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growingstronglikeahighgardenrose · 4 years ago

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Sanditon Season 2: all the news & my thoughts

So, we're getting not one but two new seasons of Sanditon! After a year of tremendous effort on behalf of the Sanditon sisterhood who kept the fandom alive, we'll be looking at a new season. Although I think the biggest thank you probably goes out to Bridgerton, which showed that romance, regency, a diverse cast and butts are a perfect mix to lure audiences.

I want to take this moment to reflect on what I think we'll win, what we'll lose and what we can expect in the future.

1. No Sidlotte HEA

This is probably the most heartbreaking salty news we could get. But I know Theo James, he likes new projects. And after divergent's disaster, I can't blame the boy for not wanting to hang onto another franchise. As a fanfic writer, although mainly an Esther/Babington one, I broke my head for over a year on how to get Sidlotte together. I had to imagine the grandest schemes to get them together. Tom needed 10 000 pounds in less than a month. Even Babington was probably not worth that much. That's over 6 million in today's money if adjusted to inflation. Regency era's England's top 1-2% made that in a full a year, and most of that is probably in assets and investments. And they don't just get to keep that money, most used a good chunk of it to keep their estates running and to pay their staff. Anyone know someone who has a casual 6 million lying around?

There's only two realistic solutions: either have Eliza die: which would be cruel and take years (unless you kill her in childbirth 9 months in), or create a grand scheme that would take months and see Sidney, Crowe and Babington actively work hard on their 'business' while in the meantime Charlotte, Lady Denham and Lady Susan get everyone including the prince regent to come to Sanditon. I kind of accepted they would have a hard time getting out of that plot twist. It was likely that Sidlotte could not be endgame.

Personally, I never felt a strong connection to Sidlotte, and had hoped that Charlotte, like Jane Bennet, would go to London with Lady Susan to recover from her heartbreak, and I kind of hoped James Stringer would eventually go down there for his apprenticeship, where a sort of Captain Wentworth-like situation would come to exist where he is a young man trying to make something of himself. I know Charlotte didn't love him. But I also knew that Charlotte wanted adventure and perhaps needed to grow as a person. But in the new season she'll probably be a bit jaded, closed off, and depressed. And will probably need a softer more available man. Growing up goes with swinging to extremes. She was an open optimist at the beginning, and eventually turned to the opposite, not letting her emotions shine through and being very guarded (@miss-holly-goes-lightly did a wonderful post on this). Adulthood is finding a good balance again.

So while I am saddened, because this brings along a long set of questions like: "Does Sanditon still take place in Sanditon then?" "Where will Sidney live, will he then live in London with his wife?" "Why doesn't he come help his brother the next season or visit his family, as we know Tom will make a mess of things" The show will have to answer these questions in a believable manner.

2. No Beaufort twins

Mollie Holder said on her instagram that the Beauforts wouldn't be returning. This leads to quite a few questions like: where will Georgiana stay then? What will be happening to Mrs. Griffiths? Will Georgiana be her sole ward while the Beaufort's absence is explained as them having married or having become governesses?

3. Who remains aboard

Rose Williams is definitely on board. It's also pretty certain Tom will be there again. Lady Denham is also likely to return. The child actors and their parents were willing, but worried about their increasing age a few months back. Old Stringer said he'd have loved to be part of Sanditon again and to see it continue, but he's well... dead on the show so he won't return. So who will join Charlotte?

Leo Sutter might not return. He plays an important role in the next spin-off of vikings. Vikings has a new season each year. On top of that he's currently busy recording Gateway 6. We don't know how long that might take. And perhaps by the time filming ends he's required for the next season of the Walhalla series. Leo Sutter is a rising star, he might not even have the time to return. Especially for two seasons. At his age and point in his career, he needs to cement his name, or he'll remain b-list while he has a-list potential. So he might have to give up Sanditon for his career. It's sad, I'd love a Stringer/Charlotte future where they both grow to being suitable for each other while becoming people confident in their own abilities. But in the end, I would be alright with it, as Charlotte didn't express immediate interest in him. Writing him out would also be fairly easy, they could just write that despite thinking he had to stay home after his father's death, he went to London in the end under Charlotte's encouragement. Perhaps he could then come back for a guest appearance.

Crystal Clarke will reprise her role as Georgiana. Clarke has, since Sanditon, spoken out about the sometimes tone-deaf director and scriptwriters. She had to step in a few times to make sure Georgiana was done justice. She also said she hoped Georgiana, if the show was continued, would get the space to breathe and be independent, instead of playing a minor role as token black friend of Charlotte while under the control of Sidney. It will be complex to have her return without involving Sidney, as his character will have to be written out. I imagine this can be done with a timejump, but the timejump would have to be 4 years to make Georgiana 'of age' as she is 17 in the show. They'll probably place her under someone's care while saying Sidney is "still her guardian, but away". Georgiana is, in my opinion, an essential part of Sanditon. Bridgerton showed the world wanted to see diverse faces. Austen wrote a black character as a wealthy and desirable woman. They simply have to do more with her in the future. Clarke will reprise her role, this time with black writers to do justice to her character. I'm excited to see what will be done.

The actor who plays Arthur, Turlough Convery, is a good actor and mostly in period pieces. However he's never overly in demand, and usually stays with shows for multiple seasons. I think he's quite willing to come back and it means Georgiana would have a friend. I also hope they delve into his character, especially after his "I don't think i'll ever get married".

Matthew Needham and Mark Stanley, Crowe and Babington, are Sidney's best friends. It will be hard to have them come back without them explaining why Sidney is never with them. But I believe they would work well as a duo: the drunk and the one braincell are a fun dynamic. Both are not much in demand, despite that I quite like them as actors. So we might see them returning. Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Charlotte Spencer's Esther Denham is married to Babington. Without Babington returning, how can Esther? And vice versa. Their storyline was also the main romance for me and a big part of the last few episodes. They kinda need to return. Babington is also Sanditon's access point to high society. To cash in on Bridgerton's success they should search that royal connection. Babington is friends with the Prince Regent. On top of that he has the most money. If he hosts a party and Charlotte is invited, this is where they get those grand-bridgertonesque scenes.

Lily Sacofsky's Clara had a romantic subplot with Crowe. In their final unaired scene they went to London together. She could return. However, the chances are quite slim. Clara is in London, and Sanditon takes place in Sanditon. Unless Lady Susan takes Charlotte to London for a while and she meets Clara and Edward there, cooking up a plan to get back at Esther and Lady Denham.

4. Predictions

There's no words to describe the popularity of Bridgerton, so this WILL influence Sanditon. I predict: more sex, more scandal, and even more ahistorically modern ideas and characters, multiple female characters and multiple male characters that each get screentime and their separate storylines and developments like in bridgerton, instead of just Charlotte's pov we follow. Glamorous scenes. And more POC.

The season will start with a timejump in all likeliness (as it is easier so they don't have to focus too much on her grieving). Charlotte will catch us up with what has happened while perhaps narrating over some letters she's written to georgiana and lady susan. She'll return to Sanditon during a summer. Sanditon will have been partially rebuilt with Eliza's money, and many activities will be planned. Sanditon will be in some kind of trouble. Charlotte will still be a planner. Her being very actively involved in things and having a vision was one of the most alluring parts of her character. In the books there was a rival town Tom hated. That might be a bit tricky to adapt so they could introduce some local competition for attention around Sanditon. A local duke hosting parties could overshadow tom's events. Or the social season in London could lure everyone there instead of to Sanditon. Charlotte will try to help Tom with this while getting reacquainted with everyone still in Sanditon, and hearing about the reasons why Sidney/Esther/Stringer/The Beauforts (to be seen) aren't in the show anymore. She'll also rebuild her relationship with Georgiana.

Then one day for an event Charlotte will invite Lady Susan, who will invite her to the London season to get over her heartache à la Jane Bennet. Charlotte will join Lady Susan to lure a crowd to Sanditon. There, she'll be confronted with some of her demons of the past season. Perhaps a pregnant Eliza Campion makes an appearance to rub it in Charlotte's face. In Sense & Sensibility Margaret discovered Willoughby's relationship in a most shocking manner in an almost public setting. Sanditon likes to nod at all Austen books so this could be a nod at that book when Charlotte discovers unpleasant news in a public manner. Charlotte will congratulate her and wish them happiness, and afterwards either a girlpower moment could happen with Lady Susan or Georgiana supporting her, or a love moment. Mrs Campion has tried to talk Charlotte down in front of people in the past, if she did it again, a new love interest could step in at that time to compliment her and then take her off for a dance. That could be an emotional moment for her, as she realized her feelings for Sidney in London during a dance the last time around as well. And she could have her cinderella moment by excusing herself and running off after the dance, uncertain of her feelings. She'll have some grand balls, might be harrassed by a man and risk a scandal, or try and prevent Georgiana from ruin during a scandal.

At the last moment she'll succeed in her goal and lure a crowd to Sanditon's events that will put Sanditon on the map. Either the local competitive duke, or someone from London will be impressed with her, but she won't be ready to marry yet. I trust that by the end of the second season, she'll finally have a realisation that she's quite happy with how she's living her life and how good her work is, and that she has finally stopped feeling sad. So the second season will stop with her atop a cliff, letting go of the traumatic loss she suffered on that same cliff a season before. By the end of the season, one or two love interests will be set up for the last season.

So the nudity and big romance will have to come from elsewhere. Georgiana will get more agency and action in the next seasons. She could be trying to tempt Charlotte in joining her adventures as a single wealthy independent woman. She might even leave to find her place in the world via boat, returning to where she was last truly happy: Antigua. The second season could maybe end with Charlotte overlooking Georgiana's boat leaving from the previously mentioned clifftop. Another option is Georgiana falling in love with a local man and taken an interest in the town. Financially speaking, Georgiana could be the only one able to save Sanditon. But I don't think she owes the town anything. Another option is the writers focus on Georgiana navigating her relationship with Otis, who might be back home for a holiday after navy duty. We could also see some political debates à la Poldark S5 about freedom, servitude, independence and so on. The first plan for Georgiana doesn't even have to exclude the second, she could decide to sail away with Otis to find their place in the world. In any case: race shall not be brushed under the carpet and Georgiana will kick some shins on her way to her happy ending. In Jane Austen, we have rarely seen a woman who tried to elope, or escape her guardian, get a happy ending. Georgiana Darcy, Eliza Williams, Eliza's mother, ... they're all tragic tales of women falling for bad guys who try to steal their virtue or take their money. And in the end they always become dependent on men again. I hope in Sanditon Georgiana will learn and grow herself, instead of being coddled by men. A lot could be done.

Esther and Babington could be a very cool insert if the actors join. They can really connect the high society to Sanditon. They could host balls, invest in Sanditon or drive the London plot. But they can also be an emotional backbone to the show. Esther married Babington, but she wasn't in love yet. I'm not a fan of the edward/Esther angle. After all he did, I rather she hated him with burning passion and never spoke to him again. But he could try to blackmail her and ruin her reputation in London. Perhaps become some kind of Lord Whistledown. With Charlotte coming to Esther's aid. Esther's plotline could be about learning to trust people and open her heart again. Perhaps she could have a conflict with Babington about him wanting a family and she still being uneasy with marriage, let alone children. Maybe they could have a fight, with one of them going to London. In their separation they might realize they love each other. And then the other comes back home from London with Charlotte and they fix everything. Another route is them having a fight, Esther going to confront Edward or Clara about their blackmailing or maneouvring. Babington thinks it's because she doesn't love him, but actually it's because she loves Babington and wants to be rid of her past. But she gets into an accident and Babington only realizes the truth later on, leading to a happy ending.

Other things I'd love to see: Mary finally growing a backbone and telling Tom to either be open about his affairs and finances or be gone. Arthur and Diana growing a backbone and telling their brother he's a fuck up. Charlotte realizing Tom is stupid. Lady Denham appointing Charlotte or Arthur to head of Sanditon after showing their worth an entire season. Tom being repentant. Diana getting over her fears. Arthur getting a love interest. Crowe being in Sanditon, I just love him. Kisses. Healthy love interests that aren't broody and traumatized and in need of fixing by women. Jane Austen's men need to do their growing ON THEIR OWN. And then they earn their brides.

5. What we'll lose

- A Sidlotte ending: once the new season comes out, Sidlotte is no longer headcanon.

- A happy Esther/Babington ending: they married and looked happy, despite Esther's rushed turn around. If they're in the new season, their marriage won't be perfect. They'll have conflicts, just for plot. Whatever headcanons we had for them will probably be falsified. We might come to dislike them or their relationship. I've seen almost all my ships crumble to dust on the rocks of multiple seasons dragging out relationships and piling on conflict just to keep it interesting.

- A part of what made Sanditon Sanditon: we'll lose many faces we've come to love. And the dynamics and relationships will therefore change a lot.

- Fanfics become dated: I know it is the problem of every fandom, but it's one I regret all the same. Part of why I love Austen fandoms is the fact that the books are written. The characters and relationships won't change. With 2 new seasons coming, all fanfics out there will become dated. The millions of hours authors put into Sidlotte fics will perhaps become barely read when Charlotte gets new love interests. All the headcanons I and many others wrote down for Sidlotte, Esther/Babington, Charlotte/Stringer, will officially become silly fantheories. I've been there a couple of times before that shows changed the entire course and personality of certain characters and then you can't help but feel exhausted and sometimes annoyed because these are your babies and you had dreams for them, and the writers took them in directions that sometimes don't do them justice. But it's canon so you gotta accept it. Sometimes fantasy is nicer than a writer toying around with storylines and characters just to create drama. And I'll have to write my characters in a new way that fits the characters based on the info from the new seasons. I might fall out of love with them. Ah, the burden of being a shipper weighs heavy.

- Perhaps we still lose a HEA: Season one ended with a happy babington/Esther and an unhappy Charlotte who learned a lot, and a Sanditon that was saved. Although Sanditon has been extended for two seasons it's possible that if the ratings for S2 aren't good they may still cancel the third season. If they don't learn from their mistakes and end season 2 on another cliffhanger even Esther's relationship and sanditon may be at stake. If they're getting 2 seasons they will also not marry or engage charlotte in the second, meaning Charlotte will still be single by the end of the series if they cancel season 3. The whole reason we wanted more seasons was for charlotte to have a HEA. So I'm really fearful that she'll be put in another hard spot. They at least need to get her happy by the end of S2.

6. What we'll gain

- More sanditon content

- More regency era content and images and music which is always lovely

- Seeing our favourites again

- Hopefully we get to see new challenges and romance and humor and tense moments and scandal and drama that will be fun to watch

- A Georgiana story arc: a black woman in a realistic historical setting living her life, being wealthy, and England just having to Deal With It. And as cherry on top she'll be written by black writers.

- Happy endings (hopefully)

- New hot men! This is a guarantee

- Perhaps LGBTQ+ representation with Arthur

- Frustration at Tom's antics (guaranteed)

- Maybe some interactions with Charlotte's siblings

- Esther Babington content

- New material to write fanfics and metas about

- Over 8 hours of viewing pleasure

#sanditon #sanditon season 2 #sanditon season 3 #sceptical fanalyses #sanditon predictions #charlotte heywood #esther denham

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mxliv-oftheendless · 5 years ago

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Green Wounds, Ch. 6

Alright, we’re back with Green Wounds! I gave you guys a short filler that ended on a bit of a cliffhanger last time, but I promise this’ll make up for it! At least, I hope so lol. I’m actually seriously excited for you guys to read this chapter; it’s the first thing I wrote for this story, and it’s quite possibly my favorite scene out of the whole dang thing. I really really hope I did this scene justice, but I guess I’ll find out. Also on a side note, this picture is my favorite so far lol I love it.

Now without further ado, read on and enjoy!

All manner of folk came to the baby prince’s christening, even a trio of pixies who sought to foster peace and goodwill.

The christening had been wonderful so far for all parties. Gifts had been given for the baby prince throughout the day, and at the moment a crowd of people from all over the kingdom was gathered in the throne room, dressed to their finest, while King Ace and Queen Jeanette sat on their thrones. Off to the side, on a lower platform, was a bassinet, and inside the bassinet was the baby prince himself.

He was a month old now, so it was still a bit too early to figure out where he had inherited most of his traits from, but most people who had seen him said he looked rather like his mother. He was a bit small for a normal baby, but other than that was healthy and happy. His parents had named their newborn son Eric, and Eric had spent most of the day either dozing or blinking up at the people who looked at him.

Many in the kingdom had left gifts for their new prince. But there were those who had decided to bestow gifts from outside the kingdom as well.

Tiny male voices floated into the room, and the King and Queen, as well as the crowd, looked up as three pixies flew into the throne room, dressed in pink, green, and blue. Two of them, the pink and blue pixies, seemed to be bickering, while the green pixie was looking around in fascination.

As they flew closer to the King and Queen, the green pixie’s eyes fell on the cradle, and he grinned excitedly. “Look, there’s the baby!” he said to the other two, pointing to the bassinet. “I love babies!”

“Yes, I know, Erik, but concentrate, please,” the pink one said to him. “I’m not telling you again.”

Queen Jeanette smiled welcomingly at them as they hovered in front of the thrones, while King Ace gave them a look that seemed rather… impassive.

The pink pixie, who seemed to be the leader, went first. “Greetings, Your Majesties. I am Vinnie of the Moorland Fair Folk.” He bowed to them.

The blue pixie went next, also bowing. “I’m Tommy, Your Kingship… and, Queenship.”

The green pixie bowed next. “And I’m Erik, Your Royalnesses.”

Queen Jeanette looked at him. “Forgive me, but your name is Erik?”

Erik looked rather surprised at being directly acknowledged, but after getting a gesture to reply from Vinnie he bowed his head again. “Uh, yes… ma’am. Erik with a ‘K’.”

Queen Jeanette smiled slightly. “How funny—that is the name of our son.”

The pixie now was incredibly surprised. “Really?”

“Indeed… though his name is Eric with a ‘C’.”

Erik smiled. “Huh,”

Queen Jeanette turned to her husband, who was still looking silently at the pixies. “They bring gifts for our son, I believe,”

“We do,” Tommy said, smiling eagerly. He made excited gestures with his hands. “But these are not just any old gifts. For you see, we are magic!”

“And very good with children,” Vinnie couldn’t help but add.

King Ace seemed to be considering how to reply, and for a moment the pixies wondered if he would turn them down. But then he nodded and waved his hand. “Very well. Go on.”

The pixies grinned at each other, then flew over to the bassinet. Vinnie went first, smiling down at Eric and waving his hands, sending wisps of pink magic over the baby boy. “Sweet Eric, I wish for you the gift of kindness,”

He flew to the side and let Tommy go next. Twisting blue magic cascaded over the prince. “My wish is that you will never be blue, only happy, all the days of your life,”

Last to go was Erik. He smiled eagerly and let light green magic curl around his hands. “Sweet baby, my wish for you, is that you find—”

He never finished.

A powerful gust of wind tore through the room, blowing out all the candles and making the chandeliers groan and creak as they swayed dangerously above everyone’s heads. Grey clouds rolled over the sun, dimming its cheerful light and throwing the throne room into a light shadow. The powerful wind threw some of the people off-balance, and the three pixies were forced to grip the edge of the cradle so they wouldn’t be blown away. Cries of fear went up.

Then a dark shadow appeared on the wall, and footsteps echoed through the hall along with the constant, rhythmic tap of a walking stick. The cries died down to shocked, fearful murmurs as the crowd parted to make way for the surprise guest and the inky-black cat that followed at his heels.

Despite his best efforts to stay calm, Ace’s entire face went pale. In her throne beside him, Queen Jeanette could only stare blankly, though she was looking rather intimidated. The eyes of the three pixies widened and they whispered in panicked voices, “Starchild!”

A few more steps toward the thrones, and the dark figure came into the partially-dim sunlight.

It was indeed Starchild. Compared to the humans surrounding him, the faerie was perhaps of average height. But what he lacked in stature he made up in appearance. His paper-white face, the black star over his eye, and his blood-red lips all made for an off-putting look, combined with the look of cold, mild amusement on his face, as though the fear of the humans was simply rather entertaining. He wore all black—a black jacket with silver-studded collar and cuffs over a black and silver very-low-cut vest, black leather pants, and black platform boots that raised him up a few inches, all underneath a long black cape that showed off scatterings of silver glitter when he moved. In his left hand was his black walking stick, the constant echoing taps making everyone go silent. His entire appearance gave off a sort of poise and terrifying elegance. His cold eyes, which were fixated particularly on Ace as he approached, had a gleam of sinister anticipation—he’d made the right choice in choosing to bide his time. He’d been waiting so long for this day, and right now, it felt so much better than it would have been if he had just destroyed everything at once.

Not that he planned on doing that at all, however. Oh no; he was going to make sure everything Ace had worked for his entire life would slowly and systematically crumble.

When he had neared the steps to the platform where the cradle was, he finally stopped, with one final echoing tap of his walking stick. Starchild kept the cold look of amusement on his face. “Well, well,” he said pleasantly, as though this all was simply mildly yet pleasantly surprising. He let a sinister smile creep onto his face as he glided up the steps, his cape trailing behind him and Peter following.

“What a glittering assemblage, King Ace.” His tone was clearly mocking, and the fact that he was speaking directly to Ace made Queen Jeanette’s head turn to look at her husband. Peter jumped up to sit on his shoulder, and Starchild raised a hand to idly stroke his fur as he looked around at the crowd in pretend-interest. “Royalty, nobility, the gentry, and…” He turned to see the pixies by the cradle, Vinnie trying to glare at him. His smile widened, now having a tinge of genuine amusement, and he chuckled. He’d been wondering where the three pixies had disappeared to. “How quaint,” he sneered. “Even the rabble.”

Tommy and Erik sank down slightly, lowering their gazes, while Vinnie bravely stayed where he was.

Starchild turned from them to look back at Ace, and very nearly frowned. His face was still pale, and he looked afraid… but not afraid enough.

Starchild raised his head and projected his voice so that it echoed throughout the hall. “I must say,” he kept his voice light, full of faux-concern, “I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation…” he trailed off, blinking innocently at Ace, as though to imply he wanted an explanation.

Ace finally spoke. “You’re not welcome here.” His voice was curt, but too quiet to be actually threatening.

The expectant look dropped from Starchild’s face, replaced by a look reminiscent of a kicked puppy. His eyes lowered, and he let out whimpering noises, as though he were about to burst into tears.

Then the look flipped into one of cruel humor, and instead of crying, Starchild smiled and began to laugh sinisterly. “Oh dear,” he chuckled. “What an awkward situation…”

Queen Jeanette leaned forward, her face still one of fear. “But you’re not offended?” she asked Starchild, her voice sounding slightly hopeful. Despite how much he was enjoying himself, he felt a quick pang of sympathy for the woman. She couldn’t be blamed for all this, and unlike her husband, she was afraid simply because of his frightening display. It wasn’t her fault she was married to such a horribly selfish man.

But even so…

Starchild turned to her, laughing lightly. “Oh, you silly dear,” he smiled sweetly at her like she was a cute little girl, “of course not. And to show that I bear no ill will… I, too, shall bestow a gift on the child.”

At that, Ace shot to his feet, now as afraid as Starchild wanted him to be. “No! We don’t want your gift!”

Peter hissed at him, and surprisingly, it made Ace fall still as Starchild glided over to the cradle.

“Stay away from the prince!” Vinnie demanded as he neared.

Tommy and Erik flew back up again. “Yes, stay away!” Erik echoed.

Starchild smirked. How adorable. With a simple flick of his hand he sent the pixies flying across the room into a small ornate chest, the lid slamming over them and trapping them inside.

Peter jumped off his shoulder onto the cradle’s canopy, and they both looked down at the baby boy lying inside. He stared uncomprehendingly back at Starchild, making the faerie wonder if he even knew what was going on… or what was about to happen.

Starchild stared at the baby for a long moment, letting out a remarking hum. It was the ever-so-annoying conscientious part of him that was making him pause. Are you really so cruel as to curse a little baby? it whispered, sounding desperate. He’s done nothing to you. It’s Ace you want to harm. If you do this, there’s no turning back.

But then Starchild thought of his wings. His beautiful black wings, the wings he’d never thought to cherish more until he no longer could. The wings that had been ripped away by the man who told him he loved him, all so he could have some meaningless crown on his head.

Starchild lifted his hand and made a slow circular motion in the air, deep purple magic swirling around his fingers. “Listen well, all of you,” he proclaimed, his voice echoing once more. He waved his hand so that waves of the deep purple magic cascaded over the baby boy. “The prince shall indeed grow in grace and kindness… beloved by all who meet him…”

Queen Jeanette, who had stood up alongside Ace, spoke again, perhaps in an attempt to mollify him. “Th-That’s a lovely gift,”

Starchild raised his head to glance at her, then turned his eyes to Ace. Ace shook his head at him, not quite pleading, but still rather desperately. “Don’t do this,” he begged, his voice so low only Starchild could hear.

How funny; he assumed he had a say in the matter.

Starchild raised a finger and pressed it to his red lips, almost playfully. Then he turned to straighten up and step away from the cradle. This was where, to use the human phrase, the other shoe would drop. And oh, would it drop.

But as Starchild turned his head, something in the far corner of the room caught his eye.

It was a spinning wheel, pushed haphazardly into the corner, but placed in such a way that the spindle still caught some sunlight. The tip of the spindle gleamed especially brightly.

Starchild almost grinned as his plan changed. He thought his original plan had been good… but this was even better.

“But…” He stepped away from the cradle so he was in the center of the platform, and lifted his arms. Deep purple magic trailed after his hands and enveloped his body like flames as his eyes gleamed the same purple. “Before the sun sets on his sixteenth birthday, he will prick his finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, and fall into a sleep like death! A sleep from which he will never awaken!”

A wave of the purple magic left him and traveled over to the baby boy, washing over him as his curse began to bind itself to the infant.

Whatever pride that had kept Ace from outright pleading was now gone. “Starchild, please don’t do this! I’m begging you!” He sounded incredibly desperate now.

Starchild’s mouth quirked up in a smile. Now that was the reaction he’d been hoping for. But now his mind was turning again. Perhaps he could work with this…

“I like you begging,” he remarked to Ace, his enjoyment in his voice. “Do it again.”

For a moment, Ace hesitated. His eyes left Starchild to look out at the now-silent crowd, who had been watching the entire thing. He didn’t particularly want to kneel, Starchild knew.

He was about to repeat his command when Ace slowly sank down to his knees. His eyes flicked briefly to the men watching from the side, before gazing at him imploringly. “I beg you,”

Starchild smiled wickedly at him. “All right,”

Hesitant relief came to Ace’s expression, but it quickly vanished when Starchild spoke aloud again. “The prince can be woken from his death-sleep. But only by…” he stared right at Ace, “true love’s kiss.”

He turned to look out at the crowd, raising his arms above his head. “This curse will last to the end of time!” he declared, his magic coiling tightly around him. “No power on Earth can change it!”

The magic exploded, flying out over the crowd and sending many to the ground. The crowd screamed in panic as the floor rumbled and the clouds outside darkened until they blocked out the sun’s light completely.

Grinning widely, Starchild walked briskly down the steps and left the hall, Peter bounding after him. He was sure he would never forget this day—it had turned out to be so much better than he could have possibly hoped. Intoxicating joy surged through him, and he threw back his head and began to laugh as he left the hall. It was a loud, wicked cackle that bounced off the walls and bore into the skulls of all who heard it. As Queen Jeanette raced to the cradle to check on her son, Ace stayed where he was, watching Starchild strut away, cackling loudly and carelessly.

And his laughter was all Ace could hear as Starchild swept out of the hall and vanished.

#green wounds #chapter six #we have finally reached my favorite chapter!!!#oh my god guys you don't even know how freakin FUN it was to write this #it was SO. MUCH. FUN.#starchild kicks his revenge plan into motion #ace is helpless to do anything to stop him #meanwhile queen Jeanette has no clue what's going on #honestly I felt sorry for the queen #she was like the only innocent one in the entire debacle #also the baby prince is introduced!#yep: it's ERIC!#if you're thinking the fox has something to do with this you are correct #at least partly #the fox also mostly means something else #but anyway...#hope I did this awesome scene justice!#seriously it's like the highlight of the movie for me #maleficent au #kiss au writing #my writing #hope you enjoyed!#stay tuned for chapter seven!#picture this time comes from pintrest

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esthersnippe · 6 years ago

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In Brussels? Here are my top picks on what to do, see, drink, and eat

I am not going to claim to be an expert, but this winter I will be celebrating my 7th year in Europe’s Captial City—and I adore this city.

I have gone to hundreds of cities, I believe there is nothing quite like Brussels.

But it took me years to get here, and many tourists don’t immediately find it charming. And that’s ok. Because Brussels is small and too many tourists is not super good...and I am only partially joking.

It is a secret city. Non-obvious and full of delights.

Over the years, I have learned one or two things about Brussels, and today I present you with my list of top things to do, see, drink and eat. You can do all of this in 24hours.

My 10 favourite things to do in Brussels

Here we go!

1. Eat a waffle in the Grand Place.

It is best to see the Grand Place at night first, then in the day after.

For my vegan friends: Go to The Sister’s Cafe for vegan waffles WITH vegan ice cream.

For my non-vegan friends: Go to Maison Dandoy—they are simply the best waffles in the city. There are two kinds Brussels (light and airy) and Leige (thick and cakey) so if you are with someone else, get one of each, and if you are alone, choose wisely!

Once, Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables, lived in an apartment in the place. He said it is “a dazzling fantasy dreamed up by a poet, and realized by an architect.”. There is so much history I would love to share with you about it, but I’ll save that for another time. Just go an enjoy it. It is truly spectacular.

2. Walk from Park Royal to Park Cinquantenaire. The whole walk takes about 35 minutes, and you will see three beautiful parks: Park Royal, Park Leopold, and Park Cinquantenaire, as well as the Royal Palace, the European Parliament, and the Triumphal Arch.

Its a much better way to spend your time than going to the Atomium—which will take 2-3 hours minimum and is ok, but really rather touristy.

3. Go and see the Palace of Justice at sunset Or any time, but it is the best at sunset. You can go to the grocery store and buy some drinks and snacks and sit up there to watch the sunset, it is chill and has a great view of the city skyline.

4. Eat chocolate at the Grand Sablon: My top picks are

Frederic Blondeel

Wittamer

Pierre Marcolini

How it works: you buy the chocolate by weight, so choose 2-3 different pieces from each place. 3-4 chocolates should cost between €4-€7. Usually, the people behind the counter are not very helpful, but I still ask for personal favourites and recommendations anyway. Either way, you should always try the “Grand Cru”, this is the best the chocolatier thinks they can do. Yum is usually the result. Plant-based buddies: most of the dark chocolate is vegan! But make sure you double check, because some of the other ingredients might not be, like caramel being made with butter, etc.

5. Go to the European History Museum in Park Leopold

It is free. And amazing. One of the best and most interactive museums I have been to: it has great tech, tons of ways to get involved with the exhibits, and tells a fascinating story.

6. Go see our national monument, the Manneken Pis Also... the Manneken Pis Museum. It is just up the street and guaranteed a right giggle.

7. Sit at the top of Mont des Art. Best in the early evening. then walk through the garden. There is always a lot of animation and things going on, but it is also very relaxed.

Make sure you check out the architecture on Rue Montagne de la Cour, like the Musical Instruments Museum and the Old English Pharmacy.

8. Do some unique shopping/browsing. I am not personally big on buying loads of stuff, but these little streets are jammed packed with the unique and wonderful. Here are my top picks:

Rue de Rollerbeek

Rue du Haute

the Royal Galleries (Actually, I have never bought anything here, but the buildings are amazing.)

9. Eat some fries.

I might be plant-based but I make an exception for the occasional frites treats, because they are the best in the world. There is no contest.

For the sauce: you can go:

Traditional with a dollop of Mayonnaise

Spicy with the Pili-pili (less spicy) or my favourite Samurai (more spicy).

Not spicy, but with a burst of flavour go with the Andalouse (which is kind of mayonnaise with tomato and basil) or Curry Ketchup (which is exactly what it sounds like.)

Aioli is another very popular sauce, but I find it too garlicky (but if you are into garlic, try it out. Just don’t try and kiss me after.)

Vegans + vegetarians: the frites definitely contain animal fat.

My top picks

Fritland right by the Grand Place

Friterie Saint-Josse

Frit Flagey

Which brings me to number 10! They are related.

In Brussels, there is a local phrase which goes “faire du gras” which translates to something like “lay down the fat” and means “eat something heavy”—and is good advice before you start drinking in Brussels. 2 strong beers on an empty stomach is almost a guarantee you will end up tripping on one of our many uneven, cobblestone roads.

10. Drink beer.

Also—the best in the world (Yes Germany, I have tried your beers, and I am sticking to what I said.) God, this needs a whole other post. But you are only here for a short time, so let’s get into it.

First: where to drink.

These are my favourite watering holes and their locations.

Le Coq in front of Beurs: Classic Belgian pub, and very fairly priced. (ie. cheap)

Zebra in St.Gery: This old island is the best spot to drink and people watch after work and on the weekend.

Bar Llanes or Café Charbon on Marche du Charbon in front of the Notre-Dame de Bon Secours. They are beside each other.

Monks in Saint Catharine: a bit overpriced, but great selection and cool ambience.

The Brussels Beer Project Brewery by the canal: They are constantly creating new brews, and you can test out the new flavours, then vote on them, which is fun.

Le Barboteur Bierothèque in St.Josse: Amazing selection and very unpretentious. (But only good if you are in the neighbourhood, because it is pretty far from the city centre.)

Le Verschueren in St.Gilles: Sit with the cool, Belgian artists. Great people and good prices, but also only good if you are in the neighbourhood.)

Café Belga and L'Amère à Boire in Place Flagey: Really different atmospheres, but both are fun, although a little hipstery. Don’t make a special trip out to see them, but if you are in Flagey, they are great.

If you want to see some breathtaking architecture from the turn of the century and drink some rather overpriced beer, visit:

Le Cirio

Cafe Metropole

Mort Subite

There are 1150 Belgian beers, which is an overwhelming number. Even if I had drank a new beer every other day since arriving, I still wouldn’t have tried them all. So don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to start. Here is a quick and dirty guide to some of my favourites. For something heavy that will get you drunk almost immediately, try the Trappist beers. There are only 6 breweries in the world, and the beer is brewed in the traditional style by monks! (Note: Proceed with caution)

Rochefort 10: Hold on to your hats, you are heading to drunk town on a smooth chocolate river.

Westmalle Tripel: This is a very good, bitter, mega strong beer.

Chimay Bleu: A sweet, dark, internationally-known bestseller! Stop at one though, it gives a vicious hangover after you’ve had 3.

For something unique only to Belgium, and is stupidly delicious, like a refreshing beer-lemonade, try the gueuze:

Gueuze Boon: This is my all time favourite drink in Belgium. Possibly the world.

Oud Beersel: Also a hella delicious gueuze, but brewed in the old style, without wheat.

Mort Subite Kriek: a gueuze sweetened with cherries. I can only have one of these at a time because they are intense, but a good occasional treat.

If you are not even sure you like beer, but are in Brussels so what the hell:

Faro Lambic: light and sweet and way too drinkable. Like juice.

Tripel Karmeliet: a delicious, well-balanced crowd pleaser

Chouffe: very light tasting, but watch out! Strong in effect.

Saison Dupont: a very popular, classic Belgian beer.

You are not a fan of stong or heavy beers, and really want a pils (once again Germans, I am looking at you.) we have three very popular pilsner brands that you’ll be able to get just about anywhere.

Jupiler: mildly sweet, and the most popular beer in Belgium (especially with sports fans).

Maes: a little closer to a lager than a pils, but if I am going to drink a pils, I choose this one.

Stella Artois: This is Belgian, not Italian beer! It is a pretty easy drinking beer and also available just about everywhere....including the country you are coming from.

Like Stella Artois, I have a tendency to tell guests to avoid Duvel and Leffe—while they are fine beer brands, they are available around the world, and you will probably be able to find them in your home country, although perhaps for a much higher price.

There is a lot more I could say about Brussels, but I hope this is enough to get you started! See you soon.

Want to read stuff I’ve written about Belgium?

Here are a few other posts about life in Europe’s Capital.

21 Reasons to love Belgium

20 Canadian/British Habits I Lost When I Moved To Brussels

An Adult Tour of the Beaux Art Museum Part 1: The history of Belgium Part 2: Because art is awesome

I am safe: A post about what it felt like to be in Brussels after the Brussels Attacks.

#Brussels #like a local #belgium

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thrivingwithourhearts · 6 years ago

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Is He A Stalker Or A Superman?

There I was, a conscientious college freshman, studying and researching for a sociology project at the library. I was absorbed and oblivious to my surroundings when suddenly a strange man popped out from behind the bookshelves.

“Hello!” he said as he interrupted by train of thought.

Startled, I managed to say, “Ummm, hello!”

This stranger began chattering about classes, goals, and other miscellaneous topics. I breathed a sigh and regained my composure. He seemed innocent enough with his dark framed glasses, curly dark blonde hair and mustache, but who was he? This had been one of several encounters with this stranger.

I believed this stranger might have been a stalker! Why else would I keep running into him everywhere I went? It seemed like the stranger was watching for me as I went to class and as I left class. He was hoping to start conversations and I was hoping to avoid conversations. Eventually, my semester ended and the stranger graduated college to move on with his life. I moved on to graduate 3 years later.

Astoundingly, I encountered this stranger again. A church was the location this time. This sneaky stranger had a well thought out and devised plan. He perched himself by the front door to block my escape and to avoid a conversation.

I thought, “Great! I will have to talk to him.”

We did have a conversation. Believe it or not, this time I found that he had some admirable qualities such as a sense of humor, positive outlook on life, and loved our Lord most importantly not to mention his curly locks. The stranger whose name is Steve R Stewart became my friend and later my husband. He has many top notch qualities; the two that stand out are perseverance and commitment.

Early in our marriage Steve desired to become a pharmacist. It took perseverance and commitment to be a pharmacy student. During this time our apartment was broken into, our cars needed repairs, a gun was pointed at Steve and he was tied up with duct tape at the pharmacy where he worked. People told us we would never make it! We were told that Steve would not complete school. Even though we were only in our late 20’s, we were told that we were too old to pursue this endeavor. I am here to tell you that we overcame all these obstacles!

Becoming a pharmacist was one of the best decisions we have ever made. This profession allowed Steve to help sick people recuperate. He was encouraging. Many times I heard him say, “I hope you feel better soon.” or “after a couple of doses you should be feeling much better.” There were times he would go into the pharmacy on Sunday (his day off) to fill a prescription for someone in need.

Not only is Steve committed, but he protects. One incidence occurred when Steve, I, and our three children were visiting the Royal Gorge in Colorado.

As we were exploring the park, our youngest daughter decided to step off the path. With trendy flip flops she stepped through a thick garden area of cactus. Had she listened to instructions, she would have worn athletic shoes to protect her feet. It was not long before we heard a scream.

“Ohhhhhh!”

Steve, like superman, ran to her rescue. He thought she had gotten bitten by a rattle snake. He scooped her up, ran to the park bench, and set her down. He knelled down to look for a snake bite. He looked up at me and said, “I do not see any bites. Take over from here.” Like a flash of lightening he ran behind the already closed nature center. “Where did he go? What is he doing?” I wondered.

After I examined our daughter’s toes to find no snakes bites. She managed to say through her tears that her flip flop fell off her foot and she stepped on a cactus plant. I pulled out a few needles. “Are you feeling better now?”

She responded with shaking her head yes.

“Sit here on this bench until I return. I am going to check on your Dad.”

I found Steve with his pants partially pulled down. This is unlike my husband so I asked, “What are you doing?”

“I backed up into a cactus when I picked our daughter up. I am pulling the needles out.”

“Ouch! I am sure that hurts greatly.” I said with a stifled snicker.

After Steve was able to remove all cactus needles, we completed our hike.

I am glad this Steve didn’t give up on stalking me. I have a great life with this stalker, committed guy, and protector. Stevie Wonder summarizes my 37 year old happy relationship with my husband. The song is called, “You are the sunshine of my life.” Here are the lyrics to one verse:

You are the sunshine of my life

That’s why I”ll always be around,

You are the apple of my eye,

Forever you’ll stay in my heart.

#mysuperman

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lefthanded-sans · 7 years ago

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I was wondering.... what are your headcanons for the ages of Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Asgore, Toriel, Frisk, Chara, Asriel and MTT?

Ooh, this is a very fun topic! In one of my fanfictions that I still haven’t posted online, I tried to do some timeline reconstruction and came up with dates. Not all the dates were 100% what I feel like would happen in Undertale (certain plot events needed to happen at certain times, so I aged Alphys up to 32), so I’ll tweak them for the purpose of being close to what I feel might decently align with UT canon:

1981 Sans born1986 Alphys born (a little early, but that was to fit with my fic’s events)1991 Undyne born1995 Papyrus born1998 Sans starts college2002 Sans starts PhD2007 Sans earns PhD2010 Gaster dies2012 Alphys “makes” Mettaton2013 Papyrus graduates high school2013 Alphys becomes Royal Scientist2015 Frisk arrives

By these dates, I have Sans at 34, Alphys at 29, Undyne at 24, and Papyrus at 19. Yes, thirteen and a half year age gap between Skelebros - will explain below. Not mentioned in your question, but if you’re curious, I had Gaster die at 54 in my fic.

Papyrus: 17-22 (broadly); prefer 19.5

I believe that Papyrus is a young adult, but only just a young adult. Papyrus has an energetic eagerness that belies youth, and arguably seems less knowledgeable about day-to-day living… but at the same time, he is old enough to be a candidate for the monarch position in the Neutral Ending.

Papyrus’ age is often talked about in reference to his online username, coolskeleton95, which as some have theorized gives his birthdate as 1995 (0r 2095, I suppose, if you hold to UT-in-the-future theories). Undertale was released in 2015, and although the game’s calendars refer to dates as 201X, the point still stands that 201X means that the game is supposed to hit at the present time as you are most likely playing the game. So that means somewhere around 2015 is a great date to “estimate” how old Papyrus is, in which case, he’s nineteen or twenty in the game. Arguably, you could drop his age even lower because Undertale was in development for several years, so technically Undertale could take place before 2015. That’s why I’m giving the broader “okay” range of 17-22. But I like nineteen and a half best.

It’s to note that Papyrus’ personality suggests that he is fairly youthful. It’s not just that he seems to be eager and, depending on your interpretation of his character, naive. His personality also seems to meld with the psychological profile of a teenager. Papyrus is psychologically struggling in the areas that lots of teenagers undergo: the desire to fit in, be popular, do what’s cool, be liked by everyone, and have enjoyable social interactions with others. From my experience (as someone who is 24), by the time an individual reaches their mid-20s, they don’t care that much about being “cool” or being loved by everyone in a popularity contest. I and most of my friends are pretty chill with just being ourselves even if that means not everyone likes us - who cares? So Papyrus’ social-oriented attitude (and simultaneous little personal knowledge of what it’s like to date) could also psychologically suggest a younger age.

The last thing that always screams “Papyrus is YOUNG” is the fact that he does not seem to be making money. He might not even have a paid job - his haphazard, poorly-constructed sentry station is at odds with the other sentry stations. Most of the sentry stations are standard, constructed the same way, as we would expect from the position. A sentry with a real job would be equipped with the materials they need to do a job, not be building their own station. They’re sentries, not construction workers. Undyne training Papyrus to fight but also giving him cooking lessons is also a means for which Undyne can give Papyrus an occupation… if he can learn to cook, she hopes, he can pursue a career there. This means that this guy probably does not have much occupational experience, and, again, might not even have an actual job.

The point about him not really having a job, or at least not much job experience, is solidified with the brothers’ housing situation. Papyrus and Sans live together, but Sans is the one who pays house rent. Usually in two-adult roommate situations, you split the bill 50/50. You are both adults, you’re both capable of taking care of yourselves, you’re both capable of working and making money, ergo, you should both be paying your fair share of the rent. But that’s not what is happening with Papyrus, suggesting that he is or until recently has been a dependent to Sans. And since it’s likely Papyrus and Sans have been living in the Snowdin residency for several years (no boxes, moved-in feel, etc.), Papyrus likely has been partially raised by older, adult Sans.

So… let’s get to Sans.

Sans: Mid-30s (ex: 34)

I love myself an older Sans, and I have my reasons for it, too. I prefer an age gap between the Skelebros of about 11-14 years. At least give it a decade. I know that many people place the brothers’ ages closer together, but I feel as though it makes more sense for Sans to be quite a bit older.

I believe there is evidence suggesting Sans has advanced scientific knowledge and training. In the Genocide Route when he talks about how “our reports showed a massive anomaly in the time-space continuum.” That’s pretty large vocabulary comfortably stated, demonstrating a familiarity with scientific research. This type of scientific research, in fact, involves something almost along the lines of the Many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. After all, according to Undertale, we are given discussion about multiple timelines existing (see Alphys’ comment about studying how multiple timelines exist); in fact, that’s the very thing that the SAVE function does. It allows Frisk to hop between different timelines, where new timelines are created based upon Frisk’s choices. Studying massive anomalies in the time-space continuum is looking at, basically, quantum physics. Oh, and there’s a quantum physics book in the Skelebro’s household. Let’s not forget that.

So if Sans has expert knowledge of quantum physics - and I think there is decent evidence that can suggest he does (I’m not going through all of it now) - then he likely had to be formally educated on the topic. We know that the Underground has at least one graduate school because Temmie wants to go to graduate school. Calling Alphys and Gaster “doctors” suggests they have PhDs in some scientific field. For Sans to be working on a research project about massive anomalies in the time-space continuum, it seems he should probably have an advanced degree in it. Sans could have a PhD.

This already puts Sans above the young 20s range. Most people get their undergraduate in four years and their PhD in minimally five. Nine or more years of schooling means that, at youngest, Sans would be in his late twenties by the time he got his graduate degree in physics. But we also know that Sans had a past where he worked with some official team, moved to Snowdin, became a sentry, and earned an impressive amount of income somewhere along the timeline, so we have to put several years into that at least. By the time we get to all of Sans’ suggested life events, he’s easily fallen into his thirties. Probably mid-thirties.

This also helps make sense about Sans paying all the rent. He has, at least for part of their lives, seemed to be raising Papyrus, given as Papyrus is almost - when Frisk meets him - a dependent. We don’t know how long Sans and Papyrus have lived in Snowdin, but even if it’s been a decent several years, that’s enough age gap for an older brother with a past scientific background to be able to care for a baby brother growing into adulthood.

I am very hardcore on the idea of a large age gap between the Skelebros.

Undyne: 23/24

Undyne’s online username, strongfish91, has also been used as evidence for her age. Again going with my 2015 date, that puts Undyne in her mid-20s, which I do think is in the ballpark given her temperament. Although this would make her young for being the Captain of the Royal Guard, she’s still an old enough age to make responsible decisions… while also being young enough to be emotional and impulsive, as we see her so be. We know that Undyne met Asgore as a child… so this means that she could easily have a decade of fighting experience beneath her, enough for her to be talented enough… and to climb the ranks… to her current position.

Undyne and Papyrus being close ages also makes sense given how well they get along. Although Undyne is older than Papyrus - old enough to have job experience, skills, her own home, and perhaps a little more responsibility - they’re not so far apart in age that they can’t get along splendidly.

Last, Undyne in her mid-20s makes decent sense from a romantic standpoint. A bachelorette in her mid-20s being interested in a relationship is the ballpark age for a dater in our current society. The fact that she seems to be crushing on Alphys might be something typical of younger individuals - usually her actions I’d pin to a teenager in this area - but I suppose I still do know people in their twenties who get flighty and cumbersome with a crush. This is especially true of individuals who don’t have as much romantic experience in the past, and I think that, given how awkward Undyne is about her crush on Alphys, that she isn’t very romantically experienced. It’s feasible for Undyne to be in this age range and acting as she does to Alphys… or, at least, it’s not too completely odd to imagine.

Alphys: 28-30 (prefer 29)

She is Doctor Alphys, which again suggests a PhD. This implies to me that Alphys is older than Undyne… Alphys would need the years to get that PhD, after all. She’s also suggested to be older than the youthful Bratty and Catty, who call her a “big sister.”

At the same time, we get a sense that Alphys is still young and relatively inexperienced in some areas. For instance, her research in the True Lab demonstrates scary scientific methodology breaches that I would hope a more secure and level-headed scientist wouldn’t ever commit. Asgore took a long time to pick a Royal Scientist replacement, suggesting that Alphys wasn’t a well-known… so she could be an up-and-coming scientist, placing her only a few years out from her PhD at most. Her interests and online rants about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie are also something that might put her into a somewhat younger level.

So late twenties for me is that good, ballpark range. She’s old enough to have received her doctorate, but not so old that she’s confident in her scientific research as the Royal Scientist. She’s old enough to be Bratty and Catty’s “big sister,” but not so old to sound “out of place” in youthful online conversations and rants. And having Alphys be five years or so older than Undyne is not a bad age gap for the couple.

Asgore and Toriel: ????????

Boss Monsters can live a long time based upon how they age. Some people have tried analyzing the armor and architecture the monsters have in their underground which could pinpoint what time period they were first trapped underground. But even those sorts of estimates don’t let us know how old Asgore and Toriel were at that time; for all we know, these two could have been living centuries before the war against humans, too. There’s no way to tell how old they are, and I have no strong headcanon inclinations about their ages.

I don’t like to make them too old, though. Thousand-year-old Asgore feels slightly odd to me personally, even though I admit it’s a possibility.

Asriel/Chara/Frisk: 9-11

I don’t have much experience with children, but I do feel as though Asriel, Chara, and Frisk are all on the young side. They have to be pretty young to be as small as they are. They’re not full-grown. And sometimes they seem not to think things through like older individuals would. For instance, Frisk being willing to kill monsters also might suggest that the kid is too young to fully understand what is happening. All this makes me feel very strongly the kids cannot be teenagers.

But, at the same time, these three children have to be old enough to understand some pretty dark concepts. Asriel and Chara choose to sacrifice themselves for the war cause - that’s something that a six-year-old isn’t going to plan and do. Frisk seems to be the same age as Asriel, and Frisk also shows some understanding of some adult things like flirting… so, again, not six.

A compromise between Frisk��s potential inability to feel full regret at killing monsters and Frisk being able to comprehend there is a war going on might place the kid somewhere between nine and eleven. We miiiiiiiight want to inch to eleven… Chara seemed to hate humanity, a bitterness that usually comes up when you’re slightly older (as versus when you’re younger, where you might be grumpy or sad or upset). And killing yourself for monsters also seems much more like a slightly older kid than a nine year old thing to do. So… while I personally would like Frisk to be eight, I think it’s more logical to say it’s around eleven for these children.

We can also try to do height analyses, but that gets sketchy fairly quickly. Undertale height calculations have a lot of variables and widely divergent estimates.

Mettaton: Mid-20s

We have no idea how long ghosts can live. Mettaton’s personality suggests an adult - he’s rather seductive, after all - and while becoming a robot might throw a huge wrench into usual psychology patterns, he acts as though he is in the prime of his life. Mettaton and Napstablook also both seem to act young, and act as though they are about the same age as one another. So, I would say this ghost-inhabiting-a-robot is fairly young.

As far as how long Mettaton’s soul has been with the robot… it has to be several years. Mettaton has not only established a fanbase, but also has a huge corporation with many products, too. Usually I want to headcanon two years as a robot, but given as there are so many Mettaton products out there - and even an entire resort - maybe that means we have to bump the age a little up. Say, five years. That might slightly clash with my Alphys age estimate though, if you think about timeline, but it’s not impossible. You can work the numbers and make it… well… work.

#thefuriousnightfury #long post #UT #Undertale #Skelebros #Sans #Papyrus #Undyne #Mettaton #MTT #Dreemurr family #Toriel #Asriel #Asgore #Frisk #Chara #analysis #my analysis

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sailorrrvenus · 6 years ago

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Does This Rhino Drone Video Help or Hurt Conservation?

22-year-old professional drone racing pilot Johnny Schaer has built a strong social media following on Instagram and YouTube with visually stunning video capture from his custom built drones.

His skill level is piloting the drone is jaw dropping, and his scene visualization and video editing skills are also really advanced as seen in this video taken with permission in Saudi Arabia:

View this post on Instagram

Saudi Arabia has some of the craziest landscape I’ve ever seen. I basically turned into a Star Wars pod racer while flying over these rock formations🛸. A HUGE thank you to @jayalvarrez for inviting me on this adventure, and @gatewayksa for hosting us. Music: @odesza – Thin Floors and Tall Ceilings. @brendonhayward @kasey @missnellevz @julieberry #getfpv #lumenier #airvuz #hobbywing #futaba #saudiarabia Please note that the sites of Madain Saleh are currently closed to the public whilst the Royal Commission develops the area to allow for future tourism. I received an official invitation allowing me to film and document these sites to share it with you.

A post shared by Johnny Schaer (@johnny_fpv) on Oct 27, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT

Schaer, who goes by “Johnny FPV,” recently visited a game preserve in South Africa with the Rhino Rescue Project, an organization that combats poaching by injecting material into rhino horns, which “renders it useless for ornamental or medicinal use.” And posted this incredible video of two stampeding rhinos first on Facebook, and then on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

I’m in South Africa learning about the steps @vetpaw, @karmagawa, and @rhinorescueproject are taking to combat poachers. These Rhinos are being killed and pushed toward extinction for their horns which provide no medicinal value. The two Rhinos seen In the video were near a road that is actively used by poachers, and under the supervision of Vetpaw and the private game reserve, we used the drone try and push them to a safer area. While this shot turned out beautiful, I should not have flown this close to the animals. Please visit @vetpaw for more information on how you can save these Rhinos. Music: M83 – Outro #savetherhino #vetpaw #getfpv #lumenier #airvuz #futaba #hobbywing

A post shared by Johnny Schaer (@johnny_fpv) on Nov 16, 2018 at 3:30pm PST

His caption (which has been edited since its initial post) reads in part:

These Rhinos are being killed and pushed toward extinction for their horns which provide no medicinal value. The two Rhinos seen In the video were near a road that is actively used by poachers, and under the supervision of Vetpaw and the private game reserve, we used the drone try and push them to a safer area. While this shot turned out beautiful, I should not have flown this close to the animals. This is not a responsible way to film wild life [sic].

The Rhino Rescue Project also posted the video to their Instagram account, and multiple commenters questioned whether the drone was intrusive or harmful. The Project’s answer partially contradicts Schaer’s by implying that the animals weren’t bothered.

I am not an African wildlife biologist, and my attempt to contact specialists at the WWF was unsuccessful at the time of publishing. So it’s speculative to assess whether or not the rhinos were at risk as a result of this video capture (although they indisputably have very acute hearing).

Using visuals to advocate for conservationism has become commonplace. Veteran photojournalist Ami Vitale has focused many of her recent efforts on elephant and rhino conservation in Africa with images like these:

View this post on Instagram

Photo by @amivitale. It is devastating to hear that China has decided to reverse its 25-year-old ban on the sale and use of rhinoceros and tiger products. The reversal allows for these products to be used in medical research or healing, uses long since proven to have no benefits to humans. This change will certainly lead to more pressure on already terribly vulnerable animal populations and further endanger the conservationists, rangers and communities who fight for the survival of these majestic creatures. Here, Sudan, the last living male Northern White Rhino left on this planet is comforted moments before he passed away March 19, 2018 in northern Kenya. Sudan was brought to Kenya from @safari_park_dvur_kralove in the #CzechRepublic in 2009. He died surrounded by people who loved him at @olpejeta and has been an inspirational figure for many across the world. If there is any meaning in his death, it's that Sudan can be our final wake up call. In a world of 7 billion, we need to start recognizing that we are not separate from nature. When we see ourselves as part of the landscape and part of nature, then saving nature is really about saving ourselves. Today, fewer 30,000 rhinos and 3,900 tigers remain in the wild. We are witnessing extinction on our watch and must help them by speaking out and supporting conservation efforts worldwide, especially among the indigenous communities who are on the front lines every day against poaching. Follow @olpejeta @safari_park_dvur_kralove @conservationorg @nature_africa and others to learn more and get involved. @everydayextinction @kenyawildlifeservice @thephotosociety @natgeo @natgeoimagecollection #LastManStanding #SudanForever #WorthMoreAlive #OlPejetaRhinos #NorthernWhiteRhinos #protectrhinos #DontLetThemDisappear #rhinos #saverhinos #stoppoaching #kenya#northernkenya #africa #everydayafrica #photojournalism #nikonusa #nikon #nikonambassador #nikonnofilter #amivitale

A post shared by Ami Vitale (@amivitale) on Oct 31, 2018 at 1:02am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Congratulations to my dear friend, veterinarian Pete Morkel, shown here with one of the last northern white rhinos back in 2009 at @safari_park_dvur_kralove in the #CzechRepublic before they were brought to @olpejeta conservancy in Kenya. Pete won the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, 2018 last week given by @tusk_org. I've known Pete for almost 10 years and the man is one of my greatest inspirations. He has committed his entire life to saving wildlife all over this planet and “shown complete disregard for his personal safety, whilst spending many months at a time away from his family dedicating his entire energy and attention to the conservation and welfare of Africa’s wildlife." The Telegraph writes, “You’re always taking a few blows here and there,” he laughs. He works in some of the world’s least stable countries, in areas infested by armed poachers or rebel groups like the Lord’s Resistance Army or uncleared mines. He once fractured his skull when his Cessna crashed. He reckons he has immobilised 10,000 animals. Inevitably a few have died. “Success and failure are just a heartbeat away from each other,” he says. “It can be gutting. I’ve had my share of failure and you just have to pick up and keep going and learn from what went wrong.” #gratitude #tuskawards #tusktrust #conservation #africa

A post shared by Ami Vitale (@amivitale) on Nov 19, 2018 at 4:05pm PST

Documentaries like the acclaimed Blue Planet series have used drones, light aircraft and other innovative mechanisms to capture wildlife in a way never seen before:

youtube

Schaer’s video is visually on par with Blue Planet. And yet, the Schaer footage leaves me unsettled mostly because of the context and the risk of mimicry.

Context

The audience for Blue Planet or photographers like Paul Nicklen (a photography and biologist) arguably understand the context of what they are seeing – namely, that it was captured by subject matter experts in an effort to advocate for the environment, natural ecosystems and wildlife. Everyone wants eyeballs on their work, but for people like Vitale, there’s a consistency and purpose-driven reason to every post.

By contrast, Schaer’s work has been primarily driven by visual eye candy and “tourism.” His work in Saudi Arabia resulted in a single video in a single location with no explanation of historical significance. Instead, he likens the environment to Star Wars.

His efforts to try to raise awareness about rhino poaching should be applauded, but if it’s a single visit with a single video, then he’s playing the role of tourist. There’s nothing wrong with this approach to photography/videography per se, but the work will undoubtedly influence the behavior of others.

Mimicry

The rise in popularity of Urbex (urban exploration) has been fueled in large part by the dramatic photos shared on social media like this:

View this post on Instagram

Congratulation @st_ella you have been selected as #urbexpeople of the day ! Keep tagging your best photo with #urbexpeople to get featured ! We are urban explorer not public enemy !

A post shared by Instagram Community (@urbexpeople) on Jul 5, 2017 at 8:30am PDT

Or the ubiquitous “legs dangling off a building” photo:

View this post on Instagram

Stared at this for 20 minutes, words can't explain a feeling like this. #CreateYourHype #BreakTheInternet

A post shared by Humza Deas (@humzadeas) on Dec 15, 2014 at 2:01pm PST

The desire to mimic these images leads photographers to take unnecessary (sometimes fatal) risks. The photos look awesome, but capturing them is irresponsible and often illegal.

Schaer worked with a wildlife group and with the permission of the landowner, and even then, he admits that he worked too close to the animals. But the video travels without context. Many viewers will simply think it’s cool, and some will want to replicate the footage without the benefit of working with game wardens, wildlife biologists, et al. They might use larger, noisier drones. They might be less skilled operators but still try to get as close. They might try capturing footage of critically endangered species and literally imperil the animal.

It’s a legitimate question to ask whether Schaer’s footage is actually raising awareness of rhino poaching, or whether it’s just visual clickbait. On a critically important issue that requires deep engagement, understanding, and action, most of the engagement Schaer has generated has been a double tap of the screen and a +1 in the “likes” column.

About the author: Allen Murabayashi is the Chairman and co-founder of PhotoShelter, which regularly publishes resources for photographers. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. Allen is a graduate of Yale University, and flosses daily. This article was also published here.

source https://petapixel.com/2018/11/21/does-this-rhino-drone-video-help-or-hurt-conservation/

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pauldeckerus · 6 years ago

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Does This Rhino Drone Video Help or Hurt Conservation?

22-year-old professional drone racing pilot Johnny Schaer has built a strong social media following on Instagram and YouTube with visually stunning video capture from his custom built drones.

His skill level is piloting the drone is jaw dropping, and his scene visualization and video editing skills are also really advanced as seen in this video taken with permission in Saudi Arabia:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Johnny Schaer (@johnny_fpv) on Oct 27, 2018 at 12:37pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Johnny Schaer (@johnny_fpv) on Nov 16, 2018 at 3:30pm PST

His caption (which has been edited since its initial post) reads in part:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ami Vitale (@amivitale) on Oct 31, 2018 at 1:02am PDT

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ami Vitale (@amivitale) on Nov 19, 2018 at 4:05pm PST

Documentaries like the acclaimed Blue Planet series have used drones, light aircraft and other innovative mechanisms to capture wildlife in a way never seen before:

youtube

Schaer’s video is visually on par with Blue Planet. And yet, the Schaer footage leaves me unsettled mostly because of the context and the risk of mimicry.

Context

Mimicry

The rise in popularity of Urbex (urban exploration) has been fueled in large part by the dramatic photos shared on social media like this:

View this post on Instagram

Congratulation @st_ella you have been selected as #urbexpeople of the day ! Keep tagging your best photo with #urbexpeople to get featured ! We are urban explorer not public enemy !

A post shared by Instagram Community (@urbexpeople) on Jul 5, 2017 at 8:30am PDT

Or the ubiquitous “legs dangling off a building” photo:

View this post on Instagram

Stared at this for 20 minutes, words can't explain a feeling like this. #CreateYourHype #BreakTheInternet

A post shared by Humza Deas (@humzadeas) on Dec 15, 2014 at 2:01pm PST

The desire to mimic these images leads photographers to take unnecessary (sometimes fatal) risks. The photos look awesome, but capturing them is irresponsible and often illegal.

from Photography News https://petapixel.com/2018/11/21/does-this-rhino-drone-video-help-or-hurt-conservation/

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corixus · 6 years ago

Text

Transformation in art

The theme

An exhibition entitled “Transformation”was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from Oct 29th, 2010 through Jan 30th, 201l.

In September 2012, the National Gallery presented the exhibition ‘Metamorphosis: Titian, 2012’.

In October 2012, All Visual Arts mounted their Autumn show, ‘Metamorphosis: the Transformation of Being’ at The Crypt. One Marylebone Road London.

Metamorphosis is an elusive and multi-layered term. In biology, it relates to a complete material change of form through successive transformative stages in the lifespan of an organism, such as caterpillar to butterfly. In art metamorphosis describes the process by which an object or scene is turned into a work of art. Certain elements are emphasised exaggerated or distorted to communicate the artist’s inner feelings about what he/she feels about what they see.

Metamorphosis also has magical connotations that relate to the inner psychological transformations of being and identity. This is the essence of Ovid’s epic poem in which the interconnectivity of humanity and the natural world is described through mythological and psychological shape-shifting. Ovid was writing in Latin about 8 CE. His ‘Metamorphosis’ is a collection of mythological and legendary stories, many taken from Greek sources, in which transformation (metamorphosis) plays a role. The stories, which are unrelated, are told in chronological order from the creation of the world (the first metamorphosis, of chaos into order) to the death and deification of Julius Caesar (the culminating metamorphosis). It collects together a large number of self-contained stories, including the tales of Daphne and Apollo, Diana and Actaeon, Daedalus and Icarus, Orpheus and Euridice, Achilles, Midas and many more. Through the ages the myth of Daphne and Apollo has had a special appeal to artists. Apollo had made one too many jokes at Eros' expense. To punish him, Eros shot Apollo with one of his golden arrows, which made Apollo fall madly in love with the nymph Daphne. Unfortunately for Apollo, Eros had shot Daphne with a lead arrow, which made her reject the god.

Apollo pursued Daphne and she tried to run away to escape him. Daphne called out to her father, the river god, for help. He changed her into a tree just as Apollo was about to catch her (Fig 1).

Fig 1

The metamorphic exhibitions

The Tokyo museum quoted its exhibition as;

“To live is to change. We change daily as our cells regenerate and we learn new things, as times change and we encounter new environments, and as we give play to our imagination.

Under the theme “transformation,” this exhibition explores the boundary between humans and non-humans. In all ages and countries, countless images and artworks have been created on the theme of transformation. Japan, in particular, is brimming with rich images on this theme, from the legends of old to the manga and anime characters of today. So, why “transformation” now? With to the spread of the Internet, the development of the global economy, advances in technology, and so on, the traditional forms “humans” take have started to become blurred, and a diversity greater than anything seen before has begun to emerge. At this exhibition, a variety of images of things that traverse the human and non-human – including animals, machines, imaginary creatures and bodies with different genetic compositions – will be unveiled through paintings, sculptures, video, archives and symposiums. Together, the “transforming” forms presented express as a single omen our hopes, dreams and fears” (Fig 2).

Fig 2

http://azito-art.com/topics/transformation-at-museum-of-contemporary-art-tokyo/

TheTransformation of Being, mounted by All Visual Arts, combined Old & Modern Masters, spanning from Albrecht Dürer to Francis Picabia, juxtaposed with the paintings, drawings and sculptures of an extraordinary collection of international contemporary artists. A selection of the works can be seen at:

http://www.allvisualarts.org/exhibitions/MetamorphosisTheTransformationofBeing/Images.aspx

The theme of the exhibition may be summarised pictorially in the following work (Fig 3). A mystery of metamorphosis is assembled in this picture. Is it the end point of a transformation, a stage in a process by which the woman emerges into the foreground or is it a snapshot of her being converted into the amorphous dark biomorphic substance looming behind her?

Fig 3

The exhibition in the National Gallery was created in collaboration with the Royal Opera House. It refers to three paintings by Titian depicting stories from Ovid’s poem. Diana and Callisto shows Diana casting out the pregnant nymph Callisto from her company. Diana and Actaeon depicts the young Actaeon out hunting and stumbling into a sacred grotto where Diana and her nymphs are bathing; and in The Death of Actaeon, we see the goddess exacting vengeance on the intruder by turning him into a stag to be torn to pieces by his own hounds.These works were the catalyst for an ambitious project involving the production of three new ballets inspired by the paintings. The costumes and sets were designed by contemporary artists – Mark Wallinger, Conrad Shawcross and Chris Ofili – who showed their designs alongside other work produced in response to Titian’s masterpieces.

Ofili chose to go to the source for inspiration. In Ovid’s epic poem, he discovered a magical realm full of passion and desire, which he conjures with psychedelic rivers of vivid colour and peopled with mythic beings such as nymphs and goddesses, stags and soothsayers. The compositional echoes are not of Titian so much as Gauguin, Picasso and Matisse, and of Japanese prints and Aubrey Beardsley’s erotica. Ofili uses these borrowings to make a unique magical brew which reveal their secrets to the viewer slowly because you sense the artist is exploring new ideas and developing new ways of working.

One of Ofili’s paintings, Ovid-Desire (Fig 4), depicts a process of multiple transformation involving a couple dancing; he wears a spangled suit, she is half naked in a dress layered with flesh pink flounces dusted with a sheen of silver. The floor, is a shifting stage patterned with emphatic diamonds, leading up to a turquoise wall and a window looking onto an Edenic landscape where naked women (Diana and her nymphs, perhaps) cavort beneath a crescent moon.

Fig 4

https://www.theartsdesk.com/visual-arts/metamorphosis-titian-2012-national-gallery

This painting highlights the aim of transformation in works of art which is to blend several pictures reaĺ or in the mind into one.

Surrealist abstraction

The procedure whereby two or more pictures are combined into one has been called surrealist abstraction. This process of fusion is illustrated in Figs 4-6. It involves ‘photoshopping’ two pictures (Figs 5 & 6), transforming them, with the help of Topaz Labs filters, into a third (Fig 7).

Fig 5

Fig 6

Fig 7

The third picture is semiabstract and has a life and meaning of its own within the viewer’s innerness. It embeds Adam and Eve’s expulsion from The Garden of Eden into our present society where the purpose of a supermarket economy is to maximize consumption. It references the Christian Bible, Genesis 2:15, which explains God’s purpose for how humankind should use Earth’s resources in ways that preserve them. The biblical reasons for stewardship are reinforced and continued from there in many ways throughout the scriptures. They imply good stewardship that avoids the devastation and loss of soil fertility that occurs in much agriculture today. However, there is no doubt that persuasive and influential misinterpretation of Christian doctrine has led to environmental destruction and lack of respect for nature.

In this transformation the representations of two material features of ‘outerness’ are metamorphosed into one representation of ‘innerness’.

Innerness and outerness

According to Ralph Rowbottam, outerness is what can be objectively observed, inspected, weighed, measured, cut into. Thus, the stone carving of The Expulsion and the display of a variety of edible plant products, express outerness. As regards ourselves , outerness includes our skin, bones, hearts, brains and so forth. Innerness is our subjectivity, whatever we feel, think, imagine: our experience, our consciousness, our inner landscape. Every human being has these two sides. So presumably do animals. Rowbottam says that perhaps even plants or stones have some sort of innerness, though infinitesimal in development compared to our own.

The transformation has produced a semi abstract image that is far richer in content and open to many avenues of interpretation.

Abstraction through transformation departs from the evaluation of a picture through its outer objectivity. This departure from accurate representation can be only slight, or it can be partial, or it can be complete. Abstraction exists along a continuum but always evokes an inner subjective response. In this context, transformation does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead relies on shapes, colours, forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect.

Music is an abstract creation. Beethoven described his innerness when creating a new work. “....In my head, I begin to elaborate the work in its breadth, its narrowness, its height, and its depth, and as I am aware of what I want to do, the underlying idea never deserts me. It rides, it grows up. I hear and see the image in front of me from every angle, as if it had been cast…”

How does a listener or a viewer come to an understanding of an abstract work of art? As was said by a person viewing a Rembrandt, “although the image clearly makes sense as a whole, what sense it makes cannot be easily decided”. Maybe the mental process involved in trying to make sense of an abstract painting follows a kind of reverse of Beethoven’s creative pathway by first discerning significant shapes and forms in the mind which are then retrofitted to create an underlying personal idea that enhances a person’s innerness..

Both the gallery and the artwork function as interfaces to the larger systems of meanings, values, and social relations that make pictorial systems possible and interpretable. Members of communities and cultures that visit an art exhibit without prior knowledge of the style or period can be left without information that will lead to connecting the dots of interpretation. In this context the story attached to Fig 6 is only readable because the viewer is given access to the two images that were fused to make it. With no information about the elements of outerness that were fused to produce Fig 8 the viewer has to fully accept the fact that they are working outside the realm of answers and explanations. What is actually seen is in the mind of the beholder. Evaluation comes down to answering the question : would you like to see it in your house everyday?

As always, Picasso has the last word.

“Everyone wants to understand abstract art. Why not try to understand the song of a bird? …people who try to explain pictures are usually barking up the wrong tree.”

Fig 8

Go to Zygeena’s Pinterest Board to see a growing gallery of digital transformations.

https://pin.it/wze23swivsibns

Go to a Google Doc version of this blog

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u8se74Rx2-PU7dlp9h6t0i_77XAwChGKHp0vfDDxHkg/edit?usp=sharing

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zi-tales · 6 years ago

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Interview: Igrene Gedrith

#dnd

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swipestream · 7 years ago

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An Interview with Brian Niemeier, Part I

Brian Niemeier is a best-selling science fiction author and a John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer finalist. His second book, Souldancer, won the first ever Dragon Award for Best Horror Novel. He chose to pursue a writing career despite formal training in history and theology. His journey toward publication began at the behest of his long-suffering gaming group, who tactfully pointed out that he seemed to enjoy telling stories more than planning and adjudicating games.

Released this week, Brian’s newest book, The Ophian Rising, concludes his groundbreaking Soul Cycle series. Recently, I sat down with Brian to discuss The Ophian Rising, the rest of the Soul Cycle, and more. Part I focuses on the Soul Cycle.

* * * * *

You’ve mentioned on your blog that the Soul Cycle has been a passion project for you. What about it made it so riveting as a story to explore?

It’s kind of like trying to quantify love. Forgive me for going John C. Wright for a moment, but you kind of just asked me, “why do you love your favorite child?” I could point to how pleased I am with how the characterization has turned out and I could probably point to a few sequences in each book that I’m particularly proud of. It’s just in my wheelhouse. It’s the kind of project that I find esthetically pleasing. Like a lot of writers say, the Soul Cycle is the kind of sci-fi fantasy series that I always wanted to read but could never find, so I had to write it myself.

For those new to the series, could you take a moment to describe the Soul Cycle? What they can expect?

The unexpected. The Soul Cycle came out of this mélange of my earlier influences. Everything from 90s anime space operas, to Dune to Star Wars. There’s some Golden Age JRPG–16-bit and 32-bit era–role-playing games in there. It’s been described as a kitchen sink series, but that’s not to say that it’s incoherent. I miraculously managed to weave an internally self-consistent narrative through the whole thing and now it’s done.

You mentioned some influences on the Soul Cycle. Was there a moment that inspired it? Can you remember where the idea came together to start writing?

This is going to sound weird, but bear with me. As a kid and even up through college, I would occasionally amuse myself with amateur model building. I put together some commercially produced kits but quite often I’d just find stuff around the house and just hot glue stuff together into a shape that I thought looked cool.

So one day I was sitting down, and I had all of these used plastic frames from old Warhammer 40k figures. You know, the actual parts that aren’t even punched out. So I just had these slender plastic almost girder looking pieces and I though I’d see what I could build with them. I started forming the skeleton of a spaceship. I was just sitting there at my card table with some sort of cable movie the week on to the background and it just started taking shape into this big severe angular brutal looking behemoth thing that I ended up painting glossy black. It had this one gold rimmed emerald green eye in the center of the bow. Then I just did what sci-fi authors do–I asked, “what if?”

Who made this thing? Where did it come from? What is it? I actually took a page from “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by thinking, “what if this ship is powered by the torment of a child?” Immediately the idea for the entire character of Elena Braun popped into my head. Elena just kind of stepped out of my subconscious like Athena sprouting from Zeus’s forehead and introduced herself to me. I just took it from there and curiosity did the rest.

I’m looking at the Nethereal cover right now. Is that anything like that ship that you kitbashed?

It’s close. That is my artist Marcelo Orsi Blanco’s interpretation of the ship I kitbashed. I’ve actually got pictures of the model.

During the Puppy of the Month readthrough of Nethereal, I noticed that the Great Chain of Being was a big part of the world building. But the full implications didn’t hit me until I was reading Secret Kings yesterday. It made perfect sense that the fire souldancer would be the one to redeem the universe because fire is the element closest to the divine. What other mythologies or stories influenced the world building of the Soul Cycle?

Primarily the Christian Manichean heresy. I set out specifically to design a Manichean cosmos, partially in an effort to disprove it. I’ve read a lot of Augustine of Hippo. He’s one of my favorite authors. He’s right on the edge of antiquity and the Middle Ages, he’s been called the Last Ancient Man and the First Medieval Man, and his writings always really resonated with me. He made that journey personally from paganism to Manicheanism and finally to Orthodox Christianity. One of his arguments against the Manichean order–I suppose I should define what I mean.

The Manicheans believed that there were two gods, the god of Good and the god of Evil. That was sort their way around theodicy, or the problem of evil. By saying the good god created only what was good and everything that is good and evil comes from the evil god, that’s how they thought to get around it. The problem with that is, if evil has substance of its own and its own order of being, then it’s really just another good. There really is no evil because there’s no cogent argument for not choosing the evil getting the “evil” god’s order over the good god’s. You inevitably end up in moral relativism. So I tried to depict that in the work, especially in the climax of Souldancer like you’re alluding to.

There’s been some debate on where new readers should start the Soul Cycle. Jon Mollison and many others have said Souldancer. I loved Nethereal. I love what you’ve been doing since then but to me it’s still my favorite. Where would you recommend that the reader starts and why?

First of all, thank you for that glowing praise.

That is a question that I’ve debated myself and I’ve spoken with others about that. Listen to your readers, you always want to try to write to market. There have been a few who said start with Souldancer because it hits the ground running more. They find some of the concepts tend to be clearer, but the majority side with you. They say start with Nethereal and read in order.

The order of release is my preferred order. Actually, I ended up doing what Nick Cole and Jason Anspach just did with Galaxy’s Edge, where they actually wrote the second book first and then went back and wrote Legionnaire. I wrote Souldancer first and then I thought, you know there’s a lot of background here that needs to be covered. For example, how did the Cataclysm happen? Who are Thera and Shaiel? Why should we care about them? Where does the name “souldancer” come from? I went back and wrote Nethereal to fill in the back story, so I think the most logical progression is to start with Nethereal.

With The Ophian Rising newly released, could you set the stage for the readers?

How about we start with just the general background of this novel as it relates to the others?

What I can tell you is if you’ve read The Secret Kings then you know that–spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read it yet–the good guys had their climactic and decisive final battle with Shaiel, with Vaun Mordecai, that’s been brewing since the first book. In The Secret Kings, I largely wrapped up the main through-line that started with Nethereal, which is you know these two beings who are vying for godhood. They each get half of the pie. So Elena as Thera’s soul inherits the power of the White Well which is the opposite of her birthright. Vaun kind of stole her birthright and ended up as Shaiel, the new god of the void. That conflict has resolved. Shaiel’s attempt to dominate the entire cosmos and turn it into one giant undead Void full of undead damned creatures serving him was thwarted. So really what you’ve got at the end of The Secret Kings is the last of the old pantheon that used to rule the cosmos being overthrown and this new group of misfits that we’ve been bringing together since Nethereal rise to become the new royal family of the whole Soul Cycle universe. Really only Zadok in the form of Szodrin is left, but he’s kind of the watchmaker god. He just likes to step back and see how things play out like a model train enthusiast.

So people said, “Well, The Secret Kings seems to come to a satisfying resolution. Why do we need another book?”

It’s because whereas The Secret Kings might have resolved the main plot or the first three books to the Soul Cycle, my work isn’t done until I’ve tied up all the themes. There’s at least one major theme that was left dangling, one major question that a lot of my readers have asked about and you just asked about earlier. Which is, so we’ve shown as early as Souldancer, that the basic moral underpinning Zadok tried to build with his cosmos doesn’t work. There is no guarantee of right and wrong. There’s really no way to avoid moral relativism except by Zadok saying “Because I said so.” So readers have been asking me if there is any point to it. Is there any clear right and wrong? Is there any clear definition of villainy or heroism? Any reason to hope and not despair? Any reason to choose love over apathy? So that is what The Ophian Rising primarily addresses.

I do show what the ultimate source of morality is and the ultimate reason for hope–but also fear. Realizing there are moral absolutes can be quite scary when you realize there is a standard that everyone is held to.

I definitely agree that the first three books have a satisfying arc. There’s still the judgment of Zadok over Astlin from the end of Souldancer.

You’re very close and it’s interesting that you honed in correctly on the character of Astlin. She’s another character who just one day showed up and knocked on my door and introduced herself. I haven’t had to do any nuts and bolts work on that character. She was fully formed from the first moment I met her. She wanted me to tell her story.

That’s a very keen insight that, in the order of this cosmos, the Fire Stratum, composed of elemental fire, is just one step down from the White Well, which is the closest that this cosmos has to the divine. So if you look at her powers, her elemental fire is able to harm demons. A spoiler alert for Souldancer, she’s able to harm Hazeroth with her molten brass blood and with the fire she can release from her soul. Fire doesn’t normally hurt those creatures, because being demons from hell, they’re used to the flames of hell. It is that residual spark of the Divine in it that can harm them.

She’s got this redemption arc where she begins as, you can argue, a villain, but certainly an antagonist. Through love, through someone telling her, “You are lovable. You do have dignity. You are worthy of redemption,” she gets her act together big time and turns her life around. It turns out that, as Sulaiman says, she may be the chosen one. Because, you know, tropes work because they’re tropes. So most science fiction and fantasy lately, and for quite a while, have had the promised one, the chosen one, the hero of legend. The Soul Cycle is no different, but it’s not really front and center. The references are in there. Sulaiman makes reference to one with the heart of a star who will make the final decision for good or evil before the gods on behalf of mankind.

Wow, I read Souldancer close but I missed that. Just how layered the Soul Cycle is still surprises me.

Let me get around to full answering your question. Sorry to go all fire hose on you. For that scene, go back to Souldancer, right after Hazeroth’s defeat when Sulaiman and Tefler and Cook find Astlin passed out after their battle. Sulaiman thinks to himself, “well, is this what’s going on? Is she the one the Burned Book talked about?” But then at the end of the book, Xander makes a deal.

First of all, he points out–and it’s hinted under divine inspiration, like these aren’t his words, they were they were given him by someone else–he points out the flaw to Zadok. He says that “Your test was faulty from the beginning because it’s lopsided in favor of evil. So the Zadokim are knocking to get in. Let them in to balance the scale and make it a level playing field.” That is when Zadok agrees to let Astlin, the first Zadokim, in.

So she then says, “We’ve got to help make others like us. We’ve got to help others escape and get back to the light. We’ve got to save these shards of Zadok that have the potential to become real people.” So that’s what she wants.

Interestingly, it in Zadok’s judgment of her, where Xander begs Zadok for her life, where Zadok says, “No. You know her crimes convict her,” and cuts her silver cord, which allows her to escape and receive a real soul and then return.

* * * * *

Get the final book of the award-winning Soul Cycle today, and complete your collection by picking up the other captivating books in this supernatural space adventure series. And come back tomorrow for Part II of our interview, where Brian discusses editing, his favorite books, and his next project.

An Interview with Brian Niemeier, Part I published first on http://ift.tt/2zdiasi

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peckhampeculiar · 7 years ago

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Bourne and bred

Stephen Bourne’s important books on black and gay British history shine a spotlight on underrepresented chapters from the UK’s past. We meet the Camberwell resident, historian and author as black history month arrives in SE15

Words by Garth Cartwright; Photo (c) Tristan Bejawn

Stephen Bourne is a leading historian, specialising in black British and gay British history. He’s also a native son of Peckham.

“I was born in a hospital in Camberwell, St Giles’. It doesn’t exist anymore,” he says. “I grew up in a council flat on Sceaux Gardens Estate on the Peckham Road in a very happy, working class family.

“It was lovely growing up there in the 1960s and 70s. Everything we needed was there – trees to climb, a park to play in, Peckham Odeon cinema, the old Peckham library – my sister used to take me there when I was very young and that’s where I got my love of reading.

“My grandparents lived on Queen’s Road on the Acorn Estate. My mum worked in a shoe shop on Rye Lane and my granddad was night watchman at Jones & Higgins, a famous department store at the start of Rye Lane – today only the clock tower remains.”

Stephen went to Oliver Goldsmith primary school “and then to a secondary modern in Camberwell called St Michael’s”, he says. “I was very unhappy as it was a third-rate education, so I used to bunk off school and go and visit my older relatives in Fulham.

“I used to talk to my great aunts about their lives. Aunt Esther was different as she was black and born in Fulham in 1912 – she was adopted into my family by my great grandfather during World War Two.

“It really caught my imagination hearing a black, working class woman talk about growing up in London. So long before I started writing books, I learnt about the importance of first-hand testimony.”

Stephen’s first job was “working in the dole office in Peckham – a very unsatisfactory job but I had to earn a living”, he says. He then went to London College of Printing as a mature student in 1985 and wrote for The Voice newspaper during the 1980s.

“After I graduated in the 1980s there was a real push to get ordinary people’s lives written down,” he says. “In Peckham we had the Peckham Book Place. It was a book shop and publisher [on Peckham High Street] – young people could go there and do poetry and stuff like that.

“It was a wonderful place, very encouraging. These places existed all over the UK and the Peckham Book Place published pamphlets by local Polish and African and Traveller communities.

“I’d been interviewing Aunt Esther, capturing her stories. In the late 1980s I approached the Peckham Book Place about her and they said, ‘You must do a book.’ That’s how I got started in writing black history and oral history.”

The Sun Shone On Our Side Of The Street: Aunt Esther’s Story was Stephen’s first book. Published in 1991 as part of the Ethnic Communities Oral History Project, it featured on the cover of Spare Rib, sold out and a second edition was printed.

Inspired to continue researching and writing black history, Stephen began work on a book close to his heart. Brief Encounters: Lesbians and Gays in British Cinema, 1930-71 was published in 1996 to wide acclaim.

He followed this with a companion book of sorts – 2001’s Black In The British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television. These ambitious books discussed how two prominent minorities had been represented in British cinema and TV.

“Both of them were very successful and gave me a foot in the door,” says Stephen, who was working as a library assistant across Southwark libraries at the time.

He also became involved in police-community liaison. “In 1994 I was invited to join the Southwark Police and Community Consultative Group,” he says. “That came about because of the Brixton uprisings.

“In a very short space of time I realised the police [were] not tackling homophobic crime in this borough and as a consequence, in 1995, I was at the front of bringing together a consultancy on homophobia with Southwark Council and police and the LGBT community.

“I’ve always believed in bridge building and being a critical friend to the police. I don’t see myself as a political activist. The way I approach my activism is to build bridges and win trust. Partnership is the key.”

Stephen’s enthusiasm for black British history has seen him ensure that major figures in Southwark’s history are honoured.

“I managed to get a blue plaque for George Roberts, a Trinidadian soldier in World War One and fireman during World War Two, who settled in Peckham then shifted to Camberwell,” he says. “The plaque was unveiled on Warner Road last year.

“I also wrote a local booklet about Dr Harold Moody, the Jamaican doctor who settled in Peckham and was a local GP from 1911-47. He was a community leader for the early black community in Peckham.” In 2008 Southwark Council published the booklet to be distributed free to local schools.

Alongside working with the police, in libraries and being a community activist, Stephen doggedly kept researching and writing. He has published several biographies of overlooked black female singers – Elisabeth Welch: Soft Lights and Sweet Music; Ethel Waters: Stormy Weather; Evelyn Dove: Britain's Black Cabaret Queen – all of which make for fascinating reading (the latter is beautifully illustrated with period photos). Yet he says he often struggles to find publishers for his books and coverage in the media.

“I’ve always wanted to write,” he says. “Unfortunately, mainstream publishers in this country are very conservative and won’t take risks. And where there used to be lots of left wing and feminist publications, there now are very few.

“Somewhere like Radio 4 gives me no attention at all. It took me eight years to get Mother Country: Britain’s Black Community On The Home Front 1939-45 published.” The book was eventually printed in 2010 by the History Press and has done very well.

Stephen followed Mother Country with two more books looking at the black British community and the two world wars. The Motherland Calls: Britain’s Black Servicemen & Women 1939-45 and Black Poppies: Britain’s Black Community and the Great War both brought forward much valuable history and ensured Stephen became an in-demand speaker.

“The black community are nothing but positive towards my black history books,” he says. “When Black Poppies was published the response was phenomenal. I’ve been everywhere with that book – the Houses Of Parliament, the Imperial War Museum.

“When black families come up and say, ‘Thank you for doing the book’ it is heart-warming. You know you’ve done the right thing, because in the school curriculum there is no place for black British history.

“One of the most wonderful things was being invited back to Oliver Goldsmith – I left there in 1969 and got invited back in 2015 to talk to the kids. It was like stepping back in time – the interior looked the same as when I was there.

“The children were wonderful and the school bought 12 copies. I’ve tried very hard to work with the Department for Education to get Black Poppies into more primary and secondary schools but it falls on deaf ears, which is heartbreaking as I know it would be well received in schools across the UK.”

Keeping with his theme of researching the two world wars, Stephen’s latest book looks at gay British men who were soldiers in Fighting Proud: The Untold Story of the Gay Men Who Served in Two World Wars.

“People are very confused – they think I’ve written a book on black gay soldiers,” says Stephen with a chuckle. “I’ve only written one gay history book before (Brief Encounters: Lesbians & Gays In British Cinema 1930-71) and that came out in 1996 and did wonderfully.

“The honest truth is that in 2012, BBC History Magazine commissioned me to write about gay men’s lives in World War Two. An editor at IB Tauris read the feature, loved it and contacted me asking if I’d like to work it up into a book. Of course!

“What comes with age and experience is confidence, and I’ve reached a point in my writing career where I knew I could write a really good book. But, my goodness, when I sat down to write it so many great stories were revealed to me.

“I insisted it be published in July 2017 as it’s the 50th anniversary of the partial repeal of laws punishing gay sex. And I also insisted that I could write the hidden histories and not have to go on about Alan Turing and Lawrence of Arabia.”

The book, he says, practically wrote itself. “Everything just seemed to flow. It was a wonderful experience. There’s lots of funny stories – people need to realise it’s not all doom and gloom.

“It’s a book written not just for the gay community but for everyone. The parameter is my niece, who couldn’t understand why I couldn’t get married when I was 18 years old. This is a book for everyone who doesn’t know the history.”

Stephen loves his work but admits it’s not easy making a living as a writer. “It’s bloody hard work and even harder when you can’t get funding – I’m not an academic,” he says.

“But I am getting more recognition. Having left school at 16, I’m now getting an honorary fellowship from London South Bank University for my contribution to diversity at their graduation ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in October. Isn’t that amazing?”

#peckham #nunhead #camberwell #se15 #se5 #london #local #community #news #paper #newspaper #newspapers

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robertmcangusgroup · 7 years ago

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The Daily Tulip

The Daily Tulip – News From Around The World

Tuesday 3rd October 2017

Good Morning Gentle Reader…. The bright blue cloudless sky of the day has been replaced this early morning with the black of the night filled with stars all competing to see who can sparkle the brightest… clearly visible this morning is the Andromeda Galaxy, California Nebula, Pleiades and Orion’s Belt all centered around Polaris or the Pole Star … as I look into the heavens, I am in fact looking back in time, in some cases millions or possibly billions of years because that’s how long it takes the light from some of the stars we see in the sky to reach us…

OJ SIMPSON RELEASED ON PAROLE FROM NEVADA JAIL…. The former American football star and actor OJ Simpson has been released on parole after nine years in a Nevada jail. He had been serving time for armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and 10 other charges over a 2007 confrontation at a Las Vegas hotel. Simpson was approved for early parole release at a board hearing in July. In 1995 he was acquitted of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goodman. In a Facebook post, Nevada Department of Corrections released an image and video of Simpson signing documents and leaving Lovelock Correctional Centre early on Sunday. They confirmed the 70-year-old had been released from the facility an Sunday 1st October 2017 00:08 (07:08 GMT). He will face restrictions - including up to five years of parole supervision.

MALAYSIANS IN A LATHER OVER LAUNDRETTE FOR MUSLIMS…. Laundrettes offering their services to only Muslim customers have stirred up quite a debate in Malaysia, where about two-thirds of the population practise Islam. A photograph of a signboard advertising the "Muslim-friendly" laundrette in the state of Johor first started circulating on social media earlier this week. "This laundrette only accepts Muslim customers for reasons of purity," it said. "Any inconvenience is very much regretted." The owner, who did not want to be identified, told The Star newspaper: "For Muslims, it is not just about clean clothes but cleanliness as a whole. I am just providing an avenue for Muslims to do that." He also told The Malaysian Insight website that his customers had requested such a service. The website said the sign had been put up about a month ago. Many Malaysians, both Muslim and non-Muslim, expressed dismay at the news - including the state's sultan, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Iskandar, who said the royal family were "deeply appalled" by the incident. He ordered the laundrette to stop its discrimination immediately or risk being shut down. While sultans in Malaysia are largely ceremonial heads of state and do not have regulatory powers, they are the authorities on Islam and wield considerable political influence.

SOVIET MURAL ENJOYS RARE ESTONIAN RESTORATION…. A group of Estonian artists has restored a mural of a sailor at an abandoned Soviet naval base, in an effort to address their country's troubled history with Russia. Hilkka Hiiop, a professor at the Estonian Academy of Arts, led the restoration work at the naval club on the small island of Naissaar just off the shore near the capital, Tallinn. She told Postimees newspaper that her team first had to ask whether they should restore it at all. "At first I thought why is it that we don't have money for a medieval church, but we do for this? But the aim is not simply to restore this mural, but rather to promote a broader understanding of the military art," she said. Soviet military monuments are still a very controversial matter in Estonia, more than quarter of a century after Estonia regained its independence from Soviet rule. A very public row over moving a Soviet Army memorial in Tallinn led to a major cyber attack on Estonian government, media and banking websites in 2007, widely attributed in Estonia and elsewhere to the Russian government. Councillor Ott Kask, who is in charge of cultural projects for the local Viimsi County, believes Estonia should not ignore important aspects of its recent past, no matter how painful. "Naaissar has retained the stamp of its Tsarist and, of course, Soviet military history. Momentous events have taken place here, and this mural exemplifies it. It is history, after all," he told the paper at the unveiling of the mural.

NEIL PRAKASH: IS RECRUITER SAYS HE WAS 'NOT 100% RESPONSIBLE'…. Australia's most wanted jihadist, Neil Prakash, has admitted partial responsibility for Islamic State group activity in the country. Prakash, 27, was arrested in Turkey last year while attempting to cross the border from Syria under a false name. Facing a trial in Turkey on Thursday on charges of joining IS, Prakash claimed he had been forced to make propaganda ads calling for attacks in Australia. Australia has sought his extradition to face charges at home. Prakash has been accused over terror plots in Australia and calls for lone-wolf attacks against the US. When asked whether he was responsible for IS plots in Australia, he told the court: "I had something to do with [it], but I was not 100% responsible." "I am sorry for the trouble I have caused," he said. Prakash told the hearing in the town of Kilis that he had fled IS after seeing its "true face" and realising "what they taught me was wrong". Australian authorities have described Prakash as the most dangerous Middle East-based recruiter linked to terror networks in Melbourne and Sydney. He has appeared in propaganda videos, including one where he praised "my brother Numan" - a likely reference to a teenager shot dead in Melbourne in 2014 after stabbing two police officers. Prakash left Australia for Syria in 2013, taking the name Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, and was incorrectly reported to have been killed in a US air strike in Mosul, Iraq, in 2015. In May, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he expected Prakash to be extradited within months. His trial in Turkey will resume in November.

AUSTRIAN BAN ON FULL-FACE VEIL IN PUBLIC PLACES COMES INTO FORCE…. Legislation banning full-face Muslim veils in public spaces has gone into effect in Austria. The government says the law, which says faces must be visible from the hairline to the chin, is about protecting Austrian values. It comes ahead of a general election later this month which could see gains by the far-right Freedom Party. Muslim groups have condemned the law, saying just a tiny minority of Austrian Muslims wear full-face veils. The law bans Muslim veils such as the burka or niqab, but also places restrictions on the use of medical face masks and clown makeup. An estimated 150 women wear the full burka in Austria but tourism officials have expressed fears that the measures will also deter visitors from the Gulf. France and Belgium introduced a burka ban in 2011 and a similar measure is currently going through the Dutch parliament. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that the full-face veil should be prohibited in Germany "wherever it is legally possible". The UK does not ban the niqab or burka.

Well Gentle Reader I hope you enjoyed our look at the news from around the world this, Tuesday morning… …

Our Tulips today are the most unusual colours.....

A Sincere Thank You for your company and Thank You for your likes and comments I love them and always try to reply, so please keep them coming, it's always good fun, As is my custom, I will go and get myself another mug of "Colombian" Coffee and wish you a safe Tuesday 3rd October 2017 from my home on the southern coast of Spain, where the blue waters of the Alboran Sea washes the coast of Africa and Europe and the smell of the night blooming Jasmine and Honeysuckle fills the air…and a crazy old guy and his dog Bella go out for a walk at 4:00 am…on the streets of Estepona…

All good stuff....But remember it’s a dangerous world we live in

Be safe out there…

Robert McAngus

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