#interactions ── west & andi .

[barkskins]

"mm . . . that's it, babe." west's words were thready. he pressed back against the headrest, his chin lifting, his hips slowly rolling upwards—a snapshot of what could be waiting for andi if they went further. the two were insatiable; who could blame them for finding it near impossible to keep their hands away from one another? moans were stifled behind a lip bite, but west wasn't all that good at staying quiet. he wasn't the most patient of men, either, and soon was pulling andi up by a handful of her hair, crashing their lips together, guiding her hips for her to sit on his lap. with a jolt he reclined the driver's seat to a slight slope. "you think anyone will see us?" west purred—he did, and he wanted them to.

With every little bump that the truck went over, Andi was taking a bit more of him into her mouth until that pothole and forced him all the way to the back of her throat and she found herself gagging. Quick to pull back enough to keep herself at a steady pace, she felt the truck come to stop and she maneuvered more to allow herself to be more comfortable. With more control over her actions and the way he pressed his hand against her head, she started bobbing her head faster, moaning around him and squirming in her spot as her own excitement started building between her thighs.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.220 thoughts

[Here For a Good Time AND a Long Time!]

(Contents: thematic analysis - happiness/autonomy)

All Up From Here

What'd I tell ya? You don't give things a numerical score, cus something better is always capable of coming along. Tozuka himself even incorporated my exact feelings into this chapter!

"I'm as happy as can be, Andy." "What are you talkin' about, Nico?! It's all up from here!!"

Acknowledging that you're happy is of course an important first step to actually being happy, but to say that you can't be happier is to say that you'll never be this happy again, like a preemptive refusal to accept greater happiness in the future

This is also why I don't personally like to throw around "peak" as a compliment, because again it implies that nothing compares now and never will again. It puts the recipient on a pedestal, and forces all further interactions to be analyzed exclusively in comparison rather than on their own

Take me for example: long-time readers of mine know that Medaka Box is my favorite manga of all time, but as UU has continued to grow and evolve artistically and narratively, I've been forced to reexamine my relationship with both series. By insisting that nothing would ever surpass Medaka Box in my heart, I've been actively holding my opinion of UU down, refusing to change the shape of the hole that Medaka Box left in my life to fit UU, afraid that doing so would cause me to forget Medaka Box

...Huh, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Andy telling Nico to look forward rather than becoming complacent with his current happiness or previous joys is actually a perfect capstone to their last meeting in the previous loop, as Nico's inability to allow Mico to make him happy in Ichico's place was ultimately what allowed Ragnarok to reach a critical point as quickly as it did. He certainly won't allow it to get to that point again, but rooting himself in the high of getting married rather than looking forward to the perpetuity of married life rings a bit of a bell, and one that Andy is quick to silence

This Too Shall Pass

Andy himself needs to take a future-focused stance like this, as if he doesn't, he would certainly go insane...again. In L100, he spent 200 years trying to kill himself because he saw no future in his immortality, just a constant waste of time with no purpose or goal. He would never find love, and any love he did find would be fleeting, as he would watch everyone he cared for slip away. He'd peaked when he had his gang in the Wild West, and everything since then was downhill

Until he met Fuuko

Once Fuuko was in Andy's life, suddenly every day was better than the last. Every day was fun, every day was worth living, and even when he couldn't see her anymore, when he was stuck eternally burning alive on the sun, he knew that there would be a day when the suffering would end. Because he had something to look forward to, the knowledge that things would get better, Andy was able to put up with literally the most painful hardship anyone has ever experienced without a word of complaint

All thanks to Fuuko

No Fate But What We Make

Fuuko, of course, went through the same thing, just on a much smaller scale. She went through ten years of believing that there was no future in a life where she couldn't touch anyone, and the only thing that kept her going was the serialization of a manga. Once it ended, so too did the roadmap of her life; if the only thing she could look forward to was the next chapter, there was no future without one

It was only when she met Andy that she began to see possibilities for herself, that that there was a reason to keep going. Because of Andy, Fuuko was able to look ahead and make a real plan for herself, to commit to multiple preparations and contingencies across 200 years of loneliness, to lay the foundation for her and everyone else's happiness

All thanks to Andy

But Fuuko interestingly takes the opposite approach here. While she builds her future, she seems to think of it as a culmination of the past. She says that the moment of their meeting wasn't the start of their story, but rather Andy's very creation was the start, that he and his life choices are what brought the present and future into possibility. Fuuko attributes all of her successes to him, a domino chain that simply swept her along

But just like Andy corrected Nico, so too does he correct Fuuko

"It started with you, Andy. If you were never born, then I -" "Ha! It was just dumb luck. You're the one that turned that luck into fate."

In this moment, Fuuko has an external locus of control, believing herself to have been dealt a bad hand and that she just got lucky when she swapped out her cards, but that's not what Andy sees. He sees a woman who made the right calls with what she had, who swapped out the right cards and made the right bluffs to turn a bad hand around and win big anyway, and he doesn't want her to lose sight of that

Just like he doesn't want Nico to think his life is going downhill, he doesn't want Fuuko to think her life isn't in her control. If life isn't in your control, then neither is your happiness; anything you have can be taken away, and you forfeit the ability to take it back. Again, Andy can attest to that: he only found Fuuko by sheer dumb luck

No one orchestrated their meeting, it just happened, and it was only because Fuuko made the choice to embrace the consequences of that meeting that their lives turned out for the best. If Fuuko hadn't pushed herself to kiss Andy and save both of them from being captured by the Union, she likely would have been killed and he probably would have somehow found his way back to being Victor, this persona fading into nothing while still remaining unnamed

When hardships inevitably come Fuuko's way again, she needs to understand that she can't rely on luck to save her, but she can rely on herself. She's proven it a thousand times, and even become someone that everyone else can rely on; with her own hands, she defied everyone's destinies and forged a happy ending for all of them. That's not something that could have just happened by the whims of fate, only by the choices of someone with the strength to take control of their own life. After 100 loops with only subtle variations thanks to the minimal interference of the only one who could, the 101st has the chance to create the perfect ending specifically because Fuuko chose to interfere when given the opportunity

And now she has the opportunity to interfere one last time

Let's Enjoy Life

We've talked about it endlessly at this point, but Ruin is a clear foil to Andy in a ton of ways, and this chapter is a perfect illustration of that concept, literally. Not only is this fight happening on the bridge where Andy and Fuuko first met, the flow of the battle itself is like a speedrun of the first 20 chapters

The meteors and lightning from last chapter, getting hit by a vehicle and reduced to a head (the train in ch.1 or the truck in ch.2), having his body sealed by specially made Union containers (eye-scar guy in ch.1), getting pummeled by Void on the highway (ch.2), facing Shen immediately after (ch.3), then jumping straight to being launched into space by Nyoi Kinko (ch.16). Even the way he talks, insisting "this isn't enough to kill me" is pretty much exactly what Andy and Victor would say whenever anyone would hit them with anything - because he thinks they're trying to kill him

But that's not the goal. It never was

Tozuka played a fun little trick on us from the very beginning of the series. By calling UU "the story of [the] quest for the greatest death ever," the expectation that was set up was that we would see the most extravagant, bombastic and show-stopping death ever put to page, that the goal was to find the one thing that could actually overcome immortality. He made a promise that the story would end with Andy's demise and all the spectacle that came with it

With this chapter, it is clear that this was a promise that Tozuka had no intention of keeping

Not in the sense that Andy won't die, I have a hard time seeing this series ending without that punctuation to his story, but the death itself is no longer the purpose of the journey, and I would argue never really has been. The "greatest death ever" is one that comes at the end of a fulfilling life, one where the deceased is surrounded by people who love them and, even through the tears and grief, everyone can look back and smile. This was the lesson that Fuuko learned in ch.1 as she fell to what she thought was her death; the suicide that was meant to end her suffering simply put into perspective how empty her life had been, and being saved, being held, being shown affection by Andy showed her what her life could be

Ch.1 was a perfect preview of the rest of the series, because as I've said many times over by now, Andy and Fuuko's stories are near identical. Just as Fuuko learned that life needs to be lived for death to have meaning, so too would Andy. And now, two hundred and twenty chapters later, Tozuka has finally paid off that slow burn by having Andy acknowledge that he enjoys life!

And now he wants Ruin to do the same.

"I've got one rule and one rule only!! ... Now, c'mon, You follow it too!! Let's enjoy what life has to offer!!"

"You follow it too."

Andy doesn't want to kill Ruin. He wants Ruin to understand the truth. Ruin loves the world, and that's a start, but he wants to eliminate the thing that makes the world truly beautiful - the people in it. Andy's "ridiculously long life" was pointless because he was alone, and Ruin's life is set to be just as long. He insists that he only needs the Rules, but how long can that sustain his soul? At best, madness is all that awaits him, but as we said, a life that accepts it will never be happier is one that has accepted it will be unhappy

Ruin needs to be shown that his way of life will only lead to unhappiness, and that there's a better way. That loving people and being loved by people is better than hating them and isolating from them. Just like Andy drifted through life ambiently allowing things to happen to him, taking opportunities as they came along rather than actively working towards a goal, so too is Ruin losing control in this fight. He's getting smacked around like a rag doll by the culmination of the life that Andy lived, and the Rules he hid behind to distance himself from humanity can't do a damn thing to help him

When Andy thought there was nothing more he could do, that he had to sacrifice himself to the Union to keep Fuuko alive, she stepped up to save both of them, reaching out to someone else for the first time. That was the moment Andy's life started to change, the moment that Andy was truly born, and I believe that Ruin is about to learn exactly what that's like

Undeath and Rebirth

The official twitter gave us a fun bit of insight this week: in L100, the mark over Ruin's eye that I've been calling a scar this whole time was actually a birthmark. While the mark from Remember on Andy actually is a scar, it was present from the moment of Andy's creation, making it functionally identical to a birthmark

But now, in L101, both of these birthmarks are gone. Andy no longer has Remember, and Victor is no longer trying to return, so his wound has healed; meanwhile, Ruin's natural birthmark has been subsumed by a wound. Andy is no longer defined by his origin and now can look toward the future, while Ruin is likely hiding from his origin, covering it up and ignoring the implications of it

Andy was reborn and able to heal, but Ruin is more damaged than ever; more ruined than ever. With his birthmark gone, the pain of his past can be left in the past, but by marring himself so grievously, there will always be a reminder of it. It will only be once Ruin learns to look forward like Andy, like Fuuko, that he will be able to heal and be reborn as well. It is only then that he will cease to be ruined

Conclusion

Of course, this is all assuming that Tozuka actually cares enough about Ruin to keep him around and actively develop him. For all I know, this is going to be another Kururu situation where I'm filling holes that Tozuka only ever planned to leave empty, but as I've said a thousand times, Tozuka has built up more than enough good will for me to give him that benefit of the doubt. I wholeheartedly believe that Tozuka has a plan for Ruin (and hopefully for Kururu too), but in the end I'll still be okay with it either way so long as he uses them properly to develop and analyze Andy and Fuuko

At the end of the day, Ruin's character has given me another angle to approach our leads from, and that's what a good foil is supposed to do. Even if Ruin doesn't accept the lessons and is made to be an illustration of what happens when one refuses to live their life no matter what, that's just as good narratively, even if it's sad to think about. We'll just have to keep reading and enjoy what Tozuka has to offer, whatever that may be

...Ah, crumbs, do I need to change my sign-off???

The original translation was "let's enjoy life," but presumably for either accuracy or dramatic flair, David Evelyn went with "what life has to offer" this time. Now that it's been introduced in canon, that's the quote that's going to become iconic, and most people won't know about Tozuka's convention appearance or the chapter blurb that only appeared in the original magazine run! "Let's enjoy life" is inevitably going to be forgotten as the phrasing of the sentiment, so should I fight the tides and stick with the original, or accept reality and adapt accordingly...

...Well, when I put it that way, after everything I've said in this review, I think my choice is pretty clear. If anyone wants me to go back to the old way, let me know, but for now:

Until next time, let's enjoy what life has to offer!!

[hansrilowz]

help us understand hanschen to the extent that you do

EEEEEEEEHEH THANK U FOR THIS… i absolutely love hanschen and he’s been my favorite character in any media since i was like 13 and now i’m about to turn 21 😅

when i was about 13-15 i was on spring awakening tumblr and that was very crucial to my understanding of him at that time… despite having a lot of wrong and weird opinions while i was younger, i’ve continued on interacting with spring awakening media and continued to watch the musical and read the play as i got older. as i got older i understood him more and more. (i do want to note that every actors interpretation of hanschen is different, but this is my general opinion on his character all together.)

so, hanschen at the time of the musical was about 14. that’s a confusing time to be a kid, especially a queer one! a lot of people don’t seem to like hanschen, calling him creepy or manipulative. i feel like, again, a big part of understanding these characters is understanding that they’re children in an incredibly oppressive society. in contrast to the other spring awakening kids, hanschen has seemed to mature a lot more quickly, along with his peer melchior.

hanschen and melchior are the only characters in the show who know about sex at the beginning. melchior is more sex-positive, open to talking about it with moritz and teaching him about it. hanschen, on the other hand, is more neutral about it. in frank wedekind’s play, during his desdemona scene, there’s a line that says: “Thuman’s Psyche — another legacy of the hatchet-faced Mademoiselle Angélique, that rattlesnake in the paradise of my childhood;”. there’s another scene earlier in the play, in act one scene two, where melchior says: “-George Zirschnitz wanted to tell Hansy Rilow, but Hansy Rilow had already learned it all from his governess when he was little.”

these lines tell us that when hanschen was just a child, his governess had told him all about sex, as well as showing/teaching him about Thuman’s Psyche. hanschen uses the term “rattlesnake” to describe his governess, a term that tell us she was someone who shook up and made his mostly peaceful childhood chaotic.

in the classroom scene early on in the musical, different actors and productions usually work with how hanschen acts while moritz messes up his recitation and while melchior is having his speech interpreting Virgil’s Aeneid on moritz’s behalf before “all that’s known”. this is regarding the teacher criticizing moritz and hitting melchior with the teaching stick. for example: jonathan b. wright in the original cast is a little bit more naïve while actively trying not to let his confident façade slip, laughing at what the teacher says to please him but getting scolded and scared afterwards; though you can still see he has a childlike nervousness and tenseness to him. when melchior is hit, he jumps with the rest of the boys from being startled.

in contrast, andy mientus in deaf west spring awakening, is slightly less naïve and keeps up the fake cockiness slightly better. using clips from the june 13, 2015 performance, his hanschen seems more focused on making sure he truly pleases the teacher and doesn’t let the façade slip. he laughs along with the teacher, and while the teachers back is turned and melchior starts signing, he tries to seem unbothered. though while melchior is hit with the stick, we do see him flinch, letting the act that he seems unbothered slip. after “all that’s known” and moritz and melchior start signing to each other, hanschen chooses to blatantly ignore them as to not get in trouble. (which, if i remember correctly, was changed in some performances to have him seem bothered by them signing and making it known he doesn’t agree with them rebelling against the teacher, which still fits to his character.)

i think both of these interpretations are very true to hanschen. he’s still a kid, but he doesn’t want to test his luck with authority. he wants to please them and he doesn’t want to get in trouble. despite all that, he’s 14 and he still gets nervous and scared and both their interpretations show that. at the core of hanschens character, he was never meant to seem truly cocky or rude. his demeanor on the outside is practically just a survival instinct, as he knows he’s queer and he’s matured and knows how the world and reality can be. some additional context for this argument in the musical lies in the vineyard scene, where not only is he more softer and comfortable around ernst, he says these particular lines: “Trust me, there are only three ways a man can go. He can let the status quo defeat him - like Moritz. He can rock the boat like Melchior and be expelled. Or, he can bide his time, and let the system work for him - like me.”

the overall analysis of these lines is saying that you can either let your present situations suffocate you, stir things up and try and combat them to change things, or you can wait things out and work with what you have, like hanschen does. this tells us that yes, he is giving into pleasing authority despite not agreeing with them so things work out for him and he leads a steady life. this doesn’t make him cocky or stuck-up, he’s just more matured and knows what’s best for him at that time.

another misconception of hanschen’s character is calling him manipulative and creepy towards ernst. i’ve always thought that, in both the play and musical, their relationship has always been transparent with no hidden, creepy undertones. my personal favorite version of hanschen and ernst’s relationship is in deaf west spring awakening. andy mientus here plays hanschen very confidently, but he’s also afraid of getting his feelings hurt. he’s too afraid to get too emotionally invested to protect his feelings. in deaf west’s vineyard scene, when hanschen kisses ernst at first and then says: “When we look back, thirty years from now, tonight will seem unbelievably beautiful”, he moves to leave. he’s scared and doesn’t think ernst will reciprocate his feelings. then, when ernst grabs him and says, “In the meantime?”, hanschen takes that as a green light to kiss him again. that possibly, those feelings were reciprocated. after that second kiss ernst says: “On my way here this afternoon I’d thought perhaps we’d only talk”, and hanschen took it as a rejection. that he felt ernst was suddenly regretting what had happened. hanschen then says “So are you sorry we-?”, making this more obvious. he turned and started pulling away to leave. ernst then grabs hanschen saying that he loves him, which hanschen obviously softens up to him and realizes that his feelings are reciprocated. so, he was going to run away due to, what he thought was, a rejection.

hanschen, even if he did come off very confident, just had a wall he had put up to seem basically, nonchalant. he told us, and ernst, that he wants to lead a steady life and he will adapt to the world around him in order to do that. at the end of the day, regardless of this, he’s still a 14 year old boy with a messed up childhood that led to him maturing far faster than his peers. he was scared, nervous, and afraid of his feelings and getting hurt in any way.

those are the reason why he’s always been my favorite character, not just in spring awakening, but generally. he’s a blatant reminder that these kids are just about 14 and that, both back then and now, we all have had different ways of growing up and going about our insecurities. he’s a complex character and largely misunderstood, but at the end of the day his character is a representation of being emotionally mature at a young age due to trauma. he is another reminder of the overall story of spring awakening it’s message: what happens to kids when authoritarian figures around them are negligent.

[teeth-n-ambitions]

Second Bite

Lila gets to see her new room

TW: vampire whump, lady whump, pet whump, dehumanization, biting, mild sexual content

@deluxewhump @whumpyourdamnpears

They were all vampires, Lila concluded. Each servant so far had an impossible strength, cold touch, and fangs rooted in their mouths. In all fairness, that’d only been about four or five at this point, but Lila wasn’t inclined to ask any of them about it. She was being quiet. Just nodding and shaking her head. Partially—well, mostly, to spite Katherine, but also to take in everything around her.

Getting her metaphorical “collar” carved into her back meant she needed to change tactics. If Cassara could control her body at any moment, who’s to say the rest of them couldn’t as well? And even if they couldn’t, they could snap her in half if they wanted. Meaning brute-forcing her way out wasn’t going to work. She had to gather as much information as possible to figure out what would, even if it took time, even if she had to play along. That wouldn’t be so hard. She’d done it before.

So she kept her thoughts to herself as she was fed an overcooked steak, tape measure wrapped around her waist, and given underwear and a nightgown (both a few sizes two big) to throw on. She noted the windows in the hallway, scanned each ceiling for cameras. But most of all she watched the way the vampires interacted with each other.

There wasn’t a hierarchy as far as Lila could tell, but Katherine definitely had some power over the others. She never had to ask twice. Whether they were afraid of her or something else, Lila couldn’t tell. Marion’s body language hadn’t changed a bit when Katherine appeared, but Madeline’s eye twitched a few times as Lila ate, and the one who took her measurements—Andy? Ally?—her eyes kept darting over to Katherine in the corner. The air was charged with…something that Lila couldn’t place. It was weird.

She was tempted to ask about that, but Katherine stopped walking before Lila had the chance. They’d stopped in front of a door upstairs, just across the bathroom from earlier. Katherine faced her, searched her face for a moment.

“What’s the Xanax for?” she asked flatly.

Lila’s stomach dropped. “What? How did—?”

“Why was it prescribed to you?” Katherine pressed.

Lila had to fight herself to keep her hands from turning to fists. Playing along, that’s what she was doing. She couldn’t blow up every time someone cut her off. Instead, she folded her arms. “I get overwhelmed sometimes and it calms me down. That’s it.”

“How often?”

“I don’t know.” Lila shifted her gaze to the wall, gripped her arms. “A few times a month, every other week…It’s not consistent.” When met with silence, she added, “It just happens sometimes, okay? And it doesn’t even matter because I won’t be getting it anymore since I’m here so I’ll just have to figure something else out. It’s whatever.”

Lila felt her face flushing. Her nails bit into her skin.

Katherine lowered her voice some. “Don’t do that.” She reached out and unfolded Lila’s arms, inspected where she’d dug her nails in. The touch was firm, but not as rough as before. “She’ll have my head if you’re damaged on my watch.”

Lila risked a glance back at Katherine, who immediately met her gaze.

“You’re fine,” Katherine said. She dropped Lila’s arms unceremoniously and stepped back. “Now get over yourself. You can have a pity party later.” Before Lila could snipe back, Katherine knocked on the door. Cassara’s voice called them in.

The first thing Lila spotted were the floor-length curtains drawn at the end of the room. They took up about half of the wall, boxed in by tall, near-empty bookshelves on each end.

“It’s a balcony,” said Cassara. She lounged atop the queen bed that stood against the west wall, hands resting on her stomach like a corpse in an open casket.

A touch of nausea spiked in Lila’s stomach. She is a corpse.

“You can use it whenever you want,” Cassara continued. “I only ask that you close the curtains behind you during the day.” She nodded to Katherine. “Thank you for bringing her. You may go.”

With the slightest bow, Katherine made her leave, closing the door behind her.

“What do you think?”

“Of what?” Lila asked.

“Your room.” Cassara sat up and gestured to the east wall, where a large wooden desk stood beside a wire wastebasket. “I already filled one of the drawers with pencils and such, but there’s room for you to add more. And your closet is here.” She pointed to the south wall that extended past the door. It was a decent walk-in, though empty besides some extra blankets and pillows. “We’ll fill it up once your clothes arrive.”

“It’s…” Lila looked about the room, avoiding Cassara’s gaze. “It’s nice. Thank you.”

“You’re disappointed,” Cassara said.

“No.” Lila met her eyes. “I’m just surprised. I thought you were going to, like, make me sleep in a dog bed in your room…or something.”

Cassara laughed, a haunting sound that reminded Lila of an echo in a cavern. “Oh, definitely not.” She patted the bed. “Come.”

Lila seated herself on the opposite end of the bed, carefully tucking her legs beneath her.

“Closer than that, darling. Here.”

Lila suppressed a gasp at the grip on her waist as Cassara simply lifted her up and placed her just in front of her, making their knees touch.

“I told you before, I’ll treat you well as long as you know your place. And while I will have you in my bed sometimes, you need a space of your own.” She tucked a strand of hair behind Lila’s ear. “Somewhere you feel safe.”

Lila instinctively pulled back from that vicious hand, the irony of it all coiling around her lungs. But just as quickly, the hand was at the back of her head, yanking her forward.

“First rule,” Cassara said, tone even. “Never pull away from me. You’re mine to touch however I like. Tell me you understand.”

“I understand,” Lila repeated quietly.

Immediately Cassara’s hold loosened. “Good girl.”

Something Lila couldn’t quite place swirled in her stomach, a slight blush creeping up her neck. She swallowed. “Starting training right away, then?” At least the shame on her tongue was familiar.

“It will be more formal tomorrow,” Cassara answered. “I actually wanted to take this time to get to know each other a little better. Since you were too busy mouthing off when I tried to talk to you earlier.” Her fingers fell from Lila’s head in favor of gliding through her hair. “Speaking of, how are you feeling? Does your back hurt?”

Of course it fucking does, Lila nearly said. Instead she replied, “When I—”

“Look at me when you answer.”

Lila’s fingers curled reflexively in her lap. She returned her gaze to Cassara’s face. “When I move or touch it, yeah. But mostly it itches.”

“And I trust Marion cleansed it well?”

“Uh, yeah. I think so.”

Cassara hummed as she continued running her fingers through Lila’s hair. “I’ll have to go back over it at a later date to make sure it scars evenly. But I’ll bite you first so it won’t hurt as much.”

The spot on Lila’s neck throbbed as memories of last night (or two nights ago?) flashed in her mind again. Fangs brutally tearing into her flesh, her senses dissipating within an instant. The pain.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear.” Cassara moved her hand to Lila’s cheek. “I’ll be gentle.” She laid the other over Lila’s hands fisted into her nightgown. “Relax for me.”

“Gentle how?” Lila asked, flat as she could manage. “It hurt like a bitch last time.”

“Of course it did,” Cassara chuckled. Fucking chuckled. “I was killing you. But I can make it tolerable. Pleasurable, even. Here, let me show you.” She pulled back from Lila and patted one of the pillows. “Come lie down.”

Lila began shaking her head. “I don’t—”

“Do not make me ask again.”

Lila quickly laid her head on the pillow, biting her lip at the ache in her back as she situated herself. She nearly broke skin when Cassara moved to straddle her, a hand on either side of her head.

“Good girl,” Cassara repeated. She leaned down and deposited a frozen kiss to Lila’s forehead. “Now relax. I don’t want to hit a muscle and make you sore. Breathe.”

Lila’s heart slammed against her ribcage, each breath pitifully shaky. Yet, looking up at her captor’s face, parted lips and violet, inhuman eyes, that feeling in her stomach swirled into a vague heat. She swallowed, acutely aware of every twitch of Cassara’s fingers, of each strand of raven hair tickling her cheek.

“Deep breath in…”

She did as commanded, a hand snaking up to the right side of her face while the other pushed her hair from her neck. She felt Cassara descend further and move her head to the side. A shiver wracked through her when their chests pressed against each other, nearly making her gasp.

Another kiss to the side of her jaw. “And out.”

Shutting her eyes, Lila exhaled.

There was a pinch as Cassara’s viciously sharp fangs plunged into Lila’s neck, cold needles easing their way through her flesh until the vampire’s lips closed around it. Cassara gave her a moment to adjust before biting down in earnest, making Lila hiss as the rest of her teeth dug into her.

She could feel the venom flow through the curve of the fangs and release into her neck, could feel exactly where it spread out beneath her skin. It carried a light warmth with it, a pleasant tingling trailing behind. She sighed, all of the tension in her muscles melting away as it flooded her body.

It was so different from before. Where previously the puncture was swift and violent and the venom overwhelming, here, everything was soft, gradual, almost tender. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so…so calm. She barely even noticed the fangs leaving her neck, the tongue sealing the wound, or the lips gingerly kissing the area around it.

“You did so good, my pet,” Cassara cooed between kisses. “So good for me.”

Cassara’s thumb idly rubbed her cheek, and in any other moment Lila would have liked to slap it away, to push her off and race into the hall. But in this moment? This minute decimal of time along the stretch of eternity?

She felt pretty fucking good.

[x-heesy]

Jen Stark’s art is driven by her interest in conceptualizing visual systems to simulate plant growth, evolution, infinity, fractals, mimetic topographies, and sacred geometries. Using available materials—paper, wood, metal, paint—Stark strives to make work that balances on a razor’s edge of optical seduction and perceptual engagement. In recent years, Stark has introduced new technologies into her diverse practice, delving into the digital realm of interactive projections and distinctive NFTs.

The resulting works often resemble organic, molecular, cloud-like structures, and are imbued with kinetic, undulating effects that serve to dislocate the viewer from staid reality into an immersive ecosphere of echoing patterns and the implausible designs found in nature. Even her vivid colors are in direct conversation with the natural world; the attractant/repellent properties of flowers encouraging pollination or insects warning birds of their poisonous traits, and the luminous mystery of phosphorescent sea creatures are among Stark’s concerns.

Via these corporeal abstractions, spectators are led onto the astral plane; there’s a transcendence to Stark’s work where the vibrational phases become a sacrosanct and curative experience for the viewer. Traces of mandalas or nautili reveal themselves as sacred geometric forms in Stark’s spiritual reservoir.

Stark’s ability to create atmospheric, minimal, naturalist configurations that only reveal themselves after deep engagement align her with the artistic legacies of Yayoi Kusama, Sol Lewitt, Tara Donovan, Tom Friedman, Andy Goldsworthy, Ernst Haeckel, and the Finish Fetish artists of 1960s Los Angeles.

Not limited to the confines of museums and galleries, Stark’s diverse practice—a series of sculptural objects that rely on a commitment to process and hypnotic repetition; charismatic wall works; widely seen murals; intricately animated films; NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and interactive projections—has been exhibited throughout the world, permeating both the physical and digital realms. By adopting cutting-edge techniques to showcase her aesthetic, Stark activates her universe through constant adaptation and transformation.

Stark was born in Miami, Florida in 1983, and studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating in 2005. Since then, Stark has realized exhibitions globally, with major shows in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Thailand, and Canada. Recently included as one of Fortune’s “NFTy 50,” Stark made history as the first female artist to make Foundation’s top 10 highest selling NFT creatives. Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the West Collection, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, NSU Art Museum and MOCA Miami, among others.

Stark lives and works in Los Angeles. Part1 Part2

#sculpture #sculptureart #sculptureartist #sculptures #sculpturelovers #sculptureoftheday #sculpturepark #sculpture_art #sculpturegallery #sculpturesofinstagram #sculpture_gallery #sculpturesurbois #contemporarysculpture #sculpturecontemporaine #sculpturephotography #sculptured #modernsculpture #abstractsculpture #handsculpture @frenchpsychiatrymuderedmycnut 🌈 #artsculpture #instasculpture #skulptur #skulpturen #skulpturer #skulpturensammlung #skulptures #skulptūra #skulpturia #skulpturenausstellung

Soundtrack: I Feel Space by Lindstrøm 🌈

[papermoonloveslucy]

RIP MARTY KROFFT 

1937-2023

Marty Krofft was born on April 9, 1937 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. With his brother Sid, Krofft created some of television's most fantastic and magical programs, mostly centered around puppetry. Lucille Ball's interaction with the Krofft was brief, but memorable.

The Krofft puppets first gained attention at the 1962 Seattle Worlds Fair where they presented a show called "Les Poupees de Paris" that included marionettes impersonating popular celebrities. In 1964-1965, they presented the (updated) show at the Worlds Fair in New York. In 1967, Ball's recorded voice, along with Jackie Gleason, Liberace, and Mae West and many other stars, was heard in “Six Flags presents Sid and Marty Krofft’s Circus”.

On September 30, 1977, Donny and Marie welcomed Lucille Ball, who plays the Tin Lady in a Krofft-style spoof of “The Wizard of Oz” starring Ray Bolger. The first three seasons of "The Donny & Marie Show" were produced by the Kroffts, who also created the variety series. Ball appeared on the 2nd episode of the show's 3rd season, and the Osmonds (after a long legal battle) had finally won creative control from the Kroffts feeling they had outgrown the child-like atmosphere created by them. They moved the show to Utah and took over as producers just two months after this episode aired. In this episode, however, the Krofft vibe is still palpably present.

A few Lucille Ball / Desilu performers were seen on Krofft's many television shows.

Johnny Silver played Ludicrous Lion on TV's "H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969) and appeared as Dr. Blinky in the 1970 feature film.

Charles Nelson Reilly and Jerry Maren (both seen on "Here's Lucy") were part of "Lidsville" (1971).

1972's telefilm "Fol-De-Rol" (a film of their 1968 fairy tale puppet show) included Lucy guest stars Ann Sothern, Mickey Rooney, and Totie Fields.

"Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" (1972) starred Ball's good friend Mary Wickes as Aunt Zelda, and also featured Sidney Miller as the voice of Sweet Mama Ooze.

"The Lost Saucer" (1975) included Lucy friends Ruth Buzzi, Jim Nabors, and Vito Scotti.

"Far Out Space Nuts" (1975) featured Hal Smith and John Carradine, both of whom had appeared on "The Lucy Show."

Also seen on "Donny & Marie" during the Krofft years were Desi Arnaz, Jack Albertson, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Ruth Buzzi, Buddy Hackett, Edgar Bergen, Andy Griffith, Rich Little, Iron Eyes Cody, Arthur Godfrey, and Vincent Price.

[themarginalthinker]

@enquiringangel @kentuckycaverats

OK LET'S GO VAMPIRE OC TIME BAYBEE

So, there are a couple of groups that I'm gonna detail! Some will only appear briefly in the main stories of YCCM and its aside Flight Feathers, and others will play a larger role.

Also, @roseate-lagomorph I have considered turning these into vtm ocs! We shall see. :>

Group 1: The Santa Carla Scroungers

This group is based off of the scrapped idea that the kids Lucy tells Sam to give money to in the opening of the movie are vampires too, as well as that one shot of the girl...licking? kissing?? the rat. I've combined the two into the Scroungers.

Andy (Andrea), and Zeke. Andy is the girl with the large army jacket, and Zeke is the rat she's holding. Andy's main ability is the gift of being a daywalker - a very rare boon that allows her to be in direct sunlight (though usually only for an hour or so, before she needs to get out of it.) Zeke's power is animal transformation, and his shape is a rat.

The pair end up in Santa Carla due to some pretty unfortunate circumstances. They're missing the third member of their pack, killed by a hunter group in San Jose when another, larger pack rolled into town and were idiots, attracting attention, and their little three-man-band was simply caught in the crossfire.

Group 2: The Band Nomads

This is a pack The Boys will encounter on their trek across the Rockies and back into David's home territory of the northern great plains. While deciding to pick some people off during a music festival, they run into another pack who had the same idea, and in fact, have been following the tour of some of the groups playing like hunters following the herds of prey.

Martin, Delilah, and their sire Maya. I have not decided what their abilities and banes are, mostly because the Boys don't really interact with them enough to see much of them, but an interesting detail I have decided is that Martin is blind. It goes along with the headcanon that becoming a vampire can heal some things, but not congenital issues.

The Boys end up sharing a hunt with them, and exchange information, possibly getting intel on what the situation is like where they're headed, and giving the Band nomads info on what they can expect further west. It's also a chance to expand the worldbuilding of different kinds of vampire lifestyles.

Group 3: The Sarahs

Ironically, I'm not going to say too much about them, as there are things I want to keep for the actual story ;)

The Sarahs are a coven, rather than a pack or clan. Another group of three vamps, all of them named..well. A form of 'Sarah.'

Elder Sarah is over three hundred years old, Mother Sara being about as old as David (150-ish) and Weird or Silent Serra. being the youngest. She also doesn't speak, using her boon of telepathic communication to speak to people (which is. very disconcerting).

There's a lot more too them, but they interact the most with the Boys in the story, so unfortunately, I can't say much more for them.

[whiteshipnightjar]

do you know if Joanna watches any tv shows?

Well, she watches shows with Andy haha. They watched ‘Mad Men’ some time during the pandemic. They’re both big fans of LOTR so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve seen ‘The Rings of Power’ and since they loved GOT, the same goes for ‘House of the Dragon’. She also famously said she LOVED Fleabag (her Taste™️). She's mentioned having watched the first season of True Detective, Key and Peele, Comedy! Bang! Bang!, Orange is the New Black, The Americans, Homeland. Of course, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and SNL. She's a fan of Downton Abbey too. Andy said she loved Parks and Rec too. They also enjoyed Chef's Table, Only Murders in the Building, The Jinx, Raised by Wolves, The Crown, Nathan for You, The Office, The West Wing, Queer Eye, Crip Camp (that's a wonderful doc movie but it was on tv so it counts haha). And can't forget The Simpsons haha. These are the ones off the top of my head and I’m blanking now on more, but I love this question, I’ll come back to it to add! It’s so fascinating to learn about what art people interact with, it gives you some understanding of their likes and thinking haha

[frostedjosieos]

6 front-and-back pages of notes about Deaf West Spring Awakening:

Putting their clothes on onstage before “curtain” and walking onstage while the house fills

Wendla passing the guitar through the mirror frame to her Voice

Frau Bergman washing her hands in the background

Everyone signing “heaven”

Wendla & Voice signing “fairy queen” together

Acknowledging that Wendla would be able to see her mother sign in the mirror, even though the frame is actually empty—exceptional timing by Sandy

Her Voice is comforting Wendla and telling her to confront her mother about the stork

“I’m ashamed to even ask, but then who can I ask, but you?”

Frau Bergman bangs the chair on the floor to stop Wendla

Ensemble work—everyone onstage in the first scene listening to Frau Bergman “explain” how children are made

Demonstrating how emphasis is utilized in ASL as well as speech “whole heart” vagina sign

Many of the Voices are also the band

Make harmonies in Mama Who Bore Me reprise

In school, they aren’t supposed to sign—teacher doesn’t use any sign, closed captions on the chalkboard

When Ernst signs along with his recitation, the teacher shouts at him and forces him to use speech only—Josh Castille’s own voice

As Daniel Durant is fully Dead, Moritz only signs his line, and the teacher forces him to speak - Daniel Durant’s voice is clearly not as developed as the hearing character’s, or even Josh Castille’s who’s hard of hearing

The teacher makes fun of Moritz’s speech and sign, and Melchior stands up for him, signing originally, but dropping his hands when directly threatened with a yard stick, but begins signing again when the teacher turns his back

When Melchior finishes singing All Will Know and the recitation picks up, only the boys played played by hearing actors are actually speaking, and the boys played by Dead/HoH actors continue writing

All of Moritz’s lines in the scene are signed (and CC-ed) only—we don’t hear his Voice character until he starts singing Bitch of Living

Bitch of Living has the last residual mic prop - first time you hear Moritz’s Voice, it’s mic-ed

Voices of Moritz and Otto share the mic stand

Bitch of Living is a supreme example of how Spencer Liff utilized the sign in his choreography

Ali Stroker as Marianna Wheelin’

Austin McKenzie’s rock god moment in Bitch—walking over the chairs, head pumping

Andy signing the backup while all the others hold the table steady

Hanschen saying “maybe do a little Achilles and Patroclus” after Ernst turned his back and can’t see him

Alex still using the mic in the scene after

Headmaster is played by the Deaf actor—love a little irony

Krysta is often still onstage in a different costume then her Ilse one—during My Junk, even though she was entirely separate from the girls onstage, she signed and sang with them

The women’s ensemble slowly join Hanschen’s scene in My Junk,

On the final interruption of the scenes in My Junk, the girls “helping” Hanschen cover their eyes

Andy twirling Ali around him opposite Daniel David Stewart on a random bicycle

Tipping Andy’s chair back on “it’s like we stop time”

Melchior stops Moritz’s hands when Frau Gabor enters the scene

Moritz feels so comfortable talking to Frau Gabor because she accepts his sign

Moritz’s Voice following after Frau Gabor

When Daniel puts the cigarette in Alex’s mouth

The choreo during Touch Me—chalk circles that they couldn’t do on Late, Late—they draw these chalk circles then smudge all the edges

The ensemble do this dance with papers, then right before the climax they rip up the papers and throw them as confetti in the boat formation

The dolphin wave feat. Ali’s hair flip

How Melchior and Moritz sign the “consume my wine” part together

Just everything the ensemble are doing during Touch Me

THE TREE

Awkward silence built by Wendla walking around looking at the tree so she can’t see Melchior trying to sign to her

Wendla sometimes turning to her Voice, probably for ques, but also to help figure out how to interact with Melchi

The “tree” reaching out to touch Melchior, then beckoning Wendla

Just how the tree moves behind them, and them signing together in Word of Your Body

Alex has the mic again in the scene after Word of Your Body—like he needs a microphone in order to be heard at school

Patrick Page voices Herr Knochenbruch while sweeping the papers up from Touch Me like a LEGEND

Marta’s Voice is rarely with her—her household is even stricter

Krysta walks through the scene when they mention Ilse, even though she isn’t wearing the Ilse costume

TRESHELLE EDMUND MOST UNDERRATED ACTRESS

Wendla reaching out to Marta before exiting

Marta and Ilse bed switch and all the bedography

The boys guide and circle the bed, then step away and the girls join and the boys look on

Patrick Page steps through and stands at the front of the boys at the last line and watches—inferred Marta’s father—the girls turn and look at them

MAAAATE the scene after Dark I Know Well where everyone is playing around Moritz who’s blindfolded (bland and Deaf) until he’s called but he doesn’t know he’s been called and just feels everyone stop playing with him until Marta helps him

When Moritz goes up to the headmaster’s office, he passes his Voice by

“a unified…” the sign army with the lighting

Into the circle around Wendla and Melchior

Wendla’s voice hands her the switch

Austin hands the switch off to Ali and exits the circles

“My entire life I’ve never felt” “What?!” and everyone signs “anything”

The circle all face inwards until Wendla says “please, Melchior” then everyone turns to look at him and Ali holds up the switch

The circle all slap the stage as the sound of the switch

After Melchior first hits her and she insists he do it higher on her legs and hikes up her dress, Melchior tips Wendla’s head to look at him and signs something (the boot didn’t zoom out for the CC)

“You bitch! I’ll beat the hell out of you” then realizes and drops the switch, Sandy cries with her own voice

The ensemble all get up, gather, and stare at Wendla—just Otto signs/sings

Wendla walks towards her Voice, but turns her shoulder at the last second

NOW FOR SOME DEEP SHIT—Moritz’s father is played by a Deaf actor, so all their scenes are silent/sign-only , making how he can’t sign at school so much more heartbreaking, and how his parents are STILL so mad at him for failing

When Russell screams “WHY?!” in his face

After Moritz’s father signs “thank god my father never lived to see this day” and exits, Moritz turns and sees the CC of what his father just said

The male ensemble taking the papers of Fanny Gabor’s letter to Moritz

The boys putting Moritz’s clothes in his trunk while singing And Then There Were None

Just faster rhythms, more urgency, and more harmonies all around

The girls all come to watch at the end of And Then There We’re None, the boys end signing guns towards Moritz, and his Voice offers him the pistol, but THE SPOT GOES OUT right before he grabs it and Mirror Blue Night starts

THE LIGHT FINGERTIP GLOVES

Besides the genius light gloves, Spencer Liff and the people who helped develop the ASL manipulated the sign just so where the sign is also dance and interacts and utilizes the lights on their fingertips, while STILL communicating the song visually

Just a gentle reminder that Michael Arden’s sign name is “genius”

WHEN WENDLA TURNS TO HER VOICE BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T KNOW WHY SHE ISN’T SUPPOSED TO DO THIS IF SHE LIKES IT SO MUCH BUT HER VOICE TURNS AWAY

Ok so you can’t even see it in the boot but Josh and Alex walk through the mezz as alter boys during I Believe with smokey incense, it’s actual magic

The switch of Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind and The Guilty Ones

At the top of Act II, as the music plays and adult man does a speech, Wendla and Melchior walk over four chairs each, moved in front of their feet, while blindfolded, towards the center piano. Austin is hearing. Ok. SANDRA MAE FRANK IS DEAF. SHE DID THIS EIGHT TIMES A WEEK, WHAT?!?! Also they do it in sync and reach the piano at the same time, undress each other to resume the positions they finished in Act I in

Just everything about the ensemble in this scene and song is just *chef’s kiss* the chair-ography

The adult ensemble walking through the scene

Don’t Do Sadness interrupts the end of Guilty Ones

Alex has the mic for Don’t Do Sadness

The ensemble knock all the chairs over on the first bass drop, then stand on the few still upright to create a forest in which Moritz finds Ilse

Ilse interupts Moritz’s Voice handing him the gun

Ilse sometimes signing after she says a line

Side note but Krysta was FIGHTING BREAST CANCER WHILE IN THIS SHOW

Did someone say tree-ography? Yes, the trees sign the second chorus of Blue Wind

When Don’t Do Sadness starts up again, the boys all walk towards Moritz and watch him, until Blue Wind starts over it, then they all turn and walk away

Moritz doesn’t even look at Ilse when she signs her last line “when you finally wake up, I’ll be lying some trash heap”

Daniel Durant runs around the forest screaming with his own voice

Are you ready for heartbreak? “I’m ready now. I’ll be an angel.” Moritz pushes the mic down from his voice, and holds out his hand for the gun. THEN ALEX LEAVES. Daniel signs his last lines in silence.

This production is so fucking brilliant and I’m gonna cry

Moritz smooths his clothes, runs his fingers through his hair, and puts the pistol under his chin. He takes a deep breath, and when he releases, a white flood light fills the stage and blinds the audience as the opening chords of Left Behind play. All the girls standing as trees on chairs are looking at Moritz as he looks around. Ilse runs on, and upon seeing Moritz, breaks down in tears at his feet. The tree girls turn to look at Melchior as he begins to sing.

All the girls putting flowers on Moritz’s coffin, the boys picking it up and lowering it into a trapdoor onstage; all dropping the ropes on “fool”

Melchior standing right behind Melchior’s father to sign the last part, while Ilse walks by behind him

Not the essay being 10 feet long

Just how Austin McKenzie does Totally Fucked like he knows this is what the audience has been waiting for all night

The cast popping out of the trap door

Yeah but Andy Mientus hanging out of the second story door signing a line of Totally Fucked is the hottest thing you’ll ever see

The reappearance of the mic, this time held by the stand in front of Melchi while girls swoon in the pit cause this is a real rock concert

Josh holding the caption cards even though Austin is singing and signing

All of the kids and Voices standing together and signing the chorus

Ali tipping her chair and Sandy pulling her back up

During the second “bah blah” section, all the hearing actors put their hands in front of their mouths, and the Deaf actors hold their hands together like their cuffed. Then the madness during the second round where everyone goes crazy signing, and moving and mooning the audience if you’re Andy Mientus or holding up your A Chorus Line headshot if you’re Alex Wyse.

Just the way the vineyard scene happens on the piano

It’s Joshua Castille and Daniel David Stewart being the most precious duo

HANS SHUSHES ERNST’S VOICE WHEN HE SNICKERS

Ernst’s hand slips off the piano and his Voice hits the keys OK GENIUS DIRECTION

Ok but not DDS starting to play the song while still saying Ernst’s lines

Deaf West still got vocal direction; Andy sings Word of Your Body COMPLETELY differently than Austin did

Hanschen leaning back on the piano like a little bitchass—also the way Andy glides across the piano top

The way Hanschen stops Ernst from signing “bruise”

The way Patrick Page speaks as the doctor—louder when speaking to Wendla, and he always taps her when he is about to say something—more accepting than the school, but still ignorant

Sandy says “you said you told me everything” in her own voice

Playing Harr Gabor is the only time Patrick Page signs

Frau Gabor is a forward thinking badass

Her Voice doesn’t look at Wendla during Whispering singing out to the audience till “so let that be my story”

Even the boys at the reformatory sign

WE LOVE A PIANO SET PIECE YAS WE LOVE TO SEE IT

Wendla is separated from her Voice for the abortion, and you can hear Sandy screaming offstage

All the ensemble come running onstage and stop and stare at Frau Bergman in distress. Ilse steps up into her face just as she notices them there

While Ilse reads Melchior’s letter to her out, Thea reads it over her shoulder and signs it out

Almost the whole cast is sitting in chairs as tombstones

Moritz’s tombstone is a trunk set over a trap door

When reading Wendla’s tomb, he start finger spelling, and stops when he realizes who it is, then does Wendla’s name sign silently

Moritz comes out of the trunk that was his grave

Wendla was sitting as one of the tombstones, and stands on her chair to sign her verse

As ghosts, the voices are less prevalent onstage

THE MOST HAUNTING BONGOS EVER

The Not Gone formation *weeps*

The cast renter sans shoes and jackets—they remove their clothes during Purple Summer as they put them on at the top of the show

For Purple Summer, the voices don’t necessarily sing for the same people they voiced

“The fences sway….the porches swing…THUNDER” harmonies

The voices in the band exit into paradise first, stop playing and leave, then slowly all the cast leave through the door (Andy picks up Ali out of her chair and carries her through) and Austin stays longer, stopping and signing the last “of purple summer” silently and as slow as can be in silhouette in the doorway. The adult ensemble all slowly walk over and watch them all leave.

[every-bad-thing]

You Can’t Get Anyone’s Attention

( “Ghost Shadows” by edenpictures is licensed under CC BY 2.0. ) Due to a series of wildly strange events, you wind up stuck in some sort of other dimension with no way home. Some kind of scientific accident or magic spell or weird hiccup in reality, take your pick, the important thing is that you’re no longer really part of this universe anymore. Not entirely at least. You can still see it, hear it, even smell it. That is, however, the extent. Past this, there’s really no way to interact with the world around you.

Try to touch something and your hands pass uselessly through. Try to say something and no one listens. Try to fart? Everyone assumes it was someone else. It’s a wonder you can even stand on the ground. That seems to be the only thing that still believes in you. Everything else? Everyone else? You may as well be watching TV.

It’s not all bad. You never get cold, you never get hungry, you never even get tired. You can walk forever, stopping only when you get bored. You can go places like the movies or the baseball stadium or the White House and no one says a thing. You can never really get hurt–cars pass right through you, fire completely ignores you, you don’t even need to breathe. It takes you a couple of years, but eventually you get used to it. Good thing too, since you figure you’ll probably be around a while, since you never seem to age.

You spend a lot of your time listening in on people, whether you’re wandering around a house or walking down the street or standing in an office. There’s at least a few interesting conversations a day. Sometimes they’re educational, like when you sat in on two professors arguing about light. Sometimes they’re funny, like those two women who accidentally stole someone’s coat and were trying to figure out how to return it without being noticed. Sometimes they’re sad, like with the kid whose parents were asking who he’d rather live with.

You say all sorts of things, commenting when you thought someone was being stupid or mean or praising them for being nice or desperately telling them not to make the bad decision you know they’re going to make. You’ve long since given up on trying to be heard, but you still like to talk. It’s helped keep your mind in place the whole time you’ve been here. At this point you’ve actually spent more of your life here, in this weird other dimension, than there, where you used to be able to live. You don’t really like how lonely it is, but what are you going to do? What can anyone do, really? You’ve looked all over for someone who can see you, hear you, or even smell you. Once you crossed the planet four times—first from north to south, then again from south to north, then from east to west, then finally from west to east—before you gave up. There was no one who could help you.

( “blue globe with arrows” by Andy M Johnson is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. ) For a long while, you become convinced that nothing will ever change. One day, though, you find this is wrong. That is when you spot something shimmering and gray off in the distance. You squint. It is shaped like a person, but obviously is not. And it is coming closer. As it draws near, you see it as a shimmering silhouette, gauzy gray light evaporating off it like steam. This is the first new thing you have seen in years. It gets closer, and you look around and see no one around you has noticed it. Only you. The arm reaches out, in your direction, and you wonder what it would be like to finally touch something and have it matter. You walk forward, and brush your hand against it.

A light begins to crawl up your arm and tighten. You can actually feel it. You’re amazed at the sensation. It’s a gentle warmth, something like hot bubbling water seething around your hand. There’s a pressure there, one that lets you know it really exists. And it’s increasing. It takes you a second to remember what it was to feel pain, to hurt, because you realize that’s what it’s starting to do. You jerk back your arm and find it’s not that easy. Whatever the shimmering thing is, it’s not letting go, and in fact is gripping even tighter. You scream and wrench your body with all your might, and stumble back free. You look down at your arm. It’s become insubstantial, gray, with vapors rising from its surface. You scream and shake your limb, then watch it re-solidify back to the limb you knew.

The thing is still there and it reaches for you again. This time you run, as long as you can for as far as you can, which is very, very far indeed. You don’t even thinking of slowing until you’ve crossed one ocean, and you don’t actually stop until you’ve crossed two. At which point you see, not too far from you, the shimmering thing, walking toward you. Stopping was a mistake. So you run again and don’t stop, the world speeding past your vision in a blue and you keep going for weeks on end until, finally, you stop to see if you lost it. You did not.

( “CERN Globe Light Man” by shotleyshort is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. )

You keep running. This becomes your life for a long, long, long time. How long, you don’t even know. You can’t even remember the last time you stopped. Whenever you do, the thing is always there and is always closer. The only thing to do then, is keep running, forever and ever.  You spend your life fleeing, escape the only thing on your mind. All other thoughts have been sanded away. Who you were, what you loved, where you came from, how you lived–replaced with nothing more than raw animal flight, the parts of your brain devoted to any thought but this goal withering away to nothing. Including, one day, why you were running in the first place. That is when you finally stop.

The thing closes in, its arms outstretched. A terrible pressure builds over all that you are, but you’re no longer afraid. Because now there is no more you to be afraid for.

[utcampuslifeupdate]

Students Chart Career Paths Backstage at ACL Music Festival

Headliners officers Regina Mendiola, Mckenna Sefcik, Ana Ladaniuski, Peyton Wade, Kristal Guerrero, Aryanna Sirota

The Austin City Limits (ACL) music festival became a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for a group of UT Austin students interested in pursuing careers in the music industry. Thanks to President Hartzell’s Longhorn Live initiative, this premier event in the “Live Music Capital of the World” provided a glimpse into future career possibilities.

University Events and Experience invited student leaders within Campus Events+Entertainment’s Headliners Committee to see firsthand what goes into producing a festival of this scale. They enjoyed exclusive backstage access during ACL’s Weekend One and an opportunity to network with the event’s producers, C3 Presents, during ACL Up Close on Oct. 10.

“It was fascinating to see the parallels between what we are doing now and what they do at ACL. Budgets, logistics, membership, advertising — we are doing everything but on a smaller scale. This experience solidified my passion for the music industry,” said Regina Mendiola, Headliners membership officer and a sophomore public relations major from Mission, Texas.

Students backstage with Andy Langer (back left, University Events and Experience) and music journalist Mars Salazar (back right, Austin American-Statesman)

During panel discussions, the students expanded their understanding of music industry careers, especially after hearing from women in the industry. They met and networked with talent management, stage production, accountants, legal representatives and others. They also learned how to leverage their resume-building campus experience planning live music events after graduation.

As part of University Unions’ Campus Events+Entertainment (E+E), the Headliners Committee leads the planning for live music events open to all students. They book musical acts, promote shows and concerts and manage event operations, helping them develop skills in communication, leadership and teamwork. Their biggest event is Forty Acres Fest — an annual tradition that marked 31 years in March 2024 with 7,500 attendees.

“It’s great to see that what we are doing with Headliners is preparing us for this industry. I left feeling excited and I’m motivated to pursue internship opportunities and continue honing my skills through my involvement on campus,” Mendiola added.

West 22nd on stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival (Photo by Daelynn Dugger)

The Headliners students who attended ACL also had a full circle moment watching West 22nd perform. West 22nd, the first band made up of current UT Austin students to play ACL, performed at Forty Acres Fest in 2022. Mendiola, who is also a Bevo Buddy! leader through New Student Services, plans to share this life-changing experience with the first-year students she mentors.

This ACL experience supports Longhorn Live by showcasing our students’ talent, creating new opportunities for them to interact with high-profile musicians and integrating them into Austin’s ever-growing music scene.

“Whether it’s putting on the show or playing the show, we’re helping dreams come true for our Longhorns. They are having real-world, resume-building career experiences right now that will help them land a future job after graduation,” said Jennifer Zamora, senior director of student experience at University Events and Experience.

As the hub for student life and well-being, the Division of Student Affairs encourages all students to attend an E+E event or get involved through a committee. E+E is the largest student-run event-planning organization on campus consisting of 11 committees. These students hosted 111 events during the 2023-2024 academic year with a total of 46,366 attendees.

“E+E offers something exciting for everyone — live music, theatre productions and campus events,” noted David Anthony, interim director for student programming for University Unions. “Our student committees manage and promote memorable events that educate and entertain their fellow students. E+E also provides student volunteers with experience and job skills for their future careers.”

Check out the Campus Events+Entertainment schedule and watch the behind the scenes highlights of the Headliners Committee experience at ACL on their Instagram page.

[artbusiness5]

USA Art

The art scene in the USA is incredibly diverse and vibrant, encompassing a wide range of styles, mediums, and historical influences. Here’s an overview of key aspects of American art, including its history, major movements, and contemporary trends:

1. Historical Overview

Colonial and Early American Art: Early American art was heavily influenced by European styles and included portraits, landscapes, and historical events. Notable artists include Benjamin West and John Singleton Copley.

19th Century:

Hudson River School: Focused on American landscapes, emphasizing the beauty and majesty of the American wilderness. Key figures include Thomas Cole and Frederic Edwin Church.

American Realism: Artists like Thomas Eakins and James Whistler depicted everyday life with a focus on accuracy and detail.

Early 20th Century:

Ashcan School: Known for its gritty, realistic portrayals of urban life. Prominent artists include George Bellows and John Sloan.

American Modernism: Embraced abstraction and experimental styles. Key figures include Georgia O'Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, and Charles Demuth.

2. Major Art Movements

Abstract Expressionism (1940s-1950s): Characterized by large-scale, abstract works and an emphasis on spontaneous, expressive techniques. Key artists include Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Willem de Kooning.

Pop Art (1950s-1960s): Drew inspiration from popular culture and mass media, often using bright colors and commercial techniques. Famous artists include Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

Minimalism (1960s-1970s): Focused on simplicity and the use of geometric forms. Prominent artists include Donald Judd and Agnes Martin.

Conceptual Art (1960s-1970s): Emphasized the idea or concept behind the artwork over its aesthetic or material aspects. Key figures include Sol LeWitt and Joseph Kosuth.

Contemporary Art: Encompasses a wide range of styles and practices, often incorporating new media and technology. Notable contemporary artists include Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, and Kehinde Wiley.

3. Major Art Institutions and Museums

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City): One of the largest and most comprehensive art museums in the world, with extensive collections spanning various periods and styles.

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (New York City): Focuses on modern and contemporary art, including significant collections of abstract, pop, and conceptual art.

The Getty Center (Los Angeles): Known for its impressive collection of European paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, as well as its research library and conservation efforts.

Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.): Focuses on American art from the colonial period to the present, with a diverse collection of paintings, sculptures, and folk art.

4. Contemporary Trends

Diversity and Inclusion: There is a growing emphasis on representing diverse voices and perspectives, with more focus on artists from various ethnic backgrounds, genders, and socioeconomic statuses.

Digital and New Media Art: The use of digital technology, virtual reality, and interactive media is increasingly prevalent in contemporary art practices.

Social and Political Commentary: Many contemporary artists address social, political, and environmental issues through their work, using art as a platform for activism and dialogue.

Street Art and Graffiti: These forms have gained significant recognition and are often featured in galleries and public spaces. Notable artists include Banksy (although UK-based) and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

5. Art Markets and Collecting

Art Fairs: Major events like Art Basel (Miami Beach) and The Armory Show (New York City) showcase contemporary art and attract collectors and dealers from around the world.

Auction Houses: Houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s regularly auction high-profile American artworks, often reflecting market trends and collector interests.

Private Collections: Many private collectors and philanthropists contribute to public art institutions and support emerging artists.

6. Art Education and Community

Art Schools: Renowned institutions like the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) train the next generation of artists.

Art Organizations: Organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and various local art councils support artists and art initiatives across the country.

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[hangelbel]

Exploring Museums in New York: A Journey Through History, Art, and Culture

New York City, often hailed as a cultural melting pot, offers an incredible array of museums that cater to every interest imaginable. Whether you're a history buff, an art enthusiast, or simply someone looking to explore the rich tapestry of cultures that define this city, there's a museum in New York for you. Let's take a journey through some of the most iconic and must-visit museums, including the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration.

1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, or "The Met," is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive art museums. Located on the eastern edge of Central Park, The Met houses over two million works of art spanning 5,000 years of history. From ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary art, the museum's vast collections offer something for everyone. Highlights include the Temple of Dendur, the European Paintings galleries, and the Costume Institute's fashion exhibits.

2. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

MoMA is a must-visit for modern and contemporary art lovers. Located in Midtown Manhattan, the museum boasts an impressive collection of works by artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. In addition to its permanent collection, MoMA hosts a variety of temporary exhibitions, film screenings, and educational programs. The museum's sculpture garden is also a serene oasis in the bustling city.

3. The American Museum of Natural History

Situated on the Upper West Side, the American Museum of Natural History is a treasure trove of scientific and cultural exhibits. Visitors can explore the wonders of the natural world through its extensive collections, including dinosaur fossils, gems and minerals, and dioramas depicting various ecosystems. The Rose Center for Earth and Space, with its impressive Hayden Planetarium, is a highlight for astronomy enthusiasts.

4. The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration

No exploration of New York's museums would be complete without a visit to the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. Located on Ellis Island, this museum tells the compelling story of the millions of immigrants who passed through its halls between 1892 and 1954, seeking a new life in America. Through photographs, personal artifacts, and interactive exhibits, visitors can gain a deep understanding of the immigrant experience and the significant contributions immigrants have made to the fabric of American society. A visit to Ellis Island often includes a ferry ride from Battery Park, which also offers stunning views of the Statue of Liberty.

5. The Whitney Museum of American Art

The Whitney Museum, located in the Meatpacking District, is dedicated to contemporary American art. The museum's collection focuses on 20th and 21st-century American artists, with a particular emphasis on living artists. The Whitney Biennial, a survey of the current state of American art, is one of the most influential exhibitions in the contemporary art world. The museum's location also offers spectacular views of the Hudson River and the High Line park.

6. The Guggenheim Museum

Designed by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim Museum is as famous for its architecture as for its art collection. Located on the Upper East Side, the museum houses an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by Kandinsky, Klee, and Mondrian. The building's unique spiral design allows visitors to experience the art in a continuous, flowing motion.

New York City's museums are a testament to its rich cultural heritage and its role as a global hub of art, history, and science. Each museum offers a unique window into different aspects of human experience and creativity. Whether you're a local or a visitor, taking the time to explore these incredible institutions will deepen your appreciation for the diverse and dynamic world we live in. Make sure to include these museums on your next trip to New York, and prepare to be inspired by the stories they tell and the masterpieces they hold.

[findinginga]

"Не верить на слово, проверять строжайше…" (V.I. Lenin)

"Put no faith in words; subject everything to the closest scrutiny..." (V.I. Lenin)

Before anyone decides to write a hateful criticism, I completely acknowledge that I am applying this quote of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin out of context.  Without opening a political science Pandora's Box, Lenin was exhorting the Marxist worker with his words.  I, in a very apolitical way, apply Lenin's words to the lessons I have learned in my interactions with Ingeborga Alexandrova Reshetnikova (nee Lopatuk?, Lopatiuk?, Lopatyuk?) over the previous couple of years. 

Equally applicable is the Russian proverb, "доверяй, но проверяй" (approximate translation: "Trust but verify").  This phrase was popularized in the West when Ronald Reagan used it in a speech related to bilateral nuclear arms de-escalation.  But while I claim no diplomatic service experience, I certainly was aware that Inga's words could not be trusted.  She was capable of spinning even the most preposterous story at will.  No investment of my time, no demonstration of my emotional support, no gifts would result in a more emotionally open Inga.  Ernest Hemingway may have had a point when he wrote" The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." but he never dealt with Inga.  Above the long abandoned desire for an intimate relationship with Inga, I was determined to create a mutual atmosphere of support and trust.  As "Ace" Rothstein said, "When you love someone, you've gotta trust them.  There's no other way.  You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours.  Otherwise, what's the point?" (Casino - 1995)  Well, if you have viewed the movie then you know how well that worked out for "Ace".

It was time to wind things down...

Upon receiving the report from PI Labs in late September 2022 as to the living arrangements and day-to-day activities of Inga, I was welcoming the temporary assignment in Chicago.  I was hopeful  the work and time in my hometown would serve to ground me once again.  I was not looking forward to a potentially cold Chicago Winter, but the ability to attend cultural events, dine at my favorite restaurants and drop in on some jazz sets at The Green Mill and  Andy's strongly overrode my dislike for the bitter cold.

In late October, Inga announced that she was planning a trip to St. Petersburg.  Eva had been asking to visit with her uncle (Nikita) and his wife and relatively new baby.  Inga wrote that this would also be an opportunity for her to visit the Consulate of Cypress, as well.  Her plan was to arrive on 3 November and remain until 6 or 7 November. Extending the stay to the 7th was dependent upon the need for Eva to attend school that day.  I contacted Mikhail at PI Lab with the information Inga shared about her travel plans.  I was primarily interested in Inga's follow through with her stated desire to secure a visa to travel to Cyprus.  Mikhail assigned the new scope of work to an operative and pledged to inform me of the results.

Inga IM'd me a few times on 3 November to tell me about the trip to St. Petersburg.  In particular, Inga wrote of the difficulties she experienced in traveling on the bus.  She explained that they decided to take Monika (their dog) along on the trip.  Monika was apparently restless on the bus and made for an unpleasant time.  I received only a few messages from Inga over the following days as, no doubt, she was busy with family.  With her return to Pskov on 7 November, a fairly normal stream of communications resumed.  Inga explained that she did not have the opportunity to visit the consulate and would need to return in the near future.

As the days passed in November, I was preparing for my trip and three month stay in Chicago.  I planned to leave on 4 December in order to be in town and ready for an onsite meeting Monday, 5 December.  It was necessary to leave my home clean and secured during my absence as well as gather together the essentials for my stay.

The week before my planned departure, I received a report from PI Lab regarding the trip Inga and Eva made to St. Petersburg a couple of weeks prior.  The following are excerpts:

We received information from the surveillance cameras of the St. Petersburg city monitoring centre. The monitoring centre checked the movement for the Skoda or Volvo vehicles registered to Denis. According to the centre, Skoda car number E 244 KU 60 was recorded by surveillance cameras.  On 3 November 2022, in the evening, the vehicle arrived in the city of St. Petersburg. On 06 November 2022, in the morning, the vehicle started driving from 11/9 Repischeva Street.  In between these days the vehicle did not move through the city.  The route departing the city started on 06 November from one of the addresses of Ingeborga's brother - 19 Repischeva street. 

Investigators also checked information you supplied that Ingeborga and Eva (and possibly Denis) went to the children's entertainment center, Smile Park. We found a photo of Eva at the centre. The photograph was taken on 04 November 2022. 

Reading the latest report submitted by Mikhail and his team caused me to laugh aloud.  I could not understand why Inga would bend herself into a pretzel with such an elaborate story.  Adding poor little Monika into the fable was the topper for me.  The report simply confirmed that there was an ongoing relationship between Inga and Denis even after their dubious divorce.  The issue of securing a visa was again given no priority confirming, once more, Inga did not appear to have serious intentions.

Time for me to hit the road and make the 14 hour road trip to Chicago...

[x-heesy]

Jen Stark’s art is driven by her interest in conceptualizing visual systems to simulate plant growth, evolution, infinity, fractals, mimetic topographies, and sacred geometries. Using available materials—paper, wood, metal, paint—Stark strives to make work that balances on a razor’s edge of optical seduction and perceptual engagement. In recent years, Stark has introduced new technologies into her diverse practice, delving into the digital realm of interactive projections and distinctive NFTs.

The resulting works often resemble organic, molecular, cloud-like structures, and are imbued with kinetic, undulating effects that serve to dislocate the viewer from staid reality into an immersive ecosphere of echoing patterns and the implausible designs found in nature. Even her vivid colors are in direct conversation with the natural world; the attractant/repellent properties of flowers encouraging pollination or insects warning birds of their poisonous traits, and the luminous mystery of phosphorescent sea creatures are among Stark’s concerns.

Via these corporeal abstractions, spectators are led onto the astral plane; there’s a transcendence to Stark’s work where the vibrational phases become a sacrosanct and curative experience for the viewer. Traces of mandalas or nautili reveal themselves as sacred geometric forms in Stark’s spiritual reservoir.

Stark’s ability to create atmospheric, minimal, naturalist configurations that only reveal themselves after deep engagement align her with the artistic legacies of Yayoi Kusama, Sol Lewitt, Tara Donovan, Tom Friedman, Andy Goldsworthy, Ernst Haeckel, and the Finish Fetish artists of 1960s Los Angeles.

Not limited to the confines of museums and galleries, Stark’s diverse practice—a series of sculptural objects that rely on a commitment to process and hypnotic repetition; charismatic wall works; widely seen murals; intricately animated films; NFTs (non-fungible tokens) and interactive projections—has been exhibited throughout the world, permeating both the physical and digital realms. By adopting cutting-edge techniques to showcase her aesthetic, Stark activates her universe through constant adaptation and transformation.

Stark was born in Miami, Florida in 1983, and studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art, graduating in 2005. Since then, Stark has realized exhibitions globally, with major shows in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Thailand, and Canada. Recently included as one of Fortune’s “NFTy 50,” Stark made history as the first female artist to make Foundation’s top 10 highest selling NFT creatives. Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the West Collection, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, NSU Art Museum and MOCA Miami, among others.

Stark lives and works in Los Angeles. Part1 Part3

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Soundtrack: I Feel Space by Lindstrøm 🌈

[thxnews]

Lancashire Cyber Partnership: Revolutionizing UK Cybersecurity

  Building the Cyber Ecosystem in Lancashire

In an effort to shape, support, and promote the cyber ecosystem in the region, the Lancashire Cyber Partnership is set to become a driving force. The National Cyber Force (NCF), a collaborative venture between Defence and Intelligence, will lead this transformative initiative, fostering collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners.   New Home for NCF in Samlesbury by 2025 The National Cyber Force is preparing to open its new headquarters in Samlesbury by 2025. This strategic move is not only aimed at strengthening the cyber landscape but also holds the potential to generate employment opportunities in the region. Focusing on technology and digital supply chains, this initiative aims to enhance and support the burgeoning North West Cyber Corridor.  

Andy Walker, Lancashire County Council’s Head of Business Growth, with Lt. Gen. Tom Copinger-Symes, Dpt. Commander Strategic Command. Photo by UK.GOV.  

Diverse Partnerships for a Strong Foundation

Partners in the Lancashire Cyber Partnership include the Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, the University of Central Lancashire, Lancaster University, and BAE Systems. This diverse collaboration was unveiled at the inaugural Lancashire Cyber Festival, where delegates engaged in discussions and workshops focused on elevating the county’s high-value, high-skilled, and inclusive cyber economy.   Fostering Cyber Interest Amongst Youth To showcase the dynamic career opportunities within the area, local primary school and college pupils participated in cyber-themed puzzles. College and university students, in turn, competed against the clock in a high-tech cyber escape room. Furthermore, students had the unique opportunity to interact with Defence leaders, including Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, Claire Fry, and Air Vice-Marshal Tim Neal-Hopes, gaining insights into their career journeys.  

NCF's Pivotal Role in Lancashire's Cyber Development

Air Vice-Marshal Tim Neal-Hopes expressed immense pride in the National Cyber Force's pivotal role in shaping Lancashire's cyber ecosystem. This strategic partnership positions Lancashire uniquely as a national leader in cyber and security capabilities, contributing to enduring security, resilience, and prosperity for the entire county.   Aligning with National Cyber Strategy Highlighting the importance of aligning with the Government's National Cyber Strategy, AVM Tim Neal-Hopes emphasized the Lancashire Cyber Partnership's role in supporting the development of an integrated and collaborative North West Cyber Corridor. This alignment is crucial in achieving the strategic objectives outlined in the government's approach to cybersecurity.  

NCF's Mission and Operational Principles

Disrupting Adversaries in Cyberspace The National Cyber Force plays a crucial role in making it harder for adversaries to exploit cyberspace and digital technologies. In line with the Integrated Review 2021, the UK Government aims to disrupt adversaries' use of digital technology, ensuring responsible development and usage of offensive cyber tools within international law and voluntary norms.   NCF's Operational Principles and Democratic Values The National Cyber Force operates based on fundamental operational principles outlined in their guide. Notably, these principles underscore how the force functions and its steadfast commitment to democratic values. Furthermore, the guide provides valuable insights into the background of the National Cyber Force, illuminating its operational approach and offering concrete operational examples. This comprehensive overview serves to emphasize the force's unwavering commitment to responsible cyber power. In summary, the Lancashire Cyber Partnership marks a significant step in shaping Lancashire's cyber landscape, with the National Cyber Force at its core, contributing to national cybersecurity goals and aligning with responsible cyber practices on the global stage.   Sources: THX News, Strategic Command & National Cyber Force. Read the full article