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hello-robin-goodfellow · 4 years ago

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FAVORITE MOVIE LOVE STORIES

THANKS FOR THE TAG: @superkingofpriderock

Belle and Beast (Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast, 1946)

Since i was a kid, Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite western european fairy tale. I relate at the same to the Beast’s desire to be accepted by the society that fears and looks down his appearance and to Belle’s mixture of fear, curiosity and fascination by the hybrid anthropomorfic creature. And with their great chemistry, the actors Josette Day and Jean Marais really captured those feelings in this classic adaptation directed by Jean Cocteaus

Damiel and Marion (Wings of Desire, 1987)

A 1987 film by Wim Wenders originally called Der Himmel über Berlin (lit: ‘The Heavens Above Berlin’).The film depicts two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, wandering in Cold War era Berlin and listening to the thoughts of humans. Among those humans are an old man looking for the now-destroyed Potsdamer Platz and recalling the good times he used to have there; Peter Falk As Himself; and Marion, a lonely French trapezist desperately looking for a purpose in life. The angels don’t directly intervene in human existence but sometimes give comfort to humans who need it, like a woman in labor, or a suicidal man on a tram, or a motorcyclist who is dying in the street after he was struck by a car. However, Damiel yearns to be human himself and to experience life as a mortal does. Eventually he falls in love with Marion, the trapeze artist, and has to make a difficult choice: to become human himself in order to be with her, leaving Heaven.

Queen Fantaghirò and King Romualdo (Fantaghirò/The Cave of the Golden Rose franchise, 1991-96)

Fantaghirò (known in the english speaking world as The Cave of the Golden Rose) is a series of five television films produced in Italy by Lamberto Bava (Mario Bava’s son), telling the adventures of Fantaghirò, the youngest of three princess sisters, who traines to become a brave warrior as a way to get free of the sexist restrictions imposed at her life by her father. Her kingdom has been at war with a neighbor kingdom for years, and one day the rencently crowned young adversary king, Romualdo, decides to end the war by personally challenging the best champion of Fantaghirò’s kingdom. Fantaghirò, disguised as man, presents herself as this champion, and their love story begins when Romualdo falls in love with the beauty of her eyes. What’s interesting about this couple is how their personalitys complement each other: Fantaghirò with a more combative strong temper, and Romualdo with a more sweet and calm temper.

Marianne Danielle and Doctor Van Helsing (The Brides of Dracula, 1960)

While watching Hammer Horror’s Brides of Dracula, i finded adorable how Doctor Van Helsing cares for Marianne Danielle (whom he befriends while arriving at Transilvania), how he wants to protect her and respects her feelings, to the point of trying contain his sorrow when she announces her engagement with Baron Meinster. I always imagine that when he defeated the Baron (who is revealed to be a vampire), and flee the wind mill with Marianne, he declared his feelings, she reciprocated, he teached her how to fight vampires, they married and became a battle couple searching to purge the world of the vampires. This is a pairing who deservers more love, fanart and fanfiction.

Fininha and Clécio (Tatuagem, 2013)

Tatuagem (Tattoo) is a movie set in the late 1970s, during the period of the Brazilian Civil-Military Dictatorship, that tells the love story between Fininha, an young soldier, and Clécio, an actor and playwrighter who produces satirical plays for a underground theater called Chão de Estrelas (Floor of Stars). Their romance is one of the most sweetest ever captured on film, but we also feel a certain unease that the fact of Fininha being at the service of the military who persecutes the theater artists will break the couple apart at any moment…

Karaba and Kirikou (Kirikou and the Sorceress, 1998)

Kirikou and the Sorceress is a 1998 French animated film, directed by Michel Ocelot, loosely based on a West African fairy tale. It tells the story of a tiny baby boy, named Kirikou, who is born in a spectacular way (all by himself, without effort of his mother nor outside help) and can speak and walk immediately after being born. After a couple of questions, he learns that a wicked sorceress, Karaba, has cursed the village and devoured all the men and boys, except his uncle, who is on his way to fight the sorceress. He tricks the sorceress, saves his uncle as well as the children of the village (twice!!), brings the water back to the dried-up spring and, among other things, discovers the sorceress’ true motivations: Karaba is evil because of all the suffering she went through at the hands of men, including a very subtly implied rape. All the bad things that she allegedly had done are ultimately proved to be false. She does hate everyone, but she gets better. Despite being a baby, Kirikou asks Karaba in marriage when she pulls a Heel–Face Turn, saying that he doesn’t like little girls. She doesn’t accept, of course, but then her kiss turns him into a handsome young man.

Nina Shah and Lisa MacKinlay (Nina’s Heavenly Delights, 2006)

Nina’s Heavenly Delights is a Rom Com about a cooking contest, directed by Pratibha Parmar. The death of her father Mohan brings prodigal daughter, Scot with Indian ancestry Nina (Shelley Conn) home again to Glasgow, her mother, siblings - and the family restaurant, “The Taj”. Being able to keep the latter now hinges on the cooking skills Nina learned at her father‘s knees. In the “Best of The West Curry Competition” she will have to face the former fiancé she left at the altar, Sanjay. In this competition, she will count with the partnership of Lisa, who owns half of the restaurant since Mohan’s death and already seems to be very much part of Nina’s family. And in the proccess, Lisa also becomes a part of Nina’s heart…

Lady and Tramp (Lady and the Tramp, 1955)

I grew up watching VHSs of the old Disney 2-D Animated movies over, and over, and over. And a thing that i find funny is that most people tend to quote movies from the 1990s Disney Renaissance as when Disney Couples started to met each other first instead of fall in love at first sight, bu when we make a retrospective, in actuality it was Lady and Tramp who started the trend. First they met at Lady’s house and have a verbal fight due to diverging points of view about humans, them they encounter each other again at the streets when she flees from Aunt Sarah, and they walk trough the zoo to unleash Ladys muzzle, Tramp takes her to dinner at Tonys (wich us gives Bella Notte, one of the most romantic scenes in movie history)… every step that a real couple takes to meet each other is taken by Lady and Tramp.

Orfeo x Eurydice (Black Orpheus, 1959)

Black Orpheus is a 1959 film, a French production shot in Brazil and in the Portuguese language. It is a retelling of the ancient myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in Rio during Carnaval. Orfeo is a trolley conductor who moonlights as a dancer in a samba school. He is engaged to be married to the gorgeous and passionate Mira, but doesn’t seem too enthused about it. On his trolley car, he meets Eurydice, who has arrived in Rio from the countryside because she is being chased by a mysterious man who she thinks is trying to kill her. Orfeo and Eurydice fall in love, but the strange man—Death himself—is still stalking her.

I TAG: @jgvfhl @johnnyclash87 @lioness--hart @mademoiselle-princesse

#film geek #ask game #tag game #send me questions #ask me things #get to know me #superkingofpridrock #tag yourself

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sagehaleyofficial · 5 years ago

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HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK (2.19-2.25.20):

NEW MUSIC:

· Frank Iero and the Future Violents released a new video for their song “Basement Eyes.” Almost a year after the release of their long-awaited album Barriers, Iero took to social media to tease the arrival of the video on February 17th.

· The 1975 shared a new song and video for “The Birthday Party,” the fifth new track from their upcoming album Notes on a Conditional Form. Recently, the band also seemed to be behind a new website known as mindshower.ai.

· All Time Low dropped their second single and video from their upcoming album Wake Up, Sunshine, titled “Sleeping In.” The band partnered with North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) to help raise money and awareness for no kill rescue and adoption organizations.

· Ozzy Osbourne and Post Malone dropped their second collaboration from Osbourne’s album Ordinary Man, titled “It’s a Raid.” Fans first learned about the second collab earlier this month when the tracklist for the album was revealed.

· 5 Seconds of Summer dropped a new single, “Old Me,” off their upcoming LP C A L M. Earlier this month, the band dropped “No Shame” and announced the release date for their upcoming record.

· Dance Gavin Dance announced the release of their ninth full-length studio album titled Afterburner. The band also celebrated by dropping the first single and video titled “Prisoner.”

· Knuckle Puck dropped an energetic new track, “Tune You Out,” which is also their first release in nearly two years. According to Kerrang!, the band recently finished recording their third full-length album.

· Ashley Purdy recently dropped a third solo track following his departure from Black Veil Brides in November. The song is titled “King for a Day,” which serves as the full track from a teaser Purdy posted back in December.

· Fall Out Boy musicians Patrick Stump and Joe Trohman and Dethklok mastermind Brendon Small partnered up on the song “New Music Sucks.” The track comes off of Posehn’s comedy metal record Grandpa Metal.

· Craig Owens of D.R.U.G.S., among many other dissolved acts, made a brief anniversary post for the band’s sole self-titled record. This follows an Instagram account for the band that was made and a VK page that leaked info about a potential single release date.

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS:

· Foo Fighters announced a 25th Anniversary “Van Tour,” which will visit 10 different cities. The tour is special because they plan to revisit some stops they hit on their 1995 tour to promote their debut album.

· The Glasgow, Scotland, date of Palaye Royale’s The Bastards European Tour at the Garage was canceled, with the band later performing a free acoustic show near the venue. Days later, the band announced their show in Birmingham, England, was also canceled.

· Movements announced a spring tour, which will commence on April 23rd in San Diego and conclude on May 17th in El Paso, Texas. They will be joined by fellow hardcore groups Teenage Wrist and Queen of Jeans.

· After rescheduling some of their tour dates back in January for the second leg of their winter tour, Angels & Airwaves announced new dates for those shows, as well as some extra shows. They will take place around a handful of festival dates, including Bunbury Festival.

· In celebration of their 10-year anniversary tour for the record To Plant a Seed in a few weeks, We Came As Romans revealed exclusive tour merch designs. The band took to Twitter to reveal three exclusive t-shirt designs designed by bassist Andy Glass.

· Dropkick Murphys and Rancid announced that they are teaming up for a spring tour, the Boston to Berkeley II Tour. The tour begins May 3rd in Concord, North Carolina, and ends May 24th in Lewiston, New York.

· Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman took to social media to ask fans for their input on a potential Warped Rewind at Sea sequel. The tour searched for suggestions on what other kind of entertainment and activities would make the trip better.

· Alesana announced a 10-city tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their release, The Emptiness. The tour commences on April 24th in North Carolina before ending on May 3th in Austin, Texas.

· Armor for Sleep confirmed reunion theories with the announcement of a 15-year anniversary tour for their sophomore album What to Do When You Are Dead. The band broke up initially back in 2009.

OTHER NEWS:

· Bring Me the Horizon dressed up as famous pop girl group The Spice Girls at the BRIT Awards on February 18th. The band all wore the personas of Scary, Posh, Baby, Sporty and Ginger Spice from their iconic performance at the 1997 BRIT Awards.

· The Umbrella Academy teased viewers with a first look at the upcoming season, dropping the first set of posters for the second season of the series. The series is based on My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way‘s comic book of the same name.

· The 320 Project started by Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and 320 Changes Direction founder Talinda Bennington, who was married to the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, was announced. The event will take place at the USC Bovard Auditorium.

· The late Lil Peep’s estate partnered with luxury streetwear brand, Rose in Good Faith, to release a collaborative merch line. The line is dedicated to the memory of Gus, his music and his desire to help the world.

· Twenty One Pilots’ Tyler Joseph and wife Jenna Black shared a short video announcing the birth of their daughter Rosie Robert Joseph, who arrived February 9th. She also mentions the reasoning behind the middle name choice was to match Tyler’s.

· According to social media posts, YUNGBLUD and Travis Barker of Blink-182 seem to have pranked Machine Gun Kelly on MTV‘s Punk’d. Over this past weekend, Barker posted to his Instagram story a photo with a sign saying “you got PUNK’D.”

· Vans is giving their iconic checkerboard shoe a psychedelic makeover with its new line, featuring a tie-dye color scheme. The design will be overlaid atop their ComfyCush Era and Old Skool models.

___

Check in next Tuesday for more “Posi Talk with Sage Haley,” only at @sagehaleyofficial!

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you-andthebottlemen · 5 years ago

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61 - Glasgow song fic

Hi everyone!! I know the catfish fic scene here is kind of dead but this is for those of you still out there. A short but sweet fic for a short but sweet song! I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading (and waiting for me to finally post and fill this request!!) E x

Based on the requests:

could you maybe do a fan fictions based around the song Glasgow? I love your writing! x

from @smotherme-inlippy

Cheating on your boyfriend with Van?

for anonymous.

(Fun fact: I’ve actually been to Sauchiehall Street and went there for a night out! And I totally didn’t imagine that I was going all the same places Van had been....)

************************************************************************

You knew you shouldn’t be seeing Van, but you just couldn’t help yourself. There had always been something so magnetic about him. You’d slept together a few times and had a bit of a reputation as a pair. Though despite your nights together, there were never any real feelings. Maybe that’s what drew you to him the most? You could be yourself and not be burdened by the responsibilities, expectations and everything else ‘being in love’ entailed. You could go months without seeing him or talking but always have things fall right back into place. There was no stress or drama or pressure with him like there was with everyone else. You needed fun and chaos and there was no one better for that than Van McCann.

“What time do ya’ call this, y/n?!” Van joked as you slid onto the stool beside him, his face lit up with happiness.

His hair was longer than when you last saw him. The ends flicked up under his ears as if they were desperate to grow into a proper curl.

“Fashionably late,” you winked.

Van just chuckled and ordered you a drink as he had already started.

The bar was lively as always, packed with every type of person you could imagine. It was dimly lit with the walls covered in posters and neon signs, old rock music pulsating all around you. It was your favourite bar on all of Sauchiehall Street. And you’d tried them all to be sure. You loved when Van was touring in Scotland or just had time off to come see you and traipse your way down the strip of bars.

Just as you placed your phone and bag down on the table, a text flashed from Alex; your boyfriend. Kind of boyfriend. It wasn’t something serious with him, but serious enough that you knew you shouldn’t be drinking alone with Van. Though one glance up into his blue eyes swimming with excitement, was all you needed and you put your phone away. You didn’t want to think about Alex tonight, his clinginess suffocated you and his sickly sweetness turned you off.

You and Van caught up on life since you’d last seen each other. He told you about the band and what countries they’d visited as well as all plans for the next album; the usual. As much as you wanted to make fun of him for always going on about Catfish, you just couldn’t bring yourself to. You loved how proud he was of it all.

He asked about you too, so you told him about Alex. Van’s expression remained the same, so you weren’t able to tell if he was disappointed or relieved that you were seeing someone. You also weren’t sure you should have brought it up.

“Have you been seeing anyone?” you asked Van curiously.

“There was one girl for a little while…but it didn’t work and I didn’t really try to be honest. So, no. Single as a flamingo,” he replied, trying hard to rhyme the last part and looking far too pleased with himself.

“What? Single as a…flamingo?” you laughed, raising one eyebrow.

“Somethin’ Bond said,” Van shrugged and you shook your head in amusement.

Soon the conversation fell on how Alex was endlessly worried about Van; to the point he would scroll through your phone while you were in the shower trying to find evidence of betrayal. It bothered him how people would always ask you where Van was, how close you looked in photos or how all your best stories featured Van somewhere in the plot. It was toxic and you knew it, but you didn’t have the energy to fight or leave; Alex was just something to fill the time and fill the space in your bed. He was alright and it wasn’t like you were in love with him anyway.

“You gotta break up with him y/n, can’t be with someone who don’t trust ya.”

Not letting slip that you hadn’t told Alex you were here and that he had every reason not to trust you, you just groaned and gulped down your second drink.

“Let’s get shots!” you decided, breaking the awkward silence.

You and Van counted down each time you took a shot, always laughing at each other’s twisted facial expressions from the taste of the liquor and the inevitable throat burn. Van’s proper smile, the one he always tried to hide, all wonky teeth and smile lines made you smile even wider.

“I’m glad that you’re home,” you admitted.

You forgot for a moment that this wasn’t Van’s home, but that’s not really what you meant anyway. You meant you were glad he was back here with you.

“Getting’ sappy are we y/n?” he teased.

You play elbowed him then with a laugh, Van stood and held his hand out to you.

“Wanna dance?”

You grinned and nodded then let him twirl you over to the makeshift dancefloor. Standing upright made you realise just how drunk you were. The room was spinning, time was moving fast yet slow and you were convinced it was only you and Van left in the whole wide world and that was completely okay with you.

The music wasn’t the best rhythm for dancing to but that didn’t stop you. Van wiggled his hips out of beat and waved his arms around, making you giggle and try to move along with his timing. Soon your hands found the front of his soft velvet jacket. You ran your fingers over the fabric and pulled gently. Van’s hands moved to your waist and you shut your eyes.

It felt like when you opened your eyes again, you were sat back on the bar stool beside Van, singing a loud and drunken duet to no one in particular. You couldn’t remember where time had gone or what had happened in between the dancing and now. A sign of too much alcohol, though you didn’t stop to worry.

You stopped singing and glanced over at Van who was belting out words and had his arms lifted up into the air. You burst out laughing, realising that the bar was in fact empty except for the few staff members cleaning up. They’d locked up but let you stay, probably thoroughly entertained. This was not the first time it had happened either and you had a suspicion that they must have known who Van was.

Once you had downed some water, said your thanks and goodbyes, you pulled Van out the door and into the night down Sauchiehall Street. He draped his jacket over you and slung an arm around your shoulders. You wriggled your arms into the jacket, grateful for the warmth and shoved your hands into the pockets, shielding them from the cold.

The usually loud and bustling street filled with clubs and bars and takeaway shops was now eerily quiet. Quiet except for Van’s slurred singing and the clacks of your shoes on the concrete.

You stopped walking and took off your heels with a small yelp as your bare feet touched the cold ground.

“Here…” Van mumbled and picked you up bridal style with a bit of a groan.

“Getting old,” you teased and clung to his neck, your shoes in your hand hanging over his shoulder.

“I’m gonna be the coolest old man,” Van smiled, unafraid of ageing like most people you knew.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Gonna do music til I’m well old like my Grandad and all my grandkids are gonna be dead excited to come visit me all the time,” he replied, looking out into the night.

You laughed to yourself and rested your head against him.

Halfway up Sauchiehall Street, you told Van to put you down and have a break. He leant against a wall and had a smoke while you talked to him about anything and everything. You sat down cross legged on the pavement with your back against the bricks by his feet. When Van was finished smoking, he collapsed down beside you looking a little cold and worse for wear. You tried to give him back his jacket but he wouldn’t take it. Instead, he folded over and rested his head in your lap. You stroked his hair and kept talking.

“I love this,” you said, referring to your drunken nights with Van talking shit and being ridiculous.

“I think I’ve fallen in love with Glasgow,” Van replied dreamily.

Though what he really meant was that he’d fallen in love with you.

“Why?” you asked, naïve or rather willingly oblivious, to Van’s hidden admission.

“It’s beautiful and it’s fun and nowhere else is as good. I keep looking for better and I can’t find it.”

“But you’ve been all over the world?”

“Exactly.”

After a long silence, Van tried to sit up, his head clearly spinning. You took some of his weight and propped him up straight against the wall. He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

“Y/n…” he said with a strange tone that made your heart lurch, “I think I’m in love with you.”

Van’s eyes met yours.

“No, you’re not Van,” you sighed.

“I am y/n. I can’t get you out of my head, you’re all I think about,” he pushed, reaching out to take your hands.

You folded your arms to your chest.

“Don’t say that Van, don’t ruin this.”

“What? Ruin what?”

“Everything! Our friendship, our fun…we can hang out and forget everything else and just be us. I don’t want it to become complicated and weird,” you tried to explain, a little exasperated.

“It won’t ruin things,” Van replied.

You shut your eyes and groaned, pissed off. Why did he have to do this? You didn’t know what to say so you stood, put your shoes back on and took off Van’s jacket then threw it in his lap. He looked a little taken aback but said nothing.

“Let’s just go home. I’m too drunk to talk about this.”

You didn’t want to hurt him any more than you probably had, and you didn’t want to have a conversation that required thought when you were likely to not remember it tomorrow. You weren’t in love with Van. Part of you wished you were just to be able to make him feel better. Another part wished it because you knew you’d never find a better man. But you couldn’t make yourself feel it and you weren’t sure you wanted to.

Van walked by your side all the way back to your little house, both of you silent except for the sounds of Van’s lighter and deep breaths puffing on another cigarette.

By the time you arrived home, your frustration at Van had disappeared. You opened the gate careful not to make too much noise and unlocked the door just as quietly. Before you could step inside, Van reached out and stopped you.

“I’m sorry y/n,” Van said quietly.

“You don’t need to be sorry Van. I’m just…I guess I’m sorry too. I wish I could feel what you want me to.”

Van shook his head and pulled you into him. He held you tight and rocked side to side.

“I shouldn’t have said anything. I know what we have together, and I should have thought about it. Guess I was just really drunk.”

What Van said didn’t really sit right with you, though you decided to keep your mouth shut.

When you pulled away from Van’s grip, you looked into his face. Maybe it was the alcohol still floating around in your system, maybe it wasn’t, but you thought he looked kind of beautiful. For a moment, you were both still and just staring at one another. You knew then exactly how this was going to go.

Van’s lips crashed into yours with force and you melted under his touch. You let him scoop you up in his arms once again and carry you through the front door, kicking it shut behind him.

Once in the bedroom he placed you down and you threw off your shoes, wrapping your arms around his neck as you kissed him.

“I shouldn’t do this,” Van breathed into your neck.

You knew that Van, while being one for fun and promiscuity, wasn’t a homewrecker and still had strong morals. He was probably thinking about Alex, or the feelings he had for you, knowing that both of those would only cause you both more pain when the sun came up. You pushed those thoughts out of your mind too; you would work all that out tomorrow.

You kissed him again, showing him that you didn’t mind, that you wanted him. You could feel how much he wanted you too.

His hands reached under your top and pulled it off over your head. You undid his belt and trousers. Each action exciting you more until there was nothing left to take off. Van stopped for a moment and brushed some hair out of your face.

“You have me wrapped right round your finger, don’t you?” he chuckled, his voice breathy and rasping.

You weren’t sure what to respond with so began to kiss his neck. You ran your hands up and down his body and all thoughts of anything except the here and now, escaped your mind.

#catfish #catb #Catfish and the Bottlemen #van mccann #van #vanfic #van mccann fan fiction #van mccann fanfiction #catfish and the bottlemen fanfiction

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carolhnd2bphoto · 5 years ago

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Graded Unit Evaluation

EVALUATION

For my project I planned to shoot outdoors. Studio photography has never really appealed to me. I had many ideas such as landscape, street photography and architectural photography. The advice provided was shoot something you enjoy but at the same time go out of your comfort zone. When I am out on my own, nature is where I go, trees, rivers, waterfalls. They all make my photography experience enjoyable and comforting. Leading lines are a source of comfort, they are pleasing to the eye and make sense to me. As a result of this I decided to shoot perspective/symmetrical photography.

After doing the research I knew this was the one, this felt right and felt excited by the challenge. The style of symmetrical photography, vertical, horizontal, and radial encompass all I enjoy. Planning for this shoot was a big piece of work, for instance, a market for the work I created would be for galleries or private collections as I was considering my work to be Fine Art Photography, however, it was suggested that I consider photography stock libraries such as Alamy. When I explored this further I found out that it is a website, you type in what can of image (waterfall) you want to see and it brings up all these images. Basically, you can buy and sell images. I have seen these websites before but never paid much attention up until now.

Initially when it came to planning the timetable, I was doing it as though there was a normal college timetable and that I would be working weekends. Therefore, I would only be out shooting 2 or 3 days a week and there was only 3 weeks to shoot after handing in the Project Plan. This changed as a result of the Coronavirus Lockdown, at the time I was unsure if I could go out and shoot, fortunately I could, I had more days to go out and shoot. Fortunately I required very little in the way of equipment, I only required a camera and a tripod, no special lighting equipment, just natural light.

As mentioned above the research into other photographers such as Aaron Sisland, Ola Kolehmainen and Angie McMonical made me feel more confident in that the style of photography I was wishing to achieve was right for me. With Sisland’s leading lines and vertical symmetry in his work as too with Kolehmainen and the use of McMonical’s perspective when taking her images which gave them an abstract feel. I liked this concept of abstract photography with the help of perspective and symmetry.

My first couple of days going out shooting, I wasn’t expecting anything good, I was just making a start, experimenting. I was fortunate to get a nice shot of Bells Bridge,

I waited quite a while to get this shot and was hoping to get a shot with no one on it. This wasn’t possible even with the lockdown restrictions. This image works for me as a result of the vertical symmetry of the bridge, also the light hitting of the Armadillo and the blue sky.

As I had the car I could travel to various locations in and around Glasgow and as I was on my own the Police didn’t bother with me. I ventured to various places such as The Quay, West End of Glasgow, City Centre, Dams to Darnley and Port Glasgow. Many of my shots were taken in Glasgow City Centre. As I was in the City Centre much of the time and there were very few people and transport around, I made the decision (with advice from my lecturer) to change my project ever so slightly. I was still going to take perspective/symmetrical (they were more vertical symmetry) shots but to capture the empty streets of Glasgow along with the surreal feeling of a bustling city in lockdown. This was achievable as previously mentioned I could wander about without the police stopping me. Having said that I did find this an anxious experience, I knew I wasn’t doing anything against the law but when there is a police presence I felt sure that I would be stopped. Thankfully I wasn’t as I captured images that produced a feeling of sadness. My project has went from Fine Art to Documentary Photography, a genre that hasn’t necessarily interested me. Having said that I did enjoy this, it was exciting (not because of the Police) I was documenting how the Covid crisis has had an effect of Glasgow City Centre and every city across the world. There were one or two people in a couple of my final shots but for me that adds to the desertedness of the city.

This shot of the entrance at Buchanan Subway is one I like because of the symmetry of the escalators and lights. The eyes follow the lights. This image begins to tell the quietness of a city.

I took this image initially for the shot of the ambulance then when I looked back at my contact sheets I noticed the young man walking across the street. No other traffic but an ambulance, no other people apart from the young man.

I like the perspective of this image, again an empty street (Hutchison Street). There is darkness in the foreground with the trees and shadows but if you keep looking there is light, optimism.

This image of the entrance to the footbridge, I like simply because of the bright colours and again it documents the impact of the virus on people’s daily lives, gates that a normally open to the public are now closed. after looking at this image again, i think if i had stepped to the left slightly, the image would have a more vertical symmetry appeal.

Kelvin Way is normally a busy road for traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. On that day, as with other days, there was a police presence in Kelvingrove Park. This particular road was closed off at either end. I specifically took this shot for the perspective of the road and the police van.

North Hanover Street, deserted, normally busy with cars and buses. There is an air of doom and gloom in this shot with the help of the dark clouds.

St Enoch Subway, only sign of life there were 3 pigeons. Aside from the pigeons this works from a vertical symmetry point of view and of course the fact that the place is deserted at 6.30pm.

Portman Street Suspension Bridge, I love the perspective/symmetry of this shot. Plus I managed to take this shot with no one on the bridge.

To get this shot I had to stand in the middle of the road, this is looking up towards Cathedral Street. I like the fact that I have captured the ‘no entry’ painted on the road. Some’s up the situation at present.

I took this image on Buchanan Street, again to illustrate the emptiness of the city. There is only one person standing at St Enoch centre in that entire vicinity.

Glasgow Green, there were cyclists, joggers and dog walkers going about their way but I managed to take this shot with no one in it. I like this image as there is a focal point, the Glasgow Commonwealth Statue), the eyes are drawn to it with the help of the trees at either side.

Of course, I complied a workbook detailing everything I had shot on each day, any changes to original idea, further research, contact sheets, my thoughts on each. Similar to a journal. This was a big piece of work in itself, I actually found this more daunting than the photoshoots as I do not consider my self to be artistic/creative. As daunting as it was, the workbook was a therapeutic process and reflecting on the day’s work enabled me to explore other ideas. When completing the workbook and looking at the contact sheets I could see my mistakes which made me critical of my work, this wasn’t a bad thing as it gave me the push to do better the next day. This could be considered a positive. Another positive aspect in the project was the Plan. More so the feedback I received. This gave me the confidence and the boost to start. My biggest downfall my research or rather lack of research. However, for the purposes of my Plan, research was a requirement and in doing so gave me the drive and excitement for my Graded Unit. Areas than have been successful? The fact that I have found a new genre of photography that I like, this too is a positive. I do like street photography, but this was different, hardly a soul to be seen, hardly traffic to be heard. This made me look at Glasgow in a different way

With everything there are always opportunities for improvement and photography is no exception. The main area I feel I need to improve on is retouching (Photoshop) I can do the basics, adjusting black, whites, shadows etc in Lightroom. A tool I did come across was a tool called Transform which fixes any perspective distortion. That came in handy when the image didn’t quite look level. I try to avoid Photoshop as much as possible as layer masks and the like confuse me. Therefore, I use either Lightroom or Bridge. Another area of improvement is composition, I always thought I had that covered. I started using 3x3 (in camera) rule of thirds to see if that would help. It did but I don’t want to use that tool. The issue with composition was brought to my attention my lecturer, I would maybe have to much sky or road in my shots. Fortunately, I can easily work on that. For me, the big issue is retouching.

CONCLUSION

I feel that I cannot properly write this evaluation without bringing in the impact of the Covid – 19 virus. This didn’t have an impact on me in that I had to re-think my Graded Unit. I could still go outside; I wasn’t relying on college equipment such as studio lights, cameras, tripods. I knew from the very beginning my photography would be completed outside. The impact on me was my mental health, more so motivation to do the work. Everything was up in the air. But I did it, got out the house with my camera and got on with it.

I was lucky, the only change I made was what I was going to shoot and where. It was going to be city based not based amongst nature. The main emphasis would be the surreal loneliness of a once busy city. As I have a car, I had no issues with getting to locations. As mentioned above, there was a police presence in the city centre and as such felt rushed into taking the shots, this may have contributed to some poor quality images that I took and the fact that the tripod I used was not very sturdy for the camera (Nikon D7100 and Canon 700d). To combat this I started using my monopod and mirrorless cameras (Canon m100 and Sony a6000). I also purchased a sturdier tripod which is yet to be used.

Some of the time I felt I was taking photographs just for the sake of taking an image, just to have something to show and in doing that would maybe only have one or two images I was happy with. Some days I would have nothing but rubbish shots but determination/learning/growth come from failures. The rubbish days gave me the push to do more and not give up. The big lesson there was and is not to give up and believe I can do this. That is another area that is in need of improvement, my self-belief in my photography. When I’m not under pressure I can produce good shots but when I am feeling the pressure my nerve goes, I don’t feel confident. Now that that I have completed my Graded Unit I feel a sense of achievement as this was a big and important project. This was achieved in strange and difficult times. I can learn much from this experience for when I go into year 2 of my HND. Buy a bigger workbook, do more research, learn more about Photoshop and most of all believe in my ability as a photographer.

#project

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tays2centsonstuff · 5 years ago

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UNDER THE SKIN, 2013

synopsis: a mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in scotland. however, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.

director: jonathan glazer writers: walter campbell, jonathan glazer, based on the novel by michel faber stars: scarlett johansson, jeremy mcwilliams, adam pearson

genres: drama | horror | sci-fi | thriller

country: uk language: english filming locations: scotland, england

runtime: 108mins

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overall opinion:

this movie caught me completely off guard. and it took me way too long to finally check it out. now, I love me some good indie movies but the «problem» with indies is that because they aren’t hyped and reviewed 10,000 times over, it’s up to you to take the risk with those you feel like could maybe be good / interesting. and the synopsis just did sound a little too weird even for my taste.

so two days ago I finally watched it. and it stayed with me so long, I watched it again 24 hours later.

I must say in the beginning I had no idea what this was going to be and my enthusiasm was limited. there was virtually no dialogue (I believe the first words are spoken around the 13min mark and it barely counts as dialogue). the main character, who remains nameless throughout the movie, barely does anything worth mentioning at all. and yet, I was captivated. I found myself completely ignoring my phone (which is usually in my hand while watching tv) because there was no dialogue and everything that happened was visual. it was a very unique experience, and the way scarlett johansson managed to bring the character across, seeing our world from alien eyes, still gives me goosebumps.

you see, while the story / plot sounds extremely weird, the plot is not even important here. what this movie is trying to do is give you an experience. it’s visually stunning, and the eery feeling you have watching scarlett guide her alien character through this human experience stays with you long after the movie is over. at least that’s what it was like for me.

a little tip: I would encourage you to watch the movie twice. once without any sort of information (to get that «wtf feeling»), and then again after reading up on it (and maybe my review). believe me, it wasn’t until I watched it with all that background knowledge that I started to realise why I liked it so much, and it gave me a completely different layer of appreciation for it.

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if you have not seen it, I would invite you to stop reading here and come back once you have as the following paragraphs will contain spoilers (my thoughts to major plot points) and I would hate to influence any sort of experience you might have watching it.

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now, I might be slightly biased here because I love scarlett, but she completely made this movie. the way she manages to portray that alien person, her face utterly emotionless, her body language not giving anything away, was simply stunning. there are multiple long shots of her just staring into the distance (or at her own face in a mirror), utterly expressionless. and while a lot of people might say portraying no emotions is not as hard as portraying fake ones, I believe that replacing or covering a real emotion with a different one is much easier to accomplish than completely wiping your face off anything that makes you human.

the most fascinating part, for me, was the nude scene (yes, there is a nude scene). and people who haven’t seen the movie would probably be like: DAMN, HOW SEXY. NAKED SCARLETT JOHANSSON. yeah, no. the thing with that scene was, and that’s why it was one of my favourite scenes in the movie, is that scarlett, with her absolutely amazing body (and believe me I’m the first one to be absolutely jealous of it because she is gorgeous), manages to make the scene devoid of anything sexual. you see, in that moment, she is an alien figure for the first time starting to feel human. and that prompts her to explore her humanity – her body, her shell, that is still so foreign to her. we know from a few minutes earlier in the movie that she can’t eat (she tries to eat a piece of cake and then chokes and spits it out), so there are likely no bodily functions going on. so standing in front of that mirror, completely naked, she is exploring it for the first time. there are lots of very close shots of pretty private parts, and yet still… it is absolutely not sexual in any way. it’s very matter-of-fact, exactly as a strange entity would view our body seeing it for the first time.

it is not until she actually decides to have sex with a man that she discovers that she is in fact, not as human as she was feeling. and I think it’s at this point that she realises that she just does not fit in – no matter how much she wants to. she is not human.

confused and probably the closest she’d get to sad, she flees into the woods where the final scenes take place which for me, with all the rest of the movie already giving me an eery feeling, were the worst. I HATE rape scenes, even attempted ones, especially when it happens to someone I care about (even when it’s acting). seeing favourite people / actors in situations like that spikes my anxiety. it was brutal, and scarlett’s face absolutely killed me. like, thinking about it makes me weepy.

so I had very mixed feelings about that final encounter but in a way, it made sense. she went from predator to prey, thus completing her transition into a human woman. because in a very twisted (and in our society sadly still accurate) way, she experienced what it was like to be a human woman alone in the woods. the most ironic part was that, since we already discovered that she couldn’t physically have sex, he would have probably fled once he realised that. but her fighting back (which again, probably was human instinct after all), caused the skin / disguise to rip and him to see what or who she truly was, prompting him to burn her alive.

---

why it stayed with me:

I think the reason why I kept staring at the tv for minutes after it faded to black, and why I barely slept that night, and why I got this eery, haunting feeling is because in the weirdest way I related to the character a lot. I have spent the biggest part of my life feeling alienated, not fitting in no matter how hard I wanted to. it’s a feeling that will stay with me forever. I now have friends and I feel like I’m doing okay in london, but seeing movies with outcasts as characters always bring be back to that feeling of emptiness and loneliness. it’s very hard to describe and probably sounds crazy. I had similar reactions to lisbeth sanders in «the girl with the dragon tattoo» or martha in «martha marcy may marlene». feeling detached from people, misunderstood, alone – I feel those things in my bones whenever I’m reminded of them. movies that focus on those characters tend to trigger that feeling, leaving me feeling empty for at least a few hours after.

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favourite scene / moment:

the nude scene, and not because scarlett was completely naked but because of what I said earlier – the way she managed to completely show a close-up of her body without making it sexual in any way.

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what I didn’t like:

honestly, I don’t know. maybe the only piece of criticism I can offer is that there was little plot, but even that isn’t really true. there was a lot of plot if you paid attention.

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interesting trivia / fun facts:

a lot of the movie (and almost all dialogue) was unscripted. the scenes where she is walking through glasgow or driving in her van were filmed with hidden cameras, the people in the shots only informed after it had been filmed to get the okay to use the material. those were people’s genuine reactions (for example when scarlett fell, or when she spit out the cake). the men she talks to from inside her van were random passers-by. after I learned that I rewatched the movie and it added so much to the experience from an acting standpoint.

and I just kept thinking, damn scarlett is fucking brave. not only did she show her entire body in a very exposing way, but she behaved like this alien figure in public and did things considered embarrassing or even rude without anyone knowing it was for a movie (her fall even made it into a viral meme because a paparazzo thought she was just out and about as herself and took a dive). that takes a huge amount of balls. forget hollywood blockbustery – to me, this is real fucking acting.

also, the movie was at least 4 or 5 years in the making, and scarlett and jonathan mainly developed the story and everything after they started shooting.

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favourite quotes:

female: «so why do you shop at night then?» deformed man: «people wind me up.» female: «how?» deformed man: «they’re ignorant»

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rating: 10/10.

honestly, watch it. tell me what you think.

#movies #under the skin #2013 #scarlett johansson #scifi #indie #horror #thriller #drama #jonathan glazer #tays2cents

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vanbythehourcom-blog · 5 years ago

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imagineclaireandjamie · 6 years ago

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I find myself once again asking for another chapter of As Yet Unread. It really is a compelling read. I am fascinated by it. And in advance of my request...a simple please and thank you for your consideration and regard.

Here you go, lovely one. I hope this makes up for the wait

Claire placed both of her feet flat on the floor as she pushed herself up from the bed. It had only been twenty-four hours since she’d had the cast taken off and she was still struggling, hobbling around the flat as if the plaster still held her hostage. Though it wasn’t the slight muscle damage that caused it, it was more akin to a phantom injury that halted her recovery.

Dr Gowan had made her promise that she’d leave the house and not keep herself hidden away. She’d agreed to it yesterday and Jamie had offered to give her some lessons in wood masonry if she felt able later down the line. Claire didn’t like breaking her promise to Ned, and even though it had only been a day she itched to break free. Though something stopped her from accepting Jamie’s offer straight off the bat. The same invisible force that made the back of her leg ache with increased furor the more she thought about moving on it.

As if on cue, the phone rang. Jamie had been calling everyday from his van and even now, in the wake of her cast removal, it seemed he would continue to do the same. Claire liked it best when it was raining and she could hear the pitter patter of water droplets on the roof of his van as he spoke to her. There was something very soothing about it. That and the soft tenor of Jamie’s voice - it kept her sane.

“Hi Jamie.” She said, the fingers of her free and tapping against the side of the metal bed as she waited for him to speak down the phone.

“Hello sassenach,” he replied, a happy lilt to his voice as he audibly sipped tea on the other end of the phone, “I just thought I’d call to see how ye were holding up today, first day of freedom and all!”

He sounded chirpy and the happiness in his tone made her smile as she cradled the phone closer to her cheek. Jamie had finally managed to unlock his old phone, add a new sim card and update Claire’s details onto it so that she had her own access to him, Murtagh, Suzette and his family should she need it. It also had wifi access which meant that she could sit and watch online videos from bed if she wasn’t feeling up to moving far though Jamie was wary about giving her a television in there with Netflix on in case she never came out again.

“Are you on your lunch already?” She asked as he began chewing on something that was potentially the sandwiches she’d made him the night before. “It’s only eleven AM, Jamie!” She said faux-offended by his choice of meal time.

“Nah,” he mumbled around his food, “just having a wee break wi’ a biscuit before we get back to the hardcore stuff.”

“A heavy lifting day, huh?”

“Ach, always, Claire. Only Murtagh is a grumpy arse because I didna bring the nice biscuits, you ken the ones…wi’ the chocolate on?”

“Which did you take then?” She asked, perplexed.

“The plain digestives.” He said sounding fairly ashamed of his decision.

She could hear Murtagh muttering in the background and it made her laugh. “Sounds like you might not be so daft in the future, Jamie. You have to keep your uncle happy else he might just up and leave you for a better offer.” She quipped as she tapped her bare toes on the carpet, experimenting with the feel of the soft material beneath her feet.

“Aye, he’s already putting together a tribunal. He thinks this is poor working conditions or something similar. He says ye’d agree wi’ him.” He laughed, the echo of it making the tension seep from her bones as she stood confidently and took a couple of steps towards the door.

“I would! It’s downright disgraceful, James Fraser. You’d better get your house in order.”

“Och, aye, I should. And wi’ that I’d better get back to misery guts and get the wood cut fer the next half of the room. Get yerself some lunch, sassenach and dinna forget where we are if ye need anything else.”

“Will you be late tonight?” She asked cautiously, her hand hovering over the bedroom door handle.

“Probably, lass. The more we get done today while we have the light, the earlier we can move onto the next room. If we finish early there’s a bonus in it for us, aye? A nice one.”

“So I shouldn’t make something for dinner then?”

“Dinner? Ah. What would ye make?” He questioned, intrigued. Whilst Claire had her cast on she’d been pretty much bed and settee-bound; and although she had helped out as much as she was able the most she’d done in the kitchen was make a couple of rounds of toast. Mostly, Jamie had just carried on as normal, making his own brand of sustenance. While he knew she probably had far superior skills in food preparation, he hadn’t ever assumed she might cook for him once she was more mobile.

“Well, you have enough for me to make us spaghetti bolognaise. Or I could do a shepherds pie. You have some nice mince in and some sauce. I’d just need some basic herbs to add and some tomatoes.”

“I can drop into Tesco on the way home. Ye just tell me what else ye need and I’ll bring it for you.”

“Oh! I found tomatoes,” Claire exclaimed. Having found herself in the kitchen she had begun to root around looking for the key ingredients that she needed, “I could marinate the mince, once it’s soaked up the flavours of the tomato it’ll make a much nicer sauce. Then we can have bolognaise. Do you just fancy grabbing a baguette and some garlic cloves. I’ll make some homemade garlic bread to go with it?”

Thrilled by the prospect of being useful once more, Claire began to put everything she needed on the side whilst Jamie chuckled and replied. “Aye, I can do that. Just text me else I’ll forget all of that by the time I’m finished here.”

“Alright! Excellent. See you later, Jamie. Have a good rest of your day.”

Claire waited for him to reply and ring off before she got to work preparing the base sauce she needed and when she was done she placed the pre-cooked mince in her own tomato base sauce and folded it all together. Beneath the sink she had also found a dusty old slowcooker buried behind some other oddments that had Jenny Fraser Murray’s name written all over them. None of them had been used and Claire thought it pivotal that she christen at least a few of the items she’d recently unearthed.

With the timer set, Claire rinsed the dirty pots and placed them carefully in the dishwasher.

Looking at the clock she noticed that it was barely past one as she perched on the ‘L’ shaped corner sofa. She was restless. Her fingers itching to keep working but the house was basically spotless. Jamie hired a cleaner to come in once a week and it meant that Claire had nothing to keep her occupied.

Closing her eyes she measured the steady beat of her heart as the sun rose high enough in the sky to shine in through the large lounge window. It warmed her face and she basked in it for a moment before setting her mind to the task ahead.

She had promised a number of people that she wouldn’t allow herself to build another prison in Jamie’s flat, and although it had barely been a day since those hard conversations Claire felt ready to battle her demons. She needed a few various ingredients from the shops and she didn’t want Jamie to have to go out of his way after a long day at work just to pick up bread and garlic.

She put her shoes on quickly, tying the laces tight and grabbing her coat as she quickly limped towards the front door, keys in hand and shopping bags neatly stashed in her pocket. Forgoing the lift, Claire opted for the stairs although she still felt a little shaky but the more she waited around the more likely it was that she’d chicken out and go scuttling back into the flat with her tail between her legs.

The moment the fresh air hit her face Claire felt soothed. It was clean, cool but refreshing as she took her first solo steps into the world. It was hard for her to believe that, though she’d left the flat to meet Susie with Fergus in those early days, for the rest of her time she’d been hiding herself away like a porcelain doll. Taking her first slow steps she made sure to keep the building in sight should she need it but before long she was content and settled in her decision.

Ned had told her to explore and Jamie had encouraged it. Claire wasn’t a coward and she knew it was the right time to gather her courage.

The walk to Tesco wasn’t a bad one. She had researched the route thoroughly enough that she knew where the large supermarket was in relation to the apartment. Having forgotten her Glasgow metro pass, she had been forced to walk the whole way and it was only when she stepped closer to the illuminated blue entrance to the supermarket did she realise that she’d left her phone there too.

“Oh…” she sighed under her breath, placing her hand on her pocket where the small visa card Jamie had given her lay. She still had the keys and her shopping bags, but no cash, no metro card and no phone to contact Jamie if she needed it. Suddenly her brave act seemed foolhardy and daft.

Tesco hummed with life, the car park was filled with large 4X4 cars, sedans and hatchbacks, and the crush outside the store made Claire feel small and insignificant. Even the sliding doors seemed to tease her as she took one nervous step backwards. Pulling her coat around her neck, she jiggled her still healing leg as she internally bantered with herself on what to do next.

“Miss?” A man in the recognisable uniform said, reaching out his hand as if to snap her out of her agitated stupor. “Are ye alright? Can I help you?”

“I’m f-fine, thank you.” she stammered sounding far from alright. Waving her hands, she took one step to the side, bringing herself free from the confused gaze of the guy who’d interrupted her mid panic attack.

Taking one further step backwards, Claire tried to smile but the forced lift of her mouth obviously made her look even more afraid as he scrunched his brow in confusion and opened his mouth as if to speak again.

“Sorry.” Claire managed to blurt out as she turned on her heel and hobbled off. Her head was fuzzy, the haze of the fright she’d given herself clouding her judgement as she headed in an unfamiliar direction. The heat of the sun had dissipated from the air leaving her chilly. She didn’t have a watch and there was nothing around her to signify the time and as she rounded another unknown street she began to fret. The moisture that gathered in her eyes misted her vision and the cars that were flying passed her wafted her hair around her face so that she couldn’t reorient herself.

Dragging in more and more ragged breaths, Claire tried to slow her heart rate as she quickened her pace. Her leg ached, the increased movement causing the scars that ran down it to itch madly beneath her trousers.

A few pedestrians loitered, watching her carefully as she walked by them, her chin wobbling as she tried to contain the tears she desperately wanted to shed - but nobody approached her for which she was grateful. Even if she could talk to any of them, she didn’t know the exact address she needed - not now with her brain struggling to make head nor tail of her location - and she didn’t know either Jamie or Murtagh’s phone number.

It wasn’t until the clouds started to darken that she let the hopelessness seep into her skin, the damp, fragile grasp on her sanity shattering as the soft splashes of rain fell onto her thin raincoat. Sunset was coming and she had no clue how to find her way home or how to contact Jamie. Her teeth chattered noisily, her jaw throbbing as she tried to curtail her sobs.

With blurred vision, a sore chest and shaking shoulders, Claire limped to the nearest bench and collapsed onto the sodden wood, her trousers soaking up the moisture from the moist beams as she curled herself up into a small ball in order to keep warm.

“Foolish.” She mumbled, the hair covering her face as she buried her nose against her knees and took a few long, deep breaths.

She was so exhausted that she almost didn’t hear the call of her own name through the fog, but the distinct French accent pulled her from her temporary bubble and she wiped her eyes as she looked up to see Suzette with Fergus clutched against her chest rushing steadily towards her.

“Claire!” She repeated, this time with more relief in her tone. “Jamie is beside himself. Where have you been?”

“To Tesco.” She answered lamely, her voice cracking as she peeled her legs away from her chest and sat up straight.

“It’s alright, love,” Suzette said, turning to look at Claire’s tear streaked face as she spoke down the phone, “she’s here, in the park around the corner from ours - I forget its name.” During the pause in her talking, Susie leaned into Claire, letting her shoulder connect for a moment in a quiet show of solidarity. “Yes. Of course,” she continued, pausing a couple more times to let whoever she was talking to (probably Murtagh, Claire thought) speak too, “we’ll wait here. Fergus is fine. He’s settled. Don’t worry. Love you too.”

“I take it you never made it into the store.” Suzette began once she’d hung up the phone. “Since you still have your shopping bags but nothing inside them.” The way she spoke made Claire feel less daft. Susie was friendly and motherly whilst never being condescending or callous. She truly cared and was making a concerted effort calm Claire’s frayed nerves as they waited.

“No.” Claire sighed loudly. “I couldn’t. Silly really.”

“Not at all, Claire. It’s loud and busy in there. I hate it. Fergus certainly doesn’t care for it. I think the bright neon lights hurt his eyes too.”

“Is Jamie mad?” Claire asked, feeling more than a little ridiculous for leaving the flat without her phone.

“Mad with worry perhaps,” Susie said kindly, “but not angry, no.”

“I came out without my phone,” Claire sighed, “and once I’d reached the shop I felt this crushing sense of failure when I couldn’t just…go in!” She cursed through clenched teeth. “Then I panicked. I couldn’t remember the way home and I had no way to contact anyone. I just didn’t want Jamie to have to run around after me when he’d been at work all day long. I was trying not to be a nuisance and then…” she trailed off sounding incredibly disappointed with herself.

“Yer no’ a nuisance, Claire…” The sound of Jamie’s voice broke through the dim grey of the evening as night truly set in. “And ye never will be.”

Claire’s heart stopped for one moment as she felt him hovering over her and her head tipped to the side as she breathing in one large breath and turned to face him. “Apart from the times when I disappear without leaving a note.” She joked, a large lump forming in her throat as she saw the worry colouring Jamie’s face. He was pale, whiter than she’d ever seen him and she instantly felt bad for making light of the situation.

“Aye, weel,” he said, the stress of the evening showing on his face more clearly now as he held out his hand to help her stand, “Murtagh is waiting and I should probably get ye home.”

Claire kept quiet on the drive home. Murtagh and Suzette bantered about an upcoming trip they had planned and Jamie sat stoically next to Claire, his hand holding gently onto hers as if he were afraid she wouldn’t make it home if he let her go. The warmth of his skin soothed her and she closed her eyes and relaxed against the window, watching the world pass by through the fog her breath created against the glass. Glasgow came and went, the obscured view making it look blurred as the car slowed when it reached Jamie’s flat.

“I thought he’d taken you…” Jamie whispered as they entered his home, the heat of the apartment hitting them both as they stopped dead in the entrance to the lounge, “I didna ken how, but I when I came home to find ye gone wi’ yer phone left here, I thought he’d come back and taken ye.”

“I’m so s-sorry, Jamie,” Claire sobbed, breaking down as the full brunt force of his shaky words hit her solidly in the chest, “I th-thought…”

“Hush, sassenach,” Jamie soothed, instantly taking her against his chest as he rocked her to and fro, one hand resting softly against her smooth curls and one on her lower back, “ye dinna need to be sorry, please. I ken how much ye’ve been through and I dinna want you to think yer stuck here, or that ye have to leave. You just have to do things in yer own time, aye? Dinna rush to do one or the other…”

He paused for just one moment as the timer on the slow cooker beeped quietly in the kitchen.

“…just take yer phone wi’ ye next time, so I dinna have a heart attack when I come home to find you missing.”

#;Mod MBD #As Yet Unread #jamie x claire

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irvinenewshq · 2 years ago

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Foolish for Bulls to anticipate leniency as Jake paints them as underdogs

The Bulls know it could be silly to anticipate any leniency from Munster, because the well-known Irish membership tries to get their season going, of their United Rugby Championship conflict at Thomond Park on Saturday night time, with coach Jake White nearly portray his facet as underdogs. Primarily based simply on the URC log, then the Bulls would clearly be thought-about as favourites, sitting properly in fifth place after only one loss in 4 matches, in comparison with Munster languishing in 12th spot after only one win in 4 fixtures. However White says there may be far an excessive amount of high quality and historical past behind this Munster line-up for them to be taken evenly. Additionally learn: Bulls stay cautious of Munster, regardless of poor begin to URC marketing campaign “Everybody in Eire has been reminding us how powerful it’s to play at Thomond Park, from breakfast to meal time. We’re getting the entire vibe and hopefully that can assist us be certain that we’re prepared. “We performed poorly final weekend, I’ll be the primary to confess, and Munster are a great group, they’ve huge Take a look at expertise of their group. I’m certain they are going to get themselves up as a result of they’re such an enormous membership. Additionally learn: Bulls on the again foot & thumped 35-21 by Glasgow “They’re just like the Liverpool, Man United or Barcelona of rugby as a result of they’ve gained European cups; they’re one of many greatest golf equipment on the earth. We’re below no illusions that will probably be simple. “We misplaced one recreation and we had been rightly hammered as being poor on the night time, they’ve misplaced three video games, so think about how they’re feeling. I’m certain they’re disillusioned with the place they’re in the mean time,” White stated. Cheap probability Nonetheless, the Bulls will need to have an inexpensive probability of repeating their 29-24 win over Munster at Loftus Versfeld final season, particularly with Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Harold Vorster and Wandisile Simelane returning to a star-studded backline, and loads of physicality up entrance. “After a loss like ours in opposition to Glasgow, the gamers are inclined to rally round and are extra targeted anyway,” White stated. “We had a great coaching week and we all know it’s an enormous recreation. ‘I believe we might have some actually good mixtures with Johan and Embrose each Springboks making an attempt to get again there, and Harold and Lionel Mapoe having performed three Tremendous Rugby finals collectively.” Bulls: Kurt-lee Arendse, Cornel Hendricks, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Wandisile Simelane, Johan Goosen, Embrose Papier, Elrigh Louw, WJ Steenkamp, Marcell Coetzee (CAPT), Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp, Mornay Smith, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Simphiwe Matanzima. Bench – Bismarck du Plessis, Dylan Smith, Jacques van Rooyen, Ruan Vermaak, Marco van Staden, Zak Burger, Chris Smith, David Kriel. Originally published at Irvine News HQ

#Irvine News HQ

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sacramentonewsjournal · 2 years ago

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Ex-Everton man tells his Rangers teammates to point out Liverpool no respect forward of big Ibrox conflict

John Lundstram has urged his Rangers teammates to point out Liverpool ‘no respect’ in tomorrow’s big Champions League conflict at Ibrox. The Glasgow-based outfit have misplaced all three of their group video games thus far and wish one thing from the sport with Jurgen Klopp’s aspect in the event that they’re to have any hope of progressing via to the knockout phases. The Merseysiders defeated Rangers 2-0 final outing within the reverse fixture however Lundstram desires his aspect to ‘be courageous’ in opposition to the FA Cup champions this time round. “We will likely be popping out of the traps tomorrow in search of a constructive consequence,” the scouser stated (as quoted by Soccer Scotland). “At Ibrox, it will likely be totally different and with everybody behind us we will do one thing particular. “The previous few weeks have been higher, flowing a lot better and creating probabilities. “Everybody believes we will get the consequence tomorrow. The ambiance is nice inside the group. The outcomes haven’t been adequate within the Group Stage. We’d like factors on the board and we’re stepping into tomorrow to win the sport. There’s something that occurs beneath the lights right here. It’s particular. READ MORE: VAR official from Arsenal defeat retains position for Liverpool v Man Metropolis – Reds will likely be in uproar “It provides everybody a elevate, hopefully, it’s extra of the identical tomorrow. It’s nice to face top-class gamers. It’s a must to present them respect however on the identical time present them no respect. We’ve got to get of their face and make it robust. At Ibrox, we’ve to become involved and get the group with us early. “We’ve got to be courageous on the pitch and within the stands, no good sitting off this crew we’ve to go for it.” Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s aspect are but to attain a single purpose in Europe’s premier competitors this time period and are one away from conceding double figures. Liverpool, in the meantime, have gained two of their three video games and can need to bounce again from Sunday’s disappointing defeat to Arsenal. The Reds will likely be with out the likes of Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip for the journey to Scotland however let’s hope we nonetheless have sufficient to earn an enormous three factors and finish Rangers’ hopes of progressing via the group. Unique: Liverpool protecting an in depth eye on 4 Galatasaray skills as European scouts flock to Istanbul Originally published at Sacramento News Journal

#Sacramento News Journal

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tilbageidanmark · 2 years ago

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Movies I watched this Week - #76

RRR, an anti-colonialist Indian epic - apparently the most expensive Indian film ever made, and one of its biggest earners. Based on the fight of two real-life 1920′s revolutionaries against the British Raj. I need to watch more Tollywood movies. 8/10.

🍿

Korean auteur Hong Sang-Soo X 2:

🎦🎦🎦 More of Hong Sang-Soo ‘domestic realism’ small stories: The Woman Who Ran. The beautiful Kim Min-hee had been married for five years, and when her husband leaves for a business trip, she reconnects with 3 old girlfriends, and they sit and catch up. This is whole story, and as always, there’s hidden tremors under the surface. She mentions to each that she had never been away from her husband even for one day. And each of the three conversation is being interrupted by an unwanted man who bursts in, and the men are shown only from the back. Hong does not specify who of the 4 women is the one who ‘ran’. Gentle film making that I love. (Photo Above). 10/10.

🎦🎦🎦 In his melancholic Hotel by the River an ageing poet is staying for free at a small inn because the owner likes his poetry. It’s winter, and he invited his two estranged sons to visit, telling them that he had dreamt that his death is imminent. There’s also a young woman staying there, distraught over a recent breakup. Told simply in bleached out black & white, like the falling snow, and just as beautifully.

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Hong’s delicate films remind me of Éric Rohmer’s. My Night at Maud’s was the 3rd of Rohmer’s ‘Moral tales’. Seemingly a story of four people talking, it’s about finding grace in the ordinary. Cinematography by Néstor Almendros. 9/10.

RIP, Jean-Louis Trintignant.

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Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, a surprisingly original and frank sex comedy about a 60-something widow who hires a male escort in order to feel the passion she never experienced before. Taking place 99% in a British hotel room with the delightful Emma Thompson and her young escort, and thankfully, directed by a woman, it’s 100% satisfying. 10/10.

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Under the skin, an unexplained, ‘different' Woman Who Fell To Earth type mystery, which unsurprisingly bombed at the box office. Told in meditative, nearly abstract geometrical style. Enigmatic, dark-haired Scarlett Johansson drives a big van in Glasgow, preying on lonely men and lures them into a viscous liquid where they stay suspended. I read about the science-fiction novel on which this was based, and I’m glad they striped off everything from it, except the loose frame of reference. Somebody wrote a 279 page scholarly book, Alien in the mirror, about its meaning as a woman's journey to self-discovery. Hard to pin down.

The director, Jonathan Glazer, directed the Sony Bravia paint advertisement years ago. I will seek out his two previous films, ‘Sexy Beast’ and ‘Birth’. 7/10.

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The Year of the Everlasting Storm is a lovely 7-part Covid anthology, shot at the beginning of the epidemic in 5 countries.

Iranian Jafar Panahi filmed his 90-year-old mother who came to visit, and didn’t like his giant iguana pet. From Wuhan, Anthony Chen filmed a young couple, struggling to get along, when tending to their toddler. In Little Measures, a black father was trying to reunite with his 3 kids, each in a different foster home. Laura Poitras investigated the Israeli NSO-group’s spyware. The Chilean story told of an opera singer and the birth of her grandchild. Apichatpong Weerasethakul just filmed a bed covered with insects, as an installation. Another story tells of a woman who find a box of letters in a storage place. 7/10.

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Revolutionary Road, the second romance starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Sam Mendes directed this fine story about 1950′s malcontent and a woman’s ennui in East Coast suburban life. 7/10.

🍿 3 neo-noirs from John Dahl, First Watches:

🎦🎦🎦 Rounders, a tight high-stakes poker thriller. Matt Damon is the Rocky of Texas hold 'em. John Malkovich chews the scenery with an atrocious Russian accent. Also John Turturro as ‘Joey Knish’. Seems to be written by somebody who knows the game. If I’d known how to play, it might be even better. 8/10

🎦🎦🎦 Beyond femme fatale: Mid-90′s pitch-dark Noir The Last Seduction with very Bad Girl Linda Fiorentino. Sexy and amoral, she gets away with everything: Phone scamming, smoking and drinking, sex with strangers, manipulation, theft of $700,000 drug loot, rape fantasies, even murder. Also tacked on is a transgender sub-plot. With Hank Schrader as a bar-fly. 6/10. Why did Linda Fiorentino stopped acting?!

🎦🎦🎦 Red rock west, his 2nd romanticized dark Noir. With honest but unlucky Nicolas Cage drifting into a tiny Wyoming town, getting mistaken for a hitman, getting involved with TJ Walsh & Dennis Hopper, and barely escapes within an inch of his life.

Why did John Dahl stopped making movies, and turned exclusively to television for the last 15 years?

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My 5th Aki Kaurismäki, his second French-language film, Le Havre. It tells of a poor but decent shoe shiner who saves a young illegal immigrant from Gabon. His good deed is rewarded with a miracle, as his terminally-ill wife is healed and returns home in her favorite yellow dress. A soft and humane story.

I watched it in French without subtitles, so I surely missed some of the subtleties.

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3 old re-watches:

🎦🎦🎦 Spy noir Notorious, "the story of a woman sold for political purposes into sexual enslavement” as Hitchcock himself pitched it. 1946 politics, a bottle of “uranium” powder and Claude Rains as another 60-year-old emasculated bachelor who must get “Mother”s approval for his love life.

🎦🎦🎦 I loved The Big Sick when it came out, and I loved it even more on review. A great story telling, well told, with no false tones. The fact that it’s semi-autobiographical and written by Kumail Nanjiani and wife Emily Gordon is a big attraction. With Bo Burnham and cute Zoe Kazan. 10/10.

🎦🎦🎦 Hail Freedonia! Duck Soup, the 1933 Marx Brothers farce that was banned by Mussolini. Childish slapstick. As Groucho explained "Take two turkeys, one goose, four cabbages, but no duck, and mix them together. After one taste, you'll duck soup the rest of your life."

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The original Duck Soup, a silent comedy 2-reeler starring Laurel and Hardy from 1927 which was later remade as ‘Another Fine Mess’.

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In Save the Cinema, Samantha Morton plays the Walsh hairdresser, who in 1993 formed a grass-root campaign to save the local theater from closure. And she eventually managed to win by getting Steven Spielberg to send his personal copy of the new Jurassic Park for a UK premier at the cinema. The movie was very cheesy and sentimental, and worked hard by comparing itself to ‘Cinema Paradiso’. Interestingly, the only Indian character in this British feel-good fare played the only ‘Bad Guy’, corrupt Mayor Tom. (He also played Naveed, Kumail Nanjiani‘s brother in ‘The big sick’ above.). 5/10.

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Based on another true story, Jerry & Marge Go Large tells of the retired Brian Cranston who discovers a mathematical loop hole in the state lottery system, utilizes it to win $27M, and uses the money to help the local community. Everybody loves a lottery winner, but this was sweetly-pedestrian with mainstream uplifting message. Best scene: Cranston hiding his first stash, fat stacks of thousands in the pantry, and getting discovered by his granddaughter in a comedy of blunders, a la 'Breaking Bad'. 2/10.

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My first 70′s-style disaster film, The Poseidon Adventure. The real disaster was me staying for the full two stupid hours. Hopefully I won’t do it again. Does not compare at all to ‘Titanic’ though. 1/10.

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Persona non grata, a very Danish debut-drama about a writer who returns to her rural village and her estranged family for her brother’s wedding. She discovers that he is marrying the one person who used to bully her the most, and about whom she wrote her latest book. 3/10.

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...Imagine the smell… Perfume is a period piece about a man with a superhuman sense of smell, who becomes a murderer, in order to capture the essence of women. It starts by capturing well the putrid stench of Paris 300 years ago, but turns into a long and sadistic gore-fest. The only positive I found here was the final, inexplicable mass orgy. Narrated by the voice of John Hurt. Stinky 1/10.

- - - - -

(My complete movie list is here)

#movies

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glasgowvanman · 3 years ago

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Important Questions You Must Ask Your Man And Van Hire Company In Glasgow

If you are not sure how to select the right Man with a Van Glasgow Southside company for your relocation needs then you are not alone. You will be able to pick the right service providers by asking the right questions. Here are a few important questions that you must ask your man and van hire Glasgow service provider to help find the right one for you.

How long have you been in this industry? This is one of the most important questions that is likely to help you decide whether you should proceed with a particular service provider or not. It is highly recommended that you go with a company with a vast experience as opposed to a company with a limited experience. When you find a Van Man Glasgow service provider with vast experience, they are likely to offer you the most satisfactory services and outcome to your move. An experienced service provider will be able to understand your requirements really well, as they would have dealt with similar scenarios in the past. In other words, an experienced Man and Van Glasgow hire company will not experiment on your move and goods.

Do you handle custom item removal needs? If you have custom items to be moved from one location to the other, then you shall not proceed before you have got the answer for this question. Only someone with a past experience in handling such requirements will be able to do justice to your needs. You should not therefore rush to select just any company you find online, before you have clearly established that your Van Man Glasgow company has handled similar requirements already.

How do you charge for your services? It is vital that you have total clarity on the pricing policy of your removal company. Do they charge on an hourly basis, or do they go based on custom quotes for miles travelling and how many staff are needed with the driver? Knowing these details in advance would avoid unnecessary future challenges and confusions at a later date.

Are they any additional charges or hidden charges? This question will save you from unnecessary surprises and shocks down the line. It is important not to presume that your service provider will not levy any hidden charges at a later stage. Have this established right at the start to safeguard your own interests and to ensure that you do not get ripped off by some of the unscrupulous service providers in the sector. There are many honest and dependable Van Man Glasgow companies out there, you just need to select one who has the experienced and can meet your needs including your budget.

#Man with a Van Glasgow Southside #Van Man Glasgow

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ofaphrvdite · 6 years ago

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silence ! raise the royal standard, for the knight from ireland, ELI DARCY, has arrived. being 32 years old, he is out of line to the throne. many around the court call him the mender, by virtue of her being valiant and pragmatic, while also being reticent and sombre. — played by richard madden.

- THE BASICS.

full name: eli patrick darcy name meaning: eli ‘ascended, uplifted, high’, patrick ‘noble’ known in history as: the wandering knight date of birth: march 19th, 1986/1633 age: thirty two star sign: pisces profession: veteran, now human rights lawyer (modern verse) / knight, kitchen worker (royal verse) loyalty: ireland, house darcy, belgium, house van leuven, the entente alignment: lawful good mbti: infj spoken languages: irish, english, dutch (beginner) mother’s name: georgina darcy nee. o’ferrall (deceased in modern verse) father’s name: hugh darcy (deceased in modern and royal verse) siblings, if any: robert darcy (30), andrew darcy (27), aine darcy (25), domnall darcy (25). all deceased in royal verse. height: 5’10” hair colour: reddish brown eye colour: blue

- BACKSTORY / MODERN VERSE.

born in kildare, ireland, eli grew up in a loving home. they weren’t the richest of families and with five mouths to feed they certainly had a lot on their plate. it was no small feat then that they managed to get all five through school with relatively no drama under the salaries of a primary school teacher and veteran.

growing up, the soft hearted eli wanted to make a difference. he just didn’t know how. he’d seen so much inequality, even in his own small town, and as he grew older his dreams came to a realisation. during sixth form his law professor urged him to follow it on to the next stage. he worked incredibly hard for the next year and came out with aab in his a-levels. not what he needed, but the prestigious university of glasgow took his background into account and with a glowing reference from his teacher, was offered a place to study common law.

he was two years into his studies, just twenty, and about to go onto his honours. having the time of his life, making friends, learning to come out of his shell, feeling like he’d found his place. and then tragedy struck.

the phonecall came during freshers week, and it was one that set him on a course that would change his entire life. the news that his parents had passed away in a fatal car accident. his mother dead on scene, his father only minutes later in the ambulance. and there was absolutely nothing anyone could have done.

he tried, god he tried, to carry on as normal. to do his parents proud and be the first darcy to graduate from university, to chase his dream of doing good. but the young man was crumbling from the inside, and it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened and he finally snapped.

for two whole weeks of no more than twelve hours sleep total, withdrawing from all his friends or generally behaving intolerantly, missing lectures and sinking into a pit of helplessness, eli finally broke down in the middle of a lecture. ask him about it and he can’t recall a single thing but in the weeks that followed, the decision was made that he should put his studies on hold. take some time out to grieve and return the following year to pick up where he left off. except, that didn’t happen.

returning home a failure, eli spent six months at home doing nothing but going to and from a little part time job at tescos. couldn’t handle much more than that. with his younger siblings now living with his grandparents, there was no cause or motivation to do much else. university seemed to be a dream that slipped further away with each passing week and by easter he’d come to the conclusion that it was time to move on. and so he enlisted in the army, followed in his father’s footsteps ( something he had never wanted for his son ) and was deployed with his troop to iraq in 2007.

for three years, he barely returned home. when he hadn’t been deployed, he was asking for postings to other bases int he meantime. in between his second and third tour he spent the time training to be promoted to a command position. which led to the third and final tour, the longest of them all. and the one that ended in tragedy. the second life altering event the now twenty four year old would face.

he was due for leave, and the final mission assigned was an easy one. he was to take command in leading a top dignitary to the airport after their visit to the base, with the protection of three other soldiers. and, as it would just so happen, his best friends. what should have been a simple move, was flipped on his head. no sooner had he noted that something was off, than the truck carrying them all was flipped onto it’s back by a crudely made land mine. the dignitary and two of his men were killed in the explosion alone. eli could do nothing but watch as his friends burnt in the wreckage despite doing all he could to pull them out. and then the shooting started.

on reflection it had clearly been an ambush, set up to ensure none of them came away alive. eli had been the lone survivor, hanging by a thread when the medics finally found him, though he’d begged them all to just leave. let him die.

he of course blamed himself, and was no where near fit to return to active duty. he was sent home, and honourably discharged from the army, never to be sent on active duty again. he’d been through too much, saddled with far too much trauma, he needed to rest now. to integrate himself back home and heal. but he would hear none of it. in his time of need he felt that his home had abandoned him, despite his pleas to return and redeem himself. they insisted there was nothing to redeem, that he’d served his country honourably, even attempted to bestow him with medals. all of which he rejected. he returned to ireland more broken than when he had entered.

he spent the rest of that year and half of the next attending therapy sessions he’d been forced into by his grandparents. but they began to hit home, and slowly but surely he rebuilt. allowed himself to make small steps into his new life, whatever form that may take.

eli eventually re-enrolled on his course in september 2011, with a letter from his former general that allowed him to pick up where he left off. he finally accepted the conspicuous gallantry cross, and allowed himself to grieve properly for the losses he faced that day. five years on, eli was finally a practising barrister and had been accepted at a prestigious firm that specialised in human rights cases where he has been working ever since.

his life had been a quiet one in london, in many ways sleeping his way through it. doing nothing but working and returning home until he quite literally bumped into charlotte and it was her who finally woke him up. he’s happy in his relationship now, happier than he’s been in years, and is glad to help look after celeste and get his hands dirty in the rest of the chaotic life he’s found himself wrapped up in. he’s by no means perfect, his ptsd still wreaks havoc and there are days he still feels like he’s there. relieving that day every night in his sleep, over and over again. but he’s getting there, with charlotte’s help, and is taking things day by day.

- BACKSTORY / ROYAL VERSE.

from a very young age, eli had set his mind to becoming a knight. stories told to him by his mother at bedtime of valiant men, saving the day and helping others only furthered his desire to do the same, to put the morals instilled in him by his catholic parents to good use. and at seven years old, eli was taken on as a page and was sent away from home for the first time.

whilst he was still in training as a squire, just sixteen, the rebellion broke out and for years life was fraught. though there were years of triumph as the catholics pushed back and for a while ruled themselves. and in 1946, eli was knighted at twenty one years old. where he returned home and began his new duties and helped to provide for his parents and siblings. he married and was eager to start a family, until the english conquest came and left death and famine in irelands wake. a third of their population dead by the time dust would settle.

it was during this time that tragedy stole more than the lives of those he loved most, but life as he had come to know it. his father and all three of his brothers were killed during a battle in their town. and his wife was claimed by plague, and famine taking his sister. though he didn’t die, there was a large chance that he would be taken as a prisoner of war and deported far away. the only chance for his survival was to flee to a europe where he might at least receive tolerance.

and so, eli was forced to leave his only surviving relative, his mother, behind. though she converted to catholicism when she married, she still had protestant family who she could take refuge with and so she renounced her faith and eli never saw his mother again. for both their safety.

as a refugee, eli travelled through europe and survived through odd jobs as he went. the dreams of being a knight left tarnished, and now his only hope was to survive. though he had very little motivation now to do so.

eventually, exhausted and starved, eli sought refuge in belgium and it was here that the princess herself fought to take him in. though her brother, the king, had not been difficult to sway. eli offered himself wherever they saw him fit, he would not complain nor put up a fuss. after making a case for the kitchens, he was placed under the head cooks care and it is here he has remained ever since.

though he no longer puts his true skills to good use, he hopes that one day he might attempt to rebuild a semblance of a life again. to pick up a sword, to fight for the country that saved him perhaps. for now he tells himself that this is better than he perhaps deserved when the rest of his family had perished or gone. the kitchens are fine work, and he offers help in the stables too when it’s needed for he had learnt plenty back home about horses in his past life. he still feels he owes his life to the van leuvans, and to princess charlotte in particular. if he had a sword, he’d pledge himself to her on the spot. but for now he simply admires from a distance, far too melancholy and ashamed to do much more.

#! * introduction / brutus.#! * introduction / eli.#me @ myself: why have you done this ????#tw trauma #tw war #tw death #tw ptsd #he's sad ig #! * INTRODUCTIONS.

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smvanblog · 3 years ago

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Best Rubbish Removal Services Glasgow

Rubbish Removal Services Glasgow is based with state-of-the-art facilities and fully qualified staff that provides professional and friendly man and van service to the customers. At Man and Van Glasgow, we always aim to make your job run smoothly and safely as possible. https://smvanservices701860069.wordpress.com/2022/03/25/experience-our-house-clearance-furniture-removal-and-rubbish-removal-in-the-same-day/

#Rubbish Removal Services Glasgow #Best Rubbish Removal Services Glasgow #Rubbish Removal Services #Man and Van Glasgow

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rockrevoltmagazine · 4 years ago

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MASON HILL Release Official Music Video for "D.N.A."

First Rock Act to Debut Album in UK Top 20 since GRETA VAN FLEET in 2018 & and the first British rock act debut album Top 20 and #1 UK rock chart since Royal Blood in 2014!!

Glasgow, UK based Rock band MASON HILL has released the official music video for their blistering metal single, “D.N.A.” Directed and produced by David Barras and Scott McKay for Strangeboat Productions, “D.N.A.” is the third single off the band’s chart dominating debut album, Against The Wall.

“D.N.A.” is also dominating German and French charts, sitting comfortably on Rock Antenne FM’s‘ top 20 and hitting top 10 in the Heavy 1 French radio chart.

“A blistering and hook filled bit of gleaming modern metal, it manages to perfectly mesh heaviness with melody that shows a maturity way beyond most of their peers.

With a superb production, this just doesn’t pop out of the speakers, it practically roars, the Highland passion in full flow and Celtic fire blazing.” – Metal Planet Magazine

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Released on March 5th, Against The Wall achieved the UK national album chart at number 19, taking a coveted top 20 album position, and reached over 750,000 streams on Spotify. The long awaited album, which received critical acclaim from both media and fans alike, also hit number 1 in the UK rock album chart. It is the first time a rock band has debuted with their album in the UK Top 20 since Greta Van Fleet in 2018 and also the first time a British rock act as debuted with their album in the UK Top 20 and # 1 in the UK rock album chart since Royal Blood and Lonely The Brave back in 2014!

It is an incredible achievement for new British rock band, starting from an almost zero sales base and during a pandemic when there has been no traditional retail, no live shows or touring opportunities. The innovative marketing campaign run by both 7Hz Productions (ADA) and the band involved a six month fan building initiative utilizing the band’s social platforms, streaming performances, virtual ‘in store’ launch events, dark ad audience building and strategic media take over promotions. Coupled with very positive press reviews, online reviews, regional radio support, and four Planet Rock playlist additions, the band’s new album has connected musically with rock fans resulting in a surge of sales.

The band is set to release their next digital single, a cover of the 2005 Foo Fighters hit “The Best Of You,” all platforms on April 23, 2021.

Against the Wall Track Last: 1. Reborn 2. No Regret 3. Against the Wall 4. Broken Son 5. D.N.A. 6. Who We Are 7. Find My Way 8. Hold On 9. Out Of Reach 10. We Pray 11. Where I Belong 12. Reborn (Reprise)

Purchase / Stream Against the Wall Online: iTunes | Spotify | Amazon | YouTube

Click HERE to Order ‘Against the Wall’ Vinyl (Red & Blue Vinyl Sold Out)!

MASON HILL has also announced UK tour dates. The 17 date UK & Irish tour will head out in early September with support from Hollowstar and Empyre. Despite never having headlined a club tour before, the band has sold 1,800 tour tickets in just 2 weeks!

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“Our fans have been so supportive and to have a top 20 national album on our first release is mind blowing. We are extremely humbled at the reception Against The Wall has received and needless to say, it has been an extremely bright light for us during this long Covid tunnel. It has made us even more hungry to get back out and play live again. Everyone is itching to crank up the volume and blast out the new material” – (Scott Taylor – Vocals)

Tour Dates: 09/02 @ Tunnels – Aberdeen, Scotland 09/03 @ Garage – Glasgow, Scotland 09/04 @ Macarts – Galashiels, Scotland 09/09 @ Grand Social – Dublin, Ireland 09/10 @ Voodoo – Belfast, Ireland 09/14 @ Junction 2 – Cambridge, England 09/15 @ Corporation – Sheffield, England 09/16 @ Fleece – Bristol, England 09/17 @ Patterns – Brighton, England 09/18 @ Leos – Gravesend, England (Sold Out) 09/20 @ Globe – Cardiff, Wales 09/21 @ Joiners – Southampton, England 09/22 @ Nightrain – Bradford, England 09/23 @ Waterloo Music Bar – Blackpool 09/24 @ Underworld – London, England 09/25 @ Rebellion – Manchester, England 09/26 @ KK’s Steel Mill – Wolverhampton, England

Click HERE for Additional Dates & Ticketing Information.

To trace the Mason Hill story to its origin, Scott Taylor and James Bird met at school in Glasgow. At the age of 14, Bird was already an accomplished, award-winning, gifted guitar prodigy, who’d shared a stage with Ozzy Osbourne/Black Label Society man Zakk Wylde, a personal hero, toured across the UK, and secured endorsements from leading music brands. The teenage Taylor already harboured dreams of fronting a rock ’n’ roll band, and the pair’s friendship and shared aspirations led them to form a band. In 2013 the pair formed Mason Hill, adding drummer Craig McFetridge, bassist Matthew Ward, and guitarist Marc Montgomery in due course. Five diverse, colourful characters, the members of the group were instantly bonded by a shared, singular vision for their band: Taylor relinquished long-held plans to become an Olympic swimmer in order to focus on music, while Ward withdrew from a degree course at the University of Glasgow, where he’d been studying microbiology/virology. For these ambitious young men, Mason Hill was and is priority number one.

Mason Hill are Scott Taylor (Lead Vocals), James Bird (Lead Guitar), Marc Montgomery (Guitar), Matthew Ward (Bass) and Craig McFetridge (Drums)

THE STORY SO FAR Mason Hill has spent their formative years “learning their craft” on stages up and down the UK. This included high profile shows supporting the likes of Graham Bonnet (Rainbow), Snakecharmer (feat. ex-Whitesnake, Thunder & Wishbone Ash members), Toseland, Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent, The Dead Daisies) and Stone Broken.

“this is the best new heavy rock act currently performing in the UK.” (Fabrications HQ)

“a prodigious talent that belies their fledgling years.” (Planet Rock)

In December 2015 the band released their debut E.P, the self titled Mason Hill, featuring four tracks which highlighted exactly why this band are turning heads – outstanding songs that demonstrated a maturity far beyond their years. Recorded at The Foundry Music Lab with Sandy Jones (Wet Wet Wet) in the producer’s chair, the EP has been critically acclaimed amongst the music press and fans alike.

2016 brought several breakthroughs in the band’s career, firstly the invitation to perform on The Rising Stage at Ramblin’ Man Fair, headlined by Whitesnake and Black Stone Cherry, winning the UK wide Highway To Hell battle of the bands competition that earned them opening the main stage slot at Hard Rock Hell, alongside the likes of Ugly Kid Joe, Ratt, and Glenn Hughes, appearing at Winterstorm Festival, alongside the likes of Ricky Warwick, Last in Line (ex-Dio) and Inglorious to selling out their first ever headline show at the famous Cathouse Rock Club in Glasgow with one month left to spare – a feat only achieved in recent times by Anthrax and Black Stone Cherry.

The career progression continued into early 2017 when the band was special guest to Inglorious in London at their sold out second album launch show, appeared triumphantly at Download on The Boardie Takeover Stage, opened for Airbourne at their sold out show in Edinburgh. and returned to their hometown for their second headline show at G2; again this sold out with demand so great that it was upgraded to the 750 capacity The Garage where the likes of Magnum, Tesla, and Symphony X have performed – packing the place to the rafters

The first promo video “’Now You See Me” was released in 2017, which to date has more than a quarter of a million views.

The year ended with support for GUN at Glasgow Barrowlands in December plus an appearance at Planet Rockstock:

“Fresh-faced Glasgow boys Mason Hill were nothing short of a triumph. Completely packing out the room, they served up a rock and roll storm from the offset with anthems like ‘Now You See Me’ before showing off another side of their art with powerful closer ‘Where I Belong’ that delved into rock ballad territory. In fact, the Planet Rockstock faithful were so won over we’ve been inundated with requests for Mason Hill to be bumped up the bill in 2018” (Planet Rock)

The band spent a lot of time developing material for their album and the first show of 2018 was at Glasgow’s King Tuts which sold out in three days, ten weeks in advance of show!

Ladies and gentlemen – Mason Hill are back with fire in their belly. This group of high achievers carry the pressure of early success but as they take to the stage to the intro tape, it is obvious they have class and confidence…” (Down The Front Media)

“There are few up and coming acts in Scotland that have made a notable impression as swiftly as Glasgow rockers Mason Hill. They have grown in popularity and garnered an insane following like nothing else” (SMS, Scotland)

“Mason Hill never disappoint, in fact they always take it to the next level every time you see them” (Jace Media)

This was followed by an appearance at TRNSMT on the same day as Queen, and Steelhouse Festival in Wales alongside such as Black Star Riders, Glenn Hughes and, Myles Kennedy.

The latter part of 2018 saw Mason Hill going out on tour supporting The Dan Reed Network at shows across the UK and a return to Planet Rockstock, by popular demand after their performance in 2017, this time on the main stage.

In a further development Mason Hill agreed to part ways with Frontiers Records.

A further sold out King Tuts show followed in 2019 and a sub headline slot at Planet Rock’s Winters End in February 2020. Since then live activity has been curtailed by the covid 19 pandemic, in common with every other band. However the band has not been idle and the focus has been on the debut album, recorded at Riverside Studios near Glasgow and vocals in New York, and mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro).

In 2020 the band signed a management contract with Jaba Music and a record deal with 7Hz Productions, and the album release date is planned for 5 March 2021. Three singles have so far been released to date from the album to critical acclaim.

2021 promises to be a big year for Mason Hill, despite on going restrictions.

Mason Hill are just getting started!

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MASON HILL Release Official Music Video for “D.N.A.” was originally published on RockRevolt Mag

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