me or pop me an ask.

Reblog if you found any of this useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.