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colsonsticket2hisdownfall · 5 years ago

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Best Friends ‘Brother’ - C.B.

summery: y/n’s been best friends with jp cappelletty since they were kids, so it wasn’t that big of a surprise that when he became machine gun kelly’s dummer that she was still always around. but ever since meeting colson, the two just never got along no matter how hard rook tried. but one night when rook is away, things drastically change for the two enemies.

warning: fluff, smut, daddy!kink, tiny bit of degrading

a/n: this originally is from my main blog ( hi sideblog puffins ) and about someone completely different but I thought I’d change it up and make this about colson’s fine ass. hope y’all enjoy 🤪

6:30am. she grumbled when she was disturbed from her rest as her best friend’s alarm went off signaling he needed to get up. she was currently cuddled into his side and clinging onto him when he tried to sit up. “y/n.”

she just grumbled, holding him tighter which caused him to chuckle. “babe, you gotta let me get up.” rook said softly, kissing her forehead sweetly. “noooo.” she whined, nuzzling her face in his neck. the two had always been close, so close people actually thought they were dating but they weren’t - he was just her person and vise versa. another chuckle left his mouth as he managed to pry himself out of her arms. a simple huff left her lips as she sat up, rubbing her eyes before crossing her arms across her chest.

“y/n, you’re acting like a toddler.” rook rolled his eyes, a smile on his face. He loved the fact she loved spending time with him so much - he really appreciated her friendship. “you’ve been so busy lately.. and now you’re leaving me for a whole ass day. c’mon jp, just let me come with!” she huffed again, staring at her best friend with puppy dog eyes. rook simply groaned, he hated when she used the puppy dog eyes on him. they usually worked but not this time, “babe, i can’t. it’s for business, you know if it wasn’t you’d be right next to me. i promise i’ll be back bright and early tomorrow okay?” he said sweetly, walking over and pressing a kiss upon her forehead. the girl simply glared at him playfully before leaning back and letting out a dramatic sigh.

rook chuckled, shaking his head as he walked over to her and hovered over her face. “you’ll be just fine, puffin.” the nickname he’s always called her, rolling off his tongue. he left a small kiss upon her forehead before grabbed his keys off his endtable. “you’re leaving me here… with him.” a growl left her lips, referring to the boy who was still fast asleep down the hall. “y/n, you’ll be fine. it’s not like you’re just with him. slim and baze are gonna be here too, so stop being so over dramatic and it’s just one night. you’ll survive.” The heavily tattooed male stated, gathering everything he needed for his trip. the girl sat up, still pouting as her eyes followed his every move. she hated the fact he was leaving her alone with colson, the two never got along. he was so cocky and thought he was god’s gift to women and she loathed that about him. she honestly had no idea how rook could even stand to be around him longer than ten seconds.

“i’ll be back in the morning, puffin. love you.” rook said, kissing her forehead once again before leaving. y/n just threw her body back on the bed, cuddling with rook’s pillow and completely loathing the fact she was alone with colson, well technically she wasn’t but slim and baze had barely been around the past few weeks so she practically was alone with him. she glanced over at the clock and saw it was only 7:30 so she decided to get some more shut eye. rolling over, she got more comfortable and fell back asleep. the next thing she knew, she heard loud music and groaned when she knew he was awake. glancing at the clock again, she was a little surprised it was only noon and colson was actually awake. getting out of bed, y/n made her way into the living room to see Colson was out swimming while blaring music. She rolled her eyes and headed towards the kitchen as she was starving, a small smile formed upon her lips as she noticed rook made her food before he left.

‘enjoy your food, puffin. please try not to murder kells. love you.

-rookie’

y/n simply laughed at the note as she folded it up and stuck it in her back pocket before placing the plate in the microwave to reheat. she grabbed her phone and went to text rook when she realized he probably wasn’t going to be able to answer her, she let out a groan before setting it down on the counter once the microwaved beeped signally her food was done. pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she walked to the living room and sat indian style on the couch and turned on Netflix. she put on charmed and happily ate her food until colson walked in and stood right in front of the tv. “we don’t eat in the living room, y/n.” the taller male growled. “you might not, but rook and I tend to eat in here when we binge watch Netflix which clearly I’m doing right now so fucking move.” She snarled back, throwing a pillow at him.

“this is my house, y/n. i can stand where ever I please.” Colson shot her a smirk which caused her to groan again, she simply got up and headed into rook’s room to watch Netflix on his laptop. “fucking asshole.” she mumbled under her breath, kicking rook’s door closed with her foot. “god I can’t fucking stand him!” she growled to herself, setting the plate of food and glass of juice down on the dresser before pulling her shirt over her head revealing her bare chest. she’d always loathed wearing a bra to bed, it was always super uncomfortable for her. she stood in front of rook’s closet, completely topless and just in her panties as she gazed at the many shirts to chose from. she always tended to wear one of rook’s shirts when he was away, the smell of him always seemed to calm her. just as she took a white shirt off the hanger, she heard rook’s door swing open. covering her body, she let out a scream and quickly grabbed the throw blanket that was on the end of the bed to cover herself up. “what the fuck! Colson!”

the heavily tattooed older male simply just stood there, his mouth agape as he stared at her. she was practically naked and he honestly couldn’t believe it. “hold up…. you’re telling me you wear barely anything to bed when you sleep next to rookie and he doesn’t do anything?” he asked completely and utterly taken back. y/n rolled her eyes and turned around, dropping the blanket and sliding the shirt over her head. “yes because he’s not a pig… like you.” she growled, turning around and crossing her arms over her chest. colson chuckled, rolling his beautiful sky blue eyes. “oh please… i’m not a pig. stop being so fucking over dramatic.” y/n rolled her eyes again, walking over and shoving his chest so he would leave the room. “go away, colson.” the girl glared. “rook is so stupid. how can he resist your body?” he simply said, shaking his head before turning around and heading towards his room. “and i repeat, because he’s not a pig.” she called out as he was walking down the hall. colson halted his actions at her words, “i’m not…. a fucking pig.” he growled darkly, turning around. “i’m just simply saying that rookie boy has more fucking will power than I would have, you’re fucking sexy and half naked in bed…. i would disappear under the covers and eat you out before we went to sleep every night.” as he spoke, she just stared at him.

“what did you just say?” she asked, her pussy throbbing a little at the thought of colson between her legs. “you heard me, y/n.” a smirk formed upon his lips as he walked closer to her. “stop fucking with my head, baker.” the girl glared, her arms still crossed over her chest. “i’m not fucking with your head…. but i could be fucking you.” he whispered in her ear once he was close, “kells…” she said softly, unfolding her arms and gently pushing him away. “you hate me… remember. is this just some hate fuck fantasy you wanna have or…” she trailed off, looking at him with a cold look in her eye. she’d be lying if she said she didn’t find colson attractive, he was fucking beyond sexy and had a body that made her pussy throb but he’s always hated her since they met almost eight years ago and she wasn’t going to be some hate fuck one night stand just because he was bored since his crew was gone. “you know… for someone who claims to be smart, you’re pretty fucking stupid.” he chuckled darkly, “excuse me?” she growled, crossing her arms again. “i never hated you, baby. was just jealous you always seemed to like rookie more.” the taller male stated which caused y/n to tilt her head to the side. “what are you even talking about? rook’s my best friend of-“ colson cut her off, “i’ve literally been in fucking love with you since we met.”

at his confession, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. she had no idea he felt this way, “you’re fucking kidding right? you literally have done nothing but torment me and tease me since the day we met..” she shook her head, “yes at first i hated the fact that rook was literally spending every waking minute with you and barely with me or the rest of the guys, but the longer you were around i just realized i hated the fact that you didn’t want anything to do with me. remember when your shitty ex boyfriend cheated on you and he ended up having a black eye and broken nose? rookie lied, i’m the one who beat the fuck out of him. i told rook to say it was him because well… you loathed me.” all these confessions were coming at y/n quick and completely out of no where, she had no idea that colson had any type of romantic feelings towards her. her head was spinning and she felt like she was going to pass out, “wait… so rook knows that you love me?” she arched an eyebrow and the taller male shook his head, “no.. nobody in our group knows.. casie does however. she figured it out.” colson ran his fingers through his hair, “i get it though, i’m a pig and all that other shit you call me. but i’m going out, i’ll be back later.” he said, going to turn around but y/n’s voice stopped him. “kiss me.” he turned around and looked at her, “what?” he asked, not sure if he heard her right. “just fucking kiss me, baker.” within a second, colson crashed his lips against hers and ran his hands down her body. he gave her ass a gentle smack and squeeze before biting her lower lip, begging for entry. once she parted her lips, he went to town on kissing her passionately.

y/n melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her body. the two made out for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes, pulling away in need of a breath colson just looked at her. “fuck, i’ve waited so long to kiss you.” he leaned forward and peppered soft kisses against her neck causing the girl to pull her lower lip between her teeth. “yeah? you ever… masturbate thinking about me?” colson was a bit taken back at her words, y/n was never this bold. “all. the. time.” he growled in her ear. y/n smirked before dropping to her knees, “y/n, what are you-“ the older male was cut off by y/n tugging off his sweats along with his boxers and stroking his dick in her hand. “oh fuck.” he groaned.

y/n just smirked up at him before leaning forward and kitty licking his tip. “that feel good, baby?” she purred. colson just nodded, his lower lip between his teeth as he stared down at the girl who’s he’s always been head over heels for. “good.” she smirked before taking him fully in her mouth. colson let out a throaty groan, his head falling back to rest against the wall in the hallway. he couldn’t believe this was actually happening, the girl of his dreams was sucking his dick in the hallway of the house he shared with his best friends. he could already feel himself getting close and he quickly pulled her up and looked at her in the eyes. “why’d you stop me?” she asked, innocently.

“because, i wanna cum inside you baby. let’s go.” he gently grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers and heading into his bedroom. he wasn’t going to fuck her in rook’s bed so he quickly made his way to his room. once they were finally in his room, y/n laid on his bed after he did and just stared at him. colson reached over and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, “so beautiful.” his lips kissed hers again as his tongue licked her lower lip almost like asking for permission. his hands slid over her sides and under the fabric of her pants.

at his compliment, y/n’s cheeks flushed a small shade of pink. “you flatter me so much.” she whispered before humming against his lips. once he licked her bottom lip, she opened it wide and moaned into the kiss as she felt his hands slide under her pants. colson’s tongue dominated hers for a few moments, pulling back he leaned in kissing her neck and letting his teeth nip at her skin gently. slipping her pants off her body, he grinned before pulling her on top of him. “i want my babygirl on my face.” he groaned looking up at her while his hands squeezed her breasts through her shirt, rubbing his thumb over her nipples.

when he called her his baby girl, y/n felt her heart skip a beat. she didn’t understand why she was feeling the way she was but god she loved it. y/n moaned into the kiss as his tongue dominated hers. when he slipped off her pants, she revealed that she wasn’t wearing any panties. at his words, she giggled before smirking. “as you wish, daddy.” she moaned softly as he rubbed her nipples through her shirt. she slowly made her way up to where she was hovering over the man’s face, biting her bottom lip and moaning as she finally felt his tongue. the second she said daddy, a smirk formed upon colson’s lips. “mm, you know huh baby girl?” he chucked darkly. “everybody knows about your daddy kink, daddy.” she smirked right back, looking at him with lust filled eyes. “you’re so fucking sexy and all mine, you hear me?” he growled before his tongue glided against her pussy slowly, he loved making her flinch as he teased her. his right hand slapped her ass hard then squeezed it. sucking down on her clit, his grip on her got tighter encouraging her to slowly grind against his tongue.

y/n flinched when she felt him tease her, she gripped his headboard and moaned as he smacked her ass hard. “fuck.” she soon started slowly gridding her hips against his tongue as she felt his grip tighter around her, “fuuuck, daddy.” the girl whimpered. as she moaned, her mind couldn’t help but think about the fact he said she was all his. but that thought soon left her mind as colson’s hand smacked her other ass cheek hearing her moan. his thumb slowly found its way to her clit as his tongue slid inside her, colson was determined to make her cum but only when he wanted. he could feel by her legs shaking she was close, he suddenly stopped, “gonna squirt for daddy?” he asked raising an eyebrow. his tongue glided against her, while his eyes locked with hers.

y/n let out another moan as she nodded her head, “y-yes, colson.” she whimpered when he stopped moving. “that’s not my name, slut.” he growled once again, his hand finding it’s way up to her throat. he squeezed slightly, causing her gasp as she wasn’t expecting that. “what’s my name?” colson looked at her with dark, lust full eyes. “d-daddy..” she moaned out. “good girl.” a smirk formed against his lips before he smacked her ass again, “fuck, i love this ass.” he bit his bottom lip before kissing her inner thighs, he went right back at it. licking, sucking, slurping; he was going fucking wild and he knew she was close. her legs were shaking and just as she was about to orgasm, colson pulled away and a growl left the girl’s lips. before she could even object, she was on her back and he was between her legs. she instantly grabbed his hands and laced their fingers as they locked eyes. “fuuuuck, yes daddy. i’m gonna… i’m gonna..” and she ended up squirting all over his tongue, squeezing his fingers. colson let a smile form on his face watching her unfold, “that didn’t take long.” he said grinning, licking her clean. leaning up he moved forward lining himself up with her entrance, leaning down he left a sloppy kiss on her lips as he slid inside her. colson went deep inside of y/n as he thrusted, his one hand held tightly against her hip and the other found its way around her throat his fingers closing around her tightly.

y/n blushed, covering her face. “stop. it’s been awhile since i’ve had any type of sex and fuck this is going to make your ego huge but that was the best head i’ve ever gotten.” she admitted before kissing him back for that moment, when he leaned down and left a sloppy kiss against her lips. as he thrusted deep, y/n let out a pleasurable moan before it was cut off when he wrapped his fingers around her throat. she could barely breathe and she absolutely loved it, she loved the fact she was seeing this side of colson. she knew he was a freak in bed and god was she glad she was finally able to experience it. colson’s thrusts got faster and harder as he went down on her. “fuck baby..” he moaned looking down at her, his fingers putting a bit more pressure against her throat. “so fucking wet for daddy.” he said feeling his cock getting more wet. y/n was trying to moan, but she couldn’t so all she could do was reach her hands up to claw at his back. the girl was beyond soaked and the sound of their skin slapping together was causing her to become even more wet. releasing his grip colson slid out of her before flipping to her stomach, pulling her up by her hair he rammed inside of her. slapping y/n’s ass he smiled as he watched the handprint form. “you daddy’s little slut?” he growled in her ear as he gripped her throat again using his arm to hold them up as he fucked her.

y/n let out a breath once he released his grip from her throat. she whimpered when he pulled out but let a giggle escape her lips when he flipped her over so she was on her stomach. once he slammed into her, y/n let out a pleasurable moan. as he smacked her ass, she hissed as it stung but god she loved it. “yes daddy. i’m your little slut.” the girl moaned out as she gripped the sheets of his bed as he fucked her. each time colson rammed into her he watched her ass shake and it made him grin. he loved every inch of her but her ass was his weakness. gripping her shoulder, he pulled her back against him as he went forward. “good girl, i guess i need to fuck you harder since you’re not loud enough for me.” he groaned as he gripped her hips with his hands and moved faster inside of her. as he slammed into her, y/n squealed out moans as he went quicker and harder. “fuck, daddy! don’t stop!” she screamed out, his headboard hitting the wall since he was fucking her so hard. colson let out a few low groans, hearing her words he did just that, he didn’t stop. he had a goal to make her cum a few times before he did, seeing her turned on was what got him off. “i want you to ride the fuck out of me babygirl.” he whispered in her ear before sliding out to lay on his back, pulling her over him he lined her up then pushed her down onto him, “fuuuck, such a tight pussy baby.”

y/n was a moaning mess at this point, she was beyond soaked and loved the feeling of his dick slamming into her. when he stopped before she could cum, she growled before he spoke. “yes, daddy.” she simply said, resting her freshly manicured nails on his chest as he pushed her down on his cock. “such a big dick, daddy.” she whimpered, leaning her head back as she started bouncing on him quickly. colson pinched her nipples between his fingers watching her movements. “mmm, yes baby, just like that.” he groaned not taking his eyes off her. his lower lip fell between his teeth as he bucked his hips a few times as she came down on him. y/n moaned as he pinched her nipples, she gritted her teeth as she turned her attention to him. “fuck, daddy. I love the feeling of your cock deep inside my pussy.” she moaned, digging her nails into his chest. “fuuuck, i’m gonna cum.” she leaned her head back, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. colson watched her cum as he smiled, “don’t stop baby.” he demanded as he gripped her hips to hold her down. his hand free hand reached up and gripped her throat tight as he felt himself reaching the edge. he felt himself finish inside her and his head fell back against the pillows. y/n moaned loudly as she came, her nails dug deeper into his chest as he held her hips down. the girl kept bouncing at his words, she leaned down and captured his lips in a kiss. “fuck daddy, you gonna cum hmm? you gonna cum for your slut?” she purred seductively as she kept her pace fast. once he filled her up, she let out a soft moan before getting off him and pressing a kiss to his lips. “that was-“ she started before colson finished her sentence. “fucking perfect.” he let out a breathless chuckle.

“i can’t believe you’ve been in love with me all these years.” y/n spoke quietly, rolling on her side as she traced circles on his bare chest. “i couldn’t help but fall in love with you, baby girl. you’re so fucking perfect.” the older male leaned forward and captured her lips in a passionate kiss before resting his forehead against hers. “what now?” she whispered. “that is entirely up to you. you know my feelings, y/n. what are yours?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her and gently caressing her back with his fingertips. so many emotions were running through her mind. she’d be lying if she said she didn’t have any feelings for colson, there was always something there but she just never wanted to admit it in case he didn’t feel the same way and not to mention she had no idea how rook feel. “rook, colson. what is he gonna think?” y/n bit her bottom lip. as if on que, they heard the front door open and a very loud rook coming down the hall. “what the-“ y/n was cut off as she sat straight up in her covering her chest with the sheet as colson got up.

“y/n?! colson?! we need to-“ rook got cut off as he walked into his colson’s room and shook his head. “rookie, what are you doing here?” she asked, biting her bottom lip as she stared at her best friend. “well, my dumb ass forgot to grab my wallet so i went back to the car to grab my phone to call colson and i saw i had a voicemail from him and well…. i heard everything.” y/n’s face went completely sheet white, as if she saw a ghost. “w-what?!” she asked, completely horrified her best friend heard her fucking the guy he considered to be his brother. “my ears will never stop bleeding. your daddy kink is alive and thriving.” rook turned to look at his older ‘brother’ who just had a smirk on his face. “don’t act like you ain’t got one too, rookie.” colson laughed before crawling back in bed with y/n. “honestly? i love this. my puffin and my annoying ass best friend are dating and getting along. thank god.” rook chuckled, “we aren’t-“ colson started, but y/n caught him off. “i love it too, rookie.” she smiled brightly which caused a wide smile to form upon colson’s lips. “god, i love you.” the older male sighed before pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss. with that, rook took that as his que to leave. who knew him leaving to go run some errands would cause his two favorite people to become a item but he wasn’t mad.

“so.. does this mean you’re gonna eat me out now every night?” y/n smirked before giggling.

“now that you’re my girl? absolutely.” colson chuckled before smirking right back. “you ready for round two, baby?”

“absolutely, daddy.”

#machine gun kelly imagine #colson baker imagine #machine gun kelly #rook imagine #jp rook cappelletty #jp cappelletty #colson baker

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sinfullypassionate · 5 years ago

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Best Friends Brother - E.D.

summery: y/n’s been best friends with grayson dolan since they were kids. she wasn’t as close with ethan because the two just never seemed to get along, but one night when grayson’s away things change between y/n and ethan.

warning: fluff, smut, daddy!kink, tiny bit of degrading

a/n: i haven’t written smut in a hot minute so please bare with me 🥵 also this is so much longer than i anticipated and i’m sorry in advance phew.

she just grumbled, holding him tighter which caused him to chuckle. “babe, you gotta let me get up.” grayson said softly, kissing her forehead sweetly. “noooo.” she whined, nuzzling her face in his neck. the two had always been close, so close people actually thought they were dating but they weren’t - he was just her person and vise versa. another chuckle left his mouth as he managed to pry himself out of her arms. a simple huff left her lips as she sat up, rubbing her eyes before crossing her arms across her chest.

“y/n, you’re acting like a toddler.” gray rolled his eyes, a smile on his face. He loved the fact she loved spending time with him so much - he really appreciated her friendship. “you’ve been so busy lately.. and now you’re leaving me for a whole ass day to film some survival video. c’mon gray, just let me come with!” she huffed again, staring at her best friend with puppy dog eyes. grayson simply groaned, he hated when she used the puppy dog eyes on him. they usually worked but not this time, “babe, it’s for the channel. i promise i’ll be back bright and early tomorrow okay?” he said sweetly, walking over and pressing a kiss upon her forehead. the girl simply glared at him playfully before leaning back and letting out a dramatic sigh.

grayson chuckled, shaking his head as he walked over to her and hovered over her face. “you’ll be just fine, puffin.” the nickname he’s always called her, rolling off his tongue. he left a small kiss upon her forehead before grabbed his keys off his endtable. “you’re leaving me here... with him.” a growl left her lips, referring to the boy who was still fast asleep down the hall. “y/n, you’ll be fine. he doesn’t bite and it’s just one night. you both will survive.” The younger twin stated, gathering everything he needed for the survival video. the girl sat up, still pouting as her eyes followed his every move. she hated the fact he was leaving her alone with ethan, the two never got along. he was so cocky and thought he was god’s gift to women and she loathed that about him. she honestly had no idea how he was even related to grayson.

“i’ll be back in the morning, puffin. love you.” gray said, kissing her forehead once again before leaving. y/n just threw her body back, cuddling with grayson’s pillow and completely loathing the fact she was alone with ethan. she glanced over at the clock and saw it was only 7:30 so she decided to get some more sleep. rolling over, she got more comfortable and fell back asleep. the next thing she knew, she heard loud music and groaned when she knew he was awake. glancing at the clock again, she was a little surprised it was only noon and Ethan was actually up. getting out of bed, y/n made her way into the living room to see Ethan was out swimming while blaring music. She rolled her eyes and headed towards the kitchen as she was starving, a small smile formed upon her lips as she noticed grayson made her food before he left.

‘enjoy your food, puffin. please try not to murder ethan. love you.

-gray’

y/n simply laughed at the note before folding it up and sticking it in her back pocket before placing the plate in the microwave to reheat. she grabbed her phone and went to text gray when she realized he had zero technology except for his video camera, she let out a groan before setting her phone on the counter once the microwaved beeped signally her food was done. pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she walked to the living room and sat indian style on the couch and turned on Netflix. she put on charmed and happily ate her food until ethan walked in and stood right in front of the tv. “we don’t eat in the living room, y/n.” the older twin growled. “you might not, but gray and I tend to eat in here when we binge watch Netflix which clearly I’m doing right now so fucking move.” She snarled back, throwing a pillow at him.

“this is my house, y/n. i can stand where ever I please.” Ethan shot her a smirk which caused her to groan again, she simply got up and headed into gray’s room to watch Netflix on his laptop. “fucking asshole.” she mumbled under her breath, kicking grayson’s door closed with her foot. “god I can’t fucking stand him!” she growled under her breath before setting the plate of food and glass of juice down on the dresser before pulling her shirt over her head revealing her bare chest. she’d always loathed wearing a bra to bed, it was super uncomfortable for her. she stood in front of gray’s closet, completely topless and just in her panties and gazed at the many shirts to chose from. she always tended to wear one of gray’s shirts when he was away, the smell of him always seemed to calm her. just as she took a white shirt off the hanger, she heard grayson’s door swing open. covering her body, she let out a scream and quickly grabbed the throw blanket that was on the end of the bed. “what the fuck! Ethan!”

the older twin simply just stood there, his mouth agape as he stared at her. she was practically naked and he honestly couldn’t believe it. “hold up.... you’re telling me you wear barely anything to bed when you sleep next to grayson and he doesn’t do anything?” he asked completely and utterly taken back. y/n rolled her eyes and turned around, dropping the blanket and sliding the shirt over her head. “yes because he’s not a pig... like you.” she growled, turning around and crossing her arms over her chest. ethan chuckled, rolling his eyes. “oh please... i’m not a pig. stop being so fucking over dramatic.” y/n just rolled her eyes again, walking over and shoving his chest so he would leave the room. “go away, ethan.” the girl glared. “grayson is so stupid. how can he resist your body?” he simply said, before turning around. “and i repeat, because he’s not a pig.” she called out as he was walking down the hall. ethan halted his actions at her words, “i’m not.... a fucking pig.” he growled darkly, turning around. “i’m just simply saying that grayson has more fucking will power than I would have, you’re fucking sexy and half naked in bed.... i would disappear under the covers and eat you out before we went to sleep every night.” as he spoke, she just stared at him.

“what did you just say?” she asked, her pussy throbbing a little at the thought of ethan between her legs. “you heard me, y/n.” a smirk formed upon his lips as he walked closer to her. “stop fucking with my head, dolan.” the girl glared, her arms still crossed over her chest. “i’m not fucking with your head.... but i could be fucking you.” he whispered in her ear once he was close, “e...” she said softly, unfolding her arms and gently pushing him away. “you hate me... remember. is this just some hate fuck fantasy you wanna have or...” she trailed off, looking at him with a cold look in her eye. she’d be lying if she said she didn’t find ethan attractive, he was fucking beyond sexy and had a body that made her pussy throb but he’s always hated her since they were kids and she wasn’t going to be some hate fuck one night stand just because he was bored since gray was gone. “you know... for someone who claims to be smart, you’re pretty fucking stupid.” he chuckled darkly, “excuse me?” she growled, crossing her arms again. “i never hated you, princess. was just jealous you always seemed to like grayson more.” the older twin stated which caused y/n to tilt her head to the side. “what are you-“ ethan cut her off, “i’ve literally fucking been in love with you since we were sixteen.”

at his confession, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. she had no idea he felt this way, “you’re fucking kidding right? you literally would torment me and tease me..” she shook her head, “yes at first when i was little i hated the fact you were stealing gray away from me, but as we got older i realized i hated the fact that you didn’t want anything to do with me. remember when colson cheated on you the week before prom and he ended up having a black eye and broken nose? grayson lied, i’m the one who beat the fuck out of him. i told grayson to say it was him because well... you loathed me.” all these confessions were coming at y/n quick and completely out of no where, she had no idea that ethan had any type of romantic feelings towards her. her head was spinning and she felt like she was going to pass out, “wait... so grayson knows that you love me?” she arched an eyebrow and the boy shook his head, “no.. nobody has known about my feelings for you.” ethan ran his fingers through his hair, “except you now. but i get it, i’m a pig and all that other shit you call me. but i’m going out, i’ll be back later.” he said, going to turn around but y/n’s voice stopped him. “kiss me.” he turned around and looked at her, “what?” he asked, not sure if he heard her right. “just fucking kiss me, dolan.” within a second, ethan crashed his lips against her and ran his hands down her body. he gave her ass a gentle smack and squeeze before biting her lower lip, begging for entry. once she parted her lips, he went to town on kissing her passionately.

y/n melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to her body. the two made out for what seemed hours but was only a few minutes, pulling away in need of a breath ethan just looked at her. “fuck, i’ve waited so long to kiss you.” he leaned forward and peppered soft kisses against her neck causing the girl to pull her lower lip between her teeth. “yeah? you ever... masturbate thinking about me?” ethan was a bit taken back at her words, y/n was never this bold. “all. the. time.” he growled in her ear. y/n smirked before dropping to her knees, “y/n, what are you-“ the older twin was cut off by y/n tugging off his sweats along with his boxers and stroking his dick in her hand. “oh fuck.” he groaned.

y/n just smirked up at him before leaning forward and kitty licking his tip. “that feel good, baby?” she purred. ethan just nodded, his lower lip between his teeth as he stared down at the girl who’s he’s always been head over heels for. “good.” she smirked before taking him fully in her mouth. ethan let out a throaty groan, his head falling back to rest against the wall in the hallway. he couldn’t believe this was actually happening, the girl of his dreams was sucking his dick in the hallway of the house he shared with his brother. he could already feel himself getting close and he quickly pulled her up and looked at her in the eyes. “why’d you stop me?” she asked, innocently.

“because, i wanna cum inside you baby. let’s go.” he gently grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers and heading into his bedroom. he wasn’t going to fuck her in grayson’s bed so he quickly made his way to his room. once they were finally in his room, y/n laid on his bed after he did and just stared at him. ethan reached over and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear, “so beautiful.” his lips kissed her again as his tongue licked her lower lip almost like asking for entry. his hands slid over her sides and under the fabric of her pants.

at his compliment, y/n’s cheeks flushed a small shade of pink. “you flatter me so much.” she whispered before humming against his lips. once he licked her bottom lip, she opened it wide and moaned into the kiss as she felt his hands slide under her pants. ethan’s tongue dominated hers for a few moments, pulling back he leaned in kissing her neck letting his teeth nip at her gently. slipping her pants off her body he grinned before pulling her on top of him. “i want my babygirl on my face.” he groaned looking up at her while his hands squeezed her breasts through her shirt rubbing his thumb over her nipples.

when he called her his baby girl, y/n felt her heart skip a beat. she didn’t understand why she was feeling the way she was feeling but god she loved it. y/n moaned into the kiss as his tongue dominated hers. when he slipped off her pants, she revealed that she wasn’t wearing any panties. at his words, she giggled before smirking. “as you wish, daddy.” she moaned softly as he rubbed her nipples through her shirt. she slowly made her way up to where she was hovering over the man’s face, biting her bottom lip and moaning as she finally felt his tongue. the second she said daddy, ethan froze. holy fucking shit. how the fuck did she know he had a daddy kink? a growl left his lips as his hands ran over her skin once she was hovered over him. “you’re so fucking sexy and all mine.” he growled again before his tongue glided against her heat slowly, he loved making her flinch as he teased her. his right hand slapped her ass hard then squeezing it. sucking down on her clit his grip on her got tighter encouraging her to slowly grind against his tongue.

y/n flinched when she felt him tease her, she gripped her headboard and moaned as he smacked her ass hard. “fuck.” she soon started slowly gridding her hips against his tongue as she felt his grip tighter around her, “fuuuck, ethan.” the girl whimpered. as she moaned, her mind couldn’t help but think about the fact he said she was all his. but that thought soon left her mind as ethan’s hands smacked her other ass cheek hearing her moan. his thumb slowly found its way to her spot as his tongue slid inside her, ethan was determined to make her cum but only when he wanted. he could feel by her legs shaking she was close, he suddenly stopped and lifted her up. resting her on her back against the pillows he laid in between her legs; smiling up at her he spoke, “gonna squirt for daddy?” he asked raising an eye brow. his tongue glided against her while his eyes locked with hers.

y/n let out another moan as he smacked her ass, ass smacking was always such a huge turn on for her. she knew she was close, her legs were shaking and just as she was about to orgasm damon pulled away and a growl left the girl’s lips. before she could even object, she was on her back and he was between her legs. she instantly grabbed his hands and laced their fingers as they locked eyes. “fuuuuck, yes daddy. i’m gonna... i’m gonna..” and she ended up squirting against his tongue, squeezing his fingers. ethan let a smile form on his face watching her unfold, “that didn’t take long.” he said grinning licking her clean. leaning up he moved forward lining himself up with her entrance, leaning down he left a sloppy kiss on her lips as he slid inside her. ethan went deep inside of y/n as he thrusted, leaning up one arm held him up against the headboard and the other found its way around her throat his fingers closing around her tightly.

y/n blushed, covering her face. “stop. it’s been awhile since i’ve had any type of sex and fuck this is going to make your ego huge but that was the best head i’ve ever gotten.” she admitted before kissing him back for that moment when he leaned down and left a sloppy kiss against her lips. as he thrusted deep, y/n let out a pleasurable moan before it was cut off when he wrapped his fingers around her throat. she could barely breathe and she absolutely loved it, she loved the fact she was seeing this side of ethan. she always had some type of feeling he was a freak in bed and god was she glad she was right. ethan’s thrusts got faster and harder as he went down on her. “fuck baby..” he moaned looking down at her, his fingers putting a bit more pressure against her throat. “so fucking wet for daddy.” he said feeling his cock getting more wet. y/n was trying to moan, but she couldn’t so all she could do was reach her hands back and claw at his back. the girl was beyond soaked and the sound of their skin slapping together was causing her to become even more wet. releasing his grip ethan slid out of her before flipping to her stomach, pulling her up by her hips he rammed inside inside of her. slapping y/n’s ass he smiled as he watched the handprint form. “you daddy’s little slut?” he growled in her ear as he gripped her throat again using his arm to hold them up as he fucked her.

y/n let out a breath once he released his grip from her throat. she whimpered when he pulled out but let a giggle escape her lips when he flipped her over so she was on her stomach. once he slammed into her, y/n let out a pleasurable moan. as he smacked her ass, she hissed as it stung but god she loved it. “yes daddy. i’m your little slut.” the girl moaned out as she gripped the sheets of his bed as he fucked her. each time ethan rammed into her he watched her ass shake and it made him grin. he loved every inch of her but her ass was his weakness. gripping her shoulder he pulled her back against him as he went forward. “good girl, i guess i need to fuck you harder since you’re not loud enough for me.” he groaned as he gripped her hips with his hands and moved faster inside of her. as he slammed into her, y/n squealed out moans as he went quicker and harder. “fuck, daddy! don’t stop!” she screamed out, his headboard hitting the wall since he was fucking her so hard. ethan let out a few low groans, hearing her words he did just that, he didn’t stop. he had a goal to make her cum a few times before he did, seeing her turned on was what got him off. “i want you to ride the fuck out of me babygirl.” he whispered in her ear before sliding out to lay on his back, pulling her over him he lined her up then pushed her down onto him, “fuuuck, such a tight pussy baby.”

y/n was a moaning mess at this point, she was beyond soaked and loved the feeling of his dick slamming into her. when he stopped before she could cum, she growled before he spoke. “yes, daddy.” she simply said, resting her freshly manicured nails on his chest as he pushed her down on his cock. “such a big dick, daddy.” she whimpered, leaning her head back as she started bouncing on him quickly. ethan pinched her nipples between his fingers watching her movements. “mmm, yes baby, just like that.” he groaned not taking his eyes off her. his lower lip fell between his teeth. he bucked his hips a few times as she came down on him. y/n moaned as he pinched her nipples, she gritted her teeth as she turned her attention to him. “fuck, daddy. I love the feeling of your cock deep inside my pussy.” she moaned, digging her nails into his chest. “fuuuck, i’m gonna cum.” she leaned her head back, pulling her lower lip between her teeth. ethan watched her cum as he smiled, “don’t stop baby.” he demanded as he gripped her hips to hold her down. his hand free hand reached up and gripped her throat tight as he felt himself reaching the edge. he felt himself finish inside her and his head fell back against the pillows. y/n moaned loudly as she came, her nails dug deeper into his chest as he held her hips down. the girl kept bouncing at his words, she leaned down and captured his lips in a kiss. “fuck daddy, you gonna cum hmm? you gonna cum for your slut?” she purred seductively as she kept her pace fast. once he filled her up, she let out a soft moan before getting off him and pressing a kiss to his lips. “that was-“ she started before ethan finished her sentence. “fucking perfect.” he let out a breathless chuckle.

“i can’t believe you’ve been in love with me all these years.” y/n spoke quietly, rolling on her side as she traced circles on his bare chest. “i couldn’t help but fall in love with you, baby girl. you’re so fucking perfect.” the older twin leaned forward and captured her lips in a passionate kiss before resting his forehead against hers. “what now?” she whispered. “that is entirely up to you. you know my feelings, y/n. what are yours?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her and gently caressing her back with his fingertips. so many emotions were running through her mind. she’d be lying if she said she didn’t have any feelings for ethan, there was always something there but she just never wanted to admit it in case he didn’t feel the same way and not to mention she had no idea how grayson feel. “grayson, e. what is gray gonna think?” y/n bit her bottom lip. as if on que, they heard the front door open and a very loud grayson coming down the hall. “what the-“ y/n was cut off as she sat straight up in her covering her chest with the sheet as ethan got up.

“y/n?! ethan?! we need to-“ grayson got cut off as he walked into his ethan’s room and shook his head. “gray, what are you doing here?” she asked, biting her bottom lip as she stared at her best friend. “well, my dumb ass forgot to grab the extra battery for the camera and it died so i went back to the car to grab my phone to call ethan and i saw i had a voicemail from him and well.... i heard everything.” y/n’s face went completely sheet white, as if she saw a ghost. “w-what?!” she asked, completely horrified her best friend heard her fucking his twin brother. “my ears will never stop bleeding. i can’t believe you have a daddy kink.” grayson turned to look at his older brother who just had a smirk on his face. “don’t act like you ain’t got one too, gray.” ethan laughed before crawling back in bed with y/n. “honestly? i love this. my puffin and my annoying as big brother are dating and getting along. thank god.” grayson chuckled, “we aren’t-“ ethan started, but y/n caught him off. “i love it too, gray.” she smiled brightly which caused a wide smile to form upon ethan’s lips. “god, i love you.” the older twin sighed before pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss. with that, grayson took that as his que to leave. who knew him leaving to go make a YouTube video would cause his two favorite people to become a item but he wasn’t mad.

“so.. does this mean you’re gonna eat me out now every night?” y/n smirked before giggling.

“now that you’re my girl? absolutely.” ethan chuckled before smirking right back. “you ready for round two, princess?”

“absolutely, daddy.”

#ethan dolan imagine #grayson dolan imagine #grayson dolan #ethan dolan #dolan twins

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chloeokeeffecommunitymultiverse · 4 years ago

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Beyond the Frame - Community

what is the brief?

- ‘Beyond the Frame’ is the title of this competition brief collaboration with Norwich University of Arts and Canon. The theme is ‘Community’ and we’ve been asked to portray our own version of this. It can include anything from wildlife and conservation, your life and where you live or fashion and culture.

What are the expectations and what are they looking for? What do you need to submit?

- The judges are looking for us to submit 3 images each. They can be a series of the same images or 3 independent different images, that portray our versions of community.

Who are the judges? What do you think each of them will be looking for considering their specialisms in photography?

- The judges for this competition are :

Amit and Naroop, who are a stills and motion duo from Southall, West London and have been working together since 2003. They originally came together on a photo shoot for a music artist. Amit was the photographer, while Naroop had been brought on board as the art director. Whilst working so closely, they both recognised the creative chemistry between them. They’re ideas bounced off each other and they came up with interesting compositions and produced a set of images that were far more superior to anything they had done before as individuals. And with no formal training, they managed to perfect their craft by constant experimentation, using friends to pose for them and set up their first studios in Amit’s living room. After a while word spread of the images the duo could produce, leading them to then go on to work with the biggest records labels, photographing some of the most successful artists at the time. Having now made a name for themselves within the music industry, they moved on to editorial and advertising. Amit and Naroop have shot campaigns for brands including Barclay, MTV, BBC, Sony Music, Discovery channel and many more.

As judges for this competition I think as Amit and Naroop are specifically professioned in photography and have immense experience in it, I’d expect they’d be on the look out for good quality photos that have good work and meaning behind.

Below are photos of their campaign with ADIDAS. They photographed musicians, athletes, broadcasters and influencers for a global campaign showcasing the ‘change is a sport’ mantra of ADIDAS.

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Tessa Bunney, who for over 25 years has photographed rural life and has worked closely with individuals and communities to investigate how the landscape around them is shaped by humans. From hill farmers near her home in North Yorkshire to Icelandic puffin hunters, from Finnish ice swimmers to Romanian nomadic shepherds.

Her projects reveal the fascinating intricacies of the dependencies between people, work and land. Tessa’s ongoing project ‘FarmerFlorist’ explores the vibrant local ‘artisan’ cut-flower farmers which have recently sprung up in the UK and is a celebration of domestic growers past and present. It was shown at Ryedale Folk Museum in 2018 and Oriel Colwyn in 2019 and published in Rakes Progress and on the BBC. Her project ‘Home Work’ was published by Dewi Lewis in 2010 and was exhibited and published nationally and internationally including the Land exhibition as part of the Noorderlicht Festival, 2010. ‘Home Work’ explores the lives of female home workers in the suburbs and villages in and around Hanoi, Vietnam in the face of increasing urbanisation. Tessa also occasionally runs workshops within her community and regularly gives talks about her work to a wide range of universities, schools, galleries and other community groups.

After learning more about her work, as a judge, I’d expect Tessa to be mainly judging on the core sense of community that come with the photos.

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James Smith, who is the Photography course leader at Norwich University of Arts. James’ background includes industrial photography, editorial content for the specialist rock climbing market and work for design agencies. Work undertaken for these companies has involved producing images for literature to promote clients ranging from youth development initiatives to business lawyers.

Again as a judge and considering his profession, I’d expect James to be judging the editorial works on people’s final 3 images.

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Cherie Carman, is a fashion and portrait photographer currently based in London and graduated from Norwich University of the Arts in 2017. After graduating she moved into a full time position for Selfridges & Co working as a photographer within the in-house Photo studio team. Cherie’s day-to-day role consists of capturing fashion imagery for a range of designer brands to be used for Selfridges ecommerce imagery, editorials and social platforms. As well as this, she has traveled to showrooms in France to capture the latest collections for brands such as Balenciaga and Givenchy. Alongside her full time position at Selfridges she continues to capture her own imagery in her spare time allowing full creative freedom to explore her interests; one of her more recent projects includes ‘Refraction’ 2019 which went onto feature in PANSY Mag December 2019.

Cherie says she aims to produce clean and simplistic images with added elements to make them stand out. She enjoys collaborating with a range of practitioners such as Graphic Designers, as she displays in her project ‘Minimalistic Fashion’. These pictures below are from her 2016 project Minimalistic Fashion.

I think Cherie will judge the fashion side of peoples submissions and also the photography side, considering she does photography as a full time paying job.

Discuss your plans for submission and show any work you are considering to submit and why? How have you captured community? Does it meet the expectations of the brief?

At first, I was lost on what to do that would reflect community to my best ability. My first idea was to try and capture pure moments with my household. My sister’s birthday was recently and I hoped to capture her all happy and giddy whilst opening presents but I forgot. I had a second idea of capturing photos of me and my sister while we took our dog out around our village. I did capture some photos but they came out blurred and just not how I’d imagined so I also gave up on that idea. I went for a walk by myself around the village I live in and instantly an idea clicked. At the top of my village there’s a club/pub that my family and friends use to spend our entire weekends at, when I was in secondary school. My dad and our family friend use to help run it so we were constantly there, opening it and closing it when people finally left. This is the best possible way I could portray community as most of the families within the village would come and it was something I was apart of and experienced a lot.

I’ve kept the images fairly simple because the building (pub) reminds me of simpler times.

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dansnaturepictures · 4 years ago

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28th June 2020: Osprey and more at Fishlake Meadows and Titchfield Canal path

This morning and into early afternoon we went to Fishlake Meadows in Romsey in search of the regular Osprey that had been there. I took the first, third and fifth pictures in this photoset of views here today. We got four great natural moments in a walk around the reserve, seeing Purple Loosestrife beside the canal my first time seeing it this year I took the second picture in this photoset of some at a different part of this reserve today, seeing a Blue-tailed Damselfly land right in front of my face on the wood at the viewing screen and hear a very loud Cetti’s Warbler calling beside us there which was great. Additionally as we walked back along the canal path I was thrilled to spot a massive Stag beetle making its way across the path onto grass I took the fourth picture in this photoset of that. This was the first time I had ever seen one of these and it looked surreal and extraordinary to see. They are really rare too. This was such a special moment for me what a brilliant surprise of something to see today. It’s one I have put on my updated beetle life list that I’ve started up again this year and certainly comes in the right year with me not only taking a greater interest in beetles this spring and summer but seeing some amazing ones like Swollen-thighed, Green Tiger and this added to them so well. I submitted my sighting just now into the Great Stag Hunt Stag beetle survey: https://ptes.org/campaigns/stag-beetles-2/ by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species.

We found out to see the Osprey we’d have to go to a little viewing area beside the main road overlooking the reserve so we walked there. Looking over we were happy to see a Marsh Harrier and then a Red Kite alongside a lot of water birds. Then all of a sudden and it was remarkable to see it having an aerial fight with the similarly sized Red Kite the Osprey flew out! We marvelled at watching it in the air with the Marsh Harrier up at times too a special raptor fest with two of my favourite birds, and then the Osprey settled on the one of many dead trees here that it had been frequenting. It flew up again later but then perched in a different spot lower down the tree. I took the sixth and seventh pictures in this photoset record shots of it. We watched it for about half an hour, speaking to more great like-minded people this week at a distance of over two metres away about the Ospreys and general natural history topics which was great.

It was a true honour to see an Osprey for so long here today, my fifth of the many year ticks this week I’ve got now great for this time of year that is one of my favourite birds. That means it’s my 22nd of my current list of 30 favourite birds that I have seen in 2020. After a surge in seeing them this spring into summer following a drought of favourite bird year ticks during lockdown that will probably be what a finish on. A pretty decent return considering of the eight of my favourite birds I have yet to see in 2020 - Puffin, Kittiwake, Chough and Dipper just aren’t geographically possible for me to see this year now not helped but the need to not do our Anglesey holiday of course this week due to the pandemic. And Golden Eagle, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Tawny Owl and Black Guillemot are among my favourites because I dreamt of seeing them and it was an amazing moment when I finally did so I accept I won’t see them every year. Furthermore I have seen eleven of the thirteen bird species on my B list of favourite birds this year with one of the other two a maybe and the other a probably not this year.

This has the distinction of being my earliest ever Osprey sighting in a year as we normally see this bird at Rutland Water in August when we go for the Bird Fair with the exception of one year where we saw one somewhere else first. Obviously that has been cancelled in its physical form due to the pandemic this year. We had already cancelled the hotel we had booked but did toy with the idea with nights away currently possible from 4th July of finding somewhere to still go up I still have annual leave around that weekend and try to see the Ospreys. But now we have seen this one so well here I’m not sure we’ll need to but I don’t know that for definite. It is interesting this Osprey is said to be a Rutland born bird the place where this iconic species made its big population comeback to England with that amazing reintroduction programme so it’s still very much tapping into that inspirational story this year in the wake of what is probably gonna be my first year since 2007 not visiting Rutland in the summer. Seeing this Osprey meant its 13 years running I’ve seen an Osprey in now which without Rutland and none seen anywhere else would have been a record for me under threat.

It also interestingly makes Fishlake Meadows only the fifth location I have ever seen this very special bird for me at after Rutland Water (at most usually Lyndon but also sometimes Egleton bits the other reserve there), Porthmadog where we saw our first of 2016 that July, Arne looking into Poole harbour and Farlington Marshes into Langstone harbour. It was very important to see one at Fishlake Meadows for me as this one often visits and lingers here now it’s such a strong habitat for this bird we didn’t get to go here last year to see it. Fishlake Meadows is quite close to home really so this is excitingly the closest to home I have ever seen an Osprey a bird that has captivated and fascinated me since I first ever heard of them in my very early birdwatching days. So this all felt very great and I was happy. Fishlake Meadows continues to be a rising star of a nature reserve of an urban setting I am so impressed with how the Wildlife Trust run it and just the sheer biodiversity of birds and other creatures there are here as today showed well for me. I am very proud of this place.

This afternoon we then did a walk with Missy and my Mum’s husband at the Titchfield canal path quite a similar habitat really. Here it was nice to end my week off seeing a decent selection of butterflies and a few species with mini swarms of them as the sun and some heat well and truly emerged as expected this afternoon after brief showers earlier on and other wildlife such as more House Martins over Posbrook flood and lovely bronze plumage looking Black-tailed Godwits there. I took the final three pictures in this photoset there two landscapes and some nice goats we came across in a field.

Wildlife Sightings Summary: (Fishlake Meadows) My first Osprey of the year, my first ever Stag beetle, five more of my favourite birds the Buzzard, Red Kite, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe and Great White Egret flying in towards the end, one of my favourite butterflies the Red Admiral, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Woodpigeon, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Coot, Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Marsh Harrier, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Large White, Blue-tailed Damselfly and I heard Cetti’s Warbler and Reed Warbler. (Titchfield Canal path) Two of my favourite butterflies the Large Skipper and Red Admiral, Comma, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue and Meadow Brown it was those and the Commas that did a little bit of swarming, Blue-tailed Damselfly, House Martin, Swift, Oystercatcher, Black-tailed Godwit and Black-headed Gull.

Well that is the end of my week off then. It was amazing. We packed in some of the best locations locally, regionally and nationally to walk whilst social distancing, take in breathtaking views, watch incredible wildlife and take so many photos each day with most of these places in surrounding counties to Hampshire so nice to get chances to go to them safely. The weather really was perfect for the week off with the amount of sunshine and soaring temperatures. Three of my year lists proportionally to what they are for me grew massively my bird, butterfly and mammal year list. I saw dragonflies, damselflies, flowers and more too. It was an unforgettable week with so much joy taken from it for me. I think supporting the wildlife seen and strong places visited it was just nice to be out for so much of the day in line with current restrictions each time. And when travelling and inside it was great to really have some quality family time and spot on moments of relaxation and doing things at a more gentle pace after working at home for three months so far. My feet may be looking forward to the usually 23+ hours inside whilst working from home a day tomorrow after all the exhausting walking we have done but mentally and physically this week was just what I needed and did a lot for me. Thank you for all your amazing support for my huge amounts of photos and long posts this week. Have a great new week all or as good as it can be.

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bagels-and-seagulls · 5 years ago

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so i was tagged by @brisingr-iettauthr to make a couple of lists for 2019, and since i have three or so hours until 2020 hits, here are some of the things i enjoyed this year :)

top 5 films (so going to the movies is like one of my hobbies and i have #badtaste, but these are the ones i enjoyed the most, not necessarily the best)

detective pikachu (good family fun)

us (not family fun, but a good time if you’re into doppelgangers)

booksmart (hilarious, heartwarming, accurate representation of being a teen)

hustlers (thought it was going to be a joke but boy howdy it is not)

cats (yes, i do know, and no, i am not sorry)

top 5 series

druck (this is obvious, moving on)

haunting of hill house (i love a good scary story)

mindhunter (also scary, but the monsters are real)

patriot act (informative and funny)

the witcher (ridiculous but i love yennefer)

top 5 books (i mostly read for school, but classes assigned some pretty interesting ones this year that are worth a shot)

crush by richard siken (breathtaking)

killer of the flower moon by david grann (sad story but important history)

land of open graves by jason de leon (sad story but important current events)

the outsider by stephen king (more doppelgangers, also not family fun)

anil’s ghost by michael ondaatje (fiction but not really)

top 5 songs (okay this is really hard for me because i love music, so these are songs that came out this year to narrow the list)

dancing after death by matt maeson (he’s my #1 of the year and decade)

mother’s daughter by miley cyrus (i don’t know what it is about this song but it is always in my head)

tempo by lizzo ft missy elliot (a throwdown song for the big girls)

old town road by lil nas x ft billy ray cyrus (how can this not be on the list? people get more hype over this song at parties than any other)

carlo’s song by noah kahan (this one hits me in the chest every time)

top 5 positive things that happened this year

my university finally gave me a diploma after 4 years of me asking for it and throwing an insane amount of money at them

the art show i helped curate about women photographing other women went up at my museum and got two extended runs because of positive feedback

i went to scotland with my mom and mom got to see puffins in person for the first time

i went on a vacation to disneyworld with my bestfriends and we got slightly wasted at 11am and rode the finding nemo rides

i submitted to the mortifying ordeal of being known to the druck fandom after finding inspiration to write too many au’s about the same two boys falling in love over and over, and somehow along the way i made some amazing friends and for the first time actually felt a part of a fandom instead of just adjacent to it

i don’t know who else is in 2019 still, but @thesunwillshineclearer is sitting right next to me so i will harass her online and in person for her attention

#this year has been about seven emotionally #so there's that #about me

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macaronis-telegraph · 5 years ago

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Fyrgebræc

An old English word describing the crackling and breaking sound of a fire. (I like finding pretty words to name my writing...)

Anyways, this is an original work of mine with some characters I’ve had for ages. It also fills my “impaled palm” bingo prompt. I was debating whether I wanted all the prompt fills to be fanfiction, but this scene already existed in my head, so I thought, why the heck not.

And with that, onto the start:

... A sharp pain lit up Fletcher’s hand. He wanted to move it, cradle it, do anything to make it feel better. But he couldn’t. It was pinned where it was, up by his head, against a rotting wooden wall.

“Stop struggling and we won’t do that to your other one.” The man, no, more of a thug, breathed down Fletcher’s neck. He’d already torn his bag off of his free shoulder, tossing it to his two buddies behind him. Fletcher watched, frozen, as they began to tear it apart, assessing its contents. His DSLR, his wallet, his room key… it was all becoming too much. His hand still hurt like hell.

So much for this business trip.

He’d been sent out to this god forsaken town to photograph the surrounding wildlife. Notably, it was the closest piece of civilization to where a colony of puffins liked to gather. Set up with a camera and a booking at a local inn, Fletcher was ready to get away for a while.

But not like this.

Typing aimlessly at his desk would be better than this any day.

When the thug began patting him down, Fletcher was finally unable to hold onto his tears. They rolled down his face freely, despite him still trying his best to remain still and silent. He didn’t want to earn himself any more trouble than he was already in.

The man reached around Fletcher, retrieving his phone from his back pocket. He looked satisfied, and Fletcher thought maybe this whole ordeal might at last be over. He took deep shuddering breaths, staring at his feet. He’d survive this.

Suddenly, he felt hands at his wrist - the wrist attached to his throbbing hand. The thug was after his watch. He fiddled with it carelessly, forcing the buckle open. Fletcher’s hand was pulled and tugged, which would be fine if it weren’t for the knife currently embedded in his palm, keeping him up against the wall.

He could no longer restrain his whimpers. As his hand was jostled, he could feel the blade within his flesh, feel it slicing him open further. He never wanted this.

“Hey!” A voice reverberated around the back alley. “What the hell do you think’s going on here?”

Fletcher’s head instinctively turned to find the voice’s source. A young man, maybe not even older than Fletcher himself, had approached the scene. He was on the smaller side, couldn’t be more than 5’7”, but that didn’t mean he was frail. Though he was hardly intimidating either.

The looks on the sideline thug’s faces told Fletcher otherwise.

“Boss, I think it’s time to run.”

“What’s a kid gonna do?”

“But it’s-”

The distinct bang of a gun filled the air.

The man retrieving Fletcher’s watch finally turned towards the newcomer, realization spreading across his stern face as he recognized the man.

“Fuck you, Perkins.” The thug snarled.

The newcomer, Perkins, fiddled with the gun in his hand. Across the alleyway, a trashcan stood with a gaping hole in its side. A warning shot.

Fletcher initially thought that this new guy could be his savior. But with a gun now in the picture, his fear influenced any and all judgement.

“Why don’t you guys run along now?” Perkins had aimed his gun at their boss, waving it in a slight shooing motion.

The two others gathered up their loot, Fletcher’s belongings, and looked to their boss, desperate to take their leave.

“This guy’s a right pain in our asses.” the boss growled. “We’re going to do something about it, right here, right now.”

In a movement that was too quick for Fletcher to really process, the man turned and grabbed the hilt of his knife, tearing it from Fletcher’s hand. He screamed without warning, crouching down and holding his arm close, backing as far into the wall as his body would allow him. The shout sent the two other thugs running, heading out of the alley and round a corner. The dropped the camera as they escaped, the sickening crack as it broke making Fletcher wince.

The remaining thug then drew the knife on Perkins, who looked more annoyed than anything else.

“A knife to a gun fight? I can’t say I follow your logic.” Perkins lowered his gun, but only slightly.

The boss of the thugs was now pissed. He took a step, eager to attack, but was stopped by another deafening bang.

Fletcher threw his good arm over his head, as if it would protect him.

Fletcher sat like that for what felt like a long time, his eyes squeezed shut, waiting for everything to pass. He heard footsteps running away. He wished his pain could run away too.

When he finally opened his eyes, Perkins was crouched down in front of him.

Fletcher felt himself begin to panic. His eyes darted around the scene. Had that thug just been murdered right in front of him? But after a moment of looking, Fletcher spotted no body. Had it been another warning shot?

He brought his eyes back to the young man in front of him, who was oddly waiting patiently for Fletcher’s attention.

“Now, what’s a fairy like you doing in a place like this?” Perkins’s tone was kind, his hand stretched out in an offer to help him up.

“I…” Fletcher stammered, and struggled to a standing position. Part of him disliked accepting Perkins’s help, but the rest of him was still too stunned to think.

“Domino Perkins,” he introduced himself.

Fletcher was too overloaded. For a short moment he thought to say his name back, but then he caught site of his camera, shattered on the cold ground.

“My… my stuff…”

“Better not focus on that now,” Domino sighed, and motioned towards Fletcher’s injured hand that was still pressed up against his abdomen. “We need to deal with that first. Come with me?”

Fletcher didn’t know what he was doing as he fell into step beside this Domino Perkins. Everything that he witnessed told him that this was a dangerous man, in an untrustworthy town. But what was Fletcher going to do otherwise.

...

The pair soon approached what appeared to be a more residential part of town. The houses were sparse, small, and might be more comparable to cabins in the way they were built. Paved roads were few and far between in this lawless town as a whole, and this area was no exception. Dirt fell in the place of gardens, as the ground was frozen for large portions of the year.

And as far as Fletcher could tell, this was the nicer part of town.

Domino led him up onto a wooden porch, before unlocking the door and heading inside.

“Stan! Grab the first aide kit,” He called as he entered the house, Fletcher at his heels.

“God, what did you do this time,” the man within replied, as he got up from where he sat on the couch in the center of what was essentially a one room house. Stan locked eyes with Fletcher for a moment, then made his way over to the kitchen space at the front of the building, reaching to the top of a cabinet to retrieve a medium sized metal box.

Domino led Fletcher to a round table that sat between the kitchenette and couch, and encourage him to sit down. Domino took a seat next to him as Stan dropped the first aide kit in front of them.

“So who’s this guy then.” Stan looked unimpressed as Domino opened the box. “We don’t exactly have room for strays.”

It was then that Fletcher noticed there was only one real bed in the room, partnered with what was essentially just a mattress next to it on the floor. He considered its bizarreness, eager to find a distraction to his pulsing hand. Couldn’t they have money for another bed frame? They seemed to have spent money on a furnace when they already had a fireplace. Why that before a bed?

Fletcher was brought out of his musings when a hand gripped around his wrist. He jumped for a moment, but then calmed when he realized it was just Domino ready to wrap his wound.

“You got a name?” Domino spoke, not looking up.

“F-Fletcher…” He focused on watching as Domino worked, packing both sides of his hand with gauze before wrapping it with medical tape. Fletcher cringed as the white bandages quickly turned red, causing him to feel feint.

“You came into town, what, two days ago?”

“How did you…?”

Domino finally caught Fletcher’s eyes. “Let’s just say you… stand out.”

Domino jolted a little. Fletcher thought Stan might’ve kicked him under the table.

“What he means is,” Stan’s voice was full of warm tones, but a light irritation was detectable, “it’s important to be vigilant in a place like this.”

“What brings you here anyways?” Domino gently set Fletcher’s now bandaged hand back on the table. Fletcher didn’t move it. He didn’t feel like he could even twitch his fingers.

“Work…” was all Fletcher could get out. The gravity of his situation was finally starting to hit him now that he felt safe, and he was exhausted. “But now…”

“I can get it back.”

“What?” Fletcher looked up in shock, regaining eye contact with Domino. His eyes seemed to hold something deeper, something profound. Something older than his years.

Domino stood, feeling for the gun that was hidden within his worn down brown leather jacket.

Stan stood to meet him. “I’m gonna stop you right there. I don’t need you doing anything stupid.”

“It won’t take a minute.” And without another word, Domino was out the door. Gone.

Stan turned away too, finding something to brood over in the kitchen, easing his frustration.

Fletcher was left at the table, his eyes growing heavy, all adrenaline gone. He was asleep, head resting on his good arm, long before Domino made it back to the house.

...

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it and are interested in hearing more about these characters, please let me know!

#to be continued?#original work #writing #original characters #whump #hurt/comfort #whump fic #whumpblr #whump writing #my writing #original character #writeblr #lemonadepluto fyrgebraec #badthingshappenbingo #bad things bingo #bad things happen bingo #angst

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thecuriouswalrus-adventuresak · 7 years ago

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Journey to the Middle of the Bering Sea - Adventures in St Paul

Last week I traveled to St. Paul for the first trip of the co-management review. Thanks to guidance from Steering Committee member Lauren Divine, Co-Director of the Aleut Community of St Paul Island (ACSPI) Ecosystem Conservation Office, I was able to visit the ACSPI during their Co-management Council and Tribal Council meetings. Not only did I observe both of these meetings, I was also able to hold the first focus group with the members of the Tribal Council and interview people who are closely tied to marine mammal co-management on the island.

Photo: Focus group with the ACSPI Tribal Council. Credit: Lauren Divine

During the focus group, I heard from some of the community members who helped to start and since manage the subsistence harvest of fur seals once the commercial harvest ended in the mid-1980s. They described the changes in the fur seal population that they have seen over the last several decades. Though the current regulations say that 2000 fur seals may be harvested in a year, the actual numbers taken have been in the hundreds. The commercial harvest ended over 30 years ago and only sub-adult male fur seals (1-4 years old) may be harvested, but the population continues to decline and the ACSPI is feeling the effects of having fewer seals to harvest. Currently, the harvest regulations are being evaluated based on a petition formally filed by ACSPI to NOAA in 2012 (though the community has been requesting changes for much longer than the last 6 years).

Photo: Male fur seal sleeping on the rocks near the Reef Rookery on St Paul

We discussed how the Steller sea lion population is continuing to decline as well and usually less than 30 sea lions are successfully hunted in a year. One of the major obstacles with hunting sea lions is that when they are in the water, many animals are struck but then lost (’struck and loss’) due to the fact that they tend to sink quickly once hit. Sometimes, hunters may find the animal on shore in the following days in a condition that is still useful. Sea lions are also harvested by other groups, such as the Aleut Marine Mammal Commission, and I am very interested to hear if/how hunting of sea lions differs in other communities such as Atka and Akutan when I visit the Aleutians later this year.

Photos: Lauren Divine and I sitting in a sea lion blind used by hunters to wait for sea lions to get close to shore (top); apparently they didn’t see us because two sea lions swam by while were were there - I was able to snap a quick shot of one of their heads (bottom). Credit (top): Mike LeVine, Ocean Conservancy)

When I wasn’t attending meeting or conducting interviews, I had a lot of time to explore the island and learn more about the history of St Paul. Lauren showed me all of the great spots to take photos and gave me a better understanding of how things on the island work, like the Ecosystem Conservation Office (ECO) that she co-directs. Check out the latest news from them, like the marine debris cleanup that Ocean Conservancy ran with students earlier this week, on the ECO Facebook page. There are so many other fun and interesting things that I want to share from my trip so I’ve decided that the best way to do this is through pictures and short captions. Here we go!

Loved this sign that you see when you get to the St Paul Airport. There are in fact fur seals in the Galapagos, so I’m guessing that is where the reference comes from?

One of the first residents that I saw - the seal made of marine debris! This awesome sculpture was made last summer by the ECO folks with help from kids in the community

The topography of the island really amazed me! You could go from smooth boulder beaches, to sharp cliffs, and then sand beaches - all within a short span of shoreline. On one of the boulder beaches, I found something very familiar from my days on the Maine coast - Fucus sp or bladderwrack. Though a different species than back home, it was still so cool to find it out in the Bering Sea.

Just around the bend from here were some pretty impressive cliffs. It was very windy and while I was looking down over the cliff, I thought I heard people laughing/talking. When I looked to my left, there were a bunch of thick billed murres staring right back at me! On other cliffs I also saw kittiwakes, several species of auklets, and puffins - it’s no wonder the island is a huge draw for birders.

Intermixed with the rocky cliffs are sandy beaches. This is one of 14 rookeries on the island. Vacant now, in a few weeks to a month, it’ll be covered in fur seals.

Away from the shoreline, the terrain often looked smooth but was actually full of rock or grass hummocks that made hiking a fun challenge. St Paul is a volcanic island so has lava tube caves and other features, including the large rock fields seen below.

Back to some other cool sites around the island - to protect the fur seals on the rookeries but still allow people to view them, several blinds were built near rookeries. However one of these blinds has been removed completely and the one shown below is a safety hazard - the stairs have been sawed off to discourage anyone from using the platform. The loss of these blinds may cause substantial problems when tourists visit the island.

I forgot to ask what these structures where along the shore...observation decks perhaps, but if you look to the left of the structure you’ll see an Arctic fox hanging out on the rocks. I saw so many foxes on the island - they are very good at blending in and being inconspicuous (bottom photo).

The store on the island was just taken over by the Tribe and is undergoing some major changes. I was so impressed with the variety of goods they had there from food to couches and washing machines, and Wrangler jeans. Though many prices are much higher than on the main land, some were fairly reasonable.

There is also an amazing Community Arts Center (CAC) that serves as a creative outlet for anyone who’s interested. The CAC offers a variety of classes and even has a pottery studio downstairs. There were some awesome paintings on display around the CAC that demonstrated the talent and interests of the community.

Overall, it was a really wonderful trip and I learned so much about co-management, the ACSPI, and the island itself. Here is one of my favorites, though I was freezing cold in the wind and intermittent snow. There were a bunch of walrus skulls on the beach - we even found one that had a fully intact snout. I’m very excited for my next adventure in June!

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ginevrapasqualeportfolio · 4 years ago

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Beyond The Frame - Audience

Beyond the frame is a competition, where the judges are looking for for the finest photography by creative students currently in Secondary (age 11+) or Further Education (e.g. school, sixth form or college, but not degree level) on the theme Community.Acclaimed photographers Amit and Naroop, Tessa Bunney and Cherie Carman will join Norwich University of the Arts’ judging panel to help pick the winners and award some great prizes. The theme for this year was ‘Community’. Community; Global events can make us think about what it means to be part of a community on many levels: personal, local, rural, urban, national and international. From family, friends, carers and neighbours to people who share the same interests, dreams and ideals.

The Judges:

1) Amit and Naroop have been working together since 2003. They came together on a photo shoot for a music artist. Amit was the photographer, while Naroop had been brought on board as the art director.They both instantly recognised that the creative chemistry between them was brilliant. They bounced ideas off each other, came up with interesting compositions and produced a set of images that was far superior to anything they had done before. Amit and Naroop was born. With no formal training, they perfected their craft with constant experimentation using friends to pose for them and set up their first studio in Amit’s living room. Having made a name for themselves in the music industry, they moved on to editorial, then advertising. With exhibitions in London, L.A and New York, their Sikh Project received global recognition, and in 2019, they released their best selling book Turbans and Tales, documenting the creation and images from the project. Amit and Naroop have shot campaigns for brands including Adidas, Xbox, Sky, Samsung and Huawei.

2) For over 25 years, Tessa Bunney has photographed rural life, working closely with individuals and communities to investigate how the landscape is shaped by humans. From hill farmers near her home in North Yorkshire to Icelandic puffin hunters, from Finnish ice swimmers to Romanian nomadic shepherds, her projects reveal the fascinating intricacies of the dependencies between people, work and the land.Tessa has recently completed a commission from North East Photography Network (NEPN) and her exhibition Otherwise Unseen, which brings together four series which explore various rural communities in Europe and South East Asia, was shown at the Side Gallery in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Britain’s only documentary photography gallery.In 2013 her work received two nominations for the Prix Pictet – the global award in photography and sustainability (theme: consumption) and her project Home Work was published by Dewi Lewis in 2010 and was exhibited and published nationally and internationally.Between 2012 and 2016 Tessa was based in Laos where she was working on her long term project The Corridor of Opportunity which was supported by Arts Council England. Her series The Women of UCT6 which documents an all female UXO clearance team in Laos was published in the Financial Times Magazine (UK) and online.

3) Photography Course Leader at Norwich University of the Arts. James’ background includes industrial photography, editorial content for the specialist rock climbing market and work for design agencies. Work undertaken for these companies has involved producing images for literature to promote clients ranging from youth development initiatives to business lawyers.

4) Cherie Carman is a fashion and portrait photographer currently based in London. Since graduating from Norwich University of the Arts in 2017, Cherie moved into a full time position for Selfridges & Co working as a photographer within the in-house Photo studio team. Her day-to-day role consists of capturing fashion imagery for a range of designer brands to be used for Selfridges ecommerce imagery, editorials and social platforms. As well as this she has travelled to showrooms in France to capture the latest collections for brands such as Balenciaga and Givenchy.Alongside her full time position at Selfridges she continues to capture her own imagery in her spare time allowing full creative freedom to explore her interests; one of her more recent projects includes ‘Refraction’ 2019 which went onto feature in PANSY Mag December 2019.

I am going to submit three of my favourite images I have taken of my model Nathan skating, as I think they came out really good, and really reflect on what I was aiming to do. I will be submitted all my images in black and white, as I think they look stronger and I personally prefer how the details really show when I change them into black and white. These images below are the three images I will be submitting, the reason why I am sending these images off is because they are all very different from each other but they all link to the theme I was doing. I think my images definitely capture community, unfortunately I wasn't able to take pictures of one than one person skating but I'm still very happy with the outcomes, I also think these are personal as I took these images to show other people why people skate and how it also forms a community.

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adamjoicey-blog · 6 years ago

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Are you planning to travel Faroe Islands? Here’s my complete Faroe Islands guide and itinerary with details on the best places to explore, eat and sleep in 4 days.

Travel Faroe Islands: A Complete Guide & Itinerary

In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, tiny islands with jagged peaks and vertiginous cliff faces jut out from the sea, piercing into the sky like giant daggers. Sea stacks, craggy bird cliffs and black sandy beaches dot the coast, while steep snowcapped mountains stretch across the length of the islands.

This archipelago of 18 islands lies in the intersection point of three popular destinations: Iceland, Scotland and Norway. Just like its neighbors, the Faroe Islands has it all. The Northern Lights, world-class hiking trails, an abundance of nature, wildlife and Scandinavian traditions. But few people know about them, and the Faroese prefer to keep it that way.

What makes the Faroe Islands so special to me is that it’s so rugged, wild and small. It truly feels like you’re in the middle of the ocean here. No matter where you go on the Faroe Islands, you are never more than 5 km from the coast. The country is largely covered by wilderness and even the largest towns on the island have populations in their hundreds.

More from WildJunket

Faroe Islands in Photos — The Secret Isles of the Atlantic

On the Puffin Trail — Mykines, Faroe Islands

My Camino de Santiago Guide

10 of the Cheapest Countries to Travel

The post Travel Faroe Islands: A Detailed Guide and Itinerary appeared first on Wild Junket Adventure Travel Blog.

#eaeaea;#FFFFFF;#fff;#D35400;#000000;#e0b55a;#fcf9f9;#fcf9f9;"

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oxfordfilmfest · 8 years ago

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Learn more about our 2017 films with our Take 5 series. Meet Lilian Mehrel, writer and director of haunt.

#1: In 140 characters or less, describe your movie and why someone should see it.

Inspired to tell a story for VR, I created haunt, about a ghost who never felt present when she was alive. Now all she wants is to be there.

#2: Biggest lesson learned in getting the film made? Best part in getting the film made?

Biggest lesson: stitching the footage from 6 cameras into a 360-sphere was incredibly difficult, but sometimes the rough edges of new technology can inspire an entirely new experience - and I created a scene that wouldn't exist without the frustrations of stitching.

Best part: getting struck with the lightning inspiration to make a film inspired by and for VR, and everything coming together to make it happen lightning-fast. I love the usual moments of unexpected magic that happen on a shoot - like when we were on the beach and were about to leave but saw an interesting structure so took one last shot, and that became my favorite shot in the film.

#3: Tell us about you. What is your movie making background?

I create film & tv, illustrated books, and virtual reality.

I'm a writer/director who prides myself on a fresh sense of humor and vision. My films have premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won awards from ABC/Disney, the Marcie Bloom / Sony Pictures Classics Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan, the Science & Entertainment Exchange / Imagine Science Films, NYU Tisch Interdepartmental grants, the Puffin Foundation, the Nancy Malone Directing Award, New York Women in Film & TV, NYU and Kanbar scholarships, and student award nominations for Kodak, the National Board Review, and BAFTA.

With a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, I am an MFA candidate at New York University’s Tisch Graduate Film in Directing & Writing.

I was born to a Kurdish-Iranian mother and German-Jewish father, sparking a life-long experience of multiple worlds. From Miami public school, I went to Dartmouth College, where I was awarded a Senior Fellowship. I wrote and illustrated a 226-page family memoir, published for Rauner Special Collections. I also began improv at Dartmouth, continuing in Cambridge and New York City.

My stories reveal the underlying universalities I see between people, shaped by my work connecting youth from conflicting countries – with Seeds of Peace, the U.S. State Department, a Kathryn Davis Peace Project, and YALA Peace – a creative leadership program for diverse girls she founded at the Arab Jewish Community Center of Yafo.

I am currently writing comedy television scripts, creating artwork in Google’s Tilt Brush, and making digital shorts and VR. My work includes creating a James Franco BTS series, videos for Vogue, and a collaboration with Within and the Portals project at the United Nations. I created one of the first virtual reality narratives – haunt – which was an official selection at Tribeca’s Interactive Playground.

#4 What do you want the Oxford Film Festival audience to know about your film that isn't obvious from its title or description?

The form of virtual reality is integral to this story. The distinct affordances of this new medium inspire the experience, from the striking sensation of direct eye contact in VR - which the viewer will experience as characters occasionally look directly at the ghost they are 'embodying' - to the lack of body (the invisibility) of the ghost and viewer in the space. As the viewer chooses where to look, they are present in the creation. The question of 'presence' comes up whenever the potential of virtual reality is considered. Haunt takes a 360 degree look at the theme of presence - "Am I really here?"

#5: What does the future hold in store for your film and for you?

I hope to share "haunt" with many more audiences, connecting us. I shared something from my heart, and if hearts are stirred by it, I feel the circle is complete for artwork/expression/story.

In my creative future, I hope to continue to explore different mediums and genres that spark my inspiration - especially comedy television.

Learn more by visiting: https://lilianmehrel.wordpress.com/films/haunt-2/ or https://twitter.com/lilianmehrel or visiting http://www.oxfordfilmfest.com

#oxff #virtual reality #oxford film festival #haunt

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s3venpounds · 5 years ago

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1-64. 65 What is the worst thing you have ever done to a friend?

65 questionsssssssssss yeeeeeeeeee boiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii letsss fucking goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo thanks for the ask btw! also sorry for late reply

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?

honestly sometimes, the whole “ life is a simulation” got me kinda scared ya never know

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?

1. because im not afraid of the dark im afraid of what can be in it that im not aware of

3. The person you would never want to meet?

idk. cuz if i say someone i hate then i can’t physically meet them to punch them

4. What is your favorite word?

love

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?

idk whichever lives for millions of years i wanna be like those giant ass trees that you see in animes that are like whole cities wide

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?

should i finally cut my hair? or do i perservere

7. What shirt are you wearing?

my ed sheeran concert shirt

8. What do you label yourself as?

someone with the capacity of good but chooses to be an asshole

9. Bright room or dark room?

bright room

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?

seeing if my new friends were playing games so i can join

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?

12. Who told you they loved you last?

off the top of my head? my mom pretty sure.

13. Your worst enemy?

myself, my fears, hesitation and past mistakes?

14. What is your current desktop picture?

its a picture of hinata shoyo from Haikyuu!! doing a spike with wings on his back!

15. Do you like someone?

yes.

16. The last song you listened to?

Jacob Lee Slip

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

trump

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

trump. and i want like brass knuckles when i punch.

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?

probably a volleyball coach/ trainer or a professional volleyball player to just drill basics into me and make me a better player. (that or just gal gadot to like help me clean up my life and give me life advice)

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)

i guess my energy? its a fucking mess though cuz sometimes i get tired after like 4 minutes of activity but then sometimes i get like a second wind and i just go for hours

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?

i mean there was that snapchat trend of every guy making a female version of themselves so i guess theres that. i would definitely try anything i could. periods, cramps, catcalls, masturbating anything i could so i truly understand what women have to go through every day of their lives

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?

im a very open person so most of my obscure talents are known but i am kinda proud of how i can name pokemon by just hearing their cries limited to like the first 3 generations tho lmao

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?

what happens after we die

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal.

i wanna make the most bougie sandwich in the world. I want abelone, puffin, black truffle, caviar, just all that super high end shit

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?

save it. im going on a trip somewhere out of the city and i could use the extra pocket money

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?

venice italy. no question.

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?

oh shit booze! i love me some booze! i guess it would have to be like smirnoff kissed caramel vodka, or this one whiskey i saw a video of irish people drinking american whiskeys

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?

dont be a fucking dickhead idk. i can’t make concrete rules cuz theres loopholes

29. What is your favorite expletive?

definitely fuck just because i say it more than actual normal words

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

haha “loved ones” lmao. oh uhhh my letters from D.O when we were kids. that or my journal

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

my dads abuse. oh wait no then thats free forgiveness for him lmao no uhhh one of my past relationships. it was a mess and i still struggle a little with it

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!

Venice italy. that or greece or rome idk. i really like their aesthetic with small white houses, small walkways and all that

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

Steve irwin or Robin williams. or just to make a couple people near me happy, Kyle Fundytus

34. What was your last dream about?

uhhh I kissed the person I’m currently interested in. not just a normal dream too I felt everything. it was crazy. Felt, their hands, warmth, lips, body against mine and even their skin it was just magical.

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]?

boyfriend? honestly? idk. i’d like to think that i am but from what I know apparently im not

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?

yes and no? i guess? i had one of those shots you give to enfants when their family is moving to a new country and i still have the scar so possibly? i mean technically any baby born in a hospital has been admitted to one lmao

37. Have you ever built a snowman?

YES AND SOME OLDER KIDS BROKE IT DOWN AND USED IT AS A BENCH . I fought them and got sent tot he principals office

38. What is the color of your socks?

im not wearing any.... but i do have a favourite pair of green ones that have a print of pringles sour cream n onion on it!

39. What type of music do you like?

Jazz, big band, kpop, RNB, rap, rock, swing music, electro...? sort of?

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?

i can’t choose, I love both and have fond memories of both

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?

Vanilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa maybe some caramel in it

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)

uhh i dont know much about football but i can say i would support my local team edmonton eskimos

43. Do you have any scars?

a ton! i love em! its like the sentimental stuff i keep in my closet but on my body and i always trace my finger over them whenever im just in the mood to reminisce

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?

im not currently taking the courses i need to get my dream job but i’d love to be a power ranger either the stunt double or the cheesy actor. that or a school councilor

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

how dependant i am on others. i hate it. if i was alone i dont think i’d survive. i need other people

46. Are you reliable?

I like to think that i am though again, you’d have to ask my friends

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

Did you find her?

48. Do you hold grudges?

hell.yes. if you couldnt tell i reallllllllllly hate my dad. like really.

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?

whatever animals it takes to make dragons a thing again

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?

I would have to say when this random stranger came up to me to complain about the transit system because the one in vancouver was so much better apparently. dude went on a 20 minute rant and i just drowned him out with music and pretended to “pause” my music while nodding like i understood

51. Are you a good liar?

not sure. I think i am considering my parents dont know half the shit i did AHEHEHEHE

52. How long could you go without talking?

couple days. long as i got my music.

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?

god there was this one christmas where my parents gave me like a stereotypical suburban kid hair cut where the whole head is like flattened with hair gel the at the forehead its just a tall wall of spiked hair. BUT HERES THE KICKER. they dyed half the wall red and half green for christmas. god it was awful

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?

does cheesecake cupcakes count?

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?

ive been told i can do a good russian one, chinese too

56. What do you like on your toast?

nutella omg. fresh toast with gooey nutella? god its so good

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?

uhmmm some secret stuff for a friends personal project

58. What would be you dream car?

Dodge Viper

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.

I love singing in the shower when no ones home. I can only sing when no ones home cuz the walls in this house are thin AS FUCK.

60. Do you believe in aliens?

i believe we’re not the only ones out here but due to how we’re literally killing our own kind and planet for no good reason they choose to ignore us

61. Do you often read your horoscope?

yep! all the time! whenever i get my hands on the local paper i read my horoscope while i wait on the train or if theres a horoscope thing on tumblr!

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?

X idk x is just cool

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

dragons are you kidding me? dragons are dinosaurs that can fly. AND BREATHE FIRE

64. What do you think about babies?

I dont think im a good father figure but spending time with kids is a pretty okay time for me long as its not long term lmao

65. Freebie! Ask anything interesting you can think of.

What is the worst thing you have ever done to a friend?

I punched them full force in the stomach for calling me emo. it was a bad day but lo and behold that person became my best friend loooooooooooool

#ask me shit #this was fun #do some moreeeeeeeee

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dansnaturepictures · 7 years ago

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10 of key 2017 birds seen which I managed to photograph

With my bird year list’s current total now level with my record final total which was 2016′s year list I thought I’d do a post showing 10 of the real amazing species which have starred and glued together this year list strongly, by putting pictures I managed to get of them in this photoset. There are 5 record shots (so ones of reduced quality but they show a species I had not photographed often) and genuine normal quality ones I am proud of. The pictures are:

1. Snow Bunting at Hill Head, only sighting of this bird so far this year. This was one of the biggest star birds of my incredible opening week, seeing a second of them over an amazing winter for them down south and the November 2016 sighting was only my first. Happy I now have pretty decent photos of them on both occasions.

2. Common Crane, only sighting this year, Slimbridge WWT. It shows what an incredible first week of the year I really did have, with a Bittern at Slimbridge also, the Stow-on-the-Wold Blue Rock Thrush, Black Redstart and that Snow Bunting on the same day over shadowing the likes of Marsh Harrier at Radipole Lake and Slimbridge’s stars Bewick’s Swan and Common Crane somewhat. But it meant a lot to see these magnificent birds again for only the third time, with more than ever for me looming in the distance and on a really gloomy day before my birthday I was lucky to get the chance to take this photo.

3. One of my favourite birds the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, only sighting this year, at Pig Bush in the New Forest. This post is made for this picture to be honest, as it was one of my greatest ever wildlife moments seeing this bird I had dreamt about for years before seeing one at the near exact spot here in 2014 again and I was determined to get a picture this time after I didn’t in 2014 and I did and this has become such a huge unique part of my 2017 birds and the picture helped the amazing memory live on and on.

4. Little Tern at Lymington, on the day I saw my first this year I went onto see a few in the Lymington-Keyhaven reserve. This picture needs no introduction as it was the one that won me the New Forest spring seasonal snaps competition. It achieved so much as a picture for me and what was even sweeter is its not a bird too many people can easily see so I’m still amazed I got such a big picture of this bird.

5. Black Tern at Blashford Lakes, only sighting this year. Being one of my new birds in a year will always make it a key bird and I was thrilled to finally see this bird in 2017 when I didn’t expect it, I’ve nicknamed it the year of terns with four species seen and all photographed so this post warranted two of them.

6. Barn Owl along the Titchfield Canal Path, only sighting this year. The Barn Owl seen on that day took my bird year list to the key 150 milestone, like last year much earlier than usual in May. So its definitely looked back on fondly and the record shot became my first picture of any wild Barn Owl.

7. Yellowhammer at Martin Down, first of a few sightings of them at the same place earlier in the year. A bird I only saw for the first time in 2013, a candidate for my lifetime bogeybird alongside the Sanderling this bird always seems crucial to a bird year list especially with their threats faced. The picture was also quietly crucial to my stock of bird pictures this year.

8. One of my favourite birds the Puffin on Skomer Island, only sightings this year on and around the island that week. When thinking of the five key birds I photographed well for this post the Puffin was the first name that came up with this just one of a few I took. I saw the Puffins in 2016 in another part of Wales but longed for that intimacy with such a special bird and had to fight so hard to get it in the end. It proved to be and was always going to be one of the biggest highlights of my year and the whole week trip is crucial to why 2017 is now my joint highest year list ever.

9. Another of my favourite birds the Guillemot on Skomer Island, seen for the first of several times in 2017 in January at Portland Bill. Its important to remember the other two auks and other seabirds many among my favourite birds too play a massive role on a day on Skomer and I was thrilled with this Guillemot picture. I remember in January and February I was saying the Guillemot my original favourite bird on my list of 24 was the star favourite bird of mine so far this year but it would go onto be overshadowed in terms of favourite birds by the Puffins, my first Kittiwake for three years, the return of Dipper and Cuckoo to my year list after missing them in 2016, my dream come true Kingfisher photograph and Ospreys fittingly starring throughout my 10th consecutive Bird Fair at Rutland Water including on a cruise with Simon King so I’ve had many big moments with my favourite birds this year. But the Guillemot will always be a big part of any year list for me.

10. Grey Phalarope at Keyhaven, the first of three sightings was at Blashford Lakes. This was a bird that came to define my autumn, having only seen one before this year in 2009 storms meant I saw two in three weeks on the south coast. Instantly one of the real star birds of 2017 for me I got closer and closer to it by the sighting, going from impossible to even get an ID photograph of it it was so far back at Blashford Lakes’ Ibsley Water, record shot distance at Hayling Island to just beside me in a channel where I got this photograph.

You can read the full stories of my brilliant birding year when my 10 Wildlife/Photography Highlights of 2017 blogs go out between 13th November and 6th December. The two bird ones, general birds and my favourite birds this year pack in the best species, big experiences and many stories but they also leave some bits to specific trip ones of these blogs but point out where a bird is mentioned more in another blog.

#birdwatching #wildlife #photography #nature #outdoors #england #wales

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thegloober · 6 years ago

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RIFF 2018: Woman at War, Jonas Mekas Exhibition and Camilla Strøm Henriksen on Phoenix

by Matt Fagerholm

October 8, 2018 |

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“You know who would’ve loved this movie? Roger Ebert!” declared Anne Hubbell, founder of Tangerine Entertainment, during our chat at the Reykjavík International Film Festival. She was discussing Yann Gonzalez’s cheerfully blood-spattered melodrama “Knife + Heart,” and I couldn’t help agreeing with her, considering Ebert’s love of Brian De Palma and bold genre mash-ups including his own, “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.” A day after I posted my enthusiastic review of the picture, Hubbell and her fellow jury members gave “Knife + Heart” RIFF’s top prize—the Golden Puffin, awarded to first or second-time directors—praising Gonzalez’s ability to defy labels “using confidence, humor and a thrilling juxtaposition of love and loss.” Earning a Special Mention was “Styx,” Wolfgang Fischer’s riveting thriller about the refugee crisis that is still in the running for the LUX Prize, presented in November by the European Parliament. Nominated alongside it is Benedikt Erlingsson’s “Woman at War,” a superlative example of Icelandic cinema, showcasing not only the landscape’s distinctive beauty but also its inherent drama.

Through various tourist sites are accessible by road along the country’s perimeter, the vast majority of Iceland consists of uninhabited terrain, with sand and volcanic glass covering a desert terrain well over 12,000 miles in size. This is the sort of desolate locale ripe for a suspenseful set-piece, and as Halla—the notorious activist in Erlingsson’s film—scampered about its rugged surface, outwitting every helicopter and drone aiming to take her down, I was reminded of Cary Grant’s infamous battle with the deadly crop-duster in Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest.” As played by Halldóra Geirharðsdóttir with winning perseverance and warm eyes that can fire daggers without warning, Halla is a woman after Mildred Hayes’ heart, so determined to raise awareness about industrial corruption that she has no qualms with torpedoing a few power lines in the process.

When she marches toward the camera to a quirky militaristic anthem evocative of “Moonrise Kingdom” during the opening credits, the camera pans over to reveal a three-piece band performing the soundtrack live. This conceit soon proves to be much more than a one-time sight gag a la Count Basie’s cameo in “Blazing Saddles,” as the musicians repeatedly materialize along with a Greek chorus of sorts, embodying the conscience and tireless spirit of Geirharðsdóttir’s protagonist in melodic form. The score by Davíð Þór Jónsson, who also composed the music for Erlingsson’s previous festival favorite, “Of Horses and Men,” ranks among the year’s best, emerging as a literal character in the movie without diffusing any tension or emotional nuance. Geirharðsdóttir is equally delightful as Halla’s twin sister, Ása, a bohemian yoga instructor whose dislike of extremism may make her an unlikely ally in her sibling’s uncompromising crusade.

Halla’s rage at profit-driven forces threatening to forfeit our survival by ruining the environment beyond repair couldn’t be timelier, especially when the government attempts to antagonize her by claiming that she has declared war on working people (there are echoes here of Trump’s motives behind championing the coal industry). How Erlingsson and co-writer Ólafur Egilsson go about tackling this topic is by turns poignant and comedic, leading to some well-earned moments of catharsis that had me cheering, such as when Halla—clad in a Nelson Mandela mask—yanks a drone out of the sky before smashing it to bits. Her ambivalence toward bringing new life into the world has caused her to put plans for adoption on hold, but when a four-year-old girl is left orphaned by the war in Ukraine, her attitude toward the future begins to shift. The film’s lyrical final shot comes as close to encapsulating mankind’s current self-imposed predicament as any I’ve seen in 2018.

Photo of Jonas Mekas by Joanna Kedzierska.

Jonas Mekas, the godfather of American avant-garde cinema whose diaristic chronicling of everyday life predated the modern internet by several decades, was set to be RIFF’s Guest of Honor until ill health caused him to reluctantly cancel. The 95-year-old auteur was still eager to conduct his scheduled masterclass vila Skype, and his exuberance was euphoric to behold. At one point striking a kung fu pose, Mekas displayed the energy of a man one-fifth his age, consistently punctuating the word “cinema” with an exclamation point. He rejects work that lingers on misery, opting to continue crafting “a celebration of life on this planet.”

Born in Lithuania a day before Christmas, Mekas vividly recalled in a 2015 interview how his brother gave him a still camera on his birthday, which just so happened to be the same week that Russian tanks rolled into his country. His first-ever pictures were taken of the tanks, causing a disgruntled lieutenant to rip the camera from his hands and destroy the footage. After being imprisoned for eight months with his brother in a labor camp, they eventually settled in New York, where the filmmaker still lives today. With online media liberating his intuitive creativity just as it did for David Lynch, Mekas launched his own site in 2006, where his experimental uploads continue to push the form in provocative ways. I particularly love his manifesto on the eternal youth of cinema, produced in honor of its centennial, where he insists that the art form can never age because “it is always beginning.” He considers his camera an extension of his hand, and will continue to use the same one until it needs to be replaced (he currently operates a GoPro).

Like a Flower in a Field, Mekas’ first solo exhibition in Iceland, debuted two days prior to the masterclass at Reykjavík’s Ásmundarsalur art gallery. Skillfully curated by Francesco Urbano Ragazzi, the exhibition featured three monitors compiling excerpts of the filmmaker’s online diaries. Likening the sprouting of flora in New York with the spontaneity of his artistry, Ragazzi selected 45 images of flowers captured in Mekas’ work to align the gallery windows, bathing the white-walled room in colorful light. A collection of handwritten statements from the director also covered the walls, my favorite being, “We do not need perfection! We need nervous breakdowns!”

Perfection certainly wouldn’t be the word to describe the masterclass itself, which was marred by poor reception that rendered Mekas’ answers nearly unintelligible. Every time his voice cut out, I silently recited the Icelandic mantra taught to me by the festival’s indispensable guest coordinator, Martiina Putnik: “þetta reddast,” meaning, “Oh well, it will work itself out somehow!” And work itself out it did, thanks in large part to Mekas’ indomitable spirit. So expressive were his gesticulations and jovial grins that they told us everything we needed to know, even when his words were obscured. He loved interacting with the audience, waving to each of us on the monitor as the camera scanned the crowd. I asked him about his belief in the importance of changing one’s mind—which he memorably voiced in defense of Paris Hilton—and how the chronically divided American populace could benefit from this perspective. This question elicited one of Mekas’ most animated responses, arguing that we are doomed to rot if we remain stuck in one way of thinking. He concluded the Q&A by taking a recording the audience with his GoPro (pictured above), making us the latest addition to his intimate oeuvre.

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Among the best movies I saw at RIFF was “Phoenix,” the first directorial feature effort of Norwegian actress-turned-filmmaker, Camilla Strøm Henriksen. She made her film debut in Martin Asphaug’s acclaimed 1989 drama, “A Handful of Time,” for which she earned the Best Actress prize at Norway’s Amanda Awards. During our chat at RIFF, Henriksen credited the picture with bringing a new energy to her nation’s cinema, increasing the number of high-quality films that were made there. Her interest in directing spawned from her frustration with the acting business and the difficulty in acquiring good roles, ultimately finding that she preferred telling stories rather than acting in them. Henriksen’s extensive experience in directing television, including over 100 episodes of Scandinavia’s longest-running soap, “Hotel Cæsar,” was an ideal training ground for the tight turnaround of independent filmmaking, since it required her to shoot a great deal in a small span of time, moving fast while being clear with her intentions.

The heroine of “Phoenix” is Jill (Ylva Bjørkaas Thedin), a girl on the cusp of celebrating her 14th birthday, whose unstable mother (Maria Bonnevie) and estranged father (Sverrir Gudnason) have caused her to become the sole parental figure in her family. Jill’s younger brother, Bo (Casper Falck-Løvås), may be pint-sized, but he’s also wise behind his years, able to see directly through the lies he’s fed. Henriksen first began developing “Phoenix” 12 years ago, around the same time I began my career as a published film critic. Both of us have vivid memories of seeing Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 masterpiece, “Pan’s Labyrinth” on the big screen for the first time, an experience that Henriksen found immensely influential as she crafted her own psychological portrait of a young girl.

“I saw it eight times and loved it, even though fantasy is not really my kind of thing at all,” Henriksen told me. “I was inspired by how seamlessly the director blended fantasy with melodrama full of pathos. My grandparents had worked in puppet theatre, and I grew up with the Norwegian fairy tales that they performed. The monsters in these stories externalized the fear of things in life that are too terrifying for children to fully comprehend. I thought that element would fit naturally into this family drama, where we are authentic in the psychology without allowing it to become the sort of social realist picture that bores me to death. Having the story be viewed from Jill’s heightened and subjective point-of-view is what draws in the audience. She has a very strong ambivalence toward her mother. In a way, she hates her and deep down, wants her dead, but that’s something she could never admit to herself. That little monster in the film externalizes her resentment and fear of her mother—all these feelings that are still undigested.”

Henriksen makes a point of not specifying the insidious disorder afflicting Jill’s mother, and says that no particular research was needed since the story was based on events from her own childhood. Her years of therapy have been immensely helpful, serving as a form of research by teaching her so much about herself. In terms of understanding the mind of an actor, Henriksen draws from her own personal experiences as well. She is well aware of how actors must bare their souls onscreen, and won’t be able to do so unless they feel they are in safe hands. Thedin’s remarkably assured and unmannered debut performance is a testament not only to her talent but the mastery of Henriksen’s direction.

“From the moment we first met, Ylva had this wonderful open curiosity about her,” said Henriksen. “Not only did she have an intuitive understanding of drama, she also had a great sense of empathy that really touched me. That wasn’t something that I was specifically looking for, but I realized when I met Ylva that this quality is important for the role of Jill. She taught me a lot, actually, because I initially had been looking to cast children whom you could sense were carrying a big burden. Both Ylva and Casper are very resourceful and you feel that they will survive even as their parents go under. The film is an ode to the strength and courage of children. I wanted to show that in a truthful way without being simplistic. There is no clear solution for their plight, but they have each other.”

Swedish production designer Eva Norén, whose credits include Tomas Alfredson’s 2008 landmark, “Let the Right One In,” collaborated with Henriksen to find subtle ways in expressing the characters’ inner journey through the mise-en-scène. Nearly the entire first half is set within the family’s claustrophobic loft, aside from one entrancing sequence set in Jill’s class, where she develops a crush on the boy seated next to her. The educational rainforest footage projected onto the screen before them makes it appear as if they being doused with water, a deft metaphor for the bracing sensations being felt by the girl.

“It’s the one moment where Jill finds a window to the world opening up,” noted Henriksen. “So much of her focus is inwards, since her life is centered around taking care of her family, while trying to get her mother on her feet. She has very little space to actually dream or invest in her own life—in a life that is outside the world of the family. With her mother planning for a job interview and her father due to arrive home in time for her birthday, Jill is now clinging to enough hope that enables her to have a moment of freedom. That scene in class is where she finally opens herself up to something else—her own sexuality—before her hopes are crushed. The subtlety with which this is conveyed came about through the writing process. Though the shooting script was quite close to the first draft, it came together only after a great deal of decluttering. I knew in my heart what I wanted the ending to be, but I didn’t trust it until that last draft.”

“Phoenix” will be released this Friday, October 12th, in Norway, and it is my deep hope that the film will receive the U.S. distribution it deserves. In my review published during the festival, I likened the film to Charles Laughton’s 1955 knockout, “The Night of the Hunter,” an enduring classic that I was delighted to hear Henriksen cite among her chief references. The haunting rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon” sung by a young girl over the end credits reminded me the famous sequence in Laughton’s film, where little orphaned Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce, dubbed by Betty Benson) comforts her brother by singing “Once Upon a Time There Was A Pretty Fly” as they sail along a river at night. Whereas Robert Mitchum’s sociopath-in-preacher’s clothing was the evil force tearing apart the children’s family, in the case of “Phoenix,” it is the even scarier scourge of mental illness.

“My music supervisor, Goran Obad, and I thought it would be lovely to have a young girl singing at the end,” recalled Henriksen. “We wanted somebody who sung well, but not too well—who didn’t hit all the notes. So he found a 14-year-old girl who isn’t an established star, but is obviously a good singer, as you hear during the credits. What I hope the song conveys is that the children were able to take something positive from their parents. Jill and Casper share a resourcefulness and an ability to express love that is, in some way, indicative of how they were brought up. Even though it’s going to be hard for them moving forward, they will be able to find joy in life.”

If I were asked to compare RIFF to any previous festival I’ve attended, the closest equivalent would be Ebertfest, the jubilant movie marathon annually held at Roger Ebert’s alma mater in Champaign, Illinois. Both events prioritize the moviegoing experience above all else, and celebrities are invited not to promote a project but to have their work honored. The stars aren’t on hand for interview opportunities, but that makes one’s interactions with them all the more meaningful. Mads Mikkelsen, recipient of this year’s Creative Excellence Award, chatted with me about how his brilliant 2012 collaboration with director Thomas Vinterberg, “The Hunt,” has become all the more radical in our current sociopolitical climate, challenging us to break the stigmas surrounding what can and cannot be discussed in regards to allegations of abuse. I treasured the opportunity to tell honorary guest and jury member Shailene Woodley that her performance in James Ponsoldt’s 2013 gem, “The Spectacular Now,” is one of the best I’ve ever seen. As the camera holds on her character during the film’s breathtaking final moment, every conflicted feeling she harbors for her ex ripples across her face, suggesting the many directions she could go, none of which are guaranteed.

After Helga Stephenson, former head of the Toronto International Film Festival and mentor to RIFF festival director Hrönn Marínósdóttir, was honored at a festive ceremony, she spoke with me about her fond memories of Ebert, whom she knew since the late ’70s. The tribute to Stephenson was held at Bessastaðir, the residence of Icelandic president Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson. When I got the chance to meet the president, I told him how refreshing it was to see a literate head of state who was knowledgable about history, supports universal health care and speaks in complete sentences. He savored every last one of my well-deserved compliments, asking me to “please continue,” before getting swept back up into the crowd. Photographer Donald Gíslason, a longtime friend of Guy Maddin’s, had endless great stories to share about Icelandic culture and the vibrant history of the festival, which has always taken full advantage of its natural surroundings (back in 2015, a screening took place in a “secret cave”). I also must give special thanks to photographer Joanna Kedzierska for her excellent film recommendations, her impromptu tour of Reykjavík’s nightlife and most of all, her friendship.

During my daily strolls to screenings at the Bíó Paradís, I passed a costumed singer (pictured above) who serenaded passersby with beautiful tunes, one of which moved me so deeply that it became the official anthem of my entire trip. “Goodnight, Irene,” the American folk standard first recorded by Huddie ‘Lead Belly’ Ledbetter, nailed the bittersweetness I felt as one of the greatest adventures of my life came to a close. As the plane lifted off the runway at Keflavík Airport, taking me back to a country of toxic 24-hour news cycles and misogynistic Supreme Court justices, my paraphrased version of Ledbetter’s song ran through my mind…

Goodbye, Iceland

I’ll see you in my dreams

Next Article: NYFF 2018: Ray & Liz, Asako I & II, Hotel by the River Previous Article: NYFF 2018: Divide and Conquer, What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?, Film Noir Revivals

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mrmichaelchadler · 6 years ago

Text

RIFF 2018: Woman at War, Jonas Mekas Exhibition and Camilla Strøm Henriksen on Phoenix

Photo of Jonas Mekas by Joanna Kedzierska.

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Goodbye, Iceland

I’ll see you in my dreams

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