#Billie Woods Photography

[sweetpaintedladie]

Billy Idol, Perri Lister, Ronnie and Jo Wood at The Cat Club in New York City, 1984

©️Ron Galella

[maraschinocheri]

It was 20 years ago (ish) :: Empire magazine publishes The Lord of the Rings: A Celebration, a special booklet enclosed with the magazine's January 2004 issue, which was released in December 2003. The booklet carried interviews with the principal cast of the LOTR trilogy as well as a significant amount of the creatives involved. The photography was taken in Watford, New York, Wellington, London, Sydney, Los Angeles, Surrey, Melbourne, and Vancouver between February and October 2003. Shown here: Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Billy Boyd (Pippin); John Rhys-Davies (Gimli/Treebeard), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), Sean Bean (Boromir); Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Sean Astin (Sam), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn); Miranda Otto (Eowyn), Andy Serkis (Gollum/Smeagol), Liv Tyler (Arwen); Bernard Hill (Theoden), Christopher Lee (Saruman), Karl Urban (Eomer); Hugo Weaving (Elrond), David Wenham (Faramir), and Cate Blanchett (Galadriel). [Note: Dominic Monaghan's photo here is an outtake; the actual shot in the booklet can be seen here. These photoshoots provided several excellent outtakes that I'd be happy to share if there is interest.]

[ The Wellington premiere of ROTK | Air Frodo from NZ to LA | Los Angeles | Berlin | London | New York (1) | New York (2) ]

[havithreatendub4]

#Jeff Beck tribute concert #May 23, 2023 #Royal Albert Hall #London UK

#Jeff Beck tribute concert #May 23, 2023 #Royal Albert Hall #London UK

#Ross Halfin Photography

Johnny holding #Ian Hunter album & sticking his #tongue out again

[shieldofiron]

As a Halloween thought for you because omg you finished serrated- thrall Steve dressing like a vampire bride because he’s sad and pining alone in Billys massive castle

Just thought this might be a little pick me up thought

"Steven! Steven," Billy glanced down at his bloodstained shirt. Steve had such tricks, the humans had made such progress in the field of laundry since Billy had stopped paying attention in the 1800s.

Since Steve had moved into the nest, he'd made so many improvements, including installing one of their laundry machines. Billy had happily paid to have new plumbing installed for his human thrall, anything to keep Steve happy. Though he feared he was quite ruining it by constantly asking whether he could get help putting his clothes in.

He ran a hand through his hair a few times, wishing, as he often had, that there was new progress in the world of mirrors and photography so he could ensure he looked his best for his... Steve.

There was a scuffling noise behind the door to Steve's room but there was no answer.

"Steven... are you quite alright?" Billy leaned into the door.

But there was no answer.

Billy's mind began to race, imagining the worst. Perhaps slayers had infiltrated. Eddie had a passing fancy for a small slayer, a blonde boy with murderous accuracy. Eddie could have easily led the slayer here in his doomed quest to seduce him.

"Steven!" Billy burst through the door and stopped still, "Oh."

Steve was half huddled behind a mirror, trying to hide. Which was proving difficult, because he was wearing a dress Billy had never thought to see again.

Chrissy had had a human bride, long ago. She'd specially made the girl a dress, a traditional vampire bride's dress of red lace. When the girl had died, Chrissy had packed it away with her bride's belongings.

"Steven."

"I didn't steal it! Chrissy leant it to me! I swear," Steve squeaked.

"But..." Billy shook his head, "Why?"

"I just... um... I thought maybe..." Steven rested his head against the mirror, "I know I'm just your thrall but... this is just for me. I'm allowed to dream a little right?”

If Billy had a heart it would be racing, "Steven."

"I know, I'm s-sorry, Billy, God," Steve groaned, "Just leave me alone."

Billy disappeared into smoke and reappeared behind Steve, tracing the line of the open back of the gown up to the top of Steve's delicate spine, "You make a beautiful bride, Steve."

Steve just made a little whimpering noise.

"But I think," Billy ghosted his lips along Steve's neck, "We could make you a new one."

Steve shivered, "Billy, don't tease me..."

Billy spun Steve in a whirl of motion, pressing him into the heavy wood frame of the mirror.

"I'm not teasing," Billy stepped between Steve's parting legs, "Fuck, Steve. I'm not a fancy man. If I hadn't got turned I'd be dead in a gutter in Derry long ago."

"I don't know what that has to do with anything," Steve said in a whisper.

Billy ran his hands along Steve's bare back, "Because I love fine things. I love fine things that I don't deserve, but fuck Steve, I will take them."

Steve looked up at him with wide bambi eyes, "Then take them."

Billy forgot all about his laundry. But they ended up having to clean the wedding dress anyway, or Chrissy would kill them. They didn't call her the blood queen for nothing.

[tardis-stowaway]

I spent the weekend at DragonCon, a convention I've been attending off and on for decades. Some notable experiences and thoughts this year include:

Jodie Whittaker was there, and her panel was an absolute delight. I lined up almost an hour in advance and ended up with a pretty good seat. She talks with her hands constantly. The other celeb panels I saw (Catherine Tate and a LOTR panel with Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan) were also really fun.

One of the more notable moments of the con happened as I was failing to get into a panel. A huge line formed waiting for the Science vs. Movies panel Sunday night, and it got routed down a corridor of the Hilton that I'd never seen before. It wasn't signed as a staff-only area, but it was an intensely liminal and weird space. After passing through multiple turns, I ended up finding the end of the line in an area where half the overhead lights were out! The carpet had weird swirls and a bit of color theory. Many of the locked doors along the corridor were labeled as meeting rooms (why wasn't the con using them in its constant need for more space?), but others had signs like "Fire Control." Even through my mask it smelled faintly of mildew. The Distortion vibes were strong. I am delighted to report that someone on reddit posted a photo of what I believe is the exact area where I joined the line. Luckily the people in line near me were all good-humored and fun. When the line finally moved we did not make it into the panel, but the corridor did allow us to exit with our lives and what remained of our sanity.

I spotted a Magnus Archives/Protocol photoshoot on the schedule Friday, so I went to that to see cosplay and say hi to people in the fandom. It was held at night outside on a very noisy party patio, which impaired photography and conversation. Still, I had fun! There were some very cool costumes. A Jane Prentiss cosplayer gave me (gummy) worms.

I cosplayed one day this year. I was Carpenter from The Silt Verses, during S2 when she's carrying the homesick corpse. I'd originally conceived of trying to make a backpack into a whole cloth-wrapped corpse with limbs, but I wasn't able to get that construction to work in the time I had. Instead I just had a wrapped head sticking out of a backpack with attached speech balloon saying "Please...I have to get home." Presumably the rest of the shriveled corpse is shoved in the bag. I knew that the odds of being recognized were very low since the costume is for a podcast, and not even a podcast where fanart is super widespread or settled in distinguishing characteristics. Still, I figured that horror podcast fan overlap meant that I might find other Silt Verses fans at the Magnus event. Sure enough, I had one (1) person recognize me there. Silt Verses fan with the long colorful hair, you made my con!

The Our Flag Means Death fan panel was a good time. The love was strong in that room.

Masking, while more common at the con than in your average store or public building these days, was still way too low considering how many people were crowded in after traveling from all over. I kept my mask on indoors except when eating or drinking, and ate almost all of my meals outside. We'll see if that was enough to keep me healthy.

The Brit Track needs to do a better job at getting some new voices with more varied opinions on their Doctor Who discussion panels.

I saw lots of Fourteenth Doctors, which I expected, but I was sad not to have seen any Fifteenth Doctors cosplayers.

In general I feel like I saw slightly less really impressive cosplay than in some past DragonCons, but that may have been just my habit of avoiding some of the really crowded lobby zones when possible. Still plenty of awesome cosplay work around.

As usual it was far too crowded inside and too hot outside. I'm now tired and super achey (in a too much time on my feet way, not in a con crud/covid way for now). Nevertheless, I had an excellent time.

[panlight]

Twilight Superlatives: Class Artist

I'm interpreting this as visual arts only (we can have another for Best Musician or something?).

[kaitopedestrian]

Chapter 2 - The Goldenwood Incident

Trainer: Pearl

Pokemon: Rockruff (Tilly, level 15, Adamant Nature) Blitzle (Billy, level 14, Quiet Nature)

Status: Alive

...

Pearl, who had been wandering the city for at least an hour, was now standing on the other side of the gym field with Scott on the opposing side. While she wandered the city, she caught a Blitzle on the connecting bridge who she named Billy and was happy to have another friend. Scott’s shit eating grin was as wide as can be and his icy blue eyes were gleaming in the light. “Come at me with everything you got Pearl! Hope you don’t disappoint~.” Scott purred, sending out his Amaura onto the field. Tilly leaped in front of Pearl, digging her claws into the snow.

“Oh come on mate! You think I’m going to go easy?” Pearl said, giving him a toothy grin. Then, the battle against Gym Leader Scott began.

~ (<>) ~

Scott’s Vulpix went down and he returned the fox Pokemon. Billy the Blitzle looked at Pearl with big eyes and she rushed into the field to hug the little horse Pokemon, surprising it. “Good job you little nugget! Take some time to rest.” Pearl cooed, brushing her fingers through the horse Pokemon’s mane. He snorted happily as she returned Billy to his ball. Scott clapped as he walked up to Pearl, his smile wide.

“Thanks for the battle, Pearl. I finally felt like I was having fun during that!” Scott said, laughing. Pearl grinned at the blue haired man, shaking his hand as he handed her a badge. “Here’s the snowy badge. It’s definitely not creative but who needs that?” Scott quipped, getting a chuckle from Pearl. The two of them stepped off the stage and Gem and Jimmy came up to them.

“Congrats on the win Pearl! Good job on taking Scott down a peg.” Jimmy playfully jeered, earning a playful punch from the gym leader. Gem was amused by the two and returned her attention back to Pearl.

“You’re really good! Scott’s been undefeated for months already. Well, after I broke his last streak.” Gem commented, smirking at Scott, her green eyes bright.

“Yeah, yeah, we can talk about all of that later. Gem has somewhere to go, right? Goldenwood Forest?” Scott said, looking at Gem. The girl nodded, suddenly getting an idea.

“Pearl, do you want to join me on the trip? It’ll basically just be a walk through the woods looking for Vivillons.” Gem asked. Pearl was a bit taken aback by the offer and felt her face flush ever so slightly. Scott seemed to notice and he covered a laugh with a cough, his grin wide.

“Uh, sure! It’s just a little walk for photography right?” Pearl said, her face still a bit flushed. Gem didn’t seem to notice as she answered,

“Yeah! We’ll be back soon. These two won’t miss us.” Gem said, looking at Jimmy and Scott who were chatting about someone named Lizzie. Pearl subconsciously petted Tilly as she answered,

“Are we leaving right about now?” Gem nodded, playing with her braid.

“Yup! You can get to the forest through the Route One train station. See you there Pearl!” The girl left the gym and Pearl followed, leaving Scott and Jimmy in the gym. She defeats the man guarding the bridge to allow herself to cross and finds the yellow roofed station. When she enters, she surprisingly sees Pix looking at the map. He looks over his shoulder at the sound of the door opening and is pleasantly surprised to see Pearl.

“Pearl! It’s good to see you, how’ve you been?” The man asked, scratching Tilly’s neck fur. Pearl smiled, taking out her new badge.

“I battled the gym and got a few new friends. The city’s really nice.” Pearl said, scratching Tilly behind the ears. Pix had a warm smile on his bearded face as he looked towards the counter.

“Be right back.” He walked over to the counter much to Pearl’s confusion and as he came back, he handed her a ticket. “I talked with the conductor and he allowed me to give you a forever long free pass for the train. Hope you enjoy it.” Pearl was surprised by the sudden offer as she gently took it from his hand.

“Really? Thank you Pix!” Pearl said. Pix chuckled.

“Your welcome, Pearl. Have a good time on Route One.” Pix and Pearl waved their goodbyes and as he left, Pearl got on the train heading towards Route One. She quickly arrived and stepped out of the train, spotting Gem sitting on a bench, a briefcase at her feet. She quietly stepped over to her and gently pushed Gem with both of her hands. The girl shot to her feet and she only understood what was happening after hearing Pearl’s laughter. She whipped her head around and her confused look turned into a playful grin.

“For the love of- PEARL!” Gem exclaimed, laughing at the dumb scare. Pearl giggled as she lowered her hoodie.

“Hello there Gem~. You’re fun to scare!” Pearl said, giving the shorter girl a cheeky and toothy grin. Gem rolled her eyes but her smile never faltered.

“Yeah, yeah we looove scaring Gem. Anyway, the entrance to the forest is right over there. Just follow me.” Gem and Pearl walked towards the entrance and Pearl was shocked by the fresh scents hitting her nose, a big switch up from the gas like smell from East Gearen. The light scent of the trees was very comforting to her as the golden leaves blew in the wind. Pokemon ran around the woods freely and the two stopped at the bank of a river. “Well, here’s Goldenwood Forest. It’s really pretty, I’m glad it’s stayed like this for so long.” Gem said, sounding very nostalgic as she spoke. Pearl bent down to run her hand through the clear water and Tilly started to play with stray leaves.

“It’s very pretty…” Pearl muttered, almost entranced by the sparkly, clear water. Gem giggled and she gently tapped the young woman's shoulder, bringing her back to reality.

“Earth to Pearl~. There’s a lot more the deeper we go in.” Gem said. Pearl stood up and the two of them continued through the woods. They ended up finding a cave and entered it, the cool air hitting Pearl’s face. They ventured through the cave until they encountered a strange mural on the wall. They stopped and Gem started to inspect it. “Looks like a Garufan mural. They were an ancient tribe who lived in Aevium many, many years ago… This is really well preserved.” Gem said, her palm grazing the wall. Tilly sniffed the surface of it as Pearl stood next to Gem, her hands in her hoodie pocket.

“There’s some weird text underneath it.” Pearl said, looking down at the text Tilly was sniffing. Gem bent down to inspect the text, brushing her fingers against it to brush away the dirt.

“Huh… Actually, dad gave me a translator. We can probably use that.” Gem set down the briefcase and opened it, revealing an extensive machine on the surface of it. The two of them sat on the ground as Gem worked on the translator. She quickly set it up and now they played the waiting game. Pearl walked around the cave while waiting and found an abandoned Growlithe which she befriended and caught. She named her Millie. Other than that, the two of them waited there for a while. A whole hour passed until the translation was done. “Finally! Sorry for that long wait Pearl, I’m gonna look this over.” Gem said, opening the briefcase.

“Oh it’s alright. I’ve been able to play with Millie.” Pearl cooed at the Growlithe, brushing her neck fur with her fingers. Gem started to read off what was on the screen.

“The light within the belly of Ouroboros shall never cease, lest the flames be doused by the will of the suffering.” Both Gem and Pearl were a bit taken aback by this message. “Dang, these ancients need a therapist.” Gem commented after a few moments of silence. Pearl chuckled.

“Of course they talked like that, hah! But that is a bit strange to find in this cave…” Pearl was cut off as a loud crack resonated through the cave. It was coming from the mural. Gem shot to her feet and pedaled back next to Pearl. The mural collapsed and it revealed another passageway behind it. Tilly stepped forward to sniff it, barking into the darkness. The two young women stood in silence staring at the entrance.

“... Weeeell let’s investigate it!”

“What?! We don’t know what’s back there!”

“That’s the point! What if there’s some secret lost history back there? It’ll be fun!”

“... Fine, but don’t look at me if we somehow disappear and end up on the backs of moomoo milk cartons.”

Pearl chuckled at the remark as she entered through the darkness, following Tilly’s guidance with Gem following closely behind her. She could see a patch of light on the other side and she sped up, surprising Gem.

“Pearl, wait! I can feel we’re on a bridge-” She was cut off by Pearl’s giggling as she made it to the other side, looking back at Gem. The ginger haired girl couldn’t help but smile at her. “You’re a handful, you know?” Pearl chuckled at the backhanded reply, not even worried about her ginger friend’s concern. Now that the light was hitting Pearl, Gem noticed how warm her hair looked. It looked like amber against the sunlight. It was a nice look on her, mixing with her blue eyes. Gem only focused again once Pearl stepped outside, a gasp coming from her mouth.

“Gem, you have to see this. Now.” The ginger haired girl walked over and her eyes widened with awe at the sight of their find. A secret grotto, tucked away where no one could find it. It almost looked untouched besides the bridges built to cross the river. The trees were even glossier and the sun shone through the grotto exponentially, reflecting off of the rivers and leaves. Gem was shocked something like this was still around.

“Wow, it’s beautiful…”

“Right? It’s so preserved… I’m shocked no one’s messed with it yet!”

Pearl descended down the steps with Gem at her side. They walked across the bridge and found a ruined stone structure with stairs coming in from both sides. A rusty old gate was at the front which the two tried to open to no avail. “Damn, it’s locked shut! We’re not gonna get through this anytime soon.” Pearl said, kicking the gate one last time. Gem was only interested in what was at the top of the structure. She ascended the stairway and was met by a wonderful surprise.

“Pearl, they’re here! The crystal Vivillons!”

“Really? Let me get up there.”

Pearl walked up and ended up next to Gem, in awe at the sight. A large, ancient statue of the Pokemon Arceus stood at the center, four towering pillars surrounding it. Vivillons with clear, blue wings danced around it, chirping and buzzing. Gem quietly set down the briefcase and took out her camera, capturing a few pictures of the dancing butterflies. Pearl went up and grazed her hand against one of the large Pokemon’s legs. There was a plate at the base of it with words so faded it almost looked untouched.

“This is… breathtaking.” Pearl muttered under her breath, analyzing the architecture of the place. She’d never seen anything like it. Tilly sniffed at the statue, leaping onto the top of the base to investigate further. Gem was going around taking pictures of most of the structures, possibly saving it to preserve it. Who knows when someone will find this and make work of it. Pearl was entranced by the chiseling and timelessness of the Arceus statue, to the point it intimidated her. Which craftsmen made this? Pearl would love to meet whoever did it, it could get her own creative juices flowing.

“Pearl? Do you wanna go rest down there?” Gem’s voice cut through Pearl’s thoughts as she whipped her head around to see Gem at the top of the stairs, carrying her briefcase. She clicked her tongue for Tilly to come and they stood on the grass at the base of the structure. Gem suddenly took out a picnic blanket, much to Pearl’s surprise. “Dad packed me some food and it would be nice to share it! If you’re alright with that, that is, hehe.” Gem said. Pearl gladly took the offer and the two of them were sitting down, taking in their surroundings, looking back at the ancient structure they came across, and eating sandwiches. Pearl didn’t really think anything could make the moment better. Tilly, Billy, and Millie were playing around in the leaves while Gem’s own Pokemon followed in pursuit. The two of them chatted and got to know each other a bit more. Apparently, Gem was originally from Grand Dream City, a large city far away from East Gearen. She talked about how she met her Shinx Blink, meeting Jimmy and Scott, battle training, hijinks the trio got themselves into, it was a fun listen. Then, she suddenly got into a more serious topic.

“Actually, I have a big thing I revealed to Scott and Jimmy only a few days ago. I… I’m moving back to Grand Dream City to become the normal type gym leader.” Her voice was a bit melancholic but Pearl was pleasantly surprised by the big reveal.

“That’s a great opportunity! Congrats Gem.” The ginger haired girl was obviously happy with the compliments but her frown stayed.

“I know it is, and dad wants me to pursue it, but… I’m gonna be away from East Gearen. Away from Scott, Jimmy, you, it’s scary. Grand Dream’s such a big city as well, what am I even gonna do there?” Pearl was surprised at Gem’s mention of her. She cared that much? It made Pearl’s chest feel a bit warm.

“Ah, that makes sense. Big world out there compared to East Gearen. But I think you’d be a great gym leader, hun.” Pearl said, giving the shorter woman a reassuring grin. It seemed to help just a bit as Gem gave her a small smile. “And if you really don't want to, you have the choice to back out! The league’s always getting applications, they’ll find another normal type gym leader even if you drop it.” Pearl was happy to see Gem’s spirits be lifted as her frown went away.

“Thanks for the reassurance, Pearl. Anyway, what about you? You let me talk about me, how about we talk about you?” Gem looked at her expectantly with her emerald green eyes. Pearl shifted her feet ever so slightly but she didn’t mind telling Gem about the incident. She talked about how she was coming to Aevium on the S.S. Oceana with her mom. Then proceeded to explain the strange attack on the boat orchestrated by Team Xen, the abduction of all the passengers by multiple Deoxys, and her mom’s wishes. Gem’s eyes widened a bit as Pearl explained her escape on the back of a Talonflame and how she ended up here. Gem was silent as Pearl rested her head against her raised knees, pulling her hoodie over her head.

“That’s about it. It was… Eventful.” Pearl said, sighing deeply. Tilly came over away from the other playing Pokemon to rest her head on her trainer’s lap, providing her own emotional support.

“Pearl… I’m really sorry.” Gem said, her eyes filled with empathy. Pearl chuckled lightly, wanting to push away the negative feelings welling up in her throat.

“It’s alright, really. I want to find wherever they went to get my mum back and be on my way. We can explore the region together then.” Pearl traced her finger across the blanket as she spoke, a bit lost in thought. Gem gently put a hand on Pearl's own, shocking her to the point she stopped moving.

“We can help. Scott, Jimmy, me, all three of us can. We know about Team Xen but we didn’t know they would go through such drastic measures. But, we can help you find your mom, Pearl.” Gem said, her sweet smile breaking through Pearl’s own thoughts. She felt her face flush slightly and her heart beating in her chest just a bit faster. Warmth filled her as she said,

“Thanks, Gem. Really, it means a lot.” The two of them sat on the blanket chatting about random topics after that. Then, Gem suddenly stood up, returning all her Pokemon.

“Pearl, could we battle?” She was taken aback by the question but Gem’s eyes were filled with determination. “I want to battle you. To test my skills as a gym leader, and to just have some fun with it.” She said, smiling. Pearl didn’t have to think for another second. Tilly was raring to go and Billy and Millie were happy to do it.

“Sure! I’m excited to see the force that was able to penetrate Scott’s skills.” Pearl said, grinning cheekily. Gem took that as more of a challenge as the two found themselves on the structure in front of the Arceus statue on opposing sides. Gem held a Pokeball in her hand, her braid blowing in the wind.

“Come at me with everything you’ve got, Pearl!”

“I wouldn't want it any different!”

The battle began as the leaves blew in the wind.

~ (<>) ~

Pearl was surprised by the outcome as Gem’s newly evolved Luxio went down. Silence filled the air as she returned the cat Pokemon, her stature still. Pearl was a bit worried she did something wrong until she saw Gem’s green eyes bright and shiny. “That was really fun, Pearl! Honestly, you’re a really good battler. You could give the gym leader of Sheridan Village a run for his money! Thanks for the battle, Pearl. It really helped.” Pearl smiled, meeting Gem in the middle with a little handshake. The two of them descended down the stairs chatting as they started to clean up. In the middle of rolling up the blanket, a loud explosion was heard in the distance. Pearl jumped in shock to the point her beanie flew off of her head onto the ground. Gem had a confused look in her green eyes, trying to detect where the sound came from.

“I think that was at the lake at the front.” Pearl said, dusting off her beanie to put it back on her head. Gem quickly abandoned the blanket and held her Luxio’s Pokeball.

“Let's check out what happened.” Pearl nodded and the two left the blanket to race for the entrance. Weirdly, Pearl spotted an Absol looming over the entrance to the cave. It and Pearl held eye contact for a split second before it ran off. That wasn’t a good sign. The two of them ran through the dimly lit cave out of the mural. When they got to the entrance, they were met with a horrifying sight. Smoke billowed out of the area that the lake used to be. Now it was a dry piece of land imprinted into the ground, Magikarps desperately flopping around. The next thing they noticed were the many people in black clothing they were met with. Pearl recognized them as Team Xen almost instantly.

“What are you guys doing here?!” Pearl exclaimed, upset by their appearance. Gem was only more confused as their attention led to the duo. One of the male grunts barked,

“There! That's the target!” Strangely, he was pointing straight at Gem, her green eyes wildly confused. Tilly growled defensively at the many grunts as Pearl scowled.

“What do you want with me??” Gem exclaimed, terribly confused. The grunt only sneered as he sent out a strange looking Meowth, a black aura surrounding it. Gem’s eyes widened at the sight of it as Pearl was now the confused one.

“We were ordered to apprehend some girl with ginger hair. Looks like you’re the one.” The Meowth hissed aggressively at Tilly, who barked back. Pearl looked at Gem, who clutched the briefcase.

“Pearl, that’s a shadow Pokemon. They’re more aggressive than normal ones. Dad… He gave me something in case I got into trouble. Here.” Gem opened the briefcase and handed Pearl what looked to be a strange arm strap with a shoulder pad and a thin piece of black mesh connecting it to a robotic hand. Pearl quickly slipped it on her right arm, not knowing what to do with it. “Pearl, I’m gonna sound really weird right now, but throw a ball at the Meowth.” Pearl gave Gem a perplexed look but in the heat of the moment, threw a ball with her right arm right at the Meowth. Shockingly, it was captured inside of it much to the grunt’s dismay. It shook three times until it returned to Pearl’s hand.

“What the-” Pearl was cut off by the grunt’s own yells.

“M-My Meowth! I raised it from an egg! You can't take it from me!” Gem glared daggers at the man as she sent out her Luxio and Buneary.

“If you actually cared for it, you wouldn’t have had it go through the torment of becoming a shadow Pokemon. Pearl did it a favor.” Gem spat, her Luxio hissing with its hackles high. Pearl was still staring down at the Pokeball in her hand as Tilly barked to get her back to reality. She quickly pocketed it and the duo fought through every grunt, slowly making their way down to the now destroyed lake. Pearl was still terribly confused by the entire situation but when the two got to the entrance of the now dry lake, it started to make a bit more sense.

“Hey! Why’d you blow up the lake, huh?!” Pearl yelled at the person they saw. He was standing in the lake in front of a strange rift that was oozing purple light. When he turned around, they got a better look of his face. He was a very tall man with short brown hair and a heavily scarred face. He had an Espurr resting on his shoulder, purring rhythmically. But, his green eyes were bright and there wasn’t a hint of malice in them. Weird.

“Huh? Oh, uhhhh, maybe? I-I didn’t do it because I wanted to! It’s just… Orders are orders?” The man said, giving them a sheepish grin. Gem didn’t like that response as her Luxio took a few pawsteps towards the man.

“You can’t just do that! You endangered a lot of people and the Pokemon living here!” The man sighed and he seemed to truly feel bad about it. What’s the deal with him?

“I know, I know. I don’t want to hurt anyone either. But… I do have to carry this mission out. So, I probably need to defeat the two of you.” The man said, scratching the Espurr underneath its chin. He took out a ball and sent out a Camerupt, which made the ground shake. “Oh yeah, my name's Scar. I’m an executive of Team Xen. Nice to meet you!” Scar said, a smile on his face as his Camerupt roared at the two. Gem switched out her Luxio for her Furfrou with Pearl staying with Tilly as the two of them entered battle.

~ (<>) ~

When his Espeon went down, Scar sighed, returning it. “Sorry for hurting you all. You’ll all get a good rest later.” He muttered, gently kissing the ball as he pocketed it. Scar looked back up at Gem and Pearl, his green eyes a bit conflicted. “Ah, right. I came here to apprehend… You. Sorry kid, you’re going to have to come with me.” Gem glared at him, making Scar sigh, his fingers grabbing the bridge of his nose. “Well, guess I should have expected that. Sorry that I have to do this, but Gyarados! Need a little help here!” As he called out the name, the Magikarps from the lake were suddenly drawn to the rift like a magnet. Pearl took a step back, her blue eyes wide as the rift took all of the Magikarps in. Then, Scar sent out his now newly healed Espeon, who stared straight at Pearl and sent her flying towards the rift. Gem screamed as Scar grimaced, obviously not happy about this. “Sorry! I need to deal with this one on one.”

“PEARL!” Pearl only heard Gem scream her name before she entered the rift, the world turning black momentarily.

When she woke up, her eyes opened as she stared up at the sky, groaning. She sat up slowly and saw she was on a stone pier, the water slapping onto the stone. Before Pearl could even get up, Tilly fell from the sky, falling on her lap. Pearl was pleasantly surprised by her partner’s appearance as Tilly barked, looking up at her. “Oh Tilly baby, you didn’t have to follow me.” Pearl hugged the small dog Pokemon tightly and stood up, holding Tilly in her arms. Strangely, the grass was pink and the trees were a dark magenta. The sky was also a light pink which didn’t match with the blue water.

“This is the inside of that rift, eh? To get out… I’d assume we have to defeat that Gyarados Scar mentioned.” Pearl muttered to herself, walking down the path. The trees unnerved her and they almost looked like they were closing in on her. When she blinked, they were pointing at the sky once again. This entire place gave Pearl weird vibes, the wind making her shiver just a bit. Then, they encountered a traditional Japanese arch leading to a large lake with a cascading waterfall in the middle. When she stepped closer, she noticed a Magikarp flopping on the end of the half bridge. Suddenly before her eyes, it leaped into the water and started to ascend the waterfall. Pearl walked to the edge of the half bridge as the Magikarp leaped onto the Japanese arch at the top of the waterfall. It was bathed in white light as it leaped into the lake in front of Pearl. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then, a large Gyarados burst from the water, its red eyes staring down Pearl. Suddenly, a shaky projection of Gem appeared on the top of the Gyarados, her green eyes panicked.

“Pearl! If you can hear me, you’re battling the Gyarados, right? Hang on, I’m going to help get you out. Even if you don't defeat the Gyarados, I’ll do my best!” The beast roared at Pearl and went in for an attack. She sent out Billy and initiated a battle with the rift Pokemon.

~ (<>) ~

With one final attack, the Gyarados was down. It let out a horrible shrill cry before it disappeared in a flash of white light. Gem’s projection sighed with relief. “You did good, Pearl.” Suddenly, the rift grew dark as Pearl was flung right out of it, landing on the ground face first. Scar and Gem were in the middle of their own battle and the two of them stared at Pearl, who was groaning as she stood up, dusting off her clothes and face. Gem grinned at the sight of her friend and Scar could only stare in shock.

“... I did not expect that.” Scar whipped his head around to see the rift close, gritting his teeth. Gem’s Luxio took out his Espeon as they cornered the executive. “Damn it… Gonna have to use this one… I’m sorry about this, Zepto.” He suddenly took out another Pokeball and sent out the Mon that was inside it. Pearl couldn't even begin to describe what it was. It had an aquatic fish tail, an armored head, the body of a mammal, and legs of a reptile.

“What the hell is that?!” Pearl exclaimed as Tilly barked at it, her teeth bared. Gem clenched her fists, obviously worried about the Mon.

“Type: Null… How did Team Xen get their hands on that?” Gem said, her Luxio hissing. Scar didn’t let the Type: Null move yet as he looked at them, his green eyes very conflicted and maybe even a bit sad.

“I didn’t want to use him… But, gotta complete the mission.” At this point, it sounded like Scar was trying to convince himself this. All of a sudden, a Garbodar landed in front of Pearl and Gem. It roared at the Type: Null, pointing its gun like hand at it. Scar was horribly confused. “What the-”

“That’s the Garbodor from the sewers… Gem, this is our chance to escape.” Pearl said, putting a hand on the shorter young woman. Gem whipped her head around to face Pearl, perplexed.

“We can’t just-”

“It’s acting as a distraction. It wants us to leave, Gem.”

Gem gritted her teeth but she followed Pearl as the two ran for the exit. They got to the train and we're back in East Gearen before they knew it. Right when they got off, Gem was deep in thought. “Why did dad give me a snag machine…? Did he…?” Pearl gently tapped her shoulder, alerting Gem of the urgency of the situation. “Right, I can ask him when we get to the lab.” The two young woman raced for the lab and quietly opened the back door, quickly ducking behind a bookshelf as they saw Jenner speaking with a strange woman.

“That was a bit rude earlier when you had to hang up on Bdubs so suddenly.” The woman was tall and muscular with long, curly ginger hair and weirdly, green and blue skin with stitches all around. Pearl’s eyes widened as she recognized her as the woman from the S.S. Oceana. She was obviously annoyed as Jenner clicked his tongue with mild annoyance.

“People entered the room, Cleo. What was I supposed to do?” Cleo rolled her eyes.

“Lock the door? Not that it matters, Scar should be picking up Gem soon.” Jenner sighed as he heard this.

“Yes…” Cleo gave him a weird look, her green eyes boring into him.

“You know this day would come. We told you not to get attached. You knew Gem was only going to be under your care temporarily.” Gem almost jumped out of the spot but Pearl gently gripped her shoulders with her hands. She could feel the ginger haired woman shaking under her grip.

“I know. I never forgot.” Jenner said, pain in his voice. Cleo only sighed with annoyance, folding her arms together.

“Just look at it as a sacrifice of sorts. Our lives will be all back to normal. You might not even remember her after a few years.” Now Gem was seething. Before Pearl could stop her, she stood up and left the safety of the bookshelf they hid behind.

“I knew it.” Gem spat, her voice hurt and cracking. Cleo whipped her head around, surprised to see the ginger haired woman. Meanwhile, Jenner’s eyes filled with relief.

“Gem, you made it! Thank goodness!” Pearl saw no use in hiding anymore and walked over to stand next to Gem with Tilly at her feet. “And Pearl too! I knew you were a good choice. Thank you for-.”

“What’s the meaning of this, Jenner? Gem’s supposed to be at Goldenwood Forest.” Cleo snapped, glaring at the blonde professor. Now that the two of them were closer, Cleo’s sheer height was very intimidating to Pearl. She towered over everyone in the room, it might be the zombie genes.

“She-” Jenner was cut off as Gem yelled,

“Just please be quiet!” The professor was shocked by his daughter’s yelling as he looked at her wide eyed. Gem’s eyes started to water as she spoke. “I suspected the moment I saw that snag machine in the briefcase. You gave it to me today of all days, to use in case we got into trouble. You knew!” Her voice was cracking as her throat was choked up. Pearl couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed in the professor. She was only watching Cleo, making sure the executive didn’t make any sudden movements. “You even wrangled Pearl in this… And you lied. You lied!” Gem exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks. Jenner turned away, not wanting to see his daughter's tears.

“Gem, please liste-”

“I’m done listening. Everything you did was to set me up!” Her words cut through Jenner as he gritted his teeth. Cleo interrupted the conversation, jumping in.

“Now, I have no idea what’s going on but I’m ending this now.” The tall admin sent out an Aevian Parasect which hissed at Gem.

“I’m not scared of you! Blink, go!” She sent out the Luxio who looked terribly confused. Before Pearl could react, the two of them initiated a battle.

~ (<>) ~

Shockingly, Gem won the battle as the Parasect went down. Cleo didn’t seem to be upset by this as she returned it. “Nice battle skills kid. Seems like Jenner really trained you. But, you’re going to have to come with me.” Gem backed away as Pearl got in front of her, putting her arms up. Tilly barked at Cleo, who was unimpressed by the display. “I remember you. You were that kid on the ship.”

“Where is everyone?” Pearl snarled, her blue eyes bright with anger. Cleo ignored her question and turned to Gem, who had her thoughts racing around her head. Suddenly, she sent out her Munna.

“Teleport!” Before any of them could react, Gem was gone. Pearl's eyes widened as Cleo behind her sighed with annoyance.

“Of course this happens.” She took out a walkie talkie of sorts and talked into it. “Team Xen, target’s on the run. Search the city, you know the severity of the consequences. Now go. Don’t stop until the girl’s captured and apprehended.” She clicked off and looked right at Jenner, his blank stare looking down at the floor. “You did this to yourself. Now I’m going to have to report this to her. You know I don’t like doing that.” Cleo left it on that note and exited the room. Jenner sighed deeply.

“This is a disaster…” Pearl laughed at the professor’s insight, quickly snapping back.

“Disaster? This is an actual catastrophe! Gem’s gone, Team Xen’s raiding East Gearen, and she has every single member on her tail!” Her words made the professor flinch. He gritted his teeth.

“It wasn’t supposed to go this way. If Cleo just didn’t come at this time, I-” He was cut off as Jimmy slammed the door open, his eyes wild with panic.

“Professor! This is bad! Really bad! Team Xen grunts are crawling all over the city! Scott’s fighting off most of them but we can’t keep them at bay-.” Pearl interjected,

“They’re all after Gem, Jimmy. We need to find her before they do.”

“What?! What do they want with Gem?!”

“Nothing good, from the sound and looks of it.” Pearl said, grimacing. Jenner suddenly spoke,

“You two need to listen very carefully. If Xen gets their hands on her, it’s over for us all. You need to find her as soon as you can. The city and Route One are off the table, so she most likely went in the direction of Route Two-.”

“That’s enough.” A voice suddenly cut into the conversation, jumpscaring all three of them. Suddenly, an Alakazam appeared in front of Jimmy and Pearl, surprising them as they stepped back. “Don’t be alarmed by him. He’s just a companion.” The voice continued. “I’m disappointed, Jenner. Sending others to fix your problems you caused? And it would have been less than tasteful if something happened to Pearl during that ordeal.” Jimmy gave Pearl a weird look and she could only shrug. “Because of this, we’re going to have to put you in time out. So you could think about your actions.” Suddenly, a portal opened up in the lab, dragging Jenner towards it. The professor hung onto the edge of the desk for dear life as Jimmy tried to reach him.

“Professor! Get out of the way!” The Alakazam kept blocking his attempts as Pearl scooped Tilly with her left arm, using her other arm to hold onto her beanie. Jenner looked at the two of them hopelessly.

“You two… I’m going to be selfish when I say this, you need to find Gem, before they get to her- Augh!” Jenner flew towards the portal, and he was gone.

“No!” Jimmy exclaimed, watching as the portal closed. Pearl could only stare in shock at the events that transpired as the mystery voice spoke once again.

“As for you two, I implore you to stay out of this. If you wish to go after Gem, it will only lead to more grief. I can’t stop you, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. Come, Alakazam.” The Pokemon disappeared with the mystery voice, leaving Jimmy and Pearl alone. The blonde man whipped his head towards Pearl, confusion swirling in his blue eyes.

“Pearl, for the love of god please explain to me what’s going on!” Pearl proceeded to explain about the incident at Goldenwood and the confrontation with Cleo. By the end of it, Jimmy was clenching his fist, scowling. “Of course Team Xen’s all caught up on it. You said Gem most likely teleported near Route Two?”

“Yup. If we want to go there now, we should find Scott and group up with him. Extra people are always good to have.” Pearl said. The two of them agreed on the plan and ran out of the lab, beating any grunt that got in their way as they navigated their way through the city. When they reached the gym, they spotted Scott’s icy blue hair as he cleared through four grunts with his Dragonair.

“Scott! Scott!” The gym leader whipped his head towards the sound of Jimmy’s voice as he and Pearl got up to him. He returned his Dragonair, his blue eyes filled with confusion.

“Jimmy! Pearl too? Where’s Gem? This is madness!” Scott exclaimed, looking around to see if Gem was anywhere.

“No time to explain, we need to get to Route Two now. I can explain on the train there.” Pearl quickly said, words tumbling out of her mouth. Scott went along with it and the three of them raced for the Route Two station, boarding the train as quickly as possible. When they sat down, Scott looked straight at Pearl.

“Now, will you tell me about what the hell is going on?”

[slowthunders]

🧛🏻‍♀️ hello hello hello!

౨ৎ ˚⋆ name: cheri thunders

╰┈➤ [BASIC INFO] - she/her. intp. thirties. mexican. bisexual. slow as fuck. sagittarius ☼. cancer ☾. pisces ↑. grumpy. always tired. on the autism spectrum. add and dcd. grunge cowgirl groupie. with a taste for complex and messy characters. a box of useless information. i have a fucked up moral compass.

╰┈➤ [IDOLS] - daria morgendorffer. billie joe armstrong. buttercup. marianne faithfull. makoto kino. mark lanegan. marilyn monroe. claudia cardinale. jane birkin. nellie laroy. jane fonda. saphire and polexia from almost famous. nicki minaj. kat stratford. karen sirko. elaine parks. nancy downs. fiona gallagher. og disney princess belle. kim kelly. william miller. anita pallenberg. clair standish. john bender. nancy thompson. blair waldorf. samantha jones. disney's rapunzel. bebe buell. heather holloway. billy hargrove. brian slade. kurt wilde. maxine minx. elton john. mick jagger. andrew wood. scott weiland.

╰┈➤ [INTERESTS] - music. writing. books. photography. cinema. witchcraft. horror. fantasy. goth stuff. americana. bohemian/boho chic core. pop culture of the 60s 70s 80s 90s and 00s.

╰┈➤ [BOOKS] - the master and the margarita. the haunting of hill house. rebel heart: an american rock and roll journey. i'm with the band. the naked lunch. house of spirits. faithfull: an autobiography. salem's lot. fall to pieces. daisy jones & the six. everybody loves our town. please kill me. meet me in the bathroom. up and down with the rolling stones.

╰┈➤ [CRUSHES] - layne staley. chris cornell. jerry cantrell. johnny knoxville. ryan dunn. nick drake. bryan ferry. meg white. michael hutchence. angelina jolie. izzy straddlin. david gilmour. john frusciante. david from the lost boys. trent lane. marilyn monroe. st. jimmy and whatsername from the mv of green day's jesus of suburbia. bill skarsgård. dane dehaan. liam gallagher. albert hammond jr.

╰┈➤ [SOCIAL MEDIA] - instagram and discord, i'm as slowthunders too!

╰┈➤ [ARTISTS/BANDS] - alice in chains. britney spears. green day. roxy music. alanis morissette. the rolling stones. lana del rey. soundgarden. pink floyd. marianne faithfull. sabrina carpenter. prince. hole. stone temple pillots. inxs. black sabbath. divinyls. the velvet underground. avril lavigne. lou reed. nine inch nails. the stooges. mc5. elvis presley. the clash. lady gaga. the smiths. television. mother love bone. the dandy warhols. dolly parton. bobbie gentry. mark lanegan. cky. whitney houston. blink-182. korn. the risin' sun. cheap trick. the who. combo musical los caquis. the moody blues. led zeppelin. sly and the family stone. mandy moore. nelly furtado. deftones. amy winehouse. blur. sublime. the cult. jimi hendrix. oasis. marc bolan. pearl jam. mariah carey. kylie minogue. robbie williams. audioslave. roxette. faith no more. janis joplin. nancy sinatra. the allman brothers band. gram parsons. johnny cash. waylon jennings. lil 'kim. bob dylan. beyoncé. mad season. pearl jam. fleetwood mac. the doors. ratt. charli xcx. mitski. pantera. joni mitchell.

╰┈➤ [FILMS] - moulin rouge!. the love witch. x. singles. say anything. the bling ring. beauty and the beast. beauty and the beast: an enchanted christmas. scream. home alone. babylon. performance. daisies. the secret garden. tangled. ten things i hate about you. my scene jammin' in jamaica. the lost boys. the craft. mean girls. casino. don't look now. paris, texas. walk the line. a nightmare on elm street. maxxxine. the breakfast club. trainspotting. almost famous. rocketman. the rocky horror picture show. practical magic. barbie. bram stoker's dracula. the exorcist. the panic in needle park. goodfellas. the shinning. once upon a time in hollywood. texas chainsaw massacre

╰┈➤ [COMFORT PALS] - hello kitty, spottie dottie. keroppi. pochaco. minnie mouse. psyduck. eevee. bulbasaur. winnie the pooh. eeyore

none of the icons, headers, pictures and edits are mine unless stated.

[the-luzer]

⋆｡°✩ Intro !! ⋆｡°✩

My name is Caelum (you can also call me Cael, Kale, Cae, whatever) ���

im also Spider-Man ☾

pronouns are he/they ☆

transgender man , asexual berriromantic ☾

in the 13-16 age range (MINOR) ☆

in a relationship (almost 3 years now) ☾

a lot of yapping ⬇️

hobbies include: listening to music, reading, writing, photography (I might post some of my pictures here), obsessing over my interests ☆

interests !!: the marauders, Riordanverse, osemanverse, space, cows, Spider-Man, Nevermore (WEBTOON), most books I read, the owl house, Fnaf, rocks and stuff, Bluey, etc. etc. ☾

music artists I like :)) Alex G, Arctic Monkeys, beabadobee, Billie Eilish, Bo Burnham, Cavetown, Cage The Elephant, Cigarettes After Sex, Conan Gray, The Crane Wives, Destroy Boys, girl in red, Gorillaz, Green Day, Insane Clown Posse, Joji, Kiko, Lana Del Ray, Lemon Demon, Lyn Lapid, Måneskin, MARINA, Melanie Martinez, Mitski, Mother Mother, Tally Hall, Tame Impala, The Neighborhood, NOAHFINNCE, Odetari, Queen, Rex Orange County, Ricky Montgomery, Rio Romeo, Roar, The Smiths, Steve Lacy, Sushi Soucy, Twenty One Pilots, TV Girl, Wallows, Will Wood, The 1975 AND MORE I LIKE SO MANY MUSIC ARTISTS ☆

im an introverted person but if you ask about my interests I will talk until I physically can’t ☾

probably neurodivergent in some shape or form but I haven’t been diagnosed ☆

also I literally love my online friends they’re all so cool and should totally just let me keep hiding in their walls 🧡 ☾

some random ass user cards that describe me

[billyharringson]

You know the drill: post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it.

Wasn't tagged but as I've made a word document with all my WIPs so that I could keep track of them in I wanted to join in. :)

- Boat fic

- California dreaming

- Office sex

- Big dick Steve fic

- Cat Billy fic

- Omegaverse/Beast hybrid fic

- Your son calls me daddy too

- Eastside

- Out if the woods

- Tiktok au

- The one where Eddie saves Billy from being raped and takes him back to Steve’s house

- Byergrove photography fic

- Stoner polycule fic

[sweetpaintedladie]

Creem Magazine’s Stones Scrapbook Scrapbook of The Tour of the Americas, 1975

[maraschinocheri]

It was 20 years ago (ish) :: Outtakes and a bit of BTS from Empire magazine's The Lord of the Rings: A Celebration booklet enclosed with the magazine's January 2004 issue, which was released in December 2003 (photos from the booklet itself are here). Photography represented here was taken in New York, London, Los Angeles, and Vancouver between July and October 2003. Shown here: Liv Tyler (Arwen), Elijah Wood (Frodo), Dominic Monaghan (Merry), Sean Astin (Sam), Andy Serkis (Gollum/Smeagol), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Miranda Otto (Eowyn), Christopher Lee (Saruman), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), and Karl Urban (Eomer). Several more outtakes exist from especially Dominic's, Liv's, and Karl's shoots, and others from these shoots were repurposed both by Empire and the original photographers. The BTS shot of Elijah did appear in the intro section of the original booklet as well.

[ The Wellington premiere of ROTK | Air Frodo from NZ to LA | Los Angeles | Berlin | London | New York (1) | New York (2) | Empire's LOTR Celebration booklet photography ]

[newmusicradionetwork]

Olivia Dolphin’s Witch Pop Album Transforms for the ‘Better’

Artist Olivia Dolphin recently released her highly anticipated sophomore album, Better. This project is a deeply personal – yet relatable – exploration of self-growth, transformation, and reclamation, combining elements of alt-rock, witch pop, and orchestral rock to create a sound that is as haunting as it is empowering. Following the success of her debut album Lion-Hearted Blood and recent singles like “Quiet Girls,” Dolphin continues to solidify her place as a rising force in the Rhode Island music scene and beyond. Her self-produced multi-genre shows feature a thoughtful blend of artists across all styles and backgrounds. This momentum has created buzz not only for Dolphin, but also the flourishing local arts community that fuels her. B-Side Guys praised her recent releases, saying Dolphin “crafts a sound that’s both atmospheric and fiercely resonant, marking a significant evolution in her artistic journey…she’s poised for recognition far beyond Rhode Island’s borders.” Better represents a culmination of Dolphin’s experiences, relationships, and reflections over the past several years, captured through a meticulously crafted collection of tracks. The project was recorded at Big Nice Studio in Dolphin’s hometown, with Emma Newton as co-producer and recording engineer. Newton’s ability to capture the emotional depth of Dolphin’s songwriting is evident throughout the album, particularly on orchestral tracks like “Once Again” and “Wanted.” The album also features contributions from musicians Johnny McMahon (bass guitar), Jeff Kidd (harmonica), Emily Dix Thomas (cello), Luke Leheny (guitar), Sam Jaksa (drums), and Charlie Larson (clarinet, saxophone). The project was mastered by Bradford Krieger, with photography by Maurisa Mackey and vinyl graphic design by Brittany Lizotte. Drawing inspiration from artists like Hozier, Florence and the Machine, and Billie Eilish, the world of Better is one of contrasts and dualities. It’s the red poppies growing amidst dark woods, the flicker of candlelight in a storm, the quiet of an empty room after a long day. The album’s lyrical content reflects Dolphin’s journey through her twenties, exploring the complexities of relationships, mental health, and self-acceptance. More about Olivia Dolphin: Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, Olivia Dolphin bewitches audiences with her singer-songwriter prowess, skillfully infusing her discography with themes of community, embracing self-love, and practicing perseverance. With tracks steeped in poetic lyricism, Dolphin’s music possesses the remarkable ability to transform universal experiences into deeply personal and relatable moments. Effortlessly weaving together elements of indie pop and alternative rock, Dolphin crafts a sound that is as distinctive as it is irresistible, leaving listeners spellbound and hungry for more. With two feline friends by her side and her piano at the helm, she aspires to cultivate an inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels embraced in their uniqueness. Her debut album, Lion-Hearted Blood, earned her the title of “Stellar Songwriter” from Motif Magazine, affirming her position as a prominent figure in the Rhode Island music scene. With her sophomore album, Better, out September 20, Dolphin eagerly anticipates a year filled with forging connections with both new and longtime fans. Connect with Olivia Dolphin:  Instagram | TikTok | Youtube | Website | Spotify Read the full article

[ulkaralakbarova]

In the 23rd century, inhabitants of a domed city freely experience all of life’s pleasures — but no one is allowed to live past 30. Citizens can try for a chance at being “renewed” in a civic ceremony on their 30th birthday. Escape is the only other option. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Logan: Michael York Francis: Richard Jordan Jessica: Jenny Agutter Box: Roscoe Lee Browne Holly: Farrah Fawcett Doc: Michael Anderson Jr. Old Man: Peter Ustinov 2nd Sanctuary Man: Randolph Roberts The Woman Runner: Lara Lindsay Billy: Gary Morgan Mary 2: Michelle Stacy Woman Customer: Laura Hippe Sandman: David Westberg Sanctuary Woman: Camilla Carr Cub: Greg Lewis Timid Girl: Ashley Cox Sandman: Bill Couch Runner: Glenn R. Wilder Last Day Character (uncredited): Joe L. Blevins Sandman Daniel (uncredited): Roger Borden Sand Man (uncredited): Greg Bransom City Dweller (uncredited): Paula Crist The City Computer (uncredited): Virginia Ann Ford Cub (uncredited): Chuck Gaylord Cub (uncredited): Mitch Gaylord (uncredited): Johnny Haymer Confused City Dweller (uncredited): Jessie Kirby 3rd Sanctuary Man / Ambush Man (uncredited): Greg Michaels 1st Sanctuary Man (uncredited): Bob Neill Love Shop Woman with Toy (uncredited): Renie Radich 1st Screamer in Logan’s Apartment (uncredited): Candice Rialson Screamer Party Woman (uncredited): Cheryl Smith Runner Great Hall (uncredited): Ron D. Thornton Film Crew: Director: Michael Anderson Novel: William F. Nolan Novel: George Clayton Johnson Screenplay: David Zelag Goodman Producer: Saul David Original Music Composer: Jerry Goldsmith Director of Photography: Ernest Laszlo Editor: Bob Wyman Production Design: Dale Hennesy Costume Design: Bill Thomas Associate Producer: Hugh Benson Makeup Artist: William Tuttle Hairstylist: Judith A. Cory Unit Production Manager: Byron Roberts Stunt Coordinator: Glenn R. Wilder Casting: Jack Baur Set Decoration: Robert De Vestel Property Master: Jack M. Marino Sound Editor: John Riordan Visual Effects Designer: L.B. Abbott Music Supervisor: Harry V. Lojewski Music Editor: William Saracino Dialect Coach: Leon Charles Script Supervisor: Ray Quiroz Choreographer: Stefan Wenta Second Assistant Director: Alan Brimfeld Second Assistant Director: Win Phelps Assistant Director: David Silver Stunt Coordinator: Bill Couch Key Grip: Martin Kashuk Electrician: Don Stott Associate Editor: Freeman A. Davies Assistant Editor: Chuck Ellison Unit Publicist: Don Morgan Stunts: Dick Ziker Stunts: Jeannie Epper Stunts: Loren Janes Stunts: Beth Nufer Stunts: Alex Plasschaert Stunts: Regina Parton Stunts: Lori Thomas Stunts: Mike Washlake Stunts: Russell Saunders Stunts: Barbara Graham Stunts: Tommy J. Huff Stunts: Sunny Woods Stunts: Paula Dell Stunts: Chuck Gaylord Stunts: Mitch Gaylord Stunts: Rosemary Johnston Stunts: Whitey Hughes Stunts: ‘Wild’ Bill Mock Stunts: Gary Morgan Stunts: Dar Robinson Stunts: Walter Robles Stunts: Angelo De Meo Stunts: Paula Crist Stunts: Dottie Catching Stunts: Bill Couch Jr. Stunts: Gregory J. Barnett Stunts: Craig R. Baxley Stunts: Phil Adams Stunts: Denny Arnold Stunts: May Boss Special Effects: Glen Robinson Movie Reviews: Richard: It’s a ‘Future Vision’ type of movie, plus a bit of an adventure into the unknown. At least for the two “Runners’ who have escaped out of their bubble world. It is fraught with twists and turns in a post Peak-Oil world, where society has finally found a solution to the resources of the planet. The ‘chosen’ few, however have one little catch, their lives have a unique way of ending, until these two discover a new way, and a Lie that was being told to all of the citizens. (Warning for younger viewers,there are scenes where (At the time,) it was considered risque to show people jumping into a freshwater pond and going skinny dipping).

[joyyangbn]

Week 1 - In the mirror

I chose two songs with different emotions as background music for my photography session, namely "Copycat" by Billie Eilish and "Pure Imagination" by Timothée Chalamet. They created distinct atmospheres, adding fun and inspiration to the shoot. Through experimenting with various compositions, lighting, and tones, I tested different emotions in the photos, allowing me to express the theme more flexibly. By manually adjusting camera settings according to the scene's demands, I gradually became familiar with mastering the photo effects. Additionally, utilizing the self-timer function on my camera gave me more control, especially when shooting personal portraits.

Photographers of self-portraiture and portraiture

Ernst Haas

He is good at using colors and contrasts of light and dark to make viewers feel strong visual effects and emotional expressions. He often uses changes in shutter speeds and long exposures to capture changes in people, he often uses changes in natural light to highlight his subjects, and he is good at using shadows to create a sense of ambience in his images.

Photographers 2 Marco Klahold

In his portraits I can see that he uses the relationship between the environment and the subject to give the photo a natural and unique sense of life.

Photographers 3 Anastasia Lisitsyna

I can feel the warm colors and delicate skin textures in her work, mixed well, these shots make me feel classicism, the images are quiet, like a frame of film footage.

Week 1 SDL

Steve McCurry Video

Steve McCurry is a famous photographer known for his in-depth reporting and captivating photos. In 1984, National Geographic magazine sent him to Afghanistan to photograph the lives of refugees. His work depicted the destruction and suffering caused by the Afghan war, touching the hearts of global audiences. These photos not only portrayed human tragedy but also conveyed a profound insight into human nature. McCurry's work is not just visually stunning but also prompts deep reflection on human living conditions.

Teju Cole Video

In this video, award-winning writer and photographer Teju Cole discusses his project "Blind Spot," which stemmed from a period of partial blindness. He talks about the limitations of vision, noting how much we miss when observing the world. Cole shares his experience of waking up one morning blind in one eye, later diagnosed with "Big Blind Spot Syndrome," which changed how he saw things as a photographer. This experience led him to find a sense of sacredness in closely observing the world and capturing moments saturated with presence and light. "Blind Spot" focuses on holding moments in attention, emphasizing photography as a unique collaboration with the world, where capturing the moment is irreplaceable. Cole's work explores the profound connection between perception, existence, and photography.

[addictedgallery]

📸✨ Exciting News! 🏆 Markus Klinko will be honoured with the Outstanding Achievement In Photography award at the 9th Hollywood Beauty Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 3, 2024.

Founded by Michele Elyzabeth, the HBAs was established in 2014 for the purposes of recognising excellence in beauty.

Congratulations Markus!

Here are some of our favourite Markus Klinko snaps!

✨ Beyoncé, Dangerously In Love ✨ The Diver II, West Hollywood ✨ Lady Gaga, Prayer ✨ Jay Z, The Clock ✨ Ice Spice, The Bath, West Hollywood ✨ Smoking, West Hollywood ✨ Britney, The Forest ✨ David Bowie, The Protector ✨ Paris Hilton, The Angel ✨ I Heart You, West Hollywood ✨ Daphne, Celestial ✨ Pharrell Williams, Smiling ✨ Kim Kardashian ✨ The Angel Factory, Taylor & Hannah, The Gun ✨ Mariah Carey, Mimi ✨ Joe Perry ✨ Soo Yeon Lee, French Playboy II ✨ Shadows, West Hollywood ✨ Dita, Diva ✨ Ronnie Wood, London ✨ Billie Eilish ✨ The Face Of Greed, Los Angeles ✨ Xtina

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