#Boks training

[achillespersonalgym]

Boks training: Wordt Snel Sterker en Fitter bij Achilles Personal Gym

Boks training is een geweldige manier om fit te worden en stress te verminderen. Bij Achilles Personal Gym bieden we boeiende bokstrainingen in groepsverband of met een personal trainer. Onze ervaren trainers helpen je om je techniek te verbeteren, je conditie te boosten en je algehele gezondheid te verbeteren.

[bilgepanter]

Önder Şipal dün itibariyle @fatihkelesboxing61 ile jübilesini yapmıştır. (d. 1 Mayıs 1987, #bayburt ), Türk boksör. Orta sıklette (75 kg) mücadele eden sporcu, Fenerbahçe bünyesinde kariyerini sürdürmektedir. Kardeşi @onursipal de kendisi gibi boksördür. Başarıları #önderşipal 2003 Yıldızlar Avrupa Şampiyonluğu 2005 Gençler Avrupa 3.sü 2005 Akdeniz Oyunları 3.sü 2005 Avrupa Birliği Ülkeleri Şamp.3.sü 2006 Avrupa Birliği Ülkeleri Şamp.3.sü 2009 Akdeniz Oyunları Şampiyonu 2010 Üniversiteler Dünya Şampiyonu 2016 Rio Olimpiyatları 75 kg temsilcisi #boks #spor #boxing #mma #ufc #kickboks #fitness #muaythai #kickboxing #v #r #fight #sport #k #d #gym #spor #crossfit #training #f #workout #box #karate #boxinglife #boxingnews #fighter #boxen (Bayburt) https://www.instagram.com/p/ClLZHfzAyKH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[batbabydamian]

The Boy Wonder #1 by Juni Ba rambling about why every time i open this book, i stare in wonder...HAHA and ofc!! how cute Damian is!!

Juni Ba’s style is so absurdly effective in telling a fairy tale for the ages. It’s a stunning blend of simplicity and complexity I'M GRIPPING THE PAGES AGAINST MY EYES…

Before getting into the interiors, THE COVER!! It associates autumn leaves to Damian's Robin title through the iconic cape shape/color; and on top of that, for a Robin going through a big transition in his life...a season of change one might say...Juni Ba your brain...

Damian and the leaves being the only colored parts of this cover is nice in focusing on those elements, but i also like to think by not coloring the background it prepares you to expect impressive inkwork in this book.

On that note, the interiors!! Starting off with Ba's backgrounds of Gotham as it establishes the strange new world that our young hero has been thrust into:

We get a neat tracking shot following a champagne glass that gives us a glimpse of Gotham from the upper echelons to the downtrodden in "Underwell"

This opening sequence quickly lays out the environment Damian will be traveling through in this series! It also sets the tone for some silliness with the cute zoom on the champagne glass before it BOKs the robber lol. Along with Ba's inks, O'Halloran's colors makes every part of Gotham pop - especially love the golds of the higher society shifting into the blues of the underbelly!!

Besides Damian’s personal conflict, Gotham feels like its own entity that he has to contend with. The dialogue speaks for itself, but within the art as well!!

"This city of ours swallows and crushes everything it can" -> a gargoyle's beak over Damian, crowds of people, and walls of advertising

"You've seen it too...the way it coils around one's mind from below." -> bridges and a passing train on a rail viaduct towering over a civilian

"A dark voice calling as if to say..." -> literally, "FEED ME"

LOVELY SHOT OF MOVEMENT... and i love how Damian's venture into Gotham opens with him passing a tree - its branches and leaves are the most organic element on the page before getting into the gritty details of the city! Some yammering because the inks are. so cool: the delicate lines of the leaves in the tree to the thicker/bigger lined ones closer to the camera on the right; the background inks allowing space around Damian's form + the fine line of his grapple!! More O'Halloran praise - PRETTY, and love his coloring over Ba's bg lines, particularly here, keeping the leaves darker on the right.

It's not only a pretty page it's just a really clean layout!! Ba exhibits this throughout the book but i really enjoy it here - from Damian nyooming, we head into these last 3 panels. his cute lil "Robin" shape easily draws the eye to the tops of the panels as we take in Gotham's liveliness alongside the lettering/narration

and the "Robin" shape?? SO CUTE. it's instantly familiar to us as Robin!! bold outline and filled with yellow...it's a Robin in movement!!...AN AUTUMN LEAF IN THE WIND... yeah, still not over that 😭

Damian's inciting incident is introduced in the former panel with a gorgeous backdrop of Gotham in the distance (plus itty bitty Trinity cameo haha). The shot parallels!! beautifully!! in the final page!! Damian is now in the depths of Gotham, his objective out of reach. The colors are of note too, where the familiar yellows of Gotham are suddenly a startling green after the demon makes its appearance. The Gotham land looks even more unfamiliar, which prompts Damian to seek help.

Some speculation, but the green could also be associated with the more mythical side of demons and such (like the ghost?? of the thief), but it could even imply there's a connection to the Al Ghuls themselves as it's the only other time green is so prominently used.

Now that the land of Gotham is established, popping in other fav bgs!

More lovely mix of Ba's inks and O'Halloran's colors!! especially allowing some of the brush/marker strokes to show faintly as part of the twinkling sky...STUNNING!! 😭 i love this whole page but this panel gets me weepy, SMALL DAMIAN IN THE VAST UNIVERSE COMBINED WITH THIS LINE "He knew he could be great. How unfair of the world to make him feel so small." KICKS MY ASS... i need to lie down

YAPPING AT MORE WONDERFUL INKING: the suggestion of windows offscreen from the frames casting these thick lines over the walls and stairwell; the minute shadow details over the railing; the hatching on the suits in the portrait; the framed portrait being its own panel!! cute hooded Damian in the gutter space looking in on the portrait/panel!! CUTE HOODED DAMIANS!!

SPEAKING OF PANELS, along with general effectiveness and efficiency, there's more whimsy in others!! like this kickass page of Nightwing whipping his escrima from first panel -> afterimage lines going POWPOWPOW hitting demons from a distance to ones closer to the camera -> and back into his hand!! IT'S SO GOOD AND SO FUN!!

Ba's action employs more diagonal panels, and characters are less restrained within boxes - there's more energy and freedom across the page!

not necessarily focusing on the action for this one, but THE WHIMSY!! the border itself is goop!! Also gotta point out that looming hammer shape!!

Nightwing's critical hit spans the entire page!! from silhouettes of a flip -> flashy stomping pose/Clayface -> to a distant shot of Dick landing

and a smooth finisher page!! love the motion lines on Dick's arms and waist + his head and arc effects popping outside of the borders; then the smaller panels for quick activity, and the final WOOB WOOB WOOB LOL i can hear this sound effect just as much as i can see it

Along with O'Halloran on colors, Aditya Bidikar on lettering works seamlessly with Ba's vision!! The text boxes for the fairy tale narration are like strips of yellowing pages from an old storybook!! Had to look up the term for this lol, but also reminiscent of those storybooks, there's even a use of "drop caps" - the big fancy capital letter!

Smaller things of note, but the bit of "Weakness" text from Ra's has a kind of. grandiose feel to it. Then the cute B< Damian behind the window!! Love how the bubble and text are faded behind the glass too! The end of the bubble tail is a nice touch as it matches well with Ba's bg inking :0

Otherwise, it seems Ba has done a majority of the lettering - dropping a couple of my favs below!!

also just this whole page: the very loud AAAH! text draws both Damian's and the reader's attention to the panel below!! it's a cool transition to a new shot where you can see Damian's silhouette on the building! The final panel is cartoony violence off-page through the bold POW BOOM SLAM haha + DAMIAN'S LIL FIST!!🥺 and the guy's tooth RIP

Pure speculation - Juni Ba's concept art included Carrie Kelley, so i'm wondering if the hostage in the beginning could be her and we'll be returning to this moment in time by the end. The worn Robin colors are similar to the design + their head is conveniently covered.

In terms of story, I'm obviously heavily biased, but the initial read got me rolling in emotions with how it has you caring for Damian. Damian as a character is so fantastical in essence - it’s part of his individual charm in the batfam cast! an heir of two kingdoms, born and raised with great expectations suddenly thrust into an unfamiliar land. he has a sword. he has a dragon bat for a companion. he is haunted by the sins he has committed. he is two apples tall. he's truly fairytale material!!

LIKE...past the panels of only his silhouettes, this is our introductory appearances of Damian. It's laid out clearly in the narration, but this parallel is SO GOOD: from the powerful and ornate visuals of Damian and the Al Ghuls -> to a simple panel of Batman's shadow behind a boy littered in scars, stripped of his home and status

Damian is out of his element and proves himself in the way he knows how!!

just kick me down a flight of stairs why don't you. i don't know which messes me up more, the top 3 or bottom 3 panels. His facial expressions!! his expectations for approval dashed!! Damian's hand reaching for his father!! only to be left alone with the body. The page after this is the final nail in the coffin in feeling just how lost he is in the world before he acts on it. And you root for him the entire way!!😭

Despite Damian's fanciful background there's so much heart to be shown in his struggles and discoveries - and this classic form of a fairy tale lays it out so brilliantly!! It's shaping up to be an amazing balance of heavier elements and whimsy based on this first issue, and it leaves you wanting more!!

Besides being a thoroughly enjoyable read, it's inspiring work!! i've ordered Juni Ba's other books to consume more of his storytelling, and here's the ones i've found so far if you're interested in checking them out as well!!

Mobilis: My Life with Captain Nemo

Monkey Meat

Djeliya: A West African Fantasy Epic

The Unlikely Story of Felix and Macabber

okay shockingly, i didn't blab about how cute Damian is as much as i thought i would, but i think the collage at the top speaks for itself lol

this is all you need to know how cute Damian is in this!! his cheeks are so pinchable, it was done on page!! 🥺 these panels obliterate me

[gravehags]

unholy, unholy, unholy

Pairing: Cardinal Copia x f!Reader (Curator!Reader)

Rating: EXPLICIT, MDNI

Tags: the ministry being the catholic church's evil twin, manipulation, masturbation, confession, copia lowkey being a desperate little sex freak my beloved

Words: 5,153

Summary: You really walked right into this, you tell yourself. You can't even be mad at Copia for suggesting it.

a/n: can't believe the last thing i wrote for these losers was at christmas...damn. anyway you know how i like my non-chronological shit so this takes place somewhere in between take me apart and satan baby. i'm not done making these two dance around their feelings just yet.

divider by @gothdaddyissues!

“Jesus fucking Christ Almighty.”

You slam your office door shut with your hip and Cardinal Copia turns to look at you from his seat.

“Need help?”

With a grunt and a shake of your head you walk past him and set the bag of food down on your desk, heaving a deep sigh.

“Had to go on a fucking scavenger hunt because the goddamn DoorDash driver left the bag with a maintenance worker, who gave it to one of Terzo’s ghouls, who left it in a stairwell for some reason…don’t ask me how I managed to find it because fuck if I know.”

Dramatically you flop into your desk chair and give your lunch companion a look as he begins to sort out your meals with a smile.

“You know you eh…take the Lord’s name in vain quite a bit for someone who wasn’t raised in religion.”

When he passes your container of Pad see ew to you, you grin.

“Ehhh you know, the perils of being raised in a predominantly Christian society. It’s funny, the first time I said ‘Jesus Christ’ I was maybe…I don’t know nine? Ten? And my mom tersely told me ‘don’t say that’ to which I replied ‘why not?’ I don’t think she knew how to answer that question in a way that would make me care, you know? I had gone all my little life not giving a shit about Jesus, why would I now?”

Copia chuckles and cracks open his own takeaway box.

“Ah cara, you continue to stray further and further from God’s light every day. Thank Sathanas for that, hmm?”

With a smile, you clink your soda can against his and dig into your meal.

“You ever think about how fascinating your religion is, Copia?”

You prop your feet up on your desk as Copia delicately picks noodles out of his box with chopsticks. 

“Eh, how do you mean?”

“Like…you’re a Satanic cardinal. You’ve sworn your life to uphold the tenets of Satanism. You…we live at a massive complex dedicated to Satan. One of many complexes throughout the world, apparently. And yet, barely anyone knows of the Ministry’s existence. It’s wild, really.”

He makes a thoughtful noise as he chews on a particularly crunchy piece of bok choy.

“Ah, well,” he begins, setting his chopsticks down and reaching for the soda resting on the desk, “we’re trying to change that. In…subtle ways.”

“Mmm, the Ghost project.”

“Sì, the idea is we use Papa to spread our message through music - something that is accessible to many people.”

“With the hopes that you and your evil brethren can dominate the globe?” you say, scrunching your nose playfully and giving him a big wink.

“Something like that,” he smiles wryly.

“Well I’ve listened to some of the project’s music and I gotta say…big fan. I think your sinister subliminal messaging is working on me.”

“Oh?” he asks, setting down his food in order to cross his legs and give you a curious stare. “Tell me more, cara. Do I have a future sister of sin on my hands?”

You close your eyes and laugh, missing the hungry way the Cardinal watches the line of your throat as your head tilts back.

“Maybe…let’s just say I’m intrigued. How could I not be when I’m surrounded by it all the time?”

He nods, resting a gloved hand on his knee and straightening his cassock.

“Perhaps…”

You fix him with a look you know will make him lose his train of thought for a moment. Positively wicked.

“Perhaps…?”

“Perhaps,” he clears his throat, eyes darting away from yours, “you would like to attend one of our services?”

You nod gamely. 

“Is a super cool and hip youth pastor going to tell me about the ways the Devil cares about me unconditionally?”

He rolls his eyes and fixes you with an unamused stare.

“Very funny, dolcezza. Would you prefer that I have you sit with Papa Nihil while he explains the history of the Emeritus bloodline?”

You balk. The wizened Papa had a distinct dislike of you for some odd reason. You often wonder how he manages to give you such dirty looks through his cloudy eyes. You didn’t particularly care, however, as you saw the way he constantly brushed off and mistreated Copia during staff meetings. Nihil irked you to no end, no matter how much Sister Imperator liked him.

“Alright, fine, sorry. I only jest to get a rise out of you, I know how important your religion is to you. And hey, anything that has the drama and aesthetics of the Catholic Church without all the guilt and trauma has my full attention. Please don’t be mad.”

He grunts but you see the way his mustache twitches as he fights back a smile. You flutter your eyelashes a little and in a moment of boldness, take your lower lip between your teeth. The way his mismatched eyes dart to your mouth and his jaw hangs open makes you giddy.

“I’m–,” his voice comes out as a hoarse rasp, “I forgive you, cara.”

“Thank you for absolving me of my sins, Your Eminence.”

He has to know you’re doing this on purpose at this point. You’re not sure what has gotten into you today but something about the way he stares at you now makes you want to grab him by his pellegrina and haul him over your desk for a sloppy kiss. There’s a heavy tension between the two of you, not for the first time, as if all one of you needs to do is take a step forward and all hell would break loose.

“So, you want me to go to a service? What like black mass? Unholy baptism? Virgin sacrifice?”

The spell is broken and briefly your swagger flickers, wondering if you’ve crossed a line.

“Eh, maybe someday but your statement about sin made me think…perhaps confession would be more suited to you?”

Now your jaw falls open and you can feel your cheeks light up as he watches you with a smirk toying at the corners of his mouth. The tables have turned and now you’re the one left speechless.

“O-oh?” you ask, voice a little higher than normal, “so if Catholic confession is about getting your sins forgiven, then Satanic confession is…having your sins…celebrated?”

“Corretto,” he says with a generous nod, “we’ll go through each one in ah…intimate detail.”

“We?” you squeak out, stomach dropping severely, “I hadn’t realized that you would be presiding.”

“Oh sì,” he says, the smirk on his face positively devilish, “although if you’d prefer someone else…”

“No,” you say just a little too quickly, your heart pounding, “I…I don’t know how much sinning I really get up to. I’ll probably bore you to tears.”

“You might be surprised, dolcezza,” Christ the nickname sounds devious on his lips right now, “What is it they say? ‘Still waters run deep’?”

Your laugh comes out just a little too loud and unnatural and you kick yourself.

“Ha…right. We…we should probably get back to this cataloging or Sister Imperator is going to publicly execute me.”

The rest of the afternoon proceeds normally, with the two of you diligently organizing the abbey’s collection of illuminated manuscripts. When you finally part, he gives you the date, time, and directions to the chapel where the confession booth is located.

“Cara,” he murmurs as you begin to walk away, “you don’t have to do this.”

You give him a half-smile and shake your head.

“I think it will be good for me,” you say, hands behind your back as you rock onto your heels, “and besides, how could I say no to spending an evening with you?”

You make sure not to turn away until you see the full breadth of his dazed expression and by the time your back is to him and you’re walking away, there’s a loopy grin on your face. It’s not til you turn the corner and reach the staircase to your quarters the full realization of what you’ve agreed to dawns upon you. 

Oh fuck.

You don’t see Copia the next two days between his duties and your own and for that you’re extremely thankful. The date of your confession has arrived and you’re equal parts nauseated and exhilarated. Having never gone to confession of any sort before, you’re not entirely sure what to expect. You’re not ignorant - you’ve seen confession scenes in the media and have heard from friends raised in Catholicism - but what little you do know doesn’t assuage your anxiety. This was Satanic confession. A whole different beast. Your mind conjures images of blood rituals and sacrifices and being on your knees before Copia…his gloved hand tilting your chin upwards to look at him…

Christ Almighty, get your shit together.

You desperately try to, as you sternly told yourself, get your shit together but your mind is clouded the rest of your workday with positively sinful scenes of the two of you. You’re particularly fond of the one where he’s got you in his office, your skirt hiked up over your hips as you bend over his desk and he pushes himself inside you from behind. The thought of his voice in your head, calling you his sweet little nicknames as he fucks into you, makes you practically drip. The final two hours in your office are torture before you’re able to skitter back to your rooms. You’re not meeting with Copia for another few hours and you need to do something about the ache between your thighs. Impatiently, you fumble for the buttons on your blouse with one hand while pushing your skirt off with another. You must look a sight, ripping your bra off and flinging it somewhere on the floor, but all you can think about now is getting to your bed. You almost trip twice in the journey to your room, blindly stumbling over and flinging yourself on the mattress. What has gotten into you? You’ve been horny before, about Copia sure, but this? The way you’re practically whining when your hands meet your bare breasts? You feel positively feral. 

“Copia,” you breathe, fingers pinching at your nipples. You imagine his hands on you, the way the leather would warm as he strokes your soft skin.

Dolcezza. 

Fuck, you can hear it perfectly and it makes you sigh, one of your hands slowly sliding down your body to cup the heat of you. You’re sopping and time feels like it slows as you spread yourself open and slide two fingers against your engorged clit. All of your frantic rushing from earlier ceases as you twitch under your own touch, his name on your lips. You’re so sensitive right now it barely takes anything to bring you over the edge, but, you think as your orgasm wanes, it’s not quite enough. Taking a slow exhale in you slip your fingers lower and tease at your entrance. The digits glide in easily enough with the abundance of slick coming from you and languorously you begin to pump them in and out. Your eyes slide shut and you imagine it’s his dexterous fingers instead, curling inside you so you can feel every stitch and groove of his glove. 

Cara mia, he’d murmur into your ear, so wet for me. So sweet for your Cardinal, eh? You honor me.

The whimpers crawling out of your mouth are getting more frequent and higher in pitch - you know you’re close. You bring your palm flat against yourself to push on your clit as your hips continue to make little circles, driving your fingers deeper in. Your hand is aching but it doesn’t stop you from pulling another orgasm out of yourself, chanting his name. Tears pool in your eyes and slide down your temples as you sob aloud and all of a sudden it’s too much. Your body spasms on the duvet, breath coming in harsh pants as you attempt to slow the thundering of your heart. It’s not the first time you’ve touched yourself to the thought of him, by any means, but something feels…different. More charged. You’re exhausted, bone tired as you try to organize your feelings. Reaching a hand up to rub your face you turn over and look at the clock. 

5:32 PM

Your eyelids are heavy but you manage to lean over the side of your bed and locate your phone to set an alarm. Some sleep would do you good. Clear your head.

You don’t dream.

—------

Cazzo, cazzo, cazzo.

Copia paces back and forth in the small, dimly lit (romantically lit, some would say) chapel. The last sibling of the evening just left and now all that remains is…you. He barely heard what the siblings were telling him this evening, so anxious was he and caught up in the thought of you soon being in their position. More than once his vision went blurry as he imagined you a breath away, separated only by the decorative wooden screen.

He was so eager for you to walk through that door, now he’s not sure. With a heavy sigh through his nose he looks down at his watch.

6:58 PM

You’re always punctual and he counts on tonight being no different. Resigned to his fate, he shuffles over to the confession booth and opens the door, slotting himself inside. Shit, his ass hurts from the hard bench, why in fuck’s name had they not added a cushion to this side like there was on the other? He’s grumbling to himself in Italian when he hears the chapel door squeak open and firmly shut. Your soft footsteps approach - you must be wearing your sneakers and not your boots for the distinct clacking sound he usually hears from you has vanished. He sucks in a breath when he hears you open your side of the booth and quietly shut it. There’s a silence between the two of you so profound that when you finally speak he jumps.

“Hey. You’re in there right?”

He makes a loud, vague noise and sees your shoulders drop through the screen. He can’t get a read on your expression but the anxiety in the air has softened with your posture. 

“Good evening,” he begins, a little stiffly. “Eh, welcome.”

You breathe out heavy through your nose.

“Copia, is this a good idea?”

He pauses and looks down to pull at a loose thread on his cuff.

“Are…are you nervous, cara?”

You let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh.

“Yeah, I’m fucking nervous! I’ve never even been to a regular confession let alone…this.”

“Well, we begin with the ceremonial bloodletting and–”

“Oh fuck off,” you grouse, flicking the screen that separates you. You fall silent after a moment.

“Cara, are you truly that anxious? Because we don’t have to do any–”

“I’m fine, Copia. Really. I don’t know why I'm so worked up. Fear of the unknown, I suppose,” you clear your throat and hears you crack your neck.

“Bene. Shall I go over the process with you? And remember this is a celebration. No shaming. No guilt. No wrong answers.”

You take a deep breath in and he sees you nod.

“I will start with the blessing and then we will go through the seven cardinal sins one by one. You may describe yours as briefly or lengthy as you like and we will venerate them. Once we have finished, I will close with a blessing. Then we will part. Nothing to be nervous about, eh? Are you ready?”

“Yes, please.”

“Very good,” he clears his throat and straightens his shoulders. “In nomine Padre, et Filio, et lo Spiritus Malum…we welcome this most sacred sinner into your embrace that she may revel in her transgressions against God.”

When he addresses you by name, he sees you jump.

“Let us begin with the Original Sin - pride.”

“Okay. Yeah. Pride.” There’s a few seconds of silence before he hears you softly curse. “Sorry, I should have made a list or something.”

“Take your time,” he says with a smile, simply content to be in your presence, “I have nowhere to be, cara. I am right here, ready when you are.”

He can see your eyelashes flutter as you look down and your cheeks bunch in a soft smile. Although mostly obscured, the sight still makes his heart soar. After a minute or so of silence you speak.

“Oh! Okay, uh pride. Well I was going to tell you about this anyway but…you know that little write-up I did of Satanic art in the time of the Counter-Reformation?”

“Naturalmente, it was superb.”

“Thank you. Well I thought it was too so I submitted it to a journal for publishing…and they accepted it.”

He can practically hear your grin and it makes him beam in return.

“Cara mia! Congratulazioni! You deserve nothing less! Although I hope you do not consider it a sin to rightfully celebrate an occasion such as this?”

You sigh.

“Ah, I don’t know. I may have bragged a bit too much to other people in the field. Felt a little too self-satisfied about it. So I think that would count, right?”

He scoffs.

“To Papa Frankie, maybe. To us it is a well-deserved acknowledgement of your hard work and something you have every right to be proud of. Dolcezza, even if you hesitate to celebrate yourself, know that I always will do so for you. Published in a journal, well done cara.”

He may not be able to see it in the low light of the confessional but he can picture your flushed cheeks perfectly in his mind.

“Anything else you would like to say on the matter?”

“No, that’s it.”

“Are you ready for the next?”

“Yes,” you say, with greater confidence, “let’s continue.”

“Onto the next. Envy.”

“Ah,” you seem to deflate a little and his brows knit together, “well about that. This…wow this is embarrassing.”

“No such thing as embarrassing at this moment. It’s a safe space, remember?”

“Right,” you huff, “okay well here it goes then. I see the sisters of sin every day walking around the corridors, working in the library, in the dining hall and…I envy them. I envy their bold confidence in their appearance and their sexuality.”

He’s silent for a moment, weighing whether or not he should say what he’s thinking. But you deserve to hear this.

“Confidence is not only represented by eh, wearing short skirts and high heels. I see you exude it every day when you’re bossing me around, no?”

You bark out a laugh and it lightens his heart.

“Truth be told,” he sighs, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, “I’m not the best person to be taking advice on confidence from. But I know how to recognize it and I see it in you.”

“Thank you,” you murmur so softly he thinks he might have made it up, “can we move on?”

“Si,” he says before clearing his throat, “next one is wrath.”

He hears you suck in a breath through your teeth.

“Oh, I’ve got a good one for this. Well…not good. It wasn’t my best moment. But it definitely fits the bill.”

He makes a noise prompting you to continue.

“You know that new painting that Sister Imperator got at auction? The one of Lilith and Faust? It arrived last week and she asked me to oversee its unboxing. I told all the siblings working with me that once the box was open the painting was to be handled with archival gloves. I had to step out of the room for a second to talk to the head librarian and when I came back…not a glove to be found and the painting was halfway out of its crate. Copia I…I lost my shit. You know me I-I don’t get mad. But the fact that they had disregarded my instruction and got their bare fingers on that canvas, then acted ignorant about the whole thing…Christ, Copia I saw red. I don’t even remember half of what I yelled at them. I had to walk out before I did something I would regret. God, I already regretted raising my voice. I didn’t report them to Sister Imperator but she found out somehow…maybe the librarian? I don’t know what their punishment was but I haven’t seen them since. Copia, it was awful. I was awful.”

“With good reason,” he replies promptly, “they should have respected your authority as a professional in the field and by not doing so not only did they potentially damage Ministry property, but they also embarrassed themselves. Idioti. Though I would have liked to have seen you all riled up.” A confession of his own - Sathanas would he have loved to see you flying at them like a demon, your claws sharp and your words sharper. The thought sends a shiver of arousal down his spine and he takes a moment to gather himself before speaking again.

“Is that all you wish to say?”

“Yes. Can we please move on?”

“Very well. Next is sloth.”

You’re silent for a moment and his heart sinks, hoping you’re not dwelling too much on your last confession. He opens his mouth to speak but you beat him to it.

“Sloth, yeah. I, uh,” you let out a giggle and he’s relieved to hear it, “none of these can get me in trouble with Sister Imperator, right?”

“No,” he says slowly, a grin curling his lips, “this is just between us.”

“Okay good. Do you remember a couple weeks back when I texted you that I wasn’t coming in because I was having a migraine?”

“Sì…”

“I was lying,” the words blurt out of you in a rush but you sound almost gleeful about it, “I was so fucking tired and so cozy in bed and it was raining outside…I just couldn’t do it. Stayed under the covers all day watching Ghost Adventures.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he playfully chides, and he can see your shoulders shake with laughter, “Signorina I am stunned. Horrified, even–”

“Oh it’s not that bad.”

“Horrified…that you didn’t tell me so I could join you. I love those ghost hunting shows.”

Your laugh makes him smile in return, “Next time we’ll play hooky together, I promise.”

He sighs deeply. “Please. I could use it.”

“I know,” you murmur, “no one in this abbey works as hard as you do.”

“Grazie, tesoro. I appreciate your kindness.”

You make a warm noise of affirmation before speaking, “What’s next?”

“Gluttony.”

“Oh Christ,” you cringe, head falling forward, “Maybe…about a month ago? Primo came by my rooms and handed me a Tupperware container of brownies. Told me to eat one per sitting with a sweet old man smile on his face. I’m not an idiot, I heard what he grows in the abbey gardens but my God the stink that came off of these things. I knew I was about to get my shit rocked. So I ate my designated brownie and just puttered around, cleaning up the kitchen. All of a sudden, I’m flat on the floor in front of my fan having an out of body experience. I don’t know how long I was lying there for but by the time I hauled myself up I was so hungry I thought I was losing it. Went through a box of cereal, a sleeve of Ritz crackers, and the next thing I knew I was in the papas’ kitchen making a bag of popcorn. Don’t remember getting there and don’t remember coming back up to my rooms but the next morning I was tucked in bed. So weird.”

He chuckles nervously as if he wasn’t the one to find you wandering the kitchens stoned out of your gourd and put you there.

“Ha yes…weird. That’s…that’s all you remember?”

“Mmhmm. Talk about the devil’s lettuce. Was pissed I didn’t have any cereal the next morning, though.”

“Let’s move onto the next, hmm?” He’s a little louder than necessary but you don’t question his suspicious behavior.

“Yeah sure. Hit me.”

“Eh, greed.”

“Hmm,” you ponder and he hears the back of your head thunk against the wood of the booth. “Damn, this is a hard one.”

“It usually is, funnily enough. You can always skip it, if you like.”

“No, no, no,” you say, leaning forward, “I’m trying to get the full set, let me cook.”

That actually makes him laugh out loud. How he adores you so.

“Greed, greed, greed,” you mutter to yourself, “Ah…greed would include covetousness, yeah?”

“Mmm, is there something or perhaps…someone you have been coveting?”

It’s a leading question and he knows this as he hears your breath quicken. It’s at this point in his fantasies where you confess your adoration for him, where he flees the confines of his side of the booth to fall to his knees before you and worship you as Sathanas intended. His tongue darts out to wet his lips and he tastes the bitter tang of his paints which distracts him for a moment when he hears you say–

“Yes. There is someone.”

The silence is deafening between the two of you and his heart thuds against his ribcage, desperate for you reach over and tear it from his chest. He flexes his hands, the leather squeaking as the both of you sit with the words.

“O-oh?” he finally manages to stutter. He can see your eyes are shut and hears you loudly swallow.

“I, um,” you begin, “yeah. There is someone I’ve wanted for…a long time. I…I think he–I mean they–might reciprocate but…”

Tell her, you fool.

“Can we do the next one, actually?” your voice is so painfully soft and his stomach drops. She is doing you a kindness, his brain cruelly provides, by not telling you of who she truly wants. A sibling, perhaps. Or perhaps…one of your fratelli. The thought pains him so he nearly doubles over on himself as if being punched in the gut. Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, gluttony, greed.

Lust.

He’s startled by the sound of his own voice and you are too judging from the way you twitch. From his obscured view you look positively horrified, as if you had forgotten about this one.

“I haven’t been with anyone,” you blurt out, sounding both panicked and deeply embarrassed. He hardly recognizes his own voice as he responds with uncharacteristic calmness.

“Lustful acts…do not always have to involve another person.”

Now why the fuck would he say that? He can see your eyes widen and even in the dim light of the confessional he registers the violent blush on your cheeks.

“Oh I…oh.”

You raise a hand up to rub aggressively at your face, breathing deep.

“In that case, yes,” you finally say and his gut clenches, “I have indulged in the sin of lust.”

“A-about the person you covet?” He’s pushing it but he can’t help himself, can’t help the hope that simmers in his belly and makes his pants tighten.

“Mmm…mhmm,” you respond and you open your mouth to speak but hesitate. When you finally do, there’s a new tone to your voice - something low. Sensual.

“It’s…good. Fuck it’s good. When I think about them I-I go a little insane. I want them so fucking badly and it’s so easy to think about them and what they could do to me. What I would let them do to me.”

His fist flies to his mouth to stifle the whine that threatens to escape from him and his cock throbs underneath his cassock. He can feel your eyes on him, see your lips parted and it makes him lightheaded. Focus. Focus. Go over there and fuck her against this goddamned confessional. Focus.

“Sathanas bless you, tesoro,” he finally ekes out, his voice hoarse, “in celebrating your body a-and your desire you have made Him proud. Well done.”

A beat passes until you clear your throat. He thinks if he doesn’t tend to his dick soon he’s going to pass out.

“That’s all of them then, right? Got the full set?”

“Mmhmm. You can go if you like.”

“Didn’t you say there’s another blessing at the end?”

Satan damn your ability to vex him when he needs relief…and you…the most.

“Eh, yes. In nomine Padre, et Filio, e-et lo Spiritus Malum,” Cazzo what was the rest of it? “Ah…Sathanas bless this most sacred sinner for reveling in her transgressions against God. Nema.”

“Cool, well uh. Goodnight Copia. This has been…enlightening.”

“It certainly has,” he mutters under his breath, fingers itching to adjust his bulge. He’s not sure if you heard him or not because in an instant you’ve opened the booth and skittered down the nave to the door. He doesn’t breathe again until he hears you firmly shut it behind you and within seconds he’s fumbling for the hem of his cassock. He knows the likelihood that you were talking about him is slim but simply entertaining the thought that it could be has him unzipping his pants with vicious determination. When his cock finally, blessedly meets leather he could cry with relief. He knows he’s dribbling pre on himself but he doesn’t care - all that matters is the way you sounded confessing your lustful actions to him and how it drives his fist back and forth. Oh, how sweet you were. Tempting even when you weren’t trying to be. How he would revel in ruining you. The thought makes him double over, his unoccupied hand pressed against the wall of the booth in an attempt to stabilize himself. When he thinks of you eagerly spreading yourself open for him a broken moan escapes his lips, hips rutting upwards into his grip. What sweet little noises you would make - right there, Copia, please, that’s it - your body eager to yield to his touch. 

“Dolcezza,” he grits out, “ragazza perfetta mia. S-so good–ah–for y-your Cardinal.”

His hand is a blur as it rockets along his shaft and he grunts into the silent chapel. He thinks of you looking up at him with that heart-shatteringly kind look on your face, your lips in a soft smile and he cries out, his seed painting his grucifix in desperate spurts. His mind is fuzzy but his hand doesn’t slow, determined to wrench every last drop out of himself until his head falls back and hits the wood of the booth. Groggily, he puts himself away and lowers his cassock before stumbling out of the confessional. His spend drips onto the stone floor but it matters little - surely it’s not the first that floor has seen. All of a sudden he’s exhausted - feeling every second of his five decades - as he blows out candle after candle. When his task is complete he trudges to the door and rests his forehead on the wood for a moment. 

He thinks of your smile once more.

[tawus]

African/African-American/Black

Do The Right Thing (1989) On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.

Goodbye Solo (2008) This film is touching and humorous. It is the story of an unlikely friendship between a struggling but happy cab driver from Senegal, and a tormented southern man with secrets.

Lincoln (2012) As the Civil War continues to rage, President struggles with continued fighting on the battlefield during the civil war but he also fights with many inside his own cabinet with his decision to emancipate the slaves.

Malcom X (1992) Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam.

Straight Outta Compton (2015) The group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.

The Color of Friendship (2000) Mahree Bok is a white South African teenager and a product of the Apartheid system raised to view dark-skinned people as second-class citizens. Piper Dellums is the daughter of an African-American U.S. Congressman living in Washington D.C. When Mahree is chosen to spend her time as an exchange student at the Dellums's house, she is shocked on her arrival to discover that the Dellums are black, and the Dellums are just as surprised when they realize that Mahree is a white South African.

The Color Purple (1985) Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple is a richly-textured, powerful film set in America's rural south. It is a brilliant drama about a black woman's struggles to take control of her life in a small Southern town in the early 20th century.

The Help (2011) This academy award winning movie takes place during the civil rights movements of the 1960’s, when an aspiring writer decides to write a book about the African-American maids' point of view on the white families they work for and the hardships they experience on a daily basis.

——————————————

Cambodian/Chinese/Vietnamese

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) A senior chef lives with his three grown daughters; the middle one finds her future plans affected by unexpected events and the life changes of the other household members.

Holly (2006) In Cambodia, Holly, a 12-year-old Vietnamese girl, encounters Patrick, an American stolen artifacts dealer. The story follows their strong connection and her unrelenting efforts to escape her fate.

Last Train Home (2009) A couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.

Lost in Paradise (2011) Khoi, naive twenty-year-old travels to Ho Chi Minh City from the countryside to begin a new life. It's his first time in the big city and he's looking for a place to live.

Raise the Red Lantern (1991) A young woman becomes the fourth wife of a wealthy lord and must learn to live with the strict rules and tensions within the household.

Sentenced Home (2007) This documentary follows three Cambodian-American men, brought to the U.S. as children by their refugee families. They were raised in the grim public housing of Seattle, among gangs and other realities of that life. Bad choices as teens altered their lives forever, when immigration laws after 9/11 provided no second changes for such children. Though they were raised in the U.S., speak to one another in English, even think in English, each is sentenced to return to Cambodia - separated from family here, possibly forever.

The Joy Luck Club (1993) The story of four Chinese women who immigrated to the U.S. and their first-generation daughters. When one of the women dies, her daughter plays Mahjong with the older women and begins to really learn what her mother endured in China and of her sisters who were left behind. Daughter from Danang (2002) Separated at the end of the Vietnam war, an "Americanized" woman and her Vietnamese mother are reunited after 22 years.

The Last Emperor (1987) The story of the final Emperor of China.

The Quiet American (2002) An older British reporter vies with a young U.S. doctor for the affections of a beautiful Vietnamese woman.

The Vertical Ray of the Sun (2000) The plot centres around three sisters, two of whom are happily married (or so it appears).

Three Seasons (1999) An American in Ho Chi Minh City looks for a daughter he fathered during the war. He meets Woody, a child who's a street vendor, and when Woody's case of wares disappears, he thinks the soldier took it. Woody hunts for him.

——————————————

South Asian/Indian

Bhaji on the Beach (1998) Hashida, an 18-year old Asian woman, lives with her family in Birmingham. Her father wants her to become a doctor and next month her medical school is going to start. Secretly, she has a black boyfriend – which is an absolute faux pas in some Asian cultures – and has now discovered that she is pregnant. She joins a small South Asian women's group on a trip to Blackpool, a trip that holds life-changing experiences for all.

Bend It Like Beckham (2002) Teen-aged Londoner Jesminder Bhamra chases her dream of being a professional soccer player while dealing with the objections of her traditional Sikh family.

Gandhi (1982) A biography of Mohandas K. Gandhi, the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of non-violent protest.

Slum Dog Millionaire (2008) A teen in Mumbai, India who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" When he is suspected of cheating, he is arrested. During his police interrogation, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.

The Namesake (2006) A tale of a first-generation son of traditional, Indian immigrant parents. As he tries to make a place for himself, not always able to straddle two worlds gracefully, he is surprised by what he learns about his family and himself.

——————————————

Disease/Mental Illness/Disability

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989) Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.

The Theory of Everything (2014) A look at the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife.

Ray (2004) The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012) After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Still Alice (2014) A linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

——————————————

LGBTQ+

A Single Man (2009) The story of an English professor, who one year after the sudden death of his boyfriend, is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles. It is a powerful story of his grief and pain for the loss of someone he truly deeply loved.

Boys Don’t Cry(1999) This film is about the true life story of Brandon Teena, a young woman who is going through a sexual identity crisis. She cuts her hair and dresses like a man to see if she can pass as one. She lived life in a male identity until it was discovered he was born biologically female.

Brokeback Mountain (2005) This film tells the story of a forbidden and secretive relationship between two same-sex cowboys and their lives over the years.

Milk (2008) This film tells the story of American gay activist, Harvey Milk, and his struggles as he fights for gay rights and becomes California's first openly gay elected official.

Philadelphia (1993) In this movie, a lawyer, working for a conservative law firm, is diagnosed with AIDS. His employer fires him because of his condition. He tries to find someone to take his case but all refuse except one willing small time lawyer who advocates for a wrongful dismissal suit in spite of his own fears and homophobia.

The Danish Girl (2015) A fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

Transamerica (2005) A pre-operative male-to-female transgender takes an unexpected journey when she learns that she fathered a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York.

——————————————

Hispanic/Latino(a)/Mexican

A Day Without a Mexican (2004) One-third of the population of California is Latinos, Hispanics, Mexicans. How would it change life for the state's other residents if this portion of the populous suddenly vanished? The film is a "mockumentary" designed to show the valuable contributions made every day by Latinos.

Babel (2006) Tragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, touching off an interlocking story involving four different families.

El Norte (1983) The Guatemalan army discovers Mayan Indian peasants who have begun to organize, hoping to rise above their label of "brazos fuertes" or "strong arms" (manual laborers). The army massacres their families and destroys their village to give the new recruits no choice but to follow and obey. However, two teenage siblings survive and are determined to escape to the U.S. or El Norte. They make their way to L.A. - uneducated, illegal immigrants, alone.

Mi Familia (My Family) (1995) This epic film traces over three generations an immigrant family's trials, tribulations, tragedies, and triumphs. Jose and Maria, the first generation, come to Los Angeles, meet, marry, face deportation all in the 1930s. They establish their family in East L.A., and their children Chucho, Paco, Memo, Irene, Toni, and Jimmy deal with youth culture and the L.A. police in the 1950s. As the second generation become adults in the 1960s, the focus shifts to Jimmy, his marriage to Isabel (a Salvadorian refugee), their son, and Jimmy's journey to becoming a responsible parent.

Sin Nombre (2009) A Honduran young girl and a Mexican gangster are united in a journey across the American border.

Under the Same Moon (2007) Heartwarming story about a mother who leaves Mexico to make a home for herself and her son (Adrian Alonso). When the boy's grandmother dies, leaving him alone, he sets off on his own to find his mother.

——————————————

Immigrants/Undocumented

Crossing Arizona (2006) With Americans on all sides of the issue up in arms and Congress in a policy battle over how to move forward, Crossing Arizona tells the story of how we got to where we are today. Heightened security in California and Texas has pushed illegal border-crossers into the Arizona desert in unprecedented numbers (estimated 4,500 a day). Most are Mexican men in search of work, but increasingly the border-crossers are women and children wanting to join their husbands and fathers. This influx of migrants crossing through Arizona and the attendant rising death toll has elicited complicated feelings about human rights, culture, class, labor, and national security.

Dancer in the Dark (2000) An east European girl goes to America with her young son, expecting it to be like a Hollywood film.

El Norte (1983) The Guatemalan army discovers Mayan Indian peasants who have begun to organize, hoping to rise above their label of "brazos fuertes" or "strong arms" (manual laborers). The army massacres their families and destroys their village to give the new recruits no choice but to follow and obey. However, two teenage siblings survive and are determined to escape to the U.S. or El Norte. They make their way to L.A. - uneducated, illegal immigrants, alone.

In America (2002) A family of Irish immigrants adjusts to life on the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen while also grieving the death of a child.

The Terminal (2004) When an Eastern European immigrant comes to American to fulfill a promise to his father he finds himself stranded inside JFK airport, making it his temporary residence when he cannot enter the USA nor return home.

The Visitor (2007) A lonely economics professor in Connecticut life is changed forever - and for the better - when he finds a couple of illegals, who happen to be living in his New York apartment.

Green Card (1990) A French man wanting to stay in the US enters into a “short-term” marriage to an American woman so he can get his green card. Complications result when he gets caught lying.

——————————————

Indigenous

Avatar (2009) A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) A chronicle of how American Indians were displaced as the U.S. expanded west. Based on the book by Dee Brown.

Once Were Warriors (1994) A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002) In 1931 Australia, government policy includes taking half-caste children from their Aboriginal mothers and sending them a thousand miles away "to save them from themselves." Molly, Daisy, and Grace (two sisters and a cousin who are 14, 10, and 8) arrive at their “school” and promptly escape, under Molly's lead. For days they walk north, following a fence that keeps rabbits from settlements, eluding a native tracker and the regional constabulary. Their pursuers take orders from the government's "chief protector of Aborigines," A.O. Neville, blinded by Anglo-Christian certainty, evolutionary worldview and conventional wisdom.

Smoke Signals (1998) Young Indian man Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories no-one wants to hear. His parents died in a fire in 1976, and Thomas was saved by Arnold. Arnold soon left his family (and his tough son Victor), and Victor hasn't seen his father for 10 years. When Victor hears Arnold has died, Thomas offers him funding for the trip to get Arnold's remains, but only if Thomas will also go with him. Thomas and Victor hit the road.

The Spirit of Crazy Horse (1990) One hundred years after the massacre at Wounded Knee, Milo Yellow Hair recounts the story of his people-from the lost battles for their land against the invading whites-to the bitter internal divisions and radicalization of the 1970's-to the present-day revival of Sioux cultural pride, which has become a unifying force as the Sioux try to define themselves and their future.

Whale Rider (2002) On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their History dates back a thousand years to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. Whangara chiefs have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand culture, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai must fight a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

——————————————

Middle Eastern

Baran (2001) In a building site in present-day Tehran, Lateef, a 17-year-old Turkish worker is irresistibly drawn to Rahmat, a young Afghan worker. The revelation of Rahmat's secret changes both their lives.

Incendies (2010) Twins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history, and fulfill their mother's last wishes.

Schindler's List (1993) In German-occupied Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazi Germans.

The Band’s Visit (2007) A band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town.

Turtles Can Fly (2004) Near the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of an American invasion, refugee children like 13-year-old Kak (Ebrahim), gauge and await their fate.

Wadjda (2012) An enterprising Saudi girl signs on for her school's Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her interest.

——————————————

Pacific Islander/Polynesian

Balangiga: The Howling Wilderness (2017) 1901, Balangiga. Eight-year-old Kulas flees town with his grandfather and their carabao to escape General Smith's Kill and Burn order. He finds a toddler amid a sea of corpses and together, the two boys struggle to survive the American occupation.

Moana (2016) In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right.

Once Were Warriors (1994) A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.

Princess Kaiulani (2009) The story of a Hawaiian princess' attempts to maintain the independence of the island against the threat of American colonization.

Whale Rider (2002) On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their History dates back a thousand years to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. Whangara chiefs have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand culture, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai must fight a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

——————————————

Women

Āfsāīd = Offside (2006) Struggle of Women in a country that excludes them from entering the stadiums.

The Help (2011) This academy award winning movie takes place during the civil rights movements of the 1960’s when an aspiring writer decides to write a book about the African-American maids' point of view on the white families they work for and the hardships they experience on a daily basis.

Suffragette (2015) The foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State.

Water (2005) The film examines the plight of a group of widows forced into poverty at a temple in the holy city of Varanasi. It focuses on a relationship between one of the widows, who wants to escape the social restrictions imposed on widows, and a man who is from the highest caste and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

Whale Rider (2002) On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their History dates back a thousand years to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. Whangara chiefs have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand culture, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai must fight a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

Ooh amazing, thank you for this! ❤️

I've watched Slumdog Millionaire, Brokeback Mountain, and Schindler's List. And read a Penguin Classics abridged version of Rabbit-Proof Fence as part of my English learning back in my teenage years. Some of the others I'm familiar with tho have yet to watch; and others are completely new to me

[kpopscatterbrain]

Kdramas/Movies with strong female characters

Dramas

Eve (2022): Lee La-El (Seo Yea-Ji) When Lee La-El was little, her father died unexpectedly. Powerful people were responsible for his death. After her family was destroyed, Lee La-El prepared for the next 13 years to take revenge. Starting by targeting Kang Yoon-gyeom, one of the main culprits who orchestrated the death of her father. Along the way she becomes torn between her desire for revenge and her feelings for Yoon-gyeom.

It's Okay To Not Be Okay (2020): Ko Moon-Young (Seo Yea-Ji) Ko Moon-Young is a popular children's book author with antisocial personality disorder. She had a troubled childhood and a turbulent relationship with her parents. She develops romantic feelings for a psychiatric caregiver after a coincidental encounter and often goes to extreme lengths to get his attention.

Hotel Del Luna (2019): Jang Man-Wol (IU) Jang Man-Wol is the moody owner of Hotel del Luna. The hotel catering to the dead has been bound to her soul in order to atone for the sins she committed 1,300 years ago. Through the new manager Gu Chan-sung, the mysteries and the secrets behind the hotel and its owner are revealed

My Name (2021): Yoon Ji-Woo (Han So-Hee) Yoon Ji-Woo’s father gets murdered suddenly. She wants to desperately take revenge on whoever is responsible for her father's death. She starts working for a drug crime ring that her father was a part of. Ji-Woo joins the police department as a mole for the drug ring.

Vagabond (2019): Go Hae-Ri (Bae Suzy) Go Hae-Ri is an NIS agent and is currently working undercover at the Korean embassy in Morocco. She is tasked to help the bereaved families of a fatal flight. She helps Cha Dal-Geon whose nephew was on the flight uncover a darker and more sinister conspiracy than they expected.

Sisyphus: The Myth (2021): Gang Seo-Hae (Park Shin-Hye) Gang Seo-Hae is an elite warrior. She can take down the biggest men with just her bare hands. She is a sharpshooter and a bombmaker. She learned these skills to survive in a world that is dominated by gangsters and military cliques. One day she time travels to save a genius engineer.

Mr. Sunshine (2018): Go Ae-Shin (Kim Tae-Ri) Go Ae-Shin is an orphaned noblewoman and a member of the Righteous Army. Her parents were independence fighters who died in Japan due to their colleague's betrayal. She trains as a sniper. An american soldier Eugene meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin. 

The Glory (2022): Moon Dong-Eun (Song Hye-Kyo) Moon Dong-Eun was a victim of high school violence. She waited for the bully ring leader get married and have a child. Now she is the homeroom teacher of her tormentor's child. Her cruel revenge plot begins.

Tomorrow (2022): Koo Ryeon (Kim Hee-Seon) Grim reaper Koo Ryeon is the leader of a crisis management team. The teams objective is to save suicidal people. Choi Jun-Woong (Ro Woon) is a young job seeker who is unable to secure a job. One night, he accidentally becomes a new member of the crisis management team.

Remarriage & Desires (2022): Seo Hye-Seung (Kim Hee-Seon) Seo Hye-seung who lost everything in an instant after her husbands affair and su*cide. She signs up to a matchmaking company Rex for the upper class, and participates in the race of her desires for her revenge.

Under The Queen's Umbrella (2022): Queen Hwaryeong (Kim Hye-Soo) Queen Hwaryeong is supposed to act with grace and dignity, but she has troublemaker sons. The queen decides to abandon strict protocols to transform her sons into deserving princes through education and personal growth, all while navigating the complexities of motherhood and royal life.

Juvenile Justice (2022): Sim Eun-Seok (Kim Hye-Soo) Sim Eun-Seok is an elite judge with a personality that seems unfriendly to others. She hates juvenile criminals and gets assigned to a local juvenile court. There, she breaks custom and administers her own ways of punishing the offenders.

K-Movies

Kill Boksoon (2023): Gil Bok-Soon (Jeon Do-Yeon) Gil Bok-Soon is a single mother and a contract killer working for M. K. Ent. Highly regarded by her peers, she has a 100% success rate and is one of a few killers rated "A" by her company. Right before Gil Bok-Soon is set to renew her contract, she gets involved in a kill or be killed confrontation.

Ballerina (2023): Jang Ok-Ju (Jun Jong-Seo) Ok-Ju used to work as a bodyguard. Ok-Ju is friends with Min-Hee, who is a ballerina. Min-Hee asks Ok-Ju for a favor. She wants Ok-Ju to take revenge.

The Witch: Subversion (2018): Ja-Yoon (Kim Da-Mi) A young girl escapes from a mysterious laboratory where she was trained to become a murder weapon. 10 years later, the girl, named Ja-yoon, is living a normal life, apparently without any memory of her past, she becomes involved in a crime.

Special Delivery (2022): Eun-Ha (Park So-Dam) Eun-Ha is a special driver for deliveries. She delivers anything or anyone for the right price. Her success rate is 100%, but she gets involved in an unexpected delivery accident.

Brave Citizen (2023): So Shi-Min (Shin Hae-Sun) So Shi-Min used to be a boxer in her student days. She now works as a contract teacher at a high school. She confronts a school bully, who frequently torments other students.

[nenelonomh]

day 20/100 ~ 100 days of productivity

achievements:

: ̗̀➛ finished two sections of my pest analysis! two left!

: ̗̀➛ re-wrote my self-love letter, i lost my og one

insights:

: ̗̀➛ didn't do training today, on my period and didn't feel up to it. it's important not to feel guilty for taking time to heal/recover

notes:

: ̗̀➛ homework: math hw book, spanish hw bok, sehs workbook, modules

: ̗̀➛ assignment: pest analyis

: ̗̀➛ study: physics, english, spanish, sehs

: ̗̀➛ coming saturday, i'm going to spend the day to myself❤️

habit tracking:

morning stretch study time daily physical activity practice a hobby

(images are from pinterest)

[floralcavern]

AROACE OC!

My OC realizing he’s aroace haha!

Lucas sat us the plastic foldout chair of the chemistry lab as Izumi worked on her project.��

He twiddled his thumbs, reading through his friend’s groupchat. 

Lisa: CARLY ASKED TO HANG OUT, WHAT DO I DO?!

Lisa: DAMIAN?! LUCAS?!

Lisa: HELP!????

Damian: I’m hanging out with Cameron, calm down!

Lisa: YOU’RE ALWAYS ON A DATE WITH CAMERON I NEED ADVICE NOW!

Damian: You know it’s not like that!!!

Lucas turned his phone onto silent and rested his head onto the table. He always gave Lisa advice on how to deal with her crush, Carly. But he felt like a fraud. 

Lucas Camper, ladies man who gets daily love confessions. Lucas Camper, well known heartbreaker and possible player..

Lucas Camper.. an absolutely confused mess!

“You’re depressed about something,” Izumi said. 

“You’re not even looking over here.”

“I can sense it!” She turned to look at him. “うわー！You look even worse than I thought you would!” She turned off her Bunsen burner and pulled up a chair next to Lucas. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

He hesitated before sighing. “You’re straight, right?”

She blinked in surprise before nodding. “As a ruler.”

“Have you ever dated a guy before?”

She raised an eyebrow. “No. I haven’t. Where is this going?”

“Why haven’t you? Haven’t you liked anyone before?”

She gave him a skeptical look before answering. “Yes, I’ve liked many guys before. But right now I’m taking time to work on myself and school. If I wanna get into a good college, I’ve gotta work.”

“So you’re not interested in being in a relationship-“

“Currently.”

“-currently. But you’ve still felt that desire before with some guys?”

She nodded. “Yes.” She grasped his hand. “Where are you going with this?”

“I.. I’ve never really.. felt like that.”

“Like what?”

“Romantic.”

She stared at him for a moment. “Never?”

“Nope.”

“Natta?”

“Zilch.”

“Never even in primary school when you had those pretend weddings on the playground?”

“Nope. Though I was the priest for one of those.”

“Well I’ll be..” She rested her chin on her hand to study him for a moment. 

“What about sexual?”

The word hit him like a freight train. “HUH?!”

“You know.. watching a movie and a girl or boy comes on screen.. maybe close ups on their assets.. maybe even during a sex scene..”

With each word, he felt his face grow hotter and hotter. “STOP! This is making me uncomfortable!”

“So you’ve never experienced that?”

“NO!!”

He buried his face into his arms to hide his embarrassment. Izumi studied him for a moment before chuckling softly. “白痴. I think I see what’s going on.”

He lifted his head ever so slightly, still red. “You do..?”

“Yep.. I think you’re aroace.”

He stared at her fore a good minute. “I’m what now?”

“Aromantic asexual. Meaning you don’t experience romantic love or desire and you don’t experience sexual attraction or desire.”

He let the word float through his head for a moment. “Aromantic asexual..” he said out loud. He then shook his head to snap himself out of the trance. 

“But.. how can I not experience that?! Everyone experiences that. With Damian in a not-so-secret relationship with Cameron and Lisa’s crush on Carly! What would that make me?! A.. a robot..?”

He didn’t realize he had stood out of his chair until Izumi helped him sit back down. “Dummy. No, it doesn’t. Do you care about Damian and Lisa?”

“…Yes..”

“Case closed, you’re not a robot!”

“But.. but.. how can we still be friends? They’re always on about the person they love.. where does that leave me?”

“It leaves you as you..”

He looked at her anxiously. 

She chuckles softly. “You guys still have your friendship. Things like interests and hobbies and mutual care and trust. If your friendship is built on them just talking only about romance, that’s not a true friendship. But keep in mind that they just wanna vent about their own feelings right now. My brother is the same way with that Bok kid..” she murmured the last part under her breath. 

He bit his lip before leaning back in his chair and kicking his feet back and forth. “But in movies and tv, it always ends with them kissing or married and with kids! That’s what I’m… I’m supposed to do..”

She closed her eyes, thinking before smiling. “Be your own story.”

“…what?”

“Be your own protagonist. Quit living in third person. Make your own ending. Just because you have tons of suitresses doesn’t mean you have to end up with one. You can just keep living your life and they’ve got to respect that. You’re not a prize. You’re Lucas.”

She gently ruffles his hair. “You don’t have to feel guilty about any of that.”

He chuckles and stands up. “I’ve gotta think about all this.”

She nods. “Go ahead. And if you arrrrre… QPR?”

“QP-what now?”

She laughed and playfully shoved his shoulder. “I’ll tell you another time. Now go home Lucas..”

He smiles at her one last time before turning to leave. 

[mctna2019]

A chance

+Here.

Seon-ho throws himself on the ground as he slowly pulls his hand out of Hwi's arms. he sits in silence staring at the man who is sleeping.

+Mun-bok stiched his wounds. here the clean clothes.

Seon-ho takes the clothes from Hwi.

+do you want me to stay and help you?

Seon-ho shakes his head in the negative.

+call me when it finishes. and be careful about your wounds.

-thank you.

Hwi puts his hand gently on Seon-ho's shoulder and leaves room. Seon-ho pulls himself forward, towards him. this is the last time he can see him.

many things had changed in all these 12 years. that rough man who ordered Seon-ho to kneel down to take the bow had now given his life to protect Seon-ho. he tries his best not to cry, not to break. because this time he isn't there, who could collect Seon-ho's broken pieces and pour them into his empty shell.

he brushes away his unshed tears and placed his trembling hand on his cold hand.

-thank you for everything.

he doesn't smile, like always.

when he opens the bag, it's a silk dress exactly the same color as the one Seon-ho had taken to Hwi's father's burial. Seon-ho knows it isn’t an accident. he had never been trained to prepare the dead, and Hwi's father was the only person Seon-ho had helped Hwi with his burial. but over and over in his mind, Seon-ho had a glorious funeral for his mother and Yeon.

he removes his clothes and see his whole body is bandaged. ignoring the pain that shots through his body with every movement, he silently dresses him in a clean silk dress. it's different from usual but graceful. if he saw himself in such a situation, he certainly wouldn't have left Seon-ho and Hwi alive. Seon-ho laughs bitterly at the thought. he arranges the clothes and put his sword next to him. as always, he looks powerful and magnificent.

-I could never protect people who was precious to me. I'm sorry, but I won't fail this time.

Seon-ho immediately wipes away his tears.

-when I'm sure that Hwi is safe... then... I'll sleep forever. it doesn't matter where it is.

something weighs on his chest like all the times his loved ones were lost and he was left alone. he needs opium and alcohol. so that he can forget this torment a little. but he knows Sung-rok wouldn't be pleased, just as he knew his mother and Yeon weren't. he only puts his hand on his chest and press it on his painful wounds so that he could breathe. this time is the last time. he promises Sung-rok. while he knows it makes him angry.

he just sits there and stares at his face. remembering every moments they had. the life he could have with him. far from others and maybe a little piece?

Seon-ho doesn't know why he's thinking about Min-ho, his older brother. he had forgotten him for a long time and now, seeing Sung-rok's corpse, he remembers the day when Min-ho's lifeless body was pulled out of the water.

at least this time he has the chance to farewell and bury him, among all of them.

[achillespersonalgym]

Woon je in Haarlem en op zoek naar een stoere workout? Boks training is dé manier om fit te worden, stress te verjagen en jezelf te pushen. In dit blog ontdek je alles over boksen in Haarlem: van boksscholen tot de voordelen. Trek je handschoenen aan en boks jezelf naar een fitter jij!

[mikec137]

Mägenwil, Switzerland, November 2022

[hee0soo]

Kingdom Ep.7

Summary: The groups have to prepare for their collab stages and Jisoo´s feeling a bit off.

You voted for Kingdom, you are getting Kingdom. Episode 7 everyone

“Ah I.N-ah you´re standing on my foot!” the female complained and pushed the boys shoulder lightly.

May 2021

[Three mysterious men and a beautiful woman appear]

“Sorry Noona. Let´s go!”

[Stray Kids´Lee Know, Felix, Jisoo and I.N arrive]

“It´s my first time at another agency.” The youngest stated excitedly.

“KQ Entertainment.” Felix read the logo and opened the door.

The four members entered the lobby and were immediately greeted by five anxious looking ATEEZ members.

[WELCOME]

Seonghwa, Yeosang, Yunho, San and Wooyoung were already waiting for them to appear, bowing in front of their sunbaenims.

Jisoo felt weird, since San and Wooyoung were good friends of hers. Them bowing formally felt wrong on so many levels.

After they finished exchanging greetings, Felix took over for them.

“5 Members of ATEEZ?”

The 5 agreed quickly.

“And the 4 of you right?” Yunho asked quickly.

[ATEEZ 5 + Stray Kids 4= 9 people]

“Yes it´s the 4 of us.” The girl said and linked her arm with Lee Know´s, making him look at her worriedly.

She hadn´t felt well since the evening before.  The tiredness showed itself on her face and her happy vitamin was not allowed to be by her side.

To say that she felt awful would be an understatement.

“Peniel-sunbaenim isn´t here yet.” Wooyoung told them but one second later the door opened again and revealed the eldest member of the MayFly Dance Unit.

----------

“Welcome to our Practice Room!” Yunho called out as they entered the practice room where the ATEEZ members usually trained and practiced.

The visitors clapped enthusiastically.

[Excitement is in the air]

“We´ll need a leader who´ll lead the 10 of us.” Peniel stated once they had settled down and sat in a half circle.

Jisoo still hadn´t let go of her member as she could feel a headache incoming.

Without Peniel noticing, the younger members signaled towards him to get the position. Everyone agreed when the leader suggested talking casual.

I.N who sat next to his Noona almost had a crisis when he heard that.

Not wanting her younger member to feel stressed, Jisoo grabbed his hand and squeezed gently.

Peniel was by far not a strict guy and he tried to get the youngest in the room to loosen up a bit. It worked great and the female could see the tension leave her maknaes shoulders.

“It´s good to have so many dancers on the team! 5 members are present and all of us are dancers. What about you? How did you come here?” Wooyoung questioned the Stray Kids members curiously.

“For us, Yong Bok, Jisoo and I are in charge of the dance so that´s why we came here today!” Lee Know explained.

[Felix, Jisoo and Lee Know are core dance members of DanceRacha]

 “And we needed a dependable support so we brought I.N with us!”

[VocalRacha I.N, an All-rounded member who is good with dances]

[MayFly dance unit has plenty of support]

After the younger members had talked Peniel into showing the Krumping style he was famous for, they decided to make a slogan.

They gathered in a small circle around Felix and started yelling.

“WHO CAN FLY?”

“WE CAN FLY!”

“WHO CAN FLY?”

“WE CAN FLY!”

“R-R-R-R-ROLL!”

-----------

When filming ended that day, Jisoo let a big sigh of relief. Her head felt like it was going to explode and the pain reliever hadn´t helped as much as the girl would have liked.

She hoped that it wasn’t too obvious in front of the camera but seeing as even Yunho and Yeosang had asked her if she was feeling alright, she didn´t do a very good job at it.

Jisoo could already hear Minho tattling on her to Chan over the phone when they were back in the van that brought them to KQ. The older dancer kept eying her slumped back figure while talking to the leader, wanting nothing more than to get her into her bed. He already knew that it wasn´t going to happen though.

Jisoo had taken to Chan way more than usual in the last few weeks and he knew that she would go to the company in hopes for some cuddles from the leader.

“You´re still filming right Hyung?”

“Yeah we are. Stated a bit later because of some technical issues but were still on camera. Why are you asking?”

“Soo-ah hasn´t been feeling well today so I think she´ll be at the studio in about 30 minutes.”

Minho could hear the older sigh in resignation.

“Alright thanks for the heads up. I´ll tell the camera crew and the others here to expect her. See you later Min-ah!”

They hung up and Minho looked back at the female member. Her eyes were closed but the way her face was scrunched up told him that she was still very much awake.

Next to her Felix put his hand on hers to give it a reassuring squeeze.

“Chan is expecting you at the company in a bit. But first I want you to go home with us and change into comfier clothes! Understood?”

Jisoo gave him an understanding thumbs up.

-----------

3Racha, Minhyuk and Hongjoong were busy arranging the track for the rap performance when the door got opened slowly.

[A soft Jisoo appears! What is she doing here?]

Chan looked at her and raised an eyebrow at seing her Hoodie.

"Is that HIS hoodie?"

Jisoo entered without replying.

Closing the door softly behind her, she sat down on the only free spot of the couch next to Hongjoong. A slight frown displayed on her face when she realized it was occupied.

“Aww is your couch occupied Bambi?” Changbin teased when he saw her face.

Jisung gave her one of the water bottles Chan had stashed away and turned back to the track they were working on.

Minhyuk couldn´t help but coo over the tired looking female.

[Someone seems a bit tired]

The Rap Team continued working and Jisoo sat with them in silence. After about half an hour Chan turned around to see how she´s doing. What he saw almost made his heart stop from cuteness.

Jisoo had fallen asleep with her head on Hongjoong´s shoulder, knees pulled to her chest and snoring softly. The ATEEZ leader sat there as still as a statue to not disturb her, looking positively enamored with red ears.

Chan could already see the Dating scandal rising and it surprised him a lot when all that happened was Stay´s and ATINY`s going on and on over how sweet the moment was.

----------

Practice the next day went smoothly. Jisoo felt so much better and the 3 groups worked seamlessly together.

The dance came together piece by piece, taking on form the longer they practiced.

San had detached himself from Wooyoung and went to Jisoo´s side. The two watched as Felix and Wooyoung started practicing their jump with the dancers.

Jisoo winced when she saw how Felix had to land on the others thighs.

“Are you okay? You weren´t acting like yourself yesterday and I got worried. Youngie told me to wait for today to ask or I would have messaged you yesterday already!”  He asked carefully, making her smile.

It was one of the things she loved about her friend. How he was always worried for his friends and wanted to care for them.

“I´m fine, just feeling a bit under the weather! It´s fine now!” Jisoo answered.

San nodded in understanding.

The two went over the part they shared in the performance multiple times to work out the last few kinks of it when the choreographer clapped and ordered them into position to go over what they had so far.

“Let´s start this from the top and then I want Peniel-ssi working on his Krumping!”

Peniel pulled a face. He hadn´t done it in a while and knew it would take a moment to get back into it.

“You can do it Peniel-ah!!!!” Jisoo cheered for him and gave a finger heart.

[A cute cheerleader for the leader]

And when the day of the performance came the tore the stage apart!

[alleannaharris]

Today's Black History Month illustration is of the classical singer Marian Anderson, whose 1939 performance at the Lincoln Memorial raised awareness of racial discrimination.

Anderson was born in 1897 in South Philadelphia. When she was 6 years old, she became a member of the choir at Union Baptist Church, where people called her “Baby Contralto.” Her father, John, was a coal and ice dealer at Reading Terminal Market , and when Anderson was 8, her father bought her a piano. Her family couldn’t afford lessons, so she taught herself.

Anderson’s father passed away when she was 12, so her mother, Anna, had to raise her and her two sisters. Despite her father’s death, Anderson continued to stay committed to church and choir. Her commitment and skills impressed her choir so much that the church worked together to raise enough money to pay for her to train under a respected voice teacher, Giuseppe Boghetti.

In 1928, she performed at Carnegie Hall and thanks to a Julius Rosenwald scholarship, went on tour through Europe. By the late 1930s, Marian Anderson was famous in US and Europe. In 1936, President Roosevelt and Eleanor invited Anderson to perform at the White House. She was the first Black person to receive this honor.

She had been scheduled to sing at Washington's Constitution Hall, but the Daughters of the American Revolution (who managed the hall) refused to let her sing because she was Black. In response, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR, and President Roosevelt gave permission for a concert at the Lincoln Memorial. On Easter Sunday, Anderson performed "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" to an audience of 75,000 people and a NBC radio audience of millions.

In 1941, she won the Edward Bok Award for distinguished service to the city of Philadelphia. And in 1955, she became the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.

In 1961, Anderson performed the national anthem at JFK’s inauguration. In 1963, JFK honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Anderson retired from performing in 1965, but she was honored with the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another illustration and story!

[batmanshole]

my favourite emojis

thumbs up. salute. bomb. tulip. strawberry. sobbing. two red exclamation marks. red exclamation mark and question mark. woozy. dizzy. hand cupping. hand pointing. eye. female firefighter. female farmer. female construction worker. pregnant man. woman in wheelchair. woman in power chair. woman with probing cane. puppy face. duck. duckling. snail. ant. bee. jellyfish. whale. seal. sheep. guide dog. wing. dove. clover. four leaf clover. sprout. mushroom. lotus. bouquet. hyacinth. hibiscus. cherry blossom. rock. sunflower. coral. sparkle. star. rain. rain and thunder. snowflake. gust of wind. onion. garlic. bagel. ginger. cherries. peach. green apple. red apple. pear. lemon. orange. mango. blueberry. carrot. corn. broccoli. bok choy. potato. bread. sweet potato. baguette. pretzel. pancakes. hotdog. hamburger. sandwich. fortune cookie. rice. dango. sorbet. flan. lolipop. tea. honey. bubble tea. hockey. roller skate. fishing. woman surfing. fencing. paint palette. woman juggling. trumpet. saxophone. violin. chess pawn. guitar. headphones. probing cane. wheelchair. power chair. crutch. suspended train car. tram. trolley. train. train at station. airplane. airplane taking off. airplane landing. different airplane. ship anchor. moai head. map. roller coaster. park fountain. pink hospital. keyboard. phone with arrow. CD. DVD. minidisc. floppy disk. VHS tape. camera with flash. dial. antique clock. hourglass. hourglass with falling sand. old tv. plug. candle. lightbulb. ID card. ladder. pickaxe. saw. nut and bolt. gear. hammer. box propped up by stick. magnet. water gun. knife. axe. sword. dynamite. cigarette. gravestone. hole. bandaid. telescope. pill. broom. plunger. picnic basket. bath with bubbles. razor. toothbrush. lotion. soap. person in bath. toilet paper. toilet. sponge. bucket. key. skeleton key. bed with person in it. bed. chair. door. teddy bear. present. balloon. box. tag. scroll. document. document bent. file folder. open file folder. clipboard. office trash can. rolled up newspaper. filing cabinet. newspaper. composition notebook. plain notebook. red volume 1 notebook. green volume 2 notebook. blue volume 3 notebook. orange volume 4 notebook. stack of books. open book. triangular ruler. pin. pen. fountain pen right. fountain pen left. pencil. crayon. closed lock. pink heart. red heart. orange heart. yellow heart. green heart. cyan heart. blue heart. purple heart. grey heart. white heart. brown heart. black heart. sparkling pink heart. pink heart with arrow. pink heart with bow. double pink hearts. swirling pink hearts. glowing pink heart. vibrating pink heart. broken heart. radiation warning. libra. big red X. big red O. crossed out circle. question mark. exclamation point. warning sign. trident. fleur de lis. accessibility sign. canadian flag. brazillian flag. pirate flag. ok sign. cool sign. music notes. on arrow. top arrow. TM sign. crossed out bell. thought bubble. yelling bubble. speech bubble. spade. club. heart. diamond. gay pride. trans pride.

[deathsmallcaps]

Maybe it’s just because there’s only so many ways to draw a type of thing, but I have seven thoughts about Elemental (2023) after watching it again lol.

1. It showcases a lovely balanced relationship between artists. Ember, of course, has an eye and hand for glass making, and Wade sees the potential and ability she has; how her light shines through to the world and him, figuratively and literally. Meanwhile, Wade’s way with words is more subtle, but really reaches in deep and converts visual art into emotion; it takes a good writer and speaker to convey feeling into accessible ideas. And Ember recognizes his talent, and lets it touch her.

They bring light into each other’s lives; without each other, they were fine and functioning and almost happy, but when they have the other, that’s just the icing on the cake.

2. The art style looks worse without motion. Both characters are constantly unconsciously moving in every shot; Ember flickers and Wade drips. Plus, the way light works with them and around them doesn’t translate well to a still image (especially with Ember; it’s hard to draw without outline, and I think it helped with visibility and stability on the screen, but in stills it looks awkward.).

A lot of fan art I’m seeing seems to struggle with this outline/still problem, again more with Ember than with Wade, but a lot of artists have added their own spin and style and made it work. I think the problem is directly related to how it’s difficult to capture water, fire and light ‘sources’ like the moon via photo. So if the art style for that particular aspect is turning you off, and you’ve only seen stills, I’d suggest you watch a bit of video or a good gif set (there’s already quite a few) before deciding whether it’s worth watching or not.

3. Speaking of art, this movie really reminded me of Studio Ghibli movies. Maybe there’s only so many ways to draw something, or maybe it’s just the Howl’s Moving Castle (both book and film) and Ponyo fan in me, but Ember for sure took a lot of visual inspiration from Calcifer, it’s the red outline and such, and Wade the waves from Ponyo. It was fun to see! Also tbh I saw some Dr. Seuss CGI movie shapes in their bodies.

4. Ember and Burnie breaking the cycle. When Burnie left Fire Land for Element City, he was following his dreams (and he even started enough of a trend that his whole neighborhood because a new fire town). But his Sad disagreed with him. As a last attempt at connection, Burnie bowed a Bok Sa (sp?), a very deep bow, to his father, to show respect and love. His Dad did not return the gesture, spurning his son and his dreams, and turned away.

When Ember leaves for the glassblowing internship, she performed a Bok Sa for her Dad (and it’s so intimate guys. Like it’s almost embarrassing to look at because it’s raw and passionate and I really admire the creators for Not restraining it). Burnie sees a chance to show his daughter that he loves her, and that he respects her dreams (despite his and Cinder’s sacrifice of emigration from Fire Land, which is a big theme in this movie), and so he holds back the hurt his father laid upon him, so many years ago. He does a Bok S- back. It’s wonderful. I’m not sure he would’ve done that at the beginning of the movie, but his love for his daughter won out in the end.

(I just wish that the mother-daughter relationship received a little more canon consideration as well, but I appreciate the movie for the relations it did focus on.)

5. The city fucks up in a big way, and of course it’s up to the people affected to solve it, at least in the short term. Despite water being a huge hazard and supposedly already gotten rid of in fire town, there’s still a water train that passes regularly and always displaces enough water to kill a fire person. And in terms of the dam, there’s so much bureaucracy that Gale (the city safety officer?) found it easier to (nearly) shut down a business than to get a health hazard (the broken dam) fixed.

And when Ember covers up the hole, she leaves it! Her tempered glass doesn’t get support, and it eventually cracks and floods Fire Town, nearly killing lots of residents and leading to Wade’s evaporation.

6. Feel free to add on but I’m surprised that no globe has really talked about the disability angle yet. I i afraid I don’t have enough experience being physically disabled to talk about it in a nuanced enough way but oh well. It’s there. The way the fire people needed different transportation (also there was a fire person in a wheelchair. How things that are safe for others could kill them (Cinder nearly died while carrying ember because a guy dripped on her, which is a thing that others would find mildly inconvenient). How Wade’s nephew casually mentioned that Ember could die if she stepped off her mobility aid (the floatie) and proceeded to mess with it. And of course the shame, embarrassment and fear of being excluded & discriminated against.

7. More Men Should Cry!!! It literally saved Wade’s life lmao.

[corvid-language-library]

Norwegian Bokmål for Total Beginners (January 2024 Crash Course)

29. Furniture

Welcome to day 29! Yesterday we looked at rooms in a house, and now we're looking at some of the things in those rooms:

møbel (n) - a piece of furniture

bord (n) - table

stol (m) - chair

sofa (m) - sofa, couch

tv (m) - TV

bilde (n) - picture

datamaskin (m) - computer

hylle (m/f) - shelf

skap (n) - cupboard

kjøleskap (n) - fridge (literally 'cool cupboard')

lampe (m/f) - lamp

lys (n) - light

seng (m/f) - bed

klesskap (n) - wardrobe (literally 'clothes cupboard')

Bonus: Prepositions of Place

i - in

på - on

under - under

over - above

foran - in front of

bak - behind

ved - by

ved siden av - next to

overfor - opposite

mellom - between

til høyre for - to the right of

til venstre for - to the left of

Grammar: Where are my keys?

The good news about prepositions of place is that they largely overlap with English prepositions of place as outlined about. The one thing that's different when talking about where things are is that Norwegian often uses the verbs å stå (to stand - står/sto/stått) and å ligge (to lie - ligger/lå/ligget) when talking about where things are. For example:

Det ligger ei bok på bordet. (There is a book on the table)

Det står ei lampe bak tv-en. (There is a lamp behind the TV)

But you can just use å være too. It's not quite as natural, but it's perfectly valid. And if you don't know where something is, you don't know whether it's lying down or standing up, so you have to use å være:

Hvor er nøklene mine? (Where are my keys?)

De ligger på senga. (They're on the bed)

Verb in Position 2

In main clauses in Norwegian sentences, the verb always comes second, which can mean you have to invert the subject and the verb. What does that mean, I hear you asking. It's easiest to use examples. I'm going to colour-code the sentence to show position 1, position 2, position 3 and position 4.

Det står et stort bord mellom to røde stoler. (There is a big table between two red chairs). Mellom to røde stoler står det et stort bord. (Between two red chairs there is a big table).

See how I changed the order of the words, but 'står' stayed in position 2? I couldn't have said "mellom to røde stoler det står et stort bord" as that would have pushed the verb into position 3.

Let's look at some more examples:

Jeg tar toget til jobb hver dag. (I take the train to work every day) Hver dag tar jeg toget til jobb. (Every day, I take the train to work)

Det sto en gammel sofa til høyre for døra. (An old sofa stood to the right of the door) Til høyre for døra sto det en gammel sofa. (To the right of the door there stood an old sofa)

Notice how the verb is always second. If the sentence starts with something other than the subject, the subject switches place with the verb (inversion) and ends up in position 3 so that the verb can stay in position 2.

If this explanation was a bit confusing or feels like it's too much grammar, don't worry! You'll pick it up soon enough and it will start to feel natural before you know it :)