#colored text on pure white backgrounds will be the death of me in specific I stg

[mod-jazzy]

Jazzy VS Colored Text

Hello! I am making this post just as a update for me/my blogs.

Later today I’ll be adding these banners to all my blogs pinned posts:

If you are interacting with ME or MY blogs in specific, please refrain from using large amounts of colored text.

I have a reading disorder as it is and colored text on white backgrounds just makes it worse for me to read. It strains my eyes and it’s just difficult all together for me.

This is a example of colored text for reference. I’m being nice and not using yellow

This is not a attack on anyone or anything. I am not telling you how to run your blogs. All I ask that is if you are interacting with ME or MY blogs in specific, that you refrain from using large amounts of colored text.

I don’t mind one or two words here and there. But prolonged sentences or paragraphs are just.. difficult for me to read!

So please if you are interacting with ME in specific, please refrain!

I want to be able to read what is being said and not have to copy/paste it into another program just to be able to read it. Or not have to stare at it and strain my eyes just to comprehend it.

Thank you for your time! Have a lovely day otherwise!

[carcinocommander]

IM ASKSING YOU. ABT THE SCRYBE THING

OKAY OKAY OKAY.

First off I wanna say that all of us Scrybes horizontal to each other (P03 & I and Magnificus & Grimora). The text colors are complimentary to each other. Orange and blue are opposite to each other on the color wheel and green and magenta are also opposite of the color wheel from each other. This fits the "tetradic" color pallette on the color wheel.

[Image ID: A picture of a color wheel on a white background. It has black dots on the colors red-orangr, yellow-green, blue-green, and red-violet. Black, dotted lines connect all four colors, making a rectangle.]

Now on the right side with Grimora and I we obviously represent the cycle of life and death. On the left side P03 and Magnificus represent technology and magic. Now some might ask "Leshy how does technology and magic complement each other?" Well technology is often compared to magic. Think of that post that says "Just because you understand how it works doesn't mean it's not magic." It should also be worth noting that, on the right, both Grimora and I treat our "followers" very well, while on the right P03 and Magnificus are not exactly the kindest.

P03 and I, who are on the top, represent technology vs. nature which makes us being rivals a lot more funny. On the other side technology and nature could help each other out instead of fighting against each other. Like how we've invested in solar power, thermal energy, and so on to find better ways to cause less pollution just like how P03 and I could work together and create an amazing game if we put our egos aside. We are also the youngest scrybes.

The same thing can be said about Grimora and Magnificus. Magic and death can fight against each other. Magic has immortality/healing spells, preventing death from happening. Magic and death can also work together, with magic adding to an undead army via necromancy. They are also the oldest scrybes.

Think I'm done there? Well I'm not.

Both Magnificus and I have no problem being the main adversary in our own story and playing an atagonistic character. We have the challenger fight through our pupils/subordinates and make ourselves the final boss in the end. You could say we're the two different sides of a coin with how we go about this. May antagonistic character was clearly, mostly for show. While Magnificus? Well, I'm not saying he's purely evil, but he's a lot more morally grey than me. There's also parallels to how we handle ourselves when we're being deleted. While we both do not want to stop playing I openly accept my fate (relunctant as I am) while Magnificus actively fights against it. He also lashes out at Luke and blames him for our fate (trying to cope with the fate he always saw himself having) while I tell him how much I truly appreciated his time with me.

For P03 and Grimora, when they take over the game they'll have selfish reasons for doing so, and those reasons are completely opposite of each other. P03 wants to upload the game on steam, specifically his version of the game (though we can see that it failed uploading only it's version) while Grimora would most likely give the game a final hurrah before deleting it all for good. P03 also uploads the game all for himself, while Grimora does it to try and spare us all, like trying to put a struggling animal out of it's misery.

Since I am doing all parallels, I must note that we all represent different aspects of a good game. I represent story, and this shows by my love for photography (as photographs usually try and tell a story) and how I represent nature/life ("life is all about the journey." Journey = story. Etc etc.) While my game doesn't have that stunning of game mechanics (and often has ones that can be severally exploited) it does have amazing graphics and a lot of replay value, a parallel to Magnificus and Grimora.

P03 sucks at worldbuilding, no offense to it. It's very skilled at making entertaining and interesting game mechanics. This makes sense for someone who's main job is robotics and is a robot himself. Someone like it would know exactly what is possible in a game and how to make it happen. It's game also looks very beautiful and has a great amount of replay value as well.

Magnificus represents graphics, and I do not have to spell out why an artist is a good way to represent the aspect of graphics. Of course he would want a beautiful and stunning game. While I can not say for certain how Magnificus' game would be like, I can only assume it would have a thrilling story and excellent mechanics. Artist are very creative after all.

Grimora represents replayability. It could be said that life and death is a constant, never-ending cycle, each life as interesting as the last. Even though the journey may be tough and heartbreaking, that does not make it any less fun. The same can be said for games with astounding reply value (Inscryption itself being an example of this). I have no doubt her game would be fun to go through over and over again. I also don't doubt she could craft an interesting story with fun mechanics inside. As for looks? I don't think she would worry too much. After all, no one said death would be pretty.

That is all! That is every parallel and connection I can think of between the four of us. I do hope you enjoyed it :). I'm putting this in the main tag because I'm feeling quite brave. I'm NOT sorry Inscryption fandom. Read my words and thoughts. NOW.

[aces-to-apples]

Your Reputation Precedes You

A response to “On Fandom Racism (and That Conlang People Are Talking About)” because lmao that cowardly bitch just hates getting feedback from people that she can’t then harass into oblivion

i.e. God I Wish I Could Use The Tag Fandom Wank Without The Titty Police Nerfing My Post

-

To be frank, I'm not here because I think you or any of your little cronies are going to change your minds. If the 'name' wasn't a giveaway, your group of ~likeminded individuals~ have quite the reputation for espousing ableist, antisemitic, and, yes, racist views under wafer-thin the veneer of "calling out racism." I think we both know that what you're actually doing is using the relative anonymity of the internet and progressive language to abuse, harass, and bully fans that you personally disagree with. You and your group are toxic, hateful, and utterly pathetic, using many peoples' genuine desire to avoid accidentally causing harm and twisting it into this horrid parade of submissiveness to You, The One And Only Arbiter Of Truth And Justice In Fandom. Never mind that you have derided autistic people as lacking compassion and empathy, that you've used racist colonizer dogwhistles to describe a fictional culture based heavily on real live Maori culture, that you've mocked the idea of characters having PTSD, or that vital mental health services are anything more than "talking about your feelings with friends uwu." Let's just ignore that you have ridiculed the idea of adults in positions of power exerting that power over children in harmful and abusive ways, that creating transformative fan-content that doesn't adhere to the spirit of canon or wishes of the original author garners derision and hatefulness from you, and that you've used classic abuser tactics in order to gaslight people in your orbit into behaving more submissively towards you in order to avoid more verbal abuse.

Let's toss all of that crucial context aside in favor of only what you've written here.

What you've written here is nearly 3,000 entire words based on, at best—though, admittedly, based on your previous behavior, I am actually not willing to extend to you an iota of good faith—fallacious reasoning. You posit that a constructed language, to be used by a fictional religious group located in an entirely different galaxy than our own, is othering, racist in general, and anti-Asian specifically. This appears based in several suppositions, the first being that a language unknown by the reader will, by nature, cause the reader to feel alienated from the characters and therefore less sympathetic, empathetic, and caring towards the characters. That idea is patently ridiculous and, I believe, says far more about your ability to connect to a character speaking an unfamiliar language than any kind of overarching truth about media and the human condition. New things are interesting; new things are fun; the human brain is wired from birth to be fascinated with new things, to want to take them apart, find out how they work, and enjoy both the process and the results.

The second supposition this fallacy is based upon appears to be that to move away from the blatant Orientalism of Star Wars is inherently anti-Asian. While I find it... frankly, a little bit sad that you cling so viciously to the Orientalist, appropriative roots of Star Wars as some form of genuine representation, that's really none of my business. If you feel that a Muslim-coded character bombing a temple and becoming a terrorist and a Sith, a white woman wearing Mongolian wedding garb, a species of decadent slug-like gangsters smoking out of hookahs and keeping attractive young women chained at their feet (as it were), a species of greedy money-grubbers with exaggerated features and offensively stereotypical "Asian" accents, and an indigenous people wearing modesty garb based on the Bedu people and treated by most characters as well as the narrative as mindless animals deserving of murder and genocide are appropriate representation of the many, varied, and beautiful cultures around the world upon which they were "based," then that is very much your business. Until you pull shit like this. Until you accuse other fans, who wish to move away from such offensive coding and stereotypes, of erasing Asian culture from Star Wars. Then it becomes everyone's business, especially when you are targeting a loving and enthusiastic group of fans who are pouring their hearts and souls into creating an inventive and non-appropriative alternative to canon.

Which leads into the third supposition, that a patently racist, misogynistic white man in the 1970s, and then again in the 1990s, intended his universe to be an accurate and respectful portrayal of the various cultures he stole from. I understand that for your group of toxic bullies, the term "Death of the Author" holds no real meaning, but the simple fact of the matter is that George Lucas based his white-centered space adventure on Samurai movies while removing the cultural context that gave them any meaning, because he liked the idea of swords and noble warriors in space. He based the Force and the Jedi Order on belief systems such as Taoism and Buddhism, but only on the surface, without putting any real effort into into portraying them earnestly or accurately. He consistently disrespected both characters of color and characters coded to be a certain race, ethnicity, culture, or religion, and likewise disrespected and stole from the cultures upon which he based them. He was, and continues to be, a racist white man who wrote a racist story. His universe has Orientalism baked into its every facet, and the idea that fans who wish to move away from this and interrogate and transform the text into something better than what it is are racist is not only laughable, but incredibly disingenuous and insidious.

As I said, I am not writing this to change your mind, because I truly believe that you already know that "cOnLaNgS aRe RaCiSt" is a ridiculous statement. The way you've comported yourself in fandom spaces thus far has shown to me that you are nothing more than a bully who knows that the anti-racist movement in fandom can be co-opted for your benefit. If you tout your Asian heritage and use the right language, make the "right" accusations and take advantage of white guilt and white ignorance, you can have dozens of people falling at your feet, begging for forgiveness, for absolution. And I think that gives you a thrill. So, no, none of this will change your mind because none of this is genuinely about racism—it's about power, it's about control, it's about fandom being the only space where you have some.

So I'm writing this for the creators of this wonderful conlang, which has been crafted by multiple people including people of color, who don't deserve this nonsensical vitriol, and for the fans reading this manipulative hate-fest, wondering if they really are Evil Racists because they don't participate in fandom the way you think they should.

Here it is: fandom has a lot of racism, antisemitism, misogyny, queerphobia, ableism, etc. baked into it. Unfortunately, such is the nature of living and growing up in societies and cultures that have the same. The important thing is to independently educate yourself on those issues and think critically about them—not "think critically" as in "to criticize" them, but to analyze, evaluate, pick apart, examine, and reconstruct them again in order to come to a well thought-out conclusion. Read this well-articulated attack on a group of fans who have always welcomed feedback and participation, are open about their backgrounds, their strengths and weaknesses, and wonder who is actually being genuine.

Is it the open and enthusiastic group who ask for the participation of others in this labor of love? Or is it the ringleader of a group of well-known bullies who have manipulated, gaslit, and then subsequently love-bomb people who did not simply roll over at the slightest hint of dominance? The ones who spent hours upon hours tearing apart, mocking, deriding, and falsely accusing authors of fanworks and metatextual works of various bigotries and -isms, knowing that those evaluations were spurious and meant only to cause harm, not genuine examinations of the works themselves or even presumed authorial intent. The ones who made their own, quote-unquote, community so negative and toxic that even after the departure of a large portion of them, including this author in particular, that community still has a reputation for being hateful, toxic, and full of mean-spirited harassers who will never look critically about their own behavior but only ever point fingers at others. The ones who are so very determined to cause misery wherever they go that as soon as their usual victims are no longer immediately available, they will turn on each other at the slightest hint of weakness.

This entire piece of (fan)work is misinformed at the most generous, disingenuous at the most objective, and downright spiteful when we get right into it. The creators of Dai Bendu, along with various other works, series, and fan events that these people personally dislike, have been targeted because it is so much easier to harass, bully, and use progressive language as a weapon against them, than it is to put any effort into making fandom spaces more informed, more positive, more respectful.

As someone rather eloquently put it, community is not a fucking spectator sport. You want a better community, you gotta work at it. And conversely, what you put into your community is what you'll get out of it. This author and their friends have put a lot of hate into their communities, and now they're toxic cesspools that people stay well away from, for fear of contracting some terrible form of harassment poisoning.

Congrats, Ri, you've gotten just what you wanted: adoring crowds listening to you spout your absolutely heinous personal views purely to live out some kind of power fantasy, and the rest of us staying well away, because fuck knows nothing kind, helpful, or in good faith has ever come from Virdant or her echo-chamber of petty, spiteful assholes.

No love, bad night.

P.S. Everyone actually in the Dai Bendu server knows your ass got kicked because you didn’t say shit for a full thirty days and ignored the announcement that inactive members would be culled. You ain’t cute pretending like it’s because you were ~*~Silenced~*~ after ~*~Valiantly~*~ attempting to call out racism. We see you.

[mounirre]

How To Choose Your Website Colors

Color is often overlooked in the business of optimizing websites for better returns on investments. Website sales can be greatly affected by simply changing its colors. Ever come across a website that uses some funky combination of print and background colors? If you ever want to experience an eye-twisting headache, try reading yellow print on a blue background. The reason you see black type on a white background so much is that it is the best color combination for reading, both on and offline. And since it is even harder to read text on a monitor than it is on paper, we must all be especially careful with the colors we choose for our websites, or suffer less-than-optimal site traffic and repeat visitors. Color choice should also be dictated by other, less obvious goals, when designing or re-vamping a website. It’s important to realize that different colors invoke different emotions, are associated with specific concepts and say different things in each society. For instance, green often times is associated with freshness or money, which is fairly obvious if you think about it. But every color does this, and some of the emotions and concepts are more subtle. For example, white means pure, easy, or goodness and purple can be associated with royalty or sophistication. What’s more, each color carries with it both positive and negative ideas. The emotions and concepts that you associate with specific colors may differ from other people’s associations, but there are themes that run throughout each color. Here are some: Red: Positive: Sense of power, strength, action, passion, sexuality Negative: Anger, forcefulness, impulsiveness, impatience, intimidation, conquest, violence and revenge Yellow: Positive: Caution, brightness, intelligence, joy, organization, Spring time Negative: Criticism, laziness, or cynicism Blue: Positive: Tranquility, love, acceptance, patience, understanding, cooperation, comfort, loyalty and security Negative: Fear, coldness, passivity and depression Orange: Positive: Steadfastness, courage, confidence, friendliness, and cheerfulness, warmth, excitement and energy Ignorance: Ignorance, inferiority, sluggishness and superiority Purple: Positive: Royalty, sophistication, religion Negative: Bruised or foreboding Green: Positive: Money, health, food, nature, hope, growth, freshness, soothing, sharing, and responsiveness Negative: Envy, greed, constriction, guilt, jealousy and disorder Black: Positive: Dramatic, classy, committed, serious Negative: Evil, death, ignorance, coldness White: Positive: Pure, fresh, easy, cleanliness or goodness Negative: Blind, winter, cold, distant A major goal of marketers is to invoke emotion in their audience. We know that if we can cause some kind of an emotional reaction in the people we are marketing to and communicating with, we have a better chance of compelling them to buy from us. The battle between logic and emotion that rages in each of is usually won by emotion most of the time. By choosing the colors of our websites and online media with deliberate care, we are purposefully trying to invoke a specific emotional response that will increase sales. So pick your colors carefully. Not only do colors evoke emotions, but they can communicate messages or concepts too. For example, look at http://www.clickitticket.com to see how color is used to communicate the new affiliation between Oak Web Works, LLC and ClickitTicket.com. The blues of Oak Web Works’s logo swirl into the reds of ClickitTicket.com’s logo. This can be interpreted as a melding of the two organizations, which is what the words underneath say, “in affiliation with”. Also, the red of http://www.oakwebworks.com/tickets/ indicates action and passion, two essentials for people who want to attend theater, sporting events or concerts. Another online ticket website, http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com/, has a different color approach. Its main colors are blue and purple, giving the site a comforting, secure and sophisticated feel. The main header on each page has all the colors in the rainbow in it, a collage of images, with the word ‘Tickets’ in large, white font. Much of the site is white too, which gives it a clean feel. As a general rule of thumb, when Oak Web Works (http://www.oakwebworks.com) designs websites, one primary color and one secondary or complimentary color will be chosen. These colors are based on the specific audience and market of our client and the messages the client wants to communicate to the rest of the world. If more than two or three colors are used, things tend to look a little messy, and the power of any one color is diluted too much, so we most often stick with two colors. When I am not sure exactly which colors or combinations to use, I often start trying different things, then take a step back and ask myself what my chosen colors are conveying to me. After designing many websites over the years I have realized that going with my gut has often worked when I’m in doubt. You would be surprised at how creative and accurate your intuition can be. However, if the client already has an established brand, we will always make sure to match the colors of the website with the original colors of the company. It is not wise to have print collateral material one color and the website a totally unrelated color. All marketing channels need to remain consistent, with one face only. Since website visitors all have different platforms, different monitors, and different settings for their screen resolutions, the colors you choose for your website may not always be rendered the exact same way on your site visitors’ monitors. That’s why there are “Web Safe” colors that have a much higher likelihood of looking the exact same regardless of the user’s computer, monitor or settings. Many graphics programs, including Adobe Photoshop, have a feature that allows you to choose “Web Safe” colors only. Keep in mind however, that the sophistication of technology today allows for Web designers to be able to stray from the “Web Safe” colors more and more. So don’t be overly concerned if you choose to use “un-safe’ Web colors, chances are that most of your audience has the computers necessary to view your site the exact way you intended. Whether you are designing sites for clients or designing your own business website, your color choice is vital. Be sure to try different colors, different shades, and different combinations before you decide. It’s a lot of fun playing with colors but every choice you make comes with a set of pre-defined societal meanings and emotions, so choose with deliberate care.

[jamielea81]

A Walk in the Park

Chapter 3

Description: When your husband dies in an accident, you try to move on with your life. When the memories of your shared home become too much even after two years, you make a drastic change and move to California. A new career, a new way of life, and an attractive new friend help you move on to find the happiness you need. *This will be a slow burn*

Pairings: Chris Evans x Reader

Warnings for this chapter: A curse word or two, minor injury, mention of character death, fluff.

Unbeta’d, so all mistakes are my own. This is purely for fun. Comments and reblogs are always appreciated. Tags are open. Please send me an ask if you would like to be tagged. @flamencodiva @the--blackdahlia @deanwinchesterswitch @thefandomzoneisdangerous @symonlyjen5

Read chapter 2 here

Your alarm sounded at 8 in the morning. Even though the Mayor’s Ball was tonight, you weren’t required to be in before the sun this morning. You threw on a pair of running shorts, a pink sweatshirt, sneakers, and threw your hair in a ponytail. Your hair never did that cute and messy bun thing. Since you wouldn’t be home until the wee hours of the morning, you decided to get your walk in early. You were tempted to start running, but since you never were a runner, you were hesitant to start. A nurse friend once said if you didn’t start before the age of thirty, don’t even bother trying. Now, you didn’t necessarily believe that, but since you weren’t the most graceful, and often tripped over your own feet, you thought maybe she was right in your case.

Grabbing a pair of earbuds and your cell phone you loaded up your music app and opted for a little 80s rock this morning. Motely Crue’s ‘Kickstart My Heart’ really got you going. 80s rock was one of the things you and Caleb had in common. You loved your pop music and let’s not forget your obsession for boy bands in your youth. Caleb was a classic rock guy who liked the occasional obscure band most have never heard of. 80s rock is where you met in the middle having gone to a few concerts in your years together.

Losing yourself in your playlist and memories of Caleb you ended up at the fountain in the park. The breeze blowing through the trees and catching on droplets of the water misting your skin. Or was it tears? Some days the loss hurt more than others. Some days you were strong and you barely thought of him. However, times when you were alone, those were the harder times. Since you were 23 years old you had a constant partner. Someone to be by your side for the big moments and for the times when you just wanted to run to the store to get a pint of ice cream. Ten year later he was gone. Wiping your cheeks with your fingertips, you took a couple of deep breaths and headed back home.

It was ten minutes to three and you were on your way to the venue with your black pencil skirt, long sleeved white blouse, and black peep toe heels in your back seat. Most of the day was spent at the office making phone calls, answer e-mails, and confirming next week’s events. Arriving at the venue you dropped your wardrobe in the back office the team was using at the hall. You needed to find Victoria to see what needed to be done. She had been texting you all morning and afternoon, mostly idol chit chat, so you knew she was here. Walking into the main event room which was mostly complete you were in awe. It was gorgeous. Maybe Colleen wasn’t wrong with changing the color of blue out last minute. Large, round tables were set with large gold charger plates with pristine white plates on top of them. The silverware was laid correctly as well as the water glasses and wine glasses. The chairs were all tied with the True Blue fabric you had picked up. Sheer gold fabrics were hung from the center of the ceiling and swept the walls pinned back so that it hung elegantly. The lights were on a system so they would be dimmed throughout the night, but were shining brightly now so that everyone could finish last minute details. Dinner was being served by a hired staff rather than hors d’oeuvres being passed.

Victoria was on the other side of the room speaking with one of the bartenders that had already arrived. “Victoria, I’m here.” You said as you walked toward her. She turned her head to you and smiled. Here shoulder length black hair swooshing as she turned. She looked back to the bartender and finished her instructions. When she was done, she made her way to you and hugged you tight. Even though you were technically her assistant, you rarely saw each other.

“Thank goodness. You know it’s hard to handle Colleen on my own.” She said.

“Um, hello, I see her everyday for more than half my day!”

She laughed and nodded conceding that you were correct. You were directed to help with setting place cards in their designated spots. Luckily, these decisions weren’t your own. The Mayor’s office had sent very specific instructions on who sat where and with whom as well as how close they were to be seated to the Mayor. The wonderful world of politics.

 The night went off mostly without a hitch. Toward the end of the evening, when plenty of people were nice and buzzed, some more than others, from the open bar, you found yourself on your ass. A gentleman who was far too old not to know how much liquor he could handle had been dancing, even though there wasn’t music to dance to, rather just background instrumentals. While showing off a particular jump and spinning move to his wife, he spun right into you. A woman who was skilled at wearing heels more than 2 inches may have taken the bump in stride, but not you. First you grabbed on to the man’s suit jacket hoping for stabilization but then you started to wobble and your left ankle gave out promptly knocking you to your ass. Son of a bitch! You apologized to the man as the customer is always right and clearly you were in his way. Side eye. His wife insisted he help you up off the floor. Plastering a polite smile on your face and offering him your hand he pulled and you were lifted from the ground but internally groaned in pain. This wasn’t good. You grabbed the back of the chair to steady yourself as the couple walked away. You put a little weight on your foot and nearly sank to the ground from the tenderness in your foot. Lowering yourself in the chair you were gripping on to, you called out to Victoria with the walkie talkie you were given. Victoria made her way to you within a few minutes. You explained what happened and she examined your foot.

“Y/N, it’s already swelling. Do you think you can get to your car? I’m excusing you for the night. Guess this means no hiking this Sunday either.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so clumsy. I hate to leave you guys high and dry with cleanup.”

“I’m sorry to say that I don’t think you would be much help.” She smiled and bit her lip.

You laughed a bit. “Think you could wrangle a couple of the servers to help me to my car?”

After getting into your car, Victoria urged you to stop at an urgent care clinic to make sure it wasn’t broken. At the very least they would be able to wrap your foot properly. You agreed and went on your way. Luckily you had a pair of sneakers in your backseat. You opted to leave the left foot bare. Now, getting from your vehicle to the clinic’s door was interesting. It involved a lot of hoping and the assistance of the night guard stationed at the door. Thank goodness for helpful strangers. Diagnosis was a sprained ankle. The nurse assisting you wrapped your ankle and was sure to explain how to do it properly and how tight. They recommended keeping it elevated and staying off of it if you could for a couple of days. They offered crutches and you gladly accepted. The clinic had a 24-hour pharmacy so you were able to pick up a pair there.

Since you were internally clumsy, this wasn’t the first sprain you had dealt with, so using crutches was second nature to you. The stairs were tricky, but you managed. Quickly changing into your pjs and arranging pillows on your bed to prop your foot up, you laid down and drifted to sleep.

 You texted Victoria in the morning letting her know you would be using a sick day and hoped to see her Monday. She ended up calling around lunch time to check in. You had previously told her about the man you met, leaving out the fact that it was Chris Evans. She was happy that you had made a friend knowing how hard it was for you to leave your friends back home. You mentioned game night to her last night before your less than graceful moment, so she was really calling to urge you to still go. “I don’t know. The doctor said I should keep off it as much as possible for the next few days to give it time to heal.”

“It’s game night, Y/N. It’s not like you’re running laps and doing jumping jacks. It’ll be fine. When you get there just ask for a pillow to put it up. I’m sure he’s got an extra chair you can use to elevate it.”

You nodded, knowing she couldn’t see you quickly replied agreeing with her.

“This is good for you. You need to get out and just hanging with Mr. and Mrs. Smith isn’t exactly socializing.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go. But if they think I am a lame loser, that’s on you.”

She laughed and wished you a good night.

You decided to get up and crutch it over to your kitchen for snacks to sustain you for the rest of the day. Crutch it, that’s a word, right? Grabbing a bag of cheese popcorn, two bottles of water, and two granola bars, you called that lunch and dinner and retreated back to the solitude of your bed. You were determined to rest your foot until this evening in hopes the swelling will have gone down.

Six hours later you decided to shower and get ready for the night. Being that it was being held at Chris’ house you didn’t feel the need to dress up and you for sure weren’t going to be wearing heels. You opted for a long navy tunic tank, a green cardigan, and your dark wash jeans. You put on denim colored slip on flat leaving your left ankle wrapped with the bandaged. Luckily, you had a pedicure a few days ago so at least you had cute toes. Grabbing your crutches and gingerly making it down the stairs, you eased into your car to drive the few miles to Chris’ place. You pulled up the long driveway of the white colored house and parked behind a couple of cars that were already there. You hoped out of your seat, opened the door to the backseat and grabbed your crutches. Pausing to take a deep breath and then headed for the front door. You rang the door bell and waited. A few seconds past then you heard Chris’ voice before he opened the door. “What? Oh my God Y/N, what happened?!”

You gave a small laugh. “Well, I’m pretty sure I told you I was clumsy. But really it involved a drunk man attempting to dance at last night’s event.”

He gestured for you to enter while he held the door open. “Wait, you were dancing with someone and you fell?”

“Ha! No, he was trying to dance and ran into me. It was a great time. Luckily it happened at the end of the evening so my boss let me go home. It’s just a sprain, so I’ll live to walk another day.”

Chris smiled and lead you to his living room that opened to a large kitchen with a huge long island. Sitting at the island were three men. Two women were standing in the kitchen next to the refrigerator helping themselves to glassed of wine. Dodge was walking next to you desperately trying to get your attention but you found it too hard to give him a proper greeting while trying to stay standing.

“Hey guys, this is Y/N. The one who found Dodger a couple of weeks ago. The men turned around and the women looked up from their conversation.

“Geez, Chris. What did you do to her?” A guy with sandy colored hair and bright blue eyes asked.

“Nick, first of all, I did nothing to her. Y/N just explained to me that she was tackled in a dancing accident at work last night.”

You laughed and shook your head. “You make it sound like I work at a strip club.” Everyone laughed and kept their eyes on you. “The company I work for put on the Mayor’s Ball last night and a guest at the event accidently plowed me down, resulting in a sprained ankle.”

They all nodded and the two women approached. A pretty, petite woman with a dark hair and a pixie cut extended her hand and you feebly tried to extend yours while keeping the crutch against your arm pit. “Oh my gosh, I am sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” She said as she pulled back her hand. “I’m Erika.”

“And I’m Emma.” Said a pretty blonde with long hair.

“No worries. I’m Y/N, nice to meet you both.”

“Let’s go take a seat in the living room and get you off your feet.” Emma said while the three of you walked to a pair of couches.

You sat down and placed the crutches to the side of the couch so they were out of the way but wouldn’t fall. “Hey, Chris? Do you have a chair I can use to put my ankle up?”

“Of course, I’ll be right back.” He said as he disappeared into another room.

Erika got back up to go grab her wine glass from the kitchen counter. “Y/N, do you want anything?” She asked.

“I’ll take a glass of water. I probably shouldn’t drink and drive with a bad foot.”

“Good point.” She said while reaching in the refrigerator for a bottle. She poured it in a glass before walking it over to you.

Chris had come back in the room carrying a dinning room chair and a throw pillow. He placed it in front of you and gently picked up your leg placing it on the pillow on top of the chair. The touch gave your goose bumps and you hoped he didn’t notice. “Does this feel okay?” Chris asked.

Oh God yes. “Y-yeah, that feels good. Thank you.”

“No problem. Hey guys, why don’t you come in here. Bring that stack of games too”. He said to the guys in the kitchen. Chris walked into the kitchen grabbing various bowls of snacks and attempted to balance them while walking back into the room.

The guys all took a seat and introductions were made. Besides Nick, the other two were Justin and Will. All of Chris’ friends were attractive. Once again proving your point that everyone in California is good looking. Emma sat next to you with Nick next to her. On the other couch sat Erika, Will, and Justin. Chris sat in an arm chair facing your couch. The first game up with Trivial Pursuit. You did not dominate but it gave you great insight to the friendships they all shared. Lots of teasing and bragging which was right up your alley. You moved on to a Hollywood who’s who trivia game that Will had on his phone. You were beyond embarrassed that you knew a little too much about pop culture and which celebs were married and to whom. There was even a question about Chris which you purposely blew to avoid the added embarrassment.

Most of game night was spent talking and laughing. Chris laughed a lot and with his whole body. You completely understood why everyone wanted to be near him. Mostly you observed as you didn’t know the inside jokes, although the ladies made sure to explain things and include you as much as possible.

After the games were put away and everyone had a fresh drink, you switching to a Fanta Orange, people split into little groups and just chatted. Chris switched spots with Nick and Emma switched places with Erika. “You know, Tim would be perfect for her.” Erika said looking at Chris who furrowed his brow as well as you.

“Who’s Tim?” You asked.

“Tim is another friend of ours that is normally here but he had to work late tonight. You’d like him, he’s tall and really hot.” Said Erika.

You let out a loud laugh which attracted a look from the others. Taking a drink from your glass you raised your eyebrows to Chris who still just sat there bewildered. “She doesn’t need you setting her up within anyone.”

“Hey, wait a minute, I like tall.” You said sending Erika a wink.

“Y/N, what’s your status? She asked.

“My status? What do you mean?”

“Single, taken, not looking?”

“Single.” You said cautiously. “Widowed.” You said with a quiet voice.

Both Erika and Chris looked at each other and then back at you. Both faces filled with sorrow. Before they could speak you jumped in with a dismissive wave of your hand. “It’s fine. It’s hard to work that into a conversation. I should just stick to single.”

Chris reached across Erika and cautiously grabbed your hand. “Y/N, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine, honestly. It’s been a little over two years now. Caleb. Caleb was my husband for 8 years. He was in a car accident.” They nodded their heads listening intensely. “I’ve dated a little here and there this past year, but nothing really beyond a first date or two. It’s hard to get back into it. I met him when I was 23, it’s hard to remember how to do the whole dating thing.”

“I don’t know what to say. But honestly, I’m here if you ever want to talk or just go out.” Erika said with a small smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

“Me too.” Chris added.

You squeezed his hand before letting go of it.

“Thanks. To both of you, really. I would like that.” Looking Chris dead in the eyes. “But before I ruin good makeup, what Endgame spoilers can you tell me?” He busted out the biggest laugh you had heard while throwing his head back. You and Erika irrupted in a fit of giggles.

 It was almost one in the morning when everyone started to clear out. You grabbed your crutches and headed toward the door where Erika and Emma were standing. “You can give Tim my number, but please don’t pressure him. If he calls, he calls. I’m not even going to worry about it. But, maybe have him wait a week.” You said gesturing to your ankle. “It’s not a first impression of myself I like to give out too often.”

“Oh, he’ll call.” Said Erika with a smirk while Emma nodded her head.

“Who’s going to call.” Chris asked suddenly appearing next to you.

“Tim. Erika’s giving him Y/N’s number.” Emma said.

Chris’ face fell. “Oh.” He said, quickly recovering and throwing on a smile.

Why does he seem disappointed? He’s Chris Evans. I’m just me. Maybe he just doesn’t think Tim and I will be a good fit.

Hugging both ladies as best you could, given you were still holding your crutches. You said goodbye with promises of getting together soon. Chris grabbed your arm with a light touch. “Thanks for coming out tonight Y/N. Everyone loved you.”

“And I loved meeting your friends. Thanks for including me.”

Chris pulled you into a gentle hug. One of his hands rubbing circles in your back. Nothing was said as you both held each other longer than necessary. He smelled so good. A nice combination of manly spice and the ocean. Once he let go you pulled back and smiled. “I’ll see you around Chris.”

You started walking to your car and saw that Dodger was following you while Chris stood at the door while holding it open. You placed your crutches in the back seat and sat in your front seat. With the door still open you petted Dodger a few times before carefully closing your door and starting your car for the drive home. Once you managed to get upstairs and throw on your pajamas you laid in bed and grabbed your phone.

Pulling up Chris’ contact info, you sent him a text.

Y/N: Just wanted to let you know I made it home safe in sound. I almost took Dodger with me.

A few minutes passed before your phone buzzed.

Chris: While I’m glad you made it home, I’m heartbroken to hear my first instinct of you buying a dog napper is true.

Grinning from ear to ear and suppressing a laugh. You typed your response.

Y/N: If anyone’s breaking hearts, it’s you Mr. Evans. Sleep tight.

Chris responded with a sleepy emoji and a heart.

Chris: Night beautiful

You may have just died.

Chapter 4

[kiarazuri]

Cover Appreciation: The Hundredth Queen Series by Emily R. King

He wanted a warrior queen. He got a revolutionary.

As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple. But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik. Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.

(The Hundredth Queen, Goodreads)

This series is so pretty (even with it’s flaws). I havent seen physical copies of these books so i wonder if they look as good printed as in these pictures.

Why do I like these covers?

The sari designs (or what we can see of them) AND the fire get more complicated as the covers go on

each cover has its own specific, vibrant color

the gold text, embroidery, and henna are beautiful even if the henna is clearly superimposed (Warrior’s has the worst)

the red fire doesn’t clash with the sari colors

I like patterns and parallels so I like that books 1 and 4 have 1 hand while 2 and 3 have 2 hands

the title placement and size stays relatively the same (glaring at you, Hundredth)

The gold text is done really well and I like how the shines are in the same places on each cover (ignoring Hundredth, again, altho I like it’s gold text as well, it doesn’t match)

I like that there’s no superfluous text, although I do wish that they had a small line telling us which number in the series they are (also, for future reference, I appreciate when the first books in a series do this too)

Im not saying they’re amazing covers, but the ideas are gorgeous and they’re executed relatively well. Of the four, Rogue’s cover is the worst. The hands are grainy and the fire is . . . well, not good -- AND THAT ARM. *cries* Also, it bothers me that this is the only one where you can see a background and its not purely the sari fabric. There’s also something weird about the anatomy of Warrior, it looks like their body is twisting like they’re dancing but why?

My biggest complaint: Why does book one have a different title font? (Pretty sure it’s Cinzel) Im glad it’s not egregiously different (like highly stylistic) but it’s still noticeable. THAT SAID. The image above is from Goodreads and Amazon has a different image that does have a matching font.

However, the Cinzel one appears to be the most common on Goodreads and Google search so I’m assuming it was the first version and am sticking to it for this post. (Also, I can’t find an HD picture of the one above to save my life???)

Lastly, I love that these covers so clearly have a non-white model even if these  fall into the same category as Before She Ignites which is where it’s a white author getting a non-white cover model (even if you can’t see their face so who knows if they’re actually the same race as the character they’re supposed to be portraying). So while I’m happy about it, I wish more non-white authors got models of color for their work. (By this I mean I wish publishers gave them the option for it!)

See ya next week!

- Kiara

[huma888podcast]

Aural Assembly: Artistic Statement

Aural Assembly: Echoing Life-Worlds

Interdisciplinary research requires not only the transgression of different fields of study, but can be viewed as the very questioning of the relation of subject and object, self and other, of concept and affect, in the active pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

Pairing the exploration of ephemerality as a way to engage and expand the relationship of interdisciplinarity, with soundscapes in a non-narrative and non-linear style, a podcast can become not only the discussion of a subject by means of words and discourse, but an (albeit short) engagement with relationality and aurality as epistemology itself. Recording soundscapes of our direct environment, pairing these with elements of found sounds, recordings of media or occasional poetics creates the fruitful tension of inference and interferences: at once an argument or idea is carried forward (to infer) in the modes of listening and sense-making as logocentric animals trying to gauge and utilize, to understand and categorize sound; while the idiosyncrasies of sound, its incidental and fleeting nature in the cycles of occurrence, reoccurrence and rhythmic breakages create interferences and epistemic-noise. Aurality that disregards “sense” for the current timespace of listening, unique and again living only in relation of subject and object, turning ephemeral, dissipating once the experiences cease to occur but binding in a transformative mode of kairos.

In creating different “Assignments” the group explored the ability of sound-making and recording as a means to engage with each other's life-worlds. That is, the active and sounding environment of one's own individual hearing and listening (passive/active), shimmering between specificity and everyday similarities. The group’s makeup creates a unique line of interferences/ inferences: taking up the theme of research and life during the CoViD 19 pandemic; listening through different levels of lockdown and protests across the political spectrum; hearing three different countries and through four different sonic approaches; listening to each other and understanding each other stretch over space, positionality and academic backgrounds. This might sound like interference as in a simple game of broken telephone, trying to echo and reiterate common themes and auditory cues, but it also builds a different relation to a shared life-world and mutual aural existence. For instance, we went from childhood memories to experiences of colorism, mothering and loss to political outrage within the span of two creation cycles.

Our aim is not only to create an intimacy within our group and our individual works, but to explore sub themes within the overarching focus on soundscapes during the pandemic, and in so doing resonate with the listeners of the podcast. Taking up these different relationalities, sounds (and soundscapes) as non-verbal communications of lived timespace can bridge the divides between us as powerful actors, creating a living narrative for listeners to follow. The self will always be inscribed in the recordings, incidents and editing might flow apart or together in the listening experiences of the audience, with their own relation being born in the process of encountering the piece at hand. In these movements the idea of static messages becomes alleviated and transformative: the affective nature of sound, the shaping of pure energy paired with the ability to communicate distilled emotion and situatedness via sounds, creates an active knowing for us and the listeners in turn. In creating a cohesive fifteen-minute experience while also enlarging this with our research work in the form of a Tumblr, padlet and soundcloud sites, references and textual resources become available while giving the listeners the agency to deepen and completely transform their own trajectory – giving the possibility to create their personal  “podcast” of sorts.

Post-scriptum: in entering the editing process for this 15 min montage, we came upon more than one ethical crisis. What had first been delineated as spaces, started to feel like rifts, then chasms. Questions of collectivity came through in questioning leadership, representativity, agency and choice. What does it mean for us to highlight violence? When does editing out become harsh, brutal even? Are we sublimating dissonance when advocating for unity? What does letting go mean for in fact wanting to hold on, tighter? We spoke louder across these distances, as if asking the same question over again: can you hear me. For some of us this has begun to feel like so much more than a project. It is about life under COVID. It is assembly, and it is dispersal.

What you are listening to is ultimately one take among many.

Subtheme Jayanthan Sriram: Breathing in Times of CoViD

As an academic working on olfaction and the epistemic value of smells, working with sound encompasses the making and disintegration of these relations via ephemerality. Following a modal anthropology as proposed by Francois Laplantine, while olfaction and smelling things break the relation in a mode of internalization, the inextricability of sounding-self and sounding-other(ness), sound and listening perpetuate similar delimitations of hearing and sounding, being in sound, sound itself and dealing with the eventfulness of something that is mostly regarded as the antithesis to knowledge formations of visuality and written language.

The exploration of olfaction via sound becomes an issue of translatability. A common denominator of sound and smell, however, is the air we breathe. The simplicity of an autonomous action, one that builds the very essence of bodily existence, becomes messy and contested during the pandemic and beyond. As protests for Black Lives repeat the dying words of those lives taken by executive force, “I Can't Breathe” turns to the disillusioned notion of those that feel their freedom pressured and their sovereignty questioned by lockdown regulations. Air and the common air we breathe becomes a contested field: The medium of an airborne virus and therefore the probable health hazard, the lived necessity taken by racist actions and the perceived source of defiance against the confines of state regulation and obscure power interested in leaning into conspiracies against white and western supremacy. Can a recording of this struggle for breath make sense of the times, or serve as the mere invitation for understanding the divides that have taken a different turn during a pandemic? Can a moment like the one we are living, that attacks the very nature of relating to one another, bring insight into connections of communities and society that have been under attack all along?

List of audio used:

Spoken excerpt: Wilkerson, Isabel (2020), Caste - The Lies That Divide Us. London: Penguin Books. p. 18.

Excerpts of Anti-COVID Regulation Demos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr1YyrolRZY (Courtesy of Spiegel TV) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf7fRGI_7eo (Courtesy of BILD)

Recordings of Guitar and Voice by Jayanthan Sriram

Excerpt from The Simpsons “Boy-Scoutz´n the Hood” (1993) and “Lisa´s Rival” (1994). Courtesy of FOX.

Excerpt of “Lil Diamond Boy” by Lil Yachty from Lil Boat 3.5 (2020). Courtesy of Capital / Quality Control.

Excerpt of “Many Jewels Surround the Crown” by Prurient from Bermuda Drain (2011). Courtesy of Hydra Head Records.

Excerpt of “Sleeping In” by Jesu from Terminus (2020). Courtesy of Avalanche Records.

Excerpt of “Between The World and Me” (2020), directed by Kamilah Forbes. Courtesy of Warner Media / HBO

Subtheme Amanda Gutierrez: Walking as a collective in Times of CoViD

Voice over:

Judith Butler's text, Gender Politics and the Right to Appear (2015), informed my work about the meaning of collective walking in the public space as a political alliance. In her book, Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly, she exposes the concept of "we" as a collective body that spatially voices the challenges of exclusion that have been experienced under conditions of oppression. For Butler, the performative action of taking public space as an act of resistance and solidarity reads as follows:

Each "I" brings the "we" along as he or she enters or exits that door, finding oneself in an unprotected enclosure or exposed out there on the street. We might say that there is a group, if not an alliance, walking there, too, whether or not they are anywhere to be seen. It is, of course, a singular person who walks there, who takes the risk of walking there, but it is also the social category that traverses that particular gait and walk, that singular movement in the world; and if there is an attack, it targets the individual and the social category at once. (2015, p. 51-52)

Thus, the idea of "walking with with" is a crucial tool for collective recognition and a performative act of enunciation, an act of speech that we can exercise in space. As a filmmaker, the virtual space could be an extension of the public space, an intersection that I am trying to find in these soundscapes.

However, how can we do it from the interior of our houses? Keeping us safe from being infected by a virus?

I did this performative exercise, please join me interacting with the sound:

Experiment on aural performance, can be heard in the minute 12:17 on the soundtrack.

Subtheme Koby Rogers Hall: Life and Death in Reproductive Labour

In the seminal book Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and People, the authors argue for an interpretation of disaster as a complex process that is socially, politically, environmentally and economically constructed, as opposed to an event caused by an external agent (Bankoff, Frerks & Hilhorst, 2013). Correspondingly, the concept of “structural vulnerability” is used within the social sciences as a method to analyze the varying capacities of communities to deal with hazards, based on their social positionality; vulnerabilities result from an individual’s position within local hierarchies and broader power relationships. This approach to vulnerability differs greatly from others that seek to naturalize an individual’s ability to cope as a result of internal causes. 

(Henaway, 2020)

MY WORKING WILL BE THE WORK.

- Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Manifesto for Maintenance Art

The soundscapes work of the past four months has been an experiment in sounding, listening, and wondering, of being heard in a time of being unseen. As Dwayne Donald (2012) unravels in his work on a decolonizing research sensibility, our stories are held in tension as they display relationality and difference around difficult concerns. “The line which a story follows is not straight, logical, step by step. It varies from life to life. Most often, it zigzags, as if seeking out the spot for a breakthrough” (Novak, 1978, p.53).

In this year since my first child’s birth, a year of pandemic, of public outcry, of climate crisis on an ever-consuming scale, the violence of inequities for those of us who recognise them well have been forced to the forefront of our being. They say this economic crisis is ‘different’, in that it will set mothers back a generation between care work and the loss of any employment gains (Cohen, 2020; Adams-Prassl, 2020). As I do another load of diapers in what is essentially a broken laundry machine – having been asked to bear far beyond its load capacity - I am reminded of how my dreams of late feel so disjointed, and that disruption feels so familiar. “Everything I say is art is art. Everything I do is Art is Art.” (Ukeles, 1969, p.2).

The rage in the quietude is palpable. And so in sounding with my colleagues across locations, in conversing across ‘tasks’ we have given each other, I see the juxtaposition of our daily reproductive lives and labour. There are gaps between two sounds, two spaces, and we are left to negotiate in relation to this empty space. We are asked to “hold these understandings in tension without the need to resolve, assimilate, or incorporate” (Donald, 20102, p.534). The distances I feel from the people I organise with are felt stronger and stronger every day – mothering and organising, worker and consumer, the privilege of working and so feeling remotely. These distinct fields are not only removed from one another, but they further vulnerabilise us, structurally, by making the vast expanses already between us viscerally clear. When Judith Butler asks if precarity can be a unifying force, what do we risk losing in this assumption of unity? What are these soundscapes ‘trying to do’, if not be seen, then heard? Are we, am I, in fact grievable? (Butler, 2015, p.47).

A distanced visit with a friend and organiser tells me of ‘essential workers’, immigrant and migrant workers, demonstrating daily during the pandemic because they have to. In their words, “I have to be here, otherwise people will let me die.” (Henaway, in conversation, June 2020). Linda Tuhiwai Smith asserts that we need to think of research methodology as resistance, “a thoughtful engagement with these contradictions by providing a way to plan, conceptualize, strategize, and make cogent various forms of resistance to the logic of colonialism.” (1999, p.38) For those of us who are made to feel expendable, the ones who show up when the shit hits the fan, we know who we are – this is a moment of dignity and overflowing rage. With death comes endings, and as the contours of this world face their own forms of decay, there are those of us at the edges who find comfort in this, knowing that we breathe life anew.

Sub-theme Raphaëlle Bessette-Viens: feeling around

“What does your life sound like?” I asked you. “It sounds a bit like this, here, listen …” And when we listened to each other I felt my boredom, anxiousness and loneliness was shared. Some of us thought it was an ideal period to work, others felt too dispersed to concentrate properly. Micro social spheres; partners, children. A few times we shared being surrounded by collective appearing bodies; some skeptical or paranoid when they disbelieved the existence of the virus, some out of collective outrage when black bodies continued being assaulted by police officers.

Fear. Around me concern for sustaining life amidst an overwhelmed medical system co-exists with the perpetuation of fear of the ‘stranger’ (Ahmed, 2014): police violence, the criminilization of anti-islamophobic organisations, the expulsion and chasing of undocumented persons into invisibility. Being inside, feeling non-apparent. The aggregation of bodies that collect together in order to state their existence (Butler, 2015), to which I belong to, is in intermission. Spilling over. There was a protest and I saw all those familiar faces I hadn't seen in a while and walked and screamed and sang with them. Anger and happiness overlapped.

Affective contagion (Stewart, 2007, p.16). When I heard you say you were feeling anxious, and that you were having a hard time with distanced communication, it made me feel it was okay to say it too. I edited-in my piece that I gave back to you, to signify it. Did you hear it? Echoing. “... hmm that reminds me of”; the surfacing of a thought or a memory. Hearing your child made me think of me as a child and then I learned about your childhood. I heard the sounds of our bodies in our confined spaces, in relation with others in this space, in relation with the exterior world by mediation, being called-in to your world with your voices. Our echoes felt like intimate refrains: “(…) repetition that underscores, overscores, rescores in a social aesthetics (…)” (Stewart, 2010, p.339). We worked together, as Guattari suggests, with ways closer to the ethico-aesthetic than of scientificism (1995). Aggregating, week after week, our soundscapes and our thoughts, we practiced our attunement to one another, to our collective. “What does your life sound like right now?”

List of references

Adams-Prassl, A.,  Boneva, T., Golin, M., Rauh, C. (2020). Inequality in the Impact of the Coronavirus Shock: Evidence from Real Time Surveys. Cambridge-INET Working Paper Series, (18)

Ahmed, S. (2014). The Cultural Politics of Emotion (2nd ed.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Bankoff, G., Frerks, G., Hilhorst, D. (Eds.). (2013). Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and People. New York: Routledge.

Bertelsen, L., Murphie, A. (2010). An ethics of everyday infinities and powers: Felix Guattari on affect and the refrain. In Gregg, M., J. Seigworth, G. (Eds.). The affect theory reader (1st ed. pp. 138-157). London and Durham: Duke University Press.

Butler, J. (2015). Gender politics and the right to appear. In Notes Toward a Performative Theory of Assembly (pp. 24–65). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Cohen, P. (2020, Nov. 19). Recession with a Difference: Women Face Special Burden. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/17/business/economy/women-jobs-economy-recession.html

Donald, D. (2012). Indigenous Métissage: a decolonizing research sensibility. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 25(5), 533-555.

Guattari, F. (1995). Chaosmosis: An Ethico-Aesthetic Paradigm (Bains, P., Pefanis, J., Trans.) Sydney: Power. (Original work published 1992)

Jenkins, H., Ford, S., Green, J. (2013). Spreadable Media: Creating Value and Meaning in a Networked Culture. New York: NYU City Press.

Henaway, M. (2020). The Borders that Define our Vulnerability. Terms, semi-annual program. Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Concordia University. http://ellengallery.concordia.ca/programming/online/terms/?lang=en

Howes, D. (2003). Sensual relations. Engaging the senses in culture and social theory. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Howes, D. (ed.) (2005). Empire of the senses. The sensual culture reader. Oxford & New York: Berg.

Laplantine, F. (2015). The life of the senses, Introduction to a modal anthropology (Furniss. J. Trans.). London: Bloomsbury. (Original work published 2005)

Novak, M. (1978). Ascent of the mountain, flight of the dove: An invitation to religious studies. New York: Harper & Row.

Reynolds, S. (2011). Retromania. Pop culture's addiction to its own past. London: Faber and Faber Ltd.

Smith, L.T. (1999). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago Press.

Stewart, K. (2007). Ordinary affects. London and Durham: Duke University Press.

Stewart, K. (2010). Afterword, Worlding refrains. In Gregg, M., J. Seigworth, G. (Eds.). The affect theory reader (1st ed. pp. 339-353). London and Durham: Duke University Press.

Ukeles, M.L. (1969). Manifesto for maintenance art, 1969! Proposal for an exhibition: “care”, 1969.

Voegelin, S. (2010). Listening to sound and silence. Towards a philosophy of sound art. London, New York: Continuum.

[novaursa]

Oriana Tauron

Hello!

This is my Game of Thrones OC for role-playing. So, if you want to role-play with me and agree with the rules, feel free to send me an e-mail at:

novaursa@outlook.com

Here are the rules;

I don’t ask for much only a few things:

1 - I play your crush, you play mine. (I’m very flexible with love interests, if our characters have the same crush, no problem, I can always change mine.)

2 - No text talk.

3 - No one liners. (I write in long paragraphs.)

~Paragraph type RP = 3 or more paragraphs of stuff for each side. I don’t do one liners, unless under very specific circumstances. And if I like you.

I don’t like most people here. :P

~Storyline, please!

No plotless, pointless RP’s with a summary that could read: ‘I-met-my-crush-on-accident-cause-we’re-meant-to-be.’ No -spray- Bad role-players! I don’t care if you have a lemon every 10 minutes, just… Don’t give me sappy romance without a reason.

~Proper spelling, grammar, blah blah blah.

Mistakes? If they’re far and few between, (and legible, of course) then who cares? I certainly don’t.

UNLESS

~You contact me with a message that says: “hai, want to rp wt me? i just luv _ so much so i want blah blah blah.” I HATE that. (You’re all supposed to be 13, learn your damn capitals!) And if I can’t even stand your message, why on Earth would I want to keep RPing you? I’m in enriched English, so… just, y'know, indulge me. Just a little bit.

4 - I DON’T CARE if you curse, do lemons, or anything of that nature, I actually enjoy it. :)

5 - I prefer to role-play over e-mail.

6 - Mary Sue characters; they’re awesome. You can’t be too sue-ish with me… Unless your OC’s a hot, intelligent, tall, skinny babe/superchick with a DD chest, who, conveniently, can use magic without wands. Then you’re kinda pushing it. I mean, throw a few ugly scars in there or something, and I’ll pretend their real flaws, mkay? (Moral of the rule, kiddies is that Zen = balance = flaws = perfections = happy me and happy you.)

7 - I accept original plot. (I actually like time-traveling plots.)

|| Biographical Information ||

"She's perfect." – Arcturus Tauron

- Full Name With Title: Lady of the Pastures, Oriana Tauron

�� Note: Oriana means "dawn, gold, golden dawn". She was named after her paternal grandfather, Orion.

|| Oriana's Personality And Traits ||

"let the record show that they were ill-equipped to deal with you. which is unsurprising, since you’re ill-equipped to deal with you."

- Personality Type: Mysterious, self-contained.

One of the first things that you notice about Oriana is her eyes; they are very intense and totally hypnotic. Many people find it very difficult to stand steady under her constant gaze. Her eyes seem to be penetrating your soul, knowing your deepest secrets and desires. The truth is, more often than not, she does. Oriana has a big ego. She knows what she is and what she is not. It doesn't matter what you think about her.

She is immune to both comments as well as compliments, because she knows whether they are right or wrong. Oriana has perfect control over her emotions and she always retains her faultless poise. You will hardly see her emotions being reflected on her face, whether it's a blush or a flush. In fact, Oriana deliberately practices a vacant look. The same goes for her body posture also, you will hardly see her pacing around in nervousness. However, behind this impeccable composure is her torrid inner nature.

She will always try to probe you, your nature and your motives. A fierce determination is a typical Oriana’s personality trait. She has a strong willpower and is not the one to accept defeat easily. The characteristic profile of Oriana also tells us that she is honest, to the point of hurting someone. If you have asked for her opinion, you will get the brutal truth, without any sugar coating. She never gives false compliments and does not know how to flatter. However, if she does say something nice to you, be sure that it is truly sincere and is coming straight from the heart.

If you ask Oriana for a favor, it will be either a simple 'Yes' or 'No', not something like 'I will try'. If she really likes you, she will go out of the way to help you. You never have neutral feelings for Oriana; you will either be amongst her dedicated admirers or malicious enemies. However, no one challenges her openly, not even the most spiteful enemy. She is fearless and can stand anything from physical pain to poverty.

She has complete confidence in herself and knows that she shall pass through any trial. She has an exceptionally good memory. She never forgets an act of benevolence and always remembers to repay it. Similarly, Oriana also remembers any pain caused to her, though the reaction may differ. An eagle will crush the enemy; a scorpion will meticulously plan and demolish the enemy, while the lizard will keep it inside him for years and may harm himself in the process.

If you are close to her, you will feel extremely protected and cared for. She is also fiercely possessive of what she believes to be hers. If Oriana really wants to do something, it will never remain a dream forever. She will find one or the other way to get what she wants. She is very passionate about everything around, even her home.

- Basic Trait: I Desire

- Vice(s): Difficulties in coping with death, reckless disregard for personal safety.

- Virtue(s): Charismatic and mystifying, wild, active, doer, creative, passionate, strong, loyal.

- Annoying trait(s): Selfish, unforgiving, unpredictable, becomes jealous easily, stubborn, sensitive, egoistic.

- Endearing trait(s): Secrecy about personal life, compassion towards friends, doesn't hide when she's angry at someone.

|| Physical Information ||

"Oriana collapsed to the floor, in abject shame, in horror, in revulsion, in sudden blinding comprehension... In pure joy."

- Species: Human

- Gender: Female

- Hair Color: Brown

- Eye Color: Blue with golden specks in them (family trait from her father’s side)

- Skin Color: Pale

- Virgin: Yes

• Note: Oriana is an exceptionally beautiful woman who was said to look like "a vision of the good spirits in flesh, though they themselves would fear her". She has long brown hair, long legs, and intelligent, piercing eyes. Oriana has a soft, silken voice and is never seen grinning, though she produces disarmingly subdued smiles.

|| Picture of Oriana ||

|| Background ||

"Cease your sniveling! Pity and weakness are synonymous. Remorse is forbidden. Compunction is forbidden. Do you understand?" – Arcturus To Oriana Tauron

Her mother died when she was young and thus it is her father that raised her. This made her a bit tomboyish in some ways, but at the same time, she inherited her father's skills and mannerisms. According to her father, as a child, she acted as if she were the undisputed monarch of the whole world. She never joined the local children in play. Instead, she read a lot, followed her brother around like a shadow about the gardens, and practiced archery and swordplay.

She was born during the conquest known as Robert's Rebellion. Before the Battle of the Trident, Tywin Lannister visited Astral Castle and betrayed House Tauron, using the chaos of the Rebellion as his route to power. Lord Arcturus had called together the forces of Lannisters and Taurons, intending to ride with Tywin to support his friend, The Mad King. However, upon arriving at the castle, Tywin Lannister told Arcturus Tauron that the Lannister forces would be delayed for a few days. Not one to keep the King waiting, Arcturus sent the bulk of Tauron forces ahead to King’s Landing under the command of his younger brother Marius Tauron, intending to leave with Lannister's men once they arrived.

After Marius left the city, Lannister's forces took advantage of the Tauron weakened defense and attacked during the night, killing Arcturus’ wife Lady Isla Tauron, and Marius' wife Elladora and daughters Phoebe and Savina, as well as most of the other inhabitants of the city. After Tywin fled, Arcturus managed to fight off remaining Lannister forces. But he was not able to find bodies of his children so he ordered few soldiers that are left to search the city. Eventually, Oriana and her brother were found in Blood Pastures outside the Astral Castle, unharmed. Arcturus promised to avenge his family, saying that one-day Taurons will not rest until last Lannister is dead. A promise that Oriana is also sworn to keep.

"Lannisters killed my mother, and they didn't care. They unleashed it. It killed, and it didn't care. I killed, and I didn't care." – Oriana Tauron

|| Oriana’s Family ||

- Arcturus Tauron; The Bull (father)

- Isla Tauron (mother/deceased†)

- Licorus Tauron (older brother)

- Cedrella Tauron (sister-in-law)

- Hester Tauron (cousin)

- Dorea Tauron (cousin)

- Marius Tauron; White Bull (uncle)

- Elladora Tauron (aunt/deceased†)

- Phoebe Tauron (cousin deceased†)

- Savina Tauron (cousin deceased†)

- Orion Tauron (grandfather/deceased†)

- Alexia Tauron (grandmother/deceased†)

- Status: Alive

- Rank Status: High Class

- Her Handmaiden: Vivian

- Her Septa: Sarra

- Religion: The Faith of the Seven

|| Arcturus Tauron Riding Gorgon Into Battle | Painting in Astral Castle ||

▬▬▬▬▬▬ • House Tauron Info • ▬▬▬▬▬

"By your command.", "So say we all." and "We are always watching." – Family Phrases

- House Name: Tauron

- Sigil: Black gorgon bull tearing up bloody-red field.

- Motto: “We yield to no one.”

- Seat: Blood Pastures, Astral Castle

- Region: The Reach

- Current Ruler: Lord Arcturus Tauron

- Heir To The House: Arcturus’ children, currently Lord Licorus Tauron.

- Military Strength: 80,000; maybe more. (Unknown)

- Age: Ancient. (Unknown) According to family legend, they came from the sky with ships that sailed among the stars. They bowed down to dragons recognizing their superiority.

- Founder: Alphard Tauron

- The Main Alliances: House Stark, House Tully, House Arryn, House Tyrell, House Targaryen…

- Neutral Relations: House Baratheon, House Martell, House Greyjoy…

- Enemies: House Lannister

- Ancestral Weapon(s): Blades of Woe; twin valyrian steel swords. Currently in possession of Licorus.

- Arcturus Tauron’s Gorgon Is Named: Azmodan

|| Mora About Gorgons ||

The Gorgon is a magical beast that resembles a bull, covered in dusky metallic scales and red eyes. They can breathe out a cone of green vapor that turns creatures to stone. They are very aggressive creatures that attack intruders on sight, attempting to trample, gore, or petrify them. There is no way to calm these furious creatures, and they are impossible to domesticate (only ones who managed to do so are members of House Tauron).

As mentioned, Gorgons are magical, foul-tempered creatures—while they might appear to be constructed at first glance, beneath their artificial-looking armor plates they are made of flesh and bone. Like aggressive bulls, they challenge any unfamiliar creature they encounter, often trampling their opponent's corpse or shattering its stony remnants until the creature is unrecognizable. The females are just as dangerous as the males, and the two sexes appear identical. A typical gorgon stands 6 feet tall and 8 feet long. It weighs 4,000 pounds.

Gorgons derive nutrients from the consumption of minerals, particularly the stone of their petrified victims, and any statues they create are likely to be gnawed thoroughly. They cannot digest metal or gems, so their dung (which resembles bitter-smelling gray powder) often contains small, raw crystals and nuggets of ore. Their aggression toward all other creatures means that there are few to no predators or other prey animals in their grazing grounds. Each herd is led by a dominant bull; solitary gorgons are usually adolescent bulls driven out of their herd by the lead bull.

Their flesh is tough but beefy (once the armored hide is removed), and to those who acquire the taste, quite filling. Many tribes believe eating gorgon meat enhances their strength. Powdered gorgon horn is worth 25000 gold dragons.

|| Extra Information ||

- Oriana’s Theme Songs: Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons and Mad Woman by Gina Dirawi

- Nickname(s) And Titles: Bull’s daughter, Ori, Lady of the Pastures…

- Love Interest(s): [1] Robb Stark, [2] Jon Snow, [3] Whoever you want to play for her.

- Oriana’s Preferred Weapons: Bow and arrows. Knives.

- She loves to eat honey cake and her favorite flower is a daisy.

|| Oriana’s Famous Quote(s) ||

"Skin the lion."

"There is nothing I can’t do."

"When bull hunts, the lion goes hungry."

"I am not the one you should be afraid of."

"I know you are in here. I can smell you."

"How things begin isn't nearly as important as how they end."

"Whatever happens, no matter what they tell you, don't let them take the chains off me. Because if you do; I will kill you with your own weapon."

"He looks better in red."

"You couldn’t kill me if you tired for a hundred years."

"Let's be watchful. I understand this country's full of cats."

"Know one thing... I am not afraid."

"I, too, can command the wind, sir! I have a hurricane in me that will strip your land bare if you dare to try me!"

"Who says I'm running away from anything? Maybe I'm running towards something."

"Come out, that I might send you to seven hells!"

"Death favors no man. We must ride like thundering waves under the tattered battle flag of my father."

"I'll make you wish I'd never been born."

"Follow me and I'll give you victory!"

"My father learned me that is considered an honor to aid any true seeker in his quest."

"Never start a fight - but always finish it."

"He was the best of us... they struck without provocation, there was no reason... animals! Brutal! They deserve no mercy. Strike them down! Follow them back to their homes and kill them, all of them. All of them! No mercy!"

"I will not be challenged!"

"The games of men exhaust me."

"If this pretender wears my father’s robes, I will gouge out his eyes."

"It talks too! It talks. It’s pretty. But it’s not an heir. You are not made of kings boy, but of common clay."

"Women endure what men cannot bear."

"It's easier to be terrified by an enemy you admire."

|| Dialogues and Quotes About Oriana ||

Oriana Tauron: "Who's judging now?"

Jamie Lannister: "I know your kind."

…

Tyrion Lannister: "If Oriana is hunting you, you might as well be dead already."

…

Jamie Lannister: "You look frightened. There's a large number of lonely men out there."

Oriana Tauron: "Don't worry, I won't let them rape you."

…

Oriana Tauron: "I've got this completely under control!"

Robb Stark: "Is that why everything's on fire?"

…

Eddard Stark: "Who said gorgons don't lie? A certain Tauron once lied to save a certain man from embarrassment. Apparently, she thinks there is honor in helping another save face."

…

Arya Stark: "I can go three days without sleep."

Oriana Tauron: "I can go three weeks."

…

Oriana Tauron: [chained down, bitterly] "I can't see! Are the stars shining tonight?"

Tywin Lannister: "Brightly, my lady. Brightly."

Oriana Tauron: "Then let us end this."

…

Oriana Tauron: "When there are no more dragons to slay, how will you make a living, slayer?"

Robert Baratheon: "SHUT UP!"

…

Jamie Lannister: "If a gorgon falls in the forest and nobody gets to hear about it, does it make a thud?"

…

Cersei Lannister/Baratheon: "The word of a bull - it's worthless."

|| More Pictures Of Oriana ||

|| Oriana’s Horse | Amdusias ||

And there it is. This is my OC. Feel free to message me if you wish to role-play with me. I love you all. <3 - NovaUrsa