#VER : EVERY DAY I ADD ANOTHER STONE.

[moondriftingold]

Well, that’s most unfortunate.

          PROMPT.  ||  closed.

@illusionstm.

                 ❝  mm. it is, indeed.  ❞

     he scrawls out his signature onto a report to show that it’s been read and filed; it’s demyx’s, and below his standards, but somehow steadily improving. he might actually be worth something by the end of the year. he’d summoned zexion into his office to inform him of his incoming departure --- a mission to castle oblivion, to oversee the completion of an ongoing project. little does the other know, the fate that awaits him once he leaves these grey doors. 

     saïx knows all too well.

                 ❝  being understaffed here for the time-being will be a bit of pain, but it certainly is not the end of the world. if vexen’s calculations are correct, you should be back in a week or so anyhow.  ❞      he flips the report over to lay it face-down in a pile to the left of his desk, picking up another from a pile on the right in one smooth, fluid motion. almost robotic. he’s developed an efficient system; muscle-memory, if you will. there’s a slight lull in their exchange as saïx reads who this report came from, and if it was handed in late ( it was not, thankfully ), and after he marks those facts down in a notebook, he picks up their conversation again.

     he looks zexion in the eye, as bored and blank as he always is. he watches for suspicion. and when he sees none, he continues.      ❝  you’ll be there to make sure everything goes according to plan. i trust your meticulous nature will ensure the completion of this project.  ❞       saïx pauses, tapping his pen on his desk. zexion’s seemingly all-knowing stare has always been slightly unnerving. the boy is too smart for his own good.       ❝  am i correct?  ❞

[your-disobedient-servant]

Voltaire’s Paméla Letters Translated: Intro and Letter #1

The letters that Voltaire rewrote in the vein of Richardson’s Paméla after his falling out with Frederick the Great have intrigued me ever since I first heard of them in November or December. Only discovered to have been a rewrite and not originals in the late 20th century, it’s hard to say how much of it is authentic and how much exaggerated or made up, but for me, the fact that they have been altered only adds to the fascination.

Six months into learning French, I’m still not sure I’m quite ready to use this as translation exercises, but I’m impatient, I found the book for very cheap, and besides, I feel that to translate Voltaire you must channel some of the hubris, so bring it on. Poetry (to my surprise, it turns out I actually enjoy translating poetry in some masochistic way) and all. In the end, I am proud of the result.

This is not a very juicy letter, but I’m sure one will come along soon enough. I’m not sure how many will I be able to complete because there’s about fifty of them altogether, but I hope I manage at least a few.

Big thanks to everyone who helped me out with the draft. The rest under the cut for brevity, English followed by original French.

FIRST LETTER

In Clèves, July 1750

It is to you, please, niece of mine, to you, woman of a wit superb, philosopher of the selfsame kind, to you who, like me, of Permesse, knows the many paths diverse; it is to you I now address this disarray of prose and verse, recount my long odyssey's story; recount unlike I back then did when, in my splendid age's glory, I still kept to Apollo's writ; when I dared, perhaps courting disaster, for counsel strike for Paris forth, notwithstanding our minds' worth, the god of Taste, my foremost master!

This journey is only too true, and puts too much distance between you and me. Do not imagine that I want to rival Chapelle, who has made, I do not know how, such a reputation for himself for having been from Paris to Monpellier and to papal land, and for having reported to a gourmand.

It was not, perhaps, difficult when one wished to mock monsieur d'Assoucy. We need another style, we need another pen, to portray this Plato, this Solon, this Achilles who writes his verses at Sans-Souci. I could tell you of that charming retreat, portray this hero philosopher and warrior, so terrible to Austria, so trivial for me; however, that could bore you.

Besides, I am not yet at his court and you should not anticipate anything: I want order even in my letters. Therefore know that I left Compiègne on July 25th, taking my road to Flanders, and as a good historiographer and a good citizen, I went to see the fields of Fontenoy, of Rocoux and of Lawfeld on my way. There was no trace of it left: all of it was covered with the finest wheat in the world. The Flemish men and women were dancing, as if nothing had happened.

Go on, innocent eyes of this bad-mannered populace; reign, lovely Ceres, where Bellona once flourished; countryside fertilised with blood of our warriors, I like better your harvests than all of the laurels: provided by chance and by vanity nourished Oh! that grand projects were prevented by doom! Oh! fruitless victories! Oh! the blood spilled in vain! French, English, German so tranquil today did we have to slit throats for friendship to bloom!

I went to Clèves hoping to find there the stage stations that all the bailiwicks provide, at the order of the king of Prussia, to those who to go to philosophise to Sans-Souci with the Solomon of the North and on whom the king bestows the favour of travelling at his expense: but the order of the king of Prussia had stayed in Wesel in the hands of a man who received it as the Spanish receive the papal bulls, with the deepest respect, and without putting them to any use. So I spent a few days in the castle of this princess that madame de La Fayette made so famous.

But this heroine and the duc of Nemours, we ignore in these places the gallant adventure; for  it is not here, I vow, the land of novels, nor the one of love.

It is a shame, for the country seems made for the princesses of Clèves: it is the most beautiful place of nature and art has further added to its position. It is a view superior to that of Meudon; it is a land covered in vegetation like the Champs-Élysées and the forests of Boulogne; it is a hill covered in gently sloping avenues of trees: a large pool collects  the waters of this hill; in the middle of the pool stands a statue of Minerva. The water of this first pool is received by a second, which returns it to the third; and at the foot of the hill ends in a waterfall pouring into a vast, semi-circular grotto. The waterfall lets the waters spill into a canal, which goes on to water a vast meadow and joins a branch of the Rhine. Mademoiselle de Scudéri and La Calprenède would have filled a volume of their novels with this description; but I, historiographer, I will only tell you that a certain prince Maurice de Nassau, the governor, during his lifetime, of this lovely solitude devised nearly all of these wonders there. He lies buried in the middle of the forest, in a great devil of an iron tomb, surrounded by all the ugliest bas-reliefs of the time of the Roman empire's decadence, and some gothic monuments that are worse still. But all of it would be something very respectable for those deep minds who fall into ecstasy at the sight of poorly cut stone, as long as it is two thousand years old.

Another ancient monument, the remains of a great stone road, built by the Romans, which led to Frankfurt, to Vienna, and to Constantinople. The Holy Empire devolved into Germany has fallen a little bit from its magnificence. One gets stuck in the mud in the summer nowadays, in the august Germania. Of all the modern nations, France and the little country of Belgium are the only ones who have roads worthy of Antiquity. We could above all boast of surpassing the ancient Romans in cabaret; and there are still certain points on which we equal them: but in the end, when it comes to durable, useful, magnificent monuments, which people can come close to them? which monarch does in his kingdom what a procosul did in Nîmes and in Arles?

Perfect in the trivial, in trifles sublime great inventors of nothing, envy we excite. Let our minds to the supreme heights strive of the children of Romulus so proud: they did a hundred times more for the vanquished crowd than we solely for ourselves contrive.

In the end, notwithstanding the beauty of the location of Clèves, notwithstanding the Roman road, in spite of a tower believed to have been built by Julius Caesar, or at least by Germanicus; in spite of the inscriptions of the twenty-sixth legion that quartered here for the winter; in spite of the lovely tree-lined roads planted by prince Maurice, and his grand iron tomb; in spite of, lastly, the mineral waters recently discovered here, there are hardly any crowds in Clèves. The waters there are, however, just as good as those of Spa or of Forges; and one cannot swallow the little atoms of iron in a more beautiful place. But it does not suffice, as you know, to have merits to be fashionable: usefulness and pleasantness are here; but this delicious retreat is frequented only by a few Dutchmen, who are attracted by the proximity and the low prices of living and houses there, and who come to admire and to drink.

I found there, to my great satisfaction, a well-known Dutch poet, who gave us the honour of elegantly, and even verse for verse, translating our tragedies, good or bad, to Dutch. Perhaps one day we will be reduced to translating the tragedies of Amsterdam: every nation gets their turn.

The Roman ladies, who leered at their lovers at the theatre of Pompeii, did not suspect that one day, in the middle of Gaul, in a little town called Lutèce, we would produce better plays than Rome.

The order of the king regarding the stage stations has finally reached me; so my delight at the princess of Clèves' place is over, and I am leaving for Berlin.

***

LETTRE PREMIÈRE

À Clèves, juillet 1750

C'est à vous, s'il vous plaît, ma nièce, vous, femme d'esprit sans travers, philosophe de mon espèce, vous qui, comme moi, du Permesse connaisez les sentiers divers ; c'est à vous qu'en courant j'adresse ce fatras de prose et de vers, ce récit de mon long voyage ; non tel que j'en fis autrefois quand, dans la fleur de mon bel âge, d'Apollon je suivais les lois ; quand j'osai, trop hardi peut-être, aller consulter à Paris, en dépit de nos beaux esprits, le dieu du Goût mon premier maître !

Ce voyage-ci n'est que trop vrai, et ne m'éloigne que trop du vous. N'allez pas vous imaginer que je veulle égaler Chapelle, qui s'est fait, je ne sais comment, tant de réputation, pour avoir été de Paris à Montpellier et en terre papale, et en avoir rendu compte à un gourmand.

Ce n'était pas peut-être un emploi difficile de railler monsieur d'Assoucy. Il faut une autre plume, il faut une autre style, pour peindre ce Platon, ce Solon, cet Achille qui fait des vers à Sans-Souci. Je pourrais vous parler de ce charmant asile, vous peindre ce héros philosophe et guerrier, si terrible à l'Autriche, et pour moi si facile ; mais je pourrais vous ennuyer.

D'ailleurs je ne suis pas encore à sa cour, et il ne faut rien anticiper : je veux de l'ordre jusque dans mes lettres. Sachez donc que je partis de Compiègne le 25 de juillet, prenant ma route par la Flandre, et qu'en bon historiographe et en bon citoyen, j'allai voir en passant les champs de Fontenoy, de Rocoux et de Lawfeld. Il n'y paraissait pas : tout cela était couvert des plus beaux blés du monde. Les Flamands et les Flamandes dansaient, comme si de rien n'eût été.

Durez, yeux innocents de ces peuples grossiers ; régnez, belle Cérès, où triompha Bellone ; campagnes qu'engraissa le sang de nos guerriers, j'aime mieux vos moissons que celles des lauriers : la vanité les cueille et le hasard les donne. Ô que de grands projets par le sort démentis ! Ô victoires sans fruits ! Ô meurtres inutiles ! Français, Anglais, Germains, aujourd'hui si tranquilles fallait-il s'égorger pour être bons amis !

J'ai été à Clèves comptant y trouver des relais que tous les bailliages fournissent, moyennant un ordre du roi de Prusse, à ceux qui vont philosopher à Sans-Souci auprès du Salomon du Nord et à qui le roi accorde la faveur de voyager à ses dépens : mais l'ordre du roi de Prusse était resté à Vesel entre les mains d'un homme qui l'a reçu comme les Espagnols reçoivent les bulles des papes, avec le plus profond respect, et sans en faire aucun usage. Je me suis donc quelques jours dans le château de cette princesse que madame de La Fayette a rendu si fameux.

Mais de cette heroïne, et du duc de Nemours, on ignore en ces lieux la galante aventure : ce n'est pas ici, je vous jure, le pays des romans, ni celui des amours.

C'est dommage, car le pays semble fait pour des princesses de Clèves : c'est le plus beau lieu de nature et l'art a encore ajouté à sa situation. C'est une vue supérieure à celle de Meudon ; c'est un terrain planté comme les Champs-Élysées et le bois de Boulogne ; c'est une colline couverte d'allées d'arbres en pente douce : un grand bassin reçoit les eaux de cette colline ; au milieu du bassin s'élève une statue de Minerve. L'eau de ce premier bassin est reçue dans un second, qui la renvoie à un troisième ; et le bas de la colline est terminé par une cascade ménagée dans une vaste grotte en demi-cercle. La cascade laisse tomber les eaux dans un canal qui va arroser une vaste prairie et se joindre à un bras du Rhin. Mademoiselle de Scudéri et La Calprenède auraient rempli de cette description un tome de leurs romans ; mais moi, historiographe, je vous dirai seulement qu'un certain prince Maurice de Nassau, gouverneur, de son vivant, de cette belle solitude, y fit presque toutes ces merveilles. Il s'est fait enterrer au milieu des bois, dans un grand diable de tombeau de fer, environné de tous les plus vilains bas-reliefs du temps de la décadence de l'empire romain, et de quelques monuments gothiques plus grossiers encore. Mais le tout serait quelque chose de fort respectable pour ces esprits profonds qui tombent en extase à la vue d'une pierre mal taillée, pour peu qu'elle ait deux mille ans d'antiquité.

Un autre monument antique, c'est le reste d'un grand chemin pavé, construit par les Romains, qui allait à Francfort, à Vienne et à Constantinople. Le Saint-Empire dévolu à l'Allemagne est un peu déchu de sa magnificence. On s'embourbe aujourd'hui en été, dans l'auguste Germanie. De toutes les nations modernes, la France et la petit pays des Belges sont les seules qui aient des chemins dignes de l'Antiquité. Nous pouvons surtout nous vanter de passer les anciens Romains en cabarets ; et il y a encore certains points sur lesquels nous les valons bien : mais enfin, pour les monuments durables, utiles, magnifiques, quel peuple approche d'eux ? quel monarque fait dans son royaume ce qu'un proconsul faisait dans Nîmes et dans Arles ?

Parfait dans le petit, sublimes en bijoux, grands inventeurs de riens, nous faisons des jaloux. Elevons nos esprits à la hauteur suprême des fiers enfants de Romulus : ils faisaient plus cent fois pour des peuples vaincus que nous ne faisons pour nous-mêmes.

Enfin, malgré la beauté de la situation de Clèves, malgré le chemin des Romains, en dépit d'une tour qu'on croit bâtie par Jules César, ou au moins par Germanicus ; en dépit des inscriptions d'une vingt-sixième légion qui était ici en quartier d'hiver ; en dépit des belles allées plantées par le prince Maurice, et de son grand tombeau de fer ; en dépit enfin des eaux minérales découvertes ici depuis peu, il n'y a guère d'affluence à Clèves. Les eaux y sont cependant aussi bonnes que celles de Spa et de Forges ; et on ne peut avaler de petits atomes de fer dans un plus beau lieu. Mais il ne suffit pas, comme vous savez, d'avoir du mérite pour avoir la vogue : l'utile et l'agréable sont ici ; mais ce séjour délicieux n'est fréquenté que par quelques Hollandais que le voisinage et le bas prix des vivres et de maisons y attirent, et qui viennent admirer et boire.

J'y ai retrouvé, avec une très grande satisfaction, un célèbre poète hollandais, qui nous a fait l'honneur de traduire élégamment en batave, et même vers pour vers, nos tragédies bonnes ou mauvaises. Peut-être un jour viendra que nous serons réduits à traduire les tragédies d'Amsterdam : chaque peuple a son tour.

Les dames romaines, qui allaient lorgner leurs amants au théâtre de Pompée, ne se doutaient pas qu'un jour au milieu des Gaules, dans un petit bourg nommé Lutèce, on ferait de meilleurs pièces de théâtre qu'à Rome.

L'ordre du roi pour les relais vient enfin de me parvenir ; voilà mon enchantement chez la princesse de Clèves fini, et je pars pour Berlin.

[astarionbae]

au where there was a Group C & D along with Group A & B where theyre just genderbends of A&B so we could have our gladers interact with the fem!vers of themselves heh

I’M CURRENTLY WORKING ON A FRATERNAL TWINS STORY SO THIS IS PERFECT! THANK YOU!!!! Here we go! (P.S. I don’t own the gifs, all rights go to their owners)

Thalia [Group C, Subject C2: The Principal]

Female Thomas 

Portrayed by Shelley Hennig

Her and Thomas get along swimmingly, acting like a set of twins 

She usually teases him and jumps on his back to receive piggyback rides

Thomas finds it annoying but loves to hear her laugh and be happy so he allows it

Thalia & Thomas both gush over Newelle & Newt, saying how they’re suckers for them and would do anything in the world to protect them 

They bond over the friends that they’ve lost and how they each have one little thing that reminds them of them; Thomas having Chuck’s totem and Thalia having Charlotte’s yarn doll

Thomas comforts her whenever she gets easily upset and disheartened

They always sit next to each other and keep each other company because they rely on one another. 

Thomas can see himself in her and it makes him smile because he believes that she’s a nice person and doing her best with keeping everyone safe despite the obstacles that they’ve faced

The both of them play board games, testing their skills, and strategies. Their favorite games are Uno, Clue, Guess Who, and Connect 4

When Thalia is nervous with hanging out alone with Newelle, Thomas offers to join and bring Newt along so it’d be like a double date 

Newelle [Group C, Subject C5: The Bond]

Female Newt

Portrayed by Taissa Farmiga 

When Newt first meets Newelle, he knows for an instance that there’s something about her that makes him want to protect her

Newt shakes her hand, noticing that her wrist is crooked. Upon asking, he learns that in their Glade, Newelle tried to harm herself which resulted in her arm and wrist getting broken and healed incorrectly

Newelle gets nightmares of the her Maze and wakes up screaming and in cold sweats to which Newt runs over to be at her side to calm her down

Newelle returns the favor to him, making sure that he’s alright because she knows how it feels.

They both stay up late at night, staring at the stars and point out the constellations; when shooting stars pass, Newelle coos for Newt to close his eyes and make a wish. He does with a smile. 

When tired and trying to sleep, Newt plays with Newelle’s hair, wanting her to feel safe and important because he knows that feeling all too well

Reading and swimming happens to be their favorite things to do, and so in Paradise, they both lounge on the beach and read to each other

At night when Newelle falls asleep by the fire, Newt scoops her up, carrying her to her hammock but takes his time due to his limp

They both love art, nature, and hiking; they hike to enjoy the nature and enjoy the artistry of the colors and shine shining through the leaves

Miho [Group C, Subject C7: The Monarch]

Female Minho

Portrayed by Arden Cho

Minho finds himself to be good-looking as a girl as he already knew before he met her

Miho is bubbly which confuses Minho at first, wondering why she’s her counterpart until she displays her leadership skills and her quirky remarks

They both race each other for fun but it usually turns competitive, and Miho wins

Miho and Minho become inseparable, forming as one full person and she helps him out with trying to woo Brenda and he helps her with flirting with Brent 

The both of them sit by the Memorial Stone, pointing to names of the fallen and ask for stories of them. Miho points to Ben and Minho gives a huffed laugh, talking about how he was his best friend. 

Minho then points to a a girl’s name, Bea. Miho does the same as him, telling him how she was her friend and that she died from a bad storm that happened in their Glade

Minho sees her being strong and having a great personality; he enjoys being around her because he sees how important she is to her friends, especially Newelle

Like with him and Newt in their Maze, Miho saved Newelle from her accident and from that, he smiles because he knows just how much Newelle looks up to her because that’s what Newt does to him

Freya [Group C, Subject C6: The Arbitrator]

Female Frypan 

Portrayed by Zoe Kravitz

First time Frypan mets Freya, they make and eat bacon cheeseburgers with pickles, tomato, and mayonnaise. 

Frypan talks to her about him and the Gladers’ journey of the Maze and Scorch while Freya tells him about her and her group

Both of them crack each other up with jokes, weird topics, and puns to the point that they are in tears, pig snorting, stomachs hurting, falling over, and can hardly breathe

They develop an inside jokes such as; “hole in the bunny”, “fish fried, double wide”, and “love me some mr. long time”

When Freya’s sick, Frypan makes her soup and tends to her to make sure that she’s getting proper rest 

Frypan tries to be his Wingman self, trying to hook up Freya with Gally in Paradise since she can balance him out and be his anchor; it works and Frypan just grins at his work

They become a cooking duo; doing little cooking skits for the Immune Children to make them laugh and have some form of entertainment and even do Cook Offs to add some fun and suspense 

They go swimming together and play Chicken Fight with Thalia & Thomas

Gabby [Group C, Subject C8: The Minder]

Female Gally

Portrayed by Cara De

With first glance, Gally instantly puts down the fact that she’s his other half because she seems nothing like him, that is until she begins mocking his words and mirroring his body language

Gabby puts on her ‘deep man voice’ whenever she talks to Gally because she believes that he has a husked voice to which he always responds with, “I don’t–No. It’s a normal guy voice.” 

After a while, Gally began growing a fondness over Gabby and she and him go around, checking on Immunes to make sure that they’re alright and stay with them whenever they need to sleep or have nightmares

With Gally’s pup, Chuckie Boy, Gabby takes care of him and watches over him happily which makes Gally happy since he works in Paradise

Before Gally goes on little picnic dates with Freya, he asks Gabby for advice and for what he should say, do, and how to properly act since he likes her a lot

As an activity, they create little many parades with Newt & Newelle’s help to give some festival vibes within Paradise

On the beach, they spend their time playing volleyball with Miho & Minho; theyll play one game as them vs Minho & Miho, the girls vs boys, then Gabby & Minho vs Miho & Gally

They go swimming together and play Chicken Fight with Thalia & Thomas

 Teran [Group C, Subject C1: The Deceiver]

Male Teresa

Portrayed by Freddie Highmore

Teresa greets him warmingly, pleased to meet him and he’s pleased as well, being quiet and kind hearted

They speak of how they both wanted a cure to save everyone in the world but they weren’t going to risk losing their best friends because of it

Teresa and Teran become the doctors of Paradise; nurturing the wounded and sick with home remedies that they remember from growing up 

They plan out birthday calendars for everyone so they can celebrate birthdays and give each kid their own special day so she or he can feel of importance

They attend Fry and Freya’s little shows, cheering them on and laugh along with the kids

On the beach, they help Immunes create sandcastles and teach a few how to swim, acting as their lifeguards

Teresa enjoys spending time with Teran, seeing that he’s well composed and confident in his choices like how she is; especially when they play Jenga and he’s zoned in on moving the block from the tower to try and stack it on top

The both of them agree to keep everyone safe and are determined to ensure their safety in the future

Ari [Group D, Subject D1: The Teammate]

Female Aris

Portrayed by Alycia Debnam Carey

Aris instantly takes a liking to her because she’s very straightforward and is never afraid to crack a joke despite being the background character

They both devour the cornbread that Frypan and Freya both make for them in the morning and again for dinner since Freya makes another pan for them

Ari finds an old deflated basketball, filling it with air, and plays one on one with Aris for exercise which she deeply enjoys

Once in a while, Aris and her switch hoodies around, throwing up their hoods and crouch over while sitting at tables, playing a live version of the game Guess Who with their friends

On the beach, they watch Gally, Gabby, Minho, and Miho play their volleyball game and they change their cheers for the different teams

Aris and Ari are the best Hide and Seekers because they know where all the good spots are and can easily find others from knowing that information

They make little scavenger maps for the Immunes and hide presents in certain locations for them to look for and find; watching them as they’re filled with excitement and searching for the goodies

Ari sings at night and Aris likes to listen in because it reminds him of simpler times, dozing off into good dreams 

Sonjay [Group D, Subject D5: The Resourceful]

Male Sonya

Portrayed by Brenton Thwaites 

Sonya quick to the whip, asking him questions if he likes the same things that she likes and he replies with “yes” for every signal one. She then begins asking him about things that she doesn’t like and he agrees with her

“I already like you.” She says with a smile after the questionare

Sonya and Sonjay speak fondly of their siblings, Newt and Newelle; they share childhood stories and how their older sibling looked after them to make sure that they’d always be loved and safe

Sonjay likes to make wire bracelets for everyone while Sonya joins him with making her flower crowns

At night, Sonjay plays his guitar around the fire and Sonya just admires his musical talent, blushing which causes Newt to nudge her in a teasing manner.

When boredom hits, Sonya and Sonjay both dare each other to do embarrassing things; Sonjay keeps them to a minimal but Sonya goes above and beyond 

When it comes to Ari, Sonjay gets flustered and shy, and Sonya goes to talk to her, letting her know about him and to give him a chance

On the beach, Sonjay teaches Sonya how to boogie board and encourages her whenever she fails, telling her that she’s doing a good job and to keep on trying

Harrison [Group D, Subject D7: The Resilient]

Male Harriet

Portrayed by Jacob Anderson (aka Raleigh Ritchie)

“Well look at you being a stud,” Harriet remarks, eyeing him up and down, impressed. Harrison tries to act like he’s tough but breaks into a laugh, blushing once she says that.

Harrison decides to be in charge of the Immunes, staying with the younger ones, who are 14 and under, throughout the night with Harriet accompanying 

Harrison and Harriet both are the ones who make shadow puppets with the firelight and flashlights 

Harriet sees Harrison as selfless, brave, and daring which she believes are strong leadership qualities and are good personality traits 

They both play Clue with Thalia & Thomas and act as the referees during the Chicken Fights of Frey, Frypan, Thalia, and Thomas as well as the volleyball matches 

At the beach, Harriet and Harrison serve drinks and snacks to everyone, reminding them to stay hydrated and to keep up with their nutrition 

Harrison likes to fish for clams in the sea, trying to find pearls to make necklaces for all of the girls including Harriet  

[pamphletstoinspire]

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, - THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, FROM THE LATIN VULGATE BIBLE

Chapter 22

PREFACE.

St. Luke, who had published his gospel, wrote also a second volume, which, from the first ages, hath been called the Acts of the Apostles. Not that we can look upon this work, as a history of what was done by all the apostles, who were dispersed in different nations; but we have here a short view of the first establishment of the Christian Church, a small part of St. Peter's preaching and actions, set down in the first twelve chapters, and a more particular account of St. Paul's apostolical labours, in the following chapters, for about thirty years, till the year 63, and the 4th year of Nero, where these acts end.

Chapter 22

Paul declares to the people the history of his conversion. He escapes scourging by claiming the privilege of a Roman.

1 Men, (about the year A.D. 58) brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give you.

Notes & Commentary:

Ver. 1. Hear ye the account. In the Greek, to the apology, or defence. (Witham) --- St. Paul, in this exordium, as also in Acts vii. 2. shews himself not ignorant of the art of pleading. He adds the name of Fathers, supposing there may be some of his hearers of senatorial dignity, and others deserving the title for their rank and age. (Mat. Pol.)

Note:

Ver. 1. Quam reddo rationem, akousate...tes apologias.

2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence.

Ver. 2. No explanation given.

3 And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus, in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

Ver. 3. The scholars sat much below their master; and the nearest the master were such as had made the greatest proficiency. (Philo, de Essenis)

4 And I persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

Ver. 4. This way. That is, the Christian faith, which now I profess. (Witham)

5 As the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the ancients: from whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, to bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem, that they might be punished.

Ver. 5. As the high priest doth bear me witness. That is, as the letters which he gave me, bear witness. (Witham)

6 And it came to pass, as I was going and drawing nigh to Damascus, at mid-day, that suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me:

Ver. 6. No explanation given.

7 And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Ver. 7. No explanation given.

8 And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Ver. 8. No explanation given.

9 And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

Ver. 9. Heard not the voice. To reconcile this with chap. ix. ver. 7. where it is said that they heard the voice; it may be answered that they heard a noise, and a voice, but heard it not distinctly, nor so as to understand the words. (Witham) --- They heard not the voice of him who spoke to the apostle, but they heard the latter speak; (Acts ix. 7.) or perhaps they heard a noise, which they could not understand. They perhaps heard the voice of Paul answering, but not that of Christ complaining.

10 And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise, and go to Damascus: and there it shall be told thee of all things thou must do.

Ver. 10. No explanation given.

11 And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus.

Ver. 11. No explanation given.

12 And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having a good character from all the Jews dwelling there,

Ver. 12. No explanation given.

13 Coming to me, and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And I the same hour looked upon him.

Ver. 13. No explanation given.

14 And he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

Ver. 14. Shouldst...see the Just One. Our Saviour appeared to St. Paul, as it is said; (chap. ix. 7.) and he is divers times, both in the Prophets and in the Testament, called the Just One. (Witham) --- To see and hear the Just One; Him, who is just by excellence, that you also may prove a witness of his resurrection from the dead.

15 For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

Ver. 15. No explanation given.

16 And now why delayest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling upon his name.

Ver. 16. Wash, &c. The contrition and charity of St. Paul had, no doubt, merited for him the remission of his sins at the moment of his conversion. Still were these effects to be attributed to the desire of the sacrament of baptism, without which the council of Trent defines that the forgiveness of sins, and the punishment due to them, are not obtained. It likewise added a new degree of lustre to his innocence and purity. (Tirinus) --- Calling upon his name. In such manner, says St. Chrysostom, (hom. xlvii.) as we invoke the only true God; and as we invoke the saints, and pray to them, that they would pray for us. (Witham)

17 And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, (about the year A.D. 37) and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

Ver. 17. To Jerusalem...that I was in a trance. This might be when he went to Jerusalem, three years after his conversion, or at some other time. It might be in this ecstacy that he was wrapt to the third heaven, as he tells the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians xv. 9.[2 Corinthians xii. 2.?] (Witham)

18 And saw him, saying unto me: Make haste, and go quickly out of Jerusalem: because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

Ver. 18. No explanation given.

19 And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison, and beat in every synagogue, them that believed in thee.

Ver. 19. No explanation given.

20 And when the blood of Stephen, thy witness, was shed, I stood by and consented, and kept the garments of them who killed him.

Ver. 20. Of Stephen, thy witness. Or thy martyr, as the Greek word signifies. (Witham)

21 And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off will I send thee.

Ver. 21. Hence we see that not only principals, but all that consent to the persecution of God's servants for the cause of religion, do highly offend; and this St. Paul mentions here, that the mercy of God may be more remarkably glorified in him hereby. (Bristow)

22 And they heard him until this word, and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such a one from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

Ver. 22. This word. That is, until he told them that God had sent him to preach to the Gentiles, whom they could not bear to hear preferred before themselves. Not that the Jews forbad preaching to the Gentiles; on the contrary, our Saviour reproached the Pharisees, that they would go over land and sea for the sake of making one proselyte. They were likewise enraged that St. Paul had not laid on the Gentiles the heavy yoke of the law. (Calmet) --- Hence they exclaim: take away this wicked man from amongst us, for it is a sin to let him live. (Bible de Vence)

23 And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,

Ver. 23. Threw off their garments. Or pulling them open to shew themselves ready to stone him. (Witham) --- This is nicely descriptive of the fury of a populace, who, when unable to vent their rage in some more effectual way, indignantly throw into the air, and against the object of their indignation, such harmless trifles as dust, clothes, &c. (Menochius)

24 The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and to be scourged, and tortured: that he might know for what cause they cried out thus against him.

Ver. 24. No explanation given.

25 And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion standing by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

Ver. 25. A Roman. That is, a Roman citizen, a freeman of Rome. (Witham) --- The apostle, on this occasion, not to injure the faith of some weak Christians, who might be scandalized at his public disgrace, prevents the scourging, which on another occasion he patiently submitted to. By the thongs he was probably bound to a pillar; (Tirinus) or being tied hand and foot, was stretched on the ground, with his face downwards. This was frequently done among the Romans. (Calmet) --- See also Gretser de cruce, lib. i. chap. 10; who declares that it was the Roman custom to bind to a stake or pillar, such as were condemned to be flogged.

26 Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune, and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

Ver. 26. No explanation given.

27 And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me, art thou a Roman? But he said: Yes.

Ver. 27. No explanation given.

28 And the tribune answered: I obtained the freedom of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so.

Ver. 28. Civilitatem; that is, Civitatem, Græcè, politeian, the rights of citizenship. These privileges were granted by Antonius to the city of Tarsus. (Appianus, civilium 5.)

29 Immediately, therefore, they that were about to torture him, departed from him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him.

Ver. 29. The same law which forbad a Roman citizen to be scourged, forbad him also to be bound. (St. Augustine, lib. i. de Serm. Dni. chap. 29.) --- It was under Claudius that the abuse of buying the freedom of Rome was introduced. At first the name of a Roman was esteemed much, and bought at a great price. Now (such is the emptiness and vanity of titles) it is refused, and despised; nay, it is fled from, and reckoned disgraceful. (Salvian. De Gubern. Dei, lib. v.) --- If St. Paul, on this occasion, makes use of his privilege, it is not that he was unprepared, or afraid to die for Christ; but because it was lawful to use ordinary means to extricate himself from difficulties, and preserve himself for future services to religion. (Denis the Carthusian)

30 But on the next day, wishing to know more diligently, for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the priests to come together and all the council: and bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.

Ver. 30. No explanation given.

[moondriftingold]

‘ I mean, I’ve saved some people, okay? ‘ mHH

          SUPERNATURAL.  ||  accepting.

     xion’s grovelling to him again to change the mission schedule. he wonders why they do that, the keyblade wielders —- they seem to just continuously forget his authority, or, they simply elect to ignore it. he honestly doesn’t know which he loathes more. the forgetfulness wouldn’t surprise him as much as the other option would irritate him; they’re ignorant, selfish little things that cannot see past their own noses, after all.

     saïx stares down at xion, pen scratching against the clipboard papers in his grasp. the puppet blinks back at him, painfully hopeful, and saïx would find the expression disgusting if he was capable of feeling such a thing. it seems proud of its work, however mundane and pointless it may be.

     too bad he doesn’t care.

                 ❝  we don’t need you to save people. we need you to do your work, defeat heartless, and fulfill your purpose.  ❞        despite the monotone base in his voice, saïx always manages to sound so cold. he finishes the lines he was jotting down, notes on xion’s lack of compliance, and holds the clipboard at his side after sliding the pen into the clip.         ❝  your mission schedule doesn’t change, and it will not change — especially if you’re wasting time on duties the organization does not care for nor does it need. do you understand?  ❞

[osunews]

osu!weekly #94

The ceremonial war drums are about to be sounded to signal the beginning of our annual osu!taiko World Cup! There are hints of some big changes coming soon, and our weekly publication is here to help you stay in the know. Read on to get educated!

Previous Next

Weekly news

While I still have your attention about big changes, let’s get this one out of the way first. A new set of ranking criteria has made public and etched into stone! This marks the first set of collective achievements from the multi-mode ranking criteria council that looks to take an educated stance on improving our rules and guidelines based on the needs of the times and the community. If you want to take a look, head on over the wiki page where the new criteria are now live!

”But I want to make my own changes to the game!”, you might exclaim. Well, ignoring the fact that the development of osu is now more or less completely open source, you can now also apply as a beatmap nominator for osu!taiko, osu!catch, and osu!mania. Applications close on the 7th of March, so head out there and be the change you want to see in the world!

If you’re trying to get into mapping but don’t know where to start, perhaps a little push from our loving mentors can help! That said, applications for a brand new cycle of the osu!mania mentorship program has taken off. Get ready to spread your wings by studying under an already established member of the community. If you aren’t particularly interested in learning the ins and outs of spaghetti arranging, fret not. The osu!standard mentor cycles are also happening once every four months. We’ll have an announcement for you when that is ready, so be sure to watch out for the news!

A new storyboard showcase has been uploaded, this time featuring yet another wonderful work from Exile-. Noma’s Louder Machine is yet another adrenaline pumping track that questions the listener’s preparedness as a part of its routine. A storyboard showcase is great and all, but it really doesn’t replicate the feeling of playing this map with the storyboard on! If you’re interested, check out the map here.

The date of our next public osu!dev meeting has been decided! If you want to have a sneak peak at the progress behind the scenes, drop by the stream on Saturday, March 4th, 14:00 UTC. I’ve been told we’ll be discussing some particularly exciting things this time that may or may not be relevant to something already discussed in this issue, so don’t miss out! For a record of what was discussed in previous meetings, take a look at the dev blog that is now effectively maintained by Ephemeral.

Scorewatch: February Week 4 (With Scorewatch Patrol)

Cookiezi has pulled off an amazing feat that he could not believe. He absolutely stomped Wagakki Band - Tengaku with an amazing 97.81% HD FC, giving him 663pp. Not only did he manage to set the very first FC on the map, he also smashed the 100,000,000 score barrier on that map, and distancing himself away from currently 2nd on the map HappyStick. What a monster of a play.

Does cYsmix feat. Emmy - Tear Rain ring a bell to any of you newcomers? Well, you had to download this map when you first started playing osu! of course. Recently, a 4 digit player named Jeby pulled off a huge HDHRDT FC with 95.43% and scoring 223pp. But, that score was sniped by Salieri by setting a huger HDHRDTSD FC with 96.30% and scoring 237pp. Bring back some nostalgia to your day by watching this replay.

_yu68 continues to dominate the osu!taiko scene with an amazing 99.64% DT FC on Camellia - Exit This Earth's Atomosphere, earning 694pp. What can we really add to this amazing play and amazing player? Take time out of your day to check it out!

Callionet nearly emerged with an FC senya - Tsuki ni Murakumo Hana ni Kaze (PV ver.) by setting a crazy HDDT 99.20% 1 miss play, earning exactly 566pp. Only 3 players have ever attempted this diffficulty with HDDT, and the nearest to Callionet is _Asriel, which makes this score pretty impressive. Check it out.

step mania, better known as Attang, recently set a what appeared to be an impossible Camellia - PLANET//SHAPER NC 95.03% play, giving him 1167pp. Never mind the pp though, this play is incredibly crazy, as the notes come in at 220.5BPM, and with the HP drain at 9.3, you would need to minimize your miss count in order to even pass this map. This is a mindblowing score for the osu!mania community and might be one for you too.

NOTABLE MENTIONS:

DanyL has been skyrocketing in ranks lately, setting a 95.54% HDDT play on *namirin - Koi no Hime Hime Pettanko and earning himself 579pp.

Saiya - Remote Control falls for another HDDT play, this time from CXu, surprisingly enough, getting 512pp from his 97.63% play.

Fantasy and Amlink pulled off significant DT plays on 8284 vs wa. - Adularescence, the former with a 99.53% 844pp FC play, the latter with a 99.25% 3 miss 706pp play.

But wait, we’re forgetting something! The end of the month means solutions to last month’s puzzle.

I’d have to say though, I’m thoroughly disappointed in a certain name missing from the word hunt. I mean, the other half is there, so it begs the question of whether or not kirby is developing a worrying trend of favoritism. In other news, I am on my way to kirby’s house right now to give him a piece of my mind! If you have anything you’d like to see make the news next week, drop by the osu!dev discord or shoot us an email at news@ppy.sh. With that, I’ll leave you to ponder the fate of our beloved riddler. Have fun everyone!

—Nyquill

[musical-mastermind]

SBURB Ideas

It’s one in the morning, I have class in about six, seven hours, and I can’t sleep.

Time to share Generic SBURB Session ideas.

1) Planets are more like Solar Systems.

So basically we see the four/eight/twelve planets revolving around Skaia during the sessions with the kids and trolls. Generic perfect circle. I doubt that’d truly be the case. I kinda think they’d be arranged sorta like our solar system is. That is to say, accounting for the planets, they’d be revolving at various velocities, rotating at variable speeds, and have general distances between the paths of travel, though maybe not as extreme as ours. Say we’re 1000 miles from Mars (just bear with me, i know it’s not), in a SBURB session, your home planet might be 200 miles from your friend’s planet.  Now, distances will be pretty close, but you do gotta account for Gravity, right? Revolution speeds will drastically differ too. If one planet goes around Skaia 365.25 Days, another planet closer could go around in 35 days, a planet closer to home planet could be 634 days, etc... and Travel between planets. There’s the gates, but there could be potential to add some other methods? That’s a debatable thing that I’m gonna leave open ended.

2) SBURB Menu.

In a sense, it’s kinda like a pause menu, except time won’t stop really.

All sessions can have this as a thing. But SBURB will program a menu for you to use freely. When you successfully enter a session, perhaps a small square or something can spawn on your arm. Pressing it will activate a pop-up menu that you can check various things in it. What I’m thinking is a general Map, Stats, Skills, Tips, and Players (In a session of 2+) Map: Generic map of your general location. An indicator will mark Your Location, Spawn (where you entered), Quest Bed, and any various bookmarks you end up leaving, such as a temple buried in sand or some stuff like that. Stats: A menu showing YOUR stats and general capabilities. Stats could include things like Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Sanity, Constitution, etc. showing general things, like how strong, clever, etc. and give you some ideas of where you could grow, what you’re able to do, and even Health. Good to know when you want to plan a fight. This can also show general information, such as Time In Session, Enemies Slain, Comrades Helped, etc... Skills: A list of feats you’re capable of performing. Skills are divided into three categories: General, Super, and Fraymotifs. General skills can include things like, say, Flash strike, where a user can bolt at high speeds and skewer enemies in the way. General skills can basically be done by anyone, and usually help get players started. Super Skills are for your general use. For my example, I can call Obelisk Impale, where a stone obelisk will rise from the ground and impale enemies. Now some super skills will require unlocking full potential, i e Ascending to God Tier, such as my Obelisk Impale, but others will be unlocked via proficiency with Strife Specibus. Persay, if you used needles, you can use Spike Rain and throw a thousand needles at enemies. No one else can use that. And Fraymotifs. Generally these are using your aspect in weaponized form. No two players of a same class/aspect can use them the same way. For example, I’ve had someone who defined what a Mage of Space can use as fraymotifs, but I can also add that a Mage of Space can use a fraymotif to summon meteors from above to rain down and harm the enemy. I’m not gonna discuss much, but anyway. It’ll show basically ultimate skills only you can use, and provide what cooldown time it could have, say a minute or thirty seconds... And all that’s unlocked after God Tier, and it’d help to have higher stats on the Echeladder anyway. Tips: These are for starting players entering a session, giving them general clues in how to progress in the game. This means a starting player could look in tips and read “It’s important to have some sort of armament in a session. Anything will do if you can use it.” and remember ‘hey, i gotta grab the kitchen knife.’ As you progress, you’ll encounter fewer tips, and when you reach X level, say, level 533 on the Echeladder, the tips will completely disappear, thus forcing you to adapt to a session. Players: This will give a general overview of the players in the session. It will show their state (Alive, Dead, Ascended, Just/Heroic), Health, Experience, and Planet. This can at least monitor if your pals are alive or whatnot.

3) Variants of Planets.

Back to this one I guess. So not only are planets in a solar system format, but they’ll have variety in size too. We could have a planet the size of Saturn or Pluto basically. This could make for interesting dynamics and quests as needed.

Other variations might include an Asteroid belt that one planet resides in, or a double planet revolving hastily around each other or some weird shit like that. Not only would weather be weird there, eclipses every ten minutes? I don’t know, im tired.

Anyway. On with the grouping.

4) Hacking Sessions/Cheating.

SBURB could probably come with patch notes. Ver. 4.3 Patch Notes: Fixed Travelling Through The Void To New Sessions glitch, Fixed Bug That Kills Players On Spawn. Fixed Bug That Crushed Totem Lathe That sorta thing. Depending on the version nabbed, you could find new ways to exploit and cheat the game, such as an infinite card glitch or another way to slip to another session, so there’s the possibility of fucking things up in SBURB. Maybe an Infinite Time glitch. 5) Limits, Challenges.

Last thing before i try to sleep again. There will be limits and challenges required by the game, that you and your team must complete before being able to face off against the final boss. You can have main challenges, such as Heir of Void must slaughter the Cavern Boss in the Land of Shade and Frost, or Sylph of Space must create Genesis Frog, variable stuff. And of course optional challenges, such as Slaughter 40 Oil Imps in 60 minutes. Stuff to give you bonus EXP.

And Time Limits. Apparently in canon, John, Dave, Rose, and Jade completed their first portion of the game in 24 Hours? Some shit like that.

Well, there’d be time limits. Knights of Time will be the ones that influence the time limit of course (Because there’s little time and every second is precious) but that aside, I’m gonna disregard the impact of Time Players for right now.

Time limits in SBURB are a standard 8 years for a party of 2-4. 5-6 takes it to 6, 7-8 would have 4, and 9-12 would have 2 years, and any more will have a year to complete though i doubt a session would even allow 13+ but anyway, there’d be a time limit before the Cataclysm, and End-Game event occurs, which spreads from Skaia outward. It’s basically the blackout/destruction of the session. Failure to reach the goals will not only destroy the planets, any life remaining in the session will be erased completely, thus making it vital for players to commit to meeting their goals on time. With those time limits in place, players will be given a timer that’ll indicate how long they have before everything starts up. But there’s also hope. The outermost planet will have a device of some sort, like how the main session in HS had The Scratch, which reset the universe. Various artifacts will be around the outermost planet, which, if done at the last possible moment (For a bs example, ten minutes before total annihilation), will successfully reset the universe and give a new set of players a chance to run things. Any later than the set moment, and it’s automatic game over.

Of course, with all that, it’s obvious to state that Lords and Muses will have differing portions in that, but I’m not going into more details... 

Now if you excuse me and my long post, I’ve got a hot date with a warm bed and sleep. I hope.

[vitalmindandbody]

Rocket ships, eagles and marriage patties: the Chicago contest that led to a skyscraper blowup

In 1922, the Chicago Tribunes owner launched a contest to design a towering brand-new HQ for his paper and changed high-rises for ever. Will the relaunch of the call-out by the Chicago Architecture Biennial render such seismic makes?

It was legislation as” the greatest architectural rivalry in record”, a hunt for” the most beautiful and unique office building in the world” to home” the world’s greatest newspaper “. The Chicago Tribune’s owner, Colonel Robert R McCormick, “havent had” shortage of ambition where reference is launched the open call to design a stunning new HQ for his newspaper in 1922. And he wasn’t disappointed by the response.

The glamour of the summary, along with the bait of $100,000 in prize money( around $1.5 m today ), met 263 inventors submit patterns from 23 “the worlds”. The enters cater a fascinating cross-section of the aesthetic preoccupations of the working day, wandering from neoclassical uniting cake confections to modernist slab, manifesting a few moments on the cusp of radical change.

Winner … an early film of Tribune Tower, created by Raymond M Hood and John Mead Howells. Image: Keystone-France/ Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

The winning entry, which still sits proudly on the corner of Michigan Avenue, was a neo-gothic fantasy of stone wharves and operating buttress, a rocket ship conjured from 16 th-century France. It was still of the most significant and most exciting towers in Chicago, if not the world, its facade encrusted with boulders and globs of other famous buildings brought back from exotic estates by the newspaper’s reporters. But it was the competition itself that had the bigger impact on the architectural imagination. The sheer straddle of entryways triggered an international dispute on what tack the future of the skyscraper should take, catering a stylistic smorgasbord for generations of towers to come.

It is a discussion that the curators of the second Chicago Architecture Biennialhope to reignite this month, with an exhibition that will restage the Tribune Tower rivalry, 95 years on, asking contemporary inventors to respond to the brief.

Choosing as their theme ” manufacture new history”, co-curators of the biennial Mark Lee and Sharon Johnston set out to ask a new generation what a high-rise could be today. The L-Abased duo, founding partners of Johnston Marklee architecture firm, say that coming to Chicago as strangers, they” wanted to generate a discussion that would have an international resonance like the original competition did “.

Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer’s suggestion. Picture: Rizzoli press

That 1922 rivalry was the ultimate combat of the styles. The majority of American designers, then still trained in the Beaux-Arts manner, privileged a traditionalist approach, their patterns ranging from teetering romanesque campaniles to gothic accumulations. These were office structures as cathedrals, their mighty stone jibes crowned with domes, worlds and spires. Columns were piled on pilasters, rusticated plinths cried under heaving cornices and every conjugation was elaborated with a twiddly moulding. It was the post-industrial financier civilization sought for legality in the fancy dress of yore.

Bruno und Max Taut’s expressionist pyramid. Picture: Ullstein Bild/ Getty

The European introductions, by differ, were much more diverse, straying from gigantic Art Deco statues to stark sword chassis stripped of all ornament. There was an expressionist pyramid by Bruno Taut, an asymmetrical planar composition by Bauhaus maestroes Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer and, perhaps most famously of all, a tower in the forms of a gigantic doric editorial by Viennese provocateur Adolf Loos. On the eve of the publication of Le Corbusier’s seminal manifesto, Vers une Architecture, you can sense the evident excitement about captivating the” tone of the age” in glass and steel.

Adolf Loos’s doric column-shaped tower. Photograph: Rizzoli press

The competition has resembled down the generations, and Johnston and Lee are not the first to revive the competition as a means of sampling the climate of the day. In 1980, Chicago architects Stanley Tigerman and Stuart Cohen invited” Late Entries” to the tournament, asking such luminaries as Tadao Ando and Frank Gehry to submit patterns. As Tigerman wrote:” The original rivalry occurred at a time that was near the end of one era and the opening up of another. This exhibition takes lieu during a era of revisionism in which Modernism is being safely demoted to its lieu in biography .”

Tadao Ando’s characteristically minimalist meaning for the 1980 form of the architectural struggle. Image: Rizzoli press

The entryways were a riotous postmodern hotch-potch of cite and collage. The designers sampled promiscuously from different periods and used its own proposal as vehicles for critical commentary. Gaetano Pesce proposed a build as a fractured likenes of the newspaper, personifying” savagery, autonomy, politics and technology” in its sculpted facade. Helmut Jahn looked at manipulating the available air rights above the existing tower, building a mirror-glass doppelganger of the Tribune on top of its gothic treetop. Ando proposed a characteristically mute grid, while Gehry deferred a mad sketch of a tower surfaced with an eagle, from whose backstages tourists could hang in an aerial fairground ride.

Frank Gehry’s sketch for the 1980 Late Entryways exhibition. Image: Frank Gehry

Just as the 1922 competition discovered a new generation of modernists, so the 1980 form celebrated the revert of history and decorate, the” complexity and incongruity” called for by Robert Venturi.” Our own generation has gained brand-new verve ,” wrote Tigerman,” through its desire to find formal gist in our culture parentages now that the barrenness of Modernism is behind us .”

Helmut Jahn’s 1980 introduction. Photograph: Helmut Jahn

So what will the 2017 copy tell us about the country of contemporary structure? By limiting the selection to only 15 designers, all sampled from a similar-ish school of thought, it is unlikely to give the complete picture. Rather than participate in the temperature of world rule, the curators say they wanted to give a younger generation the chance to make a statement about improving tall. There are none of the obvious big names- no spherical “parametric” stalagmites from Zaha Hadid Architects , no Lego brick ziggurats from Bjarke Ingels , no mute stone obelisks from Peter Zumthor , no minimal white pillars from Sanaa. Instead, there will be a series of astute, critical thinkings on the Tribune competition, exhibited as an immersive plantation of three-metre high magnitude models.

London architect Sam Jacob continues the whimsical sprain of the 1980 rivalry. Directing to the archaeological fragments embedded in the facade of the existing tower, his proposal investigates an octagonal cupola roosted atop arched colonnades that in turn rest upon modernist grids. With this lively layer-cake of different buildings Jacob is reflecting on how” building is not something that we generate but something that are present, just waiting for us to discover it “.

The Chicago Pasticcio: Sam Jacob’s 2017 enter fuses Adolf Loos’ unbuilt 1922 overture with the actual Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue. Picture: Sam Jacob Studio

Swiss practice Christ& Gantenbein have gone down the ready-made itinerary more, choosing to recreate an automated concrete garage tower built in Sao Paulo in 1964, as a celebration of” the pristine architecture of pure tectonics “.

Christ& Gantembein’s 2017 suggestion repurposes a 1964 concrete tower built in Sao Paulo. Photograph: Johnston Marklee( Chicago Architecture)

Others have preferably lazily recycled previous campaigns of their own, with Mexico’s Productora stacking one of their framed suggestions on top of another, and France’s Eric Lapierre scaling up a faceted line from a student housing stymie he’s building up Paris. 6a Architectsfollow a same course, but with a more elaborated narrative, asking a number of American wood-turners to each lathe a section of their tower according to a series of charts taken from their Raven Row gallery in London, whose Georgian interior was, for a while, on display in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Serie’s proposed vertiginous stack of pavilions in this year’s competition. Photograph: Chicago Architecture

The frameworks will no doubt make for a series of diverting artistry sections, but overall there seems to be too much interest in devising a cunning narrative and little attention given to actually designing a high-rise media headquarters for the 21 st century. Some entries touch on the changing media landscape, but don’t take it very far. Serie proposes a vertiginous stack of pavilions, like nested coffee counters extended awry, imagined as a landscape of” theaters, filling zones, restful landscapes and hedonistic plots: the real productive spaces for today’s media workers .” African architect Francis Kere suspects a mixed-use neighbourhood, with home, workspace and cultural facilities set around a series of spaces in a tower of cylinders. Mexico’s Tatiana Bilbao supposes a” vertical community” of 192 stories, paid attention to a range of collaborators to design.

Francis Kere Architect’s sketch for the 2017 contest. Image: Library of Congress/ Kere Architecture

Visitors expecting a cross-section of contemporary rehearsal will be thwarted. But then again you simply have to visit Manhattan to find Bob Stern construct classical stone skyscrapers next to Herzog and de Meuron’s overwhelmed glass Jenga tower. When all kinds of high-rise imaginable is already being built, from Stefano Boeri’s vertical groves to Calatrava’s kilometre-high spider’s network in Dubai, it seems that many of the young patterns here would rather retreat into the realms of note and criticism than add to the melee.

As for the Chicago Tribune itself, the exhibition comes at a poignant minute. The newspaper recently announced that it is moving out of its iconic headquarters after its parent company exchanged the Tribune Tower to a Los Angeles developer for $240 m. There are plans to convert it into luxury accommodations and a hotel, a stark remember that neither newspapers , nor inventors, have the strength they formerly enjoyed.

Vertical City will be on display at the Chicago Cultural Center as part of the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial, 16 September to 7 January.

The post Rocket ships, eagles and marriage patties: the Chicago contest that led to a skyscraper blowup appeared first on vitalmindandbody.com.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2jA6ycg via IFTTT

[moondriftingold]

" were we ever friends? "

          MANIA.  ||  accepting.

     this isn’t news to him. he’s seen it coming, the deterioration of their friendship; even before those two pesky puppets came along, saïx had sensed their past bond dwindling under the stress of their tasks as the years went on and their hope to escape faded into a bland routine. they’d hung onto each other for so long for a common cause, for common fond memories — but once axel had found a friendship he could fake well enough to cover up their lives before their worlds were filled with grey, it was only a matter of time before whatever semblance of a bond they had would crumble. and it does.

     saïx stares at the pieces of it at his feet, fragments of the biggest part of his life shattered in front of him like glass, heavy panels of it broken and brittle and discarded to be forgotten. he blinks and it’s gone. 

     he blinks and he’s never been so alone.

     were we ever friends? it’s spat at him in a bitter anger, and saïx knows very well what the set of axel’s jaw means. he knows what that sturdy line in his shoulders translates to, what the fire behind his eyes entails, what the curl of his fists means for them both. if saïx had a heart, he’d kill his old friend for breaking it.

     were we ever friends?

                       does the past mean nothing to you?

     saïx doesn’t have a human memory to compare this to. he doesn’t have a phantom feeling to label this sorrow-filled rage with, so he won’t label it with anything; he goes stone cold and sets himself on infuriating the redhead further with ice and ignorance, golden gaze boring into him, freezing the fire behind those emerald greens.

                   ❝  you know—-  ❞ 

     everything is ruined. everything is falling apart. those damn kids have stripped him of everything — his plan, his hope of escaping this hell, and now, the only tie he has left to his humanity. they’ve stuck their greedy little hands into his chest and carved out every last thing he’d had, and now all saïx is left with is the empty shell that he so loathes being attached to. the nobody tilts his chin up, looking upon the redhead he’d once called his best friend, and he lies because it’s the only thing he knows how to do anymore.

                   ❝  i’m beginning to wonder that, myself.  ❞

[moondriftingold]

​❝ don’t you dare touch me. ❞

          FIVE SENSES.  ||  closed.

@islelight.

     saïx has discovered, like always, that he has to do everything himself if he wants anything to be done right. demyx can’t be trusted to keep watch over this girl; he’s too soft on her, and it seems as though she’s regrown her spine. ( he doubts she ever lost it, to be quite honest --- that fool never could properly utilize the tool of fear to its greatest potential. no matter. he knows a thing or two about how to injure a heart. )

                         ❝  ... don’t i dare?  ❞

     he knows she doesn’t like him. he can see it so plainly on her face --- her rage and disgust is so evident that it might actually hurt him, if he had a heart to hurt. on one hand it’s validating to be so openly loathed; it means he’s doing his job right. on the other, it may make her all the more different to handle. she snarls at him when he steps towards the bars, and his lip twitches as that damn dog beside her barks and bares its teeth in a low growl.

     he would admire her tenacity if it didn’t inconvenience and irritate the hell out of him.

                         ❝  if you really believe you’re the one calling the shots around here, i’m sorry, but you are sorely mistaken.  ❞

[moondriftingold]

          @thalxssas.  ||  ☾

     the cell hall is cold. the whole castle is cold, really, but saïx has never been able to feel the chill of the air or the crisp bite of the breeze down the narrow hallway. it’s a sensation he’s forgotten--- just another thing on a long list of lost luxuries that he’s working so hard to gain back.

                ❝  eat, child.  ❞

     his voice is less than encouraging, but it isn’t as sharp as it could’ve been. scolding rather than scathing, gazing down at the girl and that dog with a frost over his eyes. her food platter remains untouched.        ❝  denying yourself this grace we’ve given you is pointless, and entirely against your benefit.  ❞

[moondriftingold]

❝ you didn’t have to do that. ❞

          SHORT STORIES.  ||  accepting!

     it’s a shame, almost. this world looked like it held so much potential; it carried a feeling of nostalgia that saïx isn’t sure if he’d care for even if he’d still had his heart, but would have enough sense to respect anyways. woodlands once lush and grand now darken under growing shadows, branches twitching as life drains out of them. the grass greys, and his little monsters run free.

                  ❝  …i’m afraid that i did.  ❞

     releasing heartless into the remaining worlds is another way of keeping a chokehold on his, and the organization’s, adversaries. it keeps them busy and makes them desperate, and the replenishing of hearts only makes him stronger. it’s a win-win, really. it would be such a wasted opportunity, to not infect a world in waiting.

    saïx sighs as a heartless twitches out from a patch of earth in front of him, the ground pooling black around his boots like spilled ink. this boy must surely be glaring daggers at him — but saïx isn’t looking. why would he?

                  ❝  worry not —- a bumbling fool and his troupe will be by soon enough to clean up this mess.  ❞        and in a flat, rather��un-encouraging tone:        ❝  do try to stay alive until then.  ❞

[moondriftingold]

          @celestialbreathe.  ||  ♡

     an odd magic emanates from her, and it colours saïx curious. he dares not approach yet, though, still unsatisfied with the amount of intel he’s been able to gather from this place. this world feels... odd to him, and he walks through it with a cool caution. there’s an energy here that he thinks he could harness, but he’s not sure. he’s never been to a place like this before.

     keeping a safe distance, saïx watches her weave through the city streets from above the rooftops, cloaked in black amid the shadows.

[moondriftingold]

❛ you won’t live forever in their memories. the way you treated them will. ❜

          A SOFTER WORLD.  ||  accepting.

     he has been here before. 

     he has heard this, in another life --- i’ll live forever. he has walked this path, stared fondly into it in the evening light and wished upon it like a shooting star --- in people’s hearts, i’ll live. and it’s almost ironic, coming from demyx now, to hear a mirror of such a thing echoed back at him as if hissed to him from his very own demons. saïx stares down at the other nobody with that cold, unflinching gaze he’d adopted in the wake of his emptied out chest, and he watches the fire swirl in demyx’s eyes.

     he’s a vocal thing, for a damn whelp.

     saïx knows that the things he feels are not real; he knows that the tireless wave of annoyance echoing through his ribs is a fabricated figment of his imagination, and that the scrunch of demyx’s infantile scowl is not actually stirring up irritation. what he thinks he feels is a ghostly memory. he grips his clipboard tighter.

                  ❝  are you unhappy with the way i’ve treated you?  ❞

     his tone is flat, but the edge behind it is not lost. the diviner’s words are framed like a prompt, but make no mistake --- it’s a question where every answer is the wrong one.

                  ❝  --- would you like me to change my approach?  ❞

[moondriftingold]

❛ when you look down at people, don’t you want to help them up? ❜

          A SOFTER WORLD.  ||  accepting.

     saïx almost ignores her. he almost does. he doesn’t generally go out of his way to interact with the copy anyway, nor does he do so with anyone else. pointless conversation is a waste of his time and his time is valuable; every second he spends in mediocrity, he could be advancing. every second wasted is yet another second spent without his soul, spent as a husk, spent in this ugly, empty, gratingly irritating white and grey world. but her question sounds so personal that it almost startles him.

     it’s unsettling, how the thing thinks.

                    ❝  no.  ❞

     he wastes no energy in mulling over an answer, as there’s no point in it. she doesn’t deserve his speech, let alone his mind. in his heart of hearts, in the soul that drifts in the winds of other worlds, his reply would be different — his reply would not be so filled with ice, but that’s all he’s been for years and for years that feels as though it’s all he’ll ever be. maybe he says it because it’s all he knows. maybe he says it because he doesn’t know how to feign the kindness, and even if he did, he wouldn’t want to anyway. maybe he says it just to scare her. 

     xion’s obedience is essential, after all, and he’ll have it whether or not he needs to choke it out of her with fistfuls of fear.

                    ❝  i want them to stay in the dirt, where they belong.  ❞

[moondriftingold]

          ☾   ||   @kukanorrow.

     the grey area is quiet. nil of visitors, save for seven and soon, two. the false moon calms his questions, reminds him of his purpose; why he’s here and why he keeps trudging his damn feet in the mud like a dog every damn day. reminds him there will be a new beginning on the horizon. reminds him that one day, he can cut open his flesh and finally feel something again.

     saïx recognizes the footsteps instantly.

                ❝  xigbar.  ❞  

     his shoulders, though broad, are loose. with an eerie, moonlit calm washing over him, saïx looks over his shoulder to his sudden company and begins.

                ❝  do you have a mission report for me?  ❞