#i have finally gifed SIX
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Joe "The Bear" Graves | SIX âł my favourite Joe moments from Series One, Episode One
#i have finally gifed SIX#it's happening#gonna need to make a side blog for this#joe the bear graves#joe graves#the bear#SIX 2017#barry sloane#mygifs#FINALLY MY MANS IS GETTING SOME GOOD GIFS#barry#he is adorable and i am dying
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Hello Glass, I have a quick question. What is the protocol for using youtube videos for gif making? I want to make some but I don't want to use someone's video and then get in, not "trouble" really, but have someone get upset with me. Should I ask before using a video? Thanks for the help!
I assume this is about bootlegs uploaded to YouTube? Since I figure most other kinds of YouTube videos are free to gif, and that their uploaders wouldnât care much about that sort of thing. (In some cases, they might encourage it - more publicity for them!)
For bootlegs, itâs fairly difficult to say. Many bootleg filmers, while they didnât want their stuff shared publicly, never restricted people from making gifs of it, but thatâs because many of the filmers were, well, older and didnât know gifs existed at all. Some newer filmers have begun requesting that people donât gif their videos at all, while a few others only ask that people refrain from gifing until the NFT date is passed. And most would definitely like you to not send them directly to the actors who are in the boots (yes, thatâs happened).
So only thing I can say is do your research and use your common sense. My instinct is to be cautious about some of the newer shows, like Six or Hadestown or whatever, but that older, established shows, like Phantom or Les Mis, are more lax. Finally, keep in mind that many people uploading full videos of bootlegs to YouTube, especially for newer shows, are not the filmer and are often angering the filmer when they do it, so asking the uploader for permission does not necessarily mean youâre asking the filmer for permission. So yeah, really just have to research trading sites and such.
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I made the mistake of starting to rewatch Shadowhunters again & now Iâm crying over Clary. She deserved so much more, I know I was only fourteen when I read the final book & I can barely remember what happened last week let alone a book I read six years ago, but I canât remember that ever happening to her & I just love her so much. Thank you for your quality gifsets of her she is so beautiful đ
That never happened to her in the books! Her and Jace became heads of the institute. It was Simon who lost his memories over the whole mark of cain thing as a price to remove it. Clary also went on to get various more runes from the angels which makes that whole fucking arc a croc of bullshit. but what can we expect from showrunners who liked anti clary and clace tweets the first day they were announced as taking over but the fandom never gave a shit about thaaaaaaaat. and are only now starting to see how awful these white demons were because they insulted their precious m/ec in a book like lmao. I have no sympathy whatsoever for people who praised these assholes when they were laughing and making jokes about shipping lilith and jace and saying it was a better ship than clace. Like yâall really let them get away with making rape jokes and shipping jace with his abuser and saying an abusive ship was better. and youâre surprised theyâre now being trash bout your darlings because they made their money from yâall like...... no sympathy at all.
I only really acknowledge s1 these days because it literally hurts to breathe sometimes and gives me a panic attack just hearing the shows name. Â
BUT AGREED!!!! and youâre welcome!!! I love gifing my bby girl who deserved the most and the show nor the fandom deserved her.
#anti sh fandom#anti shadowhunters#strangeradventures#Ask#also no i don't want any of y'alls shitty hot takes#stay off my posts
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You okay? You havenât been very active last days
Awe, thanks for asking. Itâs kinda a bit long but here it goes.
Pretty much in April my ex broke up with me over the phone during quarantine literally just throwing away the whole future we had planned because heâs chosen without mentioning it to be at all to go to a different country for Uni and he wanted to have âa fun summerâ without depression of having us both saying goodbye. Weâd been dating for fifteen months, talking for sixteen and it was a really really passionate relationship with a lot of high emotion from both parties. However, a lot of high emotion leads to volatility which is why the last six months of our relationship was really toxic and brought my mental health down to a point where I had so much anxiety I went down from 46 to 41 kilos just purely because of not eating due to stress.
Moving on, our relationship became sorta toxic because of my ex. He has a huge ego, is very competitive and weâre both really into debating. He started to make everything a competition between us and he would go off on the smallest things. Like he would call be every hour or thirty minutes when I was hanging out with friends or I wanted him to smoke hookah a little less and he broke our agreement but when I tried weed one time he went literally ballistic. No, it wasnât an abusive relationship. The atmosphere was just... really toxic. We both were on the debate team and I kept winning while he kept losing and he always sorta resented me for that, like he felt so threatened that I was doing better than him in school... or debate... or in my personal life.
So yeah, us breaking up was a good thing but it doesnât stop there. We really really loved each other. And love doesnât conquer all, you know? Anyways, he broke up with me in early April and didnât contact me for two whole months. We went from talking everyday to talking zero times in two months. However, the next time we did meet he proposed a meeting under the guise of he needed to get his stuff. So he shows up at my house, gets his stuff and then stays for three hours pleading and saying like he made a mistake, a rash mistake and I kinda told him... no. And honestly it was the hardest thing I ever had to do because we still loved each other so much but he hadnât changed at all. So, that following week, we had a house party for graduating seniors. The entire night, he made out with one of my friends in front of me because he wanted to make sure I had a really shitty night. And yeah... it wasnât nice. But I had a lot of guys trying to get with me and, weâll, his best friend of ten years was one of them. His best friend made a move and I owed nothing to my ex so I went with it, weâre friends after all.
He isnât really close with his best friend anymore because heâs really jealous and hurt his best friend did that. Which I understand but at the end of the day... all his friends were pissed at him at this party because he kept getting jealous whenever I was with a guy and just staying in my own lane even tho HE broke up with me and shit over the phone... The following week at another party that he wasnât invited to, he removed me from our last media of contact we still had each other on and I didnât hear from him for another month and a half.
Flash to my birthday. August 3. Itâs 1 am and he called me out of the blue wishing me a happy birthday. I really wasnât... thrilled. At this point I was finally okay. I had moved on mentally (of course your heart still stays with the people you once loved), I had a great friend group around me, I finally was able to start gifing and writing again because I felt really... happy. Really good about myself. Like the best Iâve felt about myself in like a decade. I even got my weight up to 45 kilos after going on a diet to gain weight! And my exâs entire phone call I was speaking so strong but my fucking body was shaking so hard. I know it sounds stupid but I was so fucking scared because I had finally rebuilt myself and I knew this person would have the power to bring me right back down.
On my birthday, we saw each other. We hung out at his house, I spent the night. He looked so fucking miserable. He had so much guilt and regret over what he did to me in his eyes but it seemed like he spent the entire day just trying to make it up to me. It broke my fucking heart because he kept asking me to be more affectionate and I told him no, heâs not my boyfriend and after all he did, he doesnât deserve it. He would kinda try to... play the field. As in he would say things like âI love youâ and then see my reaction and then base his next action off of that reaction. He said âI love youâ, I made a face, and he played it off like a joke. He was trying to take the upper hand as usual but I didnât let him. When I left he told me if I ever wanted to hang out, we could.
I didnât take that too seriously but my dad left for a few days last week so my brother invited a friend and I invited my ex just to drink and have a good time. At the end of the day, my ex said weâre friends even tho heâs the one who cut me off. My exâs problem is that he really wants desperately he get back together, to be together again because he still loves me but I donât want that to happen. Maybe in the future when heâs a changed and better person but for now like... no. Even tho it really hurts. Anyways we had a perfect night. I basically left loose and told him all that he did wrong... that what he did really hurt me... that heâs selfish, unkind and takes people for granted. I told him I pitied him because he sees the world so negatively when there is so much beauty around him. He didnât try and argue... he just got really sad and told me he understood. He also told me he loved me and didnât take it back. His eyes looked so fucking crushed because he knew how badly he fucked up. He was throwing compliments about my to my brother, he couldnât keep his hands off me and when he held me, his fist would clench in my shirt like he was desperately trying to keep hold of me.
Weâre essentially just two people who understand that he has to go through a lot of change before we can ever be right for each other again. We love each other so much but even he admitted... heâs just not right for me and heâs not good. He wants to change but he just doesnât know how, how heâs acted is really all that he knows. Anyways... he spent the night and I kinda knew it was going to be the last time we see each other for months, maybe years, maybe a decade. And he just layed in bed like he really really didnât want to have to go even though he knew he was going to have to. Thatâs it. We left on good terms. Heâs still in love with me.
To answer your question, for the first time in a long time and Iâm just going to be honest. Iâm not okay. Iâm really not okay. Heâs right, heâs not good for me. But it really sucks that his selfish actions and his decisions just did that... to us. I will always love him but Iâm not in love with him anymore. We click so well, and weâve both never found another person whether family, friend or more intimate that weâve each clicked for. Who knows... maybe one days Iâll meet a better version of him and Iâll take him back when I see heâs more mature and changed. But for now... I was okay until this month when he just decided to slip back into my life. And it doesnât feel fair. It doesnât feel fucking fair that I rebuilt myself and I was doing the best I ever had just for him to come back into my life and remind me of his presence.
Itâs not like I had forgotten about things like how his hair feels, his accent, his scent or his mannerisms... I hadnât. Him being around just reminded me of them. And I was doing so well. I had truly moved on mentally in life and was doing the best I ever had. I cry maybe once a year... and now Iâm crying literally five times a day because I miss him so much and it hurts having to realize that weâre both strangers who are going to live completely separate lives. It hurts so bad I canât even explain it really and the writer in me just doesnât idk.
Iâm really sorry for his rant. I have a lot on my chest. I really really am not doing okay. I basically went back two months recovery, back to a point where I can barely get myself to do anything and I just feel really hurt. Its not the worst thing that ever happened to me... but I lost my best friend and a boyfriend, a person I loved so fucking dearly and had all those passionate cliche movie first loved with. Itâs the worst thing too knowing that we both still love each other so much but we know itâs not right. Itâs not right for us. I canât be there to help him along the way and he needs to find himself and his own path in life. Love doesnât conquer all but I think thatâs okay. You know? I have to delete a good quali lap for a chance at a great one. I was really looking forward to going to college, starting over and getting out of this city full of memories... but I canât because my Uni is online first semester so Iâm still here. Again... sorry for the rant.
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8 PEOPLE IâD LIKE TO KNOW BETTER
tagged by @stebeee <3 <3 <3
ONE / name / alias. cyan
TWO / birthday. late november :D
THREE / zodiac. sagittarius | dog
FOUR / height. 4âČ11âł bc iâm a hobbit apparently
FIVE / hobbies. oh boy. uhhhh i have a lot of them!! my go to answer since like elementary school has always just been reading and writing and drawing, but i guess i can throw gifing and editing onto the pile, but thereâs. a lot more. figure skating is a fun one i guess!
SIX / favorite colors. i spent a lot of time thinking about this in the past, and i came to the conclusion that i just!! love the color of sunlight!! like sunlight on everything! sunlight on grass! sunlight through leaves!! sunlight thatâs that bright rich coppery orange on the trunks of trees!!!! sunlight thatâs made of gold!!
SEVEN / favorite books. Howlâs Moving Castle, Les MisĂ©rables, The Magicians trilogy, and I guess?? i can toss MDZS on there too.
EIGHT / last song I listened to. uhhhh i think æç©ż but the version where chen li sang with wu qingfeng
NINE / last film watched. i hate this but i think it might actually have been avengers endgame bc i donât watch a lot of movies. thanks russos for putting that final nail in the coffin of me tentatively trusting hollywood literally ever with anything
TEN / inspiration for muse. I am always pilfering details from my life experience for creative purposes lmao. i hoard all sorts of weird details that i notice so i can write about them later bc iâm. like that.
ELEVEN / dream job. back in ye olden days of 2012 when i was big sherlock fan, I used to say consulting coworker, like.... the person youâd go to to consult for ANY job because i have so many interests. I didnât have to be the best at anything, but i wanted to be decent at everything, and tbh.... that actually still stands. I just want to do and be everything!! i want to be a professor! i want to be an archivist, a librarian, a conservationist. i want to be a writer! I want to be an artist! i want to be an actor and a singer! i want to work in publishing, i want to be a translator, I want to be a film editor, i want to learn how to produce music, i want to learn how to code! i want to work for ao3! i want to be a bookbinder!! i want to make fucking youtube videos!!! the list goes fucking ON. itâs........ actually kind of a problem, because hey? to be a prof i want that phd. to be a librarian i need that mls. book arts and writing are two mfas iâd be interested in also getting. thatâs. many years of schooling for only like 3 of those things, but GOD i want to do it all. there isnât TIME.
TWELVE / meaning behind url. i was cyan-013 for like 6 years and it was a convoluted free-association between my initials (cyn), cmyk printing, the prefix cyano- and how much i like the number 13. i changed to pumpkinpaix finally bc i got sick of the fact that itâs impossible to tag urls with dashes in them. one of my irl nicknames is pai and a lady who ran afterschool during kindergarten used to call me pumpkin pie, so i smashed them together. except pumpkinpai was taken, so i just added an x lmao.
idk about 8 people, but uhhh, @sarah-yyy, @ligninandink, @pilferingapples, @bodhimcbodeface, @ribbonreverse, @sauntering-down, @kingedmundsroyalmurder @weisbrot if yâall feel like it <3
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lyndseyâs first ever gif tutorial!!!
hello world, itâs me, lynds! by request, Iâm gonna walk you through how I make my gifs! Iâm going to just show a basic gif tutorial (like the one below). This tutorial will walk through the steps of getting the footage, creating the gif, editing it with some minimal coloring, and then exporting! :) let me know if you have any questions, I hope you enjoy!
I use the following programs:
Photoshop CS6 (mac download tutorial)Â
QuickTime Player
letâs get started!!!
step one: find what you want to gif
For me, my first stop is almost always netflix. I make supernatural gifs, and I am lucky enough to have 13 seasons right at my fingertips. But Lyndsey, how do you get netflix video onto your laptop?! Well, thatâs where QuickTime Player comes into play. For purposes of this tutorial, Iâm going to gif a nice little family hug from episode 12x22. So first step, find the part you want to gif and pause the video about 10 seconds before you would want your gif to start, and make it full screen . Like so:
Itâs important to start the recording before the actual first gif frame because you want all the extra things to go away (the play button, the rating that pops up in the right corner, etc) before you get to the actual moment you want to gif.
step two: begin recording
Open up QuickTime Player. On mac, it should pop up in your toolbar. A quick trick I use is to do a spotlight search (Command + Spacebar) and search for Quicktime Player. This will begin to run the program. Two finger click on the icon, and a small menu will pop up. It should look like this
Select New Screen Recording. A box should pop up on your screen that looks like this:
Click the red record button. Another box will appear that looks like this:
Click anywhere on your screen and boom! Your laptop is recording your entire screen! Now you can swipe over to your browser tab and it will continue recording your show as you watch! Make sure you move your mouse so all those annoying menus and things go away and itâs just the show on your screen.
Once you have finished recording the whole part you want to gif (make sure itâs short!!), swipe back over and open the menu again. It will have changed slightly to look like this:
Click on Stop Screen Recording. A box will appear where you can play the video you just recorded. Now, click the red x to exit the window that just appeared (trust me on this one) and it will bring up a new box like so:
Title your clip whatever you like and save it wherever! Now you have your clip! Hoorah for you, youâre doing great!!!
step three: getting it into photoshop
Now weâre ready to make our actual gif! Yay! Open up photoshop and then click on File -> Import -> Video Frames to Layers like so:
A new window will pop up where you can browse through your files. Go find the video clip you just recorded and select it. Now, your screen should look like this:
I always select the âLimit to Every 2 Framesâ option to fit more content into my gif. I also toggle until I find only the part I want to gif (since we had to record a little extra to get to rid of the menu bars and such. Do this by dragging the small, dark pieces below the gray line until the image youâre looking for pops up on the little mini screen. Make sure to do both sides! Then, press okay!
step four: finding duplicate frames
No technology is perfect, but photoshop is far from it. Often, there are duplicate frames in gifs, which makes them look choppy and sad :( So, after completing step three your screen should look like this:
All the little boxes at the bottom are frames, while the list on the side are the layers. Weâll worry about the layers later. For now, click through each individual frame one by one, and if you find a duplicate, delete it (click the little trashcan below all the frames)!Â
tip: Iâm not sure if this is universal, but in my program, every fifth frame is a duplicate. idk why. but, I can go through and delete frames until one of the duplicates are on a multiple of 5 (i.e, frame 15 and 16 are the same) and then I select all the â5âČ frames (Hit command and click frame 15, then frame 20, then frame 25 and so on and so forth). It minimizes the constant clicking. But, this might be confusing to some, so if it doesnât make sense, just click through and delete the duplicates!
step five: cropping
Now that all those pesky frames are gone, itâs time to crop! Select the crop tool from the side toolbar (itâs selected in the next frame) and drag until youâre satisfied with what you have!Â
tip: for individual gifs, it doesnât matter too much, but if youâre doing gifsets, they need to all be the same size. I recommend using one of the preset ratios, which you can find if you click on âunconstrainedâ in the top left hand cornerÂ
Now, it looks like this! Double click and it will crop the image to the selected size!
step six: coloring
Now comes the fun part! Coloring/Adjustments! For me, I usually up the brightness, lower the contrast and lower the saturation. I will post the settings I used below:
Make sure these layers are above all your other ones (you can drag them up to change the order). This is totally up to you! Click the buttons and mess around, see what they all do! You can always delete the layer you created and your gif will go back to normal :)Â
step seven: frames per second
The final step before export for me is to change the frames per second. By default, mine go to .02 seconds, which is much too fast. The frame rate is shown at the bottom of the frames. I usually set my gifs to .07 seconds. The easiest way to that is to select all frames, by clicking on the small menu on your timeline (the little three lines with the arrow in the top right corner)
And then select âselect all framesâ from the menu. This will highlight all your frames! Next, click on one of the arrows (next to the timestamp) on any of your frames. A window will appear like so:
Click on âother...â and type in â.07âł
Now weâre ready for export! Woo hoo!!
step eight: export
This is the most tedious, and my least favorite part of gifing. Sigh. Anyways, first you will go back to file and open the menu, then select âSave for Webâ
The next page it will bring you to is very important:
The most important part of this window is the GIF size, shown here:
Tumblr has a gif size of 3M, so obviously this gif is way too big. Never fear! Itâs time to change the image size. If you just change the width, it will keep your gif in proportion and minimize the size. I changed my width to 475px, and now we are at 2.763M, which means weâre good to go for tumblr!
Now, itâs time to save! it will automatically save as a .gif file, and youâre golden! time to upload your beautiful creation to tumblr!
I hope you found this helpful, please like it or reblog it if it helped, mainly so I donât feel like I did all this for nothing haha. Happy gifing everyone!!! -lynds
#here you go beans!#hope this makes sense#please feel free to ask questions if you have them!!!#gif tutorial#my gifs
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Semi-Coherent Thoughts on The Lying Detective
I will start by saying that the most recent episode of Sherlock is one of my favourites - definitely in my Top 5, possibly even in my Top 3. Iâll also point out that I realised it had become one of my favourites about an hour into it, before everything that happened in the end happened. I liked The Six Thatchers, I think I mentioned, but this one was a huge step up and I was gripped from the start.Â
Like last week, this is less of a review and more of a list of thoughts on the episode that are not particularly well-structured or coherent. Itâs also stupidly long, but I have dot point summaries, so donât worry!
Grief
I read a quote from an interview last week where one of the writers mentioned that they wanted to do grief properly in this episode, and I definitely think they succeeded. We didnât really see John grieving after Sherlockâs death - more of it was focussed on the anger and hurt that came with Sherlockâs return. I was so glad that his emotional response to Maryâs death was not glossed over. The way he behaved and the way he spoke was entirely believable - which, yes, includes him beating Sherlock up, though it most certainly doesnât justify it. That scene was heart-shattering as well because of Sherlockâs own grief, and his guilt. He blamed himself for Maryâs death, and so did John. He let John hurt him because he thought he deserved it.Â
I loved that John was also talking to the Mary inside his head (hereafter referred to as Mental Mary). From a storytelling standpoint, I thought it was an exceptionally clever idea. John doesnât like talking about his feelings, we know this. As he said in The Empty Hearse, that sort of conversation is something he finds difficult. That he could talk to Mental Mary was a brilliant way of getting around it, letting us see the kind of things that he was keeping bottled up, and also letting us see the moment at the end when he was able to start letting her go. Heâs still grieving, heâs still got a lot way to go, but at the end, he was able to forgive Sherlock, to recognise that Sherlock was not to blame for Maryâs death, and in doing so, heâs finally opened the door, ready to slowly, slowly start moving on.Â
I have an especial love for Mental Mary in her final scene, telling John to stay and talk to Sherlock - and in doing so, letting us know that he truthfully wanted to stay, but was struggling with it, because there was so much pent up emotion there and he knew that it would all come out if he stayed. And it did. He told Sherlock about the âaffairâ and fell apart, and then there was the hug, which was everything I wanted in the episode. Itâs the one scene that has been screenshotted and gifed more than anything else at this point, and for good reason. They both needed that.Â
Iâm in constant awe of Martin Freemanâs acting, and this episode was no exception. Combine this with his reaction to Maryâs death in the last episode, and I definitely think he deserves an award.Â
tl;dr:
I loved the portrayal of Johnâs grief
I adored Mental Mary as it allowed us to get inside Johnâs head and see the things heâd never say out loud
The hug. That is all.Â
Martin Freeman deserves all the awards
Drug Use
I have quite a lot of thoughts regarding Sherlockâs drug use, and a lot of them arenât quite fully-formed, so I apologise in advance if this particular section is incoherent.
I spent most of this week rewatching some of the Sherlock commentaries from the first couple of seasons, as a way of tiding myself over before todayâs episode. During the A Study in Pink commentary, Moffat and Gatiss actually discuss Sherlockâs drug use, very briefly. In the ACD canon, Sherlock Holmes doesnât use when on cases, or when emotionally distraught, but when he is bored. Itâs a stimulant to stop his brain from rotting - he needs cases, and if he doesnât have a case, he needs something else. Moffat and Gatiss mentioned that they disliked adaptations where Holmes goes and uses while on a case, because it was completely inconsistent with the canon.Â
With this in mind, I was a little unsure about how they were going to approach this episode. I knew this episode would involve drug use, and given the commentary, that didnât make sense. Having seen the episode now, I think it does make sense, because there was an explanation on top of the emotional distress caused by Maryâs death and the guilt. Sherlock using was part of a plan, a plan to save John Watson by making John Watson save him, and that makes his use a little more believable.
Iâm not dismissing the emotional aspect of it - Sherlock was very, very distraught, and it seems likely to me that, while his original decision to use might have been motivated, in part, by Maryâs message, the fact that he spiralled so deeply out of control definitely wasnât part of the plan. But, thatâs the thing about drugs, isnât it. You canât plan. And Sherlock certainly has a road to recovery ahead of him that is not going to be easy by any means.
Moving past motives to the actual portrayal of a high Sherlock Holmes - I loved it. I loved that even high, Sherlock is still making deductions, but canât quite catch up to his own head, knowing that something is important but not knowing why. I loved the entire sequence with Sherlock losing time, going from the middle of the road to Baker Street, walking on walls and taking âhigh as a kiteâ to an almost literal definition. Iâm impressed by the portrayal of it.Â
tl;dr
I liked that there was an explanation for the drug use beyond just the emotional distress (i.e. it was, in the beginning, all part of a plan), because otherwise it would seem inconsistent with the ACD canon
The emotional distress still played a part and my heart goes out to SherlockÂ
The actual portrayal of Sherlock on drugs was very clever and very well doneÂ
Relationships
First, letâs discuss the unexpected relationship that was Mycroft and Lady Smallwood. I recognise that a lot of people are dissatisfied, because Mycroft is most commonly shipped with Lestrade. Iâm not personally a Mystrade shipper (I confess to shipping Molly and Lestrade, actually), but I have had Mycroft headcanoned as aromantic for the previous few series. Well, thatâs a lie. I was torn between headcanoning him as aromantic or believing that he has had experiences that have given him reason to believe that âcaring is not an advantageâ - though typically my aromantic headcanon wins out. Still, I found Mycroftâs confusion in the scene incredibly endearing. Iâm accepting of the pairing.Â
The other relationship, or at least, idea of a relationship, that stands out to me in this episode is Sherlock and Irene. This is a pairing that Iâm not quite so accepting on. I mean no offence to anyone who does ship them together, but - Irene is canonically gay, and I cannot accept the idea that Sherlock is straight, not with quotes such as âGirlfriend? No, not really my areaâ and âThe fairer sex is your department, Watsonâ. I know itâs likely that this is all queerbaiting, but Iâd rather hold onto the idea that the things Sherlock says are actually reflective of his character.Â
Iâm entirely accepting of the idea that Irene would infrequently text Sherlock. Iâm not surprised by this at all. Iâm also not surprised that John would think that means something more than it does. But, Iâm going to hold onto the idea that these texts are flirting that Irene does not expect or want to lead to any sort of actual romantic entanglement.Â
I will say that I loved Johnâs speech on the matter, though, which sounded to me like he was telling Sherlock that he deserved to be loved and to be with someone and that he shouldnât wait until itâs too late.Â
Just while weâre on the subject of relationships, Iâm very pleased to know that Johnâs âaffairâ was no more than texting. The John Watson we know would not let it go any further than that. The idea that John Watson would even accept the number of another woman is still a bit out of character, but I suppose we all do silly things - especially if your best friend and your wife live insane lives and you want some sort of normality. I suppose we shouldnât be surprised that the pretty girl on the bus wasnât normal, either.Â
tl;dr
Mycroft not knowing how to respond to Lady Smallwood is adorableÂ
Sherlock and Irene definitely text (or, at least, Irene texts, Sherlock receives) but neither of them are romantically or sexually attracted to each other, because they donât swing that way
I can forgive John for texting another woman more than Iâd have been able to had he done more with herÂ
Eurus
Here was something I did not expect. I know we all expected the lady on the bus to be more than who she said she was, and I know many people worked out that she and the âLady in Redâ (who we now know to be Fake Faith) were the same person just from the trailers and promo pics, but I did not expect this turn of events. Iâm actually very excited about the matter - I assume Eurus will be the villain of the final episode, and itâs about time we had a female villain, especially one as fascinating as her.Â
Itâs already clear that Eurus is incredibly clever. Sheâs a master of disguise, for one thing, but itâs more than that. Sherlock was able to predict, two weeks in advance, which therapist John would go to and which appointment he would take. Eurus was able to make the same deduction even earlier, and take the therapistâs place. She was able to fool Sherlock (and yes, she had the advantage of him being as high as a kite, but all the same), and maybe even Mycroft, if he doesnât know what sheâs been up to.Â
People are making predictions, based on the line âpeople always stop after threeâ, that Eurus isnât the only secret sibling, and maybe sheâs not Sherrinford. Iâm undecided as to what I think of this theory. Itâs an interesting idea, and it makes sense, as far as the fact that we know Mycroft is supposedly keeping tabs on Sherrinford and said earlier âSherrinford is secureâ. However, itâs also making the explanation a lot more convoluted - Occamâs Razor says Eurus is Sherrinford. Or, alternatively, that Sherrinford isnât a person at all - a friend of mine just suggested the possibility that Sherrinford might actually be a facility where Eurus was meant to be residing, hence it needing to be âsecureâ. Either explanation, Iâm very, very excited to see what sheâs like in this next episode. And by excited I mean terrified.Â
tl;dr
Eurus might be the cleverest Holmes sibling weâve met yet
It remains unclear whether Eurus is Sherrinford or if there are two missing siblings or if Sherrinford is not a personâs name but a place name - but either way, itâs excitingÂ
Other Thoughts
Mrs Hudson is easily my favourite part of the episode. I think weâre all in agreement of that.Â
I loved that Sherlock made sure to take twisted, turning paths when he was walking with Fake Faith/Eurus with the sole purpose of writing a message to his brother, who he knew would be tracking him. He does love to be dramatic.Â
The hug. Letâs just talk about the hug again. Thank you for that.
Who was taking care of Rosie? Given we know that at one point John was in therapy, Sherlock was in the boot of Mrs Hudsonâs car, and Molly was en route in an ambulance, Iâm going to say it was Lestrade
I really liked the way suicide was spoken about in the episode
Culverton Smith was a terrifying villain, though not in the same way as Magnussen, for which Iâm very relieved, because I still cannot watch the scene in HLV where Magnussen flicks Johnâs face and I donât know if I could have dealt with another MagnussenÂ
I loved this episode, full stop. Â
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The Adventures of Solaire, Part III: Introductions All Around!
The Incredible Yet Accurate Adventures of the Dread Pirate Captain Solaire Ravenheart
Otherwise known as
The Adventures of Solaire
Part III
Introductions All Around
âPeople,â the third king of Nestoria, Solomon Prester, once said, âare a most peculiar animal,â and while he said that while he was very drunk at a banquet and later clarified that he meant to say âpigsâ, the phrase turned out to be such a quality piece of accidental wisdom that it has spread to every corner of the globe. Today, it is commonly used as a neutral response for a grieving friend. Whenever someone comes to you with news of a neighborly dispute, an unfair ruling of justice, or even a broken heart, it is safe to respond with âwell, people are a most peculiar animal,â as that allows you to take your friendâs side of the story without commiting to a point of view on the matter.
I, myself, have never liked the phrase. It makes human beings look like some sort of mysterious mythical creature, of which the inner workings will never be understood or explained. On the contrary, I find humans to be very simplistic creatures, driven by the same needs of food, shelter, companionship, and pride that most of the animal kingdom follows. What it does reveal to me, though, is that some people will never understand other people. To them, the machinations of a mind that is not their own is as mysterious as the forces that cause a small acorn to grow into a mighty tree.Â
Solaire is one of those people. More so than most, in fact. But a quality that is even more Solaire is to fix a problem with the most unorthodox solution available, and his lack of empathy is no exception. You may see for yourself in the pages ahead. Â
***
Weiss stared at the five men in the glass in front of him. Thanks to a very thin layer of silver on the pane (another invention of Weiss), they sat oblivious to his surveillance, believing that the large reflective sheet was nothing more than a mirror. He was unable to hear what they were saying, but that was of no consequence. He just wanted to take this moment to study them.
Three were in cuffs, with metal plates stapled to their neck. First there was Willaby, the strange fat man in the horrid green suit. Heâd actually cried when they brought him in. Based on the reports of the sparkly smoke found in the second deck hall, he was a mage of some kind. Not a very good one, but a mage nonetheless. Then there was Skylar. One of the security men hired on. Shame about that. Heâd shown quite a bit of promise, especially with those hook swords of his, but if his own guard would turn on him for the promise of quick coin, better to find out this way, he supposed. And then there was the youngest Ravenheart, the cause of all this commotion. Sitting there, surrounded by his two most intimidating guardsmen, the steely-faced, armored Tomo and the humongous, grinning Austin, he lookedâŠ
...bored.
Weiss âtiskâed to himself and furrowed his brow. Such strange behavior from one of such noble blood. Surely, there was no way the money he was trying to steal was anything more than pocket change to him. Perhaps he was broke. Or simply stupid.
Solaire yawned.
That had to be it, he decided. He was giving the man too much credit. There was no greater scheme behind boarding his ship in the middle of a voyage. Even the sugar was most likely a fluke. He had potential with a pistol, that much was certain, which was the only reason he was alive right now. But in the mental department? Not much there.
Behind Weiss, his accountant Winthrop Skroob, second mate Charlie Scotts, and two more guardsmen stood. All four knew better than to interrupt their employer when he was thinking.
âVhen did zis happen?â Weiss finally asked, back still turned to his employees.
âUm, at about 0540, sirâ Charlie responded.
âVhy vas I not informed?â
âYou told me not to bother you with any more calls about this man, sir.â
Weiss chuckled. âAh, yes. I did say zat, didnât I?â
Nobody responded.
He pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time. âAt zis point in ze voyage, ve are fife hundred miles avay from ze uninhabited Chrysanthemum Isle, nien?â
âI believe so, sirâ Winthrop replied.
Weiss nodded. âChange course to brink us alongside it. Hold zis man in ze brig until ve can maroon him zere.â
âWhat? No!â Charlie exclaimed as the guardsmen wrapped their arms around him and dragged him away. âYou canât do this, please!â
âStandard pistol wis one schot. Youâre lucky Iâm gifing you zat much. Frankly, itâs a vaste on you.â
Charlie began screaming in protest and thrashing as he was carried down the hall. His voice faded away.
Weiss turned to face Winthrop. âCorrect me if Iâm vrong, but I belife Strussenbaug vas his second in command?â
Winthrop withdrew a small notebook from his jacket pocket and flipped to a page. âNo, thatâs correct sir.â
âPromote him to Charlieâs old position. Let him know in no uncertain terms vhat happened to his predecessor. Oh, and Vintrhop!â Weiss called out as Winthrop was about to leave, âput in an order for glass panes to place in ze slot machine vindow. Ve donât vant anyone else to try zat again.â
Winthrop gave a polite nod and left the room.
Weiss turned back to the one-way window. Five more minutes of observing his charges, he decided. Then heâd have enough information to begin this little showdown of wills.
***
Meanwhile, on the other side of the glass, Solaire yawned again. âThis Weiss guy better show up soon. Iâm bored.â
Skylar, the man in the red and brown leathers, ogled at him. âYouâre bored? Weâre about to be punished by one of the most powerful men in the world for making him look like a fool at his own casino, and youâre bored?â
âWell itâs not like thereâs anything to do while we waitâ Solaire retorted.
Willaby, the round man in green tweed, was staring up at Austin. The man was gigantic, easily over six feet tall and close to three hundred pounds of pure muscle. With his large, blad, head, massively broad shoulders, bronze tanned skin and swirling black tattoos all over his face, he resembled a bit more of a mountain brought to life and stuffed into a gentlemanâs white suit coat and trousers than a man.
Austin gazed down at Willaby and grinned, revealing a mouth of triangular, shark-like teeth. âWhatcha lookinâ at?â
Willabyâs eyes widened. âOh, sorry, I-Iâll stop staring now.â
Austin laughed. âCâmon, tell me whatâs on your mind. I donât judge.â
âWell, itâs justâŠâ Willaby leaned in and lowered his voice to a whisper. âAre you a grunzen?â
The large man nodded. âYep. âCept in my tribe, we called âem Nunui Nui. âBig Onesâ. Elders figured it out when I was five feet tall by the time of my fifth birthday. Seemed to have capped out, though.â
âGoodness me. Itâs just⊠well, Iâve heard about them, but I never got to see one before. Is it true that itâs just a random condition of birth?â
Austin shrugged. âThatâs what the hoity-toities on the top deck tell me.â
âWell, I have to say, you seem very, umâŠâ Willaby stopped, having trouble with the words.
Austin leaned over. âYes?â
â...erâŠâ
âNot stupid,â Solaire called out.
Willaby gaped back at Solaire in shock and fear. Austin just laughed. âYeah, I know. Elders told me I was the first Nunui Nui to figure out how to talk, let alone carry out conversations. Probably would have been a genius otherwise.â
Willaby turned back to Austin. âSo the intelligence levels of grunzens differ?â
âAll sorts of things differ,â Austin said. âSome of us get really fat instead of strong. Some have shark teeth, like me, and some of us like to take our enemies, rip open their throats, coat our skin in their blood, and dance naked under the light of a bright full moon.â
Willaby went pale. âW-what? Grunzen donât d-do th-th-that.â
âOh.â Austinâs grin went wider. âGuess thatâs just me.â
A slight whimper escaped Willabyâs lips.
(A quick aside: Austinâs shark teeth are not a random trait of the grunzen. His were filed to that shape as part of his initiation ceremony as a warrior of the tribe. I am unsure as to the exact purpose of this lie, outside of scaring Willaby, though he is a grunzen, if that falsehood caused that fact to come into question.)
While this was happening, Skylar scooched himself, and, by extension, the chair he was bound to, over to the bronze-skinned, clean-shaven, stoic-faced warrior wearing a huge set of armor made out of scales of iron and hardened leather painted dark red. He also carried a long katana sheathed at his side.
âPsst,â he hissed, âhey Tomo.â
 Tomo slowly turned to him. Â
âYouâre going to help me get out of here, right?â
Tomo returned to staring straight ahead.
âCâmon,â Skyler pleaded, âdonât do me like that.â
âYou have brought shame and dishonor upon yourself by betraying the trust given to you by your employer,â Tomo responded. âI do not wish to speak with you.â
âThat makes it sound a lot worse than it actually is!â
âYou attacked the charges you were supposed to be helping for the promise of gold coin.â
Skyler mumbled something unintelligible and angry. âAlright, fine! But Iâve learned my lesson. Please, Tomo.â
Solaire rolled his eyes. âGive it up. Mr. Stick-in-the-Ass isnât going to budge.â
âI am notâ Tomo confirmed.
âSee?â Solaire replied.
âI also have no sticks in my anus.â
âYou get many ladies with that sparkling personality of yours?â Solaire asked.
âI do not associate with women. I must remain pure, disciplined, and celibate to uphold the code of bushido.â
Solaire groaned. âWeiss, just get here already!â
âShut up!â Skyler spat at him. âYou, of all people, have no right to complain right now!â
âI have every right to complain,â Solaire shot back. âIâm stuck in this holding cell with three wet blankets and a crazy shark man.â
âCrazy shark manâŠâ Austin muttered, amused.
âI see no damp sheetsâ Tomo observed.
âYes, because of you!â Skyler scowled at him. âIf it wasnât for you, we wouldnât be down here.â
âI donât recall holding a gun to your head to help me,â Solaire remarked. âIf anyone has a right to complain, itâs the fat man with the whiskers.â
âYeah!â Willaby exclaimed.
Solaire glared at him.
Willabyâs gaze returned to the floor. âB-but I wonât.â
âDonât let him intimidate you!â Skyler yelled.
âDonât let him intimidate you into not being intimidated!â Solaire yelled as well. âIâm very scary, trust me.â
Austin chuckled. âI like this one.â
âAre the sheets hidden?â Tomo asked.
âShut up!â Skyler shouted.
âOr what?â Solaire challenged.
 âIâll shut you up myself!â
âQuite a boast coming from a man tied to a chair.â
âI will...â
CLANG.
Mr. Weiss entered at the other end of the room, accompanied by a thin man who looked like a vulture in human form, carrying a small book.
Austin and Tomo subtly straightened up.
âVell, vell, vell.â He approached a metal table at the center of the room, set his red velvet tophat on the surface, and leaned onto the table. âZis is quite ze interesting situation, nien?â
Willaby and Skylar glanced nervously at each other.
âAh, but vhere are my manners?â Mr. Weiss continued. âAllov me to introduce myself; my name is Mr. Veiss, and I am your nev boss! Nov, you might hafe noticed zat zere is a metal plate attached to your skin. Vould anyone like to help me demonstrate it?â
Solaire narrowed his eyes at Weiss. âHow about you demonstrate it after you shove it up yourïżœïżœ GAAH!â A buzzing sound filled the air as Solaire jerked this way and that, eyes screwed shut in pain. When it was over, a long line of ozone-reeking smoke trailed from the plate in his neck.
âZank you, Mr. Ravenheart.â
âItâs Solaire,â he gasped. âAnd happy to help.â
Weiss chuckled. âZese are Abrary slave plates,â Solaire looked up and gritted his teeth at that, âand zey vork vis a combination of magic and technology too far adfanced for you to underschtand, let alone vork around. I can gife you a controlled, non-lethal schock vis zis,â he held up a small remote with a button, âor I can tell it to delifer a lethal blow. It vill also deliver a lethal schock if you tamper vis ze plate, attempt to remofe ze plate, or if my heart efer stops beatink. Undershtood?â
Nobody spoke.
âExcellent! Iâm schure it goes visout saying, but you are all mine now. Vhen I say jump, you say âhov high?â Vhen I say run, you say âhov fast?â Zere are seferal tasks I need you to complete for me as ze days go by. Tomo and Aushtinâ he said, gesturing to the two men behind them âvill also be helpink you. Vhile I am not vis you, zey will be in command, so if zey ashk you eizer of zose questions as vell, you are to respond in ze exact. same. vay. Do zis all vell and visout queschtion, zen ve can talk about releasing you.â
âTalk?â Solaire interjected. âYou expect us to kiss ass to you for a pat on the head and a maybe?â
Weiss glanced over to Solaire. âAh! Mr. RavenheartâŠâ
âItâs Solaire.â
â...glad to see you so⊠comfortable, on my schip. I hafe to say, you caused quite ze commotion back zere, vhat vis ze slot machine and ze gold coins and makink my men look like fools.â He smiled. âIâm schure ve vill hafe quite ze time workink togezer, Mr⊠Solaire.â
Solaire stared him right in the eye. âIâm sure we will, Mr. Weiss,â he said, pronouncing the name âWeesâ.
âItâs Weissâ he corrected, pronouncing it âViceâ.
âWeesâ Solaire confirmed.
âNo, Vice.â
âWees.â
âVice.â
âWeesâ
âViceâ
âWees.â
âSKYLER!â Weiss exclaimed, loud enough to make the man jump. âI hafe to say, of all ze people I expected to see down here, you were not one of zem.â
The man in leathers squirmed a bit. âWell, you know what they say, first time for everything⊠right?â
âAnd your lasht, one way or anozer,â Wiess said, nodding. âDisappointink zat you decided to srow all zat talent avay. You had quite ze fote of confidence from your former captain, and I could see vhy. Hook svords are a hard veapon to mashter, much less climb vis, nien?â
âThey are.â Skylerâs face began to look hopeful. âLot of time and talent went into that.â
âSchame zat you couldnât hafe had more discipline elsevhere in your life.â
âL-look, maybe we could work something out, right? Public apology, pay you the money back, m-maybe we could discuss other forms of favors?â
âYes, and zen Iâll let eferyone know zat mutiny isnât serious and seft from me is okie-dokie. Maybe I schould shtart forgifink ze gamblink debts as vell?â Weiss rolled his eyes. âHoneshtly, you shtruck me as smarter zan zat, Skyler.â
Skylerâs eyes fell to the floor. Willaby looked at Skyler, then back to Weiss. âIâm sorry, but there must have been a mistake here, sir.â
Weiss turned to him. âAh! And Villaby, vas it?â
âEr, Willaby, yes.â
âI hafe to admit, I hadnât had ze pleaschure of meetink you before. Do you mind tellink me vho you are?â
âWell,â he stammered. âI-Iâm a baker. Was a baker, I suppose. Place burnt down. Not sure why, come to think about it. Lâhomme de guimauve, it was called. Specialized in cakes and pastries. I was the pastry chef.â
Weiss nodded. âAnd a sorcerer.â
The eyes of Skyler, Tomo, and Austin went wide as they stared at Willaby, who began to nervously fidget from the attention.
âWell, I-I-I mean, that didnât really come into play with the baking thing. It was more of a minor⊠thing⊠I could do⊠sometimes.â
âMinor thing?â Skyler exclaimed. âYou were lucky enough to be born with magic and power literally in your blood, and you call that a minor thing?â
Solaire yawned.
Willabyâs expression went dark for a second. âItâs only a good thing if you can control it, and I was not given that ability.â He turned back to Weiss. âBut surely there has been a mistake! I had nothing to do with this commotion, I swear!â
âOh really?â Weiss asked. âBecause accordink to our records, you lied to a crew member to hide Mr. Solaire hereâŠâ
âHe was threatening me with a gun!â
â...got into a shcuffle vis ze crew member vehn he tried to enterâŠâ
âI panicked!â
â...cast a shpell to obscure vischion to aid in his escapeâŠâ
âThat was an accident. I canât always controlâŠâ
â...shtabbed ze poor crew man after Solaire had leftâŠâ
â...what? No... I didnâtâŠâ
â...and zen attempted to fight ze security forces in ze hallway.â Weiss smiled. âVell, at least ve got ourselfes a sorcerer out of all zat chaos, nien?â
A look of horrified realization crossed Willabyâs face. âYou canât.â
âCan, did, and done!â Weiss glanced back to the vulture man. âNov, Vinthrop, if you vouldnât mind giving zese people back zere veapons and oser effects so ve can let zem go. Zey schouldnât be a problem vis ze plates.â
Winthrop approached, lifted a large oblong bag off the floor and onto the table, and opened it up. âTomo, would you please untie Mr. Skyler?â
Tomo unsheathed the katan and flicked faster than the eye could follow. The various ropes binding Skyler fell to the ground as he stood up, rubbing his wrist.
Wintrhop began withdrawing items and placing them on the table. âTwo hook swords, one custom made revolver pistol, long barreled, and one custom made revolver pistol, short barreled.â
Skyler took the items and placed them back in his holsters, mumbling as he did so.
âNext, Mr. Willaby please.â
Tomo repeated the motion to Willabyâs chair as he unsteadily got to his feet.
Wintrhop studied his notebook. âNothingâ
Solaire looked at Willaby and raised an eyebrow.
His face turned a bright shade of scarlet. âIâm a baker on vacation!â
âZat wonât do.â Weiss reached into his coat and pulled out a short wooden rod, cut into square and diamond-like patterns. âHereâs a shpell focus. Schould reign back your power enough for you to defend yourself magically, efen sough itâs cheap. Try not to oferload it.â
Willaby took it and oggeled it like a jungle native encountering a bar of soap for the first time.
âLastly, Solaire?â
Tomo repeated the motion, and for just a second, Solaire saw the side of his neck, There under the skin, so old it had been healed over, was a foreign object. A slave plate, he realized, as he walked to the table.
âOne custom made revolver pistol, broad barrel. Two single shot hold-out pistol attached to a spring-mounted vambraceâŠâ
Weiss took one of the hold-out pistols off of the table before Solaire could take it. It was a small flintlock, welded to a brass extension arm that could be drawn back and clicked into place. He pushed and pulled the spring back for a bit before nodding approvingly and extending it towards Solaire, who immediately snatched it out his hands.
Winthrop cleared his throat. âTwo revolver pistols, one pair of knuckle guards, three daggers, one cutlassâŠâ
âGods and demonsâ Skyler muttered.
Solaire saw him remove the very last item he had on him before he was captured: a long ivory cane. A long ivory cane with a sword hidden inside.
âCan we hurry this up?â Solaire interrupted before Winthrop could announce the last item. âI need to get out of here before I fall asleep from boredom.â
Winthrop looked at him confused. âI beg your pardon?â
âCâmon, you know, faster! Vamoos! Andele!â He thought for a minute. âEedspay-upsay!â
âWe have a process we need toâŠâ
Weiss chuckled. âItâs alright, Vinthrop.â He took the cane out of his hands and handed it over to Solaire. â Letâs let him safe zat fim and figor for ze job, nien?â
Solaire took the cane and held it at his side, his only ace up his sleeve left secret.
âI vill let you knov vhen you are needed, gentlemen.â Weiss gestured to the open door beside him. âUntil zat time, you are free to avail yourselfes of ze room and board in ze crew quarters.â He smiled. âEnjoy your shtay at ze Emperor.â
***
After a brief meal of not quite the worst slop heâd ever had, but pretty close, and a sleep on a cot that ranked just above âtavern floorâ in Solaireâs experience, he was back out and about the ship, taking in the sights, sounds, smells and feels of it, mentally cataloging every weakness he could find or think of.
So heâd gotten a little curious and things hadnât gone exactly as heâd planned. So what? The mission was still the same. Find out where the information about River was kept, steal it, and sail away, preferably with a gunshot through the neck of that smug Eiswhen-accented son-of-a-bitch in the red velvet suit. And yes, now the ending of the plan had a few complications thrown into it, but at least he had a reliable alibi until he was ready to make his move. Who knows? Maybe he could even get into a few places a bit easier like this.
While making his way through the engine room, trying to understand the mess of pipes and valves and having absolutely no luck doing so, he spotted the familiar form of a large man in a green tweed suit standing a bit away.
âHey! You there!â Solaire called out.
Willaby turned around, saw Solaire, and attempted to hurry off.
âWait a moment.â Solaire jogged up to him and put his hand on his shoulder. âIâm glad I ran into you. I found the captainâs room, but itâs sealed with some kind of multi-stage lock Iâve never seen before.â
âM-hmm.â Willaby started to strode away.
Solaire kept pace. âItâd take me too long to pick it, so I thought that you could do whatever that magic voodoo you do to it. Maybe melt it off.â
âMmm,â he responded. His tone became more terse.
âSo if you just want to follow meâŠâ
âWhatâs that?â Willabyâs gaze suddenly shot up and to the right, at something he couldnât see. âYou need my help over there? Way over there? And you need me to come alone? Will do, good sir!â He walked away from Solaire with a quick march, refusing to look back.
Solaire scratched his head. âWhatâs up with him?â He shrugged and turned up a staircase, heading to an upper deck.
Voices sounded from the landing above him, just out of his view. Curious, he slowed his pace and listened as he walked.
âDarrensby, would you just listen to me?â
âI did listen, and I told you no.â
Solaire turned a corner and saw Skyler arguing with someone he didnât recognize on the staircase landing, though from the uniform, he could tell the other man was one of the ship hands. As he came into view, both of them stopped to look at Solaire.
âOh, blast it to hellâ Skyler groaned.
The shiphand sniggered. âWhy donât you ask your girlfriend there?â
Skylar glared at the man and grabbed a handful of his shirt, shoving him down the stairs. He caught himself easily and winked back at Skyler as he passed Solaire and descended the steps.
âWhat in the name of the abyss do you want?â Skyler spat at him.
âI found the captainâs quarters,â Solaire responded, âbut Iâm unfamiliar with the lock. Since youâve been here for a bitâŠâ
âOf course.â Skyler rolled his eyes and try to push his way past the pale noble. âRot in hell, Solaire.â
Solaire stepped in front of him. âWhat is this about? This hostility. You and the tweed man, you bothâŠâ
âTweed man?â Skylerâs stare shot daggers at Solaire. âYou mean Willaby?â
âIf thatâs his name.â
âYou want to know whatâs wrong, Solaire? You ruined our lives. Weâre pissed off at you. So if youâd please go awayâŠâ
âI did that?â Solaire thought for a moment. âTweed might have a case, but I remember you being just as eager as me to get off this ship with that money.â
âYeah, and you know what? I thought that meant working together. We could have escaped, easy, but when I turned around, my ally was nowhere to be found. Instead I had a whole other platoon of robots getting in line to stab me.â
âWell, that was your fault for trusting me.â
Skyler put his arm across Solaireâs throat and pushed him into the wall. âUntil Weiss gets whatever that job is lined up for us,â he growled, scowling at him inches away from Solaireâs face, âI donât want to see you. You get that?â He shoved himself off and walked down the stairs before Solaire could respond.
Solaire stood in the empty staircase for a moment before continuing his climb upwards.
***
Thereâs only so much searching any man can do in a day before his body makes a request for food, however vile, and so Solaire tore himself away from his task once evening fell to make his way back to the crewâs mess hall.
The large room was incredibly loud and crowded, with sailors and wait staff moving this way and that, shouting over each other and raccously laughing. Whatever revulsive white creamy stew they had served the day before was todayâs dish as well, as people lined up to fill up their wooden bowl and move into one of the many long tables running the entire length of the hall.
âHey, fairy man!â A sudden motion from across the room caught Solaireâs eye. It was a green lime, sailing through the air to hit Willaby on his back, who didnât so much as turn around from his spot seated in the corner when it hit him. âGive us another dose of pixie dust!â A chorus of cruel laughter rang out.
Skyler stood up next to him and shouted back âFuck off!â
âOooh, Iâm so scared,â the man at the table retorted back. âHe might fight us. Here, is this enough?â The group began throwing copper pennies at Skyler, who stood there and fumed as the coins rained down upon them.
Willaby gently grabbed Skylerâs arm. âForget it, itâs not worth it.â
Solaire sighed and walked over to the table of taunters.
The apparent ringleader of the group saw him walking over and nudged the others. âHey, lookit. Weâve got the mastermind right here! Tell me, whatâs it feel like to be smart enough to come up with a heist like that?â he shouted as the others howled.
âWhy? Want some help filling the holes between your ears?â Solaire asked.
The laughter died down, replaced by stares of anger. The man got up from the other end of the table and walked around until he was inches away from Solaireâs face. âYou think youâre clever, huh?â
âNot really,â Solaire said. âBut among you lot, it sure makes me look like it.â
He nodded, turned back to his friends and nodded, then reeled back with a sudden wide swing aimed straight at Solaireâs head.
As Solaire watched the sailor telegraph his punch, he couldnât help but feel disappointed. Schoolyard bullies fight the same everywhere, it seems.
Solaire ducked under the blow and lunged forward, driving his fist straight into the pit of the manâs stomach. Startled, he clutched his belly and leaned over in pain, allowing Solaire to move past him and drive his foot into the back of his thigh, toppling him onto the ground and giving the noble space to put his shoe onto the back of his neck.
Across the table, the manâs friends started to get up.
Solaire drew the Ivory River and aimed it at them.
The whole mess hall went silent.
âYou stupid or something?â one of them snarled. âYou got that shock plate on you. One call to Weiss and youâll fry.â
âGo ahead,â Solaire invited. âHonestly, Iâm curious how many how many of you I could take with me before I went down.â He twirled, moving open the flaps of his coat and revealing the small armory stored inside. âEnough to use all twenty bullets loaded, Iâm sure. Then weâd have to get creative with the daggers. So, who wants to go fetch Weiss?â
You could hear a pin drop in the mammoth room.
âRight then.â He faced the rest of the mess hall. âListen up you lily-livered arse-faced shit-for-brains collections of human waste! My name is Captain Solaire Ravenheart and these,â he gestured to Willaby and Skyler, âare my crew! Anyone has a problem with my crew, they take it up with me! Anyone who takes it up with me has a bullet from this gun in their future! Now did you all get that or would you like for me to repeat it slower?!â
The only reply was an awkward cough from the back.
âGood!â Solaire removed his foot from the manâs neck and knelt down next to him. âHow about you?â he whispered. âWe understand each other?â
The man quickly nodded.
âExcellent.â Solaire stood up, gave the man a swift kick in the side, and headed over to Willaby and Skyler. Slowly, the staring heads turned back and the conversation picked up again.
âYou always make that much of an entrance?â Skyler asked.
âUsually.â Solaire responded, then sighed. âListen, I know the two of you hate me. And you have every right, so hate me all you want. Hell, plot your revenge while youâre at it. But since weâre stuck together, we might as well work together while weâre here. Save the shouting and fighting and stabbing for when weâre off this ship, alright?â
Willaby and Skyler looked at each other, then back to Solaire.
âYou⊠you want to sit here?â Willaby asked, pointing to the seat next to him.
Solaire shrugged. âDonât see why not.â He picked up the lime from the ground, sat down, and began to peel it with a dagger as three of them sat together.
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#RadThursdays Roundup 08/03/2017
Illustration of a stockinged leg wearing a high-heel shoe. The heel of the shoe is shown as a tiny, long-haired human figure wearing a red dress, struggling to support the weight of the wearer. Source.
Prison
How the Cruel Campaign to End 'Conjugal' Visits Hurts Incarcerated Moms Most: "People usually think of overnight prison visitation as 'conjugal visits,' between incarcerated men and their wives. In reality, less than one-half of extended visits in New York and one-third of visits in Washington are between spouses alone. Many, like Staubitz's, are exclusively with children. In 2007, more than 1.7 million childrenâabout 1 in 43 kids nationwideâhad a parent in state or federal prison, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' most recent report on the subject. For black kids, it was 1 in 15. Through overnight visitation programs, a small percentage of these children get the chance to spend quality time with the parent they desperately long for. And a small percentage of incarcerated parentsâwho have lost almost all agency, including the ability to be present in their children's livesâget to revive strained relationships and glimpse a better future."
Everything you were never taught about Canadaâs prison systems: "When we talk about mass incarceration as a crisis, we often think of the U.S. as the benchmark for disturbing trends in imprisonment. And it is: Black men are six times more likely to be imprisoned than white men in the States. The U.S. is the worldâs leader in incarceration rates per capita, with a total of 2.2 million people in prisons and jails in 2015âa 500 percent increase since 1975. In Canada, where prisons have been heralded by criminologists as the ânew residential schoolsâ, where the Toronto South Detention Centre has been called a â$1-billion hellholeâ, and where Indigenous people are incarcerated ten times more often than non-Indigenous people, the crisis is also present. But here, it has been happening more quietly."
Indigenous and Native Land
This massive natural gas pipeline will run right through Native American communities: Dominionâs Atlantic Coast Pipeline disproportionately affects Native communities. "The Atlantic Coast Pipelineâs proposed route crosses territories of four Native American tribes in North Carolina: the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the Haliwa-Saponi, the Coharie, and the Meherrin Nation. Of the eight counties in the state through which the pipeline would travel, four have large Native American communities. Members of tribal groups worry the pipeline could damage sacred Native American sites and the surrounding environment."
Beyond territorial acknowledgments: "Territorial acknowledgements have become fairly common in urban, progressive spaces in Canada. I am not certain when the first territorial acknowledgment was included in an event, but I have been hearing them now for over 15 years, so they are somewhat established this side of the medicine line. When I think about territorial acknowledgments, a few things come to mind that Iâd like to explore. First, what is the purpose of these acknowledgments? Both what those making the territorial acknowledgments say they intend, as well as what Indigenous peoples think may be the purpose. Second, what can we learn about the way these acknowledgments are delivered? Are there best practices? Third, in what spaces do these acknowledgements happen and more importantly, where are they not found? Finally, what can exist beyond territorial acknowledgements?"
Two police officers, surrounded by caution tape, point at the chalk outline of the Facebook âlikeâ thumbs-up icon, a splash of blue blood in its center. Nearby, a feather (as if from Twitterâs bird logo) and a mouse pointer lie on the ground. Source.
Technology
Caught in the Net â notes from an era of cybernetic delirium: "In much of the world the Net is no longer felt to be a distinct destination we access in a specific moment through a designated technology, but rather an environment we inhabit permanently, always on, always present, always transmitting and receiving; and despite the degree to which we almost accept it as a part of ourselves, to recall facts or retain social ties, one which simultaneously seems to fade into the background of many people's awareness."
Human Subjects: Should We Rely on Technology for Transcendence?: "Shifting our conception of technology as inherently assistive rather than as enhancement or augmentation does more than begin to reconfigure our understanding of disability as a state of the social environment rather than a state of the body; it also begins to reconfigure our understanding of performance, functionality, and human potential as necessarily interdependent. From a disability rights perspective, this shift is critical. Disability is then located in the social structures, institutions, and relationships that fail to meet the needs of different bodies, rather than locating the failing in the bodies themselves. The problem is not in the person who canât walk up stairs whether due to age, infirmity, or physical difference, but that no alternatives to stairs were offered."
Issues
Foster Care as Punishment: The New Reality of âJane Crowâ: "[Children's Services]âs requests for removals filed in family court rose 40 percent in the first quarter of 2017, to 730 from 519, compared with the same period last year, according to figures obtained by The New York Times. In interviews, dozens of lawyers working on these cases say the removals punish parents who have few resources. Their clients are predominantly poor black and Hispanic women, they say, and the criminalization of their parenting choices has led some to nickname the practice: Jane Crow. [âŠ] 'Thereâs this judgment that these mothers donât have the ability to make decisions about their kids, and in that, society both infantilizes them and holds them to superhuman standards. In another community, your kidâs found outside looking for you because youâre in the bathtub, itâs "Oh, my God"' â a story to tell later, he said. 'In a poor community, itâs called endangering the welfare of your child.'"
We Need to Talk About Digital Blackface in Reaction GIFs: "'[T]o be looped in a GIF, to be put on display as "animated" at the behest of audiences,' as Monica Torres describes for Real Life, is an act with racial history and meaning. These GIFs often enact fantasies of black women as 'sassy' and extravagant, allowing nonblack users to harness and inhabit these images as an extension of themselves. GIFs with transcripts become an opportunity for those not fluent in black vernacular to safely use the language, such as in the many 'hell to the no,' 'girl, bye,' and 'bitch, please' memes passed around. Ultimately, black people and black images are thus relied upon to perform a huge amount of emotional labor online on behalf of nonblack users. We are your sass, your nonchalance, your fury, your delight, your annoyance, your happy dance, your diva, your shade, your 'yaas' moments. The weight of reaction GIFing, period, rests on our shoulders. Intertwine this proliferation of our images with the other ones weâre as likely to see â death, looped over and over â and the Internet becomes an exhausting experience."
Illustration of electronic circuitry, branching out into the shape of a human brain. Source.
Activism
Report Back from the Week of Solidarity with J20 Defendants: "July 20-27 was the international Week of Solidarity with the J20 defendants, more than 200 people mass-arrested during the inauguration of Donald Trump. July 20 marked the six-month anniversary of the day the DC police âkettledâ a whole city block of demonstrators, bystanders, journalists, legal observers, and street medics at L and 12th Street, and gave them all the same blanket felony charges." Donate to the J20 defendants legal support fund.
Direct Action Item
Support the Nimkii Aazhibikong Language Camp: "Nimkii Aazhibikong is an Ojibway language immersion camp for youth that is working towards producing the next generation of fluent speakers on the land. We are a grassroots bunch of folks who are doing this without government funding. Our Elders tell us that to best learn the language, we should be on the land. We have many youth leaders who are the driving force behind the language camp. They are there daily helping to build it and putting their own time and effort towards it. The Elders that come are also working hard building, cooking and teaching. It is truly a group effort. Winter is going to approach soon and we are determined to prepare for Winter Camp at Nimkii Aazhibikong. We cannot afford to take the winter off with our language immersion efforts."
Illustration of Donald Trump, wearing a cowboy hat, triumphantly riding a flag-bedecked rocking horse towards the edge of a cliff. Source.
If thereâs something youâd like to see in next weekâs #RT, please send us a message.
In solidarity!
What is direct action? Direct action means doing things yourself instead of petitioning authorities or relying on external institutions. It means taking matters into your own hands and not waiting to be empowered, because you are already powerful. A âdirect action itemâ is a way to put your beliefs into practice every week.
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