#i still find it funny that he used basically the same methods on elena and now hes grumpy about them

[blueflyingturtleontheway]

Gabriel "You're not ready for a sword" Nuñez what is this hipocrisy

[daisylincs]

It's time to see what I can do! To test the limits and break through// no right no wrong no rules for meee// I'm freeeeeeeeee (and i was glad lincoln died)

*silence*

*utter, shocked silence*

Well, Birdie, I only have one thing to say to you --

Why Lincoln Campbell Shouldn't Have Died: A Small Essay By Lily [Redacted]

#1. It’s Lazy. There was all this fuss about how “heart-breaking” Lincoln’s death was, and how it was the most shocking choice, and I’m just like... really? Was it? Because frustrating as it is to me, it’s true that Lincoln didn’t have any significant relationships on the show aside from his with Daisy, and he also didn’t have the time/the writers didn’t invest the time to make him a character the audience could become really close to. 

And I don’t see how that’s a shocking choice at all? That’s just taking the easy way out of things. If they had really wanted to make a heart-breaking death, it would have been so much worse to choose literally anyone of the OG team.

Or, heaven forbid, not to make anyone die at all!! (Yes, I hate the Fallen Agent arc. Yes, that’s a conversation for another day.) But think about it: it would have been way more original, way more shocking, to have Lincoln not die, or find a super original/Fitzsimmons-esque way to get past the vision. It could’ve been way more shocking and ultimately satisfying if the whole team had worked together to avoid someone dying, and succeeded in avoiding that. It would have made excellent bonding.

And it wouldn’t have been lazy, because Lincoln staying alive would force him and Daisy to have some tough conversations, i.e. Hive and SHIELD and what’s next. It would also have meant an equal amount of tricky conversations with the rest of the team - especially surrounding the whole Hive debacle and methods used during it (*coughs in murder vests*). It would’ve actually been much harder than just having Lincoln die... and isn’t that what good storytelling is supposed to do? Make the harder choice for an ultimately far more satisfying resolution? 

Because choosing Lincoln to die makes it feel like that was his only purpose on the show, and I can’t help but rage against that. I know that’s how a lot of people actually do see Lincoln, and it just makes me so furious, because that’s actually such a disservice to his character?? He was so much more than just Daisy’s doomed boyfriend, and he could have been even more. Which brings me to my next point - 

#2. Wasted Opportunities. I’ll always believe that one of the biggest missed opportunities on the show was that we never got to see Lincoln properly bond with anyone on the team - it was like the writers started, but then decided he was going to die, and then went all, oh, RIP that. Which, honestly, is stupid - because they created this amazing character that had so much potential, and then decided to drop it just like that. 

And I mean, dammit!! Aside from Daisy, Lincoln had prime opportunities to bond with at least five other characters on the team - May, Coulson, Jemma, Fitz, and Mack, and that’s not even starting on the other Secret Warriors. 

He had a little bit of bonding with May when Lash/Andrew was still a thing - but then, whoops-a-daisy, unequivocally dropped. And like... Lincoln and May could’ve been such a good friendship?? Imagine May initially terrifying the living daylights out of Lincoln, but slowly seeing that he’s not actually that different to Daisy, and he makes her happy? And maybe inviting him to t’ai chi with her, to help control her powers? And him in turn helping give her some closure over Katya Belyakov/telling her that she really did make the only choice? They could’ve developed a mother/son bond just as beautiful as Daisy’s, if AoS had only tried. 

Then there’s Coulson. Daisy’s (basically) dad. We got to see a little bit of this, especially in the 3x14-15 era, but I would have loved to see even more of Coulson not-so-subtly threatening Lincoln, but grudgingly coming to accept him as a good agent (and, though he’d never admit it, kinda liking the guy.) Ugh, it could have been so funny and GOOD!!

Fitz and Jemma, to do them in a package deal, could also have been a GREAT BroTP with Lincoln if they had only actually developed it. I would have loved to see a) FitzSimmons initially distrusting Lincoln and being like “if you hurt Daisy...” and then eventually growing to bond with him over science and, well, adoring Daisy, b) a Lincoln-and-Simmons-specific friendship starting after Maveth, for example, Jemma can’t really be around her friends because they keep pitying her and trying to help and she doesn’t want that, so here’s someone new who’s nice and can also distract her with a common interest, and finally c) Lincoln and Fitz bonding over, oh, Daisy, and being ridiculously in love. Just. C’mon. It could’ve been WONDERFUL - and, just think about it, the picture of a Fitzsimmons-and-Lincoln triple alliance out-science-ing Daisy. FAB.

And Mack!! Someone who’s basically Daisy’s older brother, and, I do believe, another one for the Don’t-Hurt-Daisy pile. But Mack’s also very just, and an excellent judge of character, plus he was literally listening in on their first kiss, lmfao. So I think he’d be that “ugh AGAIN you two stop *eye roll*” big brother, but secretly be very happy for them. (I would’ve LOVED to see it, ahhhh.)

Then, of course, the Secret Warriors!! If anyone would listen, I could R A G E for days about how we only had one episode with the Secret Warriors, and that only barely before it all blew apart. But what snippets we had in that one episode!! Lincoln comforting Joey when he gets stressed before a mission. That’s canon. Now imagine Lincoln learning Spanish for both him and Elena (and so the three of them can fuck with Daisy.) And him encouraging them to follow Spanish traditions, because he picked up a lot of “traditions are important” culture from Afterlife. And, of course, them all going to Pride together to support Joey...

My point is just, there is so much MORE AoS could have done with Lincoln’s character, but especially his bonds with the other main cast. Instead of highlighting his relationship with Daisy, I would’ve preferred a lot more focus on his bonds with the rest of the gang. Because, most simply put, he’s a nice guy and loves Daisy - but that’s not all he is, and also, that love for Daisy would mean he WOULD go out of his way to bond with her family. (Point made.)

#3. It Conflicts With The S5 Time Paradox. During the Fallen Agent arc, all we’re hearing about is how time is fixed, and a death is inevitable. And then in season 5, we have the same thing with the time loop... except, they manage to break it then. We’re literally told, “there are many different futures.” And, cool. But, uh... that’s exactly what you guys didn’t say in season 3!!

Because someone saw a death, a death had to happen. My question is just: if the loop could have been broken in s5, why couldn’t the death have been avoided in s3?? It wouldn’t even have been that hard to make it still fit with the vision - Daisy can quake the controls to destroy them, then Lincoln pulls her out of the quinjet, but she leaves the jacket behind. Hive dies, but no-one else - and the best part is, that even still fulfils the original vision, because someone did die. Hive. Click boom.

And if I can figure that out, then, come on, surely AoS could have done so much better!! It just... really frustrates me, hrrrg.

#4. It Becomes A Plot Point To Hurt Daisy. We all like to joke about how much AoS hurts Daisy, but... this is extreme?? Like?? She only just went through probably the biggest trauma of her life, being freaking possessed, and now you want to make her lose someone she loves too? Cruel. 

The only real reason the Fallen Agent arc ever existed was, let’s be real, to force Daisy into that spiral of hurt and depression. And, like... she already had more than enough trauma just from Hive. Nobody would have blamed her for running away then - in fact, how very Daisy it would have been, leaving before she could hurt anyone else she loved.

And then, of course, we could have had Lincoln and the team working together to find her and bring her back, and, heyo, bonding!! It could also have been such a good point for Staticquake’s relationship, what with Lincoln helping Daisy recover after depression/withdrawal, because who better suited, and Daisy slowly forgiving herself and them becoming that much more of a deeply caring, solid ship.

So in short - though, 🙈🙈🙈, I suppose I should really say in long, because it would seem I am incapable of doing anything in a short fashion - I don't think anyone should be "glad" about Lincoln's death. If anything, we should all be FURIOUS, and super frustrated, because if he had only lived, there could have been so many excellent storylines, both bonding-wise and regarding THE ACTUAL PLOT (his powers could have been SO HELPFUL, just, argh). Lincoln Campbell should not have died, and I will stand by that till the day I die.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[deans-mind-palace]

Nähkästchenplauderei

For those who didn’t know, that’s German. Normally it would be “aus dem Nähkästchen plaudern” which literally translates to “to talk out of the sewing box”. It’s a common phrase in Germany. Means something like “to spill some beans” or “to catch up on all the gossip”or “to share private information”.

Reason why I’m telling you this?

It’s me, Elena. This is a new part of my blog now. I want to involve all of you more in my daily writing and and the related funny stories, problems or ideas and inspirations. Maybe that’s interesting for you. Maybe it’s just a therapeutic exercise for me, when I’m (not) in the mood to write. Not sure yet. xD

I’ll call it “Nähkästchenplauderei” because I talk about me and writing fanfic but not really about their content. I’ll give you some insider stories about the fanfics I wrote/will write. Funny things. What happened to me during writing it, what gave me inspiration and how I do my research or what is important to me about a certain story and why I’m writing it. The daily life (cough *and struggle* cough) of a writer. If you’re not interested in these pieces of information, then you’ll see just the heading and you’ll know ‘Aaaah, that’s not a story I can read so that’s not interesting for me’. So it’s easier for you to skip. But I thought this could be interesting for you. I want to get to know you more and you can always laugh with me or smack your forehead because of my craziness. This could be fun and I am encouraging you to discuss themes or to tell me your opinion or own experiences. Of course, I hope that many of you take part. ❤️

I’ll tag you all only in this part, afterwards you can tell me, if you want to be notified. If you don’t drop a comment, I’ll automatically take you off my taglist for “Nähkästchenplauderei”. I don’t know how many parts this will have. I’ll write one every time I’m in the mood for it.

*oOo*

Nähkästchenplauderei - A blog about my blog. 

A new passion - Or the story of me buying a guitar on Amazon at 1am

I always do a lot of research for my stories. I know some authors hate it, but I love doing research. It’s like playing detective and investigating while educating myself further. I always do Pinterest boards (I can share them with you, if you want) for my series because looking at the pictures and the links inspires me during writing. The ‘Simple Man Series’ is Set in an alternative universe where Jensen is a Country singer. I had no idea about country music, to be honest. I got all my knowledge about it from watching ‘Walk the line’ but that’s it. Obviously, I needed to do research! I created a Spotify playlist for the series (which I will link as soon as it’s uploaded).

When I wrote Suspirium or collected pictures for my Pinterest boards I always listened to it. Somehow I fell in love with this kind of music. I never played an instrument because I didn’t have the patience. I played to flute in fifth grade, because it was part of the Music class. We even got grades for playing it. Let me tell you, it was a disaster! Always got Ds. Although I got an A one time. Every time I practiced the flute, my dog started to howl. You see, it really was  awful. I believe that’s why I lost the interest in playing an instrument. I still went to the choir, though, because I loved singing (still do). I always said, if I had the patience I’d love to learn the piano or the guitar, because these are basic instruments and you can play everything on them.

Guess what? I sat there and was writing Suspirium when an idea started to from in my head. There are dozens of Corona online lessons for the guitar, beginner models of guitars aren’t that expensive and you can still sell them or use them as decoration. Normally, I overthink everything. I need ages to make an decision, normally weeks or months till I lost the interest. So I did my research. Which model? Acoustic, western or concert? Which size? Guitar scale? How do I identify a quality product? Best YouTube channels? Best apps?

Found a black one and I immediately fell in love with it. And guess what? It’ll arrive by tomorrow afternoon! :D I really did it and I’m a bit proud of myself for not overthinking it! I’m looking forward to learning every song of artists I love. Adele, Pink, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Train, Oasis, James Arthur, Tom Walker, Lewis Capaldi, James Blunt, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Shawn Mendes, John Legend, Common Linnets, Lumineers and thousands more. Of course, some of my new Country faves, too. 

My first song will either be ‘Simple Man’ because the story was inspired by it and it was the first song that I’ve heard Jensen sing or ‘Hey there Delilah’ because I love that one right now. It’s my current catchy tune.

These will be followed by ‘The One that got away’ by Pink and ‘Bonfire heart’ by James Blunt. If these four aren’t too difficult, of course... I’ll keep you updated. :D

*oOo*

The story behind Suspirium - Or as I like to call it, the story of reviving a more than dead language.

I have that idea since I’ve started this blog some time ago. I wasn’t sure if I should make it a Dean, Sam or Cas story, so I brought my arguments up and you could decide which professor you want, remember? As soon as you chose Sam, I knew that he would be a Latin Prof. That’s based on the canon in the series and my preferences. Sam is the best in Latin in the entire series. And I am able to read, translate AND EVEN SPEAK Latin, so it’s something I can relate to. A great subject, although I know that the opinions on Latin are different. 

I can speak five languages (German - my mother tongue, English, Spanish, Dutch and Latin, I’d like to learn French soon) and I personally think Latin’s a beautiful language. Of course, it doesn’t sound as beautiful and elegant as French (although French has its origin in Latin). But a language is a lot more than the emphasis. In one of the first chaps of Suspirium Sam and Reader discuss the beauty of Latin.

“Latin is the language of law, architecture and engineering, the military, science, philosophy, religion and - of particular interest here - the language of a flourishing literature which for centuries served as a model for all Western literature. The Latin of literature speaks of love and war in hundreds of masterpieces, reflects on the body and soul, develops theories about the meaning of life and the tasks of man, about the fate of the soul and the nature of matter, sings of the beauty of nature, the meaning of friendship, the pain of losing all that is dear to one; and it criticizes depravity, ponders death, the arbitrariness of power, violence and cruelty. It creates inner images, puts emotions into words, formulates ideas about the world and social life. Latin is the language of the relationship between the one and everything.” Suspirium, Chapter 3

Roman poets are more than two millennia dead, BUT the themes they wrote about (Love, pain, friendship and braveness, also sex...) are still actual in our society. They stood the test of time. A language where no ‘thank you’ exists, just a ‘to be thankful’. This language is mysterious, its culture unbelievable nowadays. It’s like an enigma that wants to be solved - or not, depends on you and if you learn your vocabulary. Trust me, I had to learn that the hard way in seventh grade. ;) 

Sam is basically my old Latin teacher. He uses the same methods and tells the same things. He makes jokes, adds additional information and makes his students question the meaning behind the poems and stories.  Sometimes I even used words my teacher said to us. I looked up some of my Latin notes and use that for the lectures. It’s a lot of fun and that’s where I get my inspiration from. A big thank you to my teacher. This story would not work out without him always encouraging me and explaining everything to me, even if he had to do it three times. Gratiam habeo, magister. :D

Questions for you, only if you want to:

 Do you play an instrument? Which or would you like to play one?

What’ your favourite genre and who’s your favourite artist and which song?

How many languages do you speak? Which? Which would you like to speak (in addition)? 

Wanna tell me your name and origin? 

-> Next post will probably be about how I make my covers, choose GIFs, find inspiration on Pinterest and Spotify and my first friendship ever on Tumblr some years ago. And how I got in touch with SPN.

Tags beneath cut:

@ashthefirefox @rintheemolion @fortheentries @vexhye @traceyaudette @vicariouslythruspn @crazybutconfidentaf @zizzlekwum @outofnowhere82 @myopiamystical @vicmc624 @imaginationisgrowth @seven-seas-of-fuck-you @shypickleghostsuitcase @intoomuchfandoms @angeltardisbow @ayamenimthiriel @still-a-demon-very-ineffable-de @mimzy1994 @everyobsession9023 @tokiohearts483 @butterscotchseventeen @aberrant-annie @autumn-blessings @aberrant-annie @lust-for-pan @screechingartisancashbailiff @readsreblogsfics @akshi8278 @hobby27 @thewintersoldierswife @squirrelnotsam @transparentfestivaltiger

[thedevonexchange-blog]

Elena Brake Interviews Devon Forrester-Jones

E: Hi Devon!

D: Hello!

E: So would you call yourself an artist?

D: Yes…?  I think so.  I think it’s the best term I have for what my lifestyle is like.  It’s really encompasses and justifies the way that I live where I am waitressing, but I am also engaged in a lot of independently organised activity, and I’m showing works of some description.  It’s easy to justify to people that you are doing a lot of free labour by saying that I waitress, but I am also doing this other stuff. It’s a way of defending myself. So it’s not like I feel I am an artist, but I’m using that term tactically.

E: So then, you would say that you are more of an ‘artist’ than you are a ‘waitress?’      

D: Yeah exactly, I do the waitressing thing to pay the bills but it’s not in any way a part of who I am, it’s just me exploiting that industry, as much as it exploits me, to do all the other stuff!

E: So what was it that inspired you, in the first instance, to start making work or go to art school?

D: [Laughs] Uhh… anime!  So when I was 12 I started watching anime and that got me into drawing. I’ve always liked making up my own little worlds as I basically have an overactive imagination. I think a lot about the inner space of your own mind.  When I was younger and didn’t have the capacity to understand my own mind, it was easier to make these fictional worlds and use them as a metaphor and think through things using them.  So me and my friends used to do a lot of writing about these mad situations and characters. So that led me to drawing. Then I didn’t do so well at A Level because I just wasn’t interested and I can’t learn things if I’m not really engaged with it I just don’t have the capacity to fake it enough. But I did better in art than in the other subjects and I as I didn’t know what to do next my best friend’s sister suggested I do a foundation course.  I kind of applied on a bit of a whim and went to the interview… I didn’t think I was going to get in because I was doing a lot of illustrative work which wasn’t really what the course was about.  But I got in, and my tutor, Paul was such a great tutor.  He was getting us to think for ourselves rather than telling us what to think.

D: I remember the moment when I stopped using escapism as a tool and actually started focusing on myself as a person and bettering myself.  It was when we had our first brief and it said “If you collect things, what is it and why do you collect that thing?” Rather than asking “what” it was asking ��why”.  I think that was the first focused moment of me trying to understand my behaviour.  So that exercise really got me into critical thinking and art for me is a really useful tool to be able to do that.   But then also, I remember Paul saying that as an artist if you are not exhibiting then you’re dead!  [Laughs]

E: [Laughs] Wow I guess so!

D: Yeah so as someone who wanted to identify as an artist because it felt like that was a good way to justify all the other stuff I was doing, it kind of propelled me into that mindset where I need to have a practice and I need to be showing.  So those are the things that got me into art.  They might be a bit problematic to a certain degree because there’s a lot of self-indulgence in my practice, and self-obsession and self-analysis.  Also, this over-productive hang-up isn’t healthy either, but I prefer to have these traits than not.

E: So do you have any favourite artists, who along the way, have influenced you particularly?

D: I really liked Wolfgang Tillmans when I was at college, which is really funny because when I liked Wolfgnag Tillmans in the first place it was for very different reasons to why I like him now.  His photography is really beautiful and he was one of the first people to put photography alongside other printed material in an exhibition space and bring photography into the art world and I just really liked his imagery.  I got really obsessed with Pierre Huyghe in first and second year and he was a super conceptual French artist and his work is really amazing and all the discussions are realy amazing in that they so philosophical that they are kind of impenetrable and I really liked that when I was at uni because I was trying to learn a bit more about philosophy. Now I am going back to the thing where I like them just for the gesture of who they are rather than the theorising around them.  Then also I really like Ellie Harrison because that kind of obsessive quantification of your own life is something I really do a lot. So I couldn’t find a way to make myself stop doing that until I saw her work and realised the obsessiveness of it.  Danielle Freakley’s entire practice is really interesting as well. The quote generator is the work I always point people towards.

E: Coming from Liverpool’s art scene and now experiencing Plymouth’s art scene, I know you’ve only been here a few days, how do you think it compares in terms of what’s going on, and what the art culture is like here?  What have you noticed?

D: To be honest that is really difficult because I haven’t really been able to see anything yet, but by the looks of Plymouth Art Weekender (which shouldn’t be the posterchild for Plymouth’s art scene but it does kind of represent it in some form) I like that there doesn’t seem to be a big divide between students and more established artists.  I think that is really reassuring.  But at the same time I feel that Liverpool’s art scene is much more politicised, though that’s perhaps because I know them and I know their politics?

E: Do you gravitate to a particular medium with your work or do you tend to float about?

D: I was doing mostly performance when I left uni. I find it requires very little in the way of physical resources, I can just turn up.  I hate having to organise stuff, with a passion.  And then I have been doing a lot of writing as well which is kind of the same thing: it doesn’t take up resources. I just write and then edit.  All it takes is time.  So I think really I end up using materials that are time-based in one way or another, where the only resource is time.

E: So this is a bit of an interesting one.  What place do you think that your art has in ‘changing the world’?  Could that happen?

D: If my art somehow got other people to examine their own behaviour as much as I examine mine that would be really useful. One thing I find really difficult is when people aren’t really catching themselves out with their own behaviour.  Sometimes I feel like there are two versions of me inside my head.  There’s one that’s doing all the things and the other that’s just observing and ticking over and making constant adjustments. I am constantly witnessing myself existing.  It’s really exhausting, but that’s how my brain works. This means it really baffles me when other people don’t have that.  And though I make mistakes, I still consider myself to be a really moral person.  I think ideally people would see my work and find the capacity to understand themselves and realise that they shouldn’t be scared of trying to become a better version of who they are. The honesty of that process is kind of what I’m trying to present in my practice.

E: So you are almost leading the way, or setting an example?

D: Yes exactly, so “here’s the methods for examining yourself and you can do that as well.” Whether I do it well is another matter.

E: If your art was produced by somebody else and you went to see it do you think it’s the kind of art you would enjoy?

D: Yeah I think I would.  I’m too involved and I think; “I should have done this, should have done that”. I just don’t like to like my work… so I don’t.  I’m too busy being the producer of it to experience it without bias.

E: Lastly, what piece of advice would you give to someone who is just about to graduate and enter the world of becoming a practicing artist?

D: Don’t wait for yourself to feel motivated because it’s not a reliable feeling. It’s so contingent on so many different factors. You have to find some discipline and or set up habits that force yourself to do something, even if it’s really crap. Just apply for as many open calls as possible, even if it’s really shit, because often in that moment of applying you can generate new ideas because you have some limitations to work within. Then, if you get it you’ve got an exhibition, great, and if not you have a starting point to work from.

I would also suggest talking to everyone and being as annoying as possible!  Just talk to as many people as you can and allow yourself to be interested in things that aren’t art.  Because then you grow more as a person.  So university is great because it’s very focused, but art courses focus on art and not life. Art should be running parallel to life, and is easier to make once you get over that hurdle - anything can influence it. Lastly, just try not to get a full time job because you’ll be exhausted! But again, If you have to then it’s about finding methods to keep yourself productive anyway that work for you.