#goldmine of glorious moments

[seyaryminamoto]

My latest completed commission may have been a bit ambitious... because I went wild with it. But I certainly relished in doing so :') Combining my favorite ship with my favorite-ever Disney movie is, uh... a dangerous concoction :'D

The commissioner specifically requested for Azula as Mulan, Sokka as Shang, and Xin Long (my OC dragon from Gladiator) as Mushu. The rest of the cast was up to me to choose, and I pretty much went wild rewatching this movie and picking out some of my favorite moments to recreate them in my style, with these characters. I came up with a lot of correlating characters between both ATLA and 1998's Mulan, but I couldn't hope to draw EVERYTHING, unfortunately. Still, if you want my reasoning for the cast correlation... check out the Read More! Beyond that, feel free to reach out to me if you'd like to commission me, or if you want to join my Patreon!

The Herbalist as Mulan's grandmother might feel arbitrary but she honestly felt like the ATLA elderly lady with the most similar personality to Grandma Fa. Fickle, with a unique connection with a seemingly perfectly ordinary animal, old and sassy? Figured it fit! So for once, the Herbalist is Azula's grandma! xD strange notion, I know, Azulon/Herbalist is not a ship I ever thought I'd accidentally put out in the world but there have been wilder ships than that in this fandom...

Momo became Cri-Kee, I wasn't 100% sold on it but when I considered that Avatar features soooo many hybrid animals... I figured he could be a hybrid cricket-lemur. Weird, I know, but eh? Better than nothing xD

Aang as Chien-Po was a no-brainer. He's the only character I settled on instantly, never even considered anyone else for the role. Their personalities line up really well, and Chien-Po's tendency to be OP and resolve things that are outside of other people's reach sounded like he was prime Avatar material! So, while their dietary preferences are an obvious difference between them, I decided to go for it nonetheless considering all their other similarities!

Kino (another Gladiator OC) is Ling, and he actually did give me a ton of trouble to choose. I considered many characters for the role right up until I realized that Kino's personality actually lines up fairly well with Ling's, down to being a class clown type (who ABSOLUTELY would have cut gym class!) and breaking out in song about the hypothetical woman he'd like to fight for? Yeeeeah that's right up his alley xD but there's another reason why I picked Kino...

... And that is my likely unexpected choice for Yao:

ZUKO.

ZUKO IS YAO.

YES.

I'M NOT EVEN SORRY.

(For the uninitiated, Aang, Zuko and Kino are best friends in Gladiator, very often together, and they make a really good team, so that's the extra reason why Kino became the obvious choice for Ling aside from having really similar personalities, definitely closer personalities than, say, Jet, for instance.)

People have likened Zuko to Shang a LOT since ATLA aired. This is the main reason why I'm even making this huge note! I suspect it's primarily because of the aesthetic, let's be real here, and because he becomes Aang's teacher, but people have exaggerated Zuko's alleged similarities with Shang, or taken them out of proportion, in many ways. I actually remember an AMV ages ago with "Be a Man" and it was Zuko "training the Gaang"?? It... didn't feel right to me. Obviously, someone might rebuff with "well, how does Sokka make MORE sense than that, though?" And believe it or not, I have arguments for that... (when do I not...?)

Not only is this what the commissioner specifically requested (and it obviously lines up with the ship we love!), but let's examine the actual reasons why Sokka as Shang adds up:

Sokka actually had to train a bunch of toddlers who weren't paying any attention to him. You know. Kind of how Shang had to train the unruly soldiers who weren't getting anything right. Sokka has a positive relationship with his dad (Zuko, ofc, does not). Shang also has a positive relationship with his dad! And not only this, but there's a military component to both relationships, specifically with Shang wanting to follow on his father's footsteps and aid him in the war... so much like someone else I know, who jumped at every opportunity to rejoin his father in the war, even wishing to join him as a child until Hakoda tasked him with protecting their Tribe instead (kinda like Shang is tasked with training soldiers rather than joining a battlefield).

And the final cherry-on-top that I'd loooove to hear Zuko fans try to argue against... is sexism :') didn't Sokka get characterized as a sexist guy for four episodes, which made people decide that this was his main character trait even if it went away that quickly? Um, yes, that happened. Shang literally sings the memorable song that's a crazy ode to masculinity, including the rather sexist line of "did they send me daughters when I asked for sons". Shang outright abandons Mulan once they discover that she was a woman all along (while, admittedly, choosing to abandon her rather than KILL HER, which as we saw from Chi-Fu, he was NOT supposed to spare her!)...

So, is this REALLY what Zuko fans, who willfully believe their boy is a feminist king (... why? beats me...) are trying to compare their unproblematic blorbo to? :'D Me? I have no problem linking Sokka with Shang due to Sokka's beginnings and due to the fact that both Shang and Sokka have similar growth when it comes to accepting femininity is as valid as masculinity, and as they both learn to respect women as fighters and potential heroes! (I simply do not believe Sokka's ENTIRE tenure in ATLA was about that, though, and that's what I continue to clash with the fandom over...) So... all this is why I've reasoned that Sokka is a VERY solid choice for Shang, in fact, better than Zuko could hope to be.

... but this isn't all.

Maybe some might accept my arguments for Sokka-Shang. And then, they might ask:

WHY ZUKO AS YAO, THO??

... And the truth is it took me long to see it, myself, but HOLY SHIT, DOES IT FIT!

What is the primary thing we remember about Yao in Mulan? This guy is constantly itching for a fight, to prove himself, surely riddled with insecurities that he exteriorizes through overcompensation of masculinity. He's funny as fuck, but he's taking himself 100% seriously as a manly man all the time, and he's always ready for violence. But there's one more thing...

He treats Mulan as his RIVAL.

And more often than not? SHE SCREWS HIM OVER. Intentionally or not.

What does that sound like? Why, yes, it sounds a LOT like Azula and Zuko's sibling relationship!

The fact that Yao is a temperamental dude who lashes out easily at things (oh, something he has in common with Zuko!), that he specifically resents Mulan (in this case, Azula, just as Zuko does!) and is either constantly looking to defeat her and prove his superiority over her (... wait, just as Zuko with Azula??), that he has a black eye perpetually across the movie, and it's his LEFT EYE (just as Zuko's scar is on his left eye! :'D), that he's friends with a pacifist he has basically nothing in common with, personality-wise (just like Zuko and Aang!), and that he pretty much has a REDEMPTION ARC in which he goes from a bitter, asshole rival to Mulan to treating her as a friend and ally, to the point where he was disappointed to leave her behind and THEN joined her at once when she says she has a plan? :') I have always been critical of Zuko's redemption arc, goes without saying. But if ANY of these characters redeemed himself in any significant way, it certainly seems to be Yao to me, and with people gushing NON-STOP about Zuko's redemption? Why, he ought to be the character who goes from bitter rival to loyal friend, right?

So. I'm not even sorry. Zuko is Yao. And I'd dare say that he should be flattered by the comparison, even, because Yao ends up being cool as FUCK!

I don't really talk about this much nowadays, but Mulan was my favorite Disney movie growing up, it ABSOLUTELY had a formative influence on me as a little girl, and Mulan was my favorite female character for a looooong time. Thus, any excuse to rewatch this movie makes me happy as heck. With the wisdom of age I know, of course, that it's not perfect, it's not what China wants, it's not the most thoughtful depiction of Chinese culture or the most faithful adaptation of Mulan's poem (... but I'd also dare bring up that the 2009 Chinese adaptation ISN'T all that faithful either...), but it has a kind of magic in it, a solid storytelling flow, so many memorable moments one after the next, that I could hardly choose which scenes to depict... Disney hasn't seen the storytelling heights it reached with Mulan in 1998. I don't even care if that's a controversial opinion in any way... this is their best animated feature for me, and nobody can change my mind.

So... depicting Azula, my beloved, in all these scenarios as this character I adored and idolized as a child, was so damn fulfilling for me. While some might think that, personality-wise, these two ladies don't have much in common, the fact that Mulan is sent to a matchmaker who basically tells her she looks good but is going to be the worst wife ever...? Our girl Azula, with all those insecurities about being unloveable and a monster, probably would relate big time to that.

Mulan is also an INTELLIGENT soldier rather than a brawny one, which is how she starts to make progress in the army, it's how she manages to overcome the huns with that avalanche... and Azula's primary difference with most other antagonists in ATLA is that she's smart as fuck. She is very strong, no doubt, but a LOT of that strength comes from her intelligence, from assessing situations in unique ways, from planning and strategizing. The way Mulan finds the most unexpected solutions that still pay off reminds me a lot of how Azula achieves unexpected feats through rather unorthodox means, capable of taking over a city with basically no bloodshed while her nation has spent 100 years trying and failing to do so through major army incursions and who knows how much senseless violence. Obviously, I'm not saying what Azula did is GOOD and it's kind of dumb that we always have to point that out... I'm merely comparing the magnitude of the feats, and the fact that they both come from ladies who use strategy and intelligence to achieve their goals rather than muscle and physical power.

And while anyone would rage at me for the comparison between Fa Zhou (her dad) and Ozai, the truth is the dynamic between them CAN be compared, if loosely: Mulan literally goes to war to keep her father safe. Azula goes to war under her father's orders. Hell, she makes herself BAIT in the Eclipse to make sure the Gaang won't get to her dad?? While it's very much possible to say that both characters have different personalities and attitudes in life... I'd also bring up that their contexts are evidently completely different. I wouldn't say for certain that Azula, had she been raised outside a Royal Family, would be EXACTLY like Mulan... but they might have more similar traits than one might expect. Ultimately, though... I love them both. And this opportunity to swap their places was pretty much a dream come true!

Alright, that was plenty of rambling xD ultimately, I had a blast doing this commission, as I'm sure is obvious by now. So! If anyone wants to commission me, feel free to check out my prices right here and hit me up if you're interested!

[ridiasfangirlings]

The Office style sit com for the blues. Starts as an initiative to get the public more comfortable with the police and familarize them. The crew comes in all ready to write a script and have to put up with their bad acting but the blues trying to cover up what it is they actually do and their general antics makes for a hilarious and surprisingly good show. They film it for a few years and it’s finally ready to be realsed post ROK and the clans do a little get together to watch the first few episodes.

Honestly a S4 Office-style show is the K spinoff we deserve, it would be the greatest thing. Fushimi alone is just a goldmine of reactions (I think I have an old ask about this too where I said the same thing XD). Maybe originally this is supposed to be like some actual serious documentary, Munakata thinks it would be an excellent way to drum up positive feelings towards their mission and their government function. Like say some TV crew is thinking about making a documentary about a specific government agency and a bunch of politicians and department heads meet in order to discuss which one will be the 'lucky' department. Everyone praises the idea but really nobody actually wants to be the subject, afraid that they may be shown in a bad light or have all their bad habits revealed. This is part of why it ends up going to Munakata – because all the other politicians hate him – but actually Munakata's very sincerely interested in the whole thing and fully believes that his men would perform admirably in such a situation.

He doesn't announce this until like the day the crew shows up, Munakata's all serene like please continue to work as if they are not present while the rest of the squad is internally freaking out because how the hell are we supposed to do that (plus there's the whole powers issue but maybe Munakata negotiated that no ride alongs can occur and they can only film in the office, with the idea that if anything untoward is caught on video Kokujouji can handle covering it up). The first couple weeks of filming are pretty boring as the squad does their best to try and seem like perfectly normal hardworking public servants. The mask almost slips a couple times, like Fushimi has to quick hide a knife once or twice and Doumyouji is jumped more than once to keep him from saying something embarrassing but they all manage. Eventually though the general weirdness of Scepter 4 cannot be contained and the film crew get to discover such glorious moments as Fushimi walking into Munakata's office to find Munakata doing a puzzle of his face or Hidaka running around trying to catch a very loud parakeet that he definitely named after his comrade Doumyouji and by the way Doumyouji-san is, um, in Barbados on vacation this week, right, yeah, totally.

Eventually post-ROK there's enough footage for the actual documentary, it's going to be like a multi-night event thing and everyone's excited to watch it (well, Munakata is and he's invited Homra and Hakumaitou over too, the rest of the Blues are dreading life). The first episode begins with a Munakata voice over about his hard-working men and their pure cause, overlaid on top of such footage as Akiyama asleep in the kitchen with his head half buried in a cake, Doumyouji trying to catch a squirrel named 'Fushimi-san' in the garden, Awashima bringing in six boxes of anko chocolate for the Captain on Valentine's Day and many many shots of Fushimi looking Done With Life. The other clans are like okay this looks like it's going to be better than we thought while the Blues are just trying to hide their faces (it also turns out to be a smash comedy hit and Munakata is so proud, Awashima on the other hand is going to have words with some people).

[iboatedhere]

Welcome to the circus (and by that I mean the glorious world of F1)

I can see you have been taken in by Daniel Ricciardo (the man is a dream I do not blame you , I spent $80 on a cap at the Melbourne grand Prix because I love him so much!)

But can I also recommend for content:

The McLaren team unboxed videos from 2019 and 2020 (you can watch them all on YouTube) : they have a very relaxing asmr vibe and lando and Carlos are sweet and funny

The lando and Carlos milk challenge with Johnny Herbert (again on YouTube) - it is the most hilarious and homoerotic thing you will watch

During the 2020 lock down a lot of the drivers started playing video games online together and it lead to some very hilarious moments (not as hot as the Ricciardo work outs and challenges he posted during lockdown but worth watching nevertheless)

It has been very weird for me seeing some of the lone star blogs I follow start posting F1 content because I've been into it for so long but I am so here for it!!

F1 is seriously a goldmine of bromances, himbos, controversy and dumbassery and I congratulate you on stumbling into it

I can't do it, you guys, I can't do another sport fandom I'm still recovering both financially and mentally AND emotionally from the last one.

That being said, I will watch every Daniel Ricciardo video ever because I do love him with everything I have.

[curtashiism]

X series games ranked by amount of XZero subtext

Others have made their own lists so I figured I'd make one as well! Starting with the least gay game and working my way up to the gayest (which we all know is X5).

12. X7- Zero’s here. And so is X, barely. That’s about all there is to say. The one little table scrap thrown to us is Zero saying “that’s more like the X I know” when X returns to battle. If every game was like this, I would completely understand where anti-shippers are coming from. Thankfully, it’s not.

11. X3- Eh. There’s not a great deal of content here, and it would be at the bottom if not for the glorious Japanese ending song “One More Time”, which, combined with the two standing together in a warm sunset, could not paint a more superlatively homoerotic picture if it tried.

10. Xtreme 1- Doctor Light must mention “your good partner” and “the person who knows you best” at least ten times when talking to X. Roboticist Dad knows what’s up.

9. X4- There is only one person X trusts with his life (and more to the point- the responsibility to end it should X go Maverick) and that’s Zero. And yet Zero is horrified by being asked such a thing, and upset that X even thinks himself capable of going Maverick. Zero’s faith in X is unshakeable, and always has been, right from the first game- and really, when you think about it, how much do you have to love someone to never, not even once, question them, especially in a world where anyone can turn evil against their will at any moment? (A lot. You’d have to love them a lot.) Further, even though we see Zero in love with Iris, the fact that Iris is literally made from an experiment trying to replicate X’s personality, and received the same gentle nature as X... Zero literally dated a female X. Given how empathetic X is, I feel confident guessing that X is aware of this, as well.

8. X8- “Now you’re in for it!” -Zero when rescuing X with a Tag Assist. Also, the way Zero glances at X and smiles in his ending as he thinks about the possibility of not having to fight anymore, and the way he reassures X when his faith is shaken by Lumine. “I bet you’re thinking about what Lumine was saying a while ago(...) We have to fight, not just against the Mavericks, but against our own destiny as well.” Zero is perhaps the only character who shows X just as much kindness and compassion is the other way around. The support, encouragement, and understanding are always, always mutual between them.

7. Command Mission- That scene. You know the one. I have not stared at anyone I know for anything near that length of time. Further, the Lover’s Quarrel (TM) between X and Zero, and X’s kicked-puppy look when Zero blocks X from grabbing his shoulder. That depth of hurt is only possible when you love the person you’re fighting with. Honestly, if they were a heterosexual couple, the next scene would have shown them reconciling with a passionate kiss. Then again, if they were a heterosexual couple, they would have been married by X4.

6. X6- X’s sheer joy at being reunited with Zero is just so heartwarming to see (and hear, in the Japanese version). It’s the happiest we ever see him in canon. And before that, X’s uncharacteristic rage (much more obvious in the Japanese version) at Zero’s memory being slandered by the Nightmare and High Max. AND the start, with X dreaming about Zero’s spirit encouraging him to get up and fight. (Side note: the fact that this only ranks halfway down the list really does show how fantastically gay the X/Zero relationship is.)

5. X1- yes, I’m putting this below its remake, mostly because of the Day of Sigma OVA we get in Maverick Hunter X, plus not getting to see X’s reaction to Zero’s death. That said, the content is still great, and even more so in the Japanese version- Zero is less overtly arrogant when talking to X, saying he knows X can become stronger than he is, instead of “maybe you’ll be as strong as I am”, among other examples. It’s a solid foundation for the ship we love so much.

4. Maverick Hunter X- The Day of Sigma OVA is what really sells this. The blushes, the way Zero clearly admires X’s gentle and empathetic nature, the protectiveness they already have towards each other... and of course, the way Zero cries X’s name in such a heartbreaking combination of terror and grief when he finds X seemingly deactivated after Sigma goes Maverick. Then you get into the main game, where you see Zero coming to X’s rescue, utterly furious at Vile for attacking him (in both X and Vile’s game modes), X’s heartbreaking reaction to Zero sacrificing himself, including cradling the dying Zero in his arms and positively clinging to try and get him to stay, and then him finally unleashing a fury at Sigma that hadn’t been there before... not to mention the fact that when you fight against them in Vile’s mode, when you kill one before the other, the defeated character cries, “(other character), I’m sorry!”

3. X2- The utter devotion X has to Zero is shown so well by X collecting Zero’s parts. Further, if forced to fight Zero, X’s line “Take care of yourself, Zero. I don't have time to put you back together again!” shows X’s emotions. He’s concerned, so much so that he has to use the sort of sarcastic/morbid humor people use in desperate situations. In Japanese, he doesn’t try to camouflage his concern at all, incredulously asking Zero, “do you have a death wish, Zero?!” Further, Zero apologizing for causing X so much trouble and worry, while promising to talk later, shows that he knows what X is feeling, as well.

2. Xtreme 2- "as long as X is with him, Zero can do anything. Though he doesn't express it, Zero believes this with all his heart. This is something that will never change." Further, we have Zero saying that even when they're apart, he feels like X is protecting him, X and Zero praising each other's strength and promising to help each other as they rush into battle, and, in the Japanese version, Dr. Light acting like a father in law giving Zero his blessing. “I entrust X to you.” “I want you to fight together with X forever.” “The only thing I ask is that you and X never fight/become enemies.” It’s kind of sad how much this goldmine gets overlooked!

1. X5- this is indisputable as the #1 game for us shippers. "I don't want to lose you," "Forever... we'll be together... Zero..." "Thank you for supporting X... please continue to take care of him..." Zero sacrificing himself for X, even when he’s gone Maverick, X freaking out at Signas when he suggests they evacuate when they don’t know Zero’s fate, Sigma saying he’s going to kill Zero because he’s the one most important to X, etc. I’ve seen less deep bonds shown in stories that are openly between lovers.

[paralleljulieverse]

Westward, Ho: Star! premieres in Hollywood, USA

The week after Star!’s gala debut in New York, the film continued its sea-to-shining-sea North American roll-out with a West Coast Premiere on 31 October 1968. Held at the historic Fox Wilshire theatre in Beverly Hills, the West Coast premiere had all the hoopla and razzmatazz of an old-school Hollywood opening. Arc lights swept the night skies, a brigade of crisply uniformed ushers stood honour guard, and gleaming black limousines ferried a host of Tinseltown movers-and-shakers to the red carpet entrance of the art deco picture palace. Crowds of fans and onlookers jostled in cordoned viewing areas as Army Archerd and a young Regis Philbin interviewed notable arrivals on the media dais, highlights of which were later telecast on The Joey Bishop Show.*

By this stage, Julie was back in Hollywood wrapping up filming for Darling Lili so, happily, this was one premiere she could attend. Accompanied by Blake Edwards –– quaintly described in the press as her “gentleman friend” (Fay: IV-1) –– Julie looked every inch the grand Hollywood star in the eye-catching designer outfit she’d had made, but never got the chance to wear, for the London opening: a sleeveless gown of pleated ivory linen with contrasting coffee panels and matching pleated linen stole. “[P]leated linen doesn’t crush,” explained Julie –– showing that, beneath the haute couture glamour, she’d lost little of her no-nonsense English pragmatism –– “That’s important when you have to think of photographers” (Lambert: 8). And photographers were, indeed, out in full force. Because the premiere marked one of Julie’s first public outings since returning to the US, she could barely move all night “without a cordon of photographers with cameras at ready” (Fay: IV-1). 

Organised as a benefit for the American Cancer Society, tickets for the West Coast premiere sold at $100.00 a head, with an additional $50 per couple for the after-show supper (Fay: IV-1). There was no shortage of well-heeled takers with the capacity audience of 2500 first-nighters reading like a glittering honour roll of both Old and New Hollywood: Edward G. Robinson, Rudy Vallee, Myrna Loy, Gregory Peck, Buddy Ebsen, Agnes Moorehead, Buddy Rogers, George Burns, Marge and Gower Champion, Jerry Lewis, Pat Boone, Eva Gabor, Ann-Margret, Phyllis Diller, Raquel Welch, Nancy Sinatra, Charles Bronson, Tom Selleck and many more. There was also a strong show of support from Julie’s own circle of celebrity friends and associates: Carol Burnett, Ross Hunter, Roddy McDowall, Henry Mancini, Edward Mulhare, and Charmian Carr (Fay: IV-1; Kay: 25; “Premiere of ‘Star’ Set Tonight”: IV-16). 

Sprinkled among the celebrity-packed audience were some fortunate members of the general public. Two anonymous film industry benefactors bought out blocks of seats in the upper balcony and “distributed the tickets to…medical and theatre arts students from USC and UCLA” (Fay: IV-1). While the Gesh Agency purchased another block of tickets for donation to servicemen on furlough from the war in Vietnam (ibid.). Not sure how enthused red-blooded GIs would have been by a Julie Andrews screen musical but, hey, it was a free night out!

One surprise member of the audience who was thrilled beyond belief was Jan Versaw, a teenage Julie Andrews superfan from Contra Costa county in Northern California. Versaw, who had reportedly seen The Sound of Music 23 times, made the journey down to Los Angeles with the express hope of meeting her idol at the premiere. She even lugged along her 23-pound (10.5 kg) Julie Andrews scrapbook! The eager fan rocked up to the Fox Wilshire theatre at 4:30a.m. –– “I thought it would be crowded like the Rose Parade,” she explained –– and huddled, waif-like, under the marquee with her scrapbook. She first got the attention of the janitor, then the theatre manager, then a Fox PR rep and, finally, later that night, she got to meet Julie herself. Not only that, but Julie invited her in to see the film. “It’s unbelievable!”, cried the starstruck young woman (Fiset: 21; “Happened Like”: B4).

Press reports relate that the first night audience gave Star! a thunderous standing ovation. Following the screening, a fleet of buses was on hand to chauffeur 700 VIP guests to the after-show Supper Ball at Twentieth Century-Fox Studios. Driving through the backlot sets erected for Hello, Dolly!, Fox’s next big roadshow musical with an exclamation mark, partygoers were delivered to the doors of the studio’s massive Stage 21 which had been done up especially for a dazzling Star!-themed ball:

“[D]ebarking passengers stepped into an exact replica of the foyer of Gertrude Lawrence’s New York apartment. Behind this was the huge ballroom, carpeted (except for the dance floor), completely draped and lighted by a dozen or more blazing crystal chandeliers. Here at tables entered with masses of yellow and white flowers in tall epergenes, they ate a midnight supper…catered by Chasen’s [and] danced to the music of Peter Duchin and his band, flown in from New York” (Kay: 25). 

Described as “probably the smoothest-paced premiere in history,” the evening was deemed a glorious success, netting a whopping $143,000 for the Cancer Society (Kay: 24). 

Any morning-after headaches at the studio would have been somewhat eased by the West Coast reviews of the film which were markedly better than the preceding week’s notices from New York. In fact, James Bacon of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner used his review to take direct aim at the film’s vituperative East Coast pans:

“Let me give it to you straight. I’m an unusual type critic. I’m a sucker for good entertainment. And ‘Star!’ which premiered the other night at the Fox Wilshire is loaded with it. It’s a tour de force for Julie Andrews…I have read most of the other reviews from New York, where writers lamented the absence of deep neurotic conflicts in the autobiography of Gertrude Lawrence. And after seeing the movie so forewarned, I came away convinced…that most professional critics don’t really like to be entertained. ‘Star!’ is the type of picture no one will like but the public. It will not make as much money as ‘Sound of Music’ but it will come close” (Bacon: D6).

The trades all gave very positive notices, homing in on –– and, possibly, talking up –– the film’s potential for commercial success. Film Daily wrote:

“The production has the built-in ingredients that assure assure mass audience appeal. Sometimes the entertainment is brilliant, occasionally overwhelming and in moments uncertain and becalmed….The versatility of Miss Andrews is as remarkable as her personality is endearing…[She] rac[es] through a series of songs and production numbers like an exuberant flame” (Herbstman: 3).

BoxOffice declared it “a veritable entertainment goldmine…that is almost monumental in its scope and detail”:

“And riding above it all, never once over-shadowed by the globe-spanning locations, is the phenomenal Julie Andrews, now truly the Queen of the Roadshows. In its way, ‘Star!’ is as much a tribute to her as it is a musical biography of Gertrude Lawrence. It’s a new Julie Andrews that audiences will be responding to. As Gertrude Lawrence she conveys a three-dimensional character, not entirely sympathetic, but a woman of ambition and drive, fired by her own ego and able to trade racy epithets with as much ease as she changes her lovers. It’s a spectacular performance that will surprise and please her many fans, and quite possibly bring a whole new legion of admirers into her camp. She is the ultimate attraction here, and she carries the film like a quarterback breaking out for a touchdown” (Verrill: 11).

Variety had already reviewed the film upon its earlier London release offering warm, if slightly reserved, praise:

“Like many hardticket pix it’s overlong at 165 minutes…and occasionally sags between musical numbers but, springing from William Fairchild’s witty and knowledgeable screenplay, the cast and team of redoubtable technical contributors have helped to turn out a pleasing tribute to one of the theatre’s most admired stars…‘Star!’, filmed in Todd-AO and marking the first reunion of Miss Andrews and Wise since their fantastically successful ‘Sound of Music’ should, with Miss Andrews’ marquee magnetism, cause plenty sweet music at the box-office all over again” (‘Rich.’: 6).

Possibly the most muted, but also most reasoned, Hollywood review came from Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times:

“No movie about Gertrude Lawrence with Julie Andrews can be all bad, but ‘Star!’ which opened with great ceremony on Wednesday night…is not all good either…It is, as they always say in the ads, lavishly mounted. It offers full musical value for the money, and…Miss Andrews, as ever was, is clear-voiced and full of warmth….Yet for all these positive attributes and the obvious loving care with which the whole project was put together, ‘Star!’ at its best is merely pleasant and not for a single moment really magical…[T]he result, despite nice arrangements, crisp staging by Michael Kidd, a tuneful period, rich costumes and rich sets, is not a bad musical but a disappointing one which should have amounted to much, much more” (Champlin: IV-1, 17). 

As in New York, business for Star!’s second US engagement started with a robust flourish. In its first week at the Fox Wilshire, the film took $45,000 in what Variety described as a “loud start” (“Hardticketers”: 9). However, again like New York, ticket sales quickly slumped with the weekly updates of grosses reading like a veritable cartoon graph nosedive:

Week 1: $45,000 Week 2: $29,000 Week 3: $25,000 Week 4: $21,000 Week 5: $18,000 Week 6: $16,000

Come Week 10, grosses had dipped below $10,000 and, by Week 15, they were under $5,000. In its 20th and final week at the Fox Wilshire, Star! took what Variety called a “drab $3,000″ (“L.A. Perking Up”: 9). By point of comparison, other roadshow musicals screening in the L.A. area that week were all doing very brisk business. Funny Girl, which was in its 24th week of release at the Egyptian, grossed $29,000 and Oliver! raked in $27,500 in its 14th Week at the Beverly. Even the poorly received Chitty Chitty Bang Bang managed to outperform Star! with $12,000 in its 14th week at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre (ibid.).

It was a scenario being repeated across the country at almost all the film’s North American roadshow engagements. To say the poor returns from Star! caused concern back at Fox would be an understatement. Studio execs went into a tailspin of their own and would embark on a series of increasingly desperate –– and desperately ill-judged –– salvage attempts. But that, as they say, is a tale for another time…

Notes:

* Some commentators have claimed that the West Coast premiere of Star! was dismally under-attended. Richard Stirling (2007) writes, “There was not a soul in sight” (211), using as putative evidence two comments taken out of context from Robert Wise and Jan Versaw, the teenage super-fan mentioned in the body of this post. Matthew Kennedy (2014) –– who lists Stirling as a primary reference and was likely just recycling the former’s dubious research –– also asserts, “Few others bothered to attend [the premiere], including fans” (154). The claim is simply untrue. Press reports, photos and television coverage of the premiere reveal that, not only was the audience filled to capacity, there were several hundred spectators grouped outside. Not exactly Beatlemania, but neither was it ‘tumbleweeds blowing down Wilshire Blvd’ as suggested by these sensationalist misrepresentations.

Sources:

Bacon, James. “Julie’s ‘Star’ Elegant Entertainment.” Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. 4 November 1968: D6.

Champlin, Charles. “Movie Review: ‘Star!’ Depicts Life of Noted Actress.” Los Angeles Times. 1 November 1968: IV-1, 17.

Fay, Sharon E. ‘Star!’ Premieres in Name of Charity.” Los Angeles Times. 17 September 1968: IV-1, 20.

Fiset, Bill. “The Lost Veneration.” Oakland Tribune. 15 November 1968: 21.

“Happened Like in Movies.” San Bernadino County Sun. 2 November 1968: B4.

“Hardticketers Help L.A. ‘Star’ Loud $45,000.” Variety. 6 November 1968: 9.

Herbstman, Mandel. “Review of New Film: STAR!” Film and Television Daily. 23 October 1968: 3.

Kay, Frances R. “Stars Shine at Premiere.” Valley News. 5 November 1968: 24-25.

Kennedy, Matthew. Roadshow!: The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.

Lambert, Eleanor. “Writer Finds A Lot Can Happen Between Julie’s Dress Fittings.” The Dispatch. 18 July 1968: 8.

“L.A. Perking Up.” Variety. 26 March 1969: 9.

“Premiere of ‘Star’ Will Benefit Cancer Society.” Los Angeles Times. 17 August 1968: III-8.

“Premiere of ‘Star’ Set Tonight.” Los Angeles Times. 31 October 1968: IV-16.

‘Rich.’ “Film Review: Star.” Variety. 24 July 1968: 6.

Stirling, Richard. Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography. London: Portrait, 2007.

Verill, Addison. “Feature Review: ‘Star!’” BoxOffice. 28 October 1968: 11.

Copyright © Brett Farmer 2018

[brandxspandex]

Thor: Ragnarok review of sorts

So I just went to see Thor: Ragnarok for a second time and I think that I’ve collated my thoughts enough to give an overview of my opinions on it. Under the cut because this got really long…

Firstly, what I didn’t like about it:

I wasn’t crazy about the way they killed off the Warriors Three with so little ceremony, especially Volstagg and Fandral (Hogun’s death was a bit better). Volstagg in particular is a pretty major and beloved character in the Thor mythos so to see him done away with like that was unpleasant. It’s made even worse by the fact that The Dark World implied that MCU Volstagg has a family with a bunch of little children like 616 Volstagg does.

I similarly didn’t like the way they wrote off Thor’s relationship with Jane Foster with the same casual disregard. I didn’t even like the Thor/Jane plotline and kinda wished they’d never taken that particular path in the first place, but it really irks me when a story sets up a particular relationship or character or plotline or whatever as important and something we should be emotionally invested in, and then proceeds to write it off as though it never mattered. It weakens my trust in the narrative, as it makes me wonder why I should get invested in anything else it pushes me to care about, if there’s a chance it’s just gonna act like it was never important later on. Plus, even if I personally may not have particularly cared, it makes me feel bad for people who did. Sure, more often than not people’s ships don’t work out in canon, and you just have to live with it, but it’s a whole other level of insult to have your ship just tossed away as though it never meant anything. Contrast this with how they dealt with Bruce/Natasha in the movie; I don’t really care for that pairing whatsoever, but I’m still glad they acknowledged it in a way that was consistent with the way it was presented in Age of Ultron. Ultimately, while certain relationships don’t do it for me and I personally think they drag down the narrative, I think that if they’re going to be done away with, it should be nonetheless done in a manner that is respectful to way the relationships have been presented up to that point.

While I enjoyed Hela, as I will expand upon a little further on, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat underwhelmed by her character, knowing how much cooler the comic book character she’s based on is. As keen as I was for Hela, I knew that there was no way they were going to manage to make her as interesting as her 616 counterpart, but I nonetheless hoped they’d chuck in some little reference to the clusterfuck of factors that make her so fascinating in the comics, but there wasn’t really anything like that. On that note, I was hoping that there would be some interesting Hela and Loki interaction, given they have such a major relationship in the comics (not to mention the connection between their mythological counterparts), but they barely interacted at all. I was also really hoping that Hela was going to survive in order to act as a substitute for Mistress Death and Thanos’s object of obsession, and whilst that still isn’t completely off the table, it honestly didn’t feel like they were setting that up after all. Still, I can hope.

On a more minor note, I was a bit irked that the after-credits scene from Doctor Strange ended up being a scene in the film. It felt a bit like being retroactively robbed of an after-credits scene since there is no longer any point in watching it on its own at the end of Doctor Strange.

As for the things I was more ambivalent about:

I had mixed feelings about the humour in the film. On one hand, I love comedy and levity, especially when it is mixed with other genres I’m into. In fact, the humour that runs through the MCU is a big part of why I love it so much. On the other hand, when the humour of an established setting is suddenly amped up, particularly when it smacks of a very particular (and new) style of comedy as it did in this film, it can feel rather discombobulating, almost like the rules of that universe have spontaneously shifted to make this string of funny things happen. So while I found the humour in the film to be a lot of fun, I did feel that sense of discombobulation.

On a related note, Thor’s characterisation in particular felt like it shifted quite a bit to fit the style of humour in the film. I enjoyed his characterisation, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was quite the break from how he acted in previous films. I guess I’d have to watch this movie back to back with some of the previous ones to determine whether or not this is a valid feeling. It is something that does seem to happen quite a bit, I find; certain creators have a very particular way of handling characterisation that causes a lot of characters to take on a certain…tone, when they are written by said creator. I got the sense that was going on in this film.

I’m not sure how to feel about the destruction of Mjolnir. On one hand it was a bold move, but on the other it takes away the most iconic thing about Thor.

They didn’t show Thor and Loki hugging at the end, and while I’m sort of outraged, I also have to wonder if cutting away actually made it all the more impactful, but I guess we’ll never know for sure.

Things I thoroughly enjoyed about the film:

While I found Hela’s overall character rather underwhelming, I certainly can’t fault the stunning way she looked or the overwhelming amount of swag she simply radiated; it was glorious. I would have liked to have it wrapped around a more interesting backstory and/or character motivation, but I can at least relish this shining beacon of sassy goth villainy.

It is also good to know that Hela is at least still a dog person in the MCU, and Fenrir was a very fine example a death goddess’s best friend.

How fricking cool was that seemingly ROCKET POWERED DRAGON at the beginning???

I found myself endeared to Valkyrie the moment she drunkenly staggered off the walkway of her spaceship and then proceeded to mow down a gaggle of scavengers with gauntlets that controlled her ship’s turrets. It was a good first impression.

Both the Hulk and Bruce Banner were fabulous, funny inclusions in the movie, and I really enjoyed their interactions with both Thor and Valkyrie. Honestly, if either Bruce or Valkyrie end up romantically involved with anyone, I think I’d most prefer for it to be with one another.

Doctor Strange was also a fun inclusion from start to end.

I also loved how Thor had Mjolnir disguised as an umbrella during those Earth-bound scenes, in reference to the old comics where it would transform into a walking stick. They even had the detail where he taps it against the ground to transform into his Asgardian garb.

The Grandmaster (and his fricking orgy ship) was just a whole lot of fun.

As was that bloody Kiwi space rock (and his ant friend)…but let’s be real, the mere existence of New Zealand is funny in itself.

While the revelations about Odin and the royal family weren’t explored nearly enough for my liking, they certainly provided a goldmine of worldbuilding and fanfiction possibilities for fandom to play with.

Finally, the things about the movie that I loved:

When I first became invested in the MCU one of my favourite things about it was the bond that formed between Bruce Banner and Tony Stark in The Avengers, so I felt a bit bummed by some of the more recent films in which that relationship seemed to fall to the wayside. Therefore, the way Bruce kept mentioning Tony in this film, even if they were little, incidental mentions, made me very, very happy. I really hope this means their relationship hasn’t been forgotten after all.

Personally I was never truly convinced that Loki killed Odin at the end of The Dark World, but I was very glad to have it confirmed that Loki just dumped him on Earth. Loki’s desperate love for Odin was the thing that ultimately won me over to his character in the first place, and I think that would have been ruined for me if it turned out that he had killed him. I think the way the movie dealt with Odin overall was pretty spot on actually; it introduced the darker elements of his character that have been apparent in the comics for some time, but kept his characterisation nonetheless consist with how he was portrayed in the former films. I was quite satisfied with how his arc played out.

Out of all the characters in the movie, I feel like the tone suited Loki the best. After all, it makes sense that a god of mischief would be at home in a bizarro comedy. Whilst I felt that a number of the other characters had shifted their behaviour slightly to suit the film’s comedic tone, Loki’s characterisation felt completely natural to me. Now that I think about it, I think Loki’s been growing progressively funnier over the course of each movie he pops up in, which is great since he absolutely should be funny. Don’t get me wrong, I loved angsty little Loki from the first Thor movie, but he really needs to have a solid dose of mischief served up alongside all that angst. Honestly, what are the more quintessential ingredients of Loki than angst and mischief? I feel as though that scene of Loki masquerading as a suspiciously fruity Odin, building statues of himself and watching dramatic theatre about his life would seem like absurd Flanderization for most other characters, but for Loki it felt as though he was finally becoming the character he was always meant to be.

I furthermore loved the character arc Loki undertook in this film; it felt like a really organic progression from his character growth in The Dark World. What really got me was that scene where Thor tells Loki that although he refuses to change, he could be more, because if that isn’t a Journey into Mystery/Agent of Asgard reference then it’s a hell of a coincidence.

On that note, Thor and Loki’s interactions were wonderful; a fantastic blend of funny and heartfelt, antagonistic and cooperative. Basically their relationship in this film was everything I want to see from their comic counterparts that Marvel keeps refusing to show me goddammit.

I loved the unique aesthetic of the film both visually and aurally; such a cool combination of the high fantasy thing the other two Thor films had going on and the synthy, 80s Kirby-esque sci-fi element that they introduced. Seriously, what other movie looks and sounds like this one does?

Admittedly I’m only really familiar with 616 Skurge from the Walter Simonson 80s run, in which he doesn’t have that many appearances, but of course it does contain his most notable appearance, and I loved the way they adapted that into the film. It might even be my favourite scene in the movie. Skurge’s whole character arc was really the cherry on top of this film for me.

LOOP ZOOP

But fricking seriously how the hell did we get to the third movie in a Thor movie trilogy and only now they’re playing Immigrant Song?

I did not see that twist on the Ragnarok thing coming and honestly I was pretty impressed by it; I especially liked how they subverted expectations in regards to Loki being responsible for instigating Ragnarok by indeed having him directly responsible, but for reasons I never could have anticipated.

While Infinity War is probably gonna screw it all up, I loved the promise presented by set-up at the end with Thor being the Captain King of a starship of homeless space fantasy gods traversing the stars, with Loki by his side. Holy shit I desperately want to watch a sci-fi series spinning off from this premise.

SAFE PASSAGE THROUGH THE ANUS

[lunafeather]

judeehopps replied to your post “If anyone else has seen The Last Jedi already and wants to discuss,...”

I’m curious about what you think. What did you think of it? I have mixed feelings...

Overall I enjoyed it a lot, but it did have a lot of issues. I think I liked The Force Awakens a lot more, so I’m glad that JJ Abrams will be directing Episode IX and not Rian Johnson, though obviously Abrams isn’t perfect. This film also continues Star Wars’ penchant for gorgeousness; so many scenes and shots were absolutely breathtaking in their beauty. This might be my favorite film when it comes to that.

Spoilers below the cut! (Also, fair warning! I have a lot of thoughts)

I wasn’t a fan of the limited interactions between our main trio, especially Finn and Rey -- whose relationship literally drives the narrative of this trilogy. Don’t get me wrong, that hug at the end literally made me squeal with joy it was so pure and sweet, but that is seriously all we got and like??? I DO ship Finnrey but I also just enjoy watching their friendship so this was a major downside.

Speaking of ships, I am VERY anti Rose/Finn. I feel like the kiss at the end of the film was incredibly forced and awkward, and came out of nowhere. They have okay chemistry, but I didn’t get a romantic vibe from them at all, so for her to swoop in with this huge romantic gesture and pull out the “I love you” before passing out was very out of place. I feel like they barely know each other, and Rose’s feelings are heavily impacted by her initial view of Finn as this Rebel Hero, and that her jump from awe to fury to love is just a natural progression of her fangirling, and not actual love. Not to mention the fact that Finn literally just froze when she kissed him, it wasn’t reciprocated at all. I hope that they have an adorable “WOW that was awkward” moment in the next film but that they remain friends only.

I really enjoyed Rey’s arc over the film. I think she is more powerful than we realize and I really hope we get to see that power as she trains to be an actual jedi (I’m sure we will). I also really enjoy her parallel’s to Luke in that she is insistent that Kylo can be turned and tries to sway him against her mentor’s wishes, that she is just SO GOOD inside (I, like others, was afraid they may try to tease her switching to the dark side, but I’m glad this film just reiterated how good she is), but I also love that where Luke succeeded, Rey did not. I think it would be very predictable and boring for Rey to “save” Kylo the way Luke “saved” Vader.

Branching off of that, the trailers had a lot of people spouting that whole, “ohhh this is just another copy cat/rehash of Empire, just like TFA was identical to ANH” (which is bullshit anyway, TFA had many homages to ANH but the story was different in a few key ways) crap that I am glad was destroyed immediately. All this chatter about the AT-ATs and the rebels trying to escape a base and Degobah and blah blah blah. None of it was founded, the film was actually VERY different from ESB. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing.... but I digress.

I am a tad miffed that Finn’s force sensitivity wasn’t touched on AT ALL. As far as I’m aware, someone has to be force sensitive to use a lightsaber and Finn used Luke’s at the end of TFA. I hope they touch back on that in Episode IX.

A big thing I am distressed about is the fact that one of the original trio is basically going to be killed off in each film. Han in TFA, now Luke in TLJ, and obviously Leia will need to be killed off in Episode IX... It’s really fucking depressing. Part of me hopes that they will write IX in a way that Leia doesn’t need to die but never appears on screen -- I feel like of the three, she would be the one to survive. It’s possible, narratively, but I doubt they’ll do that. Still.... Also, seeing as Luke became one with the force or whatever, I feel like he will train Rey from beyond, the same way Obiwan often advised him after his death. So maybe we’ll at least have that.

Upon further reflection, I feel like the Casino excursion was very misplaced and unneeded. It was hectic and rushed and urgent, the whole movie was, and I wasn’t a huge fan of that. Star Wars movies ebb and flow with their pace, usually taking place over a moderate amount of time, but obviously this film had a very short time span and I gotta say, I’m not digging it. I prefer the story building, character building pace of the other films.

Humor was out of place a lot of times. The other movies were funny, yes, but the humor in this one was much too....modern? Even in TFA the humor was more classic, in this film it was annoyingly snappy. I really hated the opening scene and its “joke” with Poe pretending he couldn’t hear Hux. Hux should be scary and looming and menacing but that scene just made a fool out of him, and for that to be the OPENING scene is just.... no. Turned me off immediately. Some of the humor was spot on, like Chewie being watched by the family/friends of the bird thing he was trying to eat. THAT was good. Even Rey knocking that giant piece of rock over the cliff and annihilating those aliens’ cart of stuff was good. But most of the other humor was off.

My favorite moment/shot, and I’m sure it’s a lot of people’s, was Holdo hyperspacing into Snoke’s ship. Everything about that was GLORIOUS. The quick burst shots of the lightning blue spikes cracking the ship, the DEAD SILENCE -- no music, no sound effects, nothing -- until the delayed noise of the explosion, I was AWED. The ENTIRE THEATRE gasped and then hushed in the same awed silence as myself. What an amazing idea and execution.

Other favorite shots, Kylo and Luke standing on opposite sides of the screen, waiting to battle -- the colors and composition were beautiful. Crap, there are more but I can’t remember them now.

Mother fucking LEIA ORGANA, using the force to survive being blown into space. SHE DID THAT, Y’ALL. Do you have any idea how powerful she has to be to do that kind of shit??? I seriously thought they were gonna kill her off.

Luke Skywalker being a sassy shit during his astral projection gave me so much life. I love him.

I’ve seen a lot of disparaging comments about Yoda showing up but I actually liked that bit. I think it was one of the times when the humor was on point, and they had to have used a puppet because he looked great.

After a lot of discussion with my ex, we came to the conclusion that Leia must have known Luke wasn’t really there at the old rebel base. Initially I thought it was a vision/wonder twin connection like Kylo and Rey were having (which..... wtf???? Why was that happening? Could it not?) but then everyone else saw him so.... still, I think Leia knew it wasn’t really him. I think that’s why she didn’t touch him/hug him -- because they are VERY huggy twins -- and why she left Han’s dice behind. I think she knew she wouldn’t see him again, which breaks my heart. Because how alone is Leia now? She lost the love of her life, she lost her son, she lost her brother. Ughhhh.

So yeah, this stupid “connection” between Rey and Kylo the film was trying to force on us just.... irked me. I have heard that R*ylos are fangirling over the movie, which boggles my mind because Rey literally hates his guts?? She was disgusted by his naked chest and demanded he clothe himself?? She literally tried to save him because she’s a good person, not because he’s ever done anything to deserve it or because there’s some kind of “love connection” there?? He fucking mind raped her, guys. He almost killed the first person to ever COME BACK FOR HER. (again, why did this movie focus on the Rey/Kylo shit when there is a goldmine with Rey/Finn??????) Oh he’s also a fucking pyscho murderous asshole who killed Rey’s friend and hero in cold blood.

Anyway.

Snoke as a villain: Disappointing. Boring. Anticlimactic. I pity that we didn’t get backstory on him, though I suppose we never got any for the Emperor until the prequels. Still.... Snoke was a very thin and half assed master villain. Shouldn’t there be waaaaaaaaay more lore about the Knights of Ren? Is that going to come into play in Episode IX, seeing as Kylo is now the Supreme Leader? Also, how the fuck am I supposed to take Kylo seriously as the next major villain when he continues to throw temper tantrums and be easily manipulated by outside forces?

On that note, did he choose to spare Leia because of that conflict inside of him, or did Leia force sense him and mind influence him to not shoot?? WE’LL NEVER KNOW.

Second to last point: Not enough Chewie.

Final point: I liked the examination of perspective. Luke’s story of what happened the night Kylo went crazy, Kylo’s story, and finally the truth. How we twist things to feel better/to get what we want. How every story is biased. I thought that was neat.

I lied, one last thing: I am on the fence but leaning towards hating Rey’s parents being “nobodys”. I think it’s an interesting choice but not one that lends anything to the narrative. I think the hype around her parentage was stoked just so they could say, “HAHA she actually isn’t anyone special, you were speculating for nothing!”. Speculating is fun. Bloodlines are fun. Let nerds discuss! A big part of me hopes that Kylo was lying to Rey to make her more upset and thus “more likely” to swing to the dark side. To encourage her fear that she really was abandoned for no reason. BUT it would also be unique to have her be so special despite coming from nothing.

Alright, I’m done. I may think of more but that’s it for now. My rating would probably be like.... 6.5/10. In the top 5 but not the top 4. Enjoyable and beautiful but nothing special and a let down in regards to story and character development.

[artclusters]

Short story under the theme “nature” for a college magazine.

“The meaning”

The boat drifted across the pristine lake, framed by lush earth and lodgepole pine trees in the distance. A sweet damp scent was ever-present and water-lilies lazily floated by. Shams has finished casting with a faint whizz that sliced the air, while Luke adjusted his camera settings. It was mostly quiet, aside from the occasional plops and ripples in the water, the far-off chatter of water-birds and the rustling of dragonflies. All they had to do now was to wait and bask in the radiating warmth from the clear late-morning sky, as Fairuz played tenderly from Luke’s phone…

“Why is fishing so romanticized when it’s actually just ridiculously boring?” Luke piped up, slightly irritated and bouncing his leg.

“Maybe we’ll catch something…until then, RELISH this dude. You’re just upset because you’re not getting instant gratification,” Shams mused.

“Yes. That’s exactly it. You’re right. Okay, I’m trying. I know how much you wanted to visit this park.” It was not unusual for Luke to feel restless whenever he was doing “nothing”. He twiddled his short beard as he tried to hold himself back from checking the line every 30 seconds on-the-dot. He felt that the boat will somehow break and drown them if he doesn’t do so.

Shams moved out of view and sat next to him. Luke carefully held his camera and took a photo, aiming to depict the glimmering silver fishing rod perched against the yellow boat’s edge in the center, the sky-blue lake clinging to the sides and with a tinge of greenery at the corners. He inspected it afterwards for what seemed like an eternity.

“It’s trash.”

“What! Why? Let me see.”

Luke defeatedly passed the camera to him. It was a fairly decent photo, in terms of artistry or aesthetic. The colors complemented each other well and it portrayed a pleasing natural scene.

“It’s nice dude,” Shams said frankly.

“No, it’s not,” Luke stood up and frantically flung his arms and turned in circles. “THIS is nice. EVERYTHING here is nice, VERY nice, but THIS-” he pointed harshly at the camera screen, “THIS is not nice. Do you see my problem? I am unable to CAPTURE the beauty around me! It’s not…right! I am a FAILURE!” He turned away in embarrassment, at both his vulnerable outburst and almost losing his balance.  

“…You’re being hard on yourself again…” Shams handed him back the camera. “Just take other photos, okay?”

After several Fairuz songs, camera clicks and releasing a small gasping trout, they set off to the trees trail.

[---]

They strolled through the path, occasionally stepping on fallen leaves and small pine-cones scattered about, emitting a satisfying crunch. The air was even more refreshing than the previous area, and the crisp fragrance of pine-oil replaced the dampness. This trail was a haven of abundance; white pines, red and white fir and ponderosa flourished all around. The red and yellow sugar and big-leaf maple trees were a splendid interruption to the green palette. Shams (being the enthusiast that he is) learned about all of them; Luke listened intently to his little presentations. Luke would also occasionally go back and forth to retrace his steps whenever he lost count, simultaneously making sure not to step over wooden panels. Shams was used to showing up late with him whenever they went somewhere and planning a route with the least human contact. They took their time - this was a goldmine for a photographer as well. Alas, Luke would pause extensively after every photo, only to sigh, curse and glare.

“I can honestly say I’ve never seen anyone stare so angrily at a camera,” Shams teased, to which Luke retaliated by snapping an off-guard photo of him.

They reached the center of the trail, where brown beckoning giant sequoia trees resided, and a gorgeous meadow clothed the rich soil. Lively song-bird chirps resounded from every tree-top, like an orchestrated melody. Shams did not waste the opportunity to share his knowledge with Luke about them (his favorite is the Steller’s jay).

“…This here is the finest ASMR you can experience dude,” Shams concluded, with a theatrical appraising hand motion. 

Luke wandered off to check out the meadow; it was identical to stepping onto a very soft carpet, and the dense grass brushed against his thin legs. Elegant dandelions and purple cress peeked between the blades in full bloom.

“Shams, aren’t you going to generously tell me about this meadow?” Luke knelt and pointed randomly, “why, I must know the exact conditions this flower will thrive in!”

“Nope, I’m not working for free no more! ... And by the way that’s a spring beauty.” Shams found an empty space and lied down, almost sinking in. He patted the ground motioning for Luke to rest for a bit.

Luke plopped alongside him. Looking up to the giants, it felt like being cradled as wise beings watched over them, holding up the immense sky. He tried to fight off the disturbing thought of being crushed by a swiftly collapsing tree – out of nowhere - and clenched his fists several times. He turned to face Shams, who was gleefully double-checking trivia about the park on his phone. Luke was overcome with a strong - yet familiar – feeling that he couldn’t find the words to describe. He quickly sat up.

“I was joking, you know. I can tell you about the meadow,” Shams said, a little too late.

“No, I’m- I’m good. Do you want to move on?” Luke asked, feeling flustered, and wiped his black flannel and grey Bermuda pants. 

“Sure. Help me up dude,” Shams put away his phone as Luke grabbed his wrists.

They went off for a bathroom break and came across a friendly park ranger clad in teal and beige; she directed them to amateur hikes that provide an elevated view.

[---]

The smooth path ended, and a craggy unruly path began. Luke stopped to drink some water (and snap photos that will end up in self-beratement) while Shams looked at a diagram, absorbing it in his memory. Luke thought of how he always admired his reliability in such matters. To their side was a charming, rocky creek, it’s comforting trickling constant in the background. Pink mountain laurels, white-bark pines and prickly cob-web thistles started to appear as they hiked upwards. They were careful not to trip over thick roots embedded in the moist ground, and to take notice of any wild-life around. Luke regretted his decision to wear rainbow-laced black sneakers just because they match his outfit. Non-threatening hissing, swishing and rushing sounds echoed from every nook and cranny. The afternoon sky was turning slightly darker, and the temperature somewhat colder.

“So, Luke, are you like, thinking of this as a career? Or is it more like a hobby?”

“I mean…maybe? I mean…it could be…I don’t…I don’t know, really.”

“Hm. Well, I don’t want to sound preachy, but I think… once you figure out what photography means to you, your feelings about your work might change…you- you get what I mean?”

“…No, no, yeah, yeah I get it! You don’t sound preachy dude don’t worry…thanks, Shams.”

“Alright, because you don’t have to monetize it or whatever, you can do things just because,” Shams was about to disparage capitalism again but decided to let it go.

They smiled with silent appreciation of their mutual understanding. The conversation bounced from their typical lighthearted stuff, like discussing the inspiring animated French film The Rabbi’s Cat they’ve seen the other day, to more serious venting about their troubles back home.

They eventually reached the top of a rock, mountain hemlocks and foliage sprawling and hanging along the sides. They were welcomed with a stunning vastness of vivid olive-green, blending with the hazy azure horizon of the golden glorious sky. Shams approached the edge while Luke hastily whipped out the tripod (Shams urged him to not rush through it).

Luke tried to sit still and fiddled with his earrings. An intrusive, gory image of carelessly falling and hurting himself played repeatedly in his head.

Shams gently put his arm around him, “I hope you’re enjoying this as much as I am.”

Luke hesitated before resting against his shoulder, “I just want to feel good about my work, but I haven’t been able to…for a long time…I don’t know why exactly.”

The breeze caressed them as they idly gazed ahead, anticipating that fiery combination of orange, red and yellow as they collide together, the sun nesting beneath the sparse clouds.

“…You were my first subject, Shams,” Luke recalled suddenly.

“…Huh, yeah, didn’t it take you like ages to settle on a concept?”

“That…does sound like something I would do.”

Shams smiled fondly, “but once we finally started, time just flew by. We were having so much fun. Ah, I looked quite…different back then.”

“…Yeah.” There was that powerful and familiar feeling again, bordering on a pang of nagging longing, the words to phrase it drowned in the back of his mind.

“Hey, I’ll help you set up.”

Luke counted down from 10 seconds and took several shots to construct in a panorama later. Fortunately, there were only a few people around. He attempted to hide his profound, inexplicable disappointment. Maybe he didn’t take it at the perfect moment. Maybe it was too late, or too early, sort of blurry or the angle was marginally off…he can conjure up endless criticisms if he thought about it for too long.

“Let’s go Shams, before it gets too dark.”

They soon packed up and went back using a shortcut to the paved lodges area. The pathway was calmly lit with rose-colored rope lights. They found a wooden bench, with a lime-green recycling bin and an oval table on the sides. The park was much quieter now, save for the movement of other visitors.

“Hey Luke, I’ll go get us drinks. Just um, sit here and look through today’s photos again. I’m sure you’ll find one you like, and we’ll call it a good day!” Shams reassured.

Luke drummed his fingers as he waited. He decided he might as well…

[---]

To Shams, photography simply meant one of the many wonderful ways to spend time with his dearest. Gradually, Luke spiraled with the obsession of honing and perfecting it – it was akin to a curse. Maybe it was the praise and expectations of other people; maybe it was the expectations he set for himself. Maybe it’s his destructive compulsive nature; maybe it’s the post-graduation emptiness. Maybe it’s his over-bearing parents who incessantly mock and belittle anything he enjoys. For whatever reason, Luke would tragically end up consumed by his passions until he has nothing left to give, evolving into loathing and ultimately abandonment.

“Hi there, what can I get you?” the worker cheerfully popped out from the small lodge square window. A sugary, mellow aroma wafted from inside.

Today has been a lovely yet heavy sensory experience for Shams, which gave him a moderate headache from having to process everything at once.

“Hello there…” Shams squinted at their name tag, “…Robin!” 

“Would you like some fresh apple juice?” They looked reminiscent of a brand mascot, wearing big white gloves, navy blue overalls and an oversized cap.

“…Sure. Two, please.” Shams hoped for a moment that they would’ve somehow sensed his worries and gave him advice or some encouraging anecdote that tells him exactly what he needs to hear. Of course, that’s only in fiction, or drama shows like This Is Us, it would be very awkward otherwise.

“Here you go, dear,” they handed him the drinks with a clink.

“Thank you.” He studied the menu, thinking if there’s anything Luke’s unpredictable taste would like. “Um, I’ll just have a popover, for now.” 

[---]

Luke scrolled down to the gallery beginning; he glanced at it with a lack of interest at first, then he realized there are photos he had completely skipped over.

A photo of Shams towards the boat’s edge, pretending to reel in a heavy catch, puffing out his chest and arms with a radiant, hearty smile.

The surprise photo he took of Shams at the tree trail, his huge curly hair a black blur, his endearing, contagious laugh displaying his tooth-gap. His ankh and many colorful stimming necklaces were tangled and swinging.

A photo of Shams looking keenly at the tree-tops, his cartoonish round glasses taking up half of his chubby face. He pushed back his curls and scrunched his bushy eyebrows, immersed in spotting any birds. He was wearing his beige outdoor vest and the Woody Woodpecker t-shirt that Luke gifted him, that has since gotten tighter.

The unrehearsed photo of Shams during their climb, when he interjected in Luke’s low-perspective shot attempt, which they giggled about right after. He was crouched down in his camouflage shorts and black hiking boots, his lone braid dangled over his shoulder, his hands twisted in a spontaneous vogue pose, showing off his purple-painted nails.

A photo of Shams living his intricate fantasy of an explorer; he emulated a triumphant demeanor, one hand on his waist (a rectangular scar on his forearm in view) and the other pensively placed on his chin. His kind hazel eyes glowed with awe and delight, as he contemplated towards nowhere in particular. There was a hint of strain on his serious face, most likely from trying not to laugh and break character. The pre-sunset sky formed a magnificent backdrop against his dark brown skin.

Luke held tightly onto the camera, almost as if it was in threat of suddenly disappearing. These photos (belonging to a bigger unexamined collection) were taken in jest after all- thus unimportant, right? No…these candid photos of Shams ignited beautiful feelings within him, feelings that he was looking for all along in his work, feelings that have continuously lived yearning to be acknowledged, feelings that he cannot begin to explain. But he will try, he had to, he must.

[---]

“Got the drinks!” Shams passed one to him, “oh and…three ice cubes! Just how you like it.” 

Luke absentmindedly set it aside and said nothing.

“Not in the mood for apple?”

“What? No, no, it’s great, Shams, listen,” Luke took a deep breath, “um, remember when you asked me earlier today what photography means to me?”

“Uh-huh, sort of,” Shams uttered between sips. He waved the delicious wrapped popover towards Luke’s face to try it, but he quickly shook his head.

“I don’t know if this is about to be one of my weird confusing ramblings, but I don’t care. Shams, in my pursuit for a pointless and meaningless and subjective notion of perfection I’ve lost track of WHY I enjoy this- why I even DO this in the first place, I mean, how it all started.” He tapped the camera rather forcefully, “this right here was for you and me, US. An…an- an outlet for two outcast high-schoolers, expressing themselves and- and discovering who we were. Shams, in the simplest terms, I…love photography, and what photography is - means - to me is…you.” He looked away, “I’m sorry that I forgot such an important thing, and I’m sorry if I sound like I’ve come across such an obvious epiphany…” He let out a pained chuckle, his cheeks flushed. “I don’t know if I’m making sense…”

Shams took a long sip and stayed quiet for a bit, in case he had something more to say. He knows how Luke agonizes when he loses his train of thought. He reached out his hand and tidied Luke’s bob-cut, his hair that he always ruins with his non-stop gestures.

“I love you too, Luke,” he requited with utmost sincerity.

They smiled. Then they broke into laughs.

Time stood still, a palpable aura of relief and exhilaration embracing them. Cascading shadows of tree leaves swayed gracefully nearby.

“…Hey, is the camera still on?” Shams finally asked.

Luke, still in a daze, checked the battery meter. “Yeah.”

“…Would you join me in one last photo today?”

“…”

[---]

Luke set up the tripod and selected a timed photo with a flash.

10…9…8…7…6

They turned to face each other as they sat back on the bench.

Shams softly placed his hands over Luke’s and leaned closer.

5…4…3…2…1

[End] ---

[shannrussell-blog1]

Are you interested in getting out and exploring Far North Queensland with your 4wd? Read on and I’ll share some of my favourite driving destinations in the Sunshine State!

Without a doubt, one of the best parts of driving holidays is meeting good Aussie characters along the way. The area that best typifies this from my travels is the stretch of road between Townsville and Mt Isa in Far North Queensland. I spent about six months straight in this region as a 20-year-old, working for a geophysics company searching for gold and copper.

1. Townsville

Burdekin River in the dry season

I remember the first time I flew into Townsville – I was blown away at how big it was. I had thought it would be a town of only 10,000 people or so, but in reality, it is a bustling metropolis of 185,000 people! There are great hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts along The Strand, a long stretch of road running along the foreshore. The foreshore precinct is very clean and tidy, as are the beaches, but be careful when swimming as there are plenty of stinging jellyfish that inhabit the waters.

The nightlife is pretty wild due to the high student and tourist population, and there are plenty of pubs to quench your thirst. But for me, the real adventure starts when you make your way out of town along the Flinders Highway.

About 115km out of Townsville you will cross the Burdekin River – an amazing site in full flood.

2. Charters Towers

Shortly after crossing the Burdekin, you reach Charters Towers. It really starts to feel like station country now as the main street is dominated by dusty red ‘Cruiser traybacks and hats. Big hats. There is probably not much to explore around the town, but it’s a pleasant place and there are several nice pubs like The Enterprise, situated at the intersection of Gill Street and the train line. Of course, the advantage of being in station country is the steak, glorious steak!

Doyathinktheysauras…?

3. Hughenden

Next stop after Charters Towers is Hughenden. Situated approximately 385km from Townsville, Hughenden is probably a good spot to stop for the night. It’s an interesting town with a nice main street and an interesting history dating back to the time of famous cattleman, Ernest Henry, who is generally considered to have opened up the district after taking the first pastoral lease in the area. Take the time to walk up the main street and check out the dinosaur fossils. Apparently, the most famous was the ‘Doyathinktheysauras’!

Also located on the main street, and something I can personally recommend is FJ Holden’s Cafe. They do a mean burger and have some great 1950s memorabilia.

4. Richmond

Just down the road, and next stop on the tour is Richmond. It’s just 115km away, and now you will start to notice the terrain flatten out a bit and become less scrubby. If you’re feeling sad about leaving behind the dinosaurs at Hughenden, you needn’t worry as Richmond has a statue of its own!

He didn’t eat enough at lunch

Richmond is a great town with some real characters. Spend an afternoon or evening at the Federal Hotel, with its wide sweeping veranda and huge front bar, and meet the locals. Or perhaps wander down to the Mud Hut – another pub oozing character. Both have accommodation and meals, and at genuine 1970s prices too!

If you’re interested in fossicking, there are some areas north of town on the Richmond to Woolgar Road that locals talk about as being prospective.

The sign on the road from Richmond to Woolgar… Confusing, much?

But if you’re heading out that way, make sure you take a GPS or map as this is the sign you are confronted with on your way out of town (pictured left).

The photo looks a bit strange because it’s taken at night, but you can see that there are plenty of places to get lost out there. At the time this photo was taken, I was part of a four-man geophysics team headed to Woolgar Goldmine. I don’t know why we were travelling through the night, but I remember being glad to arrive at the camp.

5. Cloncurry

When you’ve finished exploring Richmond, hit the road for Julia Creek and Cloncurry.

This is an example of the type of country you can find if you want to go exploring the back roads of the region.

Cloncurry is approximately 285km from Richmond with Julia Creek roughly half way in between, however, it’s mainly just an old staging post and today there are only a few shops and a stock and station agent. Cloncurry however, is a different kettle of fish with a nightlife you wouldn’t believe…

The town was founded in 1876 after the discovery of Copper by Ernest Henry and was laid out by the same surveyor who had laid down the plans for Hughenden. The discovery of copper caused a rush of people to the area. Henry described this in a letter to his mother: “When I first made the discovery of copper in this district there was not a white man within a hundred miles and great tracts of country lay in every direction, unpopulated save by a few tribes of savages. At the present moment, it would be difficult to find a patch of available land that has not been secured by squatters.” The exploration work carried out by these early pioneers led to the discovery of the Great Australian Mine and the town thrived. These days the miners still pile into the pubs in the evenings to quench a hard earned thirst, and there are three to choose from. My personal favourite is The Post Office. Good cheap meals with great service and atmosphere. Most pubs seem to have a healthy number of backpackers working behind the bar which seems to add something to the feel of the place.

One of the entrants in the ute muster.

If you are lucky enough to be in town in early August you are in for a treat as the annual Cloncurry Merry Muster is held. There is entertainment for the whole family with concerts, street parades, a ute muster and of course the rodeo action.

Accommodation in the town is abundant, and I would highly recommend the Wagon Wheel Motel, which also has excellent meals. The main street has a Woolworths and a variety of speciality shops to stock up on supplies. Contact the Wagon Wheel Motel on 07 4742 1866 or email them at reception@thewagonwheelmotel.com.au.

From Cloncurry, you can either keep heading west to Mt Isa and beyond or take the road south to Winton and the Stockman’s Hall of Fame at Longreach. The interior of Far North Queensland has some amazing scenery and fantastic stories to tell, all built on a rich history of early pioneering, cattle, copper and gold. The people you meet along the way are truly salt of the earth; I can’t wait to go back!

The post 5 Top Spots on the Road to Mount Isa appeared first on Snowys Blog.

[kakooshi]

levihan

The quirkiest Snk ship for me, hands down ^^ 

When I started shipping Levi with characters other than Eren, Hange was my first choice :) I observed how they were such a perfect polar opposite for Levi and I thought that their upbeat reactions to his “insults” and the way they tease him constantly were very cute (And Levi with his affectionate hair-ruffling, kyahhhh). It kinda makes sense in context because the two are a very notable pair seeing as they were first introduced side-by-side in the series fighting titans in all their glorious badassery. Hahaha, Levi and Hange just reek of relationship goals (ﾟヮﾟ)

I don’t go out of my way to jump into the Levihan tag, but I do like and reblog the hell out of it whenever it pops up on my dash. It’s hard to resist because there are so many talented writers and artists in the Levihan fandom, and I honestly feel envious of them on multiple occasions XD 

Oh, and did I mention that I completely adore the moments they have together in ACWNR and the Attack on Titan: Junior High series, ahhhhhhh those two spin-offs are such a goldmine, and they make their chemistry so obvious ♥╭╮♥

I’d say more but since I want this reply to be spoiler-free, I’ll just leave my more detailed thoughts on Levihan here for your reading pleasure :)

Send me a ship and I’ll give you my (brutally) honest opinion on it! 

[eggoreviews]

13 Nintendo Direct Predictions! - 13.2.19

In case you haven't heard the exciting news, Nintendo is giving us a lovely 35ish minute direct tonight, which is all regarding viddy games for the Switch (I'm not crying over the 3DS you're crying) So below you will find my best attempt at picking out 11 predictions for this direct, all of which I've probably gotten wrong. Enjoy! Note: These are in no particular order, but I'm more confident about some over others. Also, Fire Emblem Amiibo Festival Three Houses news is absent here because we already have confirmation that's happening.

Luigi's Mansion 3 news

I think this one is almost a given, considering it's a title that we know is dropping in 2019 we know basically nothing about. Everyone wants to know what kind of direction the game will take this time around. Will the third in the series take the route of the first and have one big ol spooky mansion for Luigi to navigate? Or will it be a much more fast paced, moment-by-moment experience with multiple mansions to explore akin to Luigi's Mansion 2? Or hell, maybe they'll go down a whole new road with it, it really is all up in the air. All I'm sure of is that they'll be plenty of ghosts and also probably amiibo support. Weird request, but I'd love a King Boo amiibo. Animal Crossing news

Another (almost) given, Animal Crossing is a title we haven't even seen gameplay for yet. This means we've got arguably less of an idea of what kind of mechanics will return. But now the series is finally making its return to a powerful home console, it makes sense to take how the game itself plays into the next gen too. A popular request I've seen thrown about a bit is the ability to customise your town however you want, with the option to build literally anywhere you like. As a newcomer to the series, this would definitely draw me in, as I'm waiting for this title to experience AC for the first time. In any case, I'm sure Nintendo have cooked up a game with plenty of fishing, digging and also amiibo. Trailer for Bayonetta 3

One of my more risky picks, I think we're pretty likely to get our first proper glimpse of the Bayo threequel that isn't just a vague teaser. Whether this will kick off the direct or will be something they'll sneak in the middle, a tentative release date and a cheeky look at gameplay I feel are more likely than some may think. I think the basic rule is that if it's anything like 2, it's gonna be pretty darn brilliant. So watch this space, and if it isn't this direct, I'd expect it soon after. SNES for Switch Online

Another slightly risky pick considering Nintendo haven't confirmed any classic console support on Switch beyond NES, alongside the fact that they're still releasing NES games on the system, it could be that SNES is just that bit further away. But with the recent datamine leak listing 20+ games for SNES online that I feel to be credible enough to keep in mind, this could yet be something Nintendo surprises us with. And if it's true that'd be a little bit too exciting. As for the N64 Classic, I'm gonna go ahead and say we aren't getting that here. Or maybe not at all. Who knows at this point. NO Pokemon

Yep, you read right, this prediction is more of an anti-prediction, but I firmly believe that Pokemon will be entirely absent from this direct for a number of reasons. With this direct focused around Fire Emblem and seemingly other announced but yet to be detailed games, I feel that any games we don't know about yet will either get a small trailer or they'll be saved for something bigger, like E3. It's that and to be honest, I've just got a gut feeling that they're not quite ready to show off the new Pokemon just yet, Let's Go is still relatively new so I think Nintendo will let it simmer for a while longer and focus for the most part on games we already know about. But you know, we'll see. Super Mario Maker

Considering how well Mario Maker did as a whole on the Wii U and 3DS, and seeing how the business of Wii U ports is looking pretty spicy at the minute, I think either a Mario Maker enhanced port or even a sequel could be imminent. The versatility of the Switch would be perfect for a game like Mario Maker and I believe it makes a lot of sense for them to wait this long, as a game like Mario Maker would've very much undermined their recent port of New Super Mario Bros. U. It's either this or they'll have to think about Mario Golf Aces so I reckon they'll take this route. Pikmin

As the list of fairly current Nintendo IPs yet to be represented on the Switch grows ever shorter, fans seem to be turning their attention to the likes of Pikmin. Knowing that Pikmin 4 was finished a while back, but was unannounced as to what system it would appear on, makes a Pikmin 4 trailer pretty darn likely. However, if ResetEra leaker King Zell (who correctly leaked the date for this direct by the way) is to be believed, we could even be seeing a port of Pikmin 3 instead, although personally I find this a bit less likely, especially if 4 is already apparently finished. Zelda HD Port(s)

Continuing the theme of Wii U ports, Nintendo seemed to have wholly recognised that not many people actually owned a Wii U in the grand scheme of things and there's a heckton of people who are eager to play some of the games they may have missed on the last console. I certainly think this extends to the relatively recent HD remasters of Twilight Princess and Wind Waker, both of which I would basically swallow up if they were announced. While this isn't a certain pick, I'd say it's a fairly safe bet with the surprising amount of demand I've seen for this titles. In a really ideal world, this would be bundled alongside a brand new shiny HD remaster of Skyward Sword, but I guess we'll see. Oh, and going back to King Zell for a sec, he's said a new 2D Zelda is happening. As much as I'd love this to death, I'm also going to be saying that won't happen either. Smash Bros. Ultimate Joker Gameplay

Seeing how there's probably been a couple of dedicated months of development for Persona 5's Joker since he was announced at the 2018 Game Awards as the first DLC fighter, it's not outlandish to think that he might be at a stage that a gameplay showcase could be possible. Hell, maybe they'll even give us a rough release date for him, which would get me heckin excited bc I am V E R Y hyped to play as my best boi. Alongside this, a possible stage reveal or a music track list is gratefully very plausible. And although I could see yet another Smash reveal as unlikely but plausible, I think they'll get Joker done and dusted before they drop another one on us, but again, it's certainly not out of the question. Metroid Prime Trilogy

Here it is, the prediction I'm arguably most confident about. Since Prime 4 was halted this month, and the growing rumours around an imminent Prime Trilogy release refusing to go away, I reckon this direct is finally the time for a whole new generation to experience what brought Metroid into glorious 3D. As always, nothing's certain, but part of me would be unusually surprised if this gets skipped out on, especially since this direct is so close to the recent Prime 4 announcement and Nintendo will likely be looking for something to give to the Metroid fans to make them a little more patient. And, you know, to get everyone else excited too. DLC for Mario Odyssey/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

As I've mentioned in previous posts, these two are basically DLC goldmines waiting to happen. And to e perfectly honest with you, I wouldn't be mad at all. New worlds to explore in Odyssey, perhaps even based on previous 3D Mario games, would definitely elicit some excitement, while the addition of even more tracks and characters to the already great MK8 would help to draw a bit more attention back to the launch titles that got the Switch its initial sale spike. And, you know, in a lovely dream world where BotW wasn't already announced as finished, there would be a DLC pack 3 for Zelda but I'll keep that locked in the hopeless dream box. Dragon Quest XI & Persona 5 for Switch

The latest installment in the long running, critically acclaimed Dragon Quest series has already been confirmed to be coming to the Switch at some point, with Switch exclusive content to boot, but we don't really have any indication when. This direct I believe is incredibly likely to finally deliver a release date. As well as this, Atlus' weird cryptic Persona trailer they released a little while back could very well point to a Switch port on the horizon and, even if it didn't, I still think it'll happen anyway. Especially now Joker's been Smash'd. And these are both must plays if you haven't had a chance to get hold of them yet!

Final Fantasy VII drops immediately after the direct

With the recent announcements of release dates for FFXII and X/X-2 for April this year, we’re still in the dark on when Square Enix plan to release VII and IX. Considering that FFVII has started appearing in Switch adverts, it feels like it’s getting close and I can definitely see them taking us by surprise and dropping this imminently.

Something Kingdom Hearts related?

For those who haven’t seen, Square Enix producer Shinji Hashimoto, co-creator of the Kingdom Hearts series and producer for several of the Final Fantasy games, retweeted the Nintendo Direct announcement TWICE. While this could just be a prelude to more Final Fantasy news, there’s a chance it could be something relating to Kingdom Hearts too. Reeling off the list of slight possibilities here, we could be seeing a 1.5. 2.5 and 2.8 port for the Switch, the announcement of a future Switch port for KHIII or, if we really want to dream big here, the reveal of Sora for Smash. But that won’t happen. So I’m trying to push down my hype as far as I can.

And that's all my predictions for tonight's direct! Want to see my personal wants for this direct? Check it out here and let me know what you think! Whatever happens, keep your expectations tempered to avoid disappointment, because I think we've all been guilty of getting a little too hyped at one point or another. But above all, I hope the game you want gets announced! Unless it's a new F-Zero, because that really isn't gonna happen. Sorry friend.

[discoveringhistory]

Dissertation Weekly: Making Discoveries & Changing My Interpretation and Perception

As I write this week’s blog I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of an important letter from the great-great grandson of Douglas and Kate Bemo! 

One of the pitfalls of graduate school is that you never seem to get enough time to conduct research on your chosen dissertation topic while you are 1) up to your eyeballs in coursework, 2) opt to add an additional 15 hours of coursework for a graduate minor to your program of study, 3) and are prepping for your comprehensive exams.  At this juncture in my graduate career I am past all three of these important milestones.  I also had the good fortune to come into my program with roughly 90% of my research completed (something that is rare in my field).  To date I have written the prologue, epilogue, and first two chapters of my dissertation and am working on the remaining three so I can hopefully stay on track to defend in early May and graduate in July 2019. (Note: I had hoped to be further along at this point in time. Moving, settling in to my new residence, my wedding, taking on my step son and his mental health and legal challenges, and my own near exhaustion has slowed down my progress more than I ever imagined!) One of the challenges I face is writing while researching and attempting to fill the gaps and little nooks and crannies that remain so I am have as much material as possible to flesh out the life and experiences of Douglas Bemo as an AfroMvskoke/Seminole man living in a very complex and ever-changing world in the Indian Territory in the mid to late 19th century.

The front page of the American Missionary in January 1873 touts the evangelizing work of Rev. D.B. Nichols at Howard University. In July 1872 Douglas was enrolled in and left at Howard University where he was a student in the Model School and a member of the Military Department’s Corps of Cadets until he left in 1874. Note the area highlighted by the pin box.  The “Creek Indian” Nichols refers to in his description is indeed Douglas. His presence at Howard and his connection to the non-denominational church founded by Nichols made excellent PR material.

As of late I have been able to flesh out details of Douglas’ life that 1) his wife Kate NEVER mentions in her one sided portrayal of him in her diary and 2) I never thought I would discover. To some the details may seem minor, nothing of consequence.  However, when you are writing about an AfroMvksoke/Seminole man-- a person of color-- who has been marginalized in his wife’s diary (a primary source of great value to historians) and rendered voiceless by most histories of Indian Territory, the responsibility to flesh out the small details is imperative. Being able to find Douglas’ pay slips from the Mvskoke Nation, his appointment letter as a prosecuting attorney for the Mvskoke Nation, the American Missionary article that mentions him simply as a “Creek Indian”, or a fragment of a school essay he wrote while at the Tullahassee Mission provides me with insight into him that helps me as a historian or recover his voice. When Douglas died in 1898 his wife elected to not run an obituary in any of the local papers. For historians and geneaolgists obituaries are little goldmines of information and help us to pull threads of a person’s life together. For Douglas, however, his erasure from the “go-to” local history sources silences his voice. At this point in the writing of my dissertation I almost see the project as an extended obituary for Douglas.  Despite the best attempt of his wife to erase him from memory and control how he was viewed by anyone reading her diary, my work is an intervention and call to change how we use our sources as historians. What are we missing by simply looking at them from one perspective?  LOTS is the easy answer. In my case, as I am discovering every day, the little details are the most important and telling...and so critical to my understanding of this complex interracial marriage at a time when such unions normally followed a predictable pattern of an Anglo-American male paired with an Indigenous female. 

This news snippet about Minnie Tappan, a Cheyenne survivor of the infamous Sand Creek Massacre, intersects with my look into Douglas’ time at Howard University.  Douglas and Minnie were classmates at Howard and as the only American Indians enrolled at Howard at the time they surely closed paths.

Just this week I discovered that Douglas attended Howard University with a young woman named Minnie Tappan.  A Cheyenne, Minnie was “orphaned” after the infamous Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado Territory during the Civil War.  (Note: I use the term orphaned in quotes on purpose. Even though her parents were killed, Minnie would have been taken in my Aunts, Uncles, or other members of her mother’s clan. Anglo-Americans did not recognize this cultural practice with respect to American Indian peoples.) Taken back East by Samuel Tappan, Minnie was enrolled in Howard University.  In 1873 Minnie contracted consumption and died in her dorm room at Miner’s Hall on the Howard Campus.  News of her death surely filtered among the student body. For Douglas this must have been a terrifying prospect-- would he contract consumption and be next? The presence of another American Indian face on the Howard campus surely reassured and lifted Douglas’ spirits. In letters to Kate, back in Indian Territory teaching at a Mvskoke Nation agency school, Douglas mentions the passing of an Indian girl from Colorado. To some this may seem a trivial detail. However, for Douglas seeing Minnie’s face on campus meant there was someone else like him, he was not an Indigenous island unto himself. So the small bits and pieces of his life are now coming into sharper focus and making him seem so very real.

A photo of Kate Edwards Bemo Mitchell as an older woman. This photo surfaced online and after comparing it to a verified photo of Kate in her younger days there is no doubt it is Kate.  

While looking for the traces of Douglas’ life, more details about Kate keep cropping up.  The photo above is a recent discovery that stopped me in my tracks.  Seeing the face of Kate as an older woman I was struck that Douglas did not get the privilege of living into his later years to watch his son grow into adulthood, marry, and have his own family.  Douglas never got to be a grandfather and share the stories of his life with his descendants. Their views about Douglas come solely from Kate’s very partisan telling of her life and how she was impacted by her unfortunate marriage to her “worthless” Indian. Not only was history robbed of Douglas’ voice but his descendants as well. Now, I am even more determined to search as many archival sources in Oklahoma as possible in the hope I will find an image of Douglas to counterbalance Kate’s well crafted image.  While this goal may not be realized during the writing of my dissertation I do hope that one day an image will surface. Looking into the life of Douglas’ brother Alec (Alexander) --who spent his life living in the Seminole Nation with his wife and large family-- may be the only chance to see what Douglas may have looked like, so the search for an image of Alec is on! 

My scheduling calendar and book are a crazy patchwork colors and scribbles.  This is the only way I can keep all the tasks related to my work, research, and family life in some semblance of order.

Of course the most difficult part of this entire process of writing a dissertation is keeping research, writing, thinking, reading, and family life scheduled and organized.  My calendars/schedules (seen above in glorious colors) are nothing short of a form of managed chaos/controlled insanity at the moment. At this juncture I am really soul searching and looking at my progress, deadlines, and thinking about the fact I MIGHT have to push my defense off until October 2019 and graduate in December 2019. This would mean I missed my target deadline of earning my PhD and Graduate Minor in museum studies in four years start to finish by one semester. Part of me wants to push forward and graduate in July (so I can walk in may graduation and participate in departmental convocation) while the other part of me wants to produce an important dissertation and knows deep down that I need the time. Stay tuned, resolving this dilemma will be an interesting ride.

So, in my quest to flesh out Douglas’ lived experience in the Indian Territory I will be heading to Oklahoma City and the amazing collections of the Oklahoma Historical Society at the end of February. Add to that a trip to Howard University in D.C. (February), Western Kansas and Fort Wallace (March) and the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philly (April) and a possible research swing to the Seminole Nation in Wewoka, OK and you get an idea of what it is like to write and research simultaneously. Thank goodness for frequent flyer points, my husband’s willingness to pay for trips, and my love of travel...for I truly am a historian on the road.

Thanks for reading, hope you have enjoyed this edition of Dissertation Weekly.  Stay tuned! Next week I will share about one of my recent research experiences and the need for document preservation in local communities!

Cheers,

Michelle and Josie the Kitten

Josie supervises the writing of a fellowship application. She is an excellent proofreader as long as you don’t want her to flip the pages.

[melodiousramblings]

yugihell’s glorious tags compilation

If you’re a YuGiOh fan and you’re not following @yugihell​, you’re missing out on a fucking GOLDMINE of amazing/hilarious tags. I’ve been feeling pretty crappy lately and these still had me dying laughing every time.

Welp, here’s a little compilation of these wonderful tags so far. :3 Enjoy! Warning: Obviously, many DSOD spoilers.

1) Post: Angry Baking Seto mokuba out at schoolseto aggressively pounding bread dough swearing at the top of his lungsbecause everybody's so FUCKING incompetent mokuba gets back and everything smells deliciousand he just sighs it's like a reverse pavlov reactionfresh baked goods means that tricky moment where he tries to smell what seto's madebecause each food means different problems and it helps to gauge his reactionbrownies - commiserate cakes - distract him bread - stay silent and put a movie onand consume the entire loaf together until the glaring stops

2) Post: Seto das gay (Part 1 of many) classic gay kaibawho can't differentiate between the thrill of battle and being horny it explains so much

3) Post: Atem’s Perfectly Coiffed Hair (aka Seto das gay pt 2) is there a mini ficfrom the pov of the lab assisstants slowly working out that this techis less for groundbreaking purposes and more for working throughhis repressed homosexuality vis a vis 'a pharaoh' who happens to look like a sexy yugihow mental do they think he is some of the kind ones instead thinkinghe's just very sad and very gay

4) Post: (no title, just tags) i confess i live for the times you reblog my posts with the tags cus I feel likei've done something right and maybe made you laugh which is betterthan just making myself laugh friends who read tags are tru friendsgather round and i'll mark us with a special sign *draws smiley face* *on ur face* (I can’t reblog with tags because 90% of the time, I’m on mobile, hence this tag compilation. But omg yes. I absolutely love your tags. You’ve made me crack up laughing despite being in a depressive slump lately, without fail. BEST. TAGS. XD FFS *on ur face* OMG WHY.)

5) Post: Mokuba gives his big brother The Birds and the Bees talk ok bro so when we get olderwe develop certain feelings which can be towards a whole range of peoplegirls boys it's all fine i was just wondering have you considered maybe what you uh like?kaiba: duel monsters no no seto that's not what i- but legit though he'd be like sit downwe're going through this in excruciating detailbecause i doubt you even had /straight/ sex educationand you're obviously not getting this information from anywhere else so back to ithere is why you never use oil and latex together (I AM FUCKING SCREAMING AT THIS ONE OMG.) 6) Post: Yami asks Yugi to fist him *unintelligible noise*i had to see this and now so do you *hides face in hands* (83 You reblogged this from me, so yeeeeeesssssss. NOT SORRY.)

More under the cut so I don’t kill your dashboards.

7) Post: Smol Angry Yugi i have a feeling thatmy need for top!yugi might be niche but that scene in dsod where he told kaibawhere to get off kind of cemented it for me all those chains and leatheri mean he's a small bean but it works in my mind somehowi just kind of want confuzzled kaiba being ordered around by yugiplatonically or non-platonically i don't think i really care how has this happened (Man idk, I think we all got a little boner for Yugi when that scene happened. I’d love a top!Yugi fic myself actually...)

8) Post: Enemy’s name on the wrist AU yugi/atem's changing every seasonlike well i guess we'll just keep an eye out for people with ridiculous hair and go from there

9) Post: Badass Atem atem looking like a badassimagine showing these to kaiba watching him try to supressinvoluntary noises of appreciation among other things

10) Post: Seto Kaiba & Yami VS Dartz how the hell did no-one ever notice yugi's transformation yugi's basically at kaiba's hipat least to begin with atem has an almost normal human size differenceam i projecting my problems of being a short person with a tall partner maybe...wish i had vertical hair

11) Post:  “when kaiba is angry does that make him upseto” joey wheeler wrote thisnyeh nyeh anyone? come on it's funny (I was having lunch with a friend when I saw this one. Started dying, had trouble trying to tell her why through my giggles.)

12) Post: Badass Yugi! you know he gives in here because this wasn't how he expected it to go down he has a minor404 file not found and he knew that yugi would win anyway cus he's got faith in himeven if it's all secret and quiet and it's a ruse anyway there better be some slightly crackytop!yugi fanfic from this with a seto kaiba that's alli don't know i never expected it to get this far  (I will never forget my entire theater just going OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!)

13) Post: Fandom Bakura is Best Bakura ok so in general i'm a person who needs them in-characterbut i'll make an exception for this guy right here cus fandom version is more funyu-gi-oh abridged version characterisation is on point what's the line i'm not british i'm gayi'm ryou bakura who's both (SAME. I love fandom Bakura and my best friend (who adores Bakura like I adore Seto) and I totally prefer Abridged Bakura’s voice (and characterization) over the dub’s.)

14) Post: *manly fainting noises* gif can't believe anyone reads my ramblingi am blushing violently but lack an appropriate gif i had to go get my laptop because mobileit's now covered in water but i needed a gif thank you for essentially reintroducing meto the fandom i will never forget those who taught me the term prideshippingunless you change your blog names in which case i'm screwed but you'll remain in my heartand eventually i'll build a dimension cannon we'll be together again and it'll be great  (I love reading people’s tags! Like secret-not-so-secret whispered thoughts. XD But yes, welcome back to the fandom, enjoy the gay, enjoy the massive shipping list, and thank you for keeping my dash full of YuGiOh goodness.)

15) Post: Seto das gay pt 3 watching this bit and going well that's pretty gay thank you for the scrapspreparing myself for the moment of 'no homo' but instead got no. homo. it is actually homo

16) Post: Seto’s undying boner FFS (Seto das gay pt 4) i like to believe less enabled more no one would ever stand in this man's wayover literally anything he thirsty for some ancient egyptian dick i say let him get on with itthe pay's amazing -some random employee (THIRSTY FOR ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DICK. LET HIM GET ON WITH IT THE PAY IS AMAZING OMG.)

17) Post: Oddly Specific Headcanon atem would be rocking god statuslet's not lie to ourselves this is my headcanonverse of hell where kaiba decks atem outin suits that work with the gold cus that boy would go around in the blingand mokuba would be forced to explain to kaiba what a sugar daddy isand how much he's coming across as one with a yugi moto cosplayerthey've had to make papers for him that say he's yugi's second cousin but it doesn't helpgood thing kaiba doesn't care about anyone's opinion (FUCKING. THE SUGAR DADDY BIT.)

18) Post: Um... Yugi... he wears the collar in bed?you know what i don't want to know

19) Post: Atem’s sexy brown thighs queer subtext with that unnecessary but fabulous shot of atem's thighs it's queer gaze codedjust to ram home that that's the first thing he sees god bless the animatorsmaking sure we knew that seto noticed those brown sexy thighsand a borderline crotch focus

20) Post: Puppyshipping puppyshipping god i missed being in a fandomwhere you can have multiple conflicting ships but it's all cooljoey's gonna get to test the new disks (I’m not gonna lie, I read that as “Joey’s gonna get to test the new dicks.” Just. Have that. Iampuppyshippingtrashignoreme.)

Aaaaand those were the best ones. Looking forward to more of these amazing tag rambles! :D

[deepdarkwaters]

2016 WRITING YEAR REVIEW

@notbrogues tagged me!

Total Number of Stories Completed: 24 complete (although a bunch of these are just separate bits of the Bespoke universe), and 6 lingering WIPs.

Total Word Count: 133875, goddamn :O

Fandoms Written In: Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein Killers Kill; Dead Men Die - Annie Leibovitz Kingsman Night Watch - Sarah Waters RED The Carnival Is Over - The Seekers The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett Velvet Goldmine

Mostly Kingsman, the others were all for exchanges. I can only seem to focus on one main fandom at a time.

Looking Back, Did You Expect To Write More Fic Than You Thought You Would This Year, Less, Or About What You’d Expected? Less... I had all these plans to write less fic and more original stuff fpr publishing but NOPE I am helpless in fandom's iron grip.

What's Your Own Favorite Story Of The Year? I'm very fond of Ballerino... I highly recommend writing the most self-indulgent swoony trash your heart wants, because it's the most fun ever AND I think when you're gleefully enthusiastic about something then other people have fun with it as well.

Did You Take Any Writing Risks This Year? Bespoke, maybe...? I've been super passionate about OT3s before (received loads of Butch/Sundance/Etta treasure in fic exchanges, for example), but never really been invested on the writing side. It's a fascinating one to figure out.

But Smaychel is the best writing partner imaginable, so in that way it's not really a risk at all :-)

Do You Have Any Fanfic Or Profic Goals For The New Year? F I N I S H   M Y   W I P S I am so sorry I am the worst. I was so adamant on getting everything complete by the end of the year but it just didn't happen. Too many pretty ideas, never enough time! WIPs are the priority. I've got a stack of original short stories and another novel to finish as well, but honestly I'm just having way too much fun with fanfic to prioritise them (and nobody reads original stuff anyway).

Best Story Of The Year? Is this a different question to Favourite Story?

Most Popular Story Of The Year? Ballerino is my most popular story ever in any fandom in about eighteen years of posting fic, so... thank you?!

Story of Mine Most Under-appreciated By The Universe, IMO: This fandom does appreciation like no other :-) There’s always going to be smaller ships like Roxy/Merlin that fewer people are interested in but that’s cool, you know going into it that there won’t be as many readers for that stuff as for Harry/Eggsy.

Most Fun Story To Write: Ballerino probably because it's just everything I love thrown at a page. Fight scenes!!! White tie formalwear!!! Undressing people in white tie formalwear!!! Ballet!!! Bottom Harry!!! Phone sex!!! Kingsman agents’ banter!!! Gross old stalker licking the sweat off his victim!!!

Story With The Single Sexiest Moment: Viewer Discretion Is Advised (aka the Bespoke fic where Harry and Eggsy finally get together while Merlin instructs) was an interesting one. I was trying to challenge myself to write something smokin hot without it being about dicks, and it turned out to be one of my favourite things I've ever written mainly for this scene:

"Pick a place," Merlin tells him, "anywhere you like, but don't touch him."

Through Harry's glasses feed, Merlin sees Eggsy's eyes moving and knows exactly what he's seeing: scars on golden skin; soft ridges of retrained muscle; the glorious way Harry flushes when he knows he's about to get what he wants. "Here?" Eggsy asks, soft and uncertain. Merlin watches the boy's shaking fingertips hover an inch or two above Harry's collarbone.

"Very good." Merlin hears a quick intake of breath at that, a shaky exhale, and drops his voice to a low murmur just to see what happens. "Good boy, Eggsy."

"Fuck," Eggsy mutters, "oh my god, fuck," and stares straight at Harry, at Merlin through Harry. "Okay, what now?"

"Nothing," Merlin tells him, and watches Eggsy's eyebrows flicker in confusion. "Pick another place."

"Here?" Eggsy checks, sliding a little way down the bed to kneel between Harry's sprawled legs, pointing at the place just above his navel.

"Good choice." Eggsy looks vaguely disappointed at that; must have been hoping for a word other than 'choice'. Tease, Harry finger-spells at Merlin. "But don't touch him."

The camera feed dips when Eggsy nods his head. Merlin watches his fingers trace the line of soft hair leading down to Harry's pyjama trousers, never actually making contact. Eggsy's got his lower lip caught between his teeth as though he's concentrating, hand moving lower and hovering a hair's breadth above where Harry's cock is heavy, half-hard, wearing the taut silk of his pyjamas like a second skin.

"Hands up, Eggsy. Harry, turn over for me."

He watches Harry move in quarter turns, first onto his side and then stretching out languidly on his front like a spoiled cat begging to be petted. Not too far away from the truth, really.

"Pick another place."

"Here," Eggsy says immediately, gesturing to the dimples at the bottom of Harry's spine. His whole hand rests there for a moment, a centimetre of space between his skin and Harry's, then he lifts his wrist and starts drawing gentle little swirling patterns in the air with one single fingertip. "Fuck, I know it's probably in my head but I swear I can feel how warm he is from here."

Harry makes a soft little stunned sound at that, pressing his face into the pillow. Merlin knows how much it costs him not to lurch up into this kind of almost-touch; the time he kept it up for the entire length of The Fellowship of the Ring, Harry naked and draped across his lap on the sofa, Harry was begging by Rivendell and outright sobbing by Lothlórien, and came crying when Merlin finally ran a fingertip down his spine at the credits.

"You're doing beautifully. Both of you.

"Fuck," Eggsy murmurs again, sounding fascinated by the writhe and twist of Harry's back as he slowly starts to lose his mind.

It's almost half an hour before Harry finally says please.

"Don't touch him," Merlin says softly. Eggsy hesitates with his fingertips drawing spirals in the air just above Harry's scapula, head tilted slightly to one side as though he's waiting for more. "You mustn't let him have anything the first time he asks for it. Give him an inch and he'll take a mile, goes the saying."

"Yeah, I got six inches I wanna give him," Eggsy says with his mouth right by Harry's ear, and Merlin downs his entire drink in one shaky swallow.

"What do you think about that, Harry?"

"Please." His voice is muffled in the pillow, screen dark where his glasses are pressed there, until Merlin tells him to turn his head and speak nicely. "Please," he says again, clearer but devastatingly quiet, imploring gaze fixed on Eggsy's eyes so Merlin can see the fluttery way he's blinking and the pretty pink flush in his cheeks.

"Stay still for me," he says, and Harry freezes, silent and barely seeming to breathe. "Eggsy – touch him. One fingertip, stroke him as gentle as you can. Watch what happens."

The glasses camera refocuses automatically when Eggsy leans in, filling the screen with Harry's upper back and shoulders – the glimmer of sweat, every pore and freckle, every scar from old gunshot wounds to the ghost marks of Merlin's favourite flogger. When Eggsy touches him, forefinger dragging a lingering line from the nape of Harry's neck to a spot between his shoulder blades, Merlin can see in perfect high definition the sudden thrilling rush of goosebumps bursting up and marring the beloved skin just below his damp hair.

"Oh," Eggsy says softly, inflected like he's just found god.

"That is why we say no to him."

Most Sweet Story: I suppose Harry babysitting Daisy and letting her draw tattoos on his arms in Sleeping Beauty?

"Holy Crap, That's Wrong, Even For You!" Story: I don't do wrong! Even the BDSM kinky pain shit is as fluffy as candyfloss. I usually quite like a bit of fucked up angst but it just doesn’t do it for me in this fandom, at least not when I’m writing. I just want everyone to be happy and kiss lots (and gangbang Harry until he’s done).

Making Harry a seven foot tall god with fuckin massive antlers and galaxies for eyes was a bit odd, maybe :P

Story That Shifted My Own Perceptions Of The Characters: This sort of demisexual voyeur Merlin in Bespoke was Smaychel's creation really. We just talked endlessly about these guys for weeks on end before they ever made it into any fic, and somehow he's become so comfortable for me to write even though we're nothing alike. I didn't realise until months into posting that most of the stuff I write for that series is Merlin POV.

Most Unintentionally Telling Story: I don't know about unintentional, I'm pretty open about the extremely specific indulgent crap I love to write :P

Hardest Story To Write: I'm dragging my feet a bit on Echoes of Dreamland (the one about Harry and Merlin as posh schoolboys) because it's taking me closer to the Flame Keepers series being OVER and that makes me sad! My very first offering to this glorious fandom. Need to finish this, then there'll be a sequel to the Roxy/Merlin Little Sparks thing and a final small Harry & Merlin epilogue, then I think it's done. (Unless I actually give in to the temptation to finally write a Kingsman origins story with some of the Flame Keepers retired agents OCs, but not sure anybody wants to read basically original fic.)

Biggest Disappointment: MY WIP SHAME. Terrible.

Biggest Surprise: Every time someone says "so I really didn't like bottom Harry but fuck you for making me love it" my heart grows seven times bigger.

[jeremystrele]

How To Elevate Your Home With Art

How To Elevate Your Home With Art

Interiors

Lauren Li

Photographic art from Maegan Brown‘s ‘After-Form’series. From dramatic canyons to peaceful valleys, Maegan explores celestial terrain, focusing on the relentless and prevailing nature of the vast and expansive environment. Multi-coloured rock formations, geologic textures and fascinating displays of erosion create a conflicting sense of force and calm; everlasting, primitive wilderness. Limited-edition works available at The Apartment. Photo – courtesy of Maegan Brown.

Eleanor Louise Butt’s  ‘Shifts & Turns’ (IV) – sold. Photo – Tess Kelly, interior – Sisällä.

Tammy Kanat’s ‘Sunrays’ textile wall art. Tammy’s work delves into the ‘fine art’ realm and is a unique alternative to a traditional painting format. Photo – Tess Kelly.

Melissa Boughey‘s ‘A Moment Around the Back of the Studio II’ available at The Apartment. Melissa is a fine art graduate and has exhibited widely across Australia. She works from her vineyard on Western Australia’s South Coast. Photo – Tess Kelly, interior – Sisällä.

Eleanor Louise Butt’s ‘Painted Hession Walls’  available at The Apartment. Photo – Tess Kelly, interior – Sisällä.

A consistent neutral palette brings together this eclectic art collection in the Melbourne home of interior designer Amanda Henderson-Marks. Photo – Eve Wilson, styling assistant – Nat Turnbull, production – Lucy Feagins.

Eleanor Louise Butt’s ‘untitled’ (from After-Image series) available at The Apartment. Photo – Tess Kelly, interior – Sisällä.

The artwork on display in the Melbourne home of artist Caroline Walls. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins.

Eclectic art and objects on display in the tiny Melbourne apartment of Annie Portelli. Pink vase with flowers by Jessilla Rogers. Photo – Caitlin Mills. Styling – Annie Portelli. 

Eleanor Louise Butt’s artwork ‘Untitled (shifting constellation #1) oil on linen,  138x113cm on display at The Barn House. Eleanor’s process-led paintings, forms and gestures interact on the canvas, creating movements, relationships and dialogues that record a personal cartography. Photo – Tess Kelly.

Artwork and ceramic pieces inside the Melbourne home of Camille Moir-Smith. Photo – Caitlin Mills.

The Sydney home of Tash Sefton incorporates paintings by Rachel Castle, as well as line-drawn prints from Tash’s own business. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A life filled with art is glorious. When we talk about art, I am not only referring to an oil on canvas painting that hangs on the wall. Art doesn’t need to be expensive to be loved and adored. It could be a ceramic sculpture, a framed poster from the NGV, or textile wall hanging. The rules on what constitutes art are blurry, and mean different things to different people. I believe that if you find an artwork that gives you an emotional response when you see it each day, then run with it.

So how do we find art that fits with us, that says something to us, or about us? It’s about trusting your instinct – and avoiding art that is so generic, that it has nothing to say.

For instance – hotel art. Rather than uplift the soul, it crushes it. Art that is created with the purpose to simply fill a white wall in a lobby, or above a hotel room bed lacks that magical spark of creativity. This type of off-the-shelf art was developed by a business to fill a gap in the market and then selected to appease a wide audience and look ‘nice’. It needs to match the colour scheme in the room, and by definition, it can’t have a strong concept or idea. And yes, it does look ‘nice’, however, we want art to make us FEEL SOMETHING. We want more than ‘nice’ art in our homes. I can’t tell you what that is. It needs to be perfect for you.

Art that captures an atmosphere or a moment in time give can you a sense of calm in a busy family home. Artwork may capture a simple scene from everyday life so magically that it gives a sense of gratitude.

Think about a feeling and emotion you would like the artwork to evoke. Should it bring a sense of playfulness, excitement and light to the space? Or are you looking for calm and quiet? At the same time, don’t over think it too much, trust your first reaction. You don’t need to give a reason for why an artwork speaks to you, or doesn’t. Put aside what your sister thinks, or your neighbour’s best friend. This is your home and your unique space, and it’s your call!

Art As An investment

Often when we work with clients to select artwork, they ask if it will be a ‘good investment’. Well, of course, it is – an investment into their everyday happiness! Usually, they are actually asking if it will it increase in value, and will their grandkids be sitting on a goldmine.

If your purpose to buy art as an investment, you will need to call in the experts. Generally speaking, you’ll be spending upwards of $10k. You want to work with an art advisor that is highly knowledgeable and that you can trust.

You need to decide if you’re collecting art as a passion, or an investment. Maybe both? If you want to invest in art for profit, but don’t have a lazy $10k to get started, then I suggest you buy new art by emerging artists. Sure, its risky but also a lot of fun. Visit artist-run galleries, go to university exhibitions and keep your eyes peeled.

You may find yourself forgoing the sofa to make space for your art collection as Dorothy and Herbert did. He a postal worker and she a librarian, and in the 1960s they began amassing an astounding collection of modern art in their one-bedroom New York apartment. They sometimes did cat-sitting in exchange for art. They could have become millionaires however they chose not to sell a painting and donated all of their collection to the The National Gallery of Art in Washington.

Art As Decoration

I’m the first to admit that using art as decoration is ok. If you have some bare walls, please fill them with art. The one pet peeve I have, is when a space starts to look too contrived. When the artwork matches perfectly with the cushions on the sofa, it all gets too serious and uptight. The idea is to coordinate and not match. Here are my top tips:

1. Buy art that speaks to you rather than matching the colours of your room. There is so much more to art than colour alone. There could be a pattern or motif in an artwork that echoes in the shape of an armchair or pattern on a fabric.

2. Consider the mood or themes of the artwork to tie into the interior design. Perhaps a black and white photograph of a forest ties in with the use of natural timber in the space.

3. If you find your is artwork varies across mediums, colours and themes then try arranging them in different ways. A gallery hang could be too busy, so instead break them up around the house. Group a few pieces together that share a common thread.

4. Choose if you want to make art the hero. When the artwork is a bold colour and pattern, then other elements such as the rug should be more subdued.

5. Artwork doesn’t need to be a painting that hangs on the wall. Consider a beautiful sculptural mobile or a textile wall hanging. It could be decorative arts, which are both decorative and functional, such as a fine porcelain water jug or a fabulous Italian mirror.

6. The gallery wall is always a favourite. There are endless configurations and ideas on what makes a great one. I believe that there should be a unifying element when hanging art together in this way. I’m not one to meticulously measure, instead, I go by eye and have a secret weapon. An art hanger.

7. A wall ledge is ‘the new gallery wall’. By using one long ledge and arranging artwork along it, you can layer pieces and constantly shuffle the composition with minimum commitment. In a hallway consider a few rows of ledges which is great for the kids’ artwork, or keep is sharp by only using black and white images in fine black frames.

8. If you’ve found a piece of art that you love, but when you contacted the artist you find it’s been sold. Don’t fear. Artists are often happy to take on commissions and can accommodate to the size you would like. I suggest to make a good first impression and give them a call. Don’t assume they are able to take on a commission, they may be working towards a show in a gallery so don’t take offence if they can’t take it on. Ensure that you have a contract in place and keep the lines of communication open.

To get your collection going, visit Lauren’s upcoming event, Art & Object for loads of inspiration. This event brings together a curated lineup of work from artists and makers across Australia and Scandinavia, including limited-edition photographic prints, paintings and objects by Hannah Fox, Peaches & Keen, Emily Persson, Silas Studio, Ella Bendrups, and many more.

Art & Object at The Apartment by Sisällä Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th November.

Opening & Meet The Artists Friday, 16th November, with drinks from 6pm

Level 1, 409 Chapel Street South Yarra 3141 Enter via Snowball Lane

[vdbstore-blog]

New Post has been published on Vintage Designer Handbags Online | Vintage Preowned Chanel Luxury Designer Brands Bags & Accessories

New Post has been published on http://vintagedesignerhandbagsonline.com/the-beauty-hotlist-this-seasons-brightest-new-looks-fashion/

The beauty hotlist: this season’s brightest new looks | Fashion

1 Marching down the AW17 catwalks were models painted up to show their strength. And no one embodied this powerful look more than the brilliant Adwoa Aboah, walking for Fenty x Puma, Rihanna’s label. This is a taster of what to expect from the Fenty beauty line, launching next week.

2 Kate Moss has launched her first make-up palette in America, with Japanese beauty brand Decorté. It includes a shade called, wait for it, “Moss Green”.

3 Lush, a brand that promotes ethical buying and supports grassroots charities, has created the most #2017 beauty product yet. After the success of their Sleepy lotion (it went viral after customers said it cured their insomnia) we’re enjoying their fidget spinner bubble bar (£4.95, lush.com).

Square vision: an image from the new hair magazine Infringe

4 Infringe is a new magazine on the “anthropology of hair”. Through its amazing photography, you’ll see the art of hairdressing in a new light.

5 31st State is the UK’s first skincare line designed for teenage boys. Its Overnight Clearing Pads are a revelation, even for ladies. And importantly, everything smells delicious (from £5.99, 31st-state.com).

6 Lipstick Queen has designed a blusher that goes on black, turning sheer berry on the skin. It describes it as a “trace of lace” – for the face (£22, spacenk.com).

Eyes wide open: cause a flutter by opting for a contrasting ‘banana eye’. Photograph: Jason Lloyd-Evans

7 The “banana” is the curved crease in the eyelid – the place you can apply shadow to create a wide-eyed effect. But you knew that. This season’s little twist is to switch up the colours for a bold graphic hit, with one bright shade right in your banana, and another (we liked the sky-blue and fuchsia combo at Oscar de la Renta) across the lid.

8 Olaplex is the product that everyone’s talking about – if everyone you’re talking to is talking about hair. It’s a three-part treatment that gives damaged hair a thicker, healthier look. Ask in your local salon.

9 Rouge Dior Double Rouge lipsticks are matte and metallic in one magic bullet. Like Givenchy’s Le Rouge two-toned lipstick that contours and colours, it brings on one of those “Why take two bottles into the shower?” moments.

Jingle belle: statement manicures from Libertine. Photograph: Jason Lloyd-Evans

10 There were metallic logo decals and glorious graphic designs, but the most exciting nail trend this season literally jangled. Dressed with beads, crystals, feathers and chains, Libertine’s nail designers “embraced the gypsy as an icon of freedom”.

YSL Hologram Powder

11 Inspired by Studio 54, Yves Saint Laurent’s limited-edition Hologram Powder (£23.50) is serious glitter for grown-ups. It gives a holographic sheen to the skin for a proper hit of disco joy.

12 Oral care just got hip. Yes, we’re talking about toothpaste and toothbrushes. From high-end dental floss (Cocofloss specialises in delicious fragrances) to toothpastes that don’t give you much change from £20 (Lebon organic toothpaste comes in flavours such as “Cap Ferrat Mood”, though Aesop’s new offering, with wasabi extract is a relative bargain at only £9) and toothbrushes that are pretty enough to give as gifts (Buly 1803’s lovely tortoiseshell brush is £38 on net-a-porter), looking after your teeth has never been trendier.

High street beauty: Asos launches its own range of make-up.

13 Asos has long been the place we’ve gone for a lunchtime beauty pick-me-up, with its ever-evolving stock of hard-to-find brands and affordable cult products. So it makes perfect sense that it has designed its very own make-up collection, launching 18 September. It features 46 shades of vibrant lipsticks, highlighters and contouring palettes, with names like “Current Mood” and “Uncompromising”. Aimed at both girls and boys, the new Asos make-up collection is a millennial goldmine. Prices from £6. Go play.

14 Face masks are no longer a fad, they’re a necessity. There are the cheap and reliable (Garnier’s Moisture Bomb at £1.99) and the super-luxe (SK-II’s treatment mask at £58). The two-step option from Dr Jart + (£10) is in the middle. The outer mask stops the serum evaporating. Plus, you look like Michael Myers.

15 Everything you know about hairwashing is wrong. The founder of Bumble & Bumble has launched New Wash (£44, hairstory.com), the only product you’ll need. Elsewhere, hair scrubs like Redken’s are proliferating, the idea being that they allow you to wash your hair less often.

Masked ball: Ashish Gupta channelled Lucha Libra wrestlers for his make-up show. Photograph: Jason Lloyd-Evans

16 Resist, through make-up. The overarching theme of London Fashion Week was politics but, as ever, Ashish Gupta managed to have fun in the process, deploying sequins and slogans and face paint with gay abandon. The make-up was inspired by Lucha Libra wrestlers, sending a message of power, strength and joy. Because throwing glitter in the face of repression is never a bad thing.

17 Bin your liquid foundation. Cushion compacts have gone from gimmick to staple and it’s easy to see why: portable and ideal for layering up. We like Guerlain Lingerie de Peau and Elizabeth Arden Bouncy make-up.

Iron maiden: heavy metal at Balmain. Photograph: Jason Lloyd-Evans

18 Farewell to “no-make-up-make-up”, hello to the “washed look”. Instead of pretending you are bare-faced, you’re going for make-up that’s minimal, but definitely there. Think skin that is dewy, rather than glossy or matte, ruddy cheeks like you’ve been on a hike, a peachy glow which elevates your features and lip colour that isn’t a world away from your own hue. It’s about beauty coming from within (wafty “wellness” speak allowing). MAC describes it as “moderate” – imagine something fresh and clean, neither super-natural nor highly polished. It’s even OK to look tired. Imagine!

19 Not 100% behind Balmain’s “Girlfriend of a rock star” look (why not just… “Rock star”?) But we love the grungy lip rings. Armour, to protect your speech.

20 Neon is the new black. At Emilio Pucci’s show, models wore mascara in neon yellow, blue and green, while Vivienne Westwood used cyan to the same effect. 3Ina – pronounced Mina – do a lovely affordable (£8.95) one in purple which (as Pantone have created a new shade in Prince’s honour) also happens to be the colour of now.

21 Jean Paul Gaultier is launching his first female perfume since 1993. Scandal is a sensual combo of honey and orange. Prefer abstract florals? Try Gabrielle Chanel, the first new feminine fragrance from Chanel in 15 years. Feeling more “manly”? Keep your nose peeled for Tom Ford’s Noir Anthracite.

Kissed off: ‘snogged lips’ at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi. Photograph: Jason Lloyd-Evans

22 Pile it on, and kiss it off. At Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, make-up artist Val Garland cited “just-snogged” lips as the inspiration for these red and smeary, glossy, fabulous pouts. Could there be anything easier to achieve? A bold cherry lipliner all over, a blob of something like Charlotte Tilbury’s Hollywood Liquid Lipstick in Screen Siren, and a beckoning over of the nearest lad that isn’t a) wearing a T-shirt that reads “FBI: Federal Boob Inspector”, or b) smelling of a Subway meal deal, for a quick, effective snog. Or, smudge it with your finger. Either way.

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