#but march 20th is current accepted canon

[vigilvntes]

everybody say happy birthday to dick grayson!

[bokunoheroanalysisforthefuture]

Alright, chapter 8! And man is there a lot to talk about here. I don’t really have any pre-content things to say, so we’ll just hop right into it today!

[No. 8 - Rage, You Damned Nerd]

I swear, this first page has a LOT to talk about on it, so I’ll go from panel to panel and do some rambling thoughts on each segment. 

First off, UA doesn’t actually handle the costumes the kids get! It’s support companies affiliated with the school that does - which makes sense, since the school has to focus on teaching their support students before letting them get their hands on actual costumes that these kids might be fighting in.

I mean, they seem to be allowed to practice on like, minor support stuff (read: Mei making Izuku his new gloves post-Nighteye or somewhere around there) but not full costuming, which is… actually a bit reassuring? But also explains some of the lag time in getting costume repairs / upgrades since they’re probably busy companies. It also explains why there probably aren’t major alterations to any costumes besides between the summer and winter variants, since it would be time-consuming to remake these costumes so regularly.

(It still doesn’t excuse some of the costumes the kids got, but that’s more on the whole ‘eye candy’ thing for readers than actual practicality, so whatever.)

(Also, I can’t get over the fact that Snipe has a support company. Fucking Snipe. Guess we know another canon or likely-canon Support teacher.)

Next we get a preview of what the kids sent in for specifications for their costumes:

We get a bit of insight into a few of the characters - as background stuff, we get Shouji, Mineta, Aoyama, and Sato. Mineta got pretty dunked on for char design and costuming, and Aoyama’s costume almost looks like a magical girl outfit like this, which honest to god would have been fantastic to see him in. More interesting (at least to me) are the other three: Ochako, Tenya, and Katsuki.

Ochako first, because that pressure point thing is interesting, and I dunno how often those actually come up in fics besides a passing mention, like. What if her support bracelets / neck piece broke during training / a mission / whatever? Would she suddenly have to fight through the nausea? By the point of current canon (War Arc) she’s probably trained enough that she doesn’t need them as much, but man, it could be an interesting little thing to explore, like, post-Kamino.

Tenya is a bit surprising, since we know he comes from a well-off hero family. Logically, this was before the whole Hosu / Ingenium plotline was really developed, so Tenya didn’t have that to fall back on, or it could be argued that the support company that Ingenium is associated with also works with UA. Alternatively, it could be that either Tenya didn’t want to rely on his family (which seems silly when they’d know how to work with his quirk best) or UA is very firm on ALL costume stuff going through them…

But then again, Katsuki. Oh god, Katsuki. What fucking support company looked at this kid and went ‘yeah we should give him a way to store more explosives AND give him bombs’ and just. Did so. Why did UA not vet that. Maybe the support company didn’t realize how strong his explosions were without the gear, but UA, man, I just. I suppose they had no way of knowing how reckless he’d be with them, but honestly, after the battle trials, they should have been fucking yoinked from him so damned fast. 

Anyways, onto other parts of Katsuki’s costume, we see he’s a fucking dork. Possibly what lowered their guard. ‘Something scary’ and ‘Dynamighte all over’. What the hell, kid. At least your designer stuck close to your design… including the huge-ass clunky gauntlets. Man, the Musketeer Trio movie poster ones are so much better looking and so, so streamlined. Works of art, they are.

Moving on, we get a bit of a flashback to ~three weeks ago, which by the calendar would be around March 20th? So a few weeks after the Entrance Exam. And Izuku is only NOW getting around to updating the quirk registry? Izuku baby seriously, how the FUCK did none of the UA staff notice the ‘quirkless’ on your application form at any point before this?

But yeah, he’s worried about his registry, so he calls Toshinori, who explains the update process. It gives the example of someone who might alter their stuff with updated information, with one or two allowed - though major ones aren’t accepted. Toshinori then says it’ll probably be okay since he started with nothing, then tries to correct himself to ‘definitely’, only to get cut off because Izuku accidentally hangs up in a panic when Inko calls out that she’s home. Haha poor Toshinori, and poor Izuku, the two anxious dumbasses. 

Anyways, moving on from that is Inko showing off the jumpsuit she made, with Izuku surprised. She admits it’s not the coolest, but she based it off of the design in his notebook (the one we saw back in chapter 1). She tells him she regrets giving up on him back then, and how he never quit regardless of her faith. She apologizes and says from there on she’ll be cheering him on with all she’s got. 

Izuku’s narration notes that it’s a symbol of his mom’s love, and that he couldn’t wear anything else, even if it’s not ‘efficient’ or ‘cutting edge’. (Or even at all decent looking.) And it’s also hinted through the present thoughts on it that it’s meant to be an homage to All Might (the smile and the hair pieces) which is just such a dorky thing.

We get to the wide-spread of hero costumes, which- wait a second.

That’s Momo’s initial hero costume design???? Why did Hori not stay with that??? It’s a LOT better than the stuff we’ve seen her in later! Like, sure, it’d still be improved with the main opening being her stomach and not her chest, but this still looks like actual human clothing and not a sexy Halloween costume variant of her hero uniform. Fucking hell, now I’m even more mad.

Tsuyu’s costume meets the approval of the discord server as basically ‘no changes needed’ asides from maybe the goggles being a bit bulky.

Tenya’s costume, I’m sorry, I know it’s an homage to your brother / family, but were the additional pipes really needed? Also, the helmet isn’t a bad idea since he goes fast, and bugs in the mouth/teeth have to suck, but it just looks so damned Gundam-y I can’t help but laugh a little.

Shouto… nah, too easy a target.

Aoyama is Aoyama. I’m actually a bit disappointed now that it’s not a magical girl costume, but alas, I suppose even Hori couldn’t be that brave.

Kaminari… I forgot he had that headset thingy. 

Don’t really have much else to say about anyone else, so let’s move on.

Izuku bugs out a bit about Ochako’s costume/appearance, while she compliments his more practical looks and laments not being specific, saying it’s a bit too puffy and curvy for her. Which means it’s more the accessories which seem to be her issue with it over the main costume itself? Huh.

Anyways, after All Might confirms they’re all there, he notices Izuku’s headpieces, which are a match to his costume, and has to turn to muffle a laugh for how obvious a reference it is. Tenya steps up, asking whether they’ll be doing cityscape maneuvers again since it’s the same field used in the entrance exam. Izuku thinks to himself how cool Tenya’s costume is, while All Might explains that they’re moving onto step two - indoor anti-personnel battle training!

He explains what while villain battles are most commonly seen outdoors, statistically the worst crimes and villains are more likely to be found indoors. Confinement, house arrest, black market deals… the clever villains luck indoors to avoid heroes. Which is why the class will be split into teams of two and pit against each other, heroes versus villains style!

Ah, Tsuyu. Calling him right the heck out, as expected. All Might then notes that in this scenario, the fight won’t be against disposable robots. 

This entire page is just fucking hilarious. The class and all their questions while All Might is shaking with nerves. The fucking cheat sheet he uses to try to get back on track. Him being questioned on the lot drawing, and shaking while Izuku accidentally ends up covering for him. I just. All Might was not prepared for this mess and it shows. He was doing so much better when it was the one on one stuff with Izuku.

But yeah, Izuku notes the scenario is like from a western comic plot, and he’s also the one who ‘realizes’ the lots are like when heroes from different agencies have to team up for emergencies without prior warning. 

Lots are drawn, and we have our teams:

Izuku’s so stressed out because he still can’t really talk to her, while she’s excited to be teamed up and calls it ‘fate’ that it happened. All Might draws the first two teams to participate, and… team Izuku and Ochako (as the heroes) versus team Katsuki and Tenya (as the villains). Both Izuku and Katsuki are alert from this development…

Which makes this a good point to cut off, since it’s halfway through and we got a lot of information to chew on already. Second part should be out this weekend (hopefully). 

[buttsonthebeach]

March 2020 Commission Sale!

Hi everyone! Things are crazy all over, and I’m confined to house (more or less) as I know a lot of you are - so let’s do some discounted commissions!

Read on for more info! Slots will open on Friday March 20th around 5pm Eastern Standard Time.

$15 $10 Drabble - 500-750 words, SFW or NSFW. This will be a more “focused” moment in time, or a stream-of-consciousness-y character/relationship study.

Examples: “Swearing” (NSFW, 300 words); “The First Time” (500 words). “Keeping Tabs” for @ladynorbert and “Begin Again” for @laskulls are also in this category.

$30 $20 Small Scene - 1500-2500 words, SFW or NSFW. Scenes in this category will be more condensed than full scenes, so they most likely won’t be plot heavy, but they will have a lot more detail than a drabble. “A Closed Loop,” which I did for @thevikingwoman, is a good example.

$55 $45 Full Scene - 4000-5000 words, SFW or NSFW. This will be a more full scene with a beginning-middle-end arc.

Examples: “Never Alone,” an NSFW fic trade for @hansaera that is 5000 words. “The Turning of the Year” for @scharoux is another good example that is SFW! Most of my other one-shots and prompt fills also fall into this range. You can check them out on my Solavellan or Marian x Merrill masterposts.

$250 Long Fic - Slots for this kind of commission are currently closed. up to 25,000 words, SFW or NSFW. Exactly what it sounds like - a multichapter long fic that essentially gives you a discount off ordering multiple full scenes! This is the only type of commission that I will accept partial payment for - we will work together to figure out how much you will pay and when. I did this for @scharoux with “The Last Game” and “Lost Horizon,” both of which have 4 parts.

I will write:

- For the Dragon Age fandom. I have played all 3 games several times and while there are some characters I have not written much, I am willing to talk about any of them. I am most experienced with Inquisition characters.

- Smut! Please see below for what kinks I am not comfortable with.

- Fluff! Domestic fluff, parental fluff, friendship fluff.

- Angst! Let’s make our hearts hurt together.

I will NOT write:

- Underage (especially nothing with any pedophilic tones, and nothing where one character is an adult and another is not), incest, and noncon. This includes rape fantasies, even if they are consensual.

- I’m comfortable with some Dom/Sub dynamics, but full on master/slave dynamics are not quite my thing. I also don’t know how well I’d do with a full on humiliation kink, but we can discuss it.

- Anything involving bathroom functions as part of sexual play.

- Anything that changes a queer character to a straight character. I am willing to consider changes in the other direction (writing Cassandra gay/bi, etc).

- Graphic violence/torture, angst for the sake of torturing a character

- Something that I consider to be grossly out of character for a canon character.

- Anything that makes me truly uncomfortable, but is not listed there.

How it works:

- Message me here on Tumblr with the basic idea for your story, and I will let you know if I have a slot available and think I can pull it off.

- If I accept the commission, I will send you a PayPal invoice with all details. Then you will email me all of your details!! Feel free to send aesthetics, pictures, moodboards, and any backstory that you think would be relevant to the story you want, as well as a full description of what you want.

- Once I receive payment, I will start writing.

- I will probably ask you a ton of questions as I write, and I will send you a draft to read and comment on once I am done. Please be patient! I work full time, and I want to make sure your story is perfect. Drabbles will be done quickly, but full scenes will not.

- If you want the story to be public, I will post it here on Tumblr and tag you, and you can reblog it. It’s totally fine if you want it to be private, though!

[aceattorneyutterson]

Gabriel Utterson

Full name: Gabriel John Utterson

Nickname(s) or Alias: Gabe, John

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Age: 40

Birthday: March 20th, 1846

Sexuality: Bisexual

Nationality: British

Religion: Orthodox Christian

City or town of birth: London, England

Currently lives: London, Englad

Languages spoken: English, Latin, conversational Romanian

Native language: English

Relationship Status: Married

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Height: 6'4

Weight: 111.584 kg (246 lb)

Figure/build: Tall and stocky, combination muscular with little "pudgy" areas around the stomach and thighs

Hair colour: Salt and pepper/black and grey

Hairstyle: Coily, kinky curls

Facial Hairstyle: Sideburns and scruffy beard, matching the color of his hair

Eye colour: Dark brown

Skin/fur/etc colour: Dark bronze

Tattoos: N/A

Piercings: N/A

Scars/distinguishing marks: Scars hidden on his back

Preferred style of clothing: Business formal; black suit with a dark blue vest over a white button up, often wears a top hat with a blue brim.

Frequently worn jewellery/accessories: Wedding ring; made of an obsidian band with a tiny sapphire crystal

Smoker? N/A

Drinker? Occasionally, often seen as a "light weight"

Recreational Drug User? Which? N/A

Addictions: N/A

Allergies: N/A

Any physical ailments/illnesses/disabilities: Mild depressive symptoms

Any medication regularly taken: N/A

Personality: Around strangers, he is polite and very quick to the point, often very business-like in his interaction. Can often be seen as kind of stoaic, sometimes too serious. Around friends and family, he is a little more lighthearted and casual, smiles more often, but can still be reserved.

Likes: Theatre, Gin, work, reading, research, baking, family time, being a father, baths, his wife, and helping others.

Dislikes: Lying, disrespectfulness, past treatment, discrimination of any sort, and Mr. Hyde.

Fears/phobias: Losing his family, being alone, failing those he cares about, not being enough, and his past.

Favourite colour: Blue

Hobbies: Working, reading, baking, and playing with his children

Taste in music: Classical and cabernet

SKILLS

Talents/skills: Really good at debating, well trained in self-defense, and good with children.

Ability to drive a car? Operate any other vehicles? Drives a car

EATING HABITS

Omnivore/Carnivore/Herbivore (Vegetarian): Omnivore

Favourite food(s): Confections of any sort, beef stew, sausage rolls, steak, and shepherd's pie

Favourite drink(s): Water, gin, and black coffee

Disliked food(s): Any pickled foods, sauerkraut or sea food

Disliked drink(s): Ale, soda

HOUSE AND HOME

Describe the character's house/home: Two stories, classic Victorian layout with six bedrooms and four bathrooms. Outside panels are white with blue trim. Additional attic and basement.

Do they share their home with anyone? Who? His wife, Lavina, and their four children.

Significant/special belongings: Collection of the supernatural by Abraham Van Helsing, a silver sword, and a leather hunting suit.

CAREER

Level of education: Graduated from law school

Qualifications: PhD in law

Current job title and description: Personal lawyer, can argue any case but often does personal dispute and injury.

Name of employer: Himself

COMBAT

Peaceful or aggressive attitude? A mix, varying in situations

Fighting skills/techniques: Swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat

Special skills/magical powers/etc: N/A

Weapon of choice (if any): Silver sword

Weaknesses in combat: His own humanity

Strengths in combat: Levelheadedness

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES

Parents names: John Utterson (father) and Josphine Utterson (mother)

Are parents alive or dead? Dead

Is the character still in contact with their parents? No

Siblings? Relationship with siblings? Mackenzie Utterson, (little sister) deceased

Other Important Relatives: 

Partner/Spouse: Lavina Utterson (wife)

Children: Mackenzie, Samuel, Anastasia, and Douglas

Best Friend: Robert Lanyon

Other Important Friends: Henry Jekyll, Lisa Jekyll, Charlotte Enfield, and Francis Poole

Acquaintances: Raoul de Changy, Erik, Marlowe, Lucy Harris (formerly), Victoria Frankenstein

Pets: N/A

Enemies? Why are they enemies? Edward Hyde because he goes against everything Gabriel stands for. Richard Enfield because he was abusive towards his wife and conspired against his own family. Simon Stride for abusing women in his brothel. Dr. Moreau for kidnapping and torturing his wife and best friend

BACKSTORY

Describe their childhood (newborn - age 10): Born into the weathly Utterson family where John Utterson had high expectations from the beginning. He was raised under a strict code and taught to obey rules. His life relaxed and became a bit more fun when he turned 8 and his little sister, Mackenzie, was born.

Describe their  teenage years (11 - 19): Was sent off to a boarding school for his early schooling years, but often stayed in touch with his little sister via letters. He was accepted into Oxford University's law school at 17-years-old and rekindled relationships with his childhood friends Robert and Henry.

Describe their  adult years (20+): Graduated University at age 21 and began an apprenticeship with a variety of different lawyers. At 23, he and his sister took a trip to the Netherlands, enjoying the time away from his family, however, one night on their trip, Mackenzie Utterson is murdered by an unknown suspect who drained his sister dry of blood. Upon seeing this, Gabriel's heart shattered and for the next 5 years, disappeared to train as a vampire hunter under the Van Helsing family. When he returns to London at 28, he opens his own law firm and during the night, he hunts for vampires. One year later, on another trip to Amsterdam, Holland, he meets a vampire woman named Lavina Dalca, who initially attacks and changes Robert Lanyon. When she follows him to London, he is apprehensive at first, but soon welcomes her company and falls in love. Seven years later, his first daughter, Mackenzie, is born. However, the happiness only last two years, as Lavina returns home to Romania and soon vanishes. During her absence, all he has is Mackenzie, but thankfully Henry has developed a small serum taken with the smallest ounce of vampirism, that slows the aging process immensely. Sadly, his family separates even more after Henry's daughter, Emma, is born and sent to the Americas to hide from the wars raging in Europe, Gabriel sends Mackenzie away. For the next 94 years, Gabriel is alone until his "niece" Charlotte, returns to London with Emma and Mackenzie and a month later, Lavina returns as well. Finally marrying, Samuel Utterson is born shortly after, and years later, his twins, Anastasia and Douglas.

(While my version of Utterson ties in heavily with the fanstory that I and @queen-of-nerds1026 and I have created, he still does and can coincide with current TGS canon)

[architectnews]

School of the Art Institute of Chicago presents 10 student architectural projects

A project that uses hand-drawing techniques to explore 'contemporary ruins' and another that examines rapidly expanding global cities are included in Dezeen's latest school show by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Also included is a project that explores adaptive reuse as a means to solve Chicago's housing issue and another that examines how "house museums" serve as an opportunity to think about the way architecture communicates.

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Institute: School of the Art Institute of Chicago School: Department of Architecture and Interior Architecture Courses: Graduate Thesis Projects Professors: Linda Keane, Andres Hernandez, Carl Ray Miller, Charles Pipal, Hennie Reynders, Joshua Stein, Andrew Schachman, Tristan Sterk and Monika Thadhani

School statement:

"At the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Architecture and Interior Architecture, we encourage and practice a vibrant engagement with design at all scales – from the body to large scale environments.

"Our faculty in the Department of Architecture share a vision through which collaborative thinking, making, and sharing practices are the categorical imperatives in the 21st century through which meaningful cultural research and innovation reinforce society as we undergo deep transformations.

"Our vision is grounded in a reflective and critical engagement with an increasingly complex assemblage of environments and the realities of contemporary life. We encourage a restless curiosity in our students and belief in a plurality of approaches from our faculty, visiting designers, and critics.

"Students need to be comfortable with uncertainty and complexity, often having to locate their creative imagination outside disciplinary boundaries and as such, the department responds with significant alternative modes of learning.

"Our faculty believe that future designers need to be thinking designers – practitioners willing to explore unknown territory and engage problems not yet defined – as such allowing transversal forms of exploration and meaningful moments of sharing across all clusters of research and practice throughout the institution and beyond."

Encounter by Jovana Crnomarkovic

"Encounter engages the work of architect, urbanist and essayist Bogdan Bogdanović in a speculative, collaborative dialogue. It places him amongst the company of figures such as ACTUP's Gran Fury, surrealist authors, and me, as a curious architectural student, to recover the underpinnings of memorialisation in the former Yugoslavia before its fragmentation and subsequent oblivion.

"Through a close reading of Bogdanović's memoirs and essays and study of his drawings, I map out his unique position as the state's creative proxy as well as one of its most outspoken dissidents.

"Instead of relating to others through apparent commonalities or by insisting we can map ourselves onto another's experience, how can we form relationships across the distance of our difference? In this vein, I am not arguing for the commonalities of my chosen conversational partners, but their relationship is a complex fabric.

"Bogdanović eludes both figurative and abstract representations in his memorials, offering a perspective into incommensurate belonging in design which moves beyond translating these ideas to expand upon an accepted 20th-century architectural canon."

Student: Jovana Crnomarkovic Course: MArch Thesis

Adaptive Reuse as a Tool by Amanda Fuson

"My thesis responds to the condition of the housing crisis in Chicago and the solution that vacant, historically significant buildings provide. My methodology includes creating a research engine that identifies buildings in disinvested neighbourhoods that are historically significant and vacant, identifying the common building types that characterise the fabric of these neighbourhoods, and testing these building types against economies of scale and preservation principles.

"This methodology establishes a conceptual template for identifying networks of the historic building stock and provides typology-specific design solutions for their adaptive reuse.

"Through this lens, I hope to examine the strategy of reusing embodied energy as sustainable practice and its benefits that support both equitable housing and preserving the cultural identity of neighbourhoods."

Student: Amanda Fuson Course: MArch Thesis / Certificate in Historic Preservation

Tactical Urbanism for Protesting by Shun Nien Miao

"The project explores and propositions a public space in which activists and the protesting public can insert infrastructure within interstitial spaces and quasi-private thresholds that exist between buildings and the commons in Lower Manhattan, New York City. An intervention that bridges urban typologies and aims to create a new urban culture through architectural innovation and political disruption.

"The series is a combination of mapping public/private and the odd existence of 'privately owned public space', factual and fictional scenario collages and 'text/script', that informs the process by which a grassroots creation of public space – from the contingent condition, temporal occupation to permanent intervention, can take hold."

Student: Shun Nien Miao Course: MArch – with an Emphasis in Interior Architecture Thesis

Connect the Line by Tinglei Zhang

"Connect the Line refreshes Linhai as a contemporary site and addresses the current shifts between traditional and contemporary cultural landscapes on county-level scales of urbanisation.

"The proposed architectural interventions aim to counter the shrinking of the population and create alternative opportunities for the mobile youth and left-behind elderly groups alike. Building upon existing historical infrastructure and traditional neighbourhood texture, new and surprising interventions activate social interactions between young and old."

Student: Tinglei Zhang Course: MArch Thesis

Present Futures: Mechanics of Ethnocratic Colonial Urbanism by Rula Zuhour

"Within Jerusalem's city boundary but outside the Separation Wall, the neighbourhood of Kafr Aqab is a ledge where Palestinian Jerusalemites resort to live. Behind them is a concrete wall sealing off a city that constantly pushes them out, and ahead of them is a downfall that renders them stateless.

"This thesis investigates past and current Israeli colonization tactics that have created the Kafr Aqab phenomenon, where architecture and urban planning are instruments of dispossession, displacement and control. Based on this investigation, the thesis speculates about possible futures for Kafr Aqab and its inhabitants.

"By examining moments in space and time of idiosyncratic collisions between the urban fabric, military structures, and political boundaries, the thesis reveals the method in which those territorial tools operate in parallel with oppressive legal, civilian, and administrative policies to expand Israel's territory and consolidate its control while displacing and fragmenting Palestinian communities."

Student: Rula Zuhour Course: MArch Thesis

Data Can Architect – and it is personal by Heidi Metcalf

"Our data permeates every aspect of our lived experience. Architecture has become the backdrop of these digital realities. In this world, can data architect? Through digital networks like Twitter and Instagram, users are primed to expect adaptive environments.

"With a simple 'like' or forward, the digital condition is algorithmically redesigned to suit our interests. This work evaluates eight cultural sites in Chicago and appropriates algorithmic processes used by digital networks and social media platforms. Designing a speculative process for re-conceptualizing the foundations of architectural ideating determines that data can architect – and it is personal."

Student: Heidi Metcalf Course: MArch Thesis

Vagabondage on Architectural Ruins by Yiwen Chu

"As a Master of Architecture graduate Yiwen Chu is interested in all kinds of contemporary ruins. With an undergraduate background in 3D design and furniture design, Chu practices design across various disciplines and scales.

"She uses hand-drawing techniques to illustrate her conceptual thinking and in her thesis asked whether explorers and vagrant nomads can insert a narrative of occupation and de-occupation over contemporary ruins so as to create places that stress the importance of death, birth, memory and introduce a contingent spatial typology of temporal belonging."

Student: Yiwen Chu Course: MArch Thesis

Exurban Futures: A handbook for architecture's potential on an emerging frontier; Chicagoland's periphery by Andrew Phyfer

"Intrigued by the 'edge conditions' that surround our rapidly expanding global cities – the moments where city and countryside begin to blur – this project aims to provide architectural suggestions for a zone that is under-addressed by the academy and profession.

"From a series of prompts and artefacts – geological calendars, soil production indices, supply and logistics networks, settler outpost, suburban present, and projected future planning scenarios – five exploratory operations are produced for Building Thriving Ecologies.

"This includes Establishing Robust Agricultural Platforms; Diversifying Regional Exchange; Radicalizing the Single-family Home and Empowering Sociocultural Network. The final hybrids that emerge from these typological explorations suggest spatial propositions of exurban futures, a synthesis of a journey, exposing the invisible forces at play and invite further integration by stakeholders."

Student: Andrew Phyfer Course: MArch Thesis

Space Frame Earth Sky by Kekeli Sumah

"As a city, Chicago has influenced how I think about the scope of my work. I used to confine my work to paper and to the studio, but there is a lot of freedom here and a lot of opportunities to work with organisations and individuals from many different fields.

"This environment has made my practice interdisciplinary in a way that extends beyond the studio and into the built environment. My current interests are in house museums and how they serve as an opportunity to think about the way architecture communicates.

"I'm interested in investigating this typology through three constructs: "Homeness," "Houseness," and "Museumness." These categories are mapped to a different way of understanding architectural communication, namely: symbolic, materialistic, and programmatic.

"I hope to draw attention to how house museums as a typology flicker between these different modes of communication, becoming indeterminate in the process, which I argue, opens them up to new possibilities."

Student: Kekeli Sumah Course: MArch Thesis

A Soulful Body: School of the Art Institute of Chicago presents ten student architectural projectsby Leila Khoury

"Khoury's graduate thesis, A Soulful Body: The Immigration and Placemaking of Arabs in Detroit, chronicles the history and built environment of Detroit's Arab American communities.

"In addition to highlighting buildings that were adaptively reused by refugee and immigrant groups in the last century, A Soulful Body speaks to the ways in which the groups continually carve out space for themselves in spite of the displacement they’ve endured in both historic and contemporary contexts. A Soulful Body was selected to be published by Empress Editions through their juried Artist Book Residency in August 2020."

Student: Leila Khoury Course: MArch Thesis

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post School of the Art Institute of Chicago presents 10 student architectural projects appeared first on Dezeen.

[ericmorseblog]

Our next Writers in Horror Profile is another classic….

Howard Phillips Lovecraft  August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author who achieved posthumous fame through his influential works of horror fiction. He was virtually unknown and published only in pulp magazines before he died in poverty, but he is now regarded as one of the most significant 20th-century authors in his genre. Lovecraft was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he spent most of his life. Among his most celebrated tales are "The Call of Cthulhu" and "The Shadow over Innsmouth", both canonical to the Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft was never able to support himself from earnings as author and editor. He saw commercial success increasingly elude him in this latter period, partly because he lacked the confidence and drive to promote himself. He subsisted in progressively strained circumstances in his last years; an inheritance was completely spent by the time that he died at age 46.

For most of the 20th century, the definitive editions (specifically At the Mountains of Madness and Other Novels, Dagon and Other Macabre Tales, The Dunwich Horror and Others, and The Horror in the Museum and Other Revisions) of his prose fiction were published by Arkham House, a publisher originally started with the intent of publishing the work of Lovecraft, but which has since published a considerable amount of other literature as well. Penguin Classics has at present issued three volumes of Lovecraft's works: The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories, The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories, and most recently The Dreams in the Witch House and Other Weird Stories. They collect the standard texts as edited by S. T. Joshi, most of which were available in the Arkham House editions, with the exception of the restored text of "The Shadow Out of Time" from The Dreams in the Witch House, which had been previously released by small-press publisher Hippocampus Press. In 2005 the prestigious Library of America canonized Lovecraft with a volume of his stories edited by Peter Straub, and Random House's Modern Library line have issued the "definitive edition" of Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness (also including "Supernatural Horror in Literature").

Lovecraft's poetry is collected in The Ancient Track: The Complete Poetical Works of H. P. Lovecraft (Night Shade Books, 2001), while much of his juvenilia, various essays on philosophical, political and literary topics, antiquarian travelogues, and other things, can be found in Miscellaneous Writings (Arkham House, 1989). Lovecraft's essay "Supernatural Horror in Literature", first published in 1927, is a historical survey of horror literature available with endnotes as The Annotated Supernatural Horror in Literature.

 Despite several claims to the contrary, there is currently no evidence that any company or individual owns the copyright to any of Lovecraft's work, and it is generally accepted that it has passed into the public domain.

[voltrongenminibang]

Frequently Asked Questions - 2017 edition, first run

About This Event

What is gen? Gen fics are, for the purposes of this Bang, stories in which there are no romantic pairings.  Not in the background, not in the focus: there are no non-canonical ships.  There is leeway allowed for canon relationships (ie Sam and Colleen Holt being married in the fic doesn’t prevent it from being gen), but there are no added relationships at all.  The focus instead is on platonic relationships, be that friendship, team, familial or otherwise.  

For the olds out there: No Romance On Screen. 

Are platonic ships allowed? Yes, as long as they’re strictly platonic and don’t become shippy. We understand that sometimes the story can change while you’re writing it; if in the process of the draft your pairing becomes shippy, you will not be allowed to use the story for your Mini Bang. Either you will need to drop out or you’ll need to write something else.

How does a Big Bang work? For a standard Big Bang like this one: fic first, then art. After a few weeks of work, the authors will submit a summary and excerpt of their fics to begin the Claims process. Artists pick their top favorites from this list and submit them to the mods. One of those choices is assigned to the artists, who then create content for that fic. [In a reverse Bang, then the artists would submit what they’re going to draw and the authors write with that in mind.]

Gen Mini-Bang Details + Participation Requirements

How many people can participate? 25 authors and 25 artists. upped to 40 each, after enthusiastic response!

What’s the timeline? The timeline can be found on the sidebar, and also here.

Who’s running this shindig? @bosstoaster, @butteredonions and @velkynkarma.

Minimum word count? 5,000 words is the minimum.

Can we have co-authors? You can have a co-author, but you will be responsible for working together and making sure your fic reaches completion.  In fairness to the limited number of slots, once you’ve signed up you will not be allowed to split up the pair: one or both of you will have to drop out.  Also, to make it fair, if you have two authors you will be responsible for a 10,000 word story (essentially 5k each).

Maximum word count? None!  Go wild.  Just remember that you have to be able to finish it in the scheduled time.

What are the requirements for artists? Artists will be asked to produce 1 piece of artwork for the fic they’re partnered with after claims. We’ll be asking for progress updates/sketches during the check-ins. The final piece should be completed and ready for turn-in by the July 16th final deadline.

There aren’t any restrictions on what media you use. Traditional and digital are both accepted, and if you have other ideas besides a splash page or comic, we’re open to that too! All we ask is that it’s a fully completed piece, no sketches or WIPs.

Sign-Ups

Can I sign up to both write and create art? Due to limited space, you can only be part of the initial sign-up for one or the other, unless we have trouble filling up (which is somewhat unlikely, but more possible for the artist side).  However, you can be on the wait-list for either side, even if you’re signed up for the other.  So if you’d prefer to be an artist, we advise you wait until the 25 slots are full and sign-up as a pitch hitter instead, and then sign-up as an artist in the first wave (or vice versa)

Can I sign up now and drop out later? Technically we can’t stop you, but please consider the limited number of spaces available for this mini-bang. If you sign up now without the intent of following through, you may be taking that slot away from someone else who wants to participate just as badly. Please check out the timeline and evaluate your own schedule before committing.

I already signed up through the poll Bosstoaster did! That was an interest poll, not sign-ups themselves. If you filled out this form: 1) thank you!, and 2) you’ll still need to actually sign-up when sign-ups are live.

Is it first-come first serve or an application? Slots will fill on a first-come, first-serve basis. Authors: Mark your calendars March 20th! 

How do I sign up, officially? Sign-ups are closed! All slots are currently full and we are running on a waitlist.

How much information will i need for sign-ups? Your tumblr handle (or other social media), as well as an active email address.

When exactly will sign-ups open? Author sign-ups opened at exactly 12:00am, March 20th, EST. Sign-ups remained open for one week. Artist sign-ups opened at exactly 12:00am, March 27th, EST. Sign-ups remained open for one week.

What if I miss the window? Mark your calendars!  If you miss it, you’ll have to wait for another time.

All the slots are full! Yes, they are! You can sign up on either waitlist in case of drop-outs. Author Waitlist Artist Waitlist

Are you going to add more slots? The current cap remains 25 authors and 25 artists. Please see this post for more information. ETA: Due to exceptional and enthusiastic interest, we have upped the cap to 40 authors and 40 artists, for a total of 80 participants.

Check-Ins and Claims

What are check-ins? Check-ins are when we look into the progress of authors and artists to make sure everything is coming along on schedule.  You will be responsible for showing how you’re progressed in your work at these times, usually by sending us your most current rough draft. More specific requirements may be posted as we draw closer to those dates.

The first check-in comes pretty quick! What do I need to have ready? Check-in 1 will be to make sure you still want to participate and that you’re working on your claims.  It’s there so if we have any early drop-outs, we catch them earlier so that we can give our back-ups time to make their summary before claims, rather than demanding one on the day of.

What are claims? Claims are named that because it’s when the artists decide which story they want to write for. Authors submit details to us such as a summary, rating, and an excerpt, along with the tags they’d plan on using for AO3. We’ll number those submissions and post them anonymously for artists to peruse; artists in turn give us a list of which of those submissions they want to draw. We then assign them and pair everyone up.

Can I be late to claims? No.  If you are late to claims you will be dropped and replaced. No exceptions.

What happens if I miss a check-in? Shiro never comes back from the astral plane.  

Content Queries

My work is ‘technically’ gen? but it might be kind of shippy if people want to read it that way. Ultimately, you know your content best. We recommend that if there’s any doubt if your content is gen you do not use it for this Bang. 

Can I have NSFW content? All NSFW content is acceptable (except if it involves a ship), but please remember to tag your fics appropriately for any NSFW content.

Are AUs allowed? Allowed, but please consider it may alienate artists if your niche is too specific (i.e. a Fantasy AU is one thing, a Dresden Files AU is another).

Can I continue a WIP? No. All material created for this mini-bang must be new material; the exception is a sequel to a previously-completed story. No posting new chapters of a WIP. The only exception is a WIP you’ve begun working on, but have not yet published anywhere yet.

Are sequels allowed? This is fine, as long as you are writing a sequel for a previously-completed story.  You cannot continue posting a currently half-published WIP.

Can I use an idea I’ve already loosely posted about on my blog? (i.e. I’ve talked about a basic plot, headcanon, meta, etc.) Yes. Previously posted ideas, snippets or hints are perfectly fine. If you’re considering making it your Bang Fic, please hold off on posting further details about your plot so that claims are as anonymous as possible. However, as long as the fic itself is not posted anywhere prior to claims, you’re good to go. 

Posting 

What are the multi-chapter posting rules? The entirety of your fic must be posted on your assigned day. If you have multiple chapters, all chapters must be posted on the same day. This is in fairness to everyone on the posting schedule.  It’s not fair if some people get a chapter posted every day for weeks while others get only the one post. If your fic exceeds 30k, please message us and we can consider exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Can I post my work on my account? Do not post your work anywhere before your assigned posting date. You can post little snippets or previews, but the work as a whole should be a surprise until the posting date. 

The only exception is if you’ve already loosely posted about the idea on your blog prior to Sunday, March 12th, 2017. Loose posts include ideas such as a basic plot, snippets, meta, headcanons, etc., that you’re now planning to expand into your Mini-Bang fic. If this is the case please hold off on posting further details about your plot through claims so that the process is as anonymous as possible. 

Where will we post our fics for Posting Day? All fics will also be posted to your own AO3 or Tumblr.  After that, send a link to us and we’ll post it. More information will be provided as we draw closer to the deadline.

Will I need the story to be totally completed by the deadline? All fic and art must be completed by the final deadline of Sunday, July 16th.  Absolutely.  Period.  

Can fics be edited between the Final Deadline of July 16th and posting on August 1st? Yes. We just require that the story be finished.  If you need a final read-over for editing, we’d much rather you do that than leave in mistakes because you think you’re not supposed to touch it.  We absolutely encourage you use those extra couple of weeks of organization to polish. How do I post my artist’s images to my fic on AO3? Check out our tutorial post on this here.

Additional/Misc.

I have a question not covered on this post! Please swing by our askbox. Thanks!

[triglavpark-blog]

Novice iz Prerije - January 2018

NOTICES:

This is the January 2018 issue. There was no December 2017 issue   Our Sympathies Condolences are extended to the family of Joe Arko. Joe was a refugee of war-torn Slovenia (born near Ribnica) as a two-year-old with his family in May of 1945 to Austria where he spent about 5 years in the Displaced Person Camp at Spitaal au Drau. The family migrated to the USA living first in Canon City, Co, then Joliet near St. Joseph and then to St. Stephen in Chicago. Joe and his wife Freda made their home in Lemont near the Slovenian Franciscan Monastery. Joe worked for 40 years for Argonne National Laboratory where he was known as the local MacGyver. When the physicists did not know how to design a piece of equipment for their experiments, Joe was the person they turned to. Joe used these skills to support many of our organizations. Nothing ever seemed impossible to him. He was also a passionate musician and singer, a member of every Slovenian choir in the area as well as virtually every Slovenian music group playing Avsenik and Slak. He will be sorely missed. Condolences are also extended to the family of Avgust Petek. Gusti was also an immigrant from Prekmurje. Gusti was an active member of both the Prekmurje Social Club as well as the Slovenian Catholic Center. He was one of our most active outdoorsmen who loved to hunt and fish. You could also find him playing Balina on Sunday afternoons up on the hill beyond the picnic platz. He was always recognizable by his smile and the greatest mustache of anyone in the community. He will also be missed. Cleveland Consulate Consular visit: Consul General Andrej Rode will be at the SCC in Lemont beginning at 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 10th. Please call to make an appointment. Appointments will be taken first. It also helps to call his office in Cleveland if there is anything out of the ordinary about the need for the appointment. The number in Cleveland is 216-771-7010. AmCham AmCham Slovenia together with Department of State and the US Embassy in Ljubljana invite students from the US to take part in the program 6-week European Experience - Internship in the Green Heart of Europe this summer.  Undergraduate students interested in a new outlook on business and entrepreneurship.  More information about the program is available also on the web http://www.amcham.si/en/european-experience.html. The application deadline is March 1, 2018. Confirmation of acceptances occurs on April 30th. the internships are held in June and July. The program does not cover a return ticket or incidental living expenses during the internship.

Consulate Address We remind you again that the Consulate in Cleveland has moved. The new address and telephone number are below.       Consulate for the Republic of Slovenia       1100 E. Superior, Suite 720       Cleveland, OH 44114       216-771-7010

Tarok Tarok is a card game that is played by many Eastern Europeans. Gypsies used these cards for their fortune telling and they refer to them as Tarot cards. The card game predates the fortune telling. Recently we found an instruction book for Taroks (it is how the Czech immigrants referred to it) printed in English by Automatic Printing in 1951 by Jerry Prescott whose uncle was Czech. His nephew Mike Prescott is the 3rd generation of the family involved in the printing business and reported to us that there is no problem in making copies of this booklet. In fact, they still have a box of the original 1951 printed booklets which we are arranging to have shipped to the Slovenian Catholic Center in Lemont which is the home of two Tarok tournaments a year. We will also have the scanned booklet available online at the SCC website. Potica Potica is commonly served at Slovenian homes during the holidays. It was also known as Povitica as the Croatians still call it. the earliest references we find to this walnut bread is in the writings of Valvasor. The Slovenian Union of America at its home office in Joliet sells original ceramic round baking molds (similar to a bundt cake) for anyone who wishes to make it in its original form. Hopefully, by the next newsletter, we will publish a recipe for potica from the 16th century. Slovenian Merchandise Ivan Hozjan and his wife, Rose, run a business that specializes in goods such as hats, t-shirts, drink coolers, coffee mugs, decals, license plate frames, different types of clothing that have Slovenian Themes. You can find them online at www.SlovenianSpecialties.com. Slovenian Language classes The Filosofska Fakulteta sponsors ongoing Slovenian Language classes. The summer program is the most popular that runs from the end of June to the end of July. there are tuition scholarships available through recommendations from the Consular offices. Please start this process asap to ensure you qualify for the funds available The second semester for the Saturday Slovenian Language Classes at the SCC begin on January 20th. There is an adult class that is held every week from 10 am until noon. Venerable Bishop Frederick Baraga The 150th anniversary of the death of Venerable Frederick Baraga is being celebrated in Marquette, Michigan the weekend of January 19, 20 and 21. More information is available on their Facebook page. There will be further celebrations of his life during the Annual Bishop Baraga Days which will be held on August 17, 18 and 19 in Marquette. Currently, they are in a capital campaign to turn the last home he lived him into the official archives of the BBA as well as a research center on his life, the lives of the missionaries (many of them Slovenian) who created Church in the UP and their impact on social policy towards the Native Americans in that area.

Copyright © 2018 Dr. Janez P. Vidmar, Honorary Consul for the Republic of Slovenia for Illinois, All rights reserved.