#autumn 2021 celebration

[lilianasgrimoire]

Every Pagan Holiday

JANUARY 

KALENDS 

1st January 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Honouring Janus/Juno, first day of the Year. Kalends brought us the word 'calendar'. 

ÞORRABLÓT (THORRABLÓT) 

End of January/beginning of February 

Origins: Iceland 

Observed by: Heathens, Asatru 

Midwinter Festival honouring Thor, usually by feasting and poetry. 

FEBRUARY 

IMBOLC 

2nd February 

Origins: Celtic polytheism /Ireland, as St. Brigid's Day 

Observed by: Most neopagans, Wiccans, Druids, Asatru (as Charming of the Plow)  

Imbolc is the most widely known and observed pagan holiday in the months of January and February. It falls at the beginning of spring/end of the winter for the Celtic peoples; marking the changing of the seasons, as most holidays do. St. Brigid is a Christianised form of or inspired by the Celtic fertility goddess Brigid who is celebrated on this day.  

PARENTALIA 

13th-21st February 

Origins: Ancient Rome 

Observed by: Greco-Roman polytheists 

Translating to 'Ancestors Day', Parentalia is a nine-day celebration of deceased ancestors. Historically it was observed by feasting and making offerings and sacrifices to the dead and spirits of the underworld.  

VÁLI'S BLOT 

14th February 

Origins: Old Norse 

Observed by: Heathens, Asatru, Norse polytheists 

Váli's Blot is considered by some Asatru to be the Norse equivalent of Valentine's Day but is widely acknowledged as a season changing festival. A day for marriage and celebrating with family and friends, and for remembrance of Váli, the son of Odin who defeated Höðr on this day.  

LUPERCALIA 

15th February 

Origins: Ancient Rome 

Observed by: Greco-Roman polytheists 

Festival thought to honour a wolf who raised abandoned princes, celebrated originally by sacrificing goats to the gods, feasting, and, for fertility, nudity and fornication. 

LESSER ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES 

17th-23rd February 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Initiation to the cult of Persephone and Demeter by sacrificing a pig. Prelude to Greater Mysteries, initiations held on these dates. Once completed, initiates could then move onto Greater Mysteries in the autumn.  

ANTHESTERIA 

27th February - 1st March 2021 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Athenian festivals dedicated to Dionysus and the dead. Held around the full moon in the month of Anthesterion, which in the Gregorian calendar this year roughly translates to 27th February. 

THE DISTING/DÍSABLÓT 

End of February/beginning of March 

Origins: Uppsala, Sweden 

Observed by: Heathens, Asatru, Norse polytheists 

Celebration of Valkyries and other female spirits, called dísir. Sacrifices were made for a good harvest. Celebrated still by an annual market in Sweden.  

MARCH 

KALENDS 

1st March 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Honouring the god Mars/Ares. Kalends brought us the word 'calendar'. 

OSTARA/EARRACH 

20th March 

Origins: Anglo Saxon paganism, popularised as Ostara by Wicca 

Observed by:  Anglo Saxon Pagans, Wiccans, Neopagans, Druids (as Alba Eilir), Heathens (as Summer Finding), Ásatrú (as Sigrblót)  

The northern hemisphere's vernal equinox, the word Ostara was introduced though Wicca and named for the goddess Eostre. Surprisingly unrelated to Easter in all but name, Ostara symbolises the beginning of spring. As a seasonal holiday it is widely celebrated by many different groups of pagans.  

RAGNAR LODBROK'S DAY 

28th March 

Origins: Icelandic Sagas 

Observed by: Ásatrú  

Day of remembrance for Ragnar Lodbrok, Viking King of legend  

APRIL 

KALENDS/VENERALIA 

1st April 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Celebration of the first of the month, this one honouring the goddess, Venus. 

REMEMBRANCE FOR HAAKON SIGURDSSON 

9th April 

Origins: Norway, C9th 

Observed by: Ásatrú 

Day of remembrance for ruler of Norway who claimed lineage to Odin in the Icelandic Sagas.  

WALPURGISNACHT 

30th April 

Origins: German Christianity, originally Saint Walpurga was known for banishing witches and other pests 

Observed by: LaVeyan Satanists 

Anton LaVey chose to celebrate this holiday as a follow up to the spring equinox and due to its past association with witchcraft.  

HEXENNACHT (WITCHES' NIGHT) 

30th April 

Origins: German folklore, as Walpurgisnacht but witches were alleged to convene with the devil in this night 

Observed by: Temple of Satan as 'a solemn holiday to honour those who were victimized by superstition'.  

MAY 

BEALTAINE/BELTANE 

1st May 

Origins: Celtic (Ireland/Scotland/Isle of Man)  

Observed by: Wiccans, Neopagans, Celtic reconstructionist, Ásatrú/Heathens (as May Day)  

One of the more well-known pagan festivals, Beltane is a festival of fire and the beginning of the summer. Also widely referred to as May Day, it is celebrated by lighting fires.  

KALENDS 

1st May 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Honouring the goddess Maia, for whom the month may have been named.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR Guðröðr of Guðbrandsdál 

9th May 

Origins: C11 Norway, Icelandic Sagas 

Observed by: Ásatrú, Norse, heathens 

Guðröðr had his tongue removed by Óláfr for rebelling against violent conversion from Norse paganism to Christianity.  

JUNE 

KALENDS 

1st June 

Origins: Ancient Greece/Rome 

Observed by: Hellenic/Roman polytheists 

Anniversary of temples to Juno Moneta (protectress of money, her temple was where coins were made), Mars/Ares (God of war), and the Tempestates (goddesses of storms).  

ARRHEPHORIA 

3rd Skirophorion (translates to mid-June)  

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic reconstructionist 

Feast in celebration of Athena and fertility.  

MIDSUMMER/SUMMER SOLSTICE 

21st June 

Origins: Agricultural holiday/longest day observed for centuries by many civilisations. Christianity can date to as early as C4th 

Observed by: Wiccans/Germanic neopagans (as Litha), Asatru/Heathens, Druids (as Alban Hefin)  

One of the main four holidays in the Wheel of the Year and popularised by Wiccans and neopagans as Litha which is taken from the Anglo-Saxon words for June/July, this is the longest day of the year and the middle point and sometimes considered the beginning of summer.  

JULY 

REMEMBRANCE FOR UNNR/AUD THE DEEP MINDED 

9th July 

Origins: C9th Iceland 

Observed by: Ásatrú, Heathens, Norse reconstructionist 

Aud was a traveller in the 9th century moving between Dublin, the Hebrides, Orkney, and finally Iceland following the deaths of her husband and son. This day is to honour her memory.  

HERACLEIA 

July/August  

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists  

Festival dedicated to Heracles the demigod and his death, involving feasting and celebration.  

AUGUST 

LUGHNASADH/LAMMAS 

1st August 

Origins: Celtic Britain (Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man) 

Observed by: Wiccans, Neopagans, Christians (as Lammas), Ásatrú (as Freyfaxi)  

Named for the god Lugh, this festival is one of the Celtic harvest festivals and marks the beginning of the harvesting months. It was celebrated by climbing mountains, bull sacrifice, offerings, and feasting. Handfasting is commonplace with Wiccans in modern times.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR REDBAD, KING OF THE FRISIANS 

9th August 

Origins: C7th Frisia (area of Germany/Netherlands)  

SEPTEMBER 

NOUMENIA 

8th September  

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Celebration of new Hellenic lunar month. Offerings of honey and incense made to household deities.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR HERMANN THE CHERUSCAN 

9th September 

Origins: C9th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú 

Hermann the Cheruscan, also known as Arminius of the Cherusci tribe, led the defeat against the Romans at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest and is lauded for saving Eastern Germanic peoples from being conquered by the Roman Empire.  

AUTUMN EQUINOX (NORTHERN HEMISPHERE)  

22nd September  

Origins: 1970s neopaganism 

Observed by: Wiccans and Neopagans (as Mabon), Ásatrú (as Winter Finding)  

Named Mabon by prominent Wicca and Neopagan Aidan Kelly, after the Welsh mythological figure Mabon ap Moldron, the autumn equinox is one of the harvest festivals and marks the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Mabon is a relatively new pagan holiday not based on any specific historical festival, but traditionally people around the world would celebrate some kind of harvest festival around the end of September/beginning of October. 

OCTOBER 

PYANOPSIA 

7th October 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Pyanopsia, or Pyanepsia, is a festival to honour Apollo, one of the most important deities, God of music, the sun, knowledge, healing, and archery - amongst other things. During the festival, two special offerings would be placed on doorways and carried to the temple. These offerings were a bean stew, and an olive branch wrapped in wool with honeys, pastries and seasonal fruits hanging from it. 

REMEMBRANCE FOR LEIF EIRIKSSON 

9th October  

Origins: C10th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

Remembrance for Leif and his sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir, children of Erik the Red, who are cited with being the first Norse explorers in North America.  

THESMOPHORIA 

12th-14th October 

Origins: Ancient Greece 

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists 

Festival held in honour of Demeter Thesmophoros, goddess of agriculture, and her daughter Persephone, goddess of death and life, Queen of the Underworld. Celebrated primarily by women, this festival is linked with fertility, and we know very little about it due to its secretive rites. It is thought that it involved the sacrifice of pigs (although some sources say women), and abstinence.  

REMEMBRANCE FOR ERIK THE RED 

28th October 

Origins: C9th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

Erik the Red, probably named for the colour of his hair and beard, was the first permanent European settler in Greenland. His children were explorers too, who went to America, and although his wife converted to Christianity, Erik remained faithful to his Norse pagan gods. 

SAMHAIN (HALLOWE'EN) 

31st October-1st November  

Origins: Gaelic - Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man 

Observed by: Celtic pagans, Neopagans, Wiccans 

Pronounced SOW-in (sow rhyming with cow), Samhain was originally a harvest festival marking the beginning of winter. The day itself is the 1st November, but celebrations begin on October 31st, and this has become the accepted associated day. It's a festival of the dead, where the síthe, fae and spirits, can enter this realm from their own. Wiccans talk of a 'veil' thinning, meaning the boundary between worlds. Similar death related festivals around this time can be noted in other faiths from across the globe, and of course in the modern Hallowe'en. 

WINTER NIGHTS (VETRNAETR), ÁLFABLÓT/DÍSABLÓT 

31st October 

Origins: 

Celebrated by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

Winter Nights is mentioned in the Ynglinga Saga as one of the three greatest blessings of the year, the other two being Sigrblót in April, and þorrablót in late Jan/early Feb. Winter Nights is the celebration of the beginning of the winter season; Álfablót is a sacrifice to the elves, and Dísablót a sacrifice to the female spirits (dísir) and Valkyries.  

NOVEMBER 

REMEMBRANCE FOR SIGRID THE HAUGHTY 

9th November 

Origins: C9th CE 

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans 

It is not actually known whether Sigrid Storråda, or Sigrid the Haughty, was an actual historical figure, an amalgamation of a few, or simply a myth. The lore goes that she was proposed to multiple times and turned down many but went on to orchestrate conflict when a potential suitor - Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway - attempted to convert her to Christianity.  

DECEMBER 

REMEMBRANCE FOR EGILL SKALLAGRÍMSSON  

9th December  

Origins: C10th CE  

Observed by: Heathens, Ásatrú, Norse pagans  

Day celebrating the poet, farmer, and berserker Egill Skallagrímsson, who is recalled in The Icelandic Sagas by Snorri Sturluson. Egill is known for his many killings and escaping death by writing an epic poem after being captured when washing up on our Northumberland coastline.  

SATURNALIA  

17th - 23rd December  

Origins: Ancient Rome  

Observed by: Roman polytheists, some Hellenic  

Like Yule and Lesser Dionysia, Saturnalia was the Roman winter festival celebrating the coming return of the sun and honouring the god Saturn. The standard feasting and drinking feature, and slaves would be treated as equals like Dionysia. Saturnalia is another festival cited as being picked up by Christians and used as inspiration for Christmas.  

WINTER SOLSTICE (YULE/MIDWINTER)  

21st December  

Origins: Germanic nations, as early as C4th CE  

Observed by: Norse pagans, Wiccans, Neopagans, LaVeyan Satanists, Ásatrú, Heathens, many Germanic nonpagan peoples  

Yule is the midwinter festival known commonly among pagans as a time for feasting, being with loved ones, remembering ancestors, and looking forward to the return of the light and warmer days. Many pagans will celebrate Yule for more than one day, some celebrating a week either side, some for longer, up to two months, and some for twelve days afterwards. True Yule would have originally been in January for midwinter, but King Haakon the Good  

moved it to coincide with the Christian celebrations in the 10th century, as told in the Ynglinga Saga.  

On the 24th of December, Anglo Saxons are said to have celebrated 'Mothers Night' honouring female ancestors. 

RURAL/LESSER DIONYSIA  

End of December/beginning of January  

Origins: Ancient Greece  

Observed by: Hellenic polytheists  

Smaller festival honouring the god Dionysus (Greater Dionysia took place in cities at the end of winter). Feasting, mask wearing to stop distinction between classes so that everyone could feel equal, sacrifices, parades, and phallic display were all used to celebrate.

[aftgficrec]

favourite fics featuring halloween? (thank you guys for all your work!)

Here are some spooktacular fics for you! You may notice we often point out where a fic has been recced before. If you like the theme or mood of a fic, chances are you will find more like it in the ask where it was featured. -A

previous recs:

Staff Recs Oct 2020 Halloween/Spookiness here

Staff Recs Oct 2021 - Halloween here

Staff Recs Oct 2021 - More Halloween: Costumes, Fluff & Crack here

foxes in a haunted house here

supernatural compilation here

autumnal/spooky fics here

Flavors of Fall by NikNak22 [Rated E, 146194 Words, Complete, 2022]

Previously recced here

…Neil’s not the only one with secrets in this town. Everyone seems to have something they’ve kept hidden in the dark. And as soon as one thread gets pulled, they all seem to come unraveled… Featuring second chances, making mistakes, budding relationships, and as many fall shenanigans as possible – welcome to the smalltown world of Palmetto!

tw: implied/referenced rape/noncon, tw: panic attacks, tw: homophobia, tw: violence, tw: implied/referenced child abuse, tw: self harm, tw: animal abuse

Fang and Stake by darkbluebox [Rated T, 2658 Words, Complete, 2020]

Previously recced here

For most hunters, it would have been a wet dream: his quarry beaten, bleeding, trapped and prone before him. He might as well have been holding a stake on a silver platter. If it had been any other vampire in the world, Andrew wouldn’t have hesitated to drive the splintering chunk of wood through his chest and be done with it. Unfortunately, Neil wasn’t any other vampire.

tw: blood, tw: implied/referenced abuse

swing me your bones by sundowne [Rated T, 3447 Words, Complete, 2022]

Ditched parties, neglected movies, cold cocoa.

Sugar & Spice (and everything... nice?) by Willow_bird [Rated T, 7468 Words, Complete, AFTG Exchange Fall 2020]

Previously recced here

“I’m not going as Tombo.” He’d end up looking like Where’s Waldo if he’d been a short angry bodybuilder and no one wanted that. Renee’s little smile hinted at her having a similar visual. “I think I may have something that would require few changes to what you’re wearing now and would be minimal hassle altogether.” Andrew accompanies Renee to a Halloween party, allowing his best friend to dictate his costume because he really couldn’t be paid to care. Then he gets there, and yeah, his crush is wearing the exact same costume. Feelings happen.

deadly encounters by jeanyvesmoreau [Rated T, 4012 Words, Complete, AFTG Halloween Zine 2022, Locked]

Neil, trying to avoid Halloween celebrations once again, finds his way into the dark corner of a bar. There, he meets Andrew. Or, how Neil Josten discovers vampires are real after hundreds of years he's been alive.

tw: violence, tw: blood

Cryptid Serial Killer Witch Man by attfna [Rated M, 17008 Words, Complete, 2020]

Previously recced here

Just a story about your typical, spooky cryptic and his curious gardener.

tw: scars, tw: explicit sexual content

open season by nomadicdeer (someonestolemycoffee) [Rated G, 2287 Words, Complete, 2017]

Previously recced here

Dan declares open season just before Halloween. Featuring andreil kisses, misuse of brussel sprouts, Matt in lingerie, and more.

5 times realisation struck Neil & 1 time he acted on it by alex_wh0 [Rated T, 7503 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2020]

Previously recced here

"Neil looked across the room at Andrew and felt a surge of affection so intense that it stuck in his throat. He wondered how someone who had rolled out of bed barely an hour ago could have the audacity to make him feel like this." or Five times Neil Josten had a realisation and one time he did something about it.

if you're just tuning in walk into the light by orphan_account [Rated T, 8824 Words, Complete, 2020]

Previously recced here

Andrew runs a small shop in Palmetto with his brother. It's monotonous. He takes care of his plants, makes tinctures, provides minimal customer service, and teases Kevin for his heart eyes over Aaron. It's boring, but it's good. And then Wymack hires someone new, and some things change.

The endless mental math required to simply survive. by melbopo [Rated T, 17400 Words, Complete, 2021]

Free booze and candy at Seth's expense for his frat's Halloween party on Friday? Say no more, Andrew will be there, mandatory costume and all. Perhaps Matt's new Exy loving stray will even occupy Kevin for the whole night so he doesn't give Andrew inane lectures about wasting talent and potential on intramural teams, leaving him to drink his free alcohol in blissful peace. Really, the simple mental math checks out in his favor on this one. ~~~~ (alternative title: Andrew Minyard and his acquaintances [that are actually his friends])

tw: homophobia

aaron's lament by nanatsuyu [Rated T, 9061 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2021, Locked]

Previously recced here

It's the first holiday Katelyn and Aaron have hosted in their own apartment. Katelyn thinks it'll be fun. Aaron thinks there are far too many people in his home.

An Unpleasant Surprise by justdk [Rated T, 3689 Words, Complete, 2018]

Previously recced here

Neil's visit to the haunted house is not fun. At all.

tw: panic attacks

best thing by exactly13percent_OLD (hymbeaux) [Rated M, 4117 Words, Complete, 2019]

Previously recced here

Aaron has 48 hours off. Kevin has a party to attend. They both have unanswered questions.

firsts by exactly13percent_OLD (hymbeaux) [Rated G, 6270 Words, Complete, 2019]

Previously recced here

Andrew and Neil have fostered Clara and Riley for a little over a year. It's their first Halloween. It's taken a while for both kids to become comfortable, and tonight is for them.

Say something, say yes by DeyaAmaya [Rated T, 2851 Words, Complete, 2018]

Previously recced here

'I can't leave. I need to say goodbye to your son. I can't leave like this.' Mary smiles. Andrew feels a shiver down his spine. Her lips don't move, but he can hear her voice clear as a bell. 'You're not saying goodbye to him.'

tw: major character injury

House To Haunt by moonix [Rated M, 65356 Words, Complete, 2023, Locked]

This fic is a choose your own adventure game! Follow Kevin as he explores an abandoned mansion with a Fox companion of your choice. You can discover different parts of the mansion, learn about its previous owners' history, romance Kevin's companion, collect interesting items, solve puzzles, rescue Kevin and his friends from a variety of sticky situations... and then do it all over again! !!Please make sure to read the instructions at the beginning before you start playing!!

Something Out of Nothing by Aquared46 [Rated E, 20831 Words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2024]

Fox’s Hollow had attracted tourists for decades with its haunted history and Halloween festivals. A resident for many years, Andrew doesn't believe in ghosts or hauntings, but when his workplace is being investigated by ghosthunters, he spends his early hours with a man far more intriguing and haunted than a ghost could ever be.

tw: implied/referenced self harm, tw: implied/referenced torture

it's almost halloween by reaching_my_summit [Rated T, 2677 Words, Complete, 2017]

the Foxes celebrate halloween together at Eden's. someone flirts with Andrew. Neil is not about that.

do you like scary movies? by Ominous, Stjosten [Rated T, 22519 Words, Complete, 2020]

Previously recced here

To say Andrew has never seen the benefit in the make-believe would be a lie. However, he finds less and less use for it as he grows older. He especially fails to see the benefits of anything from the horror genre; he’s made plenty of his own mistakes, has seen more than enough to terrify him in his life. He doesn’t need to rely on jump scares and idiotic protagonists. But when he meets Neil, self-proclaimed horror archivist, he finds that maybe he never gave the genre the credit it was due, and he ends up thanking the dull movies eventually… They lead him to Neil, the realest thing he’s ever known.

pumpkin heads by moonix [Rated T, 4278 Words, Complete, 2023, Locked]

Tonight is the night. Halloween, Andrew and Neil's last night working at the pumpkin patch, and the night Andrew is finally going to ask Kevin out. If only they could find Kevin... (Based on the graphic novel Pumpkin Heads, but you don't need to have read it to understand the fic.)

Andrew Minyard Loves Fall (and will fight anyone who doesn’t) by mareofthesky [Rated G, 11074 Words, Complete, 2022]

Andrew is trying to enjoy his favorite season in peace, but a certain Mystery Man keeps popping up out of nowhere. With a long string of aliases, an infuriating mouth, and striking features, he's managed to catch Andrew's attention in a way that not many can. Andrew can't seem to get the menace out of his head, but he's beginning to think he doesn't want to.

NB: author’s fall spotify playlist here

skylight by djhedy [Rated T, 5560 words, Complete, AFTG Fall Exchange 2020]

Previously recced here

neil moves to a pro team, a new apartment, in a new city, and is held up by his friends. and by a series of mysterious gifts left on his doormat.

What if We Held Hands in our Pyjama Pants by transjorts [Rated T, 9301 Words, Complete, 2021]

A very soft, autumn-themed high school au in which Andrew, Aaron and Nicky are the new kids and Neil accidentally catches feelings.

tw: dysphoria, tw: transphobia, tw: implied/referenced child abuse

Art

aftghalloweenzine cosplay by @foxy-exy

your favorite emotional support sapphics art by @kashjsnsndnan

Renison as Witch and vampire art by @pria-png

adoptive!Bee halloween and happy halloween! art by @deklo

andreil halloween costumes art by @manekkii-art

andreil halloween costumes art by @lunapiq

All family together art by @kurra

the foxes in their costumes art by @jojen-hewitt

Neil and Andrew in Eden’s outfits + Halloween art by @fabulousmisfits

happy halloween, foxes art by @jeannemaybedarc

Put ‘em up and Neil costume comic art by @emry-stars-art

Halloween party… art by @stiigex

Halloween andreil makeup meme art by @jesperandwylansittinginnatree

AngelJean and DevilJeremy art by @blablablabel

[batsplat]

after 2015 until 2018 it seemed that things had calmed down a bit between valentino and marc, in the sense that they had started to be polite between them again and valentino no longer seemed to be on a war footing. then after argentina obviously the situation worsened again. in the podcast where valentino spoke in 2021 if I'm not mistaken, when he talks about marc,however, he only refers to the events of sepang and not to what happened in argentina which instead seemed to have been the final “divorce”. so my question is, during 2016 and 2017 did valentino just pretend to put up with marc? because in that podcast you can feel valentino's resentment is still a lot even after many years, so I imagine it must have been even greater in the two years immediately following sepang, even if it didn't seem if you see how he behaved

well. look. it was reflected in how valentino behaved... I think sometimes if you see isolated photos and gifsets, you can maybe be left with a bit of a mistaken impression of what that dynamic actually looked like for those two years. they got to a point post-catalunya where they were civil to each other, and maybe they'd exchange two lines in greeting, at podium celebrations, when somebody in a presser made a joke... and maybe marc at the very least was sincerely hoping they could get back to something like what they had before 2015. in reality, though, it was still very very far away. it wasn't open hostilities... at some point in 2016, valentino realised he simply couldn't go on like this. I talked about it a bit here:

you get this discrepancy in his 2016 output, actually. if you compare what he's saying that autumn for written press interviews vs what he's saying with marc right next to him... he'd clearly decided there was zero point in directly fanning the flames. at the sepang 2016 presser when marc and him are quizzed on what had happened the previous year, he just goes with marc's response and decides against reopening the controversy by adding anything from his side. but he still made it clear he hadn't changed his mind in interviews from the exact same time period! at times, he tolerates marc's tentative advances - at other times, he's almost accidentally sucked in, like he can't quite help himself from laughing at something marc has said. but there was never a period where he forgave marc for what he'd done... for various reasons he just decided he wasn't going to harp on about it too much. he did basically say as much post-argentina 2018:

but yeah, argentina 2018. it's an interesting one, isn't it? the stuff that valentino says there doesn't actually feel... quite in line with anything else he's said about marc. typically, when valentino criticises marc, it really is all about sepang 2015 - it's very focused, very specific, he's talking about being unable to forgive marc on a personal level for something marc had done to valentino... but it's not like he's really coming at marc for anything else... when other riders have gotten into spats with marc, he's stayed out of it - and generally he remains pretty neutral when he talks about everything else concerning marc. so, for example, there's a world where the moment alex rins is saying marc doesn't respect other riders in 2019, valentino immediately jumps at the opportunity to offer his hot take... but he doesn't do that. and yes, he had criticised marc's riding before, in particular in marc's moto2 days, but obviously those criticisms were considerably more restrained and sounded at times quite worried for marc's sake. (he also got close to that in silverstone 2016 when he remarked marc had 'something special' for their battles, but a) he's not wrong, except insofar as it's clearly mutual, and b) he explicitly said he didn't have a problem with that fight and considered it hard but fair). in 2017, when valentino was criticising other riders for being too aggressive... well, he wasn't doing so with marc, and he even conceded the point to marc in subsequent races after marc had obliquely criticised valentino at cota for his rhetoric not matching up to his own riding. when valentino's young riders have gotten into their own spats with marc, he's not waded in either, at most saying stuff about marc's fight with pecco that from his lips sounds almost like something akin to praise. radio silence after bez's run in with marc at the end of last year... argentina 2018 is the exception not the rule

and you know... at the end of the day, that was an emotional reaction. valentino might be wearing the habitual smile on his face during the media debrief and sound reasonably calm and composed, but he was furious. which, it's always worth remembering, isn't an entirely unreasonable reaction to that specific situation. yes, valentino doesn't have a clean track record either, but you're going to struggle to find such a... weaponised carelessness, a blatant disinterest in his fellow riders while shoving them aside, in the way marc was exhibiting that day - and indeed that whole weekend. looking back, of course argentina 2018 ended up being an isolated blot on marc's track record that he's not come close to repeating since (yes, he's made high profile errors that took out other riders, but it's different)... but we didn't know that at the time. also, I doubt valentino much appreciated being treated just like an obstacle in marc's path! the fact that valentino wasn't the only marc victim that weekend kind of has an interesting effect, because you have to doubt whether it would have helped if valentino felt like he was being targeted specifically by marc, but on the other hand... well, it's almost disrespectful, isn't it... being singled out is in a way still better than being brushed aside like any other rider

still, valentino's pushing it with his criticisms, he's out of line, and he clearly did lash out in the heat of the moment - which was of course largely a product of the resentment he'd been holding onto those past two years. calling marc's behaviour that day dangerous? sure, you'd find a lot of agreement for that. saying that marc was ruining the sport? that he was intentionally causing other riders to crash? ... well, hold on one moment. I reckon the simplest explanation is the best one here: valentino was angry and said stuff he wouldn't otherwise say, which we know because he's not done so before or since. of course, he was never going to retract what he said about marc that day - he wasn't ever going to apologise for it. not with their history, not when there was still just enough about those argentina comments that he meant... so he wasn't going to feel too much regret about the bits he wouldn't have said under any other circumstance. the problem post-2015 for valentino is that constantly signalling his fury to the world wasn't doing him much good... but pretending like everything was just fine clearly also took a bit of a toll. argentina 2018 wiped the slate clean - even though they gradually crept back towards basic civility after that. and valentino really didn't continue with that line of critique... since then he's basically completely reverted back to a sepang 2015-centric approach. maybe a few hints at it... in 2021, he said something along the lines of how he doesn't feel good when he's on-track with marc, but that's pretty generic while also crucially being personal - he's not saying marc is a problem for the series, he's saying it's them specifically that have an issue with each other

which doesn't mean he didn't believe what he said in argentina 2018 in the moment... when they reconvened in cota and had marc and valentino do separate media debriefs from the main presser, valentino said he stood by his comments - but also didn't actually repeat them or elaborate on them or anything. he's back to terse short responses to the press' questions, saying he wants to focus on the race ahead: kind of the go-to approach when it comes to marc post-sepang (with notable exceptions). he's walked his strongest comments back as much as he was probably ever going to - by simple virtue of the fact that he's left it at that. and you know, he's a complicated guy... 2016-17 was both pretending and it also wasn't. he didn't act like everything was forgotten, but he certainly was willing to let people believe that this relationship might end up being mended - which quite frankly was probably never going to happen. mostly, he was just sort of sick of the whole thing, struggling to enjoy himself in what had become such a charged, hostile environment for all the riders involved. at the same time, look - fundamentally, the interpersonal chemistry with marc was always fine. they click as people! they click as riders! marc makes valentino laugh! sometimes, that line between 'pretending' and 'letting yourself pretend' and 'actually not pretending at all' can be quite thin. when valentino talks in that time period about how much he enjoyed a battle with marc, of course he isn't lying - because he really does enjoy those fights! that's what racing is all about for him, and that's something him and marc still share! as long as marc isn't barging him aside and causing him to crash, that is. maybe it'd be easier if it were all a pretence, but it wasn't... sometimes, when you say you thought a race was hard and fair, you really do mean it and you really did have a lot of fun. sometimes, the struggle isn't actually acting nice for the cameras, it's trying to bite down the temptation to laugh alongside your sworn enemy

see also assen 2016... like, isn't this kinda wild? you've just had catalunya the race before, you've just had the mere semblance of a tentative start to a possible reconciliation - then they return to the place that was really the beginning of the end for them. they go on a few track familiarisation laps, including to check out the resurfaced final chicane (aka the scene of the crime). they race each other on said track familiarisation laps. then marc brings it up in the presser, giggling about the whole thing, and apparently valentino also finds it pretty funny - before he visibly swallows up his grin. later that weekend, marc pointedly decides to try out valentino's final chicane move himself during the warm up session. this is all obviously deranged, but it's a type of deranged where they are fundamentally on the same wavelength. it's the kind of ridiculous behaviour they're both incredibly fond of... you see it in how valentino shrugs off the towing at catalunya 2019, and thinks it speaks to marc's smarts and wiliness - unsurprising, really, because they're so similar in that regard, and valentino has never shaken his admiration for marc as a competitor

valentino can clamp down on his animosity towards a rival during his direct interactions with them... lord knows if you watch a few of the casey and valentino face-to-face interactions over the years, you really wouldn't match that up with the sheer vitriol of some of the stuff they were concurrently saying about each other in the press. that rivalry was never really personal (on valentino's end), it was never fraught in the same way (for valentino anyway) - still, it shows he's theoretically capable of separating this stuff out when he needs to... and he just about managed with marc for two years. if he had just been waiting for an excuse, surely you would have heard at least a hint of that when him and marc swapped paint in 2017. you never quite knew how he was going to answer the inevitable questions about marc's riding, but no direct criticism was forthcoming at any stage. the post-argentina 2018 rhetoric wasn't in any way premeditated from valentino's side, and personally I don't think he was just waiting for an excuse either. it was the result of a constant internal conflict between knowing that engaging in any more active beef with marc wouldn't do anyone any good, and the fact that he still hadn't forgiven marc... and then a race came along that simply pissed him off enough to push him over the edge

from 2016 onwards, valentino both very much wanted and very much did not want further conflict with marc, and neither of those impulses ever quite go away. usually, he's disciplined enough to avoid stoking the flames any further... potshots to the press outside of the paddock are essentially a free and harmless outlet in that regard, and even there you can tell he was trying to scale it back in the years where he was being forced to directly interact with marc. he was pretending and not pretending and sometimes pretending like he wasn't pretending and sometimes pretending like he was pretending. maybe it would have always just taken one major on-track confrontation for things to fall apart between them again... but you do kinda have to acknowledge the whole thing was really unfortunate. I've long thought that something like sepang 2015 was pretty inevitable as long as valentino managed to put himself in title contention once marc had joined the premier class, but I don't actually feel the same way about argentina 2018. an awful marriage of circumstance and coincidence and bad choices caused the relationship to fall apart again this badly. valentino might have had some more or less sincere misgivings about marc's riding, but at the end of the day he wasn't going to ever express them unless it got personal - because all of these people are incredibly self-centred and valentino wouldn't have felt like it was worth it. he lost his temper, he said some stuff he might partly but not fully believe, he's not inclined to bring it up again. that's that

[stylesnews]

FLORENCE, Italy – As Steven Stokey-Daley’s fall show in Florence during Pitti Uomo wrapped, the British designer, the 2022 recipient of the LVMH Prize for Young Designers, revealed longtime fan Harry Styles is acquiring a minority stake in the company.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Harry and I have a shared vision for the future of S.S. Daley and we look forward to this new chapter together as we focus on brand longevity and scaling the business into a modern British heritage house,” the designer, 26, said.

The pair was introduced by Styles’ stylist Harry Lambert, who masterminded the wardrobe for the artist’s “Golden” music video, outfitting him in Stokey-Daley’s graduate collection.

The investment is geared at building S.S. Daley’s direct-to-consumer business and forge ahead with plans for a “sustainable and long-term expansion,” the company said in a statement.

After graduating from the University of Westminster, Stokey-Daley made his London Fashion Week debut in September 2021 supported by the National Youth Theatre artistic director Paul Roseby, staging a four-part performance by members of the theater, riffing on British tailoring and tackling such topics as social class, inequality, school life, sexual awakening and homosexuality.

That same year, the S.S. Daley designer was among the recipients of the British Fashion Council’s Newgen initiative and was awarded again by the British fashion governing body the following year, with the BFC Foundation Awards.

The designer’s gender-fluid take on the uniforms of the British upper classes, such as wide-leg trousers, argyle-knit wool vests and embroidered shirts, appeals to a Gen-Z sensibility, and a growing female customer base. The brand is currently stocked in a handful of retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Dover Street Market, Matchesfashion, Bergdorf Goodman, 10 Corso Como Seoul and I.T Store.

Attending the S.S. Daley show in Florence, Sir Paul Smith praised Stokey-Daley and said: “I think that the ideal thing [for him] would be to try and work in parallel with a commercial company that help him develop as a commercial designer, as well as creative designer. And of course, that’s what everybody dreams of. He has the balance between commerciality and creativity.”

“I think [his designs] might have had similarities in my earlier [career]… We are in 60-something countries now. So you have to be a lot more aware of commerciality and things that work for the shops especially right now because the business and around the world is so difficult for people,” Smith added.

Styles’ investment falls in line with a growing number of celebrities becoming brand shareholders. They include, among others, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon who invested in Spanx; Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas in skiwear maker Perfect Moment; Beyoncé, Jessica Alba and Rihanna in French accessories firm Destree; Mila Kunis, Cameron Diaz and Gabrielle Union in Autumn Adeigbo, and Mark Wahlberg in Italian sneaker brand P448.

[smileyerim]

thank you, y/n

a goodbye letter

i wrote my first fanfic on an all nighter in late october 2021. i wasn’t getting much sleep around that time, being kept awake by my own suffocating cough.

i was lonely, bored, and ashamed of how my new illness made me look and feel. so i wrote a story about a girl smoking weed and hooking up with a frat boy. something i could never do again since covid blanketed my first 2 years of college.

it was fun to create her— Y/N. i loved putting her on. and it was especially fun to invite all of you to also put her on and experience her perfectly palatable life. i loved her and i know you all did too.

as i continued to create her, she became my confidant. she had a life that mirrored mine—always dating but never committed. noticed for her understated beauty. heartbroken at every turn.

but she wasn’t entirely like me— she had her health. she could pursue her dreams. she was never stalled. she was everything that i could’ve been.

but back to me for a second though.

my lowest and my highest days of my illness were within one week of another. i went from disabled and worsening day by day to having my first full day of relief after 2 years of chronic symptoms.

it was a cause for celebration! but not long after my first unassisted breath of fresh air, a wave of consciousness knocked me out cold. the funny thing about living in survival mode is that you don’t realize you’re in it until it’s over.

sadly, Y/N couldn’t help me process this time, she didn’t get it. she was just another pretty and fortunate girl who got to live out her 20’s that were stolen from me. suddenly, i was envious of her. ironic, isn’t it?

it’s been one year since i had that first day of relief, and i’ve been managing that health since. last summer i was up to my throat in quick sand, and i decided to dedicate everything i had to crawling out.

and shit, i did it!

i had to grow up a lot during those 2 years. i’m so grateful that i got to do it with you all by my side. i’m so glad that Y/N got to have my happy endings. but now, i have happy endings of my own.

thank you for sharing her with me over these few years. her stories will remain, and so will i, but not as a writer.

with love,

autumn <3

[fitzrove]

Musical questions! 28, 29, 30?

[To celebrate 400 followers I'm finally answering all these from my drafts :D]

28. What's a musical that you saw ages ago that you're still not over? What about it made you love it so much?

If watching a video counts as "seeing": Tanz der Vampire. I saw posters and ads on the street for the Helsinki 2016 production... but that was after it was already over, in April/May!!!!! I was so curious about it but forgot after the initial wondering. Then that summer I went to a two-week language camp/course in the UK (my first time abroad without parents!) where we were singing Total Eclipse in the music room and an older "camp counsellor" girl from Germany told us it's actually from a musical, and that night I took it as my sign to look it up and ended up watching sooo many clips on YouTube over and over for the rest of my time at that course, and eventually the whole 2005 proshot with English subs.

Something about it spoke to me in a way no other musical had before - I mean, I had liked POTO for years, that summer I also started listening to Hamilton, but neither of those rattled in my head to the same obsessive degree as TdV did <3

It came into my life at a special time, has come and gone since, and whenever I get back to it, it still hits the hardest out of any show I've ever watched. Whether it be the epic orchestral rock score (I'm not like an über Steinman fan but I like his stuff), the level of emotion (some would say melodrama <3) and the way the show itself has come to symbolise a lot of things to me over the years (freedom to leave an environment you're not happy in and remaking your life elsewhere; freedom to be yourself and go after what you want even if it goes against what's conventional or societally acceptable; the world belonging "to the shameless and the wicked" and the rest of us just having to roll with it). So yeah >:)

I've now seen TdV live three times: once in Stuttgart in autumn 2021, and twice in Hamburg this summer (2024). It wasn't perfect but it meant a lot :') I've also met Aris Sas and he liked my headcanons and hot takes, and wished me the best in my life and my studies 😭🙏

29. What's a musical that you used to really like but don't anymore? What made you fall out of love with it?

I think I'm falling out of love with Wicked!! It was one of the first shows I saw live (back in Finland) and that production left a lasting impression on me, but after seeing it in London twice (heheh) I think I'm satiated :') I will still want to see the movie though! I probably just won't have the energy to engage that much with the hot takes it will probably spawn kslsls. Plus I hate the discourse that the movie is stirring up about how the book is better and that should've been a movie instead dkkdldls. I think the book is kind of terrible and takes itself too seriously. Plus the sex scenes are bad bad bad bad....

Anyway - still like the musical, I think I have just overlistened to it and I don't usually find too much to "chew on" in the fandom space :D Especially since I don't know/care about Wizard of Oz lore 😭

30. What's a musical that's grown on you since you first saw it or listened to it? What made you appreciate it more?

Rudolf: Affaire Mayerling.......... I still think it's terrible but I keep making friends with people who know that it's inaccurate (and don't really care about defending its honor skkskd) and still love it for being camp 😭 I used to have a very negative view of it but now I can just listen to Du bleibst bei mir on repeat, enjoy wholeheartedly and pretend it's the whole show 😌 obligatory mention that I met and took a pic with Wietske at the Les Mis München stagedoor this year 😭😭😭😭🙏🙏

[mxtxdiaspora-may]

MXTX Diaspora May 2024: 1 week left to sign up!

There's one week left to sign up for MXTX Diaspora May 2024!

Sign-ups are open until April 9, 2024. Any creator with Chinese heritage may participate.

Event Rules & FAQ

Sign Up HERE!

Reblogs and signal boosts for this event are welcome from both participants and non-participants. Please feel free to boost on bluesky and twitter as well.

2024 prompts and links to past collections can be found below the cut. We look forward to celebrating and sharing the works for 2024!

MXTX Diaspora May 2024 Prompts, week-by-week

Week 1 (May 01 - May 05): free week

Week 2 (May 06 - May 12): azure dragon / 青龙 Sub-prompts: east, springtime, dawn, wood, blue-green

Week 3 (May 13 - May 19): vermillion bird / 朱雀 Sub-prompts: south, summer, midday, fire, red

Week 4 (May 20 - May 26): white tiger / 白虎 Sub-prompts: west, autumn, dusk, metal, white

Week 5 (May 27 - May 31): black tortoise / 玄武 Sub-prompts: north, winter, midnight, water, black

Past collections:

2021 (MDZS only)

2022

2023

[levbolton]

Mokumoku Ren interview

Source: Crea 7th November 2022

The manga The Summer Hikaru Died began serialisation in Young Ace UP in August 2021 and quickly gained popularity, winning 11th place in the Web manga category and the Global Special Award [Traditional Chinese] at the Next Comic Award 2022 in August 2022.

The story takes place in a village. One day, Yoshiki notices that his best friend Hikaru has been replaced by something (Nanika). A strange daily life begins - and a strange life begins to unfold.

The Summer Hikaru Died, which depicts spine-tingling horror and the pure, sad craving to 'still be together' with an outstanding visual sense, was also supported by manga experts in the CREA 2022 autumn issue's 'Night Owl Manga Award'. The author of this work, Mokumoku Ren, is a gem of a talent who debuted in commercial serialisation with this work.

We spoke to the much-celebrated Mokumoku Ren in depth about the roots, from the continued fascination with the bizarre since childhood, to influential works, and the secret stories behind the creation of some of the most memorable scenes.

I have been drawing original characters since I was a child.

We were told that Mokumokuren-sensei conceived of The Summer Hikaru Died while still in high school.

I've really liked thinking up stories since I was little, and it was something I'd been doing for a long time. I didn't really give it form, but I would build it up in my head.

In what is called a 'stand-in' type story, where an ‘outsider’ takes the place of someone who already exists, the ‘outsider’ usually ends up becoming the enemy. But what happens to the feelings of this ‘outsider’? That's what I thought at first.

I still hold this in high regard, and while I write about the feelings of the people surrounding the person who has been replaced, I place more emphasis on the feelings of the person who has been replaced.

As you mentioned, one of the main features of this work is the establishment of the personality of 'Hikaru', the Nanika, but when you think about the content of each episode, do you start from the emotions, or do you come up with scenes and facial expressions as you draw?

I think from the development of 'This is what would happen if we moved them.' I've already made a start in the first episode, so I focus on how the characters will move, like 'this is the kind of problem that will happen' or 'this is the kind of reaction the characters will have when this kind of problem occurs'.

You mentioned that you have been creating since your childhood, how do you feel about the way you 'draw'? I read The Summer Hikaru Died and thought your drawing skills were tremendous.

Thank you very much. I have been drawing ever since I can remember. I only started drawing manga recently, but I've loved drawing illustrations since I was in kindergarten, and I used to make my own original characters. It is something that has been going on for a long time.

“I've been making stories and drawing pictures.” The fruit of that was "The summer Hikaru died", wasn't it?

Yes, it was. However, I wasn't thinking about becoming a manga artist, and I was doing it as a hobby, so I was approached (by publishers), and I'm grateful that it sold so well. I'm happy, but I'm still surprised, so is it okay to call myself a "manga artist"? That's how I feel.

No, no, I was thinking about what you said earlier about your kindergarten days, but I think that 'drawing' usually starts with imitating existing characters. Being able to suddenly create an original character is a glimpse of what it takes to become a manga artist.

There were quite a few people like that around me, so I thought it was normal. I think that the root of both writing and drawing is that “I like to fantasize”. I feel like those things have led me to where I am today.

Also, in terms of drawing, there was a time when I was doing sketches like hell every day. That has helped me a lot.

I would like to ask you about the creators and works that have influenced you, I heard that you were into 'Tokyo Ghoul' when you were a student.

Yes, I was really into it when I was a student. I always really liked reading the Jump series and shounen and seinen, and when I was in primary school I got hooked on Tokyo Ghoul. People often say that my drawings resemble a lot of other things, but I personally think that my base is "Tokyo Ghoul". I used to draw characters from 'Tokyo Ghoul' myself.

Tokyo Ghoul is quite precocious for a primary school student.

That's right. I read it behind my parents' backs (laughs). I've always liked non-humans, and Tokyo Ghoul has a great way of depicting them.

Also, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. I think it's particularly noticeable in works such as Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, which has a bizarre aspect to it. I really like the way they create scary, horrifying and bizarre atmosphere.

In Tokyo Ghoul, the characters' facial expressions are also very distinctive. I feel the skill of projecting emotions such as fear and trembling onto facial expressions when I read The Summer Hikaru Died. Is this another point of influence?

It might be.. At that time, I was looking forward to reading the Young Jump magazine every week, and I thought there were a lot of expressions that caught me off guard. I thought there were a lot of expressions that made me gasp. As I was reading, I thought it was really interesting to see how the story would change completely the moment I turned the page.

I'm influenced by the cool composition of horror movies.

In terms of the bizarre, you have said that you are attracted to unexplainable horror.

Of course, I really like ethnic horror, horror that can be explained and horror that can be unravelled, but it's the unexplained horror that I find frightening at first glance. In The Summer Hikaru Died, I tried to include both.

We heard that you like 'Honkaku' (Really Scary Stories)/ Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi, 'Here it Comes' (i could not find this piece, the name is 『来る』) and 'Shin Mimibukuro'. Do you particularly like Japanese horror?

No, I watch both foreign and Japanese horror films. I also liked Midsommar and My Eri: A 200-Year-Old Girl, and I loved the atmosphere, the plot and the inexpressible sense of dread in I Am Ghost. In Japan, I have seen most of the films directed by Koji Shiraishi, including the ones you have just mentioned, as well as The Ring. I also read the original story "Bogi Wan ga, kuru" ("The Bogi Wan is Coming").

The direction of The Summer Hikaru Died was influenced by horror films in many ways.

I'm curious about what you pay attention to when you watch horror movies.

For example, I love Ari Aster's films, both Hereditary and Midsommar, but the composition of Midsommar, where you open the door to enter the bathroom in the room, which leads to the aeroplane bathroom, and you see it from above, was very ingenious and memorable.

I also saw Parasite and Remembrance of Murder, both directed by Bong Joon-Ho, and the compositions are insanely good. The way he dares to pull out the crying face instead of showing it at the most important part, and the way he directs it, it's like, "Cool!"

In The Summer Hikaru Died, the fear that lies in the cracks of everyday life is depicted in a subtle way, isn't it?

If I were to be influenced by other works, I would say that most of them are video-related, but I have also seen quite a few ghost stories originating from the 2ch occult board, so i though “Why don't I collect scary stories that aren’t horrifying enough to kill you?". Basically, they are more interesting than scary, and I don't find them scary at all, but there have been a few that were so scary that I couldn't sleep at night because they were so scary (laughs). In some parts of the drawn panels, I remember the fear I felt at those times.

After all, it is a detailed depiction of emotions.

When it comes to the emotional portrayal of the characters, I find it very useful to look at the people around me in my daily life. I don't have any models, but there are things that I think are similar to my friends, and when I'm interacting with my friends, I think the accumulation of thoughts like "this is what this person would say" is at work.

Basically, I want to make the characters' actions and statements in a way that people living a normal life can easily relate to. If a friend or someone very important to me were to be replaced by someone else, I would probably leave it as it is. In that way, I often do things like "If I were you, I would do this" with the characters in the manga.

Like in reality?

Yes, I think so. Of course, there are certain behaviours that I want them to do in order to advance the story, so there are times when they do things like 'this isn't how reality works', but for this piece, I've kept it to a minimum.

I like ghosts and horror stories.

I would like to ask you a lot about the onomatopoeia of The Summer Hikaru Died, the oppressive sound of the cicada 'shuffling' and frog 'gekogeko' are very intense. These are also present in the drafts?

Right. This was something I had planned to do from the very beginning. I think that horror films are effective in creating the fear of sound, but comics don't have sound, so I wanted to express that somehow well. I deliberately used fonts to make it so that the reader's eyes would be drawn to it even if they didn't want to see it.

However, rather than trial and error, I put it in naturally, and when people around me said, "That was interesting," it was the first time I felt like, "That's right."

The scene where you can see “Ku” in the distance was absurdly scary.

I was influenced by the internet yokai "Kune-Kune", the idea was simply that 'the moment when you realise that something you thought looked like this from a distance is 'different' when you get closer, that's scary'. I thought, "What kind of hiragana is the scariest? 'A' (あ) isn't scary" (laughs).

I feel that this might come from the fact that you have been attracted to scary things for many years, but has there always been a sense that scary = interesting?

I'm a little unsure about this, before I knew it, I already liked youkai and horror.I used to read all kinds of ghost stories in picture books and children's literature, and when I was little I was addicted to The Nightmare Before Christmas, and there was a time when that was all I would watch. Stories about ghosts, ghosts and Halloween - I read so much of that stuff that it was sickening, and I don't think I was just feeling 'scared'. It was like reading a book with the excitement of "Here it comes ......", which is probably similar to the feeling of riding a rollercoaster.

The name “Mokumoku Ren” is also from the youkai Mokumokuren.

Yes, it is. When I was discussing with a friend what to name my pen name, he said, "Why don't you use a yokai's name? I thought, "That's a good idea!

I love 'Gegege no Kitaro', so it made me smile (laughs). What type of yokai do you like?

I like the shin-kosuri - I really liked the 2005 version of 'The Great Yokai War'.

Shin-kosuri are cute, aren't they?

Yes, they are. I also like Kitaro (the anime), and I like yokai in general.

My inspiration is my grandmother's house where mysterious traditions remain

When I read The Summer Hikaru Died, I felt that the description of nature was excellent. I was almost in awe of the way life stirred in each and every tree, and I felt a connection to the worldview of Shigeru Mizuki (the author of Kitaro), who I have been familiar with since my childhood.

Indeed, I really like Mizuki's expression of grass. He draws each strand of grass as if it were trailing in the wind.

I was inspired by my grandmother's house when I drew nature and the countryside. I myself was born and raised in Tokyo, so I am not familiar with the countryside, but both my father's and mother's parents lived in the countryside, and I have seen the scenery whenever I visit them. My grandmother's house is a small shop in a rural village, just like the 'Yamakyu' in The Summer Hikaru Died!

There are only a few dozen households in the village, there are no convenience stores and only an old lady's shop. The rest is a guest house, the sea, mountains and a river, and there are some mysterious customs.

Traditions! It's an essential element in horror.

I laughed and said to myself, "Traditions really do exist" (laughs). There are also strange festivals and yokai legends, and in fact the same stories exist in Mie. The reason why this is so is because the divers from Mie moved to the region where my grandmother used to live many decades ago. It was spread over here by oral tradition.

That’s the area of folklore studies, isn’t it? By the way, I myself am from a rural area, and although The Summer Hikaru Died has a unique rural atmosphere, it also has a somewhat modern atmosphere, and I can see it from a slightly different perspective than those who live in that environment. I feel like I'm looking at it. After listening to what you just said, I can see the point.

My mother, who is from the countryside, also said to me, "It's the countryside as portrayed by city people" (laughs). However, I think that the "scary" feeling when I visit several times a year is really alive.

I think you're right, and that's what makes it so sharp. There are modern and stylish scenes before and after, so the rural feeling of the scene where the grandmother appears stands out.

I thought, “Old women in horror movies are scary, aren't they?'' when I drew her (laughs).The feeling I had when I went to the countryside and the stories I heard from people around me also helped me to describe it. For example, I asked my father and mother, "What was it like in the countryside? What did they say to you?" and interviewing them, or asking people around me, "What is the dialect of the young people like?　Don't they have accents like that?" I make them up as I go along.

I have the impression that The Summer the Light Died was sparked by manga lovers and further expanded its popularity on social networking sites such as Twitter and TikTok. In that sense, I felt that the balance between the urban and rural feel of this work made it easy for many people to connect with it.

I myself wondered why the film was accepted by the younger generation. But I felt that the feeling of the countryside is unexpectedly present in everyone's mind as an original landscape. I found that interesting.

I used to be on Twitter a lot, so I thought, "I'm glad that the number of reactions has increased.", but one day my followers exploded and I wondered what was going on, and then I was told, "You're viral on TikTok". I downloaded it and was surprised, like 'wow, there's so many of them'.

The Summer Hikaru Died is a web serialization, and I think that there are parts that have attracted attention through the internet, but I feel that the texture of reading it on paper is also very interesting. That's because of the skill of "turning" that was mentioned in the story of Tokyo Ghoul. What kind of balance do you yourself have in regards to developing on paper and on the web?

Basically, I draw as if I were flipping through a piece of paper. In the early days, I didn't think about "flipping" at all, but after the editor told me about it, I started to consciously incorporate it. "Young Ace UP" is read vertically, so the spread is inevitably divided, so that's difficult, but I'm conscious of the spacing between lines and the viewing order from right to left.

When I read it on paper, I was also strongly impressed by the use of black - shadows and darkness, or the skillful expression of solid colours.

I try not to use too much solid black, and try to change the atmosphere with the amount of solid color. For example, in the scene where ‘Hikaru's face collapses at the end of Volume 1, I purposely made the background less solid than usual to bring out 'Hikaru’s exasperation. On the other hand, when I want to create a solid horror feeling, I put in a lot of solid colors to create a gloomy atmosphere, and change the solid and cross-hatching methods depending on the scene.

I can see the potential for expression in the black-and-white world, with dust-like things waiting in the background in different frames, and the use of shading.

I mentioned earlier that I used to do sketching (to draw), but hatching requires a lot of attention because you have to draw a lot of different textures in only black and white. I feel that these techniques are ingrained in my body.

The expression of 'Hikaru’ mimicking Hikaru also has a great impact. The cellular Paisley pattern of ....... How did you come up with that design?

I wanted it to be creepy but not too creepy, so I went for a cellular look and then the Mandelbrot set, which is a kind of fractal shape. I thought it was interesting that even though it looks like a geometric shape created by mathematical calculations, it is something that exists in nature, like the way leaves grow or the shape of vegetables, so I incorporated it.

So it is a fractal figure. By the way, how do you work with the editor you mentioned earlier?

I have them read the name I've come up with, and I often get feedback such as "What's going on here?" Readability, conveyance and structure are very difficult areas, so it's extremely helpful that they make my thoughts easy to understand and help me find the best form to convey the content.

Thank you very much for all the valuable things you have told us today. I know you must be busy every day with your first commercial series, but do you have any hobbies to relax with during your work?

It has to be "Splatoon 3". It's my favourite series and a new one has recently come out. I don't have much time to play it, but I work to play Splatoon 3 (laughs). When I have a break from work and play 'Splatoon 3', everything dissipates.

Other Mokumoku Ren interviews translated:

CREA (7th Nov 2022) | Da Vinci (5th Nov 2022) | Kono Manga ga Sugoi 2023 | Real sound 31st December | Real sound 5th July

[lil-gae-disaster]

Spidersona Timeline (Novah- Centric)

31st July 2006 - Novah's birth

2011 - Novah, Natja and Natasha move to the US

2011 - visit in Natashas lab, freeing of Coy

31st July 2018 - visit in Natasha's lab, the spider bite

01st August 2018 - start developing of superpowers

Early August 2018 - Nathaniel N.s death

Mid August 2018 - debut as Spiderweb

Late September 2019 - first kidnapping, death of yet unnamed past best friend

Early summer 2020 - second kidnapping, death of Doc Oc / Gwen Stacy

Early autumn 2020 - Coy comes to Novah's class

Early autumn 2020 - Deadpool debut

16th December 2020 - Coy and MJ get together

Late December 2020 - Black Cat debut

January 2021 - Black Cat identity reveal

September 2021 - MJs disappearance

October 2021 - Remarriage of MJs mom

February 2022 - MJs reappearance

01st August 2022 - Recruitment into Spider Society

Summer 2023 - Miles Chase

Winter 2023 - Natasha and Natja fly to Germany

24th December 2023 - Christmas celebration of Spider Society

24th December 2023 - discovery of Noah N as a spider person

Canon drawings(not including the dates of my first attempt of a timeline):

I have told @ashlamsms a more detailed version in her ask 😌😊

Also: You're free to draw my spidersona if you want I can give you color palettes n designs I've worked out if you need

[hollysoda]

THE PLUSHIE POST PT. 2 (the little guys)

The small but still very important fellas

Tango - Jellycat Bodacious Beak Toucan

Bought January 24 in a closing down sale. I actually wanted him for Christmas but didn’t ask for him in the end, so when I saw him in the sale I was like “hell yeah £5 off”. He’s so silly and cute. Bird plushies go hard

Maple - Wrendale Designs Fox

Bought April 2023. Honestly it was love at first sight with her. She’s really soft and has got a lil pudgy tummy. Also her fur actually looks like the artists, Hannah Dale’s, art style?? If you know who I’m talking about then you’ll know what I mean. My fave fox related item, and I have a lot of fox things lmao (also her name is officially Autumn but like that’s my cats name, it’s gonna get confusing, so I call her maple)

Sebastian - JellyCat Bashful Tiger (Medium)

Bought June 2022 as a reward for finishing my A Levels. He’s usually the plush I take with me on holiday to sleep with, since Cookie Dough is a bit too big. He’s very soft and I love his long tail. A handsome boy :)

BASTARD aka Toon Link Plush (Wind Waker HD edition)

The absolute creature of creatures. A Christmas present from 2022. His peak moment was when I put the tip of my pride flag under his tunic and carried him around at the local Pride Parade. I hate him, I want to cherish him. Also my cat hates him for some reason it’s so funny

And now, for the final plush, the one the only…

KWEEBLY - JellyCat Fabulous Fruit Kiwi

The smallest here, but he’s had the biggest impact on my life. I bought him on a whim around the 28th August 2021 and he proceeded to be the biggest comfort I could have ever asked for. I carried him around in my bag for most of Year 13 when my mental health hit rock bottom. He’s been squeezed, thrown at walls, bitten etc etc but I love him dearly. I don’t need his assistance as much now, as I’m in a better place, but he still sits in my bag just in case. Any of my irls mutuals on here know the absolute icon that is Kweebly, dude was a mini celebrity in the sixth form common room. Also my acnh island is named after him

I love my plushies smh and obviously I have more but these are the ones I usually cuddle or take with me to places

[eddie-redmayne-italian-blog]

Life Is a Cabaret! The Shimmering Kander and Ebb Classic Heads Back to Broadway Starring Eddie Redmayne

BY ADRIENNE MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIEN MARTINEZ LECLERC

STYLED BY HARRY LAMBERT

March 5, 2024

When I was 15 years old, I saw Cabaret for the first time, at a community theater in northeast Ohio. Though I considered myself sophisticated in important ways (I recall that I was wearing a wide-leg Donna Karan bodysuit that evening), my experience as a theatergoer was then limited to The Sound of Music and Ice Capades: Let’s Celebrate. I wonder if my parents, who had season tickets to the theater, knew that the show wasn’t exactly “family” entertainment. Set in 1931 Berlin as it careens toward the abyss, Cabaret depicts alternating stories. There’s the doomed romance between a fledgling novelist named Clifford Bradshaw and a young singer of supreme charisma (and mediocre talent) named Sally Bowles. And then there’s the seedy nightclub, the Kit Kat Club, which is populated with a highly sexualized cast of misfits and overseen by a ghoulish Master of Ceremonies. The show’s ethos—the glamour and terror, the irreverence, the campiness, the unreality—shaped my taste forever, and I knew that I had just experienced one of the greatest works of art ever created. I would never look at theater, or life, in the same way again.

Over three decades later, I’ve seen more stage productions of Cabaret than any other show, including a revival starring the original Emcee, Joel Grey; I’ve seen the Bob Fosse film version over 50 times. I’ve pretty much always got one of Fred Ebb’s sardonic lyrics jangling around in my head. Today, it’s “You’ll never turn the vinegar to jam, mein Herr,” and I couldn’t agree more.

Youthful exposure to Cabaret also turned out to be a life-changing event for the star of the new production opening this month on Broadway, Eddie Redmayne. “Weirdly, when I was 15, it was the first thing that made me believe in this whole process,” he says. Redmayne was a student at Eton when he first played the Emcee; he had never seen Cabaret when he was cast. On this late-autumn evening, Redmayne is speaking to me from Budapest, where he is shooting a TV series. “It reaffirmed my love for the theater,” he says of his first experience. “It made me believe that this profession, were I ever to have the opportunity to pursue it, was something that I wanted to do.”

Now, as he prepares for the transfer of the smash-hit 2021 London production of Cabaret (in which he also starred), Redmayne is reflecting on the power and durability of the John Kander and Fred Ebb masterpiece. “The show was just so intriguing and intoxicating,” he says, adding that the character of the Emcee posed many questions when he portrayed him for the first time, but provided scant answers. A few years later, when he was an art-history student at Cambridge, he again tackled the part of the Emcee at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. At a dingy performance space called the Underbelly, he did two shows a night, the audiences getting rowdier and more intoxicated throughout the evening. He’d get up the following afternoon and stand along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile handing out flyers for the show, dressed in latex. “There was just a sort of general debauchery that lived in the experience,” he says. When his parents came one night, they were alarmed to find that their son had turned into a “pale, lacking-in-vitamin-D skeleton.”

Flash forward 15 years. The Underbelly cofounders and directors, Charlie Wood and Ed Bartlam, would approach Redmayne—now with an Academy Award for The Theory of Everything and a Tony for Red under his belt—with the idea of again playing the Emcee. Redmayne was eager to return to the role, but many questions remained—principally, who might direct it. In 2019 he happened to have been seated in front of the visionary young director Rebecca Frecknall at the last performance of her West End production of Tennessee Williams’s Summer and Smoke. It was an emotional evening for Frecknall, who’d been working on the project on and off for a decade. She and Redmayne were introduced, but “I had mascara down my face and probably didn’t make a very coherent first impression,” she tells me from London, where her new show, The House of Bernarda Alba, has just opened at the National Theatre.

Redmayne was astonished by the depth and delicacy of understanding that Frecknall brought to Summer and Smoke, a romance with the classic Williams themes of loneliness, self-delusion, and unrequited love. A few months later, Redmayne asked Frecknall if she’d consider directing a revival of Cabaret. “I said, ‘Of course I’ll do it, but you’ll never get the rights,’ ” she recalls. Those rights were held up with another production but were shortly thereafter released, and Frecknall went to work assembling her creative team—among them musical supervisor Jennifer Whyte, choreographer Julia Cheng, and set and costume designer Tom Scutt. Frecknall’s transcendent production of Cabaret opened on the West End at the tail end of the pandemic and succeeded in reinventing the show anew, winning seven Olivier Awards, including one for Redmayne and one for Frecknall as best director.

When Cabaret begins its run in April at the August Wilson Theatre, starring Redmayne, Gayle Rankin, Bebe Neuwirth, and Ato Blankson-​Wood, it will be just the second major production of the show directed by a woman. (Gillian Lynne directed the 1986 London revival.) In Frecknall’s version, Sally emerges as the beating heart of the show. “I find that most of my work has a female protagonist,” says Frecknall, who has also directed radical new interpretations of A Street­car Named Desire, Chekhov’s Three Sisters, and Romeo and Juliet. “And I have a different connection to Sally,” she says. “I was really drawn to how young she was…and how she uses that sexuality and how other people prey on that as well.” The role of Sally Bowles, originated in this production by Jessie Buckley, who also won an Olivier for her performance, will be played this spring by the brilliant Scottish actor Gayle Rankin.

“When I first met with Gayle, I was blown away by her passion and fearlessness,” says Frecknall. “She’s a real stage animal and brings a rawness and wit to her work, which will shine through. She’s going to be a bold, brutal, and brilliant Bowles.” Redmayne also praises Rankin for the depth of emotion she brings to the part, and for the vulnerable and volcanic quality of her interpretation.

Rankin arrives at a candlelit West Village restaurant on a chilly winter evening in a sumptuous furry white coat that would put Sally Bowles to shame. Her platinum hair is pulled back from her face and her dark blue eyes project a wry intelligence. Rankin lives near the restaurant and mentions that she has recently joined a nearby gym—not that she’s going to have much time for workouts in the coming months. Over small seafood plates (of her shrimp cocktail, she shrugs and concedes, “It’s a weird order, but okay”), she shares her own rich history with Cabaret.

She grew up in a small Scottish village, watching Old Hollywood movies with her mother and grandmother. At 15, she left home to attend a musical theater school in Glasgow; on her 16th birthday, she visited New York for the first time with her family. “It sounds like a cheesy, made-up story,” she says, but when she and her parents took a tour of the city on a double-decker bus, they passed by the Juilliard School. “I thought,” she says, “ ‘I am going to go there.’ ” The following year, she and her father flew from Glasgow to New York for her audition. She would become the first Scottish drama student to attend the institution.

At Juilliard, there’s an annual cabaret night, in which all third-year drama students perform songs. Rankin sang “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from Funny Girl, but she recalls her acute sense that she could have chosen a number from Cabaret. “I think I secretly always wanted to be that girl,” she says of the classmate who did perform those songs.

A couple of years after she graduated Juilliard in 2011, Rankin’s agents approached her with an opportunity to audition for Sam Mendes’s 2014 revival of his celebrated 1998 Broadway version (first staged in London in 1993), with Alan Cumming reprising his Emcee role. She was cast as Fräulein Kost—an accordionist sex worker who is revealed as a Nazi—playing opposite a revolving cast of Sallys, including Michelle Williams and Emma Stone.

Rankin has recently emerged as a fierce presence in films and in television (The Greatest Showman and two HBO series—Perry Mason and the upcoming season of House of the Dragon), but then “it kind of came across my desk this summer to throw my hat in the ring for Sally.” How does Rankin make sense of this fascinating, mystifying character? “Everything is so sort of up for grabs…. People feel as if they have a claim over her or know who she is. And the real truth is, only Sally gets to know who Sally is.” She has been rereading Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 semi-autobiographical novel Goodbye to Berlin—the inspiration for the show—in which the English writer sets the dying days of the Weimar Republic against his relationship with the young singer Sally Bowles. (In 1951, the playwright and director John Van Druten adapted the book for the stage with I Am a Camera; in 1963, Broadway director-producer extraordinaire Harold Prince saw that the play could be musicalized and hired Joe Masteroff for the libretto and the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.) Isherwood based Sally—somewhat—on Jean Ross, a British flapper and chanteuse who later became a well-regarded film critic, war correspondent, political thinker, and Communist. (He gave the character the last name of writer and composer Paul Bowles.) For the rest of her life, Ross maintained (correctly) that Isherwood’s portrayal of her diminished her reputation as an activist and as an intellectual.

“Ross wanted so badly to write to Isherwood,” says Rankin, “and to condemn him: ‘You slandered my name. You said all these things about me that weren’t true.’ And as far as she got in the letter was ‘Dear Christopher.’ ” As Rankin builds the character, it’s this notion of the real Sally—not the fictive version constructed by Isherwood—that she finds so captivating, and heartbreaking.

The upending of Sally as an “object” is another core conceit behind the production. “I felt that other productions I’d seen had this slightly stereotypical male-gaze idea,” Frecknall says. She views Sally’s musical numbers as describing different facets of female identity. “Don’t Tell Mama” deals with the fetishization of youth and virginity, and in Frecknall’s production, Sally, disturbingly, appears in a sexy Little Bo Peep costume; “Mein Herr,” a song about manipulation, control, and female sexual desire, is in conversation with the cliché of the strong, “dominant” woman. “I think Sally’s very clever at being able to play an identity, and also play it against you,” she adds. The character “has secrets to tell us,” Rankin says. “Important things to share with us. And I think that’s the umbilical cord between her and the Emcee.”

Although Sally and the Emcee share the stage for less than five minutes, the Emcee’s musical numbers can be seen as a kind of meta-commentary about Sally’s actions. “What interested me was the idea that the Emcee was a character created by Hal Prince and Joel Grey,” says Redmayne, referring to the actor who portrayed the Emcee in the original 1966 production. “He doesn’t exist in the book Goodbye to Berlin and was their conceit to connect the story of Sally Bowles.” Rankin believes that there is a kind of mystical bond between the two characters. “As to whether or not he’s a higher power, or higher being, he does have an access to a higher knowledge,” Rankin suggests. “I think Sally feels that too.”

And who is the Emcee? A supernatural being? Puppeteer or puppet? There are no clues in the text. Prince conceived of the character as a metaphor representing Berlin itself. “The idea of him as an abstraction,” Redmayne says, “and so purposely intangible, meant that I actually found a new way of working.” Redmayne built the character from the ground up, starting with big, broad gestures that would be gradually refined. The “very fierce, ferocious intensity” of Herbert von Karajan, the famously dictatorial Austrian conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic and a Nazi party member, served as a particularly fertile inspiration.

Historically, the role of Emcee has been coded as gay, and embodied, in most prominent productions, by gay actors. Frecknall’s production had to address what it meant to cast Redmayne, a straight white male actor, in the role. “Tom [Scutt] and I felt very clearly that, well, it’s not going to be the Emcee’s tragedy,” Frecknall says. A person like Redmayne—given his class, ethnicity, and sexuality—would emerge from the catastrophe unscathed. Redmayne concurs: “As the walls of fascism begin to close in, he has the privilege to be able to shape-shift his way out of it.” The character’s journey is from Shakespearean fool to Shakespearean king.

In Hal Prince’s 1966 production, Grey’s delicate, meticulous performance as the cane-twirling Emcee is pure nihilism—as a representation of Germany’s conscience. In the later Mendes iteration, the Emcee emerges as the central victim: In that production’s chilling last scene, Alan Cumming’s louche Emcee removes a black trench coat to reveal a concentration camp uniform; a burst of bright white light follows, from, presumably, a firing squad. But in Frecknall’s version, the Emcee is exposed not as a victim of the system, but as the chief perpetrator. The show, she notes, “becomes the ensemble’s tragedy.”

“I was really intent that we cast it very queer and inclusive,” says Tom Scutt, Cabaret’s multitalented set and costume designer. We are sitting on a black banquette in the lobby of his hotel, across the street from Lincoln Center, where he’s working on Georges Bizet’s Carmen. To mount a revival of Cabaret in 2024, Scutt contends that “there’s no other way. That was really at the headline of our mission.”

There are two casts in the show: the main company and the prologue cast, which provides pre-curtain entertainment. In general, the members of the prologue cast don’t come from traditional musical-theater backgrounds, but from the worlds of street dance and hip-hop—“dancehall, voguing, and ballroom scene,” Scutt notes—and in the London production, some of the prologue performers have been promoted to the main cast. “There is something deeply, deeply moving about how we’ve managed to navigate the usual slipstream of employment.”

Part of Scutt’s intention with Cabaret has been to “smudge and diffuse’’ the audience’s preconceived notions. Inclusive casting is one mode for change; iconography is another. In this case, that has meant no bowler hats, no bentwood chairs, no fishnet stockings. The aesthetic is less Bob Fosse and more Stanley Kubrick. “We started off in a place of ritual,” he says. “I really wanted the place to feel as if you’ve come into some sort of Eyes Wide Shut temple.”

Scutt has reimagined the 1,250-seat August Wilson Theatre as an intimate club—warrens of labyrinthine new corridors and passageways, three new bars, and an auditorium reinvented as a theater-in-the-round. Boris Aronson, the set designer of the show’s iconic original 1966 production, suspended a mirror on the stage in which the audience members would see their own reflections—a metaphor that forced the audience to examine its own complicity; but in Scutt’s design, the audience members must look at one another. Access to the building is through a side entrance; as soon as you arrive, you’ve already lost your bearings.

In many ways, it’s remarkable that such a weird and complex work of art masquerading as a garishly entertaining variety show has had such longevity. Scutt has an explanation about why this piece—created by a group of brilliant Jewish men about the rise of antisemitism and hate, about the dangers of apathy—​continues to speak to us so profoundly almost 60 years after its Broadway debut.

“I can’t really think of anything else, truly, that has the same breadth of feeling in its bones,” Scutt suggests. “I honestly can’t think of another musical that does so much.” As grave, and as tragically relevant, as the messages of Cabaret are, he and the members of the company have found refuge in theater. Both Scutt and Frecknall grew up singing in their churches as children; theater is to them a secular church, a space where human beings can congregate and share healing. “It was made with such pain and such love,” Scutt says. “Which is absolutely the piece.” 

In this story: hair, Matt Mulhall; makeup, Niamh Quinn. Produced by Farago Projects. Set Design: Afra Zamara.

[flyingiseasy-landingnotsomuch]

A photo I captured of a Bigleaf Maple leaf back in October 2021 along the trail at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. I had never seen such big maple leaves in my entire life. I recommend doing a Google search and see just how large the leaves can get on this amazing tree.

To celebrate fall's arrival, here's a poem I wrote a few years back about the anticipation of my favorite season.

Patience has filled my spirit as I've waited for your arrival. Through the many seasons of longing and anticipation, I always knew you would return. With your glorious colors, sweet harvest smell, and crisp night air, you have awakened my soul.

Oh autumn, how grateful am I, for your kind and beautiful embrace.

-Jessie

I hope everyone has a blessed fall season.

[tilynation]

“In An Alleyway, Drinking Champagne”

Listening to the slowed down ultra-romantic last few lines of “Paris” and Taylor’s emphasis on the word “champagne” made me think the “Paris” muse might also be the “Champagne Problems” muse.

I always theorized that both songs have Lily as a muse and I’m even more convinced about “Paris” being a Lily song, instead of Joe, after news of the Toe breakup. The Joe songs on “Midnights” seem to have angst, hard times, and even some bitterness (Bejeweled, Labyrinth, The Great War, Sweet Nothing). Whereas “Paris” is one of the few loved up songs on the album.

Some people may say that all the songs on “Midnights” are about Joe at different points during their relationship. Or that “Paris” and “Champagne Problems” are Karlie songs. Below is why I think they are Lily songs (although “One for the money, two for the show” could easily reference the Kaylor “Two for the Show” magazine article).

I did a previous post about why I think “Paris” is about Lily - link. The song, to me, is clearly set in October 2016, the start of the Tily Autumn:

Now we get to “Champagne Problems,” which I don’t think I’ve covered on the blog before but have always felt it was a Lily song. To me, “Champagne Problems” takes place in the Autumn of 2018, two years after the “Paris” loved up Autumn of 2016.

“Champagne Problems” is a sad song. It starts with “You booked the night train for a reason, so you could sit there in this hurt.” Is this the same train reference from the “Can’t Stop Loving You” performance on BBC1 in 2019 after the Tily breakup?

Now lets introduce Lily’s sister, Aurelia Donaldson. She was papped with Lily, for the first and only time, in London, while Taylor was there on a break from the Rep tour.

Into the Autumn of 2018, Taylor is still wearing the Victoria’s Secret angel ring. And the diamond eye ring Lily also had.

“You told your family for a reason, you couldn’t keep it in.”

“Your sister splashed out on the bottle, now no one’s celebrating.”

These lines are juxtaposed with Lily’s sister’s happy engagement party during the Autumn of 2018 which Lily attended in London. Her younger sister was getting married, so marriage might have been on Lily’s mind. (Funny that the person taking the Polaroids at the engagement party was named Tilly!)

The end is near . . .

Lily goes to Tokyo for the end of the Rep tour in November. Maybe one final trip as the gf?

After being in New York at the same time in January 2019, Lily and Taylor stop showing up at the same places and all social media activity between the two ends with Taylor’s birthday posts in 2019. “The Man” is released on Lily’s birthday, January 27, in 2020.

“Your Midas touch on the Chevy door”

A reference to Lily’s famous Vogue shoot named “Midas Touch” for the 2012 London Olympics, where Lily was featured in the Closing Ceremony. (Link)

“November flush and your flannel cure”

A reference to Thanksgiving (November) 2016 at Taylor’s Rhode Island home which Lily attended and Taylor wore flannel.

“This dorm was once a madhouse”

Another reference to Taylor’s Rhode Island home and Rebekah Harkness/The Last Great American Dynasty - “There goes the maddest woman this town had ever seen.” “Women with madness, their men with bad habits, and then it was bought by me.”

I made a joke, “We’ll it’s made for me.”

“Soon they’ll have the nerve to deck the halls”

A reference to Christmas, which comes after Thanksgiving.

Lastly, the “Forever is the sweetest con” chapter of Folklore and Evermore songs was released on Lily’s birthday in 2021. Further proof Lily is one of the breakup muses of Folkmore.

[journey-to-balance]

Call me stupid, or silly, or naïve, but never did I ever think something like this would happen.

I want to talk about Hurricane Helene, specifically as it relates to Western North Carolina, especially since our mainstream media doesn't seem to want to, or at least that's how it feels to me.

Truth is, my hands shake as I thumb through the pages of my photobook. Heartsick and in horror, I recall memories of The Blue Ridge Mountains, and Lower Appalachia. It was autumn of 2021, the road-trip was planned to celebrate Bernie's birthday. I didn't know it then, but this would become the last road trip I took with my beloved, my soul dog, Patch. He would pass that fall, shortly after this trip.

We made incredible memories, all thanks to the incredibly welcoming hospitality of the people of Lower Appalachia. I remember stopping in for coffee pretty much anywhere and they would welcome my dog, always with a treat, or a paw shake, or a kind word. I remember stopping in a restaurant prepared to take my food to go, and the staff encouraging me to stay, providing a table in the courtyard, bringing my golden retriever a bowl of water, and offering a micro brew that based on my tastes, they'd think I'd like. They knew my dog was family, welcomed, accommodated and earned my business. And damn it, I remember I was lost on a backwoods road after a long hike, was dangerously low on fuel, and an old man in a beat-up Chevy truck, stopped and said: "follow me, I'll show you to the nearest station."

Now, as I browse the pages of this photobook, with my memories, my priceless memories, I think of these people, not rich, not city dwellers from "New York" like me... I think of these mountain folk, simple folk, salt of the earth folk and I'm overwhelmed with emotion and horror. A hurricane? In the mountains of Western North Carolina? Unfathomable! Dear God, all my photos, Boone, Blowing Rock, Chimney Rock, idyllic dreamlike mountain villages, leveled. Route 40, I know it well, clearing it due west on my way to Tennessee, gone, leveled, under mud, people, stranded, bridges, collapsed, bucolic farmland, devastated. The images on the web, sickening, while the media remains eerily silent.

Please keep Boone, Western North Carolina and all those affected by Hurricane Helene in your hearts. It is my understanding that 911 and cell service is down, landslides have barred people from leaving, and they remain trapped. Infrastructure is down, and God knows when, how, or if these mountain towns will be able to rebuild.

Lord have mercy. I hold you up in prayer. My sincere gratitude for the memories and for showing this out of towner so much love.

Maritza

Our Journey to Balance

[mxtxdiaspora-may]

MXTX Diaspora May 2024: 2 days left to sign up!

There are only two days left to sign up for MXTX Diaspora May 2024!

Sign-ups are open until April 9, 2024. Any creator with Chinese heritage may participate.

Event Rules & FAQ

Sign Up HERE!

Reblogs and signal boosts for this event are welcome from both participants and non-participants. Please feel free to boost on bluesky and twitter as well.

2024 prompts and links to past collections can be found below the cut. We look forward to celebrating and sharing the works for 2024!

MXTX Diaspora May 2024 Prompts, week-by-week

Week 1 (May 01 - May 05): free week

Week 2 (May 06 - May 12): azure dragon / 青龙 Sub-prompts: east, springtime, dawn, wood, blue-green

Week 3 (May 13 - May 19): vermillion bird / 朱雀 Sub-prompts: south, summer, midday, fire, red

Week 4 (May 20 - May 26): white tiger / 白虎 Sub-prompts: west, autumn, dusk, metal, white

Week 5 (May 27 - May 31): black tortoise / 玄武 Sub-prompts: north, winter, midnight, water, black

Past collections:

2021 (MDZS only)

2022

2023

[accio-victuuri]

(CPN) Chanel Dinner things 🍷 + gg’s leaked MV

I will probably make another post about this event the more news we get, but i just wanna keep it in one place in the meantime. CPN aside, i’m looking forward to having more photos, videos and everything else from this dinner.

hello bobo. he is so cute. 🥺

onto the clowning. ✔️

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Similarities / same energy with them. They are both so polite in shaking hands with people or handing things to them, I love them. such good boys! Also them minding their own business and all alone in a public event.

p3 and p4 makes me sad, but not entirely cause i understand why it has to be this way and the reason why they are quiet can be a lot of things. they may be tired or they feel unsettled in public events like this when all eyes are on them. yes i’m sure they know that it comes with the fact that they are famous celebrities but it doesn’t mean it makes it easier for them. even if they have friends or acquaintances, they cannot interact with them freely. i miss the times when they attend events together, at least they had each other to fall back on in interviews or just generally keeping each other company. one day, I hope they will have that again.

we also noticed that bobo had his airpods on from his car to the event (see gif below). maybe he was listening to music earlier or he was talking to someone. also after the event when he left secretly, he was holding his phone. he was wearing a long coat that’s a similar style to what GG was seen in last tuesday. GG holding his phone and texting at the airport. Web also having his phone with him. What’s so special right? These two almost never bring their phones out in public. If you’ve seen photos and videos of them at airports, leaving events etc — they don’t bring it out. maybe they don’t want to miss a message from each other. 🥺🥺🥺

There were some comments on wb of turtles who were sad that the 🦴 is missing. This is Web’s first public appearance after GG’s video leak and i guess some people are unneccesarily fragile over it. Let’s just take step back and think about what this event is. It’s a dinner organized by Chanel as well as their 2023 spring and summer preview series viewing. Everyone in that room is wearing Chanel and as their ambassador, would it be good to wear a necklace that wasn’t from the brand? I mean come on. He was front and center along with 9 other people and in the middle. He was also the only one wearing something from the preview collection. He is, so to speak, the Belle of the Ball 😂

Also see below other Chanel events that the 🦴 was not found. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Lastly, let me address the MV performance of Xiao Zhan that was leaked today. To be fair, it was deleted pretty quickly and everyone were wondering what is it from. It was supposedly from Mid-Autumn Festival 2021 and it was cut. I don’t wanna speculate further on why it was not shown in public but here we are. It’s a performance of the song “Accompany you through Time” by Eason Chan and from the OST of the movie A Journey Through Time with Antony. I don’t really want to CPN too much in songs that are performed for events like this. Mid-Autumn festival is a big deal, so i’m thinking XZ is not the only one who made a decision on the song. They might have given him a list, but yeah, the production team is the one who will have a final say.

A screenshot was going around of where it was from but we can’t fully trust things on the internet. But it said that the director posted it on an APP that was supposedly for the advertising circle. and well, it’s XZ so of course it will get out. OP said the director is problematic and i agree. These unreleased things cannot be shared because even if they are the director, the do not own the rights. It’s a copyright violation. Maybe that’s why it was wiped so quickly.

It was such a beautiful performance tho. 🥲🥲🥲 we need more Singer! XZ. My favorite will be the last part tho. The sound of the bells and him all alone with the Moon. 🌙

-END.