#has her own studio in the spice district

[d4isywhims]

the tripathi threat (youngest to oldest)

get it? like triple threat? anywayS meet the tripathi sisters; priya, zoya and navi!

[miloscat]

[Review] The Legend of Korra (PS3)

A budget Avatar game done right.

Platinum Games are well known as specialists in "character action" games, flashy brawlers with tight controls. Around this time in the studio's life (2014-2016) they cranked out a few smaller licensed games like Transformers Devastation, a Ninja Turtles game, and this. These are normally seen as lesser compared to their flagship titles but they still have a solid gameplay core, and compared to some other Avatar games I've played recently this one really shines.

I've been rewatching Korra for the first time since its broadcast and absolutely loving it. The ideal for a tie-in game like this is a new story, so I was pleased to see new events in this poorly-titled game taking place between Books 2 and 3... now, the actual gap between seasons of the show is small, but they managed to squeeze a little week-long adventure in there. The settings and array of baddies to beat up are very much rehashed from Books 1 and 2, but a new antagonist with a wacky reveal gives it some spice.

After Korra is ambushed in the streets of Republic City, she finds her bending once again blocked. A creepy old wizard man has nefarious plans for her, and she travels through the new Spirit Wilds districts, to Air Temple Island, to the South Pole, and eventually into the Spirit World to stop him. He can summon dark spirits but has also coerced Equalists, paid off Triads, and acquired mecha tanks to stop her. It's a small, self-contained story but comes with some nice cutscenes animated well in the style of the show by American studio Titmouse.

The voice acting is also authentic with the show's actors returning... although, the budget scope is indicated here again. Jinora shows up in spirit form to give exposition, and there are minor appearances by Tenzin, Mako, Bolin, and Shiro Shinobi the pro bending commentator with a few lines each, but most of the time Korra is just talking to herself. The creative staff on the show also were involved, with the show's writing and art leads contributing the story, writing, and character design.

As for the gameplay, it works very well. Korra has her four bending styles that are unlocked gradually, each one giving you different options: for example, waterbending allows for ranged attacks, earthbending is slow and powerful, fire is fast, and airbending comes last and has totally OP area effect attacks. Each style has its own experience bar that unlocks new moves, and you can customise further with some powerful modifiers bought from Iroh's shop (get the health regen comb asap!). Aside from the four fighting styles, guard countering is very important, as well as knowing when to dodge and the occasional mini-QTE against bender characters. Another central mechanic is chi charging, where you can hold an attack button to charge up and fill your chi bar, which then powers up all your attacks before it drains. It's a little risk-reward thing but managing your bar becomes essential and makes for an interesting balance during combat sequences.

Between all the knocking heads, there's some light exploration and platforming. The structure of levels reminded me of Platinum's recent World of Demons: pretty straightforward with some short side paths for goodies, only more developed and three-dimensional. There's occasional pro bending segments, that use a stripped-down control scheme, as well as a side mode where you play out a series of bouts. There's also Naga sequences presented as three-lane 3D autorunners, which are a decent change of pace (although I did spend a torturous hour or two doing the triple-mecha tank Naga-back boss fight in Extreme mode). They're a million times better than the animal-riding bits in Quest for Balance, at least.

Although Platinum are known for their demanding action games, there are plenty of concessions here that make Korra accessible, from difficulty select to the shop's talismans that can give you a leg up. You still get ranked on each battle but I didn't have much trouble doing well, especially after unlocking the better combos and items. Most of the time I didn't find it harsh unless I'd chosen the specific tradeoffs that made it rougher, and dying is only penalised by starting the current fight over again.

This is pretty much one of the best Avatar games out there; a strong gameplay foundation, authenticity in presentation, a little sprinkling of fanservice here and there, doesn't overstay its welcome... too bad it was delisted a mere three years after release! It was on PC as well as both the PS3 and PS4 generation consoles, although I didn't have a PS4 in 2014 when I bought it so I dusted off my PS3 for this. It performed very well despite being "last-gen" at the time, and barely feels dated technologically even now. There must be a way to pirate it, hopefully, and I recommend it for Korra fans. Otherwise, there's a 37-minute video that stitches the cutscenes together with short bridging gameplay snippets that I'd recommend. Either way, don't miss it!

[diddle-riddle]

Dark Night

[Warning for potentially triggering themes: - implied / referenced rape / non con (NOT between Bruce and Ed) - teen pregnancy - Alpha / Beta / Omega dynamics - An overall very creepy atmosphere in that one. I know I tend to be more of a fluff writer (especially in my short fics), but I also try other tones / settings.]

.............. ..............

Alone a freezing night in a shady district of Gotham City, wrapped in a worn out trenchcoat that once belonged to a scarecrow, Eddie Nygma is crying.

Sobbing. Salty water runs down his cheeks, his mint green eyes cloud with tears, a sour taste clogs his mouth, his throat dries, his hiccups rock his frame as strongly as if someone gripped his shoulders and shook his frail body. He is damaged. Sad. Angry at the world for the way it treats him.

His Omega biology has always been a burden he hauls behind him. His whole life, it brought nothing but abuse. Fifteen years of constant pain and repeated humiliations. From his family, from classmates at school, from random citizens he encounters since he moved to Gotham, from people he thought he could trust. From the person he thought he could... love...

Thinking about Jonathan exacerbated his fury. Crane dumped him many months ago, he should be over it... Yet the recent mess with Arthur Brown awoke older insecurities. While nothing near an intelligent or sympathetic fellow, Arthur had been supportive enough to host him under his roof when he most needed it. That is, until the man took more from him than he should have and Eddie ran away... then realized he kept a 'souvenir'.

The waves of hormones triggered by his teen pregnancy don't help when he meets thirsty clients in seedy places. Even though Omegas don't go into heats over the nine months they carry a life, then a couple of weeks post-delivery while they breastfeed, their spiced, pronounced pregnant scent often suffices to arouse Alphas as efficaciously as mating cycles. It was not a client but a colleague from the smuggling ring that couldn't keep her hands to herself tonight. The female Alpha cornered the younger male Omega after he fulfilled his drug dealer activity in the sordid network he joined. This pays and it's an evolution compared to selling his body to greedy Alphas during heats like he did previously... until it reached its breakage point and another Alpha acted again like a monster.

Edward locked the door of his minuscule studio behind him. It's a miracle in itself he obtained this undeclared lease agreement. Comprehensive, the male Beta who owns this apartment complex isn't regarding of the age or social status of those who rent his dingy flats.

He went straight for a shower. Cold: he can't afford hot water all month, but it's better than nothing. He appears clean on the outside whereas he feels so dirty, soiled on the inside.

What happened?

Crying in a lane, he lost consciousness, likely passed out from the pain and exhaustion. Then... the sensation of something sliding inside him, punctuated by a white noise in his head...

He blames this on the pregnancy and how critically it disturbs his hormonal cycle.

Among others, it pushed in him the poisonous refrain of 'I must find an Alpha to assist me, to provide for me, to help me raise my baby, to be the father of my future litters...'

The ginger felt a sudden warmth on his four-month-old baby bump, as if a gentle hand applied against the slightly distended belly and stroked the soft skin.

"You don't need an Alpha. I will protect you," a low, rocky voice assured.

Edward startled, he frantically looked around in the cramped bathroom...

"Worry not, little one. I've been watching you. I know you. I can take care of you. Of both of you. And if you want, I'll help you take your revenge on those who hurt you or dared to raise a hand on you. After all... I always had a soft spot for lost children and broken things."

In the mirror, Ed finally saw the creature, half-way through a black bat and a giant snake, whose neck is... attached to his left shoulder.

Eddie fainted at the sight, under the Bat's skeptical glance. How rude of his new host, not to greet him properly.

.................

Read “Dark Night” on AO3 here Discover the rest of the DC Symbiotes Series on AO3 here

[atypicalacademic]

26 + 27 for Haider, Sybilla, and Balam!

26. What does your character’s home look like? Personal taste?

Haider: Tidy, warm, well-lit and crowded with houseplants. Home is Haider's sanctuary, it's his source of strength. He's always adding little touches to it- embroidering a new pillowcase, carving a new wooden jar for his spices (the kitchen cabinets are packed, btw), adding flourishes to the handpainted murals on the walls- they're the favorite fauna and flora of everyone he loves. The house he grew up in before his parents died, by the Catclaw desert, he repurposed into a studio- most of his full-fledged paintings are there, but he has some favorites at his own house in Vesuvia too. And sketchbooks galore.

Sybilla: She doesn't really put down roots, but she does like her luxury. Syb has a bunch of plush suites bought up and down nearly ever major city she frequents. When she doesn't live in them, she doesn't spare them too much thought, and since she doesn't take permanent residence, till much later, in Venterre, there aren't a lot of personal touches to them. Think plush fur rugs and deep green silk sheets, chandeliers and high ceilings, and many ostentatious lamps. But when she's living there with one of her sugar babies, she subtly redecorates it to cater to their comfort. Lucio's the one person allowed to do it for her in return.

Balam: A mess, really. Technically, she lives with Portia at her cottage (or at the Palace with Nahara, ofc), but she does have her lil haunt in the city and it's a mess. Balam doesn't actually buy a lot of stuff As Furniture, so it's more just a jumble of pillows and carpets strewn across the floor. She actually likes sitting on the floor to work, so it does sort of fit. It's still very colorful, because Balam's very fond of color, if only disjointed enough to be rather trippy. The one thing she does like collecting deliberately are pretty painted ashtrays. Contrast this with her sister's immaculate apartment in the Heart District tbh. Thangam never visits Balam there, it'd spike the poor girl's blood pressure and she's only 19.

27. How do they relate to their appearance? How do they wear their clothing? Style? Quality?

Haider: Sticks to one style that works, really. His kurta/sherwani-pyjama, pretty scarves and jewelry has never failed him, and they're versatile enough for any occasion. You can never see him without the henna painted up to his elbows, or the anklets, at least. He's very picky about his fabrics too, be it simple cotton or silk- the man likes his embroidery, he likes his brocade. Haidi likes the way he looks, and dressing up is a routine that grounds him. He certainly enjoys the attention his good looks get him, too, even if he's tongue tied and blushing more than half the time.

Sybilla: Tailored suits, hats and gloves- usually, though not always, in colors like olive green and deep red. She likes to dress more to show off/ intimidate, rather than to look pretty, I guess. Syb likes to present herself as a certain kind of aloof, which she does- when she was younger, and her persecution complex was at its worst, she did a lot of things to disguise herself- like dye her silver hair in many colors, mostly travel with her face hidden- things like that. Even her tattoos are layer of that secrecy- a layer of protection against vulnerability, as it were. Even now, that she doesn't hide, the shininess is it's own mask, it's own security. She doesn't wear a lot of makeup though, she thinks it's a bother. Sybilla's prideful, and confident, but she's not vain in the slightest. I honestly don't think she thinks of herself as particularly beautiful. Growing up, she was a starved, hunted child, and she wanted to be strong way more than she wanted to beautiful. So even now, it's always a pleasant but bewildering surprise when someone sees her as such.

Balam: She never wears anything normally. If it's a sari she'd secure it with tens of dupattas and drape it in ways it's definitely not meant to be draped in- if it's a shirt, it's usually cut up in some asymmetric way. Her anklets are usually mismatched, her bangles are never evenly distributed. She never goes anywhere without her kohl, but by the end of the day, she's smudged it so much she looks like an adorable raccoon. Although she still dresses very East Prakran, usually in a blouse and a wrap-around, she loads up with so many shawls that you can't tell where the outfit starts and ends. It's mostly held together in such a flimsy fashion because she likes showing skin very much. She's also definitely not a dress-for-the-occasion person; time and place is a tyranny her style does not care to accomodate for. I don't think Balam gives a lot of Thought to her physical body unless she needs to (sometimes even then). And enough gays flock to her that she's rather pleased with her attractiveness.

[themoonsings]

hi y’all! my name’s blue and this is my good sis luna! you can find some info on her below! 

luna song was spotted in the fashion district adorning red bottoms , with some airpod pros on . they’re most likely listening to love me 4 me by rina sawayama . you may know them as @lunasong or as that rosé lookalike . their twenty-third birthday just passed . while living in tribeca , they’ve gained a bit of a reputation . they’re known to be ruthless but on the other hand captivating . wonder if they’ll be the next person to hit the headlines . [ ciswoman / she/her + blue / 24 / she/her ]

she’s 2nd gen & gave her parents gave her a korean name mainly to appease their parents and one in english. her korean name is ae-cha while her english name is luna. pretty much everyone calls/has always called her luna except her grandparents and sometimes her fanbase in korea.

she grew up in one of the boroughs and her family was middle class.

grew up knowing/speaking korean and english.

she had three best friends growing up, and they did practically everything together. they were in their tweens when luna got the idea that they should start a girl group, like so many that they always listened and looked up to and her friends readily agreed. 

they were still young so people didn’t take them seriously at first, much to a 12-year-old luna’s chagrin. but they were actually pretty good. in the beginning they didn’t know how to read sheet music super well yet and mostly did covers so luna would help with figuring out which parts each of them would sing and scheduling rehearsals, even pestering classmates into getting them gigs. (sidenote: luna’s group/bandmates are a wanted connection and on the main if you wanna know a little bit more you can click here! I’d love to have some/all of her groupmate spots filled!)

her parents were always super supportive of the group and were driving them to competitions, auditions, etc. luna was driven and annoying as hell in the way she pestered all these grown ass adults and even recording labels into trying to hear them/let them in to no avail. 

it wasnt until luna was 16 (about seven years ago) that they were able to actually get signed to a record label. at first no one took them seriously and no one wanted to sign them because people insisted that girl groups didn’t do well, didn’t last long, that people didn’t like them, etc. and there was a lot of back and forth over creative differences, as by that point the girls wrote their own music. 

BUT, their debut album actually did surprisingly well and better than even their management expected. soon they were having their music videos features on disney channel tv breaks, playing on the radio, getting lots of views on youtube. they were everywhere and people seemed to like the “realness” of their story--it made for good interviews and whatnot. 

they continued on like that, dropping three more albums which broke records, lead to worldwide tours, won grammys, lead them to several tv cameos, and even their own movie (think spice world but like better/funner plot, although still not super serious cinema) and documentary. they’re absolutely HUGE now, think peak destiny’s child type shit. they had their own reality tv show at one point, perfume, and even a make-up line with different shades and colors to match each girl’s “personality”. 

the aspects of their personality were played up a little bit to make them more marketable, i.e. one was the more “sporty” one, one was more “free-spirited”, etc. and how they’re styled usually reflects that, although now that they’re pretty established and older, they’ve been able to kind of be less characterized and more themselves. 

luna’s personality was always kind of the diva/primadonna meets relatable girl next door type role. basically she was just always dressed usually very hyper-feminine and has always publicly been considered/seen as kind of the “leader” of the group. 

that doesn’t come from nowhere because she’s very driven. she’s work hard play hard but you gotta tear her away from her email account enough for her to play hard. she’s nice and friendly but can be kind of intense. her biggest fear is not growing into her full potential. 

she knows how to play basic guitar and piano but her two main talents are her singing and ability to harmonize and understand different parts of music and her lyricism. 

can definitely be a drama queen at times. 

very adamant about using her platform to speak up for things when she can. her and her group faced a lot of hardships and discrimination within the industry because they were made up of a group of young women of color and she wants to make it easier for others to achieve their dreams, even if they weren’t born famous or rich. 

can definitely be judgement and bossy at times but will also 100% be there for you and supportive of you when you need her. 

she’s bisexual but the media hasn’t really caught wind of that yet. in the past, her management was adamant that she hide it but now it’s a thing where even if she is spotted with a girl, it’s very “just gals being pals” type headlines that usually come from it. 

she’s smart about her image and pretty much everything she does can make headlines. she’s usually pretty good about keeping her shit in line. she’s had advantageous relationships, both for pr and forreal and she’s something of a trendsetter in a lot of cases. luna dates someone and they’re hollywoods hottest couple, luna wears something and suddenly everyone on instagram is wearing it too. 

does a lot of philanthropy and likes to travel whenever she can. 

she’s friendly and open but don’t piss her off or stand in her way or be on some bs ‘cause she’s helped her and her girls fight their way to the top and she can be ruthless to her enemies, though only when she absolutely has to be. she probably has a little too much fight in her for her own good. 

constantly rumors of her going solo. her and her bandmates have an understanding where they’re chill with doing some individual work (i.e. releasing a single, doing a movie or tv show, starting their own fashion line, etc.) because they know the group’s more important and they’re always coming back to it but luna lately has been kind of worried they’re going to split up and she doesn’t want them to because they’re basically like sisters to her at this point since they grew up together. 

admittedly, luna does want to release her own solo album and she has been brought other projects but the group comes first and they’re working on their fifth studio album together. 

can probably find her working late or running off in the middle of something because she suddenly gets an idea. she also carries this cute lil notebook around with her for jotting down ideas and yes she could technically use her phone but she likes the tangibility of physically writing stuff down.

she always grew up in a house that was very much a home--always open to other people and her parents always willing to bring in food and entertain for the holidays, etc. and that’s how she likes her place now. she’s made her house just how she likes it and the door’s always open if you need someplace to crash for the night and no matter the hour, she’ll put the kettle on, whip up or order some food, and get the guest room ready. 

that’s luna! i’m working on a connections/wanted connections page now but in the meantime, my messages are open to plot or if you like this i can come to u!

[zenithcastor]

now accessing://…welcome to coruscant, zenith castor. the twenty-two year old looks strikingly similar to kristine froseth and is rumored to be working with alone. she reminds those around them of dark shadows of the underground pathways and isolated fields under stormy skies which makes sense given their personality. the human from coruscant is usually seen with their worn down gloves when walking around coruscant, and is a smuggler. …//:

zen was born in coruscant to unknown parents and was instead brought up in the foster care system where she was often transferred from home to home. she had a better shot at adoption when she was younger, but that unfortunately never happened and zen instead grew up with different circumstances. 

unwilling to continue to be tossed around between temporary families, she left the system at seventeen and decided to live by her own, very little means. and living on her own was far harder than she had ever expected, but people she’d met in foster homes were a big asset to her as they were the only ones who offered her help in the lower points of her life. 

to make quick money, zen turned to smuggling spice from place to place for her older friends (now turned employers) in coruscant. since she’d grown up in the city and lived in nearly each district given her background, it was easy for her to navigate and evade the law given her unassuming appearance. the more she moved product, the easier it became and the lifestyle stuck. 

she currently lives in a beat up studio in the entertainment district though it isn’t much better than being on the street. regardless, she is currently impacted by the current happenings in coruscant because of the harsh crackdowns by the government. it has been increasingly more difficult to move product with so many officials patrolling the area, so she’s been keeping quiet and in the shadows. 

unknown to her, her higher ups are involved with the syndicate. though zenith was unaware of the involvement, she is likely to be under suspicion of being involved because of her occupation. but although the streets are more guarded, she still attempts to move and sell to gain her portion of pay. 

[sleepywrds]

summary: hyunwoo can’t forget the beautiful doctor with the kind voice, so he seeks you out for a lunch date.

prompt: hello may I have a shownu fluff where he’s saved by a doctor and he falls for her afterwards? thanks 💖

ship: shownu/fem!reader

genre: fluff

count:  1.5k

a/n: aaah i’m finally done i hope i didn’t disappoint ;; took me rly long bc i didn’t know what to write but alas, here it is!

"Y/n!"

Heavy breaths heaved behind you, accompanied by quick, thudding footsteps echoing on the tired floor and a familiar voice calling your name. At the call of your name, you pause walking and glance over your shoulder, expecting a co-worker to be behind you-- maybe another doctor, a nurse, or the intern you're currently supervising-- but instead, you meet a panting, red-faced man in a leather jacket and ripped jeans, bent over from chasing after you down the hall. In one hand, he holds a single fake rose with a small card tied to its stem, hanging by his side.  

You blink in confusion. "Excuse me, but who are you...?"

The man straightens up, showing himself to be none other than Son Hyunwoo, one of your patients who had been discharged a week ago. His bangs stick to his forehead with all the sweat dripping down it, cheeks puffed out from all the panting, and his eyebrows quirk up in sincerity.

"Oh, Hyunwoo!" you say, breaking out into a smile of familiarity. "You're here again?"

He'd been a patient in the hospital for two weeks after a minor car accident and you were responsible for him over the course of his stay. As you recalled, he'd recovered exceptionally well, ready to bounce back as a dancer despite having a whiplash and a few other injuries to his muscles. You warned him to be careful but he was more than glad to take off from his room...so why was he back in the hospital?

Hyunwoo doesn't say anything yet. His eyes stay on the floor, the single rose stays in his hand, and his lips stay pressed together. Though he isn't panting anymore, a light red still colours his face and the tips of his ears, as if he was blushing from embarrassment instead.

You frown. "Is there something wrong? Is the medicine not working?" And why did he chase you down?

At last, he opens his mouth, though the reply comes slow and tentative. "No," he answers. "I, uh, wanted to ask you something."

"Oh." A shrug. "Sure. What's wrong?"

He fiddles with the single rose between his fingers, eyes alternating between staring at you and glancing away, apparently unable to maintain eye contact with you. A number of people look at him as they pass by, curious at the fake rose in his hand, at a man in a leather jacket standing still in the middle of an otherwise busy corridor. Suddenly aware of your surroundings, you motion him to move towards the side of the corridor so that other people wouldn't bump into him anymore.

"Sorry about that," Hyunwoo says, stepping aside and ready to speak. "I, uh. I wanted to ask you something. Are you--" he clears his throat, stalls for a few seconds-- "are you free this Saturday?"

Saturday. You try to hide the frown that creeps across your face. Sure, you were free that day; the only weekend plan you had was to walk your dog on Sunday. So you nod. "Yes. Why?" 

And then Hyunwoo hands you the rose. "Would you like to go on a date with me?" 

Saturday noon brings you to a large, quaint restaurant tucked in a quiet neighborhood near downtown Seoul. A wealth of sunlight shone on the two-storey building. The whitewash of the picket fence, tables and chairs alternated with the rustic brick walls and the hanging metal pots, plants drooping out of their respective pots, vines curling this way and that, leaves swaying in the wind. In spite of the silent area, the restaurant was bustling with customers, clanking sounds and loud chatter leaking out from the wide open doors.

Noticing how well-dressed the other patrons were, you suddenly feel underdressed in your simple shirt and jeans, not expecting Hyunwoo to invite you to such a place. All he had told you was that he would treat you to lunch. Oh well.

Making your way towards the entrance, you peek inside, hoping to find your so-called date waiting for you already. There, near the farthest corner of the restaurant and sitting right beside a large, lovely window, Hyunwoo leaned back in one of the white chairs dressed in a blue button-up, his sleeves rolled up halfway to show his strong arms. His eyes were distant, staring at a random spot outside the window, his golden skin highlighted by the sunlight that fell through. In front of him were two tall glasses of what seems to be coffee-- hazelnut, maybe, with a large pile of whipped cream on top and a straw poking amidst it-- along with two plates of chocolate cake.

Your heart skips a beat. Right. His features had always struck you as handsome. That was something you realised in his first few days at the hospital as he would stare out of the windows, his constant brooding expression melancholic, his jawline sharp and the profile of his nose strong.

As you approach him, his eyes cast a glance over you and causes him to flinch in his seat. A nervous light glimmers in his eyes as he watches you approach him.

"Hello," you greet him with a smile.

He returns it back. "Hi."

"This is a pretty place," you remark, seating down opposite him. "How did you find this?"

He shrugs. "My sister brings me here for lunch sometimes. She loves the atmosphere."

"I can see why." You take another round observing the entire cafe. "It's really beautiful." 

"Like you," Hyunwoo blurts. A second later, he blinks in realisation and his mouth drops in embarrassment. "Ah, sorry. That wasn't intentional."

You stifle a laugh. "Thank you." 

"Here, have some cake." He pushes one of the plates towards you, which you gratefully receive. "I hope you like chocolate." 

"I love it." Smiling up at him, you cut yourself a piece of cake and pop it in your mouth. "It's delicious." 

"Help yourself." A pause in conversation. Chatter, laughter and clinks of forks against plates fills in the space between. Ten seconds of an awkward stare where Hyunwoo's dark, eyes bore into yours until you force yourself to look away from his invasive gaze. 

And then, he breaks the silence with, “I wanted to say thank you.” 

“Hmm?” 

“I wanted to say thank you for taking care of me well during my stay. I know it’s your job to do that, but you were very kind to me.” Hyunwoo averts his gaze, bashful. “And you were very beautiful. I couldn’t forget you after I left.” 

You blink, not sure where this was going or how it came about.

"I wanted to talk to you again," continues he, "and I visited the hospital several times, but you were always busy and I couldn't meet you at all. When I saw you the other day, I thought I wouldn't see you again. So I ran."

Oh. Warmth creeps across your cheeks.

Gesturing to the table, Hyunwoo says, "I thought it would be great if we could have lunch together, because I enjoyed our conversations a lot. I wanted to know you more.” 

You already know, from the conversations you've had during his stay, that he was a back-up dancer at a talent agency and taught dance lessons at a nearby studio. Of course, there's more to him than that that you haven't discovered.

Sending him a smile, you shrug and say, "Sure."

Through the hour-and-a-half lunch you've had, you learn that he shares a flat with six friends, has travelled around the world with them, and prefers to eat cake over seaweed soup for his birthday. That he almost became a swimmer. That he likes to sing, but doesn't want to go through trainee life. That he thinks you're beautiful and you should know it.

"Stop that," you tell him with an embarrassed smile.

In turn, you tell him about life outside the hospital. About your dog who was turning four this year. About the nearby park where you walk through often, because nature and fresh air clears your head. About your favourite weekend dramas and concerts you've been to.

"Do you know Yoo Kihyun?" Hyunwoo asks over his own cake.

"Yeah! I listen to him a lot. His voice is amazing."

He breaks into a shy grin. "He's one of my friends."

"Really!" Your mouth drops open in surprise, but neither of you particularly mind at the half-chewed cake inside. "How did you befriend him?"

Hyunwoo shrugs. "We met in high school," he starts, and continues from there.

When lunch ends and your plates are cleared, neither of you want to return home just yet. He takes you around the district, offers you a large hand to hold while both of you marvel at clothes, at skincare, at books and trinkets and animals in the local shelter. He smells of wood, you note every time you catch a whiff of him. Wood and spices and a distinct musky scent. He's solid, something you've observed from your days of looking after him, but he's more solid and stable than he appears to be. He's built to protect, it seems. Standing beside him on a busy street felt like being protected from the whizz of passing cars and the flurry of the crowd and the hot sun that threatens to burn everyone.

Your heart flutters.

That afternoon, you return home with a satisfied tummy, a new number on your phone, and another lunch date set for next week. 

[propheticfire]

Meet my new OC, Freiya Tir! To be honest, this was just an excuse to create a Togruta with the colors of my state’s football team, the Minnesota Vikings, because I have a Vikings hat that looks like Togruta horns. But anyway. Freiya’s a Mandalorian, not born there but raised in Keldabe since practically infancy, brought to Mandalore when Freiya’s mother fell in love and married a Mando while fleeing with baby Freiya from slavers. Clan Tir owns a bake shop & tea house––and, thanks to Freiya’s mother, a Togrutan martial arts studio––in the northeastern district of the city. Clan Tir’s uj cake is the talk of the neighborhood, as is their ujayl-spiced shig. Freiya loves working with all the cousins in the shop, making and serving tea and pastries, and playing pickup meshgeroya in the park behind the building. She* has a bit of a soft spot for a few of the semi-regular customers, whom she sees only every once in a while; they never stay long, but are always charming and always take multiple pastries for the road. She’s pretty sure their clan name is Skirata.

*Since Mandalorian culture conceptualizes gender in a different way from other parts of the galaxy––Mando’a doesn’t even use pronouns or gender distinctions––Freiya’s definition of gender can only loosely be described by the words we use in Basic. I’ll use “she/her” and sometimes “they’them” for the sake of convenience, but bear in mind that’s based on aruetii ideas and is only an approximation of how Freiya views herself.

Also for reference, here’s a picture of my “Togruta horns” Vikings hat:

[simmerlajzag]

This is Annie River, she is a stylist in San Myshuno.

Annie moved here when she was 17 years old because she got into art school. She studied and worked extra at a studio in the art district. When she was 20 she could afford her own house in the spice district and that’s where she’s living now.

Annie has alot of friends. They meet at the festivals and the karaoke bar that is located right next to her house. She also likes running, drinking and trying different kinds of food. 

Life is not always easy for Annie. She works really hard and she’s often tense when she gets home from work. She doesn’t have anyone telling her to take a break. 

[omishu]

First Semester Classes!

Hey, guys! So the first month of classes has passed, and it's been very interesting so far. I've started making friends and figuring out a homework routine. This semester I'm taking five classes three to six hours a week: Design I, Drawing I (perspective), Figure Drawing I, Film & Narrative, and Writing Studio.

Since I came to art school to learn how to draw people so I can eventually design characters for animation professionally, figure drawing has been my favorite. Even though it's not my highest grade right now, it's still the most fun for me. The teacher is super chill and nice and has great taste in music. I volunteered to be class monitor and already had a situation where I had to cover the class for him for almost an hour only a week after completing my training! All of our models are very friendly and talented, giving us great dynamic and expressive poses to draw. Most of the homework assignments have also been fun as well. After the first week of classes, we had a holiday weekend, so I went down to St. Armand's Circle and sketched a bunch of people I met and saw there. There was a super friendly older gentlemen sitting outside of a spice and tea shop and a sassy, young, and fashionable girl giving out samples at another store. A film crew worked while I sketched to maybe film an ad for the nice shopping district there near Lido Beach. And a painter worked while I drew him and his friends. Everyone I've met through drawing for my figure class has been super nice. There's a girl who works at the cafe in the library with the same name as a Disney princess that was really accommodating for me when I asked if I could get draw her. It's so fun when people ask to take pictures of my drawings of them, even though they're only quick gestural sketches. I've had a lot of feelings regarding our out of class sequential sketches too. For the first week of that, I drew a tennis player since my grandfather was a family tennis couch (in the hall of fame and with a documentary about him) and a ballerina from the nutcracker since I love that story and took five years of ballet when I was younger. Now we're starting to focus more on proportions. I can't wait to see what more I learn in this course, since I can already perceive improvement in my skills.

Drawing I has been a bit difficult for me since I don't have very much experience practing drawing in perspective. But the teacher is very patient and gives great tips in her critiques on how to improve my work. We've practiced sighting and drawing angles in proportion and drawing gridded rooms. Our current assignment is a pretty big project, but she's been very helpful in explaining things and helping me figure out how to solve problems. I'll probably start attending tutoring for this course, even though I haven't been recommended to it, because I could use the extra practice. Even though I got a really disappointing grade on this assignment, I'm really proud of it because I worked really hard on it and I'm pleased with the results. It's probably my best perspective drawing ever, and that's because of my great teacher's instruction.

Writing Studio is very interesting. I like writing since I had some great literature and composition teachers when I was younger. Reading and writing are also some of my hobbies, so I looked forward to having this course. Our instructor seems really cool in my opinion, and we all have very deep, relevant conversation pertaining to a wide variety of important topics. Some of the articles we have to read deal with difficult subjects, like sexual harassment and sexism, but everyone tries to maintain mature, respectful discussion. We got to write our own artist's statements, which I'll probably post in a separate blog. Currently we are working on artist profiles where we get to interview local or connected artists to write about them and their work. Since my mentor just moved to this town shortly before me, I selected her and got approved to meet with her. She and I will get together this weekend to talk and visit around St. Armand's Circle. I'm really enjoying this class so far.

In my Film and Narrative class this semester, we watch a different movie each week and take analytical notes during the showing. Our current focus is on mis en scene, which is just a fancy way of saying the way things are composed within a scene. This applies to style, lighting, staging, camera angles, set design, and more, especially when pertaining to symbic meanings. I've learned about how spirals and staircases can symbolize chaos and disorder and how shadows can express hidden intentions or a darker side to characters. There's so many interesting things to consider when watching films, even without sound or color. After watching Cat People, an old black-and-white film, we discussed motifs and vertical lines, among other things. Sometimes there are extra movies we can watch and analyze for extra credit; I got to see Godfather for the first time and also really enjoyed Wonderstruck. My professor always tells us about these opportunities and does a great job of encouraging discussion and participation in class. My first quiz was last week, and we watched Shutter Island; I got a pretty good grade, so I'm happy with my progress in this class. I'm sure I'll continue learning a lot and having fun watching quality movies during this course.

Lastly, my design class has been really good for going into greater depth on basic principles I had only brushed the surface on learning. We've talked about what makes a composition good or bad and how to arrangement objects within a picture to communicate a focus or emotion. My big project due tomorrow pertains to light and shadow, so we got to make our own view finders to use when making value study drawings with common aspect ratios. Our teacher gives us lots of time to work during class, and the textbook has lots of helpful information and illustrations. One time he even showed us a cute short film and suggested that maybe one of the artists who worked on it could come in and talk with our class. That would be so cool. I'm having fun elarning in this class and can't wait to see what comes next.

So far all of my classes and teachers have been really great. Hopefully I continue to keep on top of my homework and work diligently in class to keep learning a lot. My current scholarship and grant also depend on getting good gradea and producing good work. That means I have a little pressure to perform well in school, but I'm trying to focus more on making good art than getting good grades. Thanks for following along on my journey and reading my blog posts. Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to write about or share with all of you! Also, please keep a lookout for more artwork picture posts coming soon! I plan to post a lot of my assignments to track my progress and share that journey with all of you. If you could take any one of these classes, which would you choose and why?

[architectnews]

Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship

Scarlet Lady, Cruise Ship, Marine Architecture, Spa Interior Design, Commercial Boat Architecture

Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship

7 Oct 2020

Scarlet Lady

Architects: Concrete

In addition to proudly presenting an extravagant project featuring architecture, multiple bars and restaurants, a gym, a running track, two pools, a 360-degree lookout, the biggest sunbed in the world, and more… concrete is most proud of designing their first-ever traveling project: The Scarlet Lady cruise ship for Virgin Voyages.

Scarlet Lady is ready for her guests to arrive and will soon set sail in the Caribbean. Three additional ships will follow the same blueprint; the second, called Valliant Lady, is almost ready to explore the Mediterranean.

concrete completely changed the blueprint of traditional cruise ships by adding an actual running track and a two-story F&B pavilion as the beating heart of the Aquatic Club. The red loop floats elegantly over the upper deck and functions not just as a promenade, but also as a visual connection between the Perch at the very top of the ship and the Athletic & Aquatic Club on the decks below. It is the perfect spot to see and be seen.

” Scarlet Lady is set to make waves, challenge preconceptions, and possibly make cruising cool. ”

quote from an article about Virgin Voyages from Wallpaper*

Athletic Club Designed with the aesthetic of athletic social clubs of the past, our club incorporates not just an active Training Camp room and boxing classes, but also a basketball court and cold-pressed juice bar. The best of both wellness worlds just a few feet apart. The Athletic Club is where activity meets leisure, and sweat and support mingle. The club extends across both sides of the aft of the ship as an active outdoor lounge and adult playground. Topped by a sundeck, it features the largest daybed at sea as the perfect place on board to sunbathe or gaze at the stars.

Aquatic Club With smooth curves and nautical details, the pool deck has the sophisticated glam of a contemporary superyacht. Whether you’re looking for mornings spent sunbathing on one of the daybeds, or letting last night’s choices fade away as you glide through the water — the pool club is a serene space for ultimate relaxation.

Runway or running track The signature, Virgin-red running track floats over the upper decks of the ship inviting passengers to sprint, skate, or stroll whilst enjoying the best view over the ocean and the ship alike. It is an iconic and unique showstopper, worth changing the blueprint of the ship to make it happen. The luminous graphics will guide your athletic self day and night, and you might catch a glimpse of the all-night party on the crew deck.

Gym & Tonic After working up a sweat or standing around thinking about maybe, possibly picking up the weights, restore yourself by taking a dip in the Wellbeing [a2] Pool. More details on the Wellbeing area will soon be revealed!

B Complex Gym The Gym is divided into two parts to the port side and starboard side of the Gym &Tonic area. The starboard side part offers all you need if you are a workout fanatic and into speed. These spaces are held in cool dark blue and black, the perfect backdrop for all these trained bodies lit in theatrical light. The portside part offers all you need to reveal your inner peace. These light spaces are held in shades of off-white all featuring stunning ocean views.

The Perch Enjoy 360-degree views over the ocean, whilst an extensive red, translucent sunshade protects you from the Caribbean sun and golden bucket showers are available to cool you down quickly with a refreshing splash. The place for yoga, meditation, and stretching, or simply to escape the crowds and treat yourself to the most gorgeous ocean backdrop.

Restaurant Razzle Dazzle – deck 5 This restaurant offers creative surprises inspired by classic comfort foods. The bold interior is based on dazzle camouflage -a type of ship camouflage used extensively in World War I- based on the ability to blend in by standing out. The disruptive pattern is literally covering everything: at the walls and floors it is brought

back in diagonally layouts black and white rubber stripes, in the room dividers the pattern is build up in black powdered steel structures, and even the wooden tables in the center of the restaurant follow the diagonal pattern.

Restaurant Test Kitchen – Deck 6 Inspired by Escoffier’s Ma Cuisine, this laboratory-like restaurant is educational, experiential, and social. Hosting cooking classes and evolving tasting menus, this place is for the curious boundary-pushing foodies on board, one part cooking school, and one part restaurant.

The Test Kitchen restaurant has an eye-catching entryway with a light fixture showing images of herbs and spices that mimic the periodic table. The laboratory-like environment is accented by metallic furniture with greenish leather upholstery, sleek clean lines, custom made metallic open cupboards, and custom made fridges stocked up with storage and a finishing touch of beakers, test tubes, and volumetric flasks in them. The heart of the space forms the 2 live kitchens with bar seatings all around them.

The Scarlet Lady is ready for her guests to arrive and will set sail soon along the Caribbean. Three additional ships will follow the same blueprint, the second ship called the Vaillant Lady is almost ready to explore the Mediterranean.

Cruise Ship Scarlet Lady – Designe Information:

Design: Concrete Client: Virgin Voyages Project architect: Rob Wagemans, Lisa Hassanzadeh, Kasia Heyerman Project: Rene Kroondijk, Mark Haenen, Marlou Spierts, Maike Daemen Sofie Ruytenberg, Zana Josopovic Architect ship: GEM – Design for Cruise Ships Contractor: Fincantieri Specialist joinery: Spencer, marine interiors, Paolo Castelli S.p.A Lighting consultant: l’observatoire NYC, LIQ London

concrete designed area: 6280 m2 + 380m2 razzle dazzle + 410m2 test kitchen Capacity scarlet lady: 60.000 gross tons 2.700 passengers 1.150 crew members Duration construction: 5 years – ships 2 & 3 are under construction

About concrete concrete is part of the Virgin Creative Collective, the team that designs all 4 ships, with their own dedicated spaces, and with the same goal to create an epic sea change… Part of this creative collection is Tom Dixon and Roman and Williams, Softroom in London, Work Architecture Company in New York, Knibb Design in Los Angeles, HKS Architects headquartered in Dallas, HL Studio and Pearson Lloyd.

About Virgin Voyages The Modern Romance of Sailing Virgin Voyages design concept is titled ‘the Modern Romance of Sailing’, building on the company’s mission to redefine what those expect from a sea vacation and thus create an Epic Sea Change For All. Concrete is part of the ‘Creative Collective’ carefully curated by Virgin Voyages: featuring some of the world’s leading interior design firms, none of whom have ever designed for the cruise industry before. Across the ship, next to Concrete, Virgin Voyages has partnered with Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio in London, Roman, and Williams in New York, Softroom in London, and WorkAC in New York. “Ranging from gritty to glamorous, we’ve collaborated with a collection of brilliant interior designers and architects to create a variety of spaces that our sailors will love,” said Dee Cooper, Senior Vice President of Product Design for Virgin Voyages. “With careful thought, humor and attention to detail the Creative Collective has designed a ship that’s designed for those thirsty for a wonderfully modern holiday at sea.”

Photography: virgin voyages

Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship images / information received 071020

Boathouses

Boathouse Articles

Community Rowing Boathouse, Boston, USA Design: Anmahian Winton Architects photo © Jane Messinger Community Rowing Boat House in Boston

The Houseboat, Poole Harbour, Dorset, England Design: Mole Architects and Rebecca Granger Architects photo © Rory Gardiner Houseboat in Dorset

Boat House McMahons Point, lower North Shore of Sydney, NSW, Australia Design: TW Architects photo : TW Architects Boat House NSW

Takapuna Beach Boatsheds, Auckland, New Zealand Design: Strachan Group Architects in association with Rachael Rush photography : Patrick Reynolds Auckland Boat Sheds

WMS Boathouse, Chicago, Illinois, USA Design: Studio Gang Architects photo : Steve Hall © Hedrich Blessing Boathouse Building in Chicago

Parry Sound District Boathouse, Ontario, Canada Design: Weiss Architecture & Urbanism Limited photo : Arnaud Marthouret Boat House in Ontario

Boats

Boat Design Articles

New Yachts 2018

Yachtsman’s House on the Isle of Wight

Oyster’s Sub 60ft Sailboat image courtesy of article provider The Oyster 565 60ft Sailboat

Marina Architecture

Building a Superyacht

Superyacht design for Blohm+Voss Design: Zaha Hadid Architects render © Zaha Hadid Architects Zaha Hadid Yacht – Blohm+Voss Boat

Z-Boat – limited edition of 12 boats plus 4 prototypes image courtesy of ZHA Zaha Hadid Boat Design

Se77antasette yacht for Benetti Design: Fernando Romero, FR-EE image courtesy of architects Yacht for Benetti

Fresnel Hydrofoil Trimaran Sailboat, Cape Town, South Africa Design: Dr Margot Krasojevic, architect image courtesy of architects Hydrofoil Trimaran Sailboat

New Dutch Architecture

Dutch Architecture Dutch Architects Dutch Buildings Dutch Architecture Designs Dutch Architecture Developments Dutch Building Designs Dutch Building Developments

Boathouse Buildings

Stoney Lake Boathouse, Stoney Lake, Lakefield, Ontario, Canada Design: gh3, architects Canadian Boathouse

Trossachs Boathouse Design: Sutherland Hussey Architects Loch Ard Boathouse

Community Rowing Boathouse, Boston, MA, United States of America Design: anmahian winton architects Community Rowing Boathouse Boston Building

Comments / photos for the Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship page welcome

The post Scarlet Lady Cruise Ship appeared first on e-architect.

[thekolsocial]

Dubai: Explore The United Emirates of Art

New Post has been published on https://thekolsocial.com/dubai-explore-the-united-emirates-of-art/

Dubai: Explore The United Emirates of Art

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Dubai: Explore The United Emirates of Art

In a city best known for shiny skyscrapers and superlatives discover Dubai’s arts and culture scene.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_single_image image=”20771″ img_size=”1200 x 641″ add_caption=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_column_text]

Dubai is a city built on vision and ambition. Literally rising out of the Arabian desert, Dubai has metamorphosed from a fishing and pearl diving hub to a sprawling metropolis in only 49 years.

In 1971 the seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah) unified and became one nation, the United Arab Emirates. From those beginnings the bold ambition of the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has helped put Dubai on the map. The emirate is now a sophisticated, futuristic and popular destination where visitors can land in the world’s largest airport terminal, visit the Burj Khalifa the world’s tallest building, shop at one of the world’s biggest shopping malls, and stay in the world’s tallest hotel. In fact, Dubai has so many records that it has set the record for the city with the most world records – 224 and counting.

While a trip to Dubai is not complete without the obligatory visit to the Burj Khalifa, which is an elegant and remarkable feat of structural engineering in its own right, on first appearances it may seem that Dubai does not have much to offer the travelling aesthete. But when you step away from the flashy lights and the lure of the dancing fountains, you will discover that there is indeed a deep rich history and a burgeoning and bright arts scene in the city and beyond that can inspire and delight as much as any record-breaking building.

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_single_image image=”20770″ img_size=”1200 x 641″ add_caption=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_column_text]Start with a wander around Bur Dubai, Dubai’s Old Town, an area to the north of the city which is steeped in heritage.  Here is where the beating heart of the city was long before the foundation of a single skyscraper was laid. Head to Dubai Creek and the Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood for a glimpse of traditional Emirati living. Al Fahidi is one of the oldest communities in Dubai, with its sandy houses and wind towers (known as barajeel), the area is characterised by its winding network of narrow alleys or sikkas.  The area was once the home of Dubai’s wealthy merchants, and reflects the way of living that was typical in Dubai from around the mid 19th century to the 1970s, and is awash with culture at every turn, from the 18th century Al Fahidi Fort and Ruler’s Divan to the recently opened Al Shindagha Museum.

A trip to Dubai Museum at Al Fahidi Fort provides visitors with a historical context to the pioneering city around them, showing that the emirate’s desire for development and ambitious ascension is rooted in a heritage of trade, natural resources and industrious peoples.

Another highlight of the neighbourhood is the XVA Art Hotel. Here, traditional architecture meets modern design. Entering the Art Hotel from the narrow sikka, visitors are transported to an art-filled oasis and are welcomed by a charming tree-shaded courtyard.  Part hotel, part gallery, XVA showcases contemporary works from across the Arab world, Iran and the Sub-continent with a roster of exhibitions which focus on works by the region’s foremost artists as well as those emerging onto the scene. To stay at XVA is to experience the beauty and simplicity of traditional Arabic architecture as each of the 15 rooms with cool stone floors and courtyard views are uniquely decorated and designed with regional art.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_single_image image=”20788″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_column_text]The UAE is a Muslim nation and a common misconception is that female voices are not heard in this society, their stories, faces and experiences untold and hidden behind abayas and burqas. But one special place challenges this narrative, the Women’s Museum. Created and established by Professor Rafia Ghubash, the first Emirati psychiatrist and the first Emirati woman to receive a professorship in psychiatry, the museum is situated across the Creek in Deira- a bustling district full of souks selling spices, textiles, gold, meat and fish. Getting to the museum requires navigating the Old Gold Souk in Deira, so explore the markets and haggle for bargains on your way.

The Women’s museum is built within Bait Al Banat, meaning The Girls House. The exhibition space takes visitors through a lovingly curated journey that shows the roles and impact of Emirati women, recalling the daily lives of women living in the UAE from as early as the 1950s. The museum also houses two exhibition spaces, one dedicated to temporary exhibits of female artists from across the Emirates, while the other is home to a body of work called Zayed Empowering Women, which highlights the late President of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his contribution to women in the UAE. The Diwan Ousha Bint Khalifa Al Suwidi Room is a striking embodiment of the work of the Emirati poet, known also as ‘The Girl of the Arabs’. Ousha is regarded as one of the finest Arabic poets and the exhibition charts her experience.

Dubai has around 50 art galleries and being a relative new player in the global arts industry has not stopped it from creating distinct visual and experiential spaces for artists and aficionados alike. Alserkal Avenue is one such place. A cultural district of contemporary art galleries, non-profit organisations, and homegrown businesses in the Al Quoz industrial area of Dubai. Al Serkal Avenue is spread across 500,000 square feet and is not only a centre of art but a vibrant community of visual and performing arts organisations, designers, and artisanal spaces that have become an essential platform for the development of the creative industries in the UAE.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_single_image image=”20766″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_column_text]Alserkal Avenue has its own gravitational pull, attracting acclaimed artists from all over the world to its district of warehouse style art galleries. Alserkal has had collaborations with UK galleries such as The V&A, The Hayward Gallery and Whitechapel Gallery. The art-loving traveller can spend time wandering the lanes of galleries and studios, watch an arthouse film, pick up an original artwork or simply browse and enjoy an artisanal coffee roasted on site.

Dubai’s theatre and performing arts lovers used to have to make do with productions in conference halls with acoustics that were not designed for the vibrato of a philharmonic orchestra. That was until Dubai Opera opened in 2016, becoming the city’s first purpose-built multi-format performing arts theatre. Though the city does not have a theatre district like London’s West End, Dubai Opera has played host to stunning productions of West End shows such as Les Misérables, The Nutcracker and The Kite Runner, and the stage has been graced by the biggest names in opera such as Placido Domingo, José Carreras and Katherine Jenkins.

If you are looking for vast visual spectacle then this year’s Expo 2020 Dubai, from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021, promises to offer the greatest show on Earth. With six months of innovation, arts and technology in hundreds of unique country pavilions for visitors to marvel at. At the time of writing, despite the global Covid-19 crisis, Expo 2020 Dubai is still scheduled to go ahead.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_single_image image=”20777″ img_size=”1200 x 641″ add_caption=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_column_text]Dubai is not the only emirate with artistic attractions. The UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi, also has a wealth of art and heritage to explore too, but if you only see one thing, see the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Around an hour’s drive away from Dubai Marina, Louvre Abu Dhabi is a testimony of the UAE’s commitment and appreciation of art past, present and future. Located on Saadiyat Island, surrounded by the tranquil waters of the Arabian Gulf, Louvre Abu Dhabi is an island of awe and art. The intricate 590-foot-wide dome shaped museum was born out of a partnership between the UAE and France and houses some 600 masterpieces in its four wings. From adorned Egyptian sarcophagus from 900BC through to Basquiat’s Cabra, the Louvre Abu Dhabi illustrates how the Middle East is intrinsically connected to the world.

Do not expect to see too many billboards on the buses or tube inviting you to ‘Discover Sharjah’ (the emirate has one of the strictest decency laws in the UAE and alcohol is almost entirely forbidden), but for the culture loving traveler, a day trip to the emirate is worth skipping happy hour for. Sharjah is the third largest of the seven emirates, bordering Dubai it is approximately 20 minutes drive from Dubai International Airport. The emirate has established a reputation for its commitment to art, culture and history –  Sharjah was recognised as the UNESCO cultural capital of the Arab World in 1998 and has hosted the Sharjah Biennial since 1993.

Sharjah’s historic Art and Heritage Areas houses the Sharjah Art foundation (SAF), the artistic centre fo Sharjah. Book a ticket to the Rain Room (main image) and wander through an immersive installation that invites you to walk through a dark shower of continuous rain without getting wet, exploring our relationship with nature and technology.

Dubai’s art scene may not be as obvious as its glittering skyline but seeking it out will paint the city in a different light.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_single_image image=”20773″ img_size=”1200 x 641″ add_caption=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row inner_container=”true” padding_top=”20px” padding_bottom=”20px” border=”all” content_text_aligment=”” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” bg_video=”” class=”” style=””][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”20792″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][/vc_column][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]

Author: Benita Adesuyan

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”26px”][vc_column_text]Benita Adesuyan is a Londoner living in Dubai where she has been delving into the city’s cultural scene for over six years. She is a freelance writer and PR professional with over 10 years of experience and has crafted features for Time Out Dubai, Women’s Health and the Sunday Express Magazine. Benita is also a certified personal development coach working with professionals to turn their talents into strengths. When she’s not travelling, writing or helping businesses develop their people and their content, you can find her sweating it out at a pilates class or on the hunt for the city’s best G&T. Follow her on Twitter @BAdesuyan[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

[tatizekes]

you brought up modern tatizeke twice the other day and now?? i need more im sorry

im here only to Provide

Zeke comes from a well-to-do family and is the only living member left so he’s basically rich tbh, but he doesn’t spend his money a lot because he just doesn’t need to

he’s a police sergeant!!! the only reason he isn’t a captain or higher is because he hasn’t been on the force for enough years to meet those time requirements, but everyone knows he’s gonna be at the top and he gets a ton of responsibility anyway and people put him in charge of things all the time because he’s just incredibly good at what he does

in contrast to Zeke TATIANA IS LIKE KINDA REALLY POOR AND LIVES IN A TINY STUDIO APARTMENT, but she’s really savvy w/ her money and everyone at the shopping district knows her and loves her and likes to give her discounts and stuff

she went to school but dropped out bc formal education wasn’t for her and more importantly she didn’t have the funds, but she has a good gig with co-owning a natural medicine/spice shop with a friend and she enjoys what she does and is good at it

they meet because Zeke was being nice and offered to go pick up a prescription at Tatiana’s shop for a friend and he couldn’t speak for like two minutes and had to wander around the store before working up the courage to pick up the order bc the pretty girl at the counter was the most beautiful girl in the world undoubtedly

IT TOOK ZEKE TWO MONTHS TO WORK UP THE COURAGE TO ASK HER OUT AND TATIANA WAS SO HAPPY BECAUSE SHE WAS HOPING THE REALLY HANDSOME MAN WHO STARTED COMING INTO HER SHOP ALL THE TIME WOULD NOTICE HER

first time Tatiana goes to Zeke’s apartment she’s shocked, it’s so big, there’s so much room, his furniture is so plush and soft and nice??? his entire penthouse is so nice??? wtf it’s so nice

more under the cut so this doesn’t clog up anyone’s dash

first time Zeke goes to Tatiana’s apartment he’s shocked, IT’S SO TINY!!! THERE IS NO ROOM FOR SOMEONE AS BIG AS HIM HOW DOES TATIANA EXIST IN SUCH A TINY SPACE, IT’S LITERALLY LIKE JUST ONE ROOM Tatiana laughs at him

Berkut and Zeke work together and Rinea and Tatiana meet through them and are best friends, they go out together all the time to have lunch or go shopping or Rinea will hang out in Tatiana’s shop and they’ll talk about plants and medicine and how cool it is

Berkut and Zeke get along well enough?? Berkut is kinda jealous that Zeke gets such warm treatment from his uncle who’s the captain of their precinct, but he can respect a man who loves his gf as much as he loves his so they’re cool

Zeke can’t really… cook…. like he can make basic things but making himself a nice, cozy meal is kinda hard for him because it’s just not a talent he has. Tatiana is mortified when she figures out he hasn’t had like an actual home-cooked meal in a really long time and cooks for him whenever she can and it makes him feel all warm and fuzzy and her food is delicious and he loves her

alsdkfj like i said in the other post, Zeke’s hobby is buying Tatiana nice things and taking her to nice places because it’s all a new experience for her and he loves seeing her so happy and fascinated, it’s the highlight of his whole life, he loves her

[shirlleycoyle]

Fuck the Police: Why Does Cop Porn Still Exist?

Professional dom King Noire has experienced violence at the hands of police throughout his life. When he was 10 years old, cops shot and killed his friend's cousin, 16 year old Phillip Pannell. Later, when Noire was an older teen, they killed another friend, 24-year-old Jelani Manigault. Noire told me he's been beaten by the police himself on numerous occasions.

So when he first started his career in the adult world, he was adamant that there was one type of role he'd never take: a cop. "It's a complete fetishization of our pain and torment," he said.

At the peak of global protests against police brutality this summer after the police killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd—as images of protesters being teargassed and beaten by cops in riot gear flooded the news—something odd was happening on porn sites.

On xHamster, one of the biggest tube sites along with Pornhub and Xvideos, searches for terms like "cop," "police," and "jail" rose 39 percent in the U.S. and 25 percent worldwide between the first week of May and the first week of June. According to xHamster vice president Alex Hawkins, that surge has since died down, and interest in cop porn in general has been on the decline for the past five years.

What does it say about us, as porn-viewers and as a society, when eroticizing Black oppression is suddenly in demand at the height of awareness of systemic injustices Black people face? How did police-themed scenes become a common trope, and do they have a place in the future of porn?

A BRIEF DEFINITION OF COP PORN

First, let's establish what "cop porn" is. The most mainstream example might be the party stripper cop scenario, when a cop shows up at the door and, in porn scenes at least, it immediately leads to sex with that cop. In some ways, it's not that different from the old pizza delivery guy trope or horny plumber: Someone is there to do a job (in this case, strip for a bachelor party) and gets otherwise occupied.

Then there's your classic blue-uniform roleplay, where someone's getting arrested and the culprit has to do something — anything — to get out of the ticket. Border Patrol scenarios, which are more about race and often feature Latinx actors caught in the act of crossing the border, are in the cop porn category.

"Cop porn started off as a way to enjoy fetish without acknowledging fetish," Hawkins said. "Before 50 Shades of Grey made power-exchange dinner party conversation, cop porn was an easy way for viewers to enjoy that type of fantasy without having to cross the threshold into BDSM. Power exchange has entered more mainstream productions, so cop porn just doesn't have the cache it used to."

Even if it's in decline, however, police-themed porn is still popular. There are multiple highly popular police-themed channels on Pornhub, for example: the "Fake Cop" channel has more than 82 million video views. The "Screw the Cops" channel only has two videos, but more than 330,000 views. "Border Patrol Sex" has eight videos and nearly seven million views. On XVideos, the most-viewed cop porn video has more than 41 million views.

"In reality, life doesn't separate itself out like that. Fantasies and projections are how people navigate everything."

A lot of cop porn is lighthearted and downright goofy. The sort of "ma'am I'm here to arrest you… for being too sexy" sort of jokes that are present in much of porn. But finding these scenes as an easy avenue for goofiness and fun is a luxury that not every viewer can enjoy. If you've never been on the receiving end of police brutality, or raped by a cop while in custody, it would be a lot easier to get into scenes depicting those things.

Most entertainment—and porn especially, being so overtly fantasy and frequently campy—requires some suspension of disbelief. But suspending that disbelief is becoming harder in a world where it's becoming increasingly impossible to remain ignorant of the reality of rampant police brutality.

"Ignorance truly is bliss, but to continue consuming such porn after gaining knowledge makes you part of the problem," kink educator and professional dom Blaksyn told me.

HOW POPULAR IS COP PORN

Police roleplay in porn goes back as early as the mainstream commercial porn industry itself. The 1986 film Miami Spice starring Amber Lynn as an undercover cop is just one example. 1986's Flasher is about, well, a rogue flasher in Central Park, but the police role in this one only comes in the end, when actress Victoria Stanton, playing a cop, decides she's more open minded than her prudish detective partner.

Porn usually follows and reflects what's happening in culture, and while it's hard to say whether police porn in the 80s was motivated by events of the time, that does seem to be the case today—and data from porn viewership shows it.

"With so much news about police and policing these days, it's not surprising to see a sudden uptick in searches," Hawkins said. "In my experience viewers fantasize about what is already on their minds. They fantasize about the figures they fear or loathe and the figures they love in equal parts."

There are a few studios that have dedicated series and sites to the genre. Adult Time's "Girls Under Arrest" plainly lays out the core conceit of most cop porn in its description of the series:

"…rebellious teens getting caught and fucked to avoid charges or jail time…Be a part of the action as a dirty cop catches a teen girl with illegal drugs and fucks her for her release as her boyfriend waits in the car; or watch as a cop catches an escort in the act in a seedy motel and gets a freebie in exchange for her release."

Police taking sexual advantage, and raping, people in custody isn't just a porn fantasy. It's a legal loophole that exists, and keeps cops from being convicted of rape. Recently, with increased and vocal criticism of police violence around the world, more people are talking about the legal loophole that allows police in 35 states to have sex with their detainees. In 2018, two NYPD cops arrested and raped an 18 year old while she was handcuffed in their unmarked vehicle. The Brooklyn district attorney dropped those charges.

Voyeurism is repeated across many types of porn that would be considered societally taboo: everything from "caught masturbating" and "caught cheating" plots (like the one Ted Cruz famously tweeted) to "casting couch" scenes rely on a trope where the viewer is surreptitiously seeing something not meant for public consumption.

Some sites lean much farther into tropes of brutality and race than others, depicting plausible situations of police misconduct as fetish. FetishNetwork's "Operation Escort" series is about undercover cops doing stings by hiring sex workers, having sex with them, and then arresting them—something that actually happens in real life. "Latina Patrol," also by FetishNetwork, features a detainment, sex, and deportation theme.

Not all cop porn involves race. But based on the production effort these studios have gone to, and the extremes they've taken the trope—and considering that so many people were searching for it during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests— the racial aspect of a lot of cop porn appears to draw viewers. That spike in popularity is saying something about how we perceive the genre, eroticism of state violence—and how the industry typecasts BIPOC performers.

"It’s dangerous, naïve and wildly privileged to choose to divorce the reality of police brutality from detention porn as entertainment”

Managers and agents told King Noire he'd never succeed in the industry if he kept turning down roles that stereotyped him being Black. So he focused on becoming independent, starting his own studio and creating content on his terms.

In our phone conversation, Noire specifically brought up Black Patrol as an example of racist stereotyping in the industry—something the BIPOC Collective, of which he's a member, is working to change.

"Over the span of our entire existence as Black folks in this country, America has found different ways to justify how they treat us," he said. "It also plays on the other stereotype of Black and brown people being hyper-sexualized, as if we always want to fuck."

WHAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO COP PORN?

Like Noire, Blaksyn also said they never have and never will take a role playing a police officer or other figure of state authority. But the appeal of cop porn or other arrest and detention-themed porn, as they see it, is multifaceted.

"First, there is the attractiveness of power itself. Individuals are drawn to power as a result of their personal narrative. Power and privilege intersect, but understanding how they relate is subject to one's position in society," Blaksyn said. "In this case however, I think this allows people to confront the atrocities of the world in a digestible way. Those who have power enjoy these depictions vicariously. Those without power enjoy these scenarios as a result of the controlled and predictable environment, offering a chance to change one's narrative around power and consent."

In a 2016 Q&A published in the journal The Black Scholar, Ariane Cruz, assistant professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Penn State, addressed race play in a BDSM context. We don't need to separate race play into a "fringe" category within BDSM, she wrote, which sets it up to be seen as radical or extreme.

Cruz wrote that race play is a kind of performance that reveals the "mundane and everyday erotic currency" of race in contemporary American culture.

"I suggest that we extend the theoretic aperture of race play beyond its BDSM and pornography framework to illuminate the ways in which the violent pleasure of play of race is enacted in the larger venue of popular culture," she wrote.

A Black man in a confrontation with the cops could definitely be considered mundane in American culture. Violence, too, is often mundane. But eroticizing that encounter in porn invites the viewer to take pleasure in violence, specifically violence enacted by the state.

So why are people turned on by displays of state authority? Amber Jamilla Musser, professor of American Studies at the George Washington University and the author of Sensual Excess: Queer Femininity and Brown Jouissance, told me that some people have a psychological desire to connect with power as a way of expressing belonging to a larger structure—in this case, the state.

"What gets complicated in race play always is the fear that these fantasies and desires will not just stay in the porn studio (or bedroom), but that they actually articulate someone's subconscious desires for society," she said. But people still express a desire "to engage in fantasies that render them subservient," she said.

"What is happening in those cases can also be described as a desire to repeat reality with a difference," Musser said. "Instead of being pulled over resulting in pain, here it results in orgasms. What is pleasurable is the ability to repeat these scenarios with a difference that one controls. If reality is difficult because one doesn't have the option of control, these porn spaces allow viewers and performers alike to potentially explore these situations with a more favorable outcome."

At the same time, model and adult performer Jessa Jordan told me it's not possible to separate cop porn as entertainment from the realities of police brutality as it exists.

"It’s dangerous, naïve and wildly privileged to choose to divorce the reality of police brutality from detention porn as entertainment," Jordan said. "People will continue to be sexually attracted to and desire the fantasy of sex with cops because it’s more about the concept of an authority figure enacting control over them, being forced to the whims of someone else perceived as a superior or just succumbing to someone who has more physical force or strength. If the focus was more on those aspects instead of an inherent emphasis on racist, and often times classist, social norms, then maybe police porn could exist in a less problematic format, but it will continue to be problematic as we continue to live in a society that is terrorized by police and their various extended forms."

Blaksyn said that to ask if it's possible to separate cop porn that features police brutality from real-life state violence is to challenge the narratives of Black performers and consumers. "Being able to separate the two screams privilege and ultimately makes one complicit," they said. "I personally cannot separate the two.”

THE FUTURE OF POLICE IN PORN

The performers I spoke to expressed a hope that with the recent pushes to change the unfair treatment of models of color in the adult industry, genres that exploit their trauma will die off as well.

If there's one thing the porn world does best, it's responding with speed and precision to the desires of consumers. The reason this genre is in decline is likely because people got bored with it and stopped seeking it out as much, so studios stopped spending the time and money to make it.

Hawkins noted that the decline in interest in police-themed porn scenarios could be a matter of investment: Filming a scene with convincing uniforms, scripts, police cruisers, and dedicated sets for jails require a budget. At a time when viewers are just as eager to watch candid, unscripted experiential porn or connect with a cam model, it's likely just not worth it.

It's also possible that over the years, as more stories of violence at the hands of the police are uncovered as commonplace, the fantasies of "good cops" and "bad apples" have been exposed as just that: unrealistic fantasies that mask the reality oppressed communities face. Unless performers and directors are willing to push the trope to the absolute extreme, as Black Patrol does, consumers get bored and the content gets pushed down by tube site algorithms.

Noire believes that the way forward is for BIPOC performers to take control of their own content as he did early in his career, and choose to work with—and watch—content made by studios that don't put people into racist categories or scenarios.

"We're in an age right now where a lot of these studios, the reason that they're trying to be as extreme as possible is because they feel their grip [on the market] loosening," he said.

"There isn’t a place for scenes with racist themes in modern or future pornography—companies that make it just need to catch up with the rest of us and start getting more creative and inclusive with their screenwriting," Jordan said. "That includes employing more Black and non-white passing POC as screenwriters, producers and directors because these scenes often reduce non-white characters to stereotypes and caricatures. Give us the ability to tell our own stories and show our sexuality authentically."

The answer might not be to ban all porn eroticizing state violence or shun it as irredeemable. But viewers need more literacy about BIPOC sex workers' experiences with police, and a willingness to interrogate why they're turned on by eroticized, glamorized scenes of real-life violence.

"I think there is a cultural desire for pure objects, that we can say that something is ONLY entertainment or that something is completely unproblematic," Musser said. "In reality, life doesn't separate itself out like that. Fantasies and projections are how people navigate everything."

Framing the existence of cop porn as whether or not it should exist raises all of these questions about how porn and fantasy carry into our lives, Musser said. "This is a broader question about where pornography resides culturally—can it ever just be entertainment? But then is anything?"

Fuck the Police: Why Does Cop Porn Still Exist? syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[quandongcrumble]

This is a modern Thedas AU where my sweet and cheerful Warden, Alim Surana, works at a tea shop. Featuring my other Wardens Marta Brosca, Oriana Tabris and Gethin Mahariel, Red’s @s-hylor Aedan Cousland, and any and all of the NPCs I’ve picked and chosen to fill up the story. It’s supposed to be cute and sweet and light. Let’s see if I can keep it that way.

----------------------------

The jingle of the brass bell above the door announces what Alim hopes will be the last customer of the day. He shuts off the water and wipes his hands dry on his gingham apron, and leaves the kitchen through the creaky swinging door.

“Hi, welcome to Camellia’s. How are you today?”

He flicks his hair out of his eyes and leans over the counter a little, grinning. His bracelets pool around his skinny wrists with a soft clack of plastic and wood.

The taller of the two humans, a lean man with shoulders like woah, dark red hair, and the palest blue green eyes – like sea glass – returns his grin. “Um, don’t suppose you sell coffee?”

“No chance,” Alim says. His face falls, so Alim hastens to add, “the coffee from Josephine’s next door is amazing, and I have no problem with you bringing a takeaway cup back here if your friend is staying to drink my tea.”

The man’s grin returns, this time shy and uncertain. “No, that’s alright. I’ll try a tea.”

“What would you like?” Alim glances between the tall man and his so far silent companion, trying to guess their tastes. “Will you share a pot, or would you like two different drinks?”

“Um,” the tall human says again, and looks to his friend for the answer.

His friend is only slightly shorter, and just as broad through the shoulders. He’s equally thick through his barrel chest, and a slight soft belly strains the front of his Bull’s Chargers tee shirt. His skin is a light brown that could possibly be a tan, but Alim suspects is more likely the result of genetics. He looks just as awkward as the tall red-head, though a little less shy.

“Let’s share,” the second man says. “You like black tea, right?”

“Can I make a suggestion?” Alim says. “We have a very lovely spiced Tevinter tea that you might like. It’s best brewed strong, and with plenty of honey, and goes nicely with the date pastries on display there.”

“That sounds nice,” the taller man says.

Alim gestures to the multitude of empty tables. “Take a seat, and I’ll bring it over to you.”

It doesn’t take long to get the pot of tea and the pastries ready, and Alim carries everything over to them on a silver tray. The two men are sitting on the same side of the table, talking in low voices. Alim thinks they might be holding hands.

He returns to the kitchen to continue his dishes, and stops for a moment to send a quick message to Leliana.

Help! About 400 lbs of beefcake just walked in here and I’m torn between ogling because wow or squeeing because I think they’re on a date with each other.

His phone buzzes as soon as he locks it, and he opens it up hoping for a response. Not Leliana, just another message on what Marta affectionately refers to as his ‘ho-stagram’ account. Probable that weird elf ear fetishist who can’t take a hint and makes a new account every time Alim blocks him. He doesn’t bother checking. As long as his dry spell has been, he has a date tonight with a good friend, a couple bottles of wine, and a mindless action tv-show.

The bell jingles again and he leaves his phone next to the sink to check it out.

“Speak of the devil, or rather, message her,” he greets Leliana warmly.

The human woman laughs and comes up to the counter, taking a sneaky glance at the two men happily enjoying their tea at the table in the back. “Pure beef indeed,” she quips. “They looks cute together.”

“Won’t Oriana get jealous if she catches you looking?” Alim teases.

“Please! She’d be looking along with me. Benefits of a bisexual girlfriend.”

“What brings you in?”

“Running an errand for Ori. She’s after some of that amazing anti-nausea tea you make. Valora has terrible morning sickness and Ori thought your tea might help.”

“Proper medicine might help more,” Alim says.

“She’s on proper medicine,” Leliana says. “But apparently that tea you made when Shianni had an ear infection works better.”

“I’m sure it’s just, what do you call it? Psychosomatic? Placebo effect?” Alim pulls canisters down off the shelf and starts measuring out scoops of dried herbs into a bowl.

“Whatever works,” Leliana says. “I’ll get some of your hangover tea too.”

Alim measures out the nausea blend, humming happily, and pours it into a paper bag. Then he fetches a clean bowl and starts on his favourite hangover tea.

“You know it’s just Seheron green tea, lavender and elfroot, right?” Alim says.

Leliana shrugs. “I tried to make my own once. Didn’t work as well.”

“Probably needed a better green tea,” Alim says. He hands over both bags, neatly labelled in his best chicken scratch, and tells her the price.

“Thank you,” Leliana says. She hoists herself up so she can lean over the counter and kiss him on the cheek. “You’re magical.”

Alim kisses her cheek in return. “Now we both know that’s not true. See you Saturday?”

“Saturday,” Leliana confirms. She gives him a last wave as she heads out the door.

“Your girlfriend?”

The shorter of the two beefcakes has approached the counter while he was distracted with Leliana.

“Just a good friend,” Alim says. “She’s in a happy relationship, and I’m gay and – tragically – single. What can I get you?”

Shorter beefcake laughs. “We’d like another couple of those spiced teas to takeaway if we could.”

Alim grins. “Thought you’d like that one. I’ll make up two to go. You want to settle the bill?”

“Yes please.” He hands over bills and Alim hands him his change. “I’m sure we’ll be back soon. We’ve both just started with Duncan at the Warden Joinery.”

“Oh?” Alim starts the tea steeping. “I know Duncan. Do you mind dropping off a parcel for him? I know he gets these awful migraines and I have a new tisane for him to try.”

“Tis-what-now?”

“Tisane. It’s a fancy word for tea without any tea leaves in it,” Alim says. He digs under the counter for a couple of extra canisters. “We’re supposed to call it that here.”

“Learn something new everyday.”

Alim scoops, measures and crushes, and hands the resulting mixture in a labeled paper bag over to the beefcake. “No charge. I just want to know how he finds it.”

Taller beefcake approaches the counter, and Alim quickly pours their tea, adds the honey, and snaps the lids onto the takeaway cups.

“So do we just tell Duncan the tea is from a short red-headed elf?” Taller beefcake asks.

Alim laughs. “My name is Alim.”

“I’m Aedan,” taller beefcake says, “and this is Alistair.”

“How weird that we all have ‘A’ names,” Alim says. Wow, way to be as dorky as possible.

Aedan gives him a polite chuckle. “Well, see you around, Alim.”

“Bye,” Alim says. He watches them walk out and briefly contemplated flipping the sign to ‘Closed’ even though he technically has another eight minutes, but Elegant would have his head if she caught him. Instead be buses Alistair and Aedan’s table and takes their dishes to the kitchen to wash. He keeps an ear out, but the bell above the door doesn’t chime again, and precisely seven and a half minutes later he skips over to the front door, flips the sign, and twists the lock.

Freedom.

Amaranthine isn’t nearly as big as, say, Highever or Denerim, but it still takes him a good half hour to cycle from the historic market district where Camellia’s is to his run down flat on the edge of the industrial docks. It’s not close enough to the beach to have an ocean view, but it’s cheap enough that he can afford it, and – most importantly – he gets to live alone. Too many years of boarding school means he’s had his fill of house mates and people in his space.

He stows his bicycle in the shared garage on the ground floor, then clatters up the stairs to his flat. There’s no lift – the place is old, though not quite old enough to count as historic – but four flights isn’t that much. His flat is tiny. If it were newer, it would probably be called a studio and feature white, square-edged furniture and hardwood floors. Instead the furniture is whatever he could buy second hand or steal off the footpath on hard-rubbish day, and the floor is beige and green linoleum, but it’s neat and it’s quiet and it’s his. Best of all, it gets a lot of afternoon sun, so all the plants on his kitchen counters and window sills are flourishing in shocks of silver and green.

Alim checks the time on his phone. He has about an hour before Marta shows up with the wine, and he’d better take a shower and make some food in that time. He pauses long enough to take advantage of the gorgeous late afternoon light and snap a half-dressed photo of himself in his oversized mirror to upload to his Instagram. It’s a good one – he’s almost completely silhouetted against the light, but you can just see that he’s wearing nothing but a shirt, shrugged off of his shoulders enough that the angle of one delicate shoulder blade is visible. Artsy.

He has a handful of notifications on the photo by the time he gets out of the shower. He pauses, wearing nothing but his towel, to check them.

One, from Freddy, is just the crude use of an eggplant emoji. Alim grins. He misses Freddy. Maybe he should see what a train ticket to Montsimmard would cost. It would be nice to visit him.

His phone pings a Snapchat notification from Gethin Mahariel, which means either Gethin is in town, or has climbed to the top of a ridiculous tall tree somewhere in the Brecilian Forest to get phone reception. Knowing his friend, the second is probably more likely.

The snap is a copy of his Instagram photo with a sloppily drawn circle around the stubby little cactus just visible on the left edge, and the text “everything is a dildo if you’re brave enough”.

Alim laughs so hard he snorts, then takes a quick snap of his horrified face and sends it back with the text “GETHIN NO!!”

Two seconds later her receives a reply snap. Gethin is indeed clinging to the top of a tree, grinning like an idiot into his camera. The caption simply reads “GETHIN YES!”

Alim sighs and drops his phone onto his bed. He rummages for clothes, settling on a Sera Bee tee shirt from her concert in Denerim, and a plain black kilt worn soft with so many washes. He might be forced to wear trousers by Elegant’s safety rules at Camellia’s, but he’ll be damned if he’ll wear the horrid things on his own time. It takes all of two minutes to tidy up his shoebox-sized flat and spread another blanket on top of his bed. It’s something Leliana’s girlfriend Ori gave him for his birthday, a crocheted monstrosity covered in frolicking nugs. It’s his favourite.

He’s just putting the finishing touches on dinner, a Nevarran dish with a lot of chickpeas, when someone knocks on his door.

“If that’s you Marta, come in,” he calls out. “If it’s a burglar, go away.”

Marta’s laughing as she comes through the door. “Yeah, because burglars will totally just walk off.”

“You never know,” Alim says. “They might think I sound scary.”

“You scare no one, Toothpick,” Marta says.

Marta Brosca is broad, even for a dwarf, and muscled like a power lifter. Dressed as she is in jeans and a tee with the sleeves ripped off, her arm muscles are even more apparent. She waves the two bottles of wine dangling from one hand as she closes and locks the door, an easy grin on her round face.

“Your hair!” Alim blurts out.

The last time he’d seen her, her hair had been acid green and styled in a mohawk. Now it’s gone, buzzed back to a quarter-inch long stripe of her natural brown.

“The bleach fried it,” she says. “It’s okay, I’ll grow it out again. I’m thinking blue this time.”

“You look shorter now,” he teases.

“Losing six inches of hair will do that,” she says. She follows the comment with a sniff, then pulls a face. “Why don’t you ever cook normal food?”

“Because Fereldan food is boring and I couldn’t find any deep mushrooms at the market.”

“Nothing wrong with boring,” Marta grumbles, but she fills her bowl to the brim all the same while Alim finds some glasses for their wine.

They sit on his bed, it being the only real piece of furniture in the place with a view of the TV, with their backs propped against the wall and their meals in their laps. The head and foot of the bed – solid timber – are just wide enough for their wine glasses to perch on. Alim turns on the TV and calls up the Netflix menu. It’s technically Ori’s family’s account, but her father is generous enough to let her friends use it.

“More Hard in Hightown?” Alim says.

Marta hums around a mouthful of food. “There’s that new horror film they shot at Montsimmard University,” she says once she’s swallowed. “We could see if we can spot your Freddy in the extras.”

“Is that the one with the evil mage as the villain? No thanks.”

“Aw, why not?”

Alim sighs. “I don’t know. Blame that documentary Morrigan made us watch. I just don’t like seeing mages as villains anymore. Besides, I like to think I would have been a mage if the Inquisitor hadn’t cut the world off from the Fade entirely back in the Dragon Age.”

“You just think that because your fancy Chantry boarding school was in the old mage tower.”

“That and, I don’t know…” he pauses, stuffing food in his mouth to give himself a chance to think. Marta’s only been his friend since he moved to Amaranthine a couple of years ago, but in that time they’ve gotten close, and he trusts her not to make too much fun of his fantasies. “I’ve been having these really vivid dreams lately, about walking through a muddled landscape towards a black city. In the dream, I can make fire and ice and electricity with my thoughts as easy as snapping my fingers.”

“You always have vivid dreams,” Marta says. “There’s the one where you could fly, the one with the griffon hatchlings, the one where you fucked Duncan’s business partner—”

“Hey! You’ve seen Blackwall. You’d want to fuck him too if you were into guys.”

“What makes this dream so different?”

“I don’t know. It feels more real. I can control what I’m doing, sort of. Not like real lucid dreaming, but about halfway to it or something.”

“Weird,” Marta says. “Well, more Hard in Hightown it is, then.”

[connorrenwick]

Design Milk Travels to… Amman

The seven main hills of Amman stand sentinel to one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, one buzzing with the telltale signs of modernity at its core accompanied with the haunting hum of antiquity interspersed along its periphery. Tourists arrive in droves for short stays here within the capital of Jordan before heading out with plans for days to be spent floating weightlessly upon the saline buoyancy of the Dead Sea or navigating the achingly beautiful narrow passage into the heart of the ancient Nabataean city of Petra by foot. But in doing so, visitors forgo the opportunity to explore a city beginning to embroider the tapestry of its ancient past with a emerging art and design scene.

WHERE TO STAY

Motivated by hunger, my first morning in Amman was spent huffing and puffing up and down a series of serpentine streets, each interconnected to a see-saw of stairs. Imagine someone throwing a plateful of noodles onto paper and tracing the outlines to map a city, and you’ve got an approximation of Amman’s dizzying streets. I endured the Sisyphean butt-kicker in hopes of finding Salaheddin Bakery (مخبز صلاح الدين), an Abdali neighborhood staple specializing in kaek, a fingertip-scorching loaf of freshly baked sesame seed encrusted bread impregnated with a holy trinity of baked eggs, cheese, and za’atar. Perhaps it was a case of positive reinforcement by way of taste buds after devouring that unforgettably delicious sandwich, but afterward I felt confident and committed to exploring Amman by foot. Obviously a level of fitness is required to walk such demanding geography, but the reward is the ability to scratch the itch of curiosity tickled by Amman’s countless alleys, courtyards, and hidden gardens.

Staying at a hotel central to downtown is advisable for this purpose, allowing easier access to Amman’s historical sites, the souk, galleries, shops, and restaurants. Even so, be ready to jump into one of the 11,000 yellow taxis servicing Amman.

Photos: La Locanda Hotel

La Locanda Boutique Hotel, Jordan’s first themed boutique hotel, is nestled in the precipitous and picturesque neighborhood of Jabel Al Weibdeh, the artistic heart of Amman. The hotel is close to many of the city’s most vibrant galleries, most notably the center for contemporary Arab art, Darat Al Funun. The tree-lined avenues dotted with shops and cafes allow for leisurely walks with the opportunity to frequently stop.

Photos: Wild Jordan Center

Don’t let the name throw you off, the Wild Jordan Center is a hidden gem and our favorite accommodations for longer stays in Amman. Comprised of five “lodges” (really just apartments, complete with kitchenettes), the center offers guests an Instagram-worthy view overlooking Old Amman, with the iconic Citadel clearly visible from every window and balcony. The lodges are named after nature reserves protected by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. With the evocation of a lodge, one might expect rustic decor, but each room is actually decorated in contemporary furnishings. The adjoining restaurant serves visitors and guests alike local seasonal fare served with a health conscious bent; nearly every table presents a densely populated and picturesque view of city life below. I also remember the adjoining gift shop as particularly well stocked with small wares, clothing, handmade items, and foodstuffs.

Photo: W Amman

Those seeking the refuge of a recognizably global style of accommodations may find the contemporary 280 guest rooms and 44 suites of the W Amman in the Abdali neighborhood to their liking. If you’ve stayed at a W Hotel before, the financial district hotel won’t throw any surprises, sharing the identifiably sleek W-style décor that has made the brand a dependable beacon for vacationers and business travelers alike.

Notable mentions: Four Seasons Hotel Amman \\\ The House Boutique Suites \\\ Grand Hyatt Amman \\\ The Art Hotel

WHERE TO PLAY

Photo: Gregory Han

The Jordanian National Gallery of Fine Arts’ collection of contemporary art isn’t comprehensive, but it offers an excellent starting off point with a curated selection showcasing the diversity of styles, techniques, and subject matter specific to Jordan and the surrounding regions. The museum is actually comprised of two buildings separated by a sculpture garden in between, with temporary exhibitions housed in the smaller north side Building 1, with the majority of its permanent collection housed across inside Building 2. The neighborhood and museum are both surprisingly quiet, delivering unhurried contemplation and appreciation of the artwork on display.

“A Chair Tale” exhibition during Amman Design Week at the Jordan National Gallery. Photo: Gregory Han

The Darat al Funun could be considered the Jordanian equivalent of The Getty in Los Angeles – a hillside cultural center dedicated to the intersection of contemporary and ancient art, academia, and cultural outreach overlooking its host city. But how many museums can claim its own excavated ruins of a 6th-century Byzantine church sitting on its grounds? Just be ready to climb an endless ascension of stairs while exploring Darat al Funun’s intimate gardens, library, temporary exhibitions, and hopefully a stop at the hillside cafe. Each spot rewards curious minds with strengthened calves.

Photo: Gregory Han

Tiraz sits on the outskirts of a residential section of Amman, and inside its unassuming walls resides the magnificent Widad Kamel Kawar dress collection, the most complete assemblage of both Palestinian and Jordanian dress, alongside the largest collection of Syrian dresses outside of the country. A deeper appreciation of the region and its people is revealed in inspection of the dizzying intricacy decorating the collection’s dresses, each fashioned to communicate the extended history of its wearer and their community through the craft of detailed embroidery. The museum also hosts temporary exhibits; during our visit the intricate pixel-like geometry of Jordanian designers Nisreen and Nermeen Abu Dail of Naqsh Collective greeted visitors from the courtyard, with a more extensive display within.

Photo: Gregory Han

Photo: Arini Zain Cultural Plaza

Arini is the physical outpost of the Arabic online architecture and design site, Herskhazeen, and one of the more important institutions focused upon the promotion, dialogue, and investigation of contemporary design and architecture in the Middle East. Visitors are bound to discover an ever-changing landscape of immersive installations like Dalieh – the Kinetic Canopy [shown above], alongside operating as a nexus of the city’s creative class.

Notable mentions:  Mujib Chalets \\\ Wild Jordan Center \\\ Feynan Ecolodge

WHERE TO SHOP

Photo: Gregory Han

When we slipped into Turbo for a breather during Amman Design Week, we weren’t quite sure what to make of the former abandoned car repair shop outfitted by graphic designers Saeed Abu-Jaber and Mothanna Hussein. Was it a graphic design studio? A coffee bar? A gallery? A pop-up shop? The answer is simply, “yes” (and also the answer to whether you should drop in). Their multidisciplinary studio is most easily spotted by their bright yellow espresso machine and an iconic tiger sculpture.

Photo: Kama

After spending an afternoon sampling Kama’s selection of gourmet local olives, oils, spices, nuts, chocolates, and snacks – each packaged in elegant contemporary Arabic geometric motifs – our evening was spent valiantly attempting to find extra room in our luggage to bring back home an assortment of gifts. Kama’s delicious design is a choice opportunity to bring back a taste of Jordan (or enjoy some in your hotel room, as I might be guilty of).

Photo: Shams Amman

Home décor, flowers and plants, food, and even a weekly yoga class all intersect at Shams Amman and their adjoining Al Balad Café. I discovered the shop after looking for the intricate and colorful art of Mo Rusan, whose arabesque prints would not look one bit out of place in a William Morris catalog.

Photo: Mo Rusan

Jordan River Foundation has two outposts – one inside the city and another within the Queen Alia International Airport, conveniently located just before the security gates at the departure lounge. Both represent the non-profit efforts of Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, each designed to spotlight a vibrant catalog of modern home décor and accessories handmade using traditional embroidery and woodworking techniques. Proceeds go to funding training programs to empower local women and children, making it destination for conscious consumerism.

Photo: Jordan River Foundation

Notable mentions: Tumayr – Garden Shop \\\ Jordan Craft Center \\\ Jacaranda

FINAL WORDS

Upon arrival, Amman can seem like an overwhelming tangle of sights, sounds, smells, and textures. But by carefully pre-populating a Google Map with sights to visit, that seemingly impenetrable mass reveals a very walkable city. Download the rideshare app, Careem, and connecting those dots on your to-do list becomes even easier.

Photos: Gregory Han

Amman Design Week is only in its second year of existence, but what it lacks in history it makes up for in its immersive breadth, exploring design beyond the esthetic and deep into the realm of relevant social, cultural, and environmental issues. Examples include ‘Kutleh’ by Rula Yaghmour (left) a “carved” seat made with scraps from the stone industry and construction projects, and ‘Left of Passage, Right of Passage’ (right), an installation by Anmahian Winton Architects, inspired by Wadi Rum, the geological Jordanian wilderness immortalized by T E Lawrence as “vast, echoing and godlike”. A visit scheduled during this celebratory span presents Amman at its most festive and finest from an arts and design perspective.

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