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fortuna-et-cataclysmos · 1 year ago

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In defense of s5 finale

I hear and see a lot of people expressing dislike of the season finale, some also in the tags and comments of my analysis/speculation posts. So I wanted to further expand on this.

Gabriel's victory -being remembered a hero despite everything wrong he did, especially abuse to Adrien- has left a sour taste in many people's mouth; many blaming the scenarists and not shying away from calling it "bad writing."

But I think that that was exactly what the scenarists wanted to do? The perfect world Gabriel leaves behind is unsettling, unfair, and I think that the creators have done their best to show that implicitly but clearly. I think that we are supposed to be irked by the finale.

Why do I think that? Because there were a lot of small things that gave the message that, as @emsylcatac iconically put it, "this is the bad place." I touched upon some of those in my previous post on how this was a victory for Gabriel and Lila, and a defeat for Ladybug. I'll try to list them more clearly here.

Gabriel a hero

This is the one thing everyone has the most problem with. At the end, Gabriel was declared the hero who gave his life to defeat the Monarch, who was none other than himself. Some artistic choices here are so over the top that I believe they were specifically made to irk us.

If the silver statue itself wasn't enough, the exact quote of Caline Bustier is:

All the rings that have been highjacked by the Monarch have been recycled into a statue in honour of the great Gabriel Agreste.

Then Tsurugi Tomoe goes on to say:

Beyond the visionary entrepreneur and genius creator that he was, we are celebrating a hero today.

See, everything bad about Gabriel has been flipped. If you count literally exploiting people visionary entrepreneurship, sure, he was that. And genius? He couldn't get the miraculouses of two teenagers for an entire year despite having all the resources, and he ended up succeeding only with the help of another extremely powerful person (Tsurugi Tomoe) and even then he ended up dying himself.

As of creator, he was literally a destructor. He destroyed Paris more times than anyone can count, and everything was fixed every time only thanks to Ladybug. Let's not also forget how he destroyed the Miraculouses to exploit their power.

Adrien's comment about his father

This is another thing many people have had problem with. It is so outrageous that I won't believe the creators would expect us to take at face value.

At the end, Adrien acknowledges that his father died to take down the Monarch, and says:

I don't know if one day I'll manage to become like him.

Lo and behold, the man who had emotionally neglected and abused his son to no end has turned into the said son's hero and role model. Adrien not only looks up to him, but also wants to make an active effort to become like him. Hell, he even doubts if he can be as good as him.

No way this line can taken at face value. There are many children's shows with abusive parental figures nowadays (like She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the Owl House) that have all handled the conclusion to that abuse generally well. The watchers' expectations are high in this respect; the scenarists would know that such conclusion, if not ironic, would not satiate the expectations of the spectators.

Lack of accountability: Gabriel and Tomoe

As many many people have pointed out, the general lack of accountability in this season finale is infuriating. So Gabriel mentally tortured THE ENTIRE WORLD POPULATION and not only never faced consequences in life, but also is remembered as a hero in death?

What about Tomoe?

Not only she has not faced any repercussion for being basically a supervillain, but also she is still a respected public figure who can go and make a speech backed by the mayor, in front of the freaking French flag. If that doesn't irk you, I don't know what will.

Worse is that, she goes as far as saying in her speech that:

I'll make sure to continue his legacy.

So she'll continue to be evil. Great hint that she'll continue being an antagonist in season 6.

As you can see, the new world that has been created is extremely unfair and problematic. No way this can be "the good place," an actual "happy ending."

Everything is fixed! No problems anymore!

Also, you'd realise that the world is perfect, a little too perfect. It is like a green utopian dream.

Caline Bustier has been the mayor "only for a few weeks" (direct quote from the episode), and she has already fixed all the problems possible in Paris. Not only that, she has also solved inequality and class struggle (again, mentioned by herself). Let's make Caline the President of the World already.

Funny that LITERALLY ALL THE PROBLEMS of a city could be solved, while the exact same episode showed Majestia, the freaking Supergirl of the ML universe, acknowledged in her nightmare that:

Even with all my superpowers, I'll never manage to solve all the problems of the world.

Well, Bustier says that she has no superpower, that people working together can accomplish that. Kudos to her and her democratic spirit. But like, perfect city in a few weeks? Even Mayor Bourgeois who wanted to send all the trash of Paris to space would realise that that's impossible.

There is no perfect solution, yet the world is perfect

Ladybug acknowledges that there is no perfect solution to Gabriel's situation. Trying to bring back his wife, he has caused irreparable damage to himself and to Nathalie, effectively leaving Adrien an orphan. He still hopes that Ladybug can fix it all. But she can't because of the nature of the wish: for one thing gained, another thing should be lost. In Ladybug's words:

There is no perfect wish. Every time a power is used for personal gain, it causes catastrophes. (...) We'll find a solution, but it will never be as perfect as one would wish.

Interesting, given that the world ends up being completely perfect?

All the problems are solved, literally everyone is happy, Marinette and Adrien are finally together. But the wish was made for personal gain, no? So where are the consequences? Where is equivalent exchange? The catastrophe, the price of the perfect, green, just world? I think we'll see that in season 6.

The dream world

The new world is seriously giving me weird vibes. Like it is a movie set. For those who have watched The Good Place, you'd know how in the town everything feels a bit too bright, artificial, perfect. I get the same vibes from the post-wish world.

The Agreste mansion is covered by green vines?? Way to hide the atrocities that were planned and happened here.

Here is a screengrab I found on the internet from The Good Place (the ladybug is a funny coincidence lol)

I am getting the exact same vibes!

Also, I have expanded on that in my post on "running out of time" theme, but basically in the ML universe usually the "real" stuff are associated with the night and the rain while things that happen in the sun turn out to be fake or erased/forgotten. So the feeling that I get from this finale is that, this new "perfect" world is not genuine; that the seeming happiness it brings will be soon destroyed (I doubt erased), just as it happened in other fake reality episodes like Chat Blanc, Ephemeral, Oblivio, or Jubilation. As I argued before, this is not a permanent victory. Hell, it isn't even a real victory, not with the secret Marinette is left to keep from Adrien.

Not a real victory

Another thing that makes me think that this ending is not genuine is the lack of Chat Noir in the finale. Yes, I am a fervent Ladynoir stan who was hoping for some Ladynoir action (if not reveal) and was hugely disappointed by the lack of Chat's engagement in the final fight, but now that I think of it, this may have been on purpose.

Notice how in Conformation, Ladybug says:

Our only way to win against him is to fight him together.

And yet, soon thereafter, she is catapulted into a fight with the Monarch.

Notice also it wasn't her choice to unify the miraculouses and face the Monarch alone. She had to, because Chat Noir wasn't there.

Let's remember that this show spent the entire season 4 explaining how Ladybug assuming all the responsibility alone leads to disaster, how she needs Chat Noir to share the burden with him.

Let's also remember how in season 5, especially at the beginning of it, we see Ladybug change her behaviour towards Chat Noir: she gives him more responsibilities (the Bunny Miraculous, the identity of certain holders if I am not mistaken), and how at one point she confesses that Chat Noir has been very serious and responsible lately (and then promptly develops a crush on him).

So taking on the Monarch herself is really against everything they have built up in season 4 and the beginning of season 5. That's why I think that this "victory" is so wrong: it was "won" only by Ladybug. Maybe if Chat Noir were there, he would have prevented the Monarch from making the wish (hypothetically, then we would have an entirely different timeline). If his identity were revealed the way Marinette's was, Gabriel could have controlled him through his amok. In any case, their defeat or victory would have looked very different from this.

In the end, we must remember that this world is far from being a victory for Ladybug: she has, after all, LOST. She couldn't stop Gabriel from making the wish. And while this world looks perfect, and we got what seems like a forever happy after ending for Adrinette, their happiness is set in a non-genuine victory and world.

So I think we shouldn't be angry with the show-runners: there is a reason why this ending feels and is wrong. If it were all wonderful, it wouldn't be the season finale. It would be the finale, period. And I believe that everything that has been disturbing us in this season finale will be addressed, if not consist of the core conflict of season 6. Let's all take a deep breath and turn to fan fiction or fan art till we get the new season now :) (at least that's what I'll do lol)

#miraculous ladybug #ml spoilers #ml season 5 #from fortuna #ml conformation #ml recreation #ml analysis #ml meta #ladynoir #adrinette #ml speculation

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hazbincalifornia · 1 year ago

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Scars

Summary: Stolas gives Blitz a chance to get a human disguise. He doesn't expect what he sees.

Wordcount: 4210

Rating: T for canon-typical language/suggestiveness, descriptions of scarring

Ao3 link

Stolas had wondered about the markings, of course.

His memories of the charming, spirited little imp boy had been blurry around the edges, as much as he’d tried to cling to them- an impression of excitement and joy, a lightning-fast friendship that had been captured in a jar but fuzzed like the paper labels at the back of the cheat cabinet when he tried to grab a midnight snack.

He hadn’t remembered white besides the flaking pearl of curved horns, but then, a long time had passed since that day when they had run around and played pretend before adulthood pulled them apart.

He hadn’t remembered white on the poster that he’d ripped off a tree and stuffed in the back of his closet and didn’t look at except for when Stella was too awful to dwell on- except on the boots that were shined brighter than the gates an eternity away, and stripes on arms that seemed thin as toothpicks. (Even though there was just a hint of muscle underneath, muscle that he couldn’t help but imagine wrapping around his-)

Well. It didn’t matter now.

Yes, Stolas had wondered, but a brush over the white skin with his own spindly fingers showed it was a touch tougher than the brilliant red that made up the rest of Blitzy, so it was rugged, he decided. A mark of aging on imps, perhaps, or something he’d taken on willingly like the tattoos he’d seen on some of the Wrathian imps during the games, shaped like teeth or claws or vortexes, avenues of power. Of course his Blitzy wouldn’t be satisfied with something so plain as that. He was an adventurer, a visionary, an assassin.

He had faced life and beaten it into submission, powerful in a way that Stolas could only hope to be. It was tucked away in Stolas’s mind the same as the slash across Alejandro’s chest from a duel of passion was- a tantalizing part of the myth that surrounded his daring, bold, mysterious Blitzy, each piece of him something to worship with fingers and a beak and kisses. Stallion, champion, lover. Perhaps it had even been an error made during the process by an artist with shaky fingers, and he had simply said ‘fuck it’ and told them to fill in the whole thing, give him a mask like a phantom and fingerless gloves that bristled with flecks of color at the edge. It was quite the look, and even though Stolas had never quite imagined him this way in those squirreled-away minutes as a young adult, he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

(Blitz heard better on the right side, brushed away sweat faster with a dismissive hand on the left, and wouldn’t let Stolas touch his hands until the fourth moon. Even then, he pulled away after just a minute, murmuring something about his palms that was so low even Stolas couldn’t quite catch it. Little quirks, things anyone might have.)

They wanted to test out a human disguise. Blitz had said that they shouldn’t have to blow any more of the budget than they already had on them, and the incident in LA months ago had left a sour taste in his mouth on the matter anyhow. Stolas agreed- the safer that they could be, the better, and he owed him for helping to find Via that day, even though she shouldn’t have been able to get to the book in the first place. Besides, he had to admit that he was a bit curious about what Blitz would look like. His outfit likely wouldn’t shift too much, but would he have hair? Would his horns be translated any? Perhaps they could try some kind of date up on Earth without having to worry about drawing undue attention the way they may in Hell.

Sure, it was likely that Blitz would be on the shorter side as a human, but their difference would likely be far less extreme than it was in their natural forms. It would be nice to be able to hold hands without him bending down or Blitz nearly cracking his back, or kiss without having a handful of feathers yanked out in the process as Blitz pulled him down. (Not that he didn’t enjoy that, to be fair- it felt like being claimed, in a way, and the dominance required to simply drag him down… ooh.)

They had chosen an uninhabited area, or at least one that was unlikely to have any interruption. It was a small lake tucked into mountains that Stolas had found years ago when experimenting with the Grimoire and had started slipping to when things became too overwhelming. It was far from the filthy smog that blanketed many human cities, as well as many Hellish ones. He had found the remains of fires a few times, but he had been lucky enough to avoid any direct human contact as of yet.

He had already shifted himself, the soft silk of his own human disguise a strange comfort. He hadn’t had much use for it in ages before that one disastrous day, but the way the clothes molded perfectly to his stripped-bare skin was sweet in a sensory way. (He liked the puffy sleeves too. They just looked fun.)

“So, this is just a ‘snap your fingers’ thing, right? I’ll be able to do it myself if we get in shit?”

“Once this is connected to you, you should be able to turn it on and off at will once in the human world and it’s on your person,” Stolas said, drumming his fingers on the book before tracing a circle around the page. “It will require some effort and contact with this crystal-” He held up the ruby gemstone dangling from its leather choker, chosen specifically for how well it complemented the coat that Blitz usually wore. “-But yes, you should be able to cast the spell without contact to the Grimoire, the same as your Loona.”

It had been… quite an effort to coax the crystal out of Asmodeus, but Stolas had to admit that it was going to be a worthwhile investment- if they could avoid being spotted again, if they could keep Blitz safe, it would be worth all of the painful secrets and promises of returned favors in the world. (The use of the book lay a question for another day, as Stolas insisted they keep it for now as a precautionary connection back to Hell in case anything went awry. It was better than to have to come get them himself again if things went belly-up, after all.)

“Fuckin’ sweet. Lay it on me, big boy.” Blitz made a ‘gimme’ motion with his hands, and Stolas gave a little chuckle.

“Normally, Asmodeus does this himself, but I had to procure it for you, so I’ll finish the enchantment now that you’re here. I would say keep your pants on, but I wouldn’t exactly be opposed if this knocked them off.”

Blitz scoffed before settling back on his haunches. “Har har. I should make you pay for that by having to take my pants off with your beak next week.”

“Oh, I’d just enjoy the challenge,” Stolas said dismissively before setting the crystal down in the crease of the book and murmuring the enchantment, fingers weaving into the air as a soft red glow began to emanate from it. “Now, this may cause a bit of a tingling sensation when you put it on, but it shouldn’t be painful.”

“I’m holding you to that.” Blitz watched as it glowed brighter and brighter before a flash blasted outwards like a miniature supernova. “Hey! You didn’t say it was going to fuck with my eyes!”

“Sorry, sorry, I forgot that part!” Stolas said, lifting the crystal that had stopped glowing again before holding it out to Blitz. “It should be properly enchanted now, try it on.”

Gingerly, Blitz unclipped the rounded skull brooch on his usual choker, tucking it into his pocket. When he grasped the crystal, magic scurried around where it touched skin, shifting red to warm brown.

“Excellent, it looks like it works,” Stolas said, although his eyes squinted. Something was… off about the texture on the palm, but the crystal was covering most of it. Blitz hooked the gem into the leather, and sharp sparkles flashed over his body, quickly painting on an illusion of humanity.

Stolas’s mouth opened and then closed again as the light dimmed, the sweet lake air not quite making it to his lungs as the imp tilted his head that was now only about a foot below Stolas’s.

“What, am I that much fuckin’ uglier than humans normally are, or- wait, shit.” He raised one hand to his right eye. “Fucking seriously? Human skin doesn’t heal as well, does it? Fuck, that’s gonna be such a pain- Stolas?”

Scars. Every one of the white marks that were splattered over the imp’s skin like gore were scars- and mostly burns from the looks of it. The one around his eye meant it was sealed partially shut, and they were slightly lighter than the surrounding skin, rippled like the surface of a planet that had seen space debris.

Blitz sighed, rubbing at his good eye as he looked over at his reflection in the water. “Well, now I get to choose between humans staring at me because I’m a demon, and humans staring at me because of this. They healed ages ago, why do they look so fresh?”

“Human forms are based on your physical characteristics if you were to have lived a similar human life,” Stolas said quietly. “The base form is chosen based off your body shape, but things like scars or missing limbs remain similar, and are sometimes more intense since they had less chance to heal properly in this form. On top of that, imps are hardier than humans, I suppose…”

“Fuck yeah we are, I’d be a corpse twenty times over if I was as squishy as those meatbags.” Blitz waved a dismissive hand, and Stolas couldn’t stop staring at the discolorations on his arm. “Ugh, it’s mostly the eye thing, I usually cover up the arms anyway and having two full eyes kiiiinda helps with the assassin thing.” He prodded at his eyelid, sounding more annoyed than pained- although it made sense, if they had mostly healed already with just the scars themselves lingering echoes of whatever he’d survived.

“How… how long have you...?” Stolas asked tentatively, and Blitz waved a hand.

“Long-ass story, but years. It was a whole thing. They hurt like a bitch, but I’m mostly used to ‘em now.” He turned, ruffling a hand through his hair. “Of course I still end up looking kind of like Mr. ‘Ran Out On His Gig’, that’s just peachy. At least the marks’ll stop people from making that call.”

Stolas squinted- he hadn’t even noticed, but sure enough, the general facial shape and skin and hair color were somewhat similar to the Ragers man Blitz had been mistaken for, albeit with black lines through the eyes, brilliant red pupils, and his heart marking as a forehead tattoo, with little spikes of hair falling on either side to show it off. He supposed it made some sort of sense, but Blitz was right- no one would mistake them now. Frankly, Stolas was surprised he even remembered what the man had looked like from what brief glances they’d gotten of his visage.

“Do they… hurt?”

“Not much, the toughness in the skin just feels different,” Blitz said, turning around and catching Stolas’s eyes for the first time. “Why are you so surprised anyway? Didn’t you know?”

“I…”

Why did he never bother looking into it? It wasn’t something small, the markings covered a good third of Blitz’s body, but it had been easier to just…

...Assume whatever fit his fantasy.

Assume that everything was fine, that Blitz had chosen everything about himself, was in complete control of the narrative the way a hero should… not that he’d been through something terrible himself that Stolas had never bothered even asking about.

“I… didn’t realize it was quite that bad,” Stolas replied a bit lamely after a moment, hating how Blitz would be able to see his eyes darting about so he forced them to lock with Blitz’s. “The difference in texture didn’t feel as extreme in your usual body.”

“Like you said, us imps are hardy-ass bitches. We can take damn near anything thrown at us, and don’t you fucking forget it.” His coat had remained largely the same, and he fussed with the edge of the sleeve. “I know it’s not gonna win any beauty contests like this.” There were a thousand words packed into just a few, and Stolas could only imagine many of them had come from previous lovers from the nearly imperceptible curl inwards he looked away.

“If… if it’s any consolation, I’m not a particular fan of my human form either.” Stolas flicked at the top of one of his ears, giving a watery smile. “Earholes are far better than having something vulnerable stick out of the side of your head.”

Blitz snorted. “You aren’t wrong on that. Hair too.” He tugged out a few strands of his own, and they rested on his bumpy palm before the wind carried them away. “Who needs it? Just another fuckin’ thing you’d have to take care of. I’ve seen the amount of shampoo Loonie goes through, and I’ll pass.”

“I think it looks nice on you! Although, of course, your normal form is best.”

“You said I could turn it on and off at will, right?”

Stolas nodded. “Just think of how you usually look, and it should-”

A blink of light and a flash of mirror-like mini-crystals that fled up his body and dissolved into thin air later, Blitz was back to the imp that Stolas knew and loved. Red eyes traced more carefully over him now, taking note of the way there was a thin line between white and red. “There we go. Back to my bomb-ass self.” He checked his arms back and front, seeming satisfied with what he saw. “Good, it didn’t make me some kinda freaky-deaky hybrid fuckup.” He glanced up at Stolas. “Yours isn’t half-bad, at least.”

“Oh?” Stolas shifted in the grass, sure his currently-human cheeks had a dot of flush to them even as his mind churned with new knowledge. “I don’t have many opportunities to use it, but I’m glad that you approve.”

“Mm, I’m sure I’ll get used to mine eventually.” There was a pause as Blitz’s knee bounced, and Stolas waited, counting to ten. Usually, Blitz either spilled or changed the subject by then, so eager to fill the air with something. Never content to just let things lay as they were. “Took a while back when it first happened too.”

“I’m… not surprised,” Stolas murmured. “I can’t imagine I would adjust immediately either.” He shifted forward, setting a hand on Blitz’s knee before it twitched away, making his heart skip as Blitz withdrew from the attempt at comfort. “Blitz, I…”

“It’s fine. I know.” There was a decade of resignation in those words, and Stolas wondered how many people had seen the scars and refused to see the man underneath. “You don’t have to act like you-”

“I think you’re beautiful.” The words were almost carried by the wind, but Blitz’s fingers curled into fists and his spikes rose.

“Stolas...”

“It’s the truth. I cannot imagine what you must have gone through, but you’re still here, still making your way in the world no matter what is thrown at you.”

Sparks leapt from the gem and he was faced with the scars thrown into harsher relief, one good eye raised.

“And what about now?”

Stolas took a moment to look- to really look. The way the features settled were different, but a spirit still burned with hottest Hellfire through the eyes and the clenched jaw and the way he held himself, with a slight hunch like he was always prepared to go on the defensive, currently-invisible spikes up.

“It’s you.” He tilted his head, nodding as if to himself. “That’s what matters. I’ll adjust, and your fierce soul comes through.” He glanced back at where he had opened the portal, an idea sparking. “In fact, why don’t we get some practice with these forms together? Are there any missions that you needed to stake out for beforehand that we could work on?”

Blitz stared at him for a moment. “If you freak out and leave me stranded if things go tits-up, I’m shoving a cactus up your ass next month.”

“Deal.”

They didn’t shake on it, but both of them knew Blitz wouldn’t make him do that to an innocent plant anyway.

__________________

“Wow.”

“Wow what?” Stolas raised an eyebrow- something he actually had now, which was odd in itself. (The loss of his second set of eyes was a tad more disorienting than he’d imagined it would be, now that he had the time to focus on it.) Currently, they were settled in the branches of a sturdy tree outside of a rather average-looking home, and Blitz whistled as he lowered the binoculars that Stolas had conjured up.

“I thought this might take a try or two, but that bitch is really going at it. The client wanted to make sure her girlfriend was banging somebody else before we took her out, and she’s fucking bigtime. In the client’s bed too, he said hers was the one with the red sheets.”

“Not to put a damper on things, but if your client is in Hell, then being with someone else now wouldn’t necessarily mean she’s cheating, would it?”

Blitz shrugged. “She said it was some dude with a mohawk she suspected, and right now, she’s sucking that dude’s dick. Anything other than that isn’t our problem. Normally we don’t even check up on shit like that, but she said that they’d probably be banging any time we showed up because she lives off mommy’s money, so they’ve got nothing to do but fuck themselves stupid. Goals, honestly.”

Stolas shifted around in the tree, running his fingers over one of the leaves growing from the branch. “I suppose. Do you need to… see anything else?”

Blitz handed him the binoculars. “Nah. Humans are kinda ugly, I’m not getting much out of watching them pork. We can go, we’ll come back and take her out tomorrow.”

“That sounds good,” Stolas said. Blitz easily shimmied down the trunk and hit the grass, but it took Stolas a bit longer to swing his legs over and lower himself down- these legs felt so awkward when it came to doing anything other than walking, and he felt rather like he’d been compressed down from the top like clay, proportions all wrong. The fact that Blitz had already somewhat adjusted to the temporary way of being, well enough to do simple acts of athleticism… it was more than impressive. Stolas’s little shoes scrabbled against the bark before falling the last foot or so, arms pinwheeling as he stumbled before stabilizing himself. Blitz couldn’t help a little snicker.

“Remind me to never take you on a peepnight.”

“...What is a peepnight?”

“Something you’re never going to see, didn’t you just hear me?” Blitz stuffed his hands in his pockets, sauntering over past the mailbox and onto the sidewalk, and Stolas hurried over to catch up to him. “So, that’s over with. Do you want to… I dunno, go get coffee or something? I don’t know if human coffee sucks. Hell coffee is a half and half chance.”

“Mmm, you know, I’m not sure?” Stolas tapped his chin. “I don’t have any human money on me, though.”

“Ah, rummaging around in the dumpster behind some place that has coffee it is, then.”

“...Blitz. No.”

“What? They throw out the fancy bread and shit all the time, and some people don’t finish their-”

Stolas groaned, and it made Blitz snicker.

“You’re a real priss for someone who loves eating my sweaty ass as much as you do.”

“Those things are very different!” Stolas protested, but he couldn’t help a little laugh of his own as Blitz nudged him. The Sin-created crystal sparkled in the sunlight, and he could see a hint of gold underneath the white teeth with canines edged sharper than any normal human’s.

“We’ll figure something out.”

That ‘something’ ended up being ‘sit next to a small pond with ducks after wandering around for twenty minutes’, as small cute animals won out over dumpster diving. Blitz tried throwing handfuls of grass at them, but they just ignored him, so he huffed and crossed his arms.

“Geez, Earth birds are bitchy as Hell ones.”

“Excuse me?” Stolas huffed, playing annoyed. It was what Blitz was clearly aiming for from the way the pupils had darted to him for a second.

“Present company excused.” Blitz paused, before a grin quirked at the side of his lips. “Except for that one time last week-”

“I was in the middle of getting ready!” Stolas shot back, a laugh layered into the way his voice pitched in the peaks of ‘middle’ and ‘ready’. One of the ducks quacked at a baby before nudging it towards the water, and Blitz’s shoulders slumped a little as he settled back with a contented sigh, watching the ripples make their way outwards in the water before fading into nothingness.

Stolas was on the side with the scar. He could see the way Blitz’s skin seemed a bit stiffer as his mouth shifted when looking at the ducklings- whether that was a fact of life back in Hell or just in this disguised form, he didn’t know. He was starting to realize that he didn’t know a lot of things.

A human with bright neon clothing passed by them with a particularly yappy little dog on a leash, and they did a double-take as they spotted Blitz. At that, Blitz bared his teeth, and the human let out a little yelp before slapping a hand over their mouth and trying to walk away as quickly as possible without looking like they were running, as if Blitz was infected somehow.

“Really,” Stolas huffed. “How rude.”

“You practically pissed yourself, you have no room to talk.”

“I did not! I was just… startled,” Stolas said, rubbing his arm before sighing. The fabric felt too loose and too tight all at once, the body not quite fitting right now that he had nothing to do but be aware of it, and the guilt weighing heavy as a neutron star didn’t help. “I shouldn’t have been, though. I’m sorry that I never asked before.”

Blitz blinked up at him before waving a hand. “Eh, it’s not like I go around advertising it to everybody. ‘Come see the freak with the foot-long cock and the 35 percent burn coverage, half off Thursdays if you promise to suck him off’.”

“As much as I admire your length, is there… anything I can do to help when we get back home?”

At that, Blitz stiffened slightly before forcing himself to relax as he raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Stolas shrugged. “Are there any… lotions, say, that help with stiffness, or places I should be careful of when we’re intimate that I haven’t already noticed?”

Blitz seemed taken aback by that. “Uh, there’s this one cream that used to help but they jacked the price way the fuck up. I wouldn’t mind a bottle of that, if you’re offering.”

“Consider it done.” Stolas leaned forward, one hand hovering in the air as if to cup the cheek, and time seemed frozen with only the gentle sway of the wind on the dark hair before him until Blitz shifted ever-so-slightly to the side, and Stolas closed the gap to let Blitz’s face rest against Stolas’s palm. His thumb rubbed over the textured skin, memorizing the way that it looked and felt, especially as he caught the slight hitch on Blitz’s chest when he didn’t pull away immediately as the scars could no longer be ignored. Didn’t shy from them, from the proof of Blitz’s strength and will to survive.

“You’re an incredible man, Blitz.”

“Mmm.” It wasn’t a word, but it didn’t need to be. Stolas could feel the warmth of blood below his hand, the pale off-white skin of his own a contrast to the rich brown. Even the fainter color of the scar was something he could see adding to a painting to capture a moment in nature, reminiscent of driftwood. Soft, warm breath huffed out against his wrist, and Blitz looked up at him with too-white eyes before a slight muted purr slipped into the air around them, the imp Stolas loved slipping through and melding with the hardy body resting against his hand.

Perhaps it wasn’t the story that Stolas had imagined, but as he shifted closer and felt Blitz relax against his touch while he kept himself steady, he was determined to find a way to share the pen so they could write themselves a happy ending.

#helluva boss #stolas goetia #stolas #stolitz #blitz

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icanseethefuture333 · 9 months ago

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A reading on

North West

The development of North's character:

Channeled song:

Rush Hour by Mac Miller

Pain by PinkPantheress

North is exactly how she presents herself - she is mischievous, a prankster, silly, creative, authentic, and honest. North enjoys being herself and does not like following trends but setting them herself. She is someone who will follow to the beat of her drum and not care what people think. North is comfortable voicing her opinion even if people think it's wrong, since it is hers and that is her right to express that. North is not afraid to speak her mind and intimidates other people in a room with her creative ideas. She will take both her parents' determination and artistic passion and turn it into something greater. Visionary is reverse so this is the shadow attribute she will embody. It is possible as she gets older, she will grow more reserved from the celebrity lifestyle and will see the negatives of it. North could be sensitive about her artwork and feel no matter what she does, people will criticize her. This is sad :(. As North gets older, her energetic personality might calm down as she gets older but this is due to the comments people make about her. North will eventually hear and see everything people said about her in childhood (calling her "crazy" and "bratty child"), thus staying out of the spotlight. People will way things like "Where is North? We miss her!" And North would think "You guys hated me all my life and now you want me back? You don't even deserve me". It's possible her visions for her art, fashion, etc, will have to be watered down or compromised in order for people to support it because they view it as too "weird" or "complex". North may often experience loneliness because she will be misunderstood by others. In adulthood, it would be necessary for her to heal from this wound in order to be at peace with herself.

The future of North's career:

Channeled song:

Family Ties by Baby Keem ft Kendrick Lamar

Detective is in reverse which means the future of her career will possess the shadow attribute. North might fall victim to people spreading misinformation about her and she could already be experiencing this at a young age. Her parents are very famous and is the first born child, so there is a lot of pressure that she is under. This is disturbing... people have her eyes on her all the time. People want to see her highs and lows. I believe her family has a "bad publicity is still good publicity" mindset as well, so even if North doesn't want a certain news outlet to spread negative propaganda about her, there's nothing people would do to help her. This causes North to experience anxiety and so she is going to be forced to learn how to set boundaries as a child since her family won't do it for her. I believe despite the negative things people say about North, she will use her privileges for good. She might go through a spiritual awakening as she gets older or will have an epiphany about what is her destiny in life. It is possible she will use her privileges to fight for injustice. North could be involved in global politics since there is a map on the Avenger card? Or will do volunteer work in foreign places. Since this character has a mask, I believe she will do this anonymously or in private. North doesn't want to do it for the media, she actually would want to make a difference.

North's relationship with her family:

Channeled song:

My Life by The Walls Group

North could oppose what her family wants her to do in life. They could have expectations of what goals she wishes to pursue and she will refuse this. If North had to have the option of having an inheritance or being independent, she'd choose being independent. She does not want to be controlled especially if her family is morally gray in some areas. In the future, North will be someone who would prefer to live a humble lifestyle and will be compassionate to others. North will be divinely guided in this lifetime, it is possible she has an ancestor(s) that is watching over her. Instead of living the life of glitz and glamor of Hollywood, she will instead desire to help others. I believe North could possibly use her wealth to liberate others? I heard "homelessness". So perhaps she will take a role in the system, similar to Kim. North wants to free herself from her family's traditions and beliefs. I feel strongly that her purpose is to heal generational trauma within the ancestral family.

#north west #celebrity readings #tarot #tarot reading #kanye west #kim kardashian #oracle cards

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stargirlstudio · 2 years ago

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Rhaena and Aemond headcanons?

Hi I hope it’s okay if I did modern!headcanons, I’ve been on a modern au kick lately:

I feel like their relationship would be long distance, but they can afford to see each-other every weekend or hell some days out of the week depending on their university schedule

Aemond would fly out the most though, mostly because he doesn’t want to be at home, but also because he absolutely loves how happy Rhaena gets when she can show him new things

Rhaena is studying textiles for her study abroad in YiTi. Aemond is in absolute awe of every project she does since she’s a fashion design major

Aemond and Rhaena rarely got to see each other during the earlier semesters since their universities, King’s Landing University and Seven Kingdoms Design Academy respectively, sat about 45 minutes from each other

Everything became much more lax as they entered their junior and senior years, but Rhaena of course wanted to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather and did a study abroad. Aemond misses her dearly but supports her efforts to further her career

The relationship is very much muse x artist, with Aemond being the muse and Rhaena being the creative visionary

Aemond was often used to test out designs she created, constantly putting something on or taking something off

Actually he walked one of her final project shows and he was terrified but he pushed through because he wanted to make Rhaena happy

Oh I forgot to mention, Aemond likes to get Rhaena a plushie before he flies out and a small bouquet of flowers

Rhaena likes to kiss his temple near his sapphire eye while he likes to kiss her on the cheek. They also kiss on the lips duh

Oooh they wanna be different, they both think kissing in these places is much more intimate and their silent way of saying “I love you” transcends affections oooh

Aemond isn’t much of a digital or social media person so Rhaena takes couples pictures on film. He has a couple of frames of the both of them in his room

He also has a small picture of her in his wallet. All 35 of them.

Rhaena likes to get him YiTish skincare and watches. If there’s one accessory he likes it’s a watch. He’s learned a lot about styling different prints and textures, while still keeping his iconic all black outfits.

One time they went out clubbing because Rhaena’s fashion school friend invited them out and while Aemond wasn’t expecting to get drunk he did get a little more tipsy than expected

“I’m going to get your name tattooed on me. On my face or my back wherever you want it,” He yelled. Rhaena of course went 😟 and insisted he doesn’t do that

Aemond 100% wakes up embarrassed the next day and DENIES he ever said that

He definitely spoils her with material things to try to make her forget he ever said that. She’s not complaining because he absolutely loves buying her stuff. She’s used to that kind of behavior from her own family members so Aemond has to step up

If Rhaena wanted a designer item he would set up his laptop, computer, and phone to make sure he has a winning chance. Bots have nothing on him

Managed to get her a nice archive piece for her birthday and she fell even harder than she thought

Definitely recreated the Maison Margiela kiss shirt

They have to hold hands while going out because BOTH of them have the tendency to wander off

#modern hotd #rhaemond #aemond targaryen #rhaena x aemond #aemond x rhaena #modern!aemond targaryen #rhaemond headcanons #king’s landing uni-verse #modern!rhaena targaryen #Aemond targaryen x Rhaena targaryen

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borisbubbles · 2 years ago

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Eurovision 2023 PRESHOW - Part 4: Acts I can Respect, I guess.

Some songs aren’t for me. But they still bring something new or different to the table and I can respect that. Here are five songs on the cusp between almost good and almost meh.

25. GEORGIA Iru - “Echo” Semi 2, #slot11

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Iru set a weird new standard for eurofandom cabin fever when they concluded that Georgia were GIVING OFF WINNER vibes based A FUCKING PHOTOGRAPH.

OMG SO FIERCE SHE’S GONNA SLAY -- really stupid people.

Fortunately, “Echo” soon released and instantly erased this nonsense 🙂. And let “nonsense” be the ideal word to describe “Echo” with. Dear Georgia, the fuck’s this chorus?

Days in a row I'm thinking, I know I've got a big faith My love is my crown Will be better way Will be better day now It is not a secret

Eurovision is no stranger to word salads, especially from Georgia, but “Echo” is a word casserole. It follows the Barkerian approach of throwing logic out of the window and treating words as merely another layer of sound. You cannot PRETEND to have meaning and also do this, sorry that doesn’t work! Come back when ur sober...x.

But what about the rest of the song? I suppose there is an interesting structure here where “Echo” just discards a beginning and ending, and just jumps into three minutes of straight action. Breaking conventional norms! The interest is fully academic though because it just doesn’t work. If you’re thrust into the action immediately and unprepared as a first time viewer, nothing is going to fucking stick, innit?

Like yeah, I know. This is Georgia and they’re a bit different than most other countries and we’re expect to believe they’re MASTERING the avant garde genre after delighting us with “Midnight Gold” and “Visionary Dream”... and yet I’m not buying into it this year. “Echo” is no less of a sham than “Jezinky” or “Secreto del Aqua” (or, dare I say, that other Blanca Paloma song?) in that it just showboats baseline artistry + power vocals while neglecting to deliver the base product of a good song - and they get away with ALL of it because Iru is a woman!

In terms of personal enjoyment, Georgia probably should have been a part of the last update (Iru’s virtually tied with Alika), but eh. “Echo” is a lot of things (at once.), but it’s not BORING. It tries to bring something different to the table and I can respect the attempt. The result’s just... kinda stupid and nonsensical, that’s all. 🤷‍♀️

Odds at Eurovision - Georgia

“Echo” is one of several borderlines in semi 2, so it really depends on how well Georgia stage it and how awful the other BLs are.

The main hurdle they face is general appeal. “Echo” lacks a clear beginning or end, let alone a base fucking narrative which makes it very difficult to get into. The only trump card Georgia have are Iru’s vocals, but what advantage would this screaming woman have over an Alika or a Diljá? a draw in the middle of the favourite (and directly after the criminally underrated Slovene entry) won’t do them much favours either.

It all boils down to how well Georgia get their artistic vision across and this has been tried and ruled to be televote repellent for the past seven contests.

If Georgia do qualify, it would be a good indicator that there is some mass appeal there and, I could see “Echo” getting a midtable result with moderately positive acclaim from both vote bases.

I do NOT believe Georgia are coming top 10 though. 🙂 12th is their celing, sorry to disappoint you now BUT IT’ S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD TO GET USED TO DISAPPOINTMENT ONCE SHE DOES WORSE THAN THAT IN LIVERPOOL.

Qualifier Tier: C Projected placement: 7th-14th (Semi),

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24. DENMARK Reiley - “Breaking my heart” Semi 2, slot #01

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This lil’ fucker is twenty-five.

Weeerq?

This seems like a good point to eliminate Reiley. You know my taste by now, and are fully aware that “K-pop loving twink” is NOT a flavour I particularly like or care for, in any medium or universe.

However, I don’t really mind Reiley at all oops. Should I? I know people loved that uncanny valley rock song and that awkward marriage duet, but when I heard the Danish hopefuls (only once, I assure you) I was surprised to like the TikTok twink the most. And then he won, HOORAY!

Unfortunately we’re sort of in the ReDDI zone here where I liked Reiley the most at DMGP and wanted him to win... but DMGP is always kinda shit, so once he won and one has to compare “Breaking my heart” to songs that are actually, you know, better than “just okay”, he immediately dropped to upper yellow and stayed there forevermore.

For me personally the big dealbreaker isn’t so much the K-pop inspired music or the twinkishness or the fact that he’s a fucking INFLUENCER with a clearly fake follower count - it’s the fucking aggro autotune. the “IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE START”s of “Breaking my heart” should have been THE slope I could have slid down into embracing a Danish entry just this once (in a similar way to how allowing “Ciutoooo tuuuuto” to dwell rent-free in my brain made me enjoy “Stay” way more than I should), but the robot voice ruins it for me. You sir, are no Olson brother. 😌

Odds at Eurovision - Denmark

Another one of those Semi 2 borderline qualifiers, eh? Well, I’m tempted to say Denmark make it through in their usual 10th place since at Eurovision there’s always a place for upbeat bouncy pop (and also, semi 2 is generally just kinda miserable) and Reiley does have a (clearly fake but still) large enough follower count.

However, Denmark are on first and this may be just my wrong impression, but I think “Breaking my heart” is a shittttt opener. Semi 2 doesn’t exactly have good opening material in its first half, but i would have let Belgium kick it off, surely? Semi 2 has a slow start and by being a fairly meh first act Reiley is in part responsible FOR the early show lethargy.

If Denmark do qualify, I think they’ll get a lowish result in the Grand Final. Unless they get massive traction from juries in a Lake Malawi sort of way (which I doubt because “Breakin’ my heart” is sadly, not very catchy), I’d guesstimate they’ll come crashing into a bottom 5 position.

Qualifier Tier: C+ Projected placement: 8th-12th (semi), 23rd-26th (Grand Final)

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23. SPAIN Blanca Paloma - “Eaea” Autoqualifier

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I am going to regret this, am I not? 🙄😣

So yeah, Spain’s entry is fine. I HATED that Blanca won with such overwhelming force, beating Nochentera and Arcadia (two of the best, if not the two best acts of the NF season), but w/e I’m over it. I don’t think anyone can deny that Blanca Paloma is a visionary artist with a clear understanding of both visual spectacle and musical fusion. She manages to really NAIL a flamenco punk vocal (arguably one of the three best vocalists in the year, the other two being Gustaph and Andrejs from Sudden Lights) and supports it with an act that is a feast for the eyes.

In sum, Everything about “Eaea” is great!

Except for the fucking song.

Ya see, Spain’s really in the same ballpark as Georgia for me: Their song is basically a bunch of nonsense that should be deemed unviable on the spot through sheer logic, but is revered by the fandom through a combination of latent misandry and stockholm syndrome. “Eaea is at least more of a song than than “Echo” is - its lyrics make sense and the song follows a clear narrative. Hence the Reiley-sized gap between them on the ranking.

However, “Eaea” has a different Big Problem in that it builds promise right at the start, and then seemingly devolves into a two-minute vocal masturbation exercise, and that’s where it loses me. I LIKE the flamenco vocals, but I don’t like the way it is used in the song. It’s exhausting. The music plays second fiddle to the vocals and I feel like it should be the other way around! I really don’t fucking CARE about the Where I Ams of this world, sorry, never have, never shall!

So what do I fucking do with an act that I enjoy looking at and DON’T enjoy listening to? I suppose I use them as the dividing line between what I like and what I don’t like, I guess? Everything else about Spain is great this year, so idk, maybe I’ll like it at the end?

Basically, I need more time to ruminate over where I like “Eaea” or not, and in what capacity. I don’t fucking know right now, and thinking about it (and the reaction of the Spaintard when they stumble across this post) ages me. I’ve decded that I’ll give an answer after Blanca’s ESC journey has been completed, so I’ll just dump her here and you’ll just have to deal. :-)

Which brings me to:

Odds at Eurovision - SPAIN

To be fair, when Eaea first won I thought it would be the usual overrated Spanish entry that would flop at ESC. Like genuinely, mid-table? Honestly, I feel like that could have been the result in a competitive year.

However, I have to retract my words here. As more entries poured in and the year became progressively less competitive, it also became clear to me that Spain will indeed do very well in Liverpool. For the gripes that I have about her song, Blanca has consistently been excellent live in both vocals and acting. As the days pass, the more convinced I am she will be able to bluff her way into the hearts of juries and televoters and eke out another top five for Spain.

I doubt she wins though, which is what the Blancaheads would like you to believe. On paper, Spain is a dark horse contender, the most likely winner after Finland and Sweden, but let’s be fair, it really just is Sweden or Finland, with zero chance of anyone else? It’s looking more and more like a Loreen coronation to a point I want to vomit one could even argue Käärijä is a Dark Horse to win it now.

But yeah, I no longer believe she’s midtable anymore, and I will be very angry with myself if she does flop (she won’t) for not sticking to my first impression. 🙂

Cool electric guitar though. 🙂

Projected Placement: 2nd-5th (prediction: 3rd)

22. GERMANY Lord of the Lost - “Blood and glitter” Autoqualifier

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Okay, so Lord of the Lost are the first act on this ranking that I will say I ~like~, but only just. 🙂

Let’s start with the good bits. CAMPY SCHLAGER METAL YESSSS 😍 INSTANTLY MEMORABLE VISUAL SPECTACLE YESSSS 😍 ENERGY SPIKES DURING A BORINGDULL LIVE SHOW YESSSS 😍

Added bonus: Germany FINALLY selecting something entertaining and non-conformist in forever. Bag that safe and insipid era!!!

Now, the not good bits. Which us honestly just one big thing: “Blood and glitter” is not very exciting. DESPITE BEING WHAT IT IS.

I feel like there are several smaller reasons why it doesn’t excite me as much: The cadence of the verses is arrhythmic and disturbs the flow they’re going for, and while Lord of the Lost went far enough on their campy gore for a shitshow like Unser Lied, I don’t think they go far enough for Eurovision (at least not yet). I’m taking about both music AND staging btw.

The biggest killer for me though is that I feel like “Blood and glitter” just lasts too fucking long. Around the halfway point Lord of the Lost just start to repeat the chorus in different music styles and that makes the second half tedious and, dare I say it, kinda boring? It’s like the end of Return of the King, except the Fellowship are all Orcs.

Overall though, I do feel like Germany show promise and I like them... but they have a long road ahead if they want to rise on this ranking come May. 😶

Odds at Eurovision - Germany

This one’s easy: midtable result at best, probably in the third quadrant of the scoreboard. If the Unser Lied vote was any indicator, we’re in for a very low jury and high-ish televote.

I do NOT buy that the televote by itself will be enough to carry Germany into the top 10, which is a take I’ve heard from others. Like, they’ll get points, enough to avoid the bottom five, but surely we should realize by now that Käärijâ will receive the bulk of the metalheads’ votes, followed distantly by Voyager. Lord of the Lost’s tally will be whatever crumbs those two didn’t eat. (like Finland’s TV for instance).

Germany need to make Blood and Glitter more exciting through its staging, but I also don’t trust ARD at all. Germany have had too many outright failures as of late. Which may be Germany’s biggest hurdle overall. When most people expect you to be bad, it’s a LOT of work to convince them you’re worthy of being given a chance, regardless of whether you are or not.

And a song with six final choruses may not be the best at achieving that lofty goal.

Projected placement: 14th-20th

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21. AZERBAIJAN TuralTuranX - “Tell me more” Semi 1, slot #12

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WEIRDO TWINBEASTS <3333

After last year’s Nadir debacle I promised myself to hate Azerbaijan’s crap no matter what!!

Once they announced their act, a pair emaciated gremlin twinks with a stage name straight from MySpace, I convinced myself they would be shit and I would HATE them!

And yet, “Tell me more” released and against every impulse, I liked it almost immediately! Socially awkward and yet touchingly naive, it’s a song that lights up like Napolean Dynamite. It feels like a very fitting choice for a contest set in the same city that produced The Beatles. 😁

Out of the many things you can say about Azerbaijan at ESC, their most prominent trait has always been the steady stream of Swedish McSongs performed by jazz singers who clearly despised the experience.

It is refreshing to have that very same country send an awkward, unpretentious self-composed Britrock song by two young men that actually seem to embrace the experience for once. Tural and Turan not only attended a few of the preparties (which the Azerbaijani NEVER do), they actually joined the afterparty in Amsterdam as well, where they -to my delight- appeared to deliberately avoid Ell -who was also present :/ - before mingling with the fans. Clearly Tural and Turan are guys willing to live their best live, and I support it.

So why rank them only 21st in spite of the praise? Well, BECAUSE I HAVE SMELLED BLOOD. 😈😈😈😈

Odds at Eurovision - AZERBAIJAN

We’re finally getting it: The rare Azerbaijani NQ, and I’m SO excited for it. Yes, it of course is going to happen when Azer are sending their most risky, quirky and authentic entry in years, that’s just how the universe works. It is unfortunate whenever daring and originality are rewarded with failure, but guess what - recompense for last year, bitches.

The Nadir tomfoolery was inexcusable (Andrea was ROBBED!) and we’re owned payment in the form of a cold hard NQ.

In that regard, I absolutely believe Tural and Turan will deliver because (1) awkward twinbeasts (2) “Tell Me More” is already strange and unvoteable in itself (3) they’re up right after Loreen. Three strikes and ur OWT.

Like realistically, I could see Azer finish ahead Ireland and Netherlands... and maybe Shitzerland in the televote. But who is going to pick up their phone for a despised jury pet? The Brits who cannot vote in semi 1 anyway? Latvia?

The cherry on the sundae: I honestly do believe “Tell Me More” would be Q with juries, or even Q *thanks to* the juries, if juries were to play a part in the semfinal. But they won’t, so OOPS can’t resort to your old tactics this time around Azer! Too bad! So sad! 🙂

Projected placement: 11th-15th (Semifinal)

THE RANKING:

Part 1: The BAD entries (Switzerland / Croatia / Israel / Greece) Part 2: the IRRELEVANT entries (Ireland / Albania / Netherlands / San Marino) Part 3: The Borewhores (Estonia / Ukraine / Cyprus / Italy) next up, entries I enjoy! Hooray!

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voskhozhdeniye · 1 year ago

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Coin Coin Chapter Five: In the garden… is the latest instalment in composer, improviser, saxophonist, bandleader and visual artist Matana Roberts’ visionary project exploring African-American history through ancestry, archive and place. Weaving together elements of jazz, avant-garde composition, folk and spoken word, Roberts tells the story of a woman in their ancestral line, who died following complications from an illegal abortion. At a time when reproductive rights are under attack, her story takes on new resonance. “I wanted to talk about this issue, but in a way where she gets some sense of liberation,” Roberts explains. By unpacking family stories and conducting extensive research in US public archives, Roberts has created a rounded portrait of a woman who is, as their lyrics put it, “electric, alive, spirited, fire and free.” Each part of Coin Coin explores radically different musical settings, from the free jazz and post-rock eruptions of Chapter One to the solo noise collage of Chapter Three. Featuring a new ensemble steeped in jazz, improvisation, new music and avant-rock, helping to expand the project’s existing sonic palette, Chapter Five is no exception. Roberts is joined by fellow alto saxophonist Darius Jones, violinist Mazz Swift (Silkroad Ensemble, D’Angelo), bass clarinettist Stuart Bogie (TV On The Radio, Antibalas), alto clarinettist Matt Lavelle (Eye Contact, Sumari), pianist Cory Smythe (Ingrid Laubrock, Anthony Braxton), vocalist/actor Gitanjali Jain and percussionists Ryan Sawyer (Thurston Moore, Nate Wooley) and Mike Pride (Pulverize The Sound, MDC). The late, great trumpeter jaimie branch, who was due to play on the album, receives a credit for “courage”. The album is produced by TV On The Radio’s Kyp Malone, who also contributes synths. As a composer, Roberts draws upon strategies associated with the post-war avant-garde, including John Cage and Fluxus member Benjamin Patterson’s conceptual approaches to scoring and performance. The immersive work of Maryanne Amacher, in which “sound and the body almost collaborate” is another key influence. “That is the foundation for me of the Coin Coin work,” they explain. “It’s not just the alto saxophone as an instrument placed in the jazz canon, it's the alto saxophone as an instrument that can be utilised to affect the body.” Listeners will be struck by Roberts’ ability to mould diverse sounds into a cohesive whole. The spoken word passages are accompanied by driving modal jazz on “how prophetic”, minimalist synth loops on “enthralled not by her curious blend” and cantering folk forms on “(a)way is not an option”. These are interspersed with instrumental pieces that range from avant-garde abstraction and squalling free jazz, to solo saxophone reflections and Mississippi fife and drums blues. There’s a further evocation of American roots music in the powerful group vocal arrangement of “but I never heard a sound so long”, adapted by Roberts from the plantation lullaby “All The Pretty Horses.” While this new chapter of Coin Coin focusses on a female-identified protagonist, others haven’t (Chapter Three being from the perspective of a male ancestor) and Roberts intends for future chapters to continue to cover the breadth of the gender spectrum, as well as their Native American heritage. “I'm proud that people say that the Coin Coin work speaks of a woman's story. But I want to make sure that it retains its inclusivity, because what we look like is not always what you see.” This reflects Roberts’ own experiences as a queer person of colour. For the remaining chapters of Coin Coin, Roberts will continue exploring identity and ancestry. “Expect it to keep heading towards a liberation of the human spirit.”

#:)

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comicweek · 1 year ago

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ULTIMATE UNIVERSE: A NEW ERA BEGINS | Official Trailer | Marvel Comics

ULTIMATE UNIVERSE #1 Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN Art by STEFANO CASELLI Colors by DAVID CURIEL Cover by BRYAN HITCH On Sale November 1

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN Art and Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO On Sale January 10

Revolutionary writer Jonathan Hickman and acclaimed artist Marco Checchetto (DAREDEVIL) bring you a bold new take on Spider-Man, with the debut title of the new line of Ultimate Comics! After the events of ULTIMATE INVASION, the world needs a hero… who will rise up to take on that responsibility? Prepare to be entangled in a web of mystery and excitement as the all-new ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN comic redefines the wall-crawler for the 21st Century!

Teasing the series, Hickman said, "ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN is a book I never thought I'd be writing. It's a bit of a Peter B. Parker situation..."

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1 Written by BRYAN HILL Art and Cover by STEFANO CASELLI On Sale February 7

In the wake of ULTIMATE INVASION, Khonshu and Ra—the force known together as Moon Knight—are seeking to expand their brutal control of the continent of Africa. In response, the lone bulwark against them, the isolated nation of Wakanda, will send forth its champion…its king…the Black Panther! From the creative minds of Bryan Hill (BLADE, KILLMONGER) and Stefano Caselli (X-MEN RED, AVENGERS) comes a bold new take on the world of Black Panther and Wakanda!

"I was invigorated by this opportunity because in addition to my immense respect for Jonathan Hickman’s detailed storytelling, the idea of shepherding this bold new take on Black Panther in this event gives me a platform to do the kind of broad, epic, storytelling I’ve always wanted to do in comics," Hill said.

“My influences range from the history of BLACK PANTHER comics to Ryan Coogler’s incredible work with the recent films, to Frank Herbert’s worldbuilding capacity of Dune," he added. "This is something people won’t expect, in the best of ways, and full credit to Marvel and editors Wil Moss and Michelle Marchese for bringing this creative possibility to me."

ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 Written by PEACH MOMOKO Art and Cover by PEACH MOMOKO On Sale March 6

Visionary creator Peach Momoko reinvents mutantkind for the Ultimate age! In Japan, when a young student named Hisako Ichiki develops armor powers, she discovers she’s a mutant—and she’s not the only one! Meet a new generation of mutants, filled with original and familiar X-Men characters. Together, they’ll learn what it means to be mutant in the Ultimate Universe as they explore their emerging powers and the startling ways they connect to folklore, legend, and magic!

“I am very honored to be a part of the new Ultimate Universe,” Momoko said. “I am very careful in delivering the unique X-Men mutant elements while still being true to my vision and voice."

"I am also very proud (and surprised) that I was given enough freedom from C.B. Cebulski and Jonathan Hickman to create a brand-new X-Men character," she shared. "It might not be the normal portrayal of a super hero…but I am excited to introduce everyone to a new chapter to my Momoko-verse.”

#ultimate marvel #Marvel Ultimate #ultimate universe #Marvel Comics #Ultimate Black Panther #Ultimate X-Men #ultimate spider man #jonathan hickman #Youtube

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maria-ford-fan · 1 year ago

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"Maria Ford in 2023: Unleashing Her Artistic Brilliance" #MariaFord2023 #ArtisticBrilliance #MultifacetedTalent

Maria Ford, a name that resonates with artistic brilliance, is set to captivate audiences once again in 2023. As a multifaceted talent with a mesmerizing presence, Maria Ford continues to push the boundaries of her craft and leave an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. In this article, we delve into Maria Ford's upcoming projects, her artistic journey, and the impact she is poised to make in 2023.

The Artistic Renaissance of Maria Ford

With each passing year, Maria Ford evolves as an artist, exploring new avenues of creative expression and pushing the limits of her talent. In 2023, she is set to unleash her artistic brilliance in a series of captivating performances that will showcase her versatility and range. From dance to acting and modeling, Maria Ford's artistry knows no bounds.

Mastering the Dance Floor: Maria Ford's Enthralling Performances

Maria Ford's dance performances have always been a sight to behold, blending passion, grace, and technical precision. In 2023, she promises to mesmerize audiences with her captivating routines, whether it's the sensual allure of belly dance, the vibrant energy of Latin dance, or the enchanting elegance of jazz. Maria Ford's mastery of different dance styles continues to elevate her status as an international dance star.

A Stellar Film Career: Maria Ford's Unforgettable Roles

Maria Ford's filmography is filled with memorable characters that have resonated with audiences worldwide. In 2023, she will once again showcase her acting prowess in a range of diverse and challenging roles. From gripping dramas to thrilling adventures, Maria Ford's ability to embody complex characters and deliver captivating performances is what sets her apart.

Redefining Beauty: Maria Ford's Modeling Impact

Maria Ford's striking features and magnetic presence have made her a sought-after model in the fashion industry. In 2023, she will continue to redefine beauty standards with her unique charm and versatility. Maria Ford's ability to embody different aesthetics and capture the essence of each concept with poise and confidence is a testament to her modeling brilliance.

A Visionary Artist: Maria Ford's Impact on the Industry

Maria Ford's artistic brilliance extends beyond her individual performances. Her commitment to pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and inspiring others has established her as a visionary artist. In 2023, Maria Ford's impact on the industry will continue to inspire aspiring artists and ignite conversations about the power of artistic expression.

Conclusion:

In 2023, Maria Ford is poised to unleash her artistic brilliance like never before. From enthralling dance performances to unforgettable film roles and groundbreaking modeling endeavors, Maria Ford's multifaceted talent knows no limits. Her artistic journey is one of continuous growth, reinvention, and passion, and her impact on the industry is set to resonate for years to come. As Maria Ford takes center stage in 2023, audiences can expect nothing short of extraordinary artistry that will leave a lasting impression. #MariaFord2023 #ArtisticBrilliance #MultifacetedTalent

#maria ford #mariaford2023 #mariaford #mariafordnewimages #mariaford recent looks

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spctlights · 2 years ago

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(—) ★ spotted!! WREN JACOBS on the cover of this week’s most recent tabloid! many say that the 27 year old looks like EMMA CORRIN, but i don’t really see it. while the MAKE-UP ARTIST is known for being A VISIONARY my inside sources say that they have a tendency to be DISTRUSTING i swear, every time i think of them, i hear the song MOTION SICKNESS by PHOEBE BRIDGERS

BASIC INFORMATION:

name: wren alex jacobs.

nicknames: wennie.

pronouns: they/them.

gender: non-binary.

age: twenty-seven.

date of birth: august 24th.

place of birth: chicago, illinois.

astrological sign: virgo.

orientation: panromantic, demipansexual.

APPEARANCE:

height: five foot eight.

build: slim.

hair colour: brown, but currently bleached blond.

eye colour: green.

wardrobe style: they go from summery dresses to blazers and corderoy pants depending on how they feel, but they usually make sure to have some pops of colour.

tattoos: none yet.

piercings: double earrings, helix, nipples.

HEALTH:

physical ailments: had scoliosis, but has had surgery for this.

mental ailments: depression and anxiety.

alcohol use: rarely drinks, is a complete lightweight.

drug use: none.

addictions: none.

PERSONALITY:

positive traits: visionary, creative, empathetic..

negative traits: paranoid, distrusting, slow minded.

ACTIVITIES & SKILLS:

skills: sfx, stage and film make-up, sewing.

weaknesses: public speaking, networking.

languages spoken: english & dutch.

FAMILY:

father: johan jacobs ( deceased, aged fifty - nine )

mother: renee jacobs polinski ( alive, forty )

foster siblings: tba.

CAREER/LIFE DETAILS (tw child abuse, foster care, prison, cancer, death):

1995: wren was born alexandra winnifred jacobs, to a dutch father (43) and an american mother (22) in chicago, illinois. they were not an expected child –– and their parents got married out of necessity rather than love. their father worked in a factory and their mother stayed at home.

2003: when wren was eight years old, they found their mothers makeup collection for the first time and immediately enjoyed playing around with the colors. when their mother found out - she was furious. there had been some strain on the family for many years and their mother’s makeup was one of the few nice thing she still owned, and although wren had been careful, according to their mother, it was now ruined. their parents had always used corporal punishment ( mainly spanking ) as punishment, but this is the first time the belt came out.

2008: at 13 years old, wren takes their first job delivering newspapers in the early morning before school so they can save up for their own, good quality make-up. that year, they received a second-hand sewing machine for their birthday – though it had been smashed by their father after misbehaving before christmas.

2010: after a particularly heavy beating from their mother, they appeared at school with serious bruises, child protective services were called and they were separated from their parents, their mother sent to prison for abuse and neglect. their father, however, only got 350 hours of community service. wren begins bouncing around various foster homes.

2011: finds a more permanent foster home, though it is not much better than their family home as they do not accept wren’s wishes to stop going by alexandra and go by alex instead. just after their 16th birthday, they get the news that their father is terminally ill. wren does not reach out. he dies before christmas.

2013: as soon as they turn eighteen, they are moved out of their foster home. they had been saving up for a years and enroll in the cinema makeup school in los angeles, while also picking up some work as a bridal make-up artist at the same time. their mother is also released from prison, but neither reaches out.

2018: they officially change their name to wren, though keep alex as their middle name, as well as keeping their last name. they have picked up steady work and are living with a partner.

2021: their partner cheats on them with their best friend and wren is forced to move out. luckily, their work has been going well, working on some high grossing movies and even on a movie that was nominated for best makeup and hairstyling, and they buy their own place just outside the city.

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

ex-partner: their partner cheated on them after a 3-year relationship, with their best friend. they are quite obviously, not on good terms.

ex-best friend: were best friends from 2013 until 2021, when they had an affair with wren’s partner at the time.

regular clients: wren has various regular clients for hairstyling and make-up, and also works with various actors for film and tv.

foster siblings: wren lived in a foster family for 2.5 years, where they lived with some other fostered siblings, as well as biological siblings from the foster parents. the foster parents were not particularly accepting of wren’s gender identity.

#⸻ ✧ WREN JACOBS : ISMS ⧽#hillzhqsintro

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x--daughters-of-darkness--x · 2 months ago

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POPPY Announces New Album 'Negative Spaces'

Singer, songwriter, subversive performance artist, video director, and purveyor of surrealist chaos Poppy will release a new album, "Negative Spaces", on November 15 via Sumerian Records. The LP is set to reveal a new glimpse of the true visionary unconcerned with genre. The announce comes on the heels of last week's release, the genre-defying banger and first taste of "Negative Spaces", "They're All Around Us".

"Negative Spaces" follows Poppy's recent successful collaborations: BAD OMENS' "V.A.N.", which climbed the Active Rock Radio charts and has entered the top 15 at the format, and KNOCKED LOOSE's "Suffocate", which broke into the top 10 on Spotify's Viral 50 USA playlist. Her solo track "New Way Out", released this summer, is currently No. 30 on the Active Rock radio charts and climbing.

In addition to the esteemed collaborations, 2024 has been a monumental year for Poppy's live performances. In January, she kicked things off by joining BAD OMENS on the "Concrete Forever" tour across Europe, followed by her headlining her own "Zig" tour throughout the region. In March, Poppy came back stateside and supported AVENGED SEVENFOLD on their month-long North American tour. This summer, she opened for THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS on their North American run.

An insatiably inventive drive has fueled Poppy's surrealistic rise through countless corners of the arts and music worlds, with each of her many projects so far revealing a different glimpse of a true visionary unconcerned with genre, unimpressed by convention, and forever defying expectations. It's that eclecticism that has cemented Poppy's reputation as a boundary-obliterating artist redefining culture as we know it, at every turn.

From performance art provocateur, to video director, to sci-fi graphic novel author, to a globe-traveling recording artist whose songbook encompasses anything from brutal metal breakdowns and snappy 1960s bubblegum, to trap-pop and grunge-punk, absolutely nothing has been off-limits when it comes to Poppy masterfully executing her varied artistic vision. Her 2021 Grammy nod for "Best Metal Performance" ("BLOODMONEY") marked the first time a solo female artist had ever been nominated in the category. Her staggeringly chameleon-like adaptability has kept fans guessing what's next every step of the way. And yet, each impressive and feverishly ambitious pivot manages to sound uniquely, and singularly Poppy.

"Negative Spaces" continues the sonic adventurism of this spring's diamond-radiant industrial anthem "New Way Out", with Poppy and co-producer Jordan Fish (ex-BRING ME THE HORIZON) also mirror-balling through delicately delivered pop, full-bodied screams, synth-symbiotic 1980s retro-futurism, and energy-jolted 2000s pop-punk. It's the thrilling sound of an ever-evolving artist redefining their legacy one song at a time, with a welcome understanding that there's still so much inspiration to be found in the margins yet to be explored, deep within the negative spaces.

#poppy #negative spaces #2024 news

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monriatitans · 2 months ago

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Finished a Book! Mini-Review

"Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pickup Artists: The Truth about Extreme Misogyny and How It Affects Us All" by Laura Bates

Damn.

This took me a while to finish. The subject matter was tough to get through, as to be expected. The book contained ACTUAL abusive messages posted online. They were horrific.

I finished the book feeling a bit numb. I went to bed after I finished since it was after midnight. Afterward, one quote stuck out:

"Men like Matt McGorry, Patrick Stewart, Barack Obama, David Schwimmer, and many more continue to use their personal platforms to speak, write, and sing about the problem with prescriptive masculinity, exploring nuanced and new ways to examine being a man. We need the bulk of this work to come from men. If masculinity is the problem, it is men who must invent and drive new forms of manhood. The one thing everyone seems to agree on is that it is fairly fruitless for feminists to be seen to be telling boys the right way to be a man. That doesn't mean that the project of reforming masculinity has failed. It means that, as with so much of the heavy lifting of the pursuit of equality in our society, the hard work has been foisted on the wrong people."

And women need to recognize the part we play in all of this; we are raising these men. This shit starts at home.

We need to be raising our boys to be respectful, not raising our girls to shrink themselves when they're disrespected.

Women need to be loud.

Excellent book. 10/10

—

LAURA BATES is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, a crowdsourced collection of stories from women around the world about their experiences with gender equality. Laura has received the British Empire Metal in the Queen's Birthday Honours, the WMC Digital Media Award from the Women's Media Center, and the Georgina Henry prize; has been named in the BBC Woman's Hour Power List Game Changers; and has won Cosmopolitan's Ultimate Woman of the Year Award. She was also named in CNN's 10 Visionary Women List. Follow her efforts on Twitter @everydaysexism.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finished a book on The Neverending Reading List! See the entire list here! Interested in the book? Snag it real quick here! Like what you see and want to know when there's more? Click here to subscribe for updates and/or hit the Follow button! Enjoy what I do? Please consider supporting via Buy Me a Coffee! To provide educational material and fun reads, I created a bookshop called the Rendezvous Point (RP)! Check it out here! For more about me, click here! Watch me on Twitch, YouTube, Rumble, and Odysee!

—

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studioahead · 3 months ago

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Ann Hatch: Northern California Legacy Spotlight

Ann Hatch has had many lives: ceramicist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, visionary founder of the Capp Street Project and the Oxbow School. “I believe ideas and projects have a relevance at a certain time… Things change. It is important to know when it is over,” she said to us, reflecting on a decades-long career that no matter its form has always centered on the arts, even as the city and the scene changes.

The other great constant in Hatch’s life, besides art, is her curiosity for culture. This was abundantly clear when we visited her home in Sebastopol earlier this year. Designed by her ex-husband, the architect and Buddhist priest Paul Discoe, the house is itself a work of art, with obvious Japanese influences and a respect for the materials, often left in their natural state. What makes this house Hatch’s own, however, are the artworks throughout—so perfectly selected that it is no surprise why Hatch has had success through all her personal reinventions.

Studio AHEAD: Years before we met, I came to your Sebastopol property—I didn’t know it was yours at the time—to pick up a piece by Jesse Schlesinger, who was living there. Tell us about this house, which was designed by Paul Discoe.

Ann Hatch: Designing and building a house with Paul was a unique experience. He had just started his construction business. Everything was done in the Japanese tradition. We had a terrific time designing and planning. We both had wild ideas. He could do them and make them unusually beautiful. When the project was finalized, we realized we really wanted to be together. Since we were both married that took some time. Paul is one of the most creative designers I had ever met—nothing was impossible. We shared a love of wood and using materials in creative but functional ways. He designed and built the New York apartment, as well.

Studio AHEAD: Do you regularly open up your home to artists?

Ann Hatch: There was a time when I had lots of receptions and parties. Now, I invite assorted people for small gatherings, mostly to the ranch. It’s fun to show them the details and materials of the house. I have, like everyone, realized how important my friends are. One benefit of getting old is the depth of friendship that we have.

Studio AHEAD: Is this the same kind of energy that pushed you to found the Capp Street Project?

Ann Hatch: I started Capp Street unexpectedly. I saw a David Ireland-designed house, which was for sale, empty. I met him on his birthday. I had a lot of apples in the car, which I took over to his personal residence to meet him. I soon agreed to buy the house he designed at 65 Capp Street without really knowing what I would do with it. But I knew it was a special space: I liked the changing light and sculptural elements, especially when it was empty. I knew the house could be a springboard for new ideas, not just a house. It was an immediate decision that you can’t explain. All my projects have started with a burst of confidence. I just knew it was the right idea for that time and needed to be done. I was fortunate to have the resources and advisors to get these projects started. In all cases my intention was that the project would be sustainable. It worked pretty well back then. (Things are different now).

Interestingly, my great grandfather T. B. Walker started the Walker Art Center out of his house. Maybe that had imprinted on me in some deep place. I moved quickly to develop the concept for an artist-in-residency, which was a new idea back in 1983. Artists were very enthusiastic about coming to San Francisco and making new work. We got the bravest and the best of the installation artists. Initially they made loose proposals; it was expected they would use S.F. or the house as a source of inspiration. I learned a great deal about Bay Area history from their projects: shredded money came from our mint, razor blades made from requisitioned cannons in the Presedio, seismic activity, recycled paper from Recology, and what people discard on the street. One collaborative team put fish hooks on all the street detritus around the building. We all had so much fun and realized amazingly bold ideas. The word spread fast among the artists—we were real and could do stuff! We facilitated the artists wishes, and that was thrilling.

Studio AHEAD: Could you have started Capp Street anywhere or was it something unique to the feel of San Francisco at the time? Perhaps it wouldn’t even be possible in San Francisco now.

Ann Hatch: Honestly, I would never be able to do a Capp Street project now. Everything is so charged and PC. I was born in S.F. and feel it has amazing qualities and depth. I wanted to see what artists would find interesting and worth focusing on. It might have worked in Chicago or any big city. Our artists, after 15 years, told us they were getting museum and gallery opportunities, which was great and why we closed. I believe ideas and projects have a relevance at a certain time. They can adapt and change sometimes, but it’s OK to "sunset" projects.

Later, I started Oxbow School in 1997, which we are closing after 25 years. I also closed Workshop Residence after 9 years when the pandemic hit. Things change. It is important to know when it is over.

Studio AHEAD: In the 80s and 90s you put on wild shows in your gallery: in one, the artist purposely flooded the exhibition space; in another, the street was extended right into the gallery, so that you couldn't tell which was interior/exterior. You have a much more adventurous, exploratory spirit than most patrons....

Ann Hatch: In the 80s it was a more adventurous and free time. There were lots of non-profit spaces that did great programs. The artists always wanted tech and unusual materials, which were difficult and challenging to find. Each residency exhibit was completely different. Capp Street Project had t-shirts that said "Weird things in a big room.” We had a small budget with lots of friends and connections. People wanted to be generous and part of these projects.

Studio AHEAD: What drew you to Napa to start the Oxbow School?

Ann Hatch: I was meeting the Mondavi family with a friend who was writing Robert Mondavi’s biography Harvest of Joy. My friend wanted to pitch Mondavi to fund a TV series of artists talking about their work. I said "no, that's a dreadful idea. Artists should not talk about their work… if I were Mondavis, I would start a school." So I was invited up to lunch… many lunches. I showed them many ways the arts can enrich young people and the community. He wanted to do something in the town of Napa that would have national impact. I quickly bought 15 pieces of property that were in the floodplain. It was across the river from his big project, Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food, & the Arts, which made it an "arts" district. Acquiring the properties was easy, as all the owners wanted out of the floodplain. The idea of having a semester for high school students with an arts focus was unique. Subjects taught in tandem with academics: English with painting, math with sculpture, for example. New ways of getting students thinking and engaged. Again, a bold idea that had its time. Oxbow did it really well, as the students say that I’ve changed their lives. I'm very proud of that.

Studio AHEAD: Twenty years ago you did a fascinating interview with Richard Whittaker and gave a great piece of advice to young artists: “You've got to be centered in what the work is about.” How have you remained centered in your own work?

Ann Hatch: That sounds preachy. I was probably thinking about the students at Oxbow School. If we could get the students focused in creative ways, they really blossomed. I have had the opportunity to start three projects. I've needed to be very focused on those to have them realized. Personally, I'm a bit hectic. I try to do too many things. That’s changing now...

In The Dogpatch you had Workshop Residence. Elena came after class from SFAI to a workshop headed by Max Lamb. Tell us about those times. Again I developed a plan for something that did not already exist. I wanted to have a store with limited editions of objects and work made by artists. Again , we rolled up our sleeves and made things with artists partners and fabricators. rugs made out of fire house, Sol Le Wit blankets, coffee cups made by 3D printing coffee grounds,, door stop made from skateboards, Perfume made locally, knot tieing Indigo and broom makingtied workshops, broom making,.etc

Studio AHEAD: Let's say I am a young person of certain means who wants to become a patron. What advice would you give? What has been most useful in your career?

Ann Hatch: Try new ideas that are within your means. Research what exists and find a niche. Be bold in concept. Use your friends and contacts. I needed an army for all my projects. It is one of the good parts of getting older, you have deep friendships. If you have financial resources, don’t be shy about using them in a constructive way. Starting projects takes energy, vision, and money. That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I wanted to keep a low profile. Maybe that’s not possible now? If you’re making an impact, the word gets out by your deeds. Not social media.

Studio AHEAD: In a career of constantly looking forward, what is next for you?

Ann Hatch: I think my ceramics will hold my attention. I can control the whole process and keep learning. No board of directors, staff, or committees. I am enjoying doing porcelain portrait dog and cat bowls. People are crazy about their pets. They should have beautiful dinner dishes. It’s fun to capture their charming distinct expressions.

Studio AHEAD: Along with your house in Sebastopol, you have a home in the city, and also I think one in New York. Is there a commonality among all the houses you’ve lived in—something that makes you say to yourself, Yes this is my home.

Ann Hatch: Actually, all three are really different, which show I have many sides and interests.

Studio AHEAD: Can you share a favorite part of your house with us?

Ann Hatch: The morning and the shadows that play on the windows and surfaces. Each house has a unique character. The NYC apartment is so traditionally Japanese, it is like being in Japan. It’s very high contrast to the street energy. I see and think differently in each house. Outside at the ranch everything is fresh. You can hear things growing as I water the vegetables and assess the day. S.F. is home in lots of ways. I’m very lucky to have these places and I treasure them in different ways.

Photos by Ekaterina Izmestieva

#studioahead #annhatch #ann hatch #northern california #bayarea #studio ahead #art #california #sonoma #sebastopol

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ichlievedich · 3 months ago

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In the vibrant port city of Hamburg, a unique love story unfolds. Hans Sebastian, a seasoned German sailor, meets Lila Lieve, a visionary Indonesian designer, at a bustling harbor café. Their worlds collide as they share a passion for beauty and adventure, leading to a romance that transcends borders.

Sandrielle Ivara Lieve is born on September 23, 1994, to this eclectic union. Raised as an only child in Hamburg, she grows up immersed in two rich cultures. Her father’s stories of the sea and her mother’s artistic flair create a tapestry of experiences that shape Sandrielle's early years. Her childhood is marked by frequent voyages with her father and creative endeavors with her mother, blending German discipline with Indonesian creativity.

Sandrielle's innate grace and poise become evident from a young age. Encouraged by her mother’s eye for beauty and her father’s adventurous spirit, she decides to pursue modeling. She graduates from a prestigious modeling school in Germany, gaining recognition for her unique blend of European elegance and exotic charm. Her education and experiences in Hamburg serve as a solid foundation for her burgeoning career.

In her early twenties, Sandrielle makes a bold decision to move to Indonesia. Inspired by her mother's roots and seeking new opportunities, she relocates to Jakarta. The transition is challenging but exhilarating, as she adapts to the vibrant fashion scene of her mother’s homeland. Her diverse background makes her a sought-after model, and she quickly garners attention for her ability to embody both Western sophistication and Indonesian grace.

As Sandrielle’s career skyrockets, she faces cultural and professional hurdles. She navigates the complexities of an industry that often demands conformity, striving to stay true to her unique identity. Her journey includes overcoming language barriers, adapting to different aesthetic standards, and balancing her international background with local expectations.

Despite the obstacles, Sandrielle's perseverance pays off. She becomes a trailblazer in the fashion world, celebrated not only for her striking appearance but also for her ability to bridge cultures. Her work as a model begins to reflect her parents’ legacies: the adventurous spirit of her father and the artistic vision of her mother.

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panelrank · 4 months ago

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Vanessa Andrea’s Birthday Celebration to Feature Major Beauty Industry Announcements

Luxuri Beauty CEO, Vanessa Andrea, to Reveal New Innovations at Exclusive Birthday Event

July 25, 2024 – Vanessa Andrea, the trailblazing CEO of Luxuri Beauty, is set to host an exclusive birthday celebration that promises to be a highlight in the beauty industry calendar. Known for her innovative vision and dedication to excellence, Vanessa is expected to unveil significant developments that could reshape the beauty landscape.

Anticipated Birthday Celebration

Industry insiders are abuzz with anticipation as Vanessa Andrea, the founder of Luxuri Beauty, prepares to celebrate her birthday with a lavish event. The celebration is rumored to attract top beauty professionals, influencers, and fashion designers, making it one of the most talked-about events of the year. Attendees can expect exclusive previews of Luxuri Beauty’s latest products and services, showcasing Vanessa’s commitment to innovation and luxury.

The birthday event is more than just a personal milestone for Vanessa; it is a platform for major industry announcements. Guests are eager to hear about Luxuri Beauty’s future plans, including potential new product launches and strategic partnerships aimed at setting new standards in the beauty sector.

Vanessa Andrea’s Professional Journey

Vanessa Andrea began her career in the beauty industry at the age of 22, focusing on bridal makeup. Her expertise and passion for beauty led her to identify gaps in the market, inspiring the creation of Luxuri Beauty. Since its inception, the brand has enjoyed a 40% increase in sales year-over-year, highlighting Vanessa’s strategic vision and business acumen.

Luxuri Beauty is renowned for its premium hair and makeup services, catering to diverse clients, including bridal parties, corporate clients, and beauty enthusiasts. Vanessa’s leadership and dedication to professionalism, inclusivity, and exceptional service have set Luxuri Beauty apart in the competitive beauty market.

Future Prospects and Innovations

Luxuri Beauty is a beacon of luxury and innovation in the beauty industry. Vanessa Andrea’s commitment to high-quality services and professionalism ensures that the brand remains a favorite among discerning clients. Rumors suggest that Vanessa’s upcoming announcements will include significant expansions and new initiatives aimed at enhancing Luxuri Beauty’s market presence.

Vanessa’s vision for Luxuri Beauty includes introducing cutting-edge beauty treatments and forming strategic partnerships to drive growth. Her commitment to innovation and excellence continues to set new benchmarks in the industry, ensuring Luxuri Beauty’s position as a market leader.

Personal Insights and Leadership

Vanessa Andrea’s success is fueled by her passion for beauty and dedication to personal and professional growth. She enjoys mentoring aspiring beauty professionals, collaborating with top fashion designers, and participating in international beauty and fashion expos. Vanessa’s ability to balance her role as a CEO with her love for beauty highlights her exceptional leadership skills.

Achievements and Industry Recognition

Certified makeup artist

Luxuri Beauty featured in leading bridal magazines

Advocate for inclusivity in the beauty industry

Industry Insights

The global beauty industry was valued at $511 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $716 billion by 2025 (Source: Statista).

89% of beauty companies are investing in digital marketing (Source: McKinsey).

The bridal makeup market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2023 to 2028 (Source: Market Research Future).

Luxuri Beauty has reported a consistent 40% increase in sales year-over-year.

Final Thoughts

Vanessa Andrea’s upcoming birthday celebration and anticipated industry revelations are generating significant buzz. Her visionary approach and unwavering commitment to excellence continue to drive Luxuri Beauty’s success. As Vanessa prepares to celebrate her birthday and unveil new innovations, the beauty industry eagerly awaits the transformative developments.

About Luxuri Beauty

Luxuri Beauty, founded by Vanessa Andrea, is a luxury hair and makeup company offering premium beauty services. Known for its professionalism, inclusivity, and exceptional quality, Luxuri Beauty continues to set new standards in the beauty industry.

FAQs

Q: What is Vanessa Andrea best known for? A: Vanessa Andrea is best known for her role as the CEO and founder of Luxuri Beauty, a luxury hair and makeup company.

Q: What services does Luxuri Beauty provide? A: Luxuri Beauty offers high-quality hair and makeup services for bridal parties, special events, corporate clients, and beauty enthusiasts.

Q: What motivated Vanessa Andrea to start Luxuri Beauty? A: Vanessa was motivated by her passion for beauty and a desire to bring professionalism and excellence to the industry.

Q: What are Vanessa Andrea's key achievements? A: Vanessa is a certified makeup artist whose company, Luxuri Beauty, has been featured in several bridal magazines and has seen a 40% increase in sales year-over-year since its inception.

Q: How does Vanessa Andrea invest her wealth? A: Vanessa invests significantly in expanding her business, restructuring operations, and guiding her team toward achieving new milestones. She also focuses on personal development and staying ahead of industry trends.

Q: What are Vanessa Andrea’s personal interests? A: Vanessa enjoys investing in her business and personal development, mentoring aspiring beauty professionals, collaborating with top fashion designers, and attending beauty and fashion expos around the world.

Q: What are the future plans for Luxuri Beauty? A: Vanessa plans to expand Luxuri Beauty into a multi-million dollar enterprise by introducing new beauty treatments, forming exclusive partnerships, and potentially entering new markets.

Q: How is Luxuri Beauty performing in the market? A: Luxuri Beauty has reported a 40% increase in sales year-over-year, reflecting Vanessa’s successful business strategies and dedication to excellence.

#internet personality #entrepreneur #ceo #business #company #vanessa andrea

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