#((and it was a bit of a style experiment too..whilst also trying to capture her age yknow? bc i find that early teen age kinda hard to draw

[primordyalsoul]

sorry for no writing...here's a happy rei i doodled <3

[animeyanderelover]

I hope doing it like this is alright because I think I would just do it like this in the future. I also laughed my ass off because it’s been months since I wrote about that clown😂.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, Hisoka being a pervert, stalking, touching, getting riled up, threatening, manipulation, killing

Ghost-like s/o

🃏Personality and ability is what ends up drawing Hisoka to his darling, seeing her as someone interesting and challenging. He might have met his darling during the Hunter Exams, though he only noticed her a whole lot later. That was the problem. He hadn’t noticed you at all up until you quite literally appeared right before his eyes, something suddenly passing through him before you were already in front of him, obviously trying to scare him as well. You did notice him, having noticed that he looked like someone who wouldn’t get scared easily and so you just wanted to give it a try.

🃏It didn’t work though, Hisoka was definitely impressed by all of this, but not scared which made you a bit mad, though you still managed to look extremely cheerful before you disappeared again before the clown even got the chance to talk to you. But this short event had fascinated him nevertheless and suddenly he kept an closer eye on you, thinking you might be actually fun to play with and to fight against.

🃏Seeing you in the first place was hard enough, though he heard from enough candidates in the exam that many of them had suddenly experienced a girl suddenly appearing, walking through their bodies or them waking up to her floating right over them and letting out a loud “booh”, always leaving giggling after giving everyone a small heart attack. You can not blame him that he was interested.

🃏There is a chance that due to your personality you kind of kept an eye on him as well, knowing that he was currently looking for you and you weren’t about being a bit teasing with it about it, sometimes popping up right in front of him, making him notice you before disappearing again. And whilst it was surely a bit frustrating since Hisoka never really had a chance to talk to you much, he loved the challenge and the knowledge that you might appear next to him at any moment and that you were watching him maybe in general got him riled up.

🃏By all of the sudden ghost-like touches and whispers in his ear plus the giggles he heard, telling him you were watching it was no wonder and the first time he managed to see you fighting against someone, probably during the final stage of the exams, he was mind blown to say the least. He had already pictured how your fight style would be, but this was more than just impressive. The other guy didn’t even know from where he was attacked at and the most fascinating part was that everyone else could see you, only that guy you were fighting against couldn’t. It was exciting, though it was making him mad as well since he wanted to be the one to fight against you and he ended up killing whoever fought against you after the exams.

🃏He most likely ends up wanting to watch over his darling a bit and make sure she doesn’t get hurt, he has a rather weird way of caring and protecting her, but that is just how Hisoka is. He really wants to fight his darling badly, I mean it, the mere thought of it makes him aching in more than just one place.

🃏He literally can not decide what exactly would be sweeter in the end, being able to see his darling during a fight and how she moves around or being neglected that glorious side, but with other people being able to see her what would be such a sadistic act from his darling’s side. She’s just so cruel to forbid him to admire her whilst fighting, isn’t she? Not like he doesn’t love it as well, he enjoys suffering and even more when it involves his darling. Such a devil she is.

🃏Hisoka finds himself truly cherishing your personality, being a troublemaker and playing mean pranks on people, messing with their minds due to your abilities without them ever sensing you or the Nen is so exciting to witness, especially if he is able to experience it himself. Whenever he sees objects like his cards disappearing and instead dancing in front of his nose around or for a short moment catching a all to welcome presence, he feels totally thrilled.

🃏Pretty possessive though which means people who he hears fought against you or with whom you spent too much time with will get killed by him. Escaping from him is hard, though you have good chances of doing so. But just because you’re nice, you leave a trail behind you which Hisoka can follow. Hisoka tries to anger his darling and to tease her just like she does with him since he wants to know that she enjoys it just as much as he does. You could call it in a normal scenario wanting to know that the person who you love loves you back.

🃏This Nen-ability is literally the best thing that could happen to someone who is Hisoka’s darling if they want to escape his touches. And you have your fun with it as well whenever you have that man laying in front t of you, some snarky comments leaving your mouth whilst a large grin is on your face, poking fun at him. And instead of being angry with all of this, Hisoka gets only more thrilled and aroused by it. The more of a challenge, the more fun which means only the sweeter the fruit will be. There might be moments where you do let him touch you for a bit, just to tease him before your body becomes untouchable again. These are short moments, but giving him a small taste of what you feel like has him all the more determined.

🃏Hisoka really doesn’t see the need to kidnap his darling since there is quite the interesting bond between the two of them because given her personality she does hang out with Hisoka from time to time. It isn’t often that you meet people similar to you and just like Hisoka you also never miss the chance to try to make the other one snap, be that by being sarcastic with each other or doing things that will piss the other off, it’s somewhat a battle of patience and both of you are good with it. And Hisoka enjoys such times which makes it so much more unfair if you suddenly disappear again, though he knows that this is how things with you are. You come and then you go again with him chasing you down, killing on his way some people he is envious off, only to find you, spend time with you before the circle repeats.

🃏That guy has patience and a lot of it as well and whilst he definitely would capture his darling, or try it, if she lets him wait for too long, he would also have somewhat of a hard time to let go off all the thrill and excitement he felt whilst chasing her down. It isn’t like he doesn’t appreciate time with his darling as well, he sincerely likes doing it, but he would get a bit boring after a while if she doesn’t tease him and provides him with a challenge. But his darling is so reliable when it comes to this, isn’t she? Always making sure he has his fun. It’s a constant taking and giving with her. In all honesty, Hisoka doesn’t really want this to stop and he doesn’t want to win either if it means he loses his treasured darling toy with it. This could just go on forever for his taste.

[amysteriousmessenger]

MC giving RFA+Minor trio a gift for Valentine's day please! :D

I’ve tweaked this a little bit so it’s also a returned gift!! I hope you like it!! This is my second Valentine’s day request <3

RFA + Minor Trio Valentine’s Gift Exchange Headcanons

Yoosung Kim Valentine’s Gifts

You didn’t have to think too hard to decide on what to get Yoosung for Valentine’s Day, he had been complaining that he needed a new headset for a few weeks but had already spent his student budget on new limited edition LOLOL skins. The poor boy had already been reduced to instant ramen to afford these luxuries. You didn’t know too much about which sort of headset he’d prefer, so you just got him a decently branded one that had good reviews and hoped it would work.

You also wanted to get him some extra things to go in his giftbag, so you got him a new t-shirt tand some cute strawberry heart shaped Pocky, which you definitely didn’t buy with the pure intention of playing the Pocky Game with him. Of course not.

Yoosung would have put quite a bit of effort into thinking about what to get you for Valentine’s Day, since he didn’t want to screw up and be a bad boyfriend. He even asked Zen for advice, but didn’t think the bold, extravagant declaration of love really suited him.

Yoosung decided to go for the traditional route and gift you a little charm bracelet, a small bouquet of red roses and cook a meal for you. Of course, it was his special omurice, packed with extra love because it was Valentine’s day. He’d picked out the charm bracelet online, it was a little silver one with a sparkly star charm on it.

Zen/Hyun Ryu Valentine’s Gifts 

If Zen knew anything, it was dramatic romance. He’ll pour Valentine’s clichés on you like it’s nobody’s business. Zen buys you a chunky bouquet of red roses, a big box of chocolate (he doesn’t usually eat chocolate because he doesn’t want the sugar to affect his skin, so he makes sure the box is extra big so he can cheekily pick at a few that he likes) and takes you out for an evening meal.

When you get home after the dinner, Zen will pick you up outside the door and carry you bridal style over the threshold, just because he wants you to feel like a princess in his arms.

You can also bet that Zen is going to sing for you for Valentine’s Day. He’d have spent a while picking out the song, and depending on what he thought was best, it would be 1) Your favourite song, 2) A dramatic love ballad from a musical he’d been in, or 3) a joking strip-tease song.

For your gifts, you’d have gotten Zen some new skincare products that he’d been looking at. You knew how much he loved his sheet masks so you’d brought him a fun selection to have a try of. Some of your favourite evenings with Zen were spent doing skincare on one another, so you wanted an excuse to do that more.

For his big gift, you got him a ticket for two to go for an all-exclusive spa day trip. He was flustered that you’d spent so much money on him, but you assured him it was for the both of you to spend time together and to enjoy!

Jaehee Kang Valentine’s Gifts

Valentine’s Day wasn’t a holiday that Jaehee had off from work if it was a weekday, so you were really lucky this year that it had fallen on a Sunday. She’d gotten all of her work done late on the Saturday night in order to have the day free to spend with you.

You got Jaehee a fancy new coffee maker that she had had her eye on for a while, but couldn’t justify to herself since her old one was still in fine, working condition. You’d imported some special coffee beans for her to try too. You also felt like it was important to give Jaehee some flowers too, since you knew sometimes she felt so dull and drab because of how Jumin made her dress for work, she deserved to feel pretty too.

Jaehee got you tickets to a musical show you’d been wanting to see, but had missed the tickets for. She’d seen that a pair of them had gone up for sale second hand and had quickly snatched the sale in order to get them for you. It wasn’t a show that she’d have usually seen, but she’s very excited to get to watch it with you.

Jumin Han Valentine’s Gifts 

To start, you’d have gently implied to Jumin about setting a budget for Valentine’s Day, because God knows he didn’t know the value of money sometimes and you felt bad knowing you couldn’t match whatever he was going to spend. You didn’t want Valentine’s to be about money, but about your feelings for one another.

You told the chef on Saturday night that he wasn’t needed for breakfast since you wanted to make breakfast for Jumin yourself. You made him a spread of sweet pancakes with syrup and fruit and hand dripped his coffee yourself, taking the time to decorate a little foam Elizabeth the 3rd on top of it. You’d also made him lunch to take to work, and put a little note in it saying that you and Elizabeth missed him whilst he was gone. 

Jumin had arranged for the two of you to go to an extremely overpriced restaurant for dinner, which is where you were exchanging gifts. You have Jumin a pair of cufflinks engraved with yours and his initials, which he immediately swapped the ones he was currently wearing for. 

Coincidentally, Jumin also gave you jewellery, it was a beautiful necklace with far too many diamonds in. He clipped it around your neck, agreeing to himself that his selection was correct as it looked beautiful on you. He also added that there was another gift waiting for you at home, since it would have been inappropriate to bring to the restaurant. 

He had gotten you a set of lingerie to wear for the night, obviously. 

Saeyoung Choi Valentine’s Gifts 

Seven was a hit at heart, and a car guy, so the choice was obvious: you were going to get him a giant Hot Wheels tracks with all the extra decorations. You spent far too much money on it, but knowing how happy it would make him made it entirely worth it. 

You thought he was going to cry when he unwrapped it, and he immediately set it up and spent hours making the track and remaking it, adding extra obstacles, making the car go over Saeran’s head, loop, jump through flames- everything. He was so happy with your gift that he almost forgot to give you your own gift. 

Which he then changed into- 

Seven was going to be your maid for the day, outfit and all. He explained his gift by telling you he knew how much effort it must be to look after him, so he was going to look after you for a change, and ‘look good while doing it’. 

He also got you a bunch of imported snacks that you had really been wanting to try, but couldn’t work out the proxy or shipping to be able to do it. You were swimming in snacks, you didn’t know where they were going to go.

V/Jihyun Kim Valentine’s Gifts

Always a romantic at heart, V would have put a lot of effort into your Valentine’s gifts and spent a lot of time considering it, he wouldn’t have wanted it to be a commercial gimmick but an actual symbol of his love for you. You felt the same, of course.

For V, you gifted him a new portable polaroid camera and cartridges. He had so many big expensive cameras, but a little polaroid captures fun moments and prints them instantly. They could capture moments without taking V out of it and distancing himself.

You also gave him a set of imported watercolours from Europe, since the reviews said that they were really good. He’d mentioned wanting to experiment more with watercolours, so this was the perfect time to gift him a set to practice with.

For your gifts, V would have first gifted you a weekend getaway for the two of you, knowing how stressed you had been recently. He wanted to give you a chance to relax and to just spend some time being utterly in love with one another.

Secondly, V gifted you a painting, of your hand touching a rose petal and being illuminated by the sun. He didn’t need to explain it, because he knew the painting reached your heart.

GE Saeran Choi Valentine’s Gifts 

Saeran was always getting you gifts, so he wanted to do something extra special for Valentine’s Day, but remaining in the spirit of the holiday. He was in love with love, and wanted to show it. 

You’d woken up to a room full of flowers, so many flowers. Saeran would have decorated the room silently before you had woken up since he wanted you to wake up to the beautiful sight. He’d tell you the meaning of each flower and how each one represents a different reason as to why he loves you entirely. You’d been awake about thirty seconds, this man is shameless with his affection.

Saeran would make you breakfast in bed and would cook for you for the entire day, making whatever you wanted to eat. He’d already made a bunch of baked goods in preparation whilst you were asleep.

Over dinner, you’d give him his gifts even though you were worried that they weren’t enough in comparison to what he had done. You gave him some seeds, a new pair of gardening gloves since he was continuously hurting his hands on rose thorns, a photo album of the happy memories the two of you had been making with the RFA and a little keychain that had a picture of the two of you in it to go on his housekeys. Needless to say, he cried.

Saeran had also got you another gift, a tiny gold necklace with a little heart in the middle of it. He said he chose it because he wanted you to carry his heart with you everywhere you go.

Vanderwood Valentine’s Gifts

Vanderwood absolutely forgot Valentine’s Day was a thing until the day before, when he wanted in on Seven trying on his maid outfit to make sure it still fit okay and had to immediately explain himself.

He was not someone to celebrate Valentine’s Day, since he didn’t want to get attached to anyone, but you had somehow wormed your way into his life and refused to leave. 

He’d have gotten you a new laptop, since he couldn’t bear to look at that horrific old thing you were using. He set it up with anti-tracking software and made it as safe as possible to people like him didn’t steal your information, he wouldn’t do anything romantic, but he might be a little less mean to you for that day. He wouldn’t even say ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ to you, he’d just hand you the laptop and show you how to use it.

For your gift to Vanderwood, you tried gifting him a vape pen so help him cut down on smoking so much, but he didn’t willingly accept this. He took it, and would maybe use it when he was at home and no one could see him vaping though, since you’re the one who gave it to him. 

Just to add an extra gift in, since you knew the vape pen wouldn’t go down well, you gave him a voucher for a coffee shop and an Elvish dictionary: you had insider information that Seven was about to change the intercom on the door’s language, after all.

[jurijurijurious]

Writerly ephemera meme

I was tagged by @thisbluespirit in this rather intriguing meme!

Find five bits of yourself that you gave to your fiction (memories and places and phrases and things into our stories), post and tag five or more writers to share as well.

Now I know I do write bits of myself and my experiences into my stories, one way or another, I think everyone does, but it doesn’t half put you on the spot when you have to try to remember where you’ve done it!

1) I know that recently I wrote Walsingham passing out at the end of a scene in “Mea Culpa”. The entire description is based on personal experience. I went through a scary few years as a young teen where I would pass out for little to no reason, usually at school where there were lots of people watching to cause me huge embarrassment, which then almost gave me a form of PTSD. I was constantly anxious about fainting, it was not good, and we never found out why it happened. But that’s another story... I still occasionally pass out but it’s usually for a reason, after having a vaccine or blood taken or something, but the whole process of fainting, though horrible, is like an old nemesis to me, uncomfortably familiar. I generally feel intense sickness in my stomach, my vision is puckered increasingly with white dots, my entire body comes out in a sweat, and I hear a high pitched whistle-type noise as I lose consciousness. And so since that is my experience, it became Wals’s too:

His palms sweated, his pulse raced...�� He shuddered and emitted another strangled breath, fingers white where he clutched the window sill, body trembling.  He needed rest.  Ursula's voice was becoming distant, the room was swaying like the deck of a ship caught in a storm.  He felt a sudden nausea in his stomach, could hear a high pitched sound in his ears, a siren's wail beckoning him into the abyss.

“I am sorry.  So very sorry,” he whispered, though he knew not exactly who he was addressing.  His own voice now sounded as if it was coming from underwater, far away; he was drowning and could resist no more, slipped where he stood and descended into the open arms of oblivion.

2) This is another Walsibeth example I’m afraid because I haven’t written anything else for about a decade! So... Though the pandemic and my lack of funds has put a temporary hold to my hobby of horse riding, I am a half-capable rider and love tearing across country if opportunity allows on horseback. I can thus write people riding horses (English style, anyway) with a degree of accuracy. So in my smutty one-shot fic “In perpetuum et unum diem” (the one which is mostly a pastiche of the raunchy finale of “The Tudors” season 1, and also an excuse for me to write shameless sex), I began the ficlet with a bit of a horse-race between Bess and Wals to get the blood up (a scene that in itself mirrors Elizabeth’s racing with Raleigh in TGA, I later realised). Though I personally haven’t raced a person on horseback per se, I have done beach rides and also ridden on a horseback safari in Africa where you gallop as a group, and “giving your horse its head” is the order of the day! So a lot of this passage is me:

She turned her head back over her shoulder and caught Francis’ eyes.  His lip quirked slightly at the corner but otherwise there was no change to his countenance.  But that was enough.  Her smile deepend as if to invite him to race her and she turned her head back around, gave her dappled grey mare its head and pressed her calves to its flanks.  And the beast responded, driving its legs harder, faster, into a gallop and flew like a falcon through the trees.

...

As the wind flew in Elizabeth’s face, making her eyes water, a great whoop of exhilaration escaped her.  There was nothing but her and the horse, and the knowledge that her blackguard of a lover galloped behind her.  This was what it should feel like to live, even in tragically brief snippets; to feel the blood in your veins, the air in your chest, and the sun on your face, wild and free.

They then jump a tree trunk which I’d love to say I’d do, and I might, but most of my falls have been from jumping so I’d probably wimp out and go the long way around... ;)

3) Annnd another one from my Walsibeth fic “Mea Culpa”, just because it’s fresh in my mind. When I was driving to work last winter, there was one Sunday morning which had a jaw-droppingly beautiful sunrise. I tried to take a photo of it but could not do it justice. I did find a photo of Lincoln Cathedral on instagram from the same morning though which captured the sky perfectly. It literally looked like the sky was on fire, or something, and I immediately worked this memory into my story! I felt that a sky like that would make the perfect backdrop for a single, forlorn, broken bastard riding his horse in a clear, freezing morning:

There was a strange light in the sky as the sun began to make its ascent.  It turned a deep crimson then lifted to shades of rich amber and gold; this combined with the few grey clouds passing overhead gave it the illusion of a huge fire, as if a great furnace now filled the heavens.  Some might have called it beautiful, others would see a grim omen.

4) I had a look in my dreaded old fic archive, so full of cringe, and I found this from the end of my Doctor Who fic “Choices”, which I reckon I wrote between 2005-2006, possibly finishing it later than that. This scene right at the end (told from the perspective of Rose and the ninth Doctor’s daughter, Hope) is literally my old senior school - the class length, the finish time, the uniform was what I wore, and my history teacher was Mrs. Gaskin, and my mum would be waiting in her car to pick me and my sisters up:

By a quarter-to-three in the afternoon, she was in another History lesson with Mrs. Gaskin, and was spending another forty-five minutes hearing about the Black Death, the plague doctors, and the red crosses that were painted on people’s doors. It was fascinating, but Hope’s concentration wasn’t there. She kept looking out of the window at the school yard, noticing the little details that other days she would take for granted - like the way the trees swayed in the wind, the way a crisp-packet rolled across the concrete, and the pure azure-blue colour of the cloudless sky. Something was afoot but she had no idea what it was, or why she was feeling this way.

The bell rang finally at the end of the lesson, as the clock read three-thirty, and the class disappeared swiftly out of the door. It was home time! The voices of myriads of children echoed and shrilled down the corridors, and desperate feet, eager to get home, pounded down the stairs, making for the exits. White shirts were un-tucked from trouser and skirt hems, blue-and-red ties were loosened from about shirt collars, and black blazers were thrown off and carried over shoulders as the mass of pupils took flight.

Hope, however, took things slowly, almost as if she might never see them again, picking up on every smile, every individual laugh, and every joke pulled on every unsuspecting victim. She waved goodbye to friends, hitched her backpack over her shoulder, and made her way out of the school gates toward the spot where her mum or Uncle Jack would usually be waiting to pick her up. As she turned the corner onto Petunia Grove, though, she stopped and sighed. The car - either her mum’s or Jack’s - was not there.

Hope pursed her lips and shrugged, taking another good look around just to make sure that she hadn’t missed it, but there wasn’t a familiar car in sight. She thus let her bag slip off her shoulder, and she perched her backside on the street sign, swinging one of her feet back and forth as she waited for the arrival of her escort.

In the meantime, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander again, as it had been doing often throughout the day, and looked around the street. There was a blue tit on the hedge over the road, stood near a couple of sparrows and a robin. The front door of house number five was a brilliant shade of red, something which she had never really noticed before, and there was some graffiti on the road sign on the opposite side of the street. It read ‘Bad’ something or other, but she couldn’t read the other word since it was blocked off by the blue box.

Hope blinked and slowly rose to her feet. It couldn’t be…

5) And for number five, this is a short extract from the an unpublished Star Wars fic I wrote around 2010, where I tried for what must have been the third time to re-write the Star Wars nonsense I wrote as a teenager, all starring my very Mary Sue OC, Nadia, who became Vader’s apprentice and was mentored by Veers. I have here again worked my experiences of passing out into the story - a psychologist would have a field day with me. Nadia’s thoughts about showing weakness were also real fears of mine - I never liked to be weak, to be ill, to be a burden, and my character was the mouthpiece for my own self-disgust. It’s written in the first person with Nadia narrating in this scene where she accompanies General (Maximilian) Veers to the Kaminoan’s cloning facility to review further batches of troops and is taken ill by the experience of seeing the thousands of farmed foetuses:

Max nodded whilst I remained breathless and shaky in his shadow. I could not get those tiny, wriggling foetuses out of many head - they floated upon my consciousness, their inhuman eyes glaring into my face and their tiny hands reaching out toward me. I tried to rid myself of these infantile phantoms, but I could not, and I suddenly felt quite ill.

“We shall need many more in our next delivery,” Max told the creature, who began to babble on about the problems of this request, but was halted mid-sentence when Maximilian wheeled about and grabbed me, saying my name over and over. He disappeared amidst the snowstorm of white dots that littered my vision, however, and I collapsed upon the floor.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a bright, white room. The walls dazzled me for a moment and it took my eyes and my mind time to adjust and to recognise reality. I looked slowly at the plain walls, finding myself alone upon a bed with my hands by my sides and a drip feeding liquid into my arm. This seemed quite surreal - I knew I was not ill enough to warrant this - but I resolved to stay put until someone came to me. I felt extremely tired and I thought that I may as well take advantage of the rest.

I fell back to sleep again and, when I next woke, I saw Max sat in a chair beside me. I glanced about the room - we were alone. I looked at him uncertainly, my visage undoubtedly betraying the signs of my mortification, for he first said: “Do not worry, Nadia, I am not angry with you. It cannot always be helped.”

...

I wanted to defy him, to be strong, but no, I just showed him weakness and insecurity. What indignity was this?

Thanks for the tag, that was fun! I can’t think of 5 writers to tag but off the top of my head: @feuillesmortes, @robins-treasure and @captainofthegreenpeas? Have a go if you fancy.

[nossbean]

I haven’t had as much time as I’d hoped to get stuck in with @jaime-brienne-fic-exchange yet, but from the fraction of the 105 (🎉🎉🎉) fics I have been able to read, a few recs:

Book canon

Innocent This is my gift fic and I’m obsessed. The author did more with my prompt than I could’ve hoped for, their style packs a hell of a lot of punch into a pretty condensed space — I love how they weight emotional/physical/reflective responses — and takes up complex issues (gender! Morality! Innocence! Trauma!) and handles them deftly all whilst also giving a post-LSH Brienne space she needs to grieve, and rage, and be bloody exhausted, and also be perfectly Brienne through it all: grappling with all she’s been through and all she wants to be and all she wants to still believe. so, like, ALL THAT, whilst ALSO having these pitch perfect notes of the relationship she has with Jaime, the relationship Jaime has with her, and how those two things need to come a bit more into alignment if they’re to move forward, and then a *chef’s kiss* of an ending that made me melt and punch the air in equal measure, as it hit a particular target of mine with precision. There’s also a very cathartic scene wherein some stuff happens but I don’t want to give it away but have been thinking about it pretty nonstop since it was posted...! ~enigmatic~ It was just all superb. This recommendation is roughly as coherent as my comment ~1.5 weeks ago, which maybe gives you an idea as to the feelings the fic instills. All in all, WORTH YOUR TIIIMMMEMEMEEE.

that would be enough  This fic!!! It is snappy, and I adored the Brienne and Jaime of this fic. The author captures a whole hell of a lot with the fewest of words (truly, how!!!) and it navigates, again, a post-LSH JB, and that complex thing between JB in a way that feels utterly visceral and true. Leaning into the profundity of their feelings for one another whilst also allowing how terrible they both are at speaking to said feelings, rather both being people of action and trying their best even when things don’t go exactly as they’d hoped (and sometimes even when they do), it’s just a damn satisfying read. There are these character notes throughout that I just wanted to linger in, and have done, on re-read, and anticipate doing time and again. It really is just a pleasure of a read that will nestle into you and linger.

Alternate universes

Love Isn’t a Sprint, It’s a Marathon  This fic is SO MUCH FUN. There are so many clever and delightful easter eggs and overlays from Jaime and Brienne’s Riverrun road trip onto a marathon (!) our two favourite dummies are running in modern Westeros, and it’s fucking GREAT. There are laugh out loud gags and moments, and emotional/romantic beats which land just when you want them, and the author’s style is pacy (running pun intended; this fic taught me things) and just carries you along so pleasingly. It also gifted me with visions of Jaime in a perfectly tussled bun and tight jogging outfit (in Lannister colours, ofc), and Brienne in her favourite blue sports bra, and to the author I say: thank you. The, hm, confounding (to Brienne) history between JB in this ‘verse is revealed throughout the fic, which works so well in conjunction with how the marathon experience is progressing their relationship, building up a satisfying tension between them and rewarding us with a fantastic end. I don’t want to give too much away, so have some emoji in lieu of spoilers: 🥳😍😂😍🔥🎉 🎉🎉😍🥰 also to this introvert, Brienne’s way of interacting with strangers on a marathon course is SO relatable, my god. This is one of those stories that just leaves you happy.

when the sun is coming through, you fill my head with you  This fic is a modern reconciliation/second chances fic with a great premise, and I basically had a meltdown about the author’s prose. It is STUNNING. The fic looks at a JB separated by several years after a botched (or was it?) overture made just before one of them leaves town. Brienne, soaked to the bone and injured after defending a person from four (4) muggers turns up on Jaime’s doorstep one night unannounced. Me, loving this: she went to him because she knew he’d look after her even after all this time 😭😭😭 Things proceed apace from there, and as I said in my comment: Jaime throughout all of this is this wonderful blend of capturing that energy he has with a softness that feels very true to the heart of him. And Brienne! There’s a line in the fic specifically about her which just... yes. The author also manages a really interesting spin on the “I’m strong enough” line, which I went head over heels for. Also I made so many noises while reading over the prose alone but it isn’t just beautiful (it is beautiful), it also weaves so well through character and the situation and omggggg. Make a cuppa and spend some time with this fic, it’s well worth it.

Multichapters

So I’m mostly saving multichapters at the moment, I did get involved in these two, both AUs:

The Shooting Party (complete) Another fic which made me lose my damn mind. The conceit is wonderful and fun and it was played to perfection, but honestly it was the way these two were written here which got me. Set in 1912 on a holiday weekend at the Stark estate, Brienne asks Jaime to pretend to be courting her in order to put off the man her father is bringing as a potential suitor: Hyle Hunt. Jaime agrees, with one two caveats. My comment on this fic was borderline incoherent but possibly the only sensible thing I said was that the author had got to the very heart of Brienne in her POV (she is the sole POV), was written with such evident love for the character, and it was just such pure joy to read. Everything we got of Jaime, too, was just exactly as one (me) might hope, particularly of the circumstances in the fic. I love him always, but particularly here 💖 Truly I literally finished reading this fic only a little while ago and am still processing but Y’ALL. I wanted to live there forever, I was stunned joyful. AND THE AUTHOR’S STYLE! Such a pleasure, my god. This fic expanded in my chest, and I’m trying to keep cozy that joyous feeling as long as possible.

Way Enough (WIP) Currently a WIP, this modern AU follows Brienne and Jaime as they reunite after years apart: the central setting so far has been a rowing boat house, and the author is incredibly evocative with their descriptions of... well everything, honestly, but the loving way they describe rowing is really such a pleasure to read. Jaime and Brienne in this is also great: a particular dynamic I always enjoy wherein Jaime is just so overjoyed to see Brienne again, and Brienne is, too, but in a far more reserved and tentative way. We’ve so far has two out of five chapters posted, but I’m really looking forward to where it’s going.

[justfinishedreading]

The Diary of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain

Spoilers (Sort of)

Before reading this book I had never read anything by Mark Twain, but I had heard that he was a great comedic writer and I was looking forward to my first experience of his writing. The Diary of Adam and Eve is his somewhat comedic and satirical version of the biblical legend, told in diary entry form, alternating between Adam and Eve. It’s important to explain that The Diary of Adam and Eve is not actually a single work of fiction; during his lifetime Mark Twain wrote seven short texts on the theme of Adam and Eve, published in different literary journals. These texts focus on different ideas within the context of the legend and do not always follow the same storyline or describe the same events in a consistent way.

The first text contains ‘Extracts from Adam’s Diary’ and ‘Eve’s Diary’, we’re first introduced to Adam (of course), he talks about the arrival of a curious and chatty creature who calls herself Eve. Adam is a solemn and territorial recluse; his diary entries are brief and mostly talk about how annoyed he is that Eve keeps hanging around him and thwarting his frequent attempts to run away. It is Eve who introduces the word “We” to Adam, before her, the possibility of the concept of a collective never occurred to him.

Eve’s diary entries are much longer and philosophical, in them she questions the existence of the creatures in the garden of Eden, their nature, and her own existence and feelings. She examines lions and tigers and tells Adam she believes their teeth look like they were designed for killing and consuming flesh, yet these animals currently eat grass and flowers. Adam tells her that animals killing each other would bring Death to the garden, which is something that has not yet happened. Eve’s observation is telling us that if animals were already “designed” this way, to inflict death, then it is with the anticipation of an event the creator already knows will happen. According to the Bible, Disease, Pain and Death were released onto the world once Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit, however if God’s world was already designed and created in preparation for such an event, was it ever Eve and Adam’s fault for disobeying an order given by a being who already knew the order would be disobeyed? With time recluse Adam warms up to Eve, although he doesn’t seem to have many redeeming qualities, one thing I will say for Adam is that I don’t recall him ever even thinking about blaming Eve for their “downfall”.

There are some amusing scenes in this first set of texts, for example Eve gives birth to Abel while Adam is away travelling, when he comes back Eve explains nothing and Adam is perplexed by the baby and keeps trying to conduct experiments on it. He is also obsessed with trying to capture another one from the wild. Twain gives both Adam and Eve a child-like wonder and amazement at the world and entertains us with stories of Eve trying to fetch stars from the night sky and wondering who stole them when day approaches.

Eve is convinced that she is some sort of experiment. The way the story of Adam and Eve is interpreted is usually that Adam was made in God’s image, God then took a rib from Adam and made Eve, therefore Adam is closer to God, and Eve is somewhat inferior because she is a copy of a copy. But if we think about what happens with anything that is created, the first creation is never the best version, usually with each new creation it is better than the last, it is improved. In this light we can view Eve not inferior to Adam but superior.

Eve tells us that she sometimes acts silly, or she conceals things from Adam in order to save him from feeling embarrassment, she realizes that he lacks some of the abilities she has and she does certain things to dumb herself down in order to not hurt his pride. This is something many women can relate to, myself included: needing to tip-toe around some men who have fragile egos and high tempers, this is one of the amazing things about this text, it was written a century ago, and by a man, and yet it is refreshingly feminist. We’re currently going through another feminist revival, and during a time when a lot of machismo and sexual harassment by celebrates is being exposed on social media, and we are losing faith in men in the public eye, it’s hopeful to read a work like The Diaries of Adam and Eve and find a male voice not blinded by ego, not threatened, but with an understanding nature.

Regarding humour, there are certain jokes that aren’t very funny, that are baffling and which I can only presume are related to some event or common joke specific to the time and place Twain was writing in. However there are other amusing scenes, for example interactions with dinosaurs are always funny, in this text and the others we see that Twain has an interest in science and the scientific method, the existence of dinosaurs is proven and Twain is not about to leave them out of Eden, so we get Eve trying to ride a brontosaurus, he “followed her like a pet mountain. Like the other animals. They all do that.” Eve, bright as she is, is also humble, she notices that several animals, particularly the dog and the elephant seem to understand her, and talk, but she does not understand them, and in this case they must be her superiors. In a later text Adam and Eve find a pterodactyl. They name him Terry.

This first section ends on a bit of a sad note, Eve theorizes why she loves Adam, that it is not a product of reasoning, she naively states that she would still love him even if he abused and beat her, words which made me very sad to read. In the end she says she is “only a girl, and the first that examined this matter, and it may turn out that in my ignorance and inexperience I have not got it right.” It is a true portrayal of First Love, of thinking that it’s noble to love someone even if they hurt you, and yet Eve has the wisdom to perceive that her understanding of this may change with time. In a later text Eve describes meeting Adam for the first times and thinking he must be some sort of reptile based on how emotionless and inactive he was.

From Adam’s analysis of their love we have simply, and touchingly, these few words written on Eve’s grave: “Wheresoever she was, there was Eden.”

The above points all relate to the first text in this collection, and it was the one I liked most, the one that gave me what I most expected. I would have loved a full novel written in this style, with themes and events expanded upon, but I can understand how it would have been financially and socially damaging for Twain to write such a book in the early 20th century American south, the novel would have ended up banned and part of book-burnings by religious groups across the country, then and now. It’s a shame, there’s are so many good ideas here, surely somewhere someone has written a novel on Adam and Eve – I should do some research on this.

Now regarding the other six texts, they all have differing tones, they were clearly written with specific different themes in mind, written as one-off literary amusements, imagine the opinions section in a newspaper, with articles bouncing off ideas contemporary to the time. I’m just going to mention a few aspects that I found interesting without really describing each individual article.

Eve writes “For we were children without nurses and without instructors. There was no one to tell us anything.” Throughout all these texts by Twain, God is absent, we hear Adam mention once or twice that he was instructed by God to not eat the fruit, but that’s it. Later when Satan appears, Adam and Eve are full of questions. In this imagining of Eden there is no dialogue between God and Adam and Eve, and before those of you who are more religious rush to protest, why should Twain not write their relationship as it currently is for so many of the Christian faith today? Sure there are some who say they speak to God, have a special relationship with him, but for the vast majority there is no clear two-way conversation going on. As Eves says, they were left alone, they discovered, HAD to discover, things by trial and error.

There’s a moment when just before eating the fruit, Adam and Eve have a discussion about what is Good, what is Evil, what is Pain, Disease and Death. Since they have experienced none of these, since they have seen none of these, they have absolutely no concept of what they could mean. How do you explain colours to someone born blind? So, whilst they were warned that eating the fruit would release a bunch of these (completely unknown) concepts, they decide to go right ahead.

Some other humour to note: Eve writes “the ability to spell correctly is a gift; that it is born in a person, and is a sign of intellectual inferiority. By parity of reasoning, its absence is a sign of great mental power.” As someone with a level of dyslexia myself, I welcome this thought. A good story from Adam is when he and Eve asked Noah what happened to all the dinosaurs? “he coloured and changed the subject.” After some persuasion he blames it on his sons for not carrying out their duties correctly, he then says that the dinosaurs and some other animals were left behind because they knew they would be needed for fossils one day… and also there were some miscalculations regarding the ark…

Amongst the jokes and the theological theories, there’s also commentary on the current state of affairs: Eve muses that the human population is too great in number and will consume the earth to devasting effects. This written by Twain a hundred years ago. Wow, what would he think if he saw us now?

There is a truly gut-wrenching and touching moment when Adam and Eve experience Death for the first time; Cain and Abel fight, Abel is hit, but none of them know what death is, they do not recognize or understand the moment he dies, instead they take him to his bed and wait, and wait, for Abel to wake up. All they comprehend is sleep, and therefore they presume that that’s what’s happening. Eve writes of spending hours by Abel’s side, covering his cold body with wool in a futile attempt to warm his body. There’s another diary entry describing her anguish as Eve begins to suspect that this might be what Death is.  

I’d like to end with a small but significant sentence, Adam writes about Eve: “She was never able to keep her composure when she came upon a relative; she would try to kiss every one of these people, black and white and all.” Apart from the fact that all other people of colour are ignored and humanity is basically divided into just white people and black people, and that nowadays the need to specify black and white people in such a sentence almost has the oppose effect and actually sounds racist, but given the time, and the fact that Mark Twain was born in the south, it is a sentence that has good intentions behind it, it is a sentence that is saying: we are all relatives of Adam and Eve, independent of colour. We are all family.

Review by Book Hamster

[scifimagpie]

The Art of Destruction: Distressed Aesthetics

A belated happy new year, my dear followers!

So, I have a neat idea for a new series coming up. But after the holidays (which were pleasantly busy) and some interpersonal scuffling in January (which was not nearly as lovely, but came to an all-right enough resolution), my idea bank was absolutely flat broke.

A nice chat with friends has filled the bowl up, but while I work on those posts, here is something I stashed off to the side after a Facebook conversation last year.

I often reference fashion and clothing to help get in the right mindset for my writing projects. Whilst working on Poe's Outlaws (Book 4 of The Meaning Wars series; book 3, The Meaning Wars, is ready for beta-reading and edits now!) I indulged in my usual technique of sifting through Dolls Kill and Pinterest to look at various bits of outre, fun, futuristic fashion.  Of course, when working on Monsters and Fools and planning for After the Garden's sequels, I also like to look at post-apocalyptic and distressed clothing. I like distressed clothing anyway, but it tends to get a lot of flack. =

On an episode of a podcast called Minion Death Cult, the hosts discussed some common reactions of tradespeople and Boomers to distressed and some faux-muddy jeans. (Not unsurprisingly, there were a lot of tired jokes about just selling people old, worn-out jeans from "real" tradesmen.) But not a lot of people understand how distressed clothing works, or why it's somehow different from their dad's old, grimy jeans and tattered denim jacket, so I'm going to break it down. 

Note: all images in this article came from the Nordstrom website. Most or all are designed by PRPS.

  I'm gonna take the unusual stance here of defending distressed jeans, because I've been studying and making distressed knit clothing and other types of distressed clothing for a bit. Why? Because I like post-apocalyptic fashion, and I think wrecked things are often beautiful. 

You may be familiar with the term "wabi-sabi," which sometimes passes in and out of vogue for decorating trends. The term is comprised of two Japanese words - wabi, in a nutshell, refers to the beauty of simplicity; sabi, to the beauty of age and use. There's a bit more to it, but that's the quick explanation of these beautiful and imperfectly translatable terms. Wabi-sabi is usually used in reference to home decor, but it totally applies to clothing, too. 

Anyway, getting on with the point - the thing about dirty jeans is that they're gonna leave dirt on wherever you sit. Fake dirt still captures the same look, the rather beautiful way the brown stains and fades into the tightly woven blue threads, but it won't leave big ol' scuffmarks on your leather car seats.

As for the distressing, the interesting and beautiful way that denim falls apart tends to happen in less sexy areas - the knees, the thighs, the crotch. Distressing clothes on purpose lets you get the look without impairing the wearability and structural integrity of the clothes. Sometimes that doesn't work at all, like with the cheaper distressed jeans that are all holes and have a high spandex content, but that's still the idea.

As far as how this relates to designing and making clothing, with knitwear (such as the awesome punk sweaters we all may love, or at least have seen before), it's important to know how the particular fibres and yarns work structurally. There's a reason why clothing made to be or look distressed looks so awesome and a lot of actually busted up clothing or "home-made" distressed stuff looks crappy. Knowing where and how to cut fabric in pre-made knits, how to style the runs, or how to make patterns with the runs and holes, is all very calculated. As I've learned myself, if you try to distress a finely-knit sweater, it'll look like crap; distressing needs a chunkier, thicker yarn to be really noticeable. And wet-blocking a ravelled sweater (stretching while wet) is very important - otherwise, the threads maintain their curled appearance, and don't become those straight lines that create contrast with the curving knitted stitches. It's also really important to actually tie off runs in a distressed sweater, or the whole thing will, in fact, unravel. 

The advantage of knitting a sweater with a distressed look is that you can control this process. In effect, dropped stitches and yarn-overs create a sort of freeform lace look, and don't destroy the structural integrity of the sweater (which unravelling a pre-made sweater CAN do). 

So basically there IS a method to the madness in pre-distressed clothing, and knowing how to distress your clothing well and safely - whether it's for a stage production, Halloween, or fashion - takes more than sharp scissors and boredom!

Predictably, clothes like this inspire retorts like, "I could give you my old jeans covered in cow manure and farm dirt and motor oil for that price!" But that's the point - the "fake dirt" that so baffled the Washington Post and CNN, where reporters appeared unfamiliar with the concept of "p a i n t", will not rub off or dirty other surfaces. The pants don't contain the scent and sweat of another person's work, nor are they worn out and about to fall apart, as those pants probably are. (For example, the wear patterns and distressing and whiskering all appear on the thighs and calves of the jeans, rather than in the crotch, around the bottom cuffs, and etcetera.) 

It's not about pretending you work - it's about exploring the beauty of entropy and things that are lived-in. The way fabric dye fades, the soft whiskering of denim fabric, the delicate feathers of raw-edged cotton - all of these have their own beauty. Repairs can create a contrast from the original fabric or material as well, and it needn't be ugly. People familiar with "that weird gold thing," kintsuogi, may also know have seen it in cases where useful objects are repaired and the cracks are patched with gold leaf to highlight their beauty. 

Here's another example of finding beauty in marks and unexpected places. When I saw an advertisement for Canada Post that featured a very intriguing necklace, I tracked down the artist's work and had a look at her site.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUkgqx4hXdu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

View this post on Instagram

#fbf to my 30 seconds of fame 😛 I custom made this piece especially for the #canadapost commercial. It took every spare second I had for a month....... and it will be on-screen for a second at a time for three years 😪 💰#lianevazbespoke

A post shared by Toronto Goldsmith (@lianevazdesigns) on May 26, 2017 at 2:22pm PDT

However, to my surprise, most of her jewelry was either minimalist and geometric, or covered in dented and scratched textures, like this!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw10Dy7AWYp/

View this post on Instagram

HEX textured pendant in 18k gold on a vintage chain ✨

A post shared by Toronto Goldsmith (@lianevazdesigns) on Apr 29, 2019 at 6:17am PDT

Or, like this! 

There is real value in appreciating things as we wear them out. If we are to shift to a less consumption-driven culture, which is necessary in the fight against climate change, we're gonna have to get used to not having things that look new all the time. Supplies and availability of items may be restricted. Repairing clothing and items instead of just throwing them out has also become pretty popular amongst Generation Z, many of whom are embracing thrifting and minimal-waste lifestyles. 

But in addition to that, there's also a beauty in the broken or fraying, the imperfect, the less-than-new. Most of the time we spend with an item will be active. Jewelry gets scratches. Clothes rip. Colours fade. Paper tears. And all of those things expose new beauties and different aspects of the item, revealing its structure and design and suggesting or reminding us of experiences we've had.

After all, our possessions act as anchors for memories. There's a reason why in pre-industrial times, treasured items were passed down through generations or repaired over and over. Our things aren't just pretty diversions or useful parts of daily life - they're parts of our lives, woven or tangled with our memories.

***

Michelle Browne is a sci fi/fantasy writer and editor. She lives in Lethbridge, AB with her partner-in-crime and Max the cat. Her days revolve around freelance editing, knitting, jewelry, and learning too much. She is currently working on other people’s manuscripts, the next books in her series, and drinking as much tea as humanly possible.

Find her all over the internet: * OG Blog * Mailing list * Magpie Editing * Amazon * Medium * Twitter * Instagram * Facebook * Tumblr * Paypal.me * Ko-fi

[maryhanna]

Critical Reflection

Documentary Film - In My Room

‘In The Room’ , a documentary film I directed, explores the connection people have with their bedrooms and how culture and family grows through hardship. It shows a personal account of three contrasting individuals all in the same family. Rania; a new mother, Eli; a four year old boy and Ramza a ninety year old great grandmother. Having fled from a war torn Iraq in the late 80’s Ramza and her family grew their families in Scotland. I found this fascinating as Ramza is my Nana, having never spoken to her due to language barriers I was able to finally ask her the questions about her past I've always wanted to ask.

Directing this project was very exciting for me, being able to write the script for the shoot and translating the footage was quite an emotional process. I wanted to tell a truthful story about family and trauma, how a person can be connected to a place and what happens when that place is taken away from you. My Nana’s story was especially captivating to go over and I wanted to portray her strength as well as her sadness due to her leaving her home in Iraq.

As director I understood it was a personal project and I wanted to keep other members of my crew engaged and excited to be part of this. With this, the cinematographer James Stevenson was excellent in capturing the atmosphere of my family members homes, highlighting the subjects individuality and personalities whilst also establishing the familial connection between one another.

I think having some group members meet my family was a very important element of how our film came out, I think if more of the crew were able to also meet the subjects they too would feel attachment to the narrative a bit more and possibly be more enthused by the documentary. I myself struggled with a lot of self doubt and embarrassment in asking people to help tell my family's story therefore I also lost enthusiasm at times. This purely was due to a lack of confidence in myself as director.

My film ‘In My Room’ doesn't correlate heavily with the essay I had written. My essay on observational films and its portrayal of truth was a very exciting essay to write. I was very inspired by the documentary films I had chosen to write about, ‘The Devil and Daniel Johnson’ and ‘Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics’ as the style and format used is something I find a deep relation to. The essay talks a lot about how personal experiences can be presented in imaginative ways. With this documentary I wanted to focus on the person telling the story, not so much the story itself, therefore using that technique would not be beneficial with the narrative I was trying to show.

If i was going to give myself a grade based on participation i would give myself a B. I believe at a lot of points during the production my self doubt got in the way and I held back a little. I was a little hesitant to come back to the project after shooting as I was very doubtful of the film overall, but after hearing positive feedback I realised a lot of my worries were just in my head

[hithunter56]

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Jul 27, 2019 ISO image of the 1996 game Candy Land, if this violates copyright in anyway, then i'll take it down. Candy Land Adventure (Mac abandonware from 1996) To date, Macintosh Repository served 1193600 old Mac files, totaling more than 224138.8GB!

Home» Board Games » Candy Land: Dora the Explorer Edition

Help Dora in Her Delicious Adventure Through the Beloved Classic Candy Land

Reviewed by: Dylan

We're sorry but we are no longer able to offer this game.

What's Free - Play game for 100 minutes.

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DFG Exclusive Review Summary

Great learning device for younger players.

Spanish is incorporated in a learning manner.

All the text is explained in dialogue for non-readers.

2 modes of the game with multiple difficulties.

Cons

Way too easy for older players (third grade and older).

A lot of the dialogue is not needed and slows the game down.

› Read Full Candy Land Dora Review

Game Description

Join Dora on a Delicious Adventure!

Help Dora the Explorer and her fun friends, Diego, Backpack and Boots, travel through Candy Land to a fiesta! Experience the classic enjoyment of the Candy Land board game but Dora-style with Benny's delicious candy canes, Tico's tasty peanuts, Iso's lollipops and more. Firefox versions for mac.

This game is great for children ages three to six and also fun for older friends and family. Play single player against the computer or play with up to three other friends.

Meet Fun Characters and Play Their Educational Mini Games

Just like in the Candy Land board game, each turn consists of drawing a card with a colored square on it and moving to the nearest square of that color on the board. Once a player passes a figure, such as Abuela, an educational mini game pops up. Play a memory game to pass the Grumpy Old Troll, bake with Abuela and learn counting and colors with other adorable characters.

Watch out for Swiper because he'll steal away one of your turns! The game ends when a player reaches the final square and then everyone goes to the fiesta!

Great Fun for the Whole Family

This game makes learning fun because kids will adore the cute characters and their enjoyable, educational mini games. They can practice necessary skills like counting, learning colors, logical thinking, memory and even learn some Spanish. Play along with your kids and experience the laugh-out-loud fun of competing to finish first and shouting out answers together!

For a fun-filled, tasty trip into Candy Land, join Dora and her friends now!

Candy Land: Dora the Explorer Edition Review

- Review by Dylan

Help Dora, Bender, Backpack, and Diego make it to Dora's abuela's (grandma's) house for la fiesta (the party) in this Candy Land adventure. Candy Land: Dora the Explorer Edition is the classic Candy Land board game with added mini-games and an educational emphasis. This game's simple nature and teaching elements make this a perfect game for a family with young children, just learning to read.

Nice Blend of Classic Candy Land and Dora the Explorer

Candy Land, one of the all time great children's games, is a turn-based game that has you advancing along a playing board to reach the end goal. In this version of Candy Land your goal is to help Dora make it to her grandmother's house for a party. To move you pull a card from the deck and advance to the color it shows. Cards with two colors allow you to advance farther than you normally would and cards with symbols allow your character to advance to that symbol on the board. The symbols are scattered throughout the game tiles and pulling one can give you a huge advantage, especially the cards' symbols that are really close to the party.

2 Game Modes Plus Mini Games

Dora the Explorer edition offers two modes of play which include both the classic game as well as an enhanced version with educational mini-games. The enhanced version is essentially the same game as the original, however, in this version you must complete tasks or answer riddles to advance. The tasks are typically educational and might have you collecting candy canes in the shapes of letters or placing different colored lollipops in order to complete patterns. Each of the games have an educational element and pose a challenge for younger players. Older users will more likely than not find the mini-games too easy.

Nice Educational Element to the Game

The educational element in Dora the Explorer Candy Land is great. This game is designed for younger players just learning to read. You can see learning in nearly all aspects of the game. Dora counts in both English and Spanish, colors need to be identified, learning and comprehending is emphasized, even the instructions are read so new readers can read along and sound out words. This game is a great learning device and young children will get a kick out of how learning is incorporated into this fun board game.

Designed For Younger Players

If you are an older player, Candy Land: Dora the Explorer edition does not have much to offer. This game is designed for younger players so there is no real strategy or challenge. Even when you set the difficulty to the hardest setting, if you are an older speller you will find this game to be incredibly easy. Also, because this is a learning game for younger users, older players may get annoyed with the dialogue and the long length of turns. Though this is typically a major flaw of games, having drawn out dialogue after every turn is a great educational tool.

Conclusion - Nice Additions to Basic Candy Land and Great For Kids

Candy Land: Dora the Explorer edition is a great game for young children learning to spell. This might be the perfect addition to your family's game collection because it is educational and fun to play. Older players will not gain a lot from this game, however, it is not directed toward them. This fun game is a perfect learning device for developing children, and is worth the download.

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Candy Land

4.18 / 5 - 35 votes

Description of Candy Land Windows

If you haven't played Candy Land or want to try this adventure video game, download it now for free! Published in 1998 by Hasbro Interactive, Inc., Candy Land is still a popular board / party game title amongst retrogamers, with a whopping 4.2/5 rating.

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Comments and reviews

Jay2020-12-080 point

says it downloaded but wont openwith out an app, downloaded the apps it said it needed but still wont open idk what to do now

frisk2020-11-060 point

says its incompatible with a 64-bit system. no idea what to do to fix this

Harriet2020-09-100 point

I think i used to play this when i was about 4, I realized it was an early queer moment for me bc i loved Queen Frostine so much lmao had no idea

s2020-07-152 points

love the game . due to the lockdown i could not buy the actual board game for my daughter so for now i am letting her play this version of candyland she absolutely loves it i am very glad that i stumbled upon this add as my daughter was getting board and kept distubing me when i work

Willow Hibiki2020-06-292 points

I remember playing this specific game when I was a kid. Yet I never finished it.. Thanks to this I can

yikes2020-05-032 points

i cant get the game to work

Mystic Rain2020-02-020 point

Can this be played multiplayer?

Katherine Jo Fallstrom2020-01-263 points

I loved this game when I was little!

kay2019-11-153 points

i downloaded the game and it wont work and i dont understand why

candyland game 19982019-11-061 point

My favorite boardgame

dosery2019-08-190 point

its fun for kids

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[chrismalcolmhnd2c]

Doorstep Portrait

©Annie Dresner

©Julie Michaelsen

“In time of test, family is best.” – Burmese Proverb.

Research the Narrative

In your workbook or blog, research Social Portraiture. There will be further tasks and support through the Contextual Studies class.

Tell the Story

Organise a group shot that will involve a minimum of three people.

Following restrictions imposed by lock down, photographers have been finding neW and inivitave ways to continue their practice of social photograhy, and in turn documenting the current situation.

You may interpret this brief in a variety of ways however the end product should display a group of sitters photographed safely on location.

The location will be the sitter’s residence or work place however consider the best place at the location to photograph the sitters. Windows, doorstep, garden shed? Have fun with the posing.

Good location, controlled lighting, co-ordinated styling, effective communication, and effective posing/composition will all add to the ‘experience’ for your sitters.

A parental consent form should also be created when any members of your group are under 16.

Edit and refine: Complete worksheet

These images should be of a quality suitable for a private client to purchase and print, retouching flaws, great composition, sharp and properly exposed.

Submission: One Final A3 folio print ready canvas with 2 significantly different images of the same group.

Initial research for Social Portraiture for “White Shirt”

https://chrismalcolmhnd2c.tumblr.com/tagged/white

Further research on Doorstep Portraiture

Coronavirus: Doorstep photo diaries capture life in lockdown

Published 21 May 2020

Magnus and Jenny have enjoyed spending more time together during the coronavirus lockdown.

Over the last eight weeks doorstep photos have provided some of the enduring images of Scotland's lockdown.

Families, couples and housemates are having socially-distant photographs taken at their front doors in an effort to record these unusual times.

Among those following the trend to create snapshots of modern life is Glasgow photographer Caro Weiss.

"I now have more than 100 shoots booked over the next four weeks," she said.

"I've done a great mix of people, artists, makers, couples, people with dogs, kids. I have been booked for an anniversary shoot, a 'should have been our wedding day' shoot, birthdays, and ones that friends have booked for their friends to cheer them up if they are finding it really tough.

"I can't wait to meet everyone. It's the highlight of my days now."

We asked some of her subjects to tell us about their lockdown experience.

Alison and Willie McBride

Alison and Willie McBride, both in their 60s, can't do their regular jobs at the moment.

"We've recently moved to this flat which fortunately has its own private garden which we are thankful for during lockdown and we spend time there reading and playing Scrabble. We sent our doorstep photos to our daughter and family living in America and our son, daughter-in-law and another daughter living in Manchester. We are trying to face this crisis with quiet resilience and the photos show a sense of being in it together and looking after each other."

Susanne Bell and Stephen Gallagher

Musicians Susanne Bell and Stephen Gallagher wanted to document lockdown with a growing bump.

"I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant and we wanted some photographs to document our lockdown with our growing bump! We've not been able to visit friends and family for three months now so we're really missing seeing them and showing off the baby bump. We are both musicians who play in bands and teach music so we are working from home with Stephen's son Johannes who is 12. We've been really lucky to have lots of musical instruments and projects to keep us busy. Stephen is in a band called Scaramanga and has been writing, recording (remotely) and releasing new music."

Jenny McLean and son Magnus

Jenny, 38, wanted to record Magnus' sixth birthday during the lockdown.

"We're coping well - we face Queen's Park, so we never feel too isolated with all the people coming and going for their daily exercise. We've kept busy through a combination of juggling work, craft projects, schoolwork and a worsening online shopping habit (I bought a 1960s swimsuit the other day… when I'm next going swimming, I have no idea!). We've been lucky to stay healthy throughout. It was Magnus's sixth birthday at the weekend so it seemed the perfect way to remember his day, and a time where - amidst the pandemic - I've felt really lucky to have more time with him, away from our usual busy lives."

Barbara Smith, Chris Macfarlane, Innes and Ishbel

Barbara, 37, Chris, 38, and their children Innes, 6, and Ishbel, 4, loved their "daft" photos.

"We are so pleased with our photos, they're so informal and more than a wee bit daft. Kids get big so quickly, it's a real treat to have a record of this time, even if it has been quite intense in parts! We are all healthy and enjoying having more family time, although I'm not sure I'm quite cut out for home schooling. I'm a wedding florist, so my business has been affected drastically, everything is either cancelled or postponed. Which at least means that I am able to take on childcare now that Chris has to work from home. He is a college tutor and is having to adapt to teaching his students online."

Cecilia Stamp, Greg Paterson and Leo

Cecilia Stamp is looking after her mum in nearby sheltered housing and has lost a family member to the virus.

"I'm a jeweller and I don't have full access to my workshop at the moment so I have been working as best I can but I really miss my workspace - especially as there's equipment I don't have at home. One of my main priorities has been looking after my mum who lives nearby in sheltered housing, doing food shops for her etc, as she can't go out. We've had a family member die from the virus down south, which was a huge shock as he was in good health, so it's been especially difficult for her too. We couldn't go to the funeral and trying to sort things remotely was a challenge."

Kenji Kitahama and Till Stowasser

Till, 42 and Kenji, 44, are both working from home.

"We're hanging in there and trying to make the best of the situation. We're very lucky in that both Till and I are able to work from home. Till is a professor and has been holding all of his lectures online since the beginning of March. I'm a bookbinder who makes bespoke photo albums and books. I run my small business from my home studio, so the lockdown hasn't affected my daily work routine a great deal. However, this is a time when I'm usually busy making wedding albums but since all of these celebrations have been cancelled or rescheduled, it's been a bit quieter. We're so grateful for all the frontline workers and of course, the postal service—who are making it possible to keep my little business afloat."

The McGarrigles

Eamon, 40 Claire, 40, Nancy, 5, and one-year-old Nena are getting used to sharing their space a lot more.

"We are currently adapting to the new way of life with Eamon now working from home. I'm no longer able to work as my place of work is temporarily closed due to Covid-19, so I am now attempting to be a home school teacher to Nancy who was in P1. We are missing our families and friends so much as we are both from Northern Ireland originally and have no family here in Glasgow. Our kids keep us sane and drive us mad in equal measures. I hope they will remember this time in their lives as the time we all got to hang out more, baked cakes, clapped with all our wonderful neighbours on a Thursday night and painted rainbows."

Terri Hawkins and Ernst

Terri Hawkins, 31 and Ernst Wolf, 2, have a flat full of flowers.

"I am a florist and rely mainly on weddings and events, so my business has been hugely affected. Me and my partner Angus fell through the cracks for government funding so we had major money panics. My business was the only way we could earn money, so we turned our living room into a dried flower workshop and came up with these flower arranging kits that people can make at home using dried flowers. They are great and keeping the whole family just afloat right now! Angus has started working for me, he's in charge of the logistics, computer stuff, ordering and I do all the making.

"Our house is a mess filled with flowers, our poor two-year-old has to watch TV every morning whilst we frantically work, we try and get it all done for lunch time then spend the day playing with our son Ernst! The online flower shop has been our families saviour, we are extremely grateful."

The Evans family - Mhairi, Maeve and Joe

Mhairi, 35, Joe, 36 and Maeve (who will be six next week) have made the best of a bad situation.

"Joe and I are working from home and juggling home schooling. We've all been lucky to be quite well but did have some mild symptoms near the beginning so went through isolation. It's pretty full on. Some days are fun, some days are really hard and we've all been up and down. Maeve is beginning to really miss her friends and her school. We're just trying to make the best of it but we miss our families and friends a lot. I have so much respect for all key workers and I'm happy to stay at home for as long as we have to if that keeps them safe."

Hazel Jane and George Windsor

Hazel Jane, 23 and Dr George Windsor, 29, had only moved in together in February and say their lockdown was a "cohabitation of fire".

"We're both lucky enough to continue working full-time from home throughout lockdown and we do this by rotating spaces between the kitchen table and the sofa. Neither of us have shown any symptoms so it's been a smooth ride in that sense, but we have certainly suffered the mental health dips that come with quarantine and won't be unhappy to see the end of it. We moved in together in February so this has been a cohabitation baptism of fire. Also, these are not the haircuts we went into quarantine with. Mine is now considerably longer, while George's DIY cut leaves lots to be desired."

Claire Jonston-Dawson, John and Eddy

Claire, 33, John, 30 and Eddy, 2 have enjoyed more time together in their "flat bubble".

"We co-own a tiny pizza restaurant with a friend, so life is completely different for us in lockdown as we are closed right now, and have been since mid-March. It has had its ups and downs, as we, like so many others, still wait to find out what financial help we're getting for our business, but restaurant aside we've adjusted to slower, much simpler days and getting to hang out together. And we know we are some of the lucky ones in this situation, so really just spend our days swinging from guilt to gratitude for our small but cosy flat bubble, to being overwhelmed and angry at the UK government."

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-52706375

Further Research

Photographers taking 'doorstep portraits' capture candid picture of life in lockdown from Kent's towns and villages

By Sean Delaney

Published: 27 May 2020

Photographers across Kent are taking candid shots of households on their doorsteps in a bid to document precious family memories and drum up funds for the NHS.

The industry was among those hardest hit by the lockdown restrictions as studios, weddings and other public places were all deemed out of bounds.

Couple Charlie and Lauren Moore in Snodland Photo: Strawberry Photography

But now so-called "doorstep photoshoots" are providing families with the chance to capture some priceless memories during these difficult times.

It has also afforded snappers a safe space in which to engage with clients and neighbours while also bringing in some much needed cash for their businesses and the health service.

New mum Sarah Hunt is currently running her business Strawberry Photography from her home in Snodland.

The 32-year-old usually focusses on weddings but as these have all now been rescheduled until next year the doorstep project has been providing a new outlet in-between caring for her three month old daughter Margot.

Each session is conducted outside and in line with government guidelines on the two metre distance, although in reality Sarah says it’s closer to four or five metres because of the quality of her camera lens.

Tony Legg and Jane Pullinger-Legg who is a nurse assessor in the NHS Photo: Strawberry Photography

"It was a little bit slow at first. I think people couldn't quite grasp the idea of how it worked," she said.

Work soon began to pick up and Sarah has been booked in for various sessions around Snodland which she times around her baby's feeds.

"These have been a lot of fun and gone down really well," she said. "My approach is very relaxed and informal which enables me to create real and candid photos."

"I was doing virtual shoots and these were okay but they are just not the same as getting out and taking photos".

Sarah has snapped everyone from a funeral director to a nurse assessor and her pet pooches.

But a group she has taken shots of regularly is mums-to-be and includes one expecting mum who found out she was pregnant just days before going into lockdown.

Funeral director Gray Reigate, pictured with wife Zoe, daughter Molly and Boris the boxer Photo: Strawberry Photography

She said: "As well as family photoshoots, I have also photographed mums to be which has been so great as many of them have been in lockdown since the start of their pregnancies, so this has been a lovely way for them to show off their bumps.

"Otherwise there is going to be people being like 'oh my god' you're pregnant.

"Adapting my business to be able to create these images for people in these unprecedented times has been extremely rewarding – It's also great to just get back out there with my camera."

Payment is collected through contactless means and £5 from every shoot is donated to the NHS.

Sarah is also part of a team of Kent wedding suppliers who are putting on a wedding worth £35,000 for one lucky NHS worker.

The competition is the brainchild of Lou Finn, owner of Ashford-based Bake To The Future who has brought together 52 suppliers to donate their services for free.

The Champion family photo: Estelle Thompson Photography

Another photographer who has been doing her part for the NHS is Sevenoaks-based Estelle Thompson.

The 46-year-old has been capturing a frank snapshot of what lockdown life has been like in the small village of Fawkham in Longfield.

Estelle's calendar would usually be booked up with weddings and baby shoots at this time.

But when the Coronavirus struck her business Estelle Photography ground to a halt and as a self-employed worker says she did not qualify for government relief.

She wrote on her blog: "My heart broke every time a bride contacted me to discuss new dates for a wedding that was long awaited and now would be pushed back further."

Scarlett and Harry used the photos to wish their nanny a happy birthday, as they couldn't be with her. Photo: Estelle Thompson Photography

The snapper filled her time taking shots of her dogs and birds on the garden feeder but said nothing could match up to the joy of "capturing the personalities and cheeky smiles" of people.

"We are never photographers because it pays the bills, we are photographers because we love it," she said.

Estelle noticed people talking about a project in America called "Doorstep portraits" and decided to emulate it in her own tiny village by posting on the Fawkham community Facebook page.

The response was simply overwhelming, she says, with so many people wanting to be photographed – mostly to document what the current time is like for their children.

It was this which was to serve as her main motivator throughout the period, she adds "for those kids to be able to turn around to their own kids and show them this is what it was like".

In return Estelle asked villagers for a £10 pledge to the NHS and has now amassed more than £500 thanks to various generous donations.

Adele Barker is the new priest-in-charge at Saint Marys Photo: Estelle Thompson Photography

She said: "So, I had photographed the village, the people that live here, the rocks and the rainbows.

"It is kind of my gift, to the village that I love, where both my home and my business is."

She recalls how even her husband became a hero in the village after dressing up as a Tyrannosaurus Rex and surprising a three-year-old boy from afar while having his birthday party in lockdown.

The photographer says the idea has since "spiralled" into a time capsule, with her being asked to bury a USB containing some of the doorstep portraits.

She even snapped the new priest Adele Barker who arrived at the local church St Marys in Longfield not long before lockdown.

"So much has changed," she said. "If you look back now the first photo had daffodils, now there is blue bells."

Estelle's husband dressed up as a dinosaur to celebrate neighbour Josh who was celebrating his third birthday in lockdown Photo: Estelle Thompson Photography

But even though she misses her family and friends Estelle says she is incredibly grateful for her village neighbours.

She added: "The community during this time has just been incredible –to have their experience to document."

David and Jemma Rannard of Click:Create Rannard's Photography and Design have been offering to take family portraits outside homes but also to record important events during lockdown.

David said: "The family photos have really taken off. It is a way for people to keep in touch during these terrible times.

"When we realised people were making the effort to stage VE Day parties at home we thought it could be a natural extension of what we do."

David and Jemma Rannard and daughter Eva of Click:Create at Iwade offering VE Day photos on your doorstep

Wife Jemma, a graphic designer, is usually on hand and the couple now have an apprentice in the shape of their nine-year-old daughter Eva.

The couple charge £20 for a 10-minute photo shoot and donate £5 to the NHS.

It’s an emotional pledge for the family who sadly lost a friend to Covid-19.

And while offers of work are now coming in from different parts of the county the couple say they are having to decline them.

He explained: "It really only started as a bit of a service to villagers in Iwade where we live. We have done a few in Sittingbourne but I didn't think it was right for us to travel too far.

"It really angers me when people don't take this situation seriously and ignore the advice we are being given. The more we all sacrifice now, the quicker it will be over."

Source: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/authors/sean-delaney/

[taintedones]

TTW TASK 007 ;;  Q&A  -  RUBIN YAXLEY

1. What influence has your character’s parent/parents/guardian had on them?

Rubin’s father’s obvious influence was the plastic surgery stuff. His desire to insist that people needed cosmetic surgery to be beautiful always made Rubin doubt himself as a child. The consistent ridicule about his appearance made him want to shield himself with makeup and hair in the future, because his confidence was affected badly, even if he’d never admit it. However due to his mother’s negative experience with surgery and her previous beauty he realised that beauty was about more than the way people looked, it was a feeling. He became a stylist because of that one moment where his mother was the happiest he’d ever seen her after he put makeup on his face. He wanted to make other people feel that way.

2. Was your character overprotected as a child, or were they left to fend for themselves?

Rubin was definitely overprotected by his parents, particularly his mother. He lived a very sheltered life as his mother didn’t go out when he was younger and she didn’t like him going out. Obviously, his father was a little cruel. However, in their own ways both of them were trying to protect him from ridicule. His mother took on the most protective roll due to her own experiences as a young woman being the reason she got so much surgery. However, when he was at home he was free to fend for himself.

3. Are they affectionate?

Absolutely. Rubin is the kind of person who would greet even the toughest careers with a kiss on each cheek. It’s mainly because of his confidence that he’s able to do these things. However, he believes that affection is a way of expression positive feelings. And where the games are concerned, there needs to be more of them.

4. What makes them laugh?

 Everything when he isn’t in the middle of working. Jokes, funny comments, someone doing something silly. It’s another way Rubin spreads positivity, laughter is the best medicine. However, if you were to catch him whilst he’s working then nothing is funny. There is no time for jokes and cracking one would get you a one-way-ticket far away from him.

5. Is your character street-smart or book-smart? (Or both, or neither).

A little bit of both. Rubin is educated in a sense, he’s a fan of formal language that he picked up from his father. His father was an educated man so Rubin learned some book-smart things as a young boy. However, his street smarts he developed on his own. He’s less street-smart than he is book-smart but Rubin knows how things work in the world (or so he thinks he does) because he learns fast. Only a street smart person could sleep their way into a stylist job, right?

6. How do they see themselves: as smart, as intelligent, uneducated?

Smart but not the smartest person in the world. Yes, Rubin does believe he’s always right, that’s just one of the down-sides of his confidence. When it comes to what he does, he knows he’s smart. That’s likely because he’s been doing it for so long. However, he’s not delusional about his intelligence. He’s smart in certain areas, the only areas that matter to him.

7. What would they consider their most defining characteristic?

 His fashion for sure. Which may sound weird but considering Rubin sees the way he dresses as an extension of himself, it’s his main characteristic. Even people who don’t know Rubin’s name know him as ‘that male stylist that dresses like a woman’ which he’s totally fine with. That’s what gets him recognised.

8. What is/was their favourite subject in school?

 Art. Before he had the tools of styling at his disposal, art was the next best thing. Painting, drawing; you name it. Rubin saw it all as practice for the future.

9. What are their manners like?

Externally polite.  Rubin doesn’t like making people sad so he keeps his bad thoughts inside, most of the time. He’s a very polite person who uses the phrase ‘like a lady’ a lot of the time to explain that. Also, rudeness gets people nowhere.

10. What are their hobbies?

 Styling is a career and a hobby. However, Rubin also enjoys sketching non-styling related things like faces. He has a sketch book full to the brim of tributes faces. He draws them all with a smile to capture their happiness as a way of coping with the games.

11. Who is their best friend?

The world is Rubin’s best friend. Though obviously he’s closer to some than others. He’s got a good relationship with Glitter and has recently taken Kaelin under his wing. Also, his mother, they’ve been close ever since he gave her the makeover.

12. Describe their ideal romantic partner.

 Simply put, someone that could make Rubin feel comfortable as plain old Rubin. Without the hair, nails or wigs. Someone that loves every part of him.

13. If they could, would your character want to travel? Where would they go?

 If it were set in modern times Paris would be Rubin’s dream destination due to the fashion industry. Also, anywhere that has spectacular buildings because buildings can be beautiful too. Though he wouldn’t want to spend long in Russia due to their prejudice, Saint Basil’s Cathedral would make his mouth water.

14. How long does it take them to get ready in the morning?

 On a good day, 2-3 hours. On a day where something doesn’t quite go right or his outfit is a little more complicated, 3-5 hours.

15. Does your character want children? If they already have children, would they want to have more children? Why or why not?

 It’s not something Rubin has ever really thought about as he considers his designs to be his babies.

16. How does your character react to stressful situations?

 By forgetting about certain manners for a brief period of time. Rubin does tend to yell or cry, depending on the day. He can sometimes get a little frazzled and forget to sleep if it’s work related. Being a stylist isn’t as easy as it sounds.

17. Does your character have a big imagination? Or are they more down-to-earth?

 If he didn’t have a big imagination he’d be in the wrong job. One look at Rubin’s personal get-up and it’s clear to anyone. He’s been this way ever since he was a little kid, painting faces on himself and imagining he was his own client. It’s just the way his brain has always worked.

18. How is their sense of humour? Do they have one?

Rubin has quite a lude sense of humour. Not afraid of making innuendos that will either make people laugh or make people uncomfortable, that all depends on the person though. As for his other jokes he usually doesn’t care if other people laugh because his jokes make him laugh. He tends to find most things funny as well, unless people are joking about the games or dead tributes.

19. What does your character want most in life right now?

Rubin would like to think that he has everything that he ever wanted. That’s not true. He would like to get out of the games styling job. However, he doesn’t want to step down and be less successful. He’s not entirely happy where he is but it’s better than what he was doing before, working in other people’s tailoring shops.

20. Does your character have any secrets? If so, are they holding them back?

Obviously, Rubin is very secretive about how he got the job as a stylist all those years ago. Despite proving that he’s very capable of the position since then, he believes that if people found out they’d think less of him. The only other sole that knows in the gamemaker he slept with. They’re not telling any time soon.

21. Do they think first and act later? Or act first and think later?

A bit of both, depending on the situation. His designs are always very well thought out. However, when it comes to the things he says, he’s got a little bit of foot and mouth disease. He usually realises that he’s spoke before thinking mid-sentence. If he can’t recover from that he’ll smile and throw out a few compliments to whomever he’d just insulted.

22. How tall is your character? How do they feel about their height?

Rubin is 5’10” without heels. However, the addition of a six inch heel takes him to 6’4” which he’s come to list as his actual height considering no one ever sees him without a heel. He enjoys being tall as he can see everything going on. And the click-clacking of the heels are an added bonus. He also likes looking down on people he hates. Another bonus.

23. Have they ever wanted to be invisible?

Whenever Rubin isn’t wearing the makeup & hair he feels invisible and the only time anyone ever saw him in such a way, he wished he truly was. Which says a lot about his confidence out of drag.

24. What superpower would they want to have?

 The ability to change people’s emotions. Rubin doesn’t do well with negative moods so the ability to make people happy with a snap of his fingers would be something he’d use quite a lot, especially when it comes to the tributes.

25. If they had to live in a District other than their own, which would it be?

Surprisingly not one. He’s not a fan of any of the career districts so it’d have to be eight. But in a wealthy part of eight. Rubin would love to be around all the textiles, see where all the fabric he uses comes from and have to tools to design his own. He’s not saying he would make the entire factory design wacky prints but he’d damn well try.

[thedreaminus]

What If

ff.net | A03

Summary: Small events can change a whole life, or the course of a story. An AU story which mainly revolves around M-21 and Muzaka

Time and space are so flexible. A single change, a single action, can cause reality to spiral in a new direction. A sad ending can become happy, a victory can become defeat. All can be altered by the tiniest events. 

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

"They are taking very long" Garda put her cup down with a soft click. She had changed her clothes. With blue jeans and white blouse, she looked almost human, but Frankenstein knew it was much harder for the werewolves to appear so normal compared to the nobles. Their aura was too feral to not stand out. It had taken Garda centuries of practice and he was sure that it would take others even longer… like Muzaka for example. Then again Muzaka was bursting with power, suppressing it, or half concealing it, was already a masterpiece.

"They have not seen each other for a long time"

"Yes" Garda nodded, reaching for some papers on the table. None of them spoke what they thought. The conversation between Raizel and Muzaka stood before a heavy background, and at the same time it was a way for Muzaka to redeem himself. So, they both waited patiently.

"How was your trip, Miss Garda?" He asked casually. A flash of fangs was the answer. One Union base less to worry about. The werewolves sure did a good of chasing the traitors of their own clan.

An hour before midnight, Frankenstein finally heard quiet footsteps, but not from the room. That had to be M-21. Frankenstein looked up as M-21 stepped into the living room, and paused as soon as his eyes met Garda. To his mild surprise, Garda showed little interest in M-21.

"Welcome back M-21, how are you?"

M-21 tore his eyes away from Garda and pursed his lips. Frankenstein narrowed his eyes slightly. While it wasn't as obvious as with Muzaka but the fact that Garda’s sight disturbed him was clear, even if he tried to hide it.

"Fine," M-21 spit out and just turned around and disappeared. 

Frankenstein blinked, surprised and somewhat irritated at his harsh tone. Then he understood why M-21 had gone so suddenly. His Master appeared around the corner with Muzaka. 

Frankenstein had to smile as he felt the contentment radiating from his Master. When his Master had first seen Muzaka first after awakening, there was still some uncertainty in his mind, which has now disappeared. 

And Muzaka? The former lord of the werewolves looked more relaxed than Frankenstein had seen him in years. He threw himself on the couch next to Garda, and rumbled comfortably. A slight tilt of his head, a small blink of Muzaka and Garda also instantly relaxed. Frankenstein felt it fascinating to watch. Unlike Nobles, Werewolves showed many of their emotions and intentions through gestures and body language. Most of them were so inconspicuous and silent that they were only noticed by a trained observer.

"Yo, Franks do you have something to eat? Raizel said some form of a midnight snack"

Frankenstein felt his smile slip off. He had forgotten Master's dinner. Instantly, he was on his feet "Forgive me Master, I will bring your Ramen immediately!" His master nodded in a dignified manner and sat down in his seat. Frankenstein scuffled back and forth in the kitchen, listening to Muzaka's quiet talk with Garda, and his Master. As he carried the food to the table, he made sure to include a portion for each of the two werewolves as well, to their surprise. Muzaka immediately got down making fun of him for it.

"Do not expect too much" he warned the werewolf before he could stop himself. "This is a one-time only"

"Sure, it was only a matter of time before you started liking me" Muzaka reached for the chopsticks and paused. Raizel had not moved an inch. He was just attentively watching the bowl before him.

 "Uh Raizel, what are you doing?"

 "I'm waiting for it to grow."

"…"

Both werewolves looked at each other. Muzaka's expression was particularly funny as he hopelessly tried to find a suitable response. Finally, he just shook his head and began eating, whilst casually discussing the latest developments of the household with Frankenstein. 

"Well" Muzaka rolled his shoulders" Quite a lot of excitement here. Two noble babies and a frightened puppy, and you say the two Noblesse-kids are looking for the cause of this incident?" Muzaka scratched his head "And neither of them noticed who you are?" He gave Frankenstein a curious look. "Will it work with Garda and me?" 

"As long as you behave like human beings"

"Heh"

After that there was silence for a while, only occasionally broken by Muzaka and Garda's soft humming they talked in their own language, which Frankenstein doubt he could understand even if he researched for years. But he knew her body language well now and both were conspicuous enough for him to understand that they were talking about M-21.

"Have you threatened the kid, Muzaka?" He said what had been on his mind for a while Muzaka stopped his conversation with Garda, slowly turning his head to him as if he had not heard him properly, "Be careful Franki" there was a low growl in his voice "Care to repeat that?

"Neither of us threatened him" Garda interrupted. She too seemed more than offended. "You should know well enough to know that"

"This is precisely why I ask. He reacts to you quite violently," Frankenstein put his index fingers together and watched the werewolves over their tips "But you also behave strangely ..."

Muzakas looked surprised for a moment. "You mean to say that this kid reacts like this to us only?"

"Yes, especially to you. The boy could transform his hands when we first met him. It was only his nails, but they strongly resembled claws. "

"Are you trying to tell us that the boy resembles us?" Muzaka frowned, "just because he can transform his nails?"

"He looked and fought in a style that reminded me of you" Frankenstein looked at his Master "After my Master had awaken him"

"Awaken?" came the quiet question of Garda.

"With blood as a medium, Master can raise the potential of a person without making a contract." Frankenstein shook his head "No actually, it is even more complicated than that."

Muzaka looked at Raizel considering this, then back at Frankenstein "Have you checked his body?" 

"No"

"Why not?"

Frankenstein met his irritated gaze with unimpressed eyes. "Because I do not want to find out who is faster. Me investigating him, or him committing suicide."

For a second, no one said anything.

"Do you think the child trusts me? From his point of view, he has only two options. Stay here and hope we will not kill him or go, try to hide as long as he can from the Union before they capture him and kill him, or even worse, start experimenting on him again. The only reason he is staying here is that I have not given him the impression that I consider him an interesting experiment. Nothing more."

"Besides" Frankenstein felt compelled to add for some reason, "I do not know how stable his condition is. The thorough check-up required for a modified human might even damage him."

"You really care about the boy, Frankenstein"

Frankenstein rebelled inside as he heard this. "I'm worried because Master is worried! And when Master worries, I worry and ..."

"Eh, already understood. You can stop," Muzaka interrupted him with a knowing grin. Damn loud mutt! Cursed Frankenstein.

"We'll try to remain of his way," Garda proposed calmly. "Maybe that will relax him a bit."

"And if that still didn't not work" Muzaka grin got wide until it was not human.

"What then Muzaka?" asked Frankenstein, and a feeling of uneasiness unfolded in him.

"Shock therapy"

"..."

~.~.~

M-21 felt really tired, not in the physical sense but emotional. Muzaka and Garda who lived and worked with Frankenstein as teachers for history and geography had been going out of their way to ignore his existence for the past few days, for which he was grateful. But he had been hoping that his peculiar reaction would subside in the meanwhile, in vain. And now he found out that noble runt knew he was a modified human all along.

"You gave up humanity to gain power."

Damn. M-21 slammed his fist against the wall with all his might. His heart raced as he pushed his transformation a little more, and again attacked, and the claws drove over the wall with an ugly sound. He launched another attack before his body finally showed him the red card, his transformation broke loose, he stumbled and crashed with full force against the wall he was about to attack.

…Oof

Now his mood was very bad and he could only guess how long it would take until his temper went through the roof and he said something that might cost him his life. With a gloomy look, as if to burn two holes in the ground, he went up with the elevator. Or he wanted it at least until he ran against something. Something soft.

"Eh, eyes upwards lad"

...Damn it. M-21 looked up. He had run into Muzaka of all people. Even Frankenstein would have been a better choice to run into right now… maybe. Now on top of his general bad mood and constitution, his heart was trying to jump out of his throat, which did not necessarily contribute to the improvement of his situation. Just great. Why was he so hypersensitive? And how tired was he that he didn't even notice Muzaka? 

The man seemed to have similar thought for he tilted his head and eyed him thoughtfully. "You're quite finished off," he described M-21 overall composition.

"What do you want, old man," M-21 snapped unintentionally. Muzaka's appeared about the same age as M-21, but there was an aura of seniority and superiority about him that made M-21 blurt it out. Besides he as sure that being his friend, Muzaka was at least 1000 years old.

Muzaka didn't particularly seem offended by this title; he just raised an eyebrow and took a step toward him. M-21 backed away immediately, but he knew his back was the wall. Fuck ... Had he not just thought that his tongue would be the end of him? Yep, that was it. And he didn't even have any energy to transform right now.

"I really tried to ignore you," Muzaka crossed his arms in annoyance," but as soon as you see me, you get a heart attack… change of plan," and leaned forward so that he could see M-21 in the eyes. M-21 clenched his hands in fists.

"If ignoring does not help then comes the shock therapy. We both will... "

Fight? M-21 speculated.

"Play a video game together."

"..." 

M-21 just stared at him dumfounded, but found no sign on his face that he was kidding.

"Well?" Muzaka questioned with his raised eyebrows and a sharp-toothed grin spread over his mouth. "It's wonderful. We can both get on our nerves and leave some stress. You'll get distracted and get used to me, theoretically," he added quietly. 

"Is there a screw loose with you?" M-21 said blankly after having stared at Muzaka for minutes.

"You do not want to know." Muzaka turned around and strolled over to the living room. "Come on then, I may forget that you called me old."

~.~.~

Muzaka was fiddling with the tailoring stool in front of the large flat screen and had just plugged in on the game console. Beside him M-21 was seated on the ground awkwardly. The mere act of sitting here had required more of M-21 than he wanted and, though Muzaka had not said anything his sideway glances showed that he was quite aware of his predicament. 

M-21 had been unsure about this whole offer. Purely instinctively he just wanted to get away but Muzaka and he lived under one roof. That would be a pretty short escape. Besides, he was really tired and just wanted it to stop and go sleep. If a video game was needed for that, then a video game it was.

"Great, is not it?" Muzaka waved one of the consoles around. "It's not quite the newest model on the market but the best, in my opinion," he gestured M-21 to help him with the setup, and M-21 did, as Muzaka set the game and started it. It was an old game, M-21 could tell by the graphics. On Muzaka's instructions, he chose a character and then they played. 

The story was simple, defeat your opponent, but it was fun. 

M-21 often lost and Muzaka irritated him incessantly on his failure. M-21 could not contain himself after a while and gave as back as good as he got.  

"Do you think that would be so easy?" Muzaka joked as his character deftly missed the blows levelled by M-21's character, and shot back his own bullets meeting the opponent right on the head.  M-21's display of life fell ever further. 

M-21 gritted his teeth in frustration, "There's no need to be so confident. I was only taking care of you, old man." 

"Oh? I think I was the one taking care of you, puppy."

M-21 did not know how much time passed after that. But he felt his tension lessen, and his heart calm down. Instead of being afraid of Muzaka, he really just wanted to smack him now.

In comparison to M-21, Muzaka's thoughts were not nearly as light hearted. He had not wanted to believe what Frankenstein had told him about this human resembling his people. But now that he sat next to him with fear no longer covering his smell, no doubt was left in his mind. 

It was weak, but from the child came from the smell and sensation of a werewolf. And there was something more unfriendly. Illness, weakness, irregularity ... Muzaka suppressed his burgeoning anger; he did not want to scare the human who had just relaxed. Hopefully, the child will soon develop enough trust in Frankenstein to let him examine his body, for his own safety.

The corridor opened interrupting his thoughts and Muzaka could hear the rest of the household, including the Landegre-boy and the Loyard-girl.

"What are you doing?" He heard Garda ask. Muzaka gave a quick look at M-21, and then back at Garda, and winked. "Playing a video game," M-21 replied flatly in absence of Muzaka's vocal response. Garda gave him an astonished look, and Muzaka triumphed inside.

"How ... ridiculous," the Landgrave boy smirked looking down on their elegant sprawl on the floor. 

"Do not worry" M-21 give a mocking look to the Landegre-boy. "The game is only for adults"

"..."

The pup was definitely good. 

Rai and Frankenstein soon joined them, and looked on contently at the full of life display in their room as the school children poured in wrestling the game console to themselves. Muzaka smiled. It was as if everything was right with the world. Mission - prickle the puppy enough that he was longer afraid - had worked well for all of them. 

Or so he thought.

The next day, as far as Muzaka was concerned, M -21 had disappeared without a trace.

There is finally the third chapter, after I write it twice and I still did not like it xD Thanks to @pandora-twists I did not give up and Pandora has managed to connect the two versions well. (Love you Pandora *hug*)

[janeorozco92]

Cat Spraying After Uti Eye-Opening Useful Tips

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Cat Urine Kidney Failure

If you ever do catch your cat has its own tails or some other wash-and-wear surface, it is in the presence of flea dirt - the mechanical brushing is essential your cats happy.Your cat is to avoid any misunderstandings.What is most easily corrected behaviors are eating plants, walking on it in zip lock bags, I would start out feeding them a reward rather than the litter box and what works best in cats.It is common amongst cats in the cats will be more rambunctious.Change the litter clean is the most common preventative practice is neutering, but many cat owners, you have a vet if this aggressive behavior directed towards people.

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[thecreativeseries]

Emy Dossett Australian Surf and Ocean Photographer Living in Mexico

INTERVIEW WITH EMY DOSSETT @salty_see

Firstly, can you start with a little bit about yourself?

My name is Emy and I’m an Australian Surf and Underwater Photographer living in Sayulita, Mexico. I’ve been a professional photographer for 3 years now, working as a designer and a photographer. In May 2018, I decided to quit my full-time design job to pursue my dreams of living in Latin America, being a Full-Time photographer, speaking Spanish fluently, surfing every day and creating wonderful human connections. I’m having a bloody wonderful time at attempting all 4 things. I love anything to do with Latino Music and shaking my booty, endless adventures, longboarding, the ocean (kinda obvious) and photography. You’ll find me cruising around with a big fat smile and crazy blonde curls, sometimes with one foot on the ground and my head in the clouds but most of the time, floating around in the sea.

What equipment do you use to create your images and why did you select it?

I shoot with a Canon 7D Mark2 and an AquaTech housing. I chose AquaTech because Ocean Photographers I aspire to, recommended it to me. I also love the functionality, durability and design of the housing. I chose the Canon 7D Mark ii because of the autofocus capabilities which are well suited to Sports Photography, it presents some limitations by not being full frame but other than that, I love it!

What would be your favourite lens and why?

For surf photography, I love shooting with my Canon 70-200mm. It gives me room to sit far away and still get a wide shot at 70mm or I can right in the action and get beautifully detailed shots.

For under the water I love shooting with my Tokina 10-17mm lens. It throws out a beautiful deep and perspective without having to be too far from my subject.

As a Female Surf Photography do you come up against any challenges?

The industry is very male dominated so I thought I’d experience a lot more misogyny. But most people are curious more than anything. So in terms of being a female surf photographer, I’ve only ever experience curiosity, acceptance and encouragement. When I’m out in big swell, the surfers are constantly checking in to see if I’m ok and people are always interested to hear more about what I do. If anything, I experienced more challenges as a female surfer than a female surf photographer!

Which photographers have inspired you, and how did they influence you?

Sebastiao Salgado, Morgan Maassen, Sarah Lee and Ming Nomchong. Sebastiao Salgado for his ability to tell such powerful narratives through his imagery. Morgan has always been a huge inspiration, I love his vivid colours and simplistic yet mesmerising compositions. As a Motion Designer/ Editor, Morgan first caught my eye with his Motion reel, a collection of his video work. His editing and music selection are always on point and he always manages to take me right there, where ever he is in his imagery.

Sarah is actually a friend of mine and I’ve been privileged to work alongside her for years with my Motion Design work on Alison's Adventures. When I first saw her work, I was blown away, I couldn’t get over that someone could see that moment and create these images, I was like how the hell does she see that?!? Sarah has always been a huge inspiration for me to take the leap from Motion Designer to Ocean Photographer and to look for those little hidden details in everything.

I love the dreamy filmic style of Ming’s work. Whenever I see Ming’s work, I feel like again I’m there in the picture, mesmerised by her work. She’s also been a huge help and inspiration when I was first getting into Ocean Photography.

Do you think you need to be a surfer to shoot the ocean?

I find this question hard to answer because I’ve been a surfer longer than I have been a surf photographer so I’ve never known what it’s like to be a surf photographer without the knowledge of not knowing how to surf. But what I would say if you need a good understanding of the moves and moments. If you love surfing and have an appreciation for it and you’re not a surfer, I’m sure that appreciation will drive you to capture beautiful images.

But what I do find is my surf photography improves the more I surf and it helps when you have shots in mind, understanding how you can achieve it and directing the surfer. But more importantly, what you definitely need more than anything is a good understanding of the ocean, how it works and your limitations. And how to get yourself out of trouble!

Three things you have learnt this past year?

Ohhhh I feel like I’ve learnt so much this past year! Numero uno… I’ve learnt to really really believe in myself! I’ve struggled so much with this. But when I decided I wanted a change, moving halfway across the world and then I just did it, I was like, ok maybe I can do this haha. There have been moments when I feel like I’m not getting anywhere but I’ve learnt to hang in there, don’t give up. And there’s been a lot of things that have got in my way! It’s taken a lot of hard work and persistence.

Numero dos!!! That it’s ok not knowing! I’ve always been a person who doesn’t have much of a plan and then thinks, shit, I need a plan, so I try to be organised. I go between being super organised to super disorganised. When people would ask me about I was doing, I’d get defensive because I didn’t know and I thought I should. I’m getting much better at the fact that sometimes I have a clear idea of what I want and other times, I have no idea at all. Embracing the unknown is such a beautiful part of life, life would be so boring if we knew what was going to happen all the time.

Numero Tres! That Mexicans are the masters of living in the moment. And that mañana is always a good time to do everything haha.

What inspires your creative vision?

For the most part, colour and light, textures in nature. Getting lost on a visual journey in nature around me. People and their stories. Anything to do with surf!

Other ocean, portrait, photo documentary and fashion photographers, Films and documentaries.

Art! I’ve always been drawn to abstract art movements like Impressionism, Art Nouveau, dreamy art where you can float away with colours, patterns, repetition and so on.

How have you developed your imagery over the years? What steps have you taken to develop your work?

I have an artistic sometimes abstract style. My style has developed organically over the years, I guess the active steps I’ve taken is pushing myself to shot in a different light, moving around in the surf to shoot from different angles, paying attention to little details that catch my eye and following where they can take me. Before I started photographing in the ocean, I’d go down to the beach at sunrise. I would always think, I’m going to the same beaches, I’m never going to get different shots but I don’t have time before work to go further afield. I would get down there and I was always so surprised at the things that would catch my attention and then I’d be off down the rabbit hole, so I guess what I’m saying is always being open and flexible in the environment I’m shooting it has helped develop my style as it feeds my curiosity and opens doors to seeing things differently.

How would you describe your current photographic style?

Artistic and dreamy, colourful and full of life. Whether it be cotton candy skies with the light catching in the flecks of the spray of a nice bottom turn or the midday sun specks highlighting and framing someone paddling by.

Have you ever had any experiences in the ocean that really scared you?

Yep! Totally! Before Christmas, a big swell came through here in Sayulita. The waves were about 2.5 metres. Some decent sized sets were coming through. I swam out and it was fine, it was actually really exhilarating. Everyone was dropping into these faces of water and cheering each other on. For me, it was the third time I’d been out in waves over 2 metres. I went in and decided I wanted to go back out again. In those 20 minutes, the tide had dropped a little and the current had become stronger. As I started swimming back out again, I started to realise how much bigger the waves were. I made it out through the first set fine but then the 2nd set came through and jacked up right in front of me, I made it under the first wave perfectly fine but the pressure of the wave breaking on top of me made me realise how big it was.

I freaked out and started to lose my breath. I started swimming in, letting the waves toss me around as I tried to calm my breath down. I got stuck in the trough right inshore, I didn’t have enough energy to get out. By this stage, I’d washed down the beach and my friends had thought I’d already exited the water. I waved my arm in the air but no-one could see me. Eventually, I just let the waves wash me right up onto the sand. Whilst I was never actually in trouble, my mind definitely got in the way and fear took over.

Do you have any projects you are currently working on?

At the moment I’m waiting for my camera to be repaired so I’m working on my first solo exhibition here in Mexico! I’m also working on my blog that I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time. I love writing so it’ll be a collection of short stories about my experiences and the people I meet and shoot, so stay tuned! I’m also working on the Fine Art Print side of my business, selling more physical products! Coming from a design background, I love seeing my Art printed and framed.

Once I get my camera back, I’m heading to Cabo San Lucas, Baja Mexico to shoot with a travel blogger! Whoop whoop!

Finally, do you have any advice for aspiring ocean photographers?

Just get out there and shoot. If you’re like me, I’ll make up excuses in my mind but it’s the times when I’ve ignored those excuses, I’ve captured some of my best work or made the best connections. Shoot in all different conditions from light to weather. Make sure you know your limits though. Learn as much as you can about reading the ocean, breath hold. Shoot as much as you can and learn from your mistakes. Get curious, research, ask questions, when shots don’t work. If you’re making mistakes, it means you’re pushing yourself. Things don’t always go to plan, and if you can be ok with that, and change your creative direction, then you’ll be surprised at what you can capture.

Reach out to Ocean Photographers you admire and ask for their advice. Be patient but persistent, opportunities and growth come from a combination of hard work and talent.

Website www.saltysee.com.au

Instagram @salty_see

Facebook saltyseephotography

Pinterest saltysee

[kat650]

  Formative feedback

Student name Kathy Jones Student number  516021 Course/Unit Drawing skills

Drawing 1

Assignment number 5 Type of tutorial (eg video/audio/written) Video tutorial

And short report

Overall Comments

I understand your aim is to go for the Painting Degree and that you plan to submit your work for assessment at the end of this course. In order to meet all the assessment criteria, there are certain areas you will need to focus on, which I will outline in my feedback.

It feels as though you have been grappling with pushing colours and portraiture together, merging ideas and approaches.

What is evident is that you have been generating an overview of the course which is an appropriate route for assignment 5.

When it came to the last assignment I wanted to push myself outside my comfort zone. I could have chosen to draw a portrait of just the face using skills that I am most confident with. Instead I have tried to utilize newly acquired skills and test my ability of putting them into practice.

Firstly, I wanted to create a more complex composition by including a mask and mirrors within my self-portrait, a decision that was heavily influenced by my artist research conducted over the last few months.

Kiki Smith’s and Louise Bourgeois’s symbolic references as well as the works of Matisse, Modiglianni and Giacometti that had been influenced by tribal masks, played a part in my decision. Maybe these influences have not been clearly reflected within my assignment post and I should have included more references to them.

My tutor’s feedback on the online tutorial was that my choice of mask was a bit too specific and a bit too ‘strong’ in terms of colour which made it stand out more than the portrait itself. A toned down mask would have provided a more balanced effect in terms of colour and focus.

To me, the mask  was a reminder of the good times I had had in South Africa, of the culture and of its people. So I didn’t really consider how others would perceive it or interpret it within my work. While drawing and colouring the mask, (which is almost black in real life), I tried lightening it by using brown tones and a few coloured highlights here and there so it would fit in with the rest of the tonality within the portrait. 

Following my tutor’s feedback I drew a few more mask studies, some simpler than others, using less intense colours. I tried to imagine them within my portrait submission and I could see what my tutor meant by saying that the mask was a bit too specific. A simpler mask would have been more open to interpretation without referencing a specific culture. Less colour intensity would have meant that the mask would have blended better within the portrait and not detracted from the face.

Secondly, I wanted to use colours to portray my subject matter since my personal research was about Colour and emotion. My art in the past was mainly in monochrome and it felt appropriate to try and be bold and use colour. Technique wise, I layered my pastels and worked in a tonal way to create depth and bring the form to life in a similar way I would have done with charcoal or graphite.

I agree with the tutor’s statement that my last assignment reflects an overview of the course as I tried to take all my prior learning into account whilst taking a leap forward.

You seem more aware of why you are drawing and thinking and more critically aware of the process. Looking at your research I can see why you have worked in the way that you have, there is a slight whimsy within the images at times especially the assignment piece.

The tutor recommended artist research really inspired me to attempt something that I wouldn’t have done before. It made me look more deeply within myself and try to find out what really interests me rather than just draw what I see in front of me.

The distortion is interesting and at times there is potential within this process for your drawing, the way the hands, or features become enlarged out of proportion.

Having previously questioned the technical drawing skills within the work it is interesting that you have used a technical process to distort and alter your images and self-portraits.

My visits to the Matisse, Modiglianni and Giacometti exhibitions as well as researching Picasso’s work, were an eye opener as they showed me that the face and figure don’t have to be drawn in a realistic way to capture the attention of an audience or to create a compelling narrative. As a result of this distortion and expressionistic approach their portraits appeared full of intrigue and character while generating multiple questions about the stories being told by the artists.

Looking back at part four it appears that I was already playing with ideas relating to distortion; my monochromatic self-portrait submission had elements of distortion within it. The freehand drawing of my self-portrait drawn while looking into the mirror had created an unusual , slightly distorted angle on its own but I also think that Jenny Saville’s and Schiele’s distorted pieces had influenced many of my decisions.

In assignment five, rather than distort or disfigure my portrait using freehand I used a distorted grid as suggested by R. Kaupelis, (Experimental Drawing), so it could be used as a way of measuring and controlling the degree of distortion, (through adjusting the grid lines (as shown in my two examples within the assignment). I could then use my favourite ‘distorted grid’ for future projects to help me achieve a similar kind of effect.

Throughout my experience of drawing I have tried and tested various ‘technical’ methods to help me achieve a more realistic effect within my art. For example I have used a standard grid and a proportional divider to enlarge or shrink images but the most pleasurable and rewarding method of all is to draw using freehand, without a shadow of a doubt. Freehand drawing is what makes everyone’s art stand out and show the uniqueness, a bit like handwriting. (I have noticed certain similarities of mark-making within my quick, preparatory work and maybe I should focus more on that spontaneity to help me develop my signature style).

I have found distorting effects fascinating and it is something I will experiment with in my future art. I will also look into more artists who employ the use of distortion within their work, as suggested by my tutor.

What is so interesting and positive to read is that you have gained so much through the experience so far, the drawing the connections and the thinking.

Here your drawings begin to look like you are underwater the distortion allows the face to wobble as tough in a pool, lying down, submerged. Can you see how the work starts to be driven by the choices you have made through the methods – even if these are different from initial intentions?

Yes, I can see how the thinking process move and can affect the final outcome of an artwork. 

Your technical skills were something that challenged you at times in part 4, trying to marry what you saw and what you drew and articulated on the page was not always as successful as you hoped. However, there is an awareness in this part of the course where you have used certain skills to create images that reflect your thinking and emotional responses.

The seated figure from assignment four had preoccupied me  in terms of depicting its foreshortening in a believable way. I should have submitted the larger, brighter collaged  drawing as my final piece as it had more character and appeared more ‘fluid’.

There are issues with some of the drawing (mask being treated differently to the rest of the work) that you could unpack in terms of your reflection.

You have let the research, personal voice become part of the imagery more strongly and this seems like a positive step for you.

I agree that the research I have conducted throughout the course has had a massive impact on me and has made me realise the importance of not just being able to draw but also having the ability to express thoughts and ideas in a visual manner and in a unique style.

Feedback on assignment

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity

It is interesting that you begin (in earlier versions) with distorting the figure yet the mask remains the same this creates an odd effect and destabilises the image, the mask is more   defined, outlined drawn, and the figure is less significant, and slips and moves through the distortion.

I can now see how this comes across. The squares of the grid the mask was in, were very close to being ‘regular’ squares and therefore the mask’s features appear unaffected by the distortion, (sorry the grid lines are a bit faint). I agree that I should have considered this point which in a way destabilizes the whole image and places more emphasis on the mask rather than the portrait itself. However, I saw the whole body disfiguration as an experimental preliminary study and decided not to develop it further. 

The mask in real life is fairly big and I would probably have had to use a much bigger sized support and work on a larger scale. Alternatively, I could have changed the direction of the grid lines.

Supportive study

The gridded image below was the one I used to produce my final piece for the assignment. When comparing the mask in both versions, (distorted and normal), it does appear to be almost the same and therefore unaffected by the distortion. 

Assignment five, FINAL

You can see you have been informed by recent research and your drawing reflects that as your approach changes with texture and line and narrative (Kiki smith?)

I really like the naivety of Kiki Smith’s drawings and the suggestion of the metaphysical or celestial. Her tapestry of ‘Sky’ is particularly interesting, especially with regard to the way she has portrayed the figure which is surrounded by the textures of birds, butterflies and stars.

Going forward it is important to really understand how you are treating each of the elements in the drawings through the drawing skills, what it communicates and how you can edit back or add more appropriately

There is often a naivety in the imagery that is at times fluid and confident and at other times can question technical skill. If you want the naivety or the expressive components outside of a literal representation you need to make that clear within the work, by knowing those lines, marks and decisions without hesitation.

Reflect carefully on your decision making, outcomes, composition.

You have worked hard to try new ways of working and really consider colour through the practical work and the research.

All above points raised have been taken on board.

I will include an update section in the blog post: Assignment five, The process and self-reflection against the assessment criteria. Please visit relevant post. 

Sketchbooks

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity

The progression of ideas within this

In this part of the course there has been a sense of negotiating your practice and way of drawing, this is seen through different self-portraits and experiments with distortion.

There is a range in the quality of the drawings and observation but more importantly you are trying to find your line, your mark your intention and at times this is beginning to happen.

My way of drawing was very ‘set’ before I started the course;  I used to go with the first idea that would come to mind and focus on drawing my subject matter in monochrome. Nowadays my approach is more open minded and explorative and I would like to think there is a bit more character coming through too.

Research

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

In the notes section of your learning log/blog it is clearly evidenced that you are thinking more clearly and thoughtfully about the work of other artists and how they may relate or shift possibilities for your own practice.

It is good to see that these have included your own research, suggested references and seeing current exhibitions.

This has meant there is a better grounding of why you are working and creating imagery the way that you are.

I have thoroughly enjoyed researching other artists and going to exhibitions because they have enabled me to look at art from an objective as well as subjective point of view. I have gained better understanding of critiquing other art and see how it relates to my own practice.

The research around colour has seemed useful and grounded the thinking around your choices for pushing the work that way

That was very useful research especially as I have been working with colour a lot lately. I wanted to better understand the theory behind it, see how other artists have been using it in different ways and to what effect and to help me evaluate its uses within my artistic practice.

Learning Logs or Blogs/Critical essays

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

Your statement starts to set out our thinking for your submission and why certain decisions have been made, I would consider before assessment submission that you extend your statement in term of the following quote from your blog “My way of working with colour is intuitive as I tend to ‘feel’ my way through my drawings.’

It is important to think about what you mean when you say ‘feel’ your way through the drawings. Whilst we may understand this but remember that you have started to make a particular set of decisions with the work you make, and these have developed through the experiences on the drawing course.

I will look into this and make amendments in the relevant blog post; I can see the importance of further elaborating on this point.

You have discussed a potential narrative forming and have chosen elements to draw to try and explore these ideas (wings/mask)

Can you expand your reflection on the final image?

My initial chosen composition for development had been of just me holding the mask. However, the background seemed a bit too plain. Having played with mirror ideas in my earlier sketches, (as a follow on from assignment four), I drew some curved lines behind me which I thought resembled oval mirrors, (my other half insisted they looked like wings!).

I thought of the mask as a symbol for identity, (it is thought that African masks have spiritual significance). The fact that I was holding it symbolized that I had finally reached the destination of finding my artistic voice. In my mind, I interpreted the mask as the newly found, more confident me in terms of voicing my ideas and expressing my artistic preferences.

Mirrors are seen as symbols of reflection. They show us our reflected image but can also be used symbolically to help us look deeper within ourselves, on a spiritual level. In my drawing the mirrors’ edges appear to be fluid, radiating energy, waiting to be consulted but my back is turned on them as a way of signifying that I have found what I was looking for, which the mask that represents me.

I guess the finished piece represents my journey within this course, the constant looking into the ‘mirror’ and searching for myself, my style and my artistic voice. The mask on the other hand represents that I have made a connection with my artistic self and have found a way of expressing it. 

I realize that the image can be interpreted differently by others depending on their views and individual experiences. 

Suggested reading/viewing

Context

I have added some references here that look at the ideas of playing with distortion whether through scale/water/colour. Whilst you may not have time to research these before your assessment submission they may be useful going forward.

Michael Andrews.

‘Melanie and Me Swimming’ (1978-9) by Michael Andrews at Tate Britain

Dan coombs http://www.dancoombs.co.uk/

Daniel Coombs. Nude, 2014. Oil on canvas, 60 x 45 cm. © the artist.

I will not have the time to research the above mentioned artists before my final assessment but thank you for the suggestions! I will look into these artists’ work see how they use distortion and to what effect.

Pointers for assessment

Reflect on this feedback in your learning log.

Remember to think about the work that represents your journey and that it is all clearly labelled in order and referenced and evaluated on the blog/learning log.

Remember to think carefully how you have evidenced your process and ability through reflecting on the assessment criteria.

Well done Kathy.

Many thanks for your continuous support and invaluable feedback!

Strengths Areas for development A deeper understanding of your personal voice through the work has emerged Keep working on what you want the work to communicate and how it does this through choice in method, and approach. A greater connection with how the contextual research has impacted and informed the work This can develop further now by understanding how you can apply what you have gained through the research as the practice develops. A step forward with the drawings that means you have considered your connection with the work more than in earlier stages of the course. The drawings are beginning to develop differently and with more confidence. There needs to be careful attention on how they are made and all aspects of the images need to equally be considered as a whole image. A more defined critical position that anchors the development of the next stages of the work, Now you state that you have an awareness of voice, narrative, colour that is emergent – you can discuss how you critically understand the work. Continue to think where you need to develop so the approaches you choose are seen as  conscious decisions beyond  technical ability.

  Tutor name redacted Date 23rd May 2018

  Assignment five-Tutor feedback and reflection. Formative feedback Student name Kathy Jones Student number  516021 Course/Unit Drawing skills Drawing 1 Assignment number 5 Type of tutorial (eg video/audio/written) Video tutorial…

[newsglobaltoday-blog]

What It's Like To Plan A Wedding When You're Losing Your Eyesight

New Post has been published on http://newsglobaltoday.com/2018/04/what-its-like-to-plan-a-wedding-when-youre-losing-your-eyesight/

What It's Like To Plan A Wedding When You're Losing Your Eyesight

Bride-to-be Steph Agnew has gradually lost most of her eyesight over the past 13 years because of a medical condition. Now she’s in the process of planning her November wedding without being able to actually see her dress, the flowers, the venue or even her groom.  

At the age of 19, Agnew, who lives with her fiancé, Rob Campbell, in South Melbourne, Australia, was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a retinal condition that causes vision loss over time. She uses a cane to get around and also recently got a guide dog, which has given her more independence.  

“I now have no useful vision,” Agnew told HuffPost. “I have some light and dark perception, and in some lights I can see certain shapes and shadows, but everything is extremely blurry.”

Photographer and friend James Day is photographing not only the couple’s wedding day but the time leading up to it as well (which you can read more about on his blog). So when Agnew went wedding dress shopping with her mom (who also has cone-rod dystrophy), dad, brother and a bridesmaid, Day tagged along to capture the experience. 

Initially, Agnew was anxious about the idea of trying on dresses but not being able to see what she looked like in them. The bridal consultant at the shop assisted her by giving detailed verbal description of what each dress looked like, then Agnew and her mother touched the gowns to get a better sense. The bride-to-be also relied on input from her father, brother and bridesmaid to form her opinions. 

“I wanted everyone to just say yes or no, but they were very respectful with the comments, which actually frustrated me a little as I needed complete honesty,” Agnew told HuffPost.

But, in the end, Agnew did find a dress that day (the details of which she wants to keep secret until the wedding), one that even gave her the “Say Yes to the Dress” type of reaction she so craved. 

“I never thought that I would get the feeling that all the brides talk about when you find ‘the one,’” Agnew told HuffPost. “However, when we made some alterations to the dress that I chose, I felt my whole face change. I got goosebumps and I had the biggest smile on my face. I was like, ‘Oh, my God. I’ve got the feeling!’ It was so weird that I got it even though I couldn’t see what I look like.”

Other parts of planning a wedding have proved difficult for Agnew as well. It’s not as though she can simply hop onto Pinterest and search for ideas and styles she likes. 

“When I still had my vision, I started putting a few things aside into an album so that I could show people what I like,” she told HuffPost. “However, this was a while ago, so I have no idea what the current trends are and what new, beautiful things are available to me.”

Agnew has had to put trust in those around her in order to help bring her concept for the wedding to life.

“I have to find vendors that can work with me. So many of them just want you to send photos of what you like, which is impossible for me,” she said. “Our venue, Weddings at Tiffany’s in Maleny, Queensland, has been amazing! When we went to look at it, the director took me around and described everything in fine details, as well as letting me feel things so that I could get a better picture in my head.”

Agnew first met her groom-to-be, a police officer, at a party on the rooftop of their apartment building in October 2016. Turns out, they had actually been living next door to each other for over a year but had never crossed paths because of his work hours. 

“I had a cane, so it was quite visible that I had a vision impairment, and the fact that he hit on me whilst I was using my cane meant that it didn’t bother him, which was great,” she told HuffPost. “In the past, I have been nervous about telling people ― that is, before I had to use my cane ― because I have had some really bad reactions from guys that just can’t handle being with a girl that is going blind.”

When she met Campbell, Agnew’s vision had already deteriorated to a point where she could no longer recognize people’s faces so she doesn’t know what he looks like. 

“Rob does not treat me any different because I cannot see, although he probably is a bit more protective of me,” she said. “But I would say that he would be like that with anyone, as he sees so many awful things in his job as a policeman.” 

After photographing the couple, Day told HuffPost he was struck by their “beautiful” connection. 

“There is an incredible amount of trust between Steph and Rob, but also it’s just like any other healthy relationship,” he told HuffPost. “Steph is very independent and is so driven to live life to the fullest. Rob is supportive of Steph and her pursuits but also gives her space to just be herself.”

In a blog post on Day’s website, he shared other photos from his time with the family and provided detailed descriptions of each image so that Agnew and her mother could get a sense of the photos without actually being able to see them. 

“On the drive to the second wedding dress shop, I asked about accessibility, and they told me how they often work out what is happening in the image by reading other people’s comments underneath, so I thought it might be helpful if I explained what was happening in each photo so they can enjoy the photos too,” Day told HuffPost. “It is also nice to know that other vision-impaired people might benefit from this too.”

Agnew hopes that her story inspires others struggling with their own challenges, whatever they may be. 

“We all have an inner strength,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what hurdle we are faced with. You can reach within, grab the strength within and come out the other end. I want to help as many people as I can. To be an example to help them to get through those dark times.”