#iseos writing ࿐ྂ

[iseos]

: HAND IN HAND

library. p. enhypen x gn!r g. head cannons, fluff wc. ~56 each © iseos

lee heeseung — behind-the-back

— as you walked down the street towards the convenience store, heeseung, with his long and confident strides, walked ahead of you. his hands reached back to grasp yours as you were a few steps behind him. with each step you both took, he would pull you closer until you were practically walking on his heels.

jay park — interlaced fingers

— fingers interlaced, palms pressed together, jay enjoyed the classic yet intimate way to hold hands. you both were able to communicate through gentle squeezes or direct one another with a slight pull into a specific direction. not to mention, your hands fit together like pieces of a puzzle, allowing the people who walk past you to see your connection without having to say a single thing.

jake sim — over-the-shoulder

— walking side-by-side, your steps synchronized in a gentle rhythm. jake casually draped his arm over your shoulder, drawing you closer, while your hand reached up, intertwining your fingers together. as you continued to walk, he leaned his head down slightly, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, not needing to speak any louder with how close you both were.

park sunghoon — pinky hold

— at a bustling intersection, waiting to cross the street, you and sunghoon exchanged glances as your pinkies wordlessly found each other’s, intertwining in a silent gesture of affection that went unnoticed by the pedestrians around you. once the light changed and you both began walking again, your interlocked fingers remained almost completely hidden by your long sleeves.

kim sunoo — palm-to-palm

— seated across from each other, both of your elbows rest on the table while your hands are pressed together, your fingers pointed upwards. as your eyes are locked as you quietly talk to one another, sunoo gently traces the outline of your fingers, his touch light and absentminded.

yang jungwon — linked arms

— arms hooked at the elbows, jungwon first linked arms with you as a way to share warmth on one particularly cold night. however, your arms naturally intertwined each time you walked side-by-side, wanting to hold the other as close as possible, regardless of the situation.

nishimura riki — wrist hold

— trying to push through the busy shopping center, niki's fingers intertwined in a gentle clasp at your wrist. even after finding a much quieter area, his hand remained wrapped around your wrist, though his grip had loosened greatly since he no longer needed to worry about losing you in the crowds of people.

[wanderingballad]

Italy - Sunset - Iseo Lake

[headstail]

⁰¹ . PROFILES ⠀ ⁰² . MUSIC ⠀ ⁰³ . STORY LINE ⠀ ⁰⁴ . WRITING PIECES

which path will you take ? ⠀⠀ EXCEED ( 초과 ) , stylized as XCEED , is a fictional boy group underneath POSER RECORDS that debuted in august of 2014 with their first sub-unit known as XPLOIT. the at the time seven member lineup became known for their "defying the status quo" concept ; exploring the more harmful, realistic route that one may go down when unable to meet the high expectations of those around them.

their sound, while accompanying their message, was often deemed "noisy" or "too experimental." with their sales not doing too hot in south korea, POSER decided to cater them to their small yet dedicated western audience. most of their lives were spent touring north america with LOS ANGELES becoming a second home to them. though due to the steady decline domestically, the label will eventually pay them no mind once debuting ARM CANDY in 2020.

many speculation about the group disbanding has resurfaced online over the years as leaked information about possible sub-units and alleged members came and went: the only thing keeping the public's interest aside from the occasional debate over their discography and the endless list of scandals the boys got themselves in. to the surprise of many, in 2022, XPLOIT will release their 2nd full album titled STARBOY : ACT I ─ the first fully self-produced project that strayed away from their typical heavy edm and leaned more in hip-hop and r&b. skepticism, a few half naked promotional shoots, individual videos for their album sampler, and some fun videos were what led non-fans and loyal ones to elevate their sales beyond expected. XCEED were finally redeeming themselves to everyone who doubted them...

and what better way to capitalize off their recent success then to debut their new sub-unit in 2024 ─ twelve years after the abandonment and lack of care for XPLOIT! april of 2024 will introduce the six member group called XACT. their concept was meant to contrast their brother unit: what happens when you feed into the peer pressure of those around you and actually do exceed expectations ? ironically enough, XACT was met with more grace thanks to the younger and more youthful features of the members who had racked up their own solo fanbases over the years. not only did their debut mini album outsell XPLOIT's entire career debut single, but they were quickly deemed as monster rookies to look out for within the industry. with the new addition on the rise alongside the eagerness that awaits another successful comeback from XPLOIT, many wonder if the timing of XACT'S debut was good or if POSER just accidentally sabotaged the older unit.

⋆⠀☠︎︎⠀⋆˙⊹ ⠀◞‏‏‎ ‎⠀⠀ THE BASICS !

⠀ ¹ ⁾ GROUP NAME : ⠀ XCEED .

⠀ ² ⁾ SUB-UNITS : ⠀ XPLOIT ( 2014 ) &. XACT ( 2024 ) .

⠀ ³ ⁾ DEBUT DATE : ⠀ AUGUST 16, 2014 .

⠀ ⁴ ⁾ SIGNED UNDER : ⠀ POSER RECORDS .

⠀ ⁵ ⁾ GREETING : ⠀ TO EXCEED IS TO EXCEL .

⠀ ⁶ ⁾ FANDOM : ⠀ LUCKYS , LUCKY CHARMS .

⠀ ⁷ ⁾ FANDOM COLOR : ⠀ #007a73 &. #d2ba82 .

⠀ ⁸ ⁾ LEADERS : ⠀ JO HARAM ( XCEED, XPLOIT ) &. MYLES LEE ( XACT ) .

XPLOIT : ⠀⠀JO HARAM ( '96 ), AUGUSTUS BYUN ( '96 ), NATHANIEL "CASH" KIM ( '97 ), HAN "CYRUS" YIJOON ( '97 ), SON JAEIN ( '99 ), NOH "ROMEO" DAEWON ( '99 ), TANG XI BAI "SEVN" ( '99 )

XACT : ⠀⠀MYLES LEE ( '99 ), NIKI PARK ( '01 ), YOO SIAN ( '99 ) ISHIHARA "KYE" KAEDE ( '00 ), HARLOWE JUNG ( '01 ), JANG ISEO ('02)

[solradguy]

asking this off anon since it’s p obvious who’s asking, but what are your thoughts on asuka? obvs you think he got off light with sol but do you overall think he was mishandled in the story/dislike him as a character?

As a villain he's awesome.

When they established the core of his character/backstory in Overture, they had him almost like a sympathetic villain. If you read between the lines, there were events where the only choice Asuka could have made were ones that were going to paint him as a raw bastard to the rest of society, with the biggest one being the Black Sunrise when he overrode Justice to blow up Japan to keep the Universal Will from manifesting (and making humanity go extinct, probably).

His options were either to override Aria's control over her own body or to try to convince her to do it herself, which she may not have been able to do in time because trying to convince someone to wipe out 99% of a country of people is a hard thing to do lol It sucks for the characters, but as far as writing goes it's awesome. It's a complex choice, and complex choices tell a lot about a character.

He did something similar with Frederick when he put the Flame of Corruption in him. Asuka knew that he was going to lose control over the Gear cell research (implied at the end-ish of Begin) and needed something on the outside to deal with it once that research inside got out of hand (which it did—Crusades). He also needed to somehow keep the FoC away from the Scales of Juno because of the risk of an Absolute World (mass extinction event). Asuka very probably could have convinced Frederick to accept being infected with the FoC but he didn't even try, he just did it.

Asuka had hundreds of chances across the timeline of Guilty Gear to try to explain things to Sol and he never does until the very end of Strive. Of course, Sol probably wouldn't have listened to him anyway because, as far as he knew, Asuka killed/did something awful to his fiancée, betrayed him, and turned him into a supernova barely caged inside a human form. But he could have at least tried. Asuka is complex as hell, and it's fascinating how GG has managed to pull that off.

Until roughly Xrd. And it got worse in Strive.

I don't know what the decision there was. It's like the foundation for an Asuka redemption arc was being put down before they just went and dropped the whole house on it anyway. They needed him to still be a bit of a villain, but they wanted to start wrapping up the Sol/Asuka threads at the same time and it just isn't doing it, imo. Like I said in my reply on that other post, the FoC stuff between Sol and Asuka has been brewing since Missing Link, 25 years ago, and they "resolved" it in a less than 10 minute scene that was in the middle of another scene where the Earth was about to be blown up by God!I-No at the climax of the entire Strive story itself.

Sol's in-game lines about wanting to beat up Asuka and beating him up in honor of Aria confirm that Sol's still mad at him, but... man.... I want to believe they're going to loop back around and expand on all that a bit more later because right now it's a massively disappointing end to Sol's biggest story arc and to Asuka's character as a whole.

Asuka knows he fucked up, Sol knows it, the rest of the world still knows it too. They can't just be like "and then Asuka went to the moon and everyone forgave him because he helped a bit with some stuff." Fingers crossed Sol's planning something with that rocket in his backyard at Iseo. Even if it's just to go up to the moon and monologue at Asuka.

[jiwon1es]

btw i don't think it's bad to write abt leeseo

thank you anon, so now be prepared for baby iseo scenarios ><

[gear-project]

GGMiscQandA STRIVE Edition!

After all this time, I've decided to write about my compiled thoughts and "questions" that some people have yet to ask about the FINAL chapter of Guilty Gear such as it is:

And while there's still a lot of gaps in the story that have yet to be answered... I'd like to discuss the 'mysteries' that are more obvious and present in the story right now:

SPOILERS, in case you didn't know by now:

Asuka R. Kreutz:

---He Merged with the Tome of Origin, but after the events that occurred, we don't really know what he's doing now. Did he really use Tir na Nog to go in to Space? Is he running a Space Radio Station?

Heck, what kind of music would Asuka play on his Radio Station?

Has Mankind forgiven him for his past? Does Baiken still hold a grudge against him?

Sol Badguy/Frederick Bulsara:

---"Sol" stated that even with the Flame of Corruption Divine Seed removed from his body... he wasn't entirely human... so what does that ACTUALLY mean? Is he still immortal? And what exactly did Asuka DO with the Seed once it was extracted? We don't even know.

---"Sol" still seems to be in contact with Ky, so it's obvious that even if he's living in Iseo (Illyria), he's probably got a cosey job as a Scientist/Engineer for his "Jazz" Junkshop.

Jack-O'Valentine/Aria Hale:

---Jack-O' tried to use up her power to stop I-No's powers, but we don't really know what happened to the Scales of Juno in the process... I-No said the "Scales" were "gone", but we don't really know what happened exactly.

---The "Aria" that was inside Jack-O' was only a fragment/copy of Aria's memories and apparently it had no emotions, and yet Sol chose to accept it anyway... but what about the "fragment" that was Justice? Does that piece still exist in some way?

---Up to that point, Jack-O' was working as a Bounty Hunter with Sol... but are they fully retired/on permanent vacation?

Faust:

---After Revelator's events it was suggested he was going to find a cure for the Japanese' Ki Overflow Syndrome, but it was never once addressed in Strive... only that he was still hanging out with Chronus (former Conclave member)... exactly what does his journey entail? Will he perhaps run in to Happy Chaos along the way?

Chipp Zanuff:

---He seems to be training May to use Dodomezaki as her training partner... we don't know how far that relationship will go... but it's possible May will learn some form of Ninjutsu later on.

---We still don't know his connection with Bedman's sister Delilah or how he gained that information (unless it was through Answer's information network).

---It seems that Anji Mito is now "working" for Chipp at this point as a subordinate, though we don't know how that came to be.

---Chipp seems to want to recruit Nagoriyuki to his cause, though we don't know what will come of that.

Gold-Lewis Dickinson:

---To clarify, he isn't the same as the Burger Sheriff we first saw in Xrd Sign (though he does end up eating a burger from Danny Missiles).

---Apparently he 'knows the weakness' of the being inside the coffin he carries around, which causes it to obey every command he gives it? He claims it's NOT an Alien, even if everyone else considers it an Extra-Terrestrial.

Potemkin:

---The mechanical suit he was piloting towards the end of the story was apparently called the Vidia... but does it have any connection with the woman named Viidia in Guilty Gear Begin?

Ky Kiske:

---It seems that Ky is under observation by the Newly Reformed Conclave, though we don't know who they are or their origins. They still appear to be connected to both the United Nations and the Postwar Administration Bureau.

---Side note: King Daryl apparently utilized Director Millia Rage as head of the new PWAB as his new "information network". They seem to have access to intelligence that suggests that Illyria's technology was responsible for building Project Tir na Nog (the White House). Just what other secrets is PWAB responsible for?

---King Leo still hasn't "gone back home" to his purview yet... and we have yet to meet his Sister!

---Ky has yet to announce his 'family' in G4's proceedings, so hopefully that will go well.

I-No/Megumi Saito/Axl Low/Will Bruce Rose

---We've established that these two have a connected history, but the real mystery (while mostly resolved) still hasn't explained what will happen to Axl and Megumi moving forward. Does Axl still have his powers? Does Megumi have powers now? Just what will happen to them from now on? Southern Autonomous Oceanic Federation/Chinese Federation

---We know next to nothing about this region of the world or their intentions.

---It's said that Australia is known as a Gear nature preserve of sorts, but that's still something that has yet to be fully explained.

---Side note: Faust is rumored to have origins in China, but his full story has never delved in to that side of his history.

Happy Chaos/Happy Chaos Valentine

---According to what we are led to understand, he gave I-No back her powers in full, but he still seemed to "exist" despite the risk that Asuka warned him about (that he could disappear).

So just what are his intentions from here on out? Where will he go from here?

---His goal appears to be to maintain humanity's sense of humility and powerlessness as 'humans', though what that means in the end stage, is entirely unknown.

---Happy Chaos Valentine was originally Asuka's construct, but 'she' was never completed, and meant to merge with I-No... so does she look like Megumi Saito at this point? Will she ever 'exist'?

---Related note: Dizzy is still a 'replica' of Justice for all intents and purposes... her power still poses a technical threat if anyone were to take advantage of it against her will... even someone like Happy Chaos could manipulate Dizzy if he wanted to. Hopefully things won't come to that.

Universal Will/Merciless Revelator/Merciless Apocalypse

---Ariels appears to have had her personality completely altered upon purging Happy Chaos from her body... but just what is she at this point now? A Valentine? A Gear? What will humanity do with her now, especially given her powers?

Of course, there's much more to consider, but I wanted to list my current thoughts and things I'm focusing on in the future aspects of the story going forwards.

Even if Sol's story has ended 'for the time being'... that doesn't mean the legend of Sol Badguy is over just yet!

[hollowgroverp]

              ROSABELLE MORETTI

(age.) twenty three (species.) witch (abilities.) premonition and resurgence (occupation.) works are the winebrary (residency.) arrived november 2018 (mirror.) benedetta gargari

❝  a pavement of the past

Rosabelle was born and raised in a small Italian town on Lake Iseo. Her father was a witch while her mother was human, a couple who found each other by chance and fell in love despite their differences. They chose to settle in a small town, far away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities where memories of the war were strong. They gave birth to two boys and a young girl who they named Rosabelle in honor of the roses they kept by the kitchen window. All three children had powers like their father, though Rosa’s were not as apparent as her brothers. She was born with the gift of premonition and visions often came in bursts that left her shaking and confused. For a time her parents thought she was just an imaginative child who watched too much television but as it became clear that she was having visions of the past and future, her parents realized what they were dealing with. Although her parents stressed the importance of keeping her powers quiet, Belle wasn’t always the best at listening. She often turned her visions into fleshed out stories, telling them to her friends and her classmates. For awhile it was fine but as time went on, it was becoming more apparent to those around her that some of her stories, well, they just happened to come true. By the time Rosabelle was a teenager her parents had made it clear that she was no longer allowed to turn her visions into stories. Unfortunately it was a bit too late and there were a number in the small lakeside town that had grown suspicious so her parents decided to move the family to a small safe-haven across the ocean where her father’s American relatives lived.

Rosabelle adjusted to life in Summerdale rather quickly, though she did miss Italy. Still, living in the safe haven allowed her to grow as a witch, learning spells, rituals, and potions that her father had been unable to teach her himself. Life was good and it was happy. She found herself rather comfortable at the local college, focusing her studies in spell craft and potion making, learning how to devise spells and potions from scratch. Rosa never thought about what she’d do with such knowledge if she ever left the small town but, then again, she never expected to need to move away from Summerdale. Why would she when she was safe and happy? Soon after graduating from university, she returned to Italy with her two older brothers. They were backpacking together, enjoying their time in their home country. While camping and hiking in the alps they spent a lot of time out of cell phone range and often couldn’t check in with their parents. It wasn’t something that bothered the three siblings, until Rosabelle sat down to write in the journal her mother had given her and suddenly had an image flash through her head. An explosion. By the time they returned to cell phone reception it was too late. Summerdale was gone and they couldn’t reach their parents. Their family, their friends, everything they knew was gone. And Rosa blamed herself, thinking that she should have been able to warn the people she loved.

The three wandered together for awhile, coping with the loss in their own ways. Belle had been a rather reserved child, calm, polite, and well behaved. But in the wake of Summerdale’s destruction and the loss of her parents, she turned to parties and alcohol to numb the pain and guilt she felt. One night stands and a constant flow of liquor helped her try to forget the vision she had of her home blowing up and sometimes she’d be able to fall asleep without thinking of her parents. It wasn’t a healthy coping mechanism but neither of her brothers were in any position to stop her, not when they themselves were looking for their own ways to survive. In November of 2018 the three siblings finally settled in Hollow Grove after meeting another group of witches by chance one night. Another safe haven seemed like their best bet after the loss of their parents. Rosabelle has taken a job at the Winebrary as she tries to figure out what to do with her life, but for the most part she spends her days trying to forget the past.

❝  the nature of the beast

Rosabelle had once been a well-behaved and calm young woman but something inside of her broke when her parents died. Now a days she spends most of her time at least tipsy, though she’s rather good at hiding it when she’s at work. She’s forgotten about boundaries and has lost any tact she once possessed, often saying things as soon as the thought pops into her head. Rosa no longer thinks about consequences but is determined to live each day as if its her last, doing things that her brothers usually disapprove of. She’s careless and reckless, and quite frankly, a bit foolish at times. The young woman will do anything to get a rush just to keep the thoughts from plaguing her, just so that she can sleep at night. Belle will act on any dare given to her without hesitation and though she likes to pretend to be brave, she’s really just terrified of the world around her. One or more paragraphs describing your characters personality.

[rodyle-is-a-catboomer]

Luna Bittik

Lately I don’t have time to continue my fics and stuff because of college and getting ready for my new job as a programmer, but once I finish inktober (yeah I know it’s November but I want to finish it anyway, better late than never) I hope I can continue writing my stories.

I don’t know if I’m ever going to post them anywhere or just share them with some friends but I think it could be fun to talk a bit about some of my OCs now and then.

So well, the first post will be about Luna Bittik.

She’s a half-elf born in the human ranch of Palmacosta, daughter of two Desian soldiers (a mage named Samuel and a lancer called Undyne). She inherited some kind of unknown magic from her father, but didn’t specialize in magical training because her parents wanted to prevent her from fighting and risking her life, so she studied a lot and became an archives scholar. However they didn’t actually have the time to raise her and gave her affection. As a consequence she grew up as a lonely kid and then she spent her youth surrounded by very old books, scrolls and digitalized files and became very attached to her mentor, Rachel Griffin. Luna’s lack of affection and social experience brought her to idealize Griffin and confuse her admiration for her with a romantic love that was never reciprocicated, since Rachel just saw her as her younger coworker.

Luna had never left the Ranch and only knew about the world outside from books. She had never interacted with humans either and just thought of them as beasts that didn’t catch her interest. 

Rachel introduced her son’s Paul to her with hopes of them dating. Luna made the effort to know him just to please Rachel. Paul was a soldier who went to Palmacosta quite often to collect taxes from humans. He was secretly fascinated by them and questioned what the Desians did but never dared to do anything. As a consequence he struggled with guilt and was depressive, but constantly pretended to be fine. Rachel was openly ashamed by him because he was “just a soldier” (unlike her, who was a scholar) and spent too much time outside. Luna and him didn’t work as a couple (he was always wanting to be affectionate to her, which Luna felt uncomfortable about, and he also wanted to talk about his adventures outside, which Luna didn’t want to hear about, and he didn’t read any books, which Luna found unacceptable) and got distanced. Years later Luna heard from a very disappointed Rachel that Paul had “fallen for a human and he even had a child with her, what a disgrace!”. However, he didn’t actually get to leave with her. Later, it was found out that he even had a second child with another human woman.

Luna kept with her work in the archives and eventually met a guy called Timun Moore. He was an engineer who, like her, had nothing to do with the outside world and was uninterested in humans. He only cared about designing efficient software and playing card games. Luna enjoyed his company and they became friends who played cards together after work. Some time later two young soldiers called Scott Azure and Yurin Garik joined their games. Luna felt disdain towards them because of their lower status, but she grew up fond of them as time went by, especially with Scott, who had a shy, meek personality and always talked to her with a timid smile.

One day, the hero Kyle Rice and a human named Iseo Selis came to play with them. Luna vaguely knew that Kyle had volunteered to an experiment to enhance his abilities with expheres in order to fight an enemy of Lord Magnius, and apparently he was considered a hero because of that, but she was uninterested. For reasons she didn’t understand, their lord was giving special treatment to that human, and she carried a baby from him. Kyle was her personal guard. Luna had never interacted with a human before and could only think of her as stupid and boring. Yurin seemed annoyed by her presence too, and Timun didn’t show any signs of interest towards her. But surprisingly, Scott was openly excited and curious about the presence of both, since he admired Kyle and had never spoken to a human either (he had only become a soldier to follow his friend Yurin, and was just starting his training).

Iseo didn’t come back to play with them. Luna heard she had her baby.

Rachel Griffin was struck with the news that Paul had died. It appeared that he had commited suicide. She was overwhelmed by guilt and sadness and she was unable to work anymore, so Luna took care of her as well as she could. That is, very lackingly, without knowing what to say, just trying to remind her to eat and terrified by the thought of ever brushing her hair. She felt sad about Paul’s death too but never talked about that.

Eventually, Luna became accidentally involved in an act of treason. She didn’t know of the details, but apparently Kyle had helped Iseo escape from the Ranch with her baby. As a consequence, Magnius punished him, Scott, Yurin and Blake (Kyle’s partner) and Kyle gravely hurt him in self-defense. Fearing for the consequences, they ran away and took Luna, Timun, Rachel and Scott’s father (also named Scott) with them. They didn’t know if their lord was alive but didn’t want their loved ones to be hurt too. 

They found Iseo, her baby and her grandpa because Kyle considered they were in danger too. They wanted to cross the mountains to Asgard, where someone the grandpa knew had a house where they could hide. A confused Luna, who didn’t even care about any of this, met the cold of the forest, which contrasted with the ranch’s heat. She, Timun, Scott and Yurin became sick very soon. All because of that stupid human, Iseo.

Luna decided the logical course of action was to ask for help in Asgard Ranch. Timun followed her while the others told her she was being risky. They were also scared she would tell Lord Kvar about them and be hunted down. She promised she wouldn’t say a thing, because she appreciated them. It was just that she thought their goals had nothing to do with her. She knew nothing of the world and was scared and sick. She tried to convince Rachel to come with them but she said she didn’t want to come back to the place that had killed her son. Luna and Timun left while Blake cursed them for their cowardice and her friend Scott was sad but couldn’t stop them.

They were attacked by human bandits on their way and were gravely hurt. They survived because Luna released her powers with Timun’s help, which instantly killed their aggressors. Then they both fainted. When Luna woke, she found they had been helped by two human young siblings, Kat and Toby. They were the children of doctors and Kat had medical training. She told Luna that their parents had been killed by the Desians and that she had only saved Timun and her because as a doctor she didn’t want to make distinctions when helping people. Toby, on the other hand, wanted to leave them to die and was bitter all the time. Luna was shocked by this. Until now, humans were merely a concept to her. Yes, there was Iseo but they had only exchanged a few words and she had only caused trouble to them. This was the first time she was talking face to face with one of them, looking at her eyes and seeing the pain and the conflict and her noble heart despite all. She was looking at someone who had strong feelings and ideals. Someone who had saved her life. A person, like her, not a beast like she had always thought. 

Luna told Timun about her feelings and doubts as they continued their way to Asgard Ranch. He was also reflective and concluded that maybe they had been mistaken about humans. For him, they were just data in the programs he made, but maybe there was more after all.

When they arrived to the Ranch Luna lied to Kvar and said they were just on a vacation travelling around the world. She did talk about the bandits and how Kat and Toby had saved them. Lord Kvar didn’t even react to this and said the siblings were just exceptions among the beasts. Luna and Timun were allowed to stay. They were also offered to work for him, since according to Palmacosta’s reports, they had good careers (Magnius was still recovering and his role as a grand cardinal was temporarily covered by his son, Jeremy, who hadn’t said anything about the incident involving Kyle and the others).

Kvar was also interested in Luna’s powers and how she had killed the bandits. To her surprise, he told her he was planning to have a descendant and that she seemed a suitable candidate to carry his child, given her powerful magic, her perfect curriculum and her beauty. He offered her a large amount of money (a million gald) for the inconvenience. Luna was disgusted by the idea. He was the responsible for the death of Kat’s parents and she definitely didn’t want to be a mother. However, that money... She thought that she needed to compensate Kat... Maybe she could give her that money? She couldn’t bring her parents back, but at least she could solve her life...

So she accepted. She would give birth and then leave. She didn’t want to be a Desian anymore, or have anything to do with them. She could live among humans. It sounded terrifying but also the right choice. Maybe Kat could help her figure out how the world worked? She wanted to learn and be better, be as noble as her. She had not ever cared about anything and her life had been empty and meaningless but now she felt determined. She told Timun about her plan and he said he would leave with her. He didn’t seem so bothered to stay in the ranch, but she was his only friend in the world and would support her no matter what.

Luna thought someone like Kvar would want to have his child artificially, as he seemed cold and uninterested in anything that wasn’t research or intellectual discussion, but he told her he preferred the traditional way. However, he was very clumsy and anxious everytime they tried. It was supposed to be a chore, but he actually seemed to be very affection deprived. Luna was surprised to find him vulnerable, struggling to hug her without knowing how to, with his arms and legs covered in many scars that he wanted to explain but couldn’t find the words. She felt very drawn by this facet of him, and at the same time it was like looking at herself in the mirror. She was also cold and a mess expressing her own feelings, never able to open her heart to Rachel, or be affectionate to Paul or to her friends, wanted to be loved but always shut in her own world of academia and strict rules, which was sadder but more confortable than the idea of touching someone’s hand and being rejected. It was painful to see him wanting to touch her so badly but not knowing how. She also felt the growing urge to touch him too, but refrained. He was Kat’s enemy. Therefore he was her enemy. She lied on her back and grabbed him sharply and helpped him finish his task. No caresses; she didn’t want to even try and found herself trapped in her thirst for someone like him. She was only there to had his kid, grab the money and leave.

Luna became pregnant and Kvar became painfully but shyly desperate for her to stay with him, since she had told him she would leave after giving birth. He behaved weird when he was with her, his mask of coldness not very stable anymore. It was so weird to see someone as powerful and dangerous as him being so confused around her. He told her she could stay if she wanted to. That they could marry if she wanted to. His hands trembled everytime he touched her growing belly. It was the only time he was able to allow himself to touch her affectionately. Luna tried to have her mind empty everytime he did it. She didn’t care about him, obviously. She didn’t care about that baby. She didn’t want to know what names he had thought for them. It was just work. He touched her belly with his hands covered in gloves and still felt warm and close and she craved for feeling that touch in her face. But she didn’t want to think about that. Everything would be left behind and would not matter. She felt the weight of that baby inside her but obviously they weren’t hers. It was just Kvar’s. That baby would grow and became a mini tyrant like him, and she didn’t want to have anything to do with that. The baby was doomed and was irreparable but it was not her problem. She only wanted to leave and help Kat.

The baby was born. It had been so painful. What was the use of that pain? She was going to leave them. She didn’t want to hold them. She didn’t want to see how Kvar held his child as if they were the most valuable thing in the world. His mask finally broken with that very small copy of him. Obviously, they only looked like him. His hair color, eye-shape... Yes the baby was dark skinned like her, and she heard Kvar say they had her eye-color, but she didn’t care. Kvar told her he had named their daughter Aska, like the light spirit who worked with Luna, the other light spirit. 

What would happen to Aska? What kind of person would she be as she grew? Would she be as emotionally damaged as her parents? Unable to touch the skin of others, to show her very heart to her loved ones? Luna didn’t want to know. So she left and took Timun with her. Her loyal friend was leaving his safety and a well-paid job for her, and she realized she had never hugged him either. 

They found Kat and Toby.  Luna gave them the money, all of it, without any proper explanation. Kat looked at her and noticed the weight that weird (ex)Desian was putting on her. Her desperation and her clinginess. Luna was paying her to find meaning in her life, to compensate the crimes her people had done, and Kat felt overwhelmed and creeped out by this. She didn’t want to be the center of Luna’s purpose. That money (which probably was full of blood) was like a curse. She didn’t want to keep it. Luna insisted and Toby grabbed it because they needed it. They had nothing, after all, because of those monsters. Kat told her to leave. She didn’t want to be involved with Luna and see her again.

And Luna left with a lot of pain and confusion. She somehow had expected that Kat would be grateful and would help her. But of course, Kat was right to be suspicious. She was trying to buy something intangible. Just as Kvar had tried to buy her love but failed. She had paid with money that was not only made with the child of Kat’s enemy, but also with people like her parents’ suffering, with their deaths. It was normal that Kat didn’t feel comfortable with her appearing and paying.

But that meant Luna and Timun were all alone in a world they didn’t understand. Luna didn’t want to be a Desian. Maybe her attempts to make a friend among the humans had failed, but she was determined to keep with the side of goodness and justice. They would have to struggle, but Timun and her would never touch bloodstained money again.

The following years, Luna and Timun tried to live in Luin. Luna did shitty works where she was constantly harrassed and insulted for being a half-elf, but at least she could paid a tiny house for them. TImun stayed at home, too overwhelmed to face the world and look for a job. The room where they slept was so small and cold that Luna eventually found herself hugging her friend at nights to keep herself warm. She cried many times thinking about her past life, her books, her friends, Rachel, the card games, the confort of living inside the ranch. Now she was always hungry. The humans didn’t accept her. They obviously didn’t know she and Timun used to be Desians (she now was sure they would hurt them for that) but they resented and distrusted half-elves in general. And Luna understood that. But it was so painful. She herself resented her own decisions. And resented Timun because he barely left their house while she was working countless hours the jobs no one wanted to do. She shouted at him frequently, and insulted him, and then hugged him because he was all she had. 

She often wondered how her life would have been if she had stayed with Kvar and Aska. But then she would have been an accomplice. And not a minor one, like she used to be, but the wife of a monster. Would her daughter become a monster too? But at least she was warm, and had food and safety... Did she like reading, like her? She couldn’t afford books anymore and didn’t have the time to go to the local library anyway. How would feel to hug her, to hold her in her arms and brush her hair and talk about the books they loved? Did her father hug her? She was sure he did, because he held his baby so dearly. Her heart ached but she repeated to herself that she had done the right thing.

One day, just when Luna was getting ready to work, someone knocked the door. Luna opened and found a teenager girl. She wore a hat that covered her ears, and a long coat. She had long straight hair, almost white. Her eyes were purple and almond-shaped, and her skin was brown. The kid seemed very nervous but also excited. Luna was sure she was a half-elf. And that she was also... No, it couldn’t be... Obviously it wasn’t possible...

- A-are you Luna Bittik? -said the teen nervously.

- Yes... -Luna managed to reply.

- I'm... Aska of the Tempest... Your daughter... I’ve always wanted to know you...

[lifeequalstraveling]

This is Lake Iseo, in Lombardy, Italy. Since I moved to Europe lakes seem to be everywhere. Water in general makes everything more beautiful. Rivers, the sea, lakes... even a swimming pool! Growing up in a country with almost 8,000 km of coastline, I cannot imagine my life without water, not just for obvious physiological reasons, but also for mental ones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #travel #viagem . . . . . . . . . #travelphotography #ferias #fotografia #travelgram #viaje #viajando #writing #instatravel #stories #vacation #vacations #turismo #tourism #tourist #trip #traveling #traveler #storytelling #storyteller #littlestoriesofmylife #travelstories #europe #italy (at Iseo, Lombardy) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp27o2kn5Hy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rsqcuq7am8hu

[edchristianfrugalidad]

A Breakthrough In Your Life With Christ Jesus | iSEODigitalcontent

Make that breakthrough in your life with Christ Jesus once and for all. A life with Christ Jesus, matters; making a paradigm-shift in your lifetime.

Has a door opened or closed in your life and your plans changed, so, what do you need from God today?

Bible.commentions these excerpts of the holy words from Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV). You need not become anxious about anything. Instead,…

[wikisolislamabad]

What is SEO?

ISEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results.

What goes into SEO?

To understand the true meaning of SEO, let's break that definition down and look at the parts:

Quality of traffic: You can attract all the visitors in the     world, but if they're coming to your site because Google tells them you're     a resource for Apple computers when really you're a farmer selling apples,     that is not quality traffic. Instead you want to attract visitors who are     genuinely interested in products that you offer.

Quantity of traffic: Once you     have the right people clicking through from those search engine results     pages (SERPs), more traffic is better.

Organic results:     Ads make up a significant portion of many SERPs. Organic traffic is any     traffic that you don't have to pay for.

How SEO works?

You might think of a search engine as a website you visit to type (or speak) a question into a box and Google, Yahoo!, Bing, or whatever search engine you're using magically replies with a long list of links to webpages that could potentially answer your question.

That's true. But have you ever stopped to consider what's behind those magical lists of links?

Here's how it works: Google (or any search engine you're using) has a crawler that goes out and gathers information about all the content they can find on the Internet. The crawlers bring all those 1s and 0s back to the search engine to build an index. That index is then fed through an algorithm that tries to match all that data with your query.

Best Seo Expert Islamabad 

Learning SEO

This section of our site is here to help you learn anything you want about SEO.

Here's a general overview:

Building an SEO-friendly site

Once you're ready to start walking that SEO walk, it's time to apply those SEO techniques to a site, whether it's brand new or an old one you're improving.

These pages will help you get started with everything from selecting an SEO-friendly domain name to best practices for internal links.

Content and related markup

A site isn't really a site until you have content. But SEO for content has enough specific variables that we've given it its own section. Start here if you're curious about keyword research, how to write SEO-friendly copy, and the kind of markup that helps search engines understand just what your content is really about.

On-site topics

You've already learned a lot about on-site topics by delving into content and related markup. Now it's time to get technical with information about robots.txt.

Link-related topics

Dig deep into everything you ever needed to know about links from anchor text to redirection. Read this series of pages to understand how and when to use nofollow and whether guest blogging is actually dead.

Other optimization

Congratulations! You've mastered the ins and outs of daily SEO and are now ready for some advanced topics. Make sure all that traffic has the easiest time possible converting with conversion rate optimization (CRO), then go micro level with local SEO or take that site global with international SEO.

The evolution of SEO

Search engine algorithms change frequently and SEO tactics evolve in response to those changes. So if someone is offering you SEO advice that doesn't feel quite right, check in with the specific topic page.

Best SEO Services in Islamabad 

[iseos]

: “OUR THING”

library. p. enhypen x gn!r g. head cannons, fluff wc. ~70 each © iseos

lee heeseung — monthly movie day

��� what started as an excuse to stay in bed all day, eventually turned into something you both looked forward to every month: movie marathon day. in the weeks leading up to it, you and heeseung would create a long list of everything you wanted to watch together in preparation. rarely did either of you venture out from the bed, preferring the comfort of being tangled together under a pile of cozy blankets.

jay park — baking

— once a week, the dorm's kitchen would be taken over by the two of you as you attempted to back new recipes together. flour clouds dance in the air as you both navigate through spilled vanilla extracts and dough mishaps. Amidst the laughter and occasional flour fight, your bond strengthened with each perfectly golden pie or slightly burnt batch of cookies.

jake sim — cafe hopping

— every weekend, you'd both set out to explore different cafes around the city, savoring the diverse menus and unique atmosphere of each location. at every stop you'd try new drinks and pastries while people-watching from your table in the corner of the room, creating elaborate life stories for the other customers around you and imagining their adventures and secrets.

park sunghoon — handwritten letters

— without a set schedule, you exchange handwritten "love letters" with each other at unexpected moments. you'd find them tucked under a pillow, slipped into a coat pocket, or just plainly left on a desk. these notes allowed you both to express the feelings you struggled to articulate in conversation. in the fleeting moments when the letters are discovered amid the rhythm of daily life, they offer solace and forge a deep connection through written expressions of love.

kim sunoo — indoor picnics

— every sunday, without fail, you spend the afternoon under the warm sun, surrounded by cute snacks. this routine lasted almost a month until the sky decided to intervene with an unexpected rain shower, threatening to cancel your plans. undeterred, you proposed relocating indoors. in an instant, your apartment living room transformed into your new go-to picnic spot, complete with comfy blankets and homemade snacks.

yang jungwon — star gazing

— whenever the weight of his idol and leader responsibilities became too much, you and jungwon would escape to the rooftop, lying side by side on a blanket. the expansive night sky, adorned with countless stars, became your sanctuary. with the cool breeze gently whispering around you, both of you with trace constellations, sharing soft laughter and momentarily escaping the world below in each other's comforting presence and the twinkling night sky.

nishimura riki — blanket forts

— the living room quickly transforms into a fortress of pillows and sheets upon hearing the first rumble of thunder outside. you both meticulously arranged cushions and draped blankets until it was almost impossible to move about the room from outside the fort, much to the annoyance of the other members in the dorm. inside, you both would spend the evening surrounded by snacks, playing games together on your phones, or watching your favorite shows together.

[parasholidays]

Best Romantic Places to Visit in Italy for Lovers

Italy is the best place where the newly wed couple can visit and enjoy the most at the best places of Italy tour from India.

Enjoy the beauty of The Alps and the Apennines mountains which are the two most popular and the main attraction of the Italy where you can enjoy with your partner.

There are many places in Italy where you can go and enjoy in Italy honeymoon package that are listed below.

1. Pienza Tuscany

The place where the couple can go and enjoy the most is the Pienza,Tuscany. This place is where the story of Romeo and Juliet took place. Also the place has the best Renaissance garden.

There are many buildings which evoke love like Duomo, Palazzo Vescovile, Palazzo the architecture of the place will take your heart.

2. Venice

Venice is the place where every person wish to visit and spend quality time with there loved ones. The place I'd set on the river and provide the perfect destination for honeymoon packages Italy for almost 600 years the place has maintained it's name to the most visit and admired destination offered in.

You visit the canals and appreciate the incredible architecture of the place. Not only the scenes but the performances taking place in the theatre will cheer up your day.

3. Chianti

For saving the moments in the most beautiful and wonderful way Chianti provides you the most beautiful things with picture-perfect scenes. It is taken to be the most romantic place as the cozy farmhouse just adds in the love in the air. If you are a non-vegetarian the place will provide you best beef ragu and the best food which is said to be the best in the entire world.

You can also visit the local cookery classes.

4. Lake Como

To be away hustle bustle and relax with your partner on the bank of lake Como is the best part in honeymoon packages for Italy. It is situated on the Foothills of Italian Alps . Just sit ,relax and enjoy the view and feel the positive vibes. If you love adventure you will enjoy the destination the most as the place offers you the different fun sports like bungee jumping, kite surfing, windsurfing and zip-lining in Jungle Raider Park.

5. Lake Iseo, Lombardy

To enjoy more and make you more trip even more memorable you can visit the nearby Lake Iseo in Lombardy. The place will provide you new experience which will evoke love in you with lake that us surrounded by the beautiful mountains. The best time to visit the place is in autumn when you are able to see the colours like gold, red, and brown which just adds on to the beauty of the nature.

6. Capri Islands

The place is full of beauty of nature which will fill you with a positive sense and rejoice your day. Test pace is situated at the bay of Naples and provides you best landscapes and showrooms.

You can also spend the quality time with your partner by drinking fancy cocktails on the site and enjoy the very romantic sunsets on at the sea and appreciate it's beauty.

7. Alassio, Liguria

Alassio the town of sunshine is s very famous UNESCO World Heritage Site. The beautiful place is just like a wonderland where you can find every possible thing which will give you peace like beaches with beautiful view, mountains which just adds on the beauty to the view.

8. Rome

If you want to add more to your Italy tour packages from India, add glamour of the city and hustle bustle of the place.. You can visit Rome.

The most famous place to visit in Rome is the Garden of Oranges. The monument has breathtaking architecture also you can visit the Pincio Gardens which is the Amazing lake and is Known to be perfect for the married couples.

9. Florence

The place is the capital of the Tuscany and is known for the best tuscanian vineyards. You should definitely try the wines of the place as the taste which you will get here is hard to find anywhere in the world. The beauty of the place is something else you will find the place to be the best and will fall in love with it.

Make your wish come true by visiting the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. It is the place where couples throw keys to mark their love. After writing your love for years visit the Piazzale Michelangelo to witness the best sunset and then take the look the city which will surprise you with many Beautiful things.

Source- https://www.parasholidays.in/blog/best-romantic-places-to-visit-in-italy-for-lovers/

[weekendwarriorblog]

WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND May 17, 2019  - JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3, A DOG’S JOURNEY, THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR

Well, the summer is grinding along at a rather slow pace. Granted, it’s only the third or fourth official weekend, depending on when you started counting, and if you live in New York City, it doesn’t really feel like summer at all, but as has been the case since starting my beat at The Beat, I hope people will be reading this for the limited releases and repertory stuff, which I try to make fairly comprehensive and complete.

Normally, I wouldn’t be too impressed with Lionsgate’s decision to release Keanu Reeves’ JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM in the summer, but surprise, surprise, I actually liked this one. A LOT! I already reviewed the movie for The Beat, a review which you can read here, but I do think that most of the people who liked the first movie will like this one, too, as it adds the likes of Halle Berry, Asia Kate Dillon  (Orange is the New Black) and Mark Dacascos to flesh out the mythology while sending John Wick on the run as he’s excommunicated from the assassin’s guild.

I don’t have as much an opinion about the doggie sequel A DOG’S JOURNEY (Universal). I mean, I like dogs just fine, but I never got around to seeing A Dog’s Purpose, and I’m not sure I can follow this movie’s high-concept premise without having seen it. Apparently, a dog dies and then keeps coming back as another dog in order to protect Dennis Quaid’s daughter… no, I don’t get how that works either, but I’ll probably never see this.

The other movie I’ve seen which opens Friday is Ry Russo-Young’s THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR (Warner Bros./MGM), based on the novel by Nicola Yoon, starring Yara Shahidi (black-ish,grown-ish) and Charles Melton from Riverdale. If you know me at all, then you can probably guess that I’ve never seen those shows, but I have seen Russo-Young’s other films, and she’s a director that’s definitely grown on me as she’s taken on YA adaptations. I’m not going to write a full review of this one (due to time constraints and illness) but I was generally mixed on it. I thought the two young actors were fantastic, and this was a perfectly nice romantic film that generally used its New York locations well, but there were definitely parts where I was just bored and not that into the story. It’s a shame, because I usually buy into the whole fate and destiny thing, especially when it come to romance, but this one just gets silly at times.

You can find out what I think of the above film’s box office prospects over at The Beat.

LIMITED RELEASES

This is a very busy week for limited releases with a lot of things coming out of the woodwork at the last minute… and honestly, most of what I’ve seen is just okay, at best.

Jack O’Connell plays Cameron Todd Willingham in Ed Zwick’s TRIAL BY FIRE (Roadside Attractions), based on the true story of the Texas man accused of murdering his three young daughters via arson in 1991. He spent 12 years on Death Row before his case found its way to writer Elizabeth Gilbert, played by Laura Dern, who tries to negate the evidence against Willingham. I wanted to like this movie more than I did, because it is an interesting story with a decent script written by Oscar winner Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious), based on an article by New Yorker writer David Grann (apparently all of his articles become movies, so he has a good agent, huh?). The movie is generally okay, mainly due to the fantastic rounded performance by O’Connell but it’s also quite long-winded and didn’t need to be over two hours to get its point across.

Joanna Hogg’s autobiographical British indie THE SOUVENIR (A24) stars Honor Swinton Byrne (yes, that’s Tilda’s daughter) as film school student Julie who encounters and gets involved with a gregarious and opinionated older man named named Anthony (Tom Burke) who turns out to be a heroin junkie who effectively sabotages the film she’s trying to get made. While I can generally understand what Hogg was trying to do with this movie, I found it very long and drawn-out, and I was even more shocked to learn that this was meant to be the first of a two-part movie, but no, I won’t bother with Part 2 even if it does star Robert Pattinson, probably as another dick who tries to derail Julie’s career, cause that’s what men do.

The Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra returns to India for the romantic drama PHOTOGRAPH (Amazon) about Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), a man from a poor village who takes a picture of student named Miloni (Sanya Malhotra) and sends it to his grandma, saying it’s his new girlfriend, so she’ll get off his back about marrying. Rafi sends his grandma a picture of Miloni, but then has to convince Miloni to play along and meet his grandmother when she comes to Mumbai. As the two spend more time getting to know each other, a romance begins. It’s a nice movie, maybe not quite as great as The Lunchbox, but a nice date night movie for sure.

Opening at the Metrograph, which is in the midst of a Ryusuke Hamaguchi retrospective, is the Japanese filmmaker’s most recent film ASAKO I AND II (Grasshopper Films), based on the novel by Tomoka Shibasaki. It begins with a romance between a shy girl from (Asako, played by Erika Karata) who falls for a young man named Baku (Masahiro Higashide), who suddenly vanishes on her. She ends up moving to Tokyo and meeting another man named Ryohei, who is Baku’s spitting image – maybe because he’s also played by Higashide. A relationship develops between them until Asako learns what happened to Baku. This is definitely a strange but mostly satisfying romance story that would be a great date night double feature of Photograph.

From Sweden comes Pella Kagerman and Hugo Lilja’s sci-fi thriller ANIARA (Magnet Releasing), which takes place on the title spaceship which is taking the three-week journey to Mars full of thousands of passengers when it’s knocked off course. The problem is that it might take years to get back on course, which immediately throws everyone on board into a panic. At the center of it is Emelie Jonsson’s woman who runs a “Mima chamber” where people can go to relax, a chamber that gets increasingly more busy until it breaks down and then things just get completely crazy.  If you wondered what Passengersmight have been like if Gaspar Noe directed it then Aniarais the movie for you, but I did like Jonsson’s character arc as she ends up starting a relationship with a woman officer on the ship and where that story goes.

Karen Gillan stars in Collin Schiffli’s ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW (Samuel Goldwyn), which is written by and co-stars David Dastmalchian from Ant-Manand other films. It deals with a couple living in poverty, forcing him to break the law, as they set off to find refuge in Kansas City. I haven’t seen it but it sounds interesting with that casting.

Shirley Jackson’s 1962 mystery novel WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE CASTLE (Brainstorm Media)is adapted by filmmaker Stacie Passon with an all-star cast including Taissa Farmiga, Alexandra Daddario, Sebastian Stan and Crispin Glover. Farmiga plays Merricat who lives with her sister Constance (Daddario) and uncle (Glover), the only survivors of a poisonic that killed the rest of their family five years earlier. When their cousin Charles (Stan) arrives, asking about the family’s finances, it begins a battle for control as tragedy looms.

Now playingat the Film Forum is The Third Wife (Film Movement), Ash Mayfair’s Vietnamese drama set in the 19th Century about a 14-year-old named May, who becomes the third wife of a much older man. With a mostly female cast and crew, the film has drawn comparisons to Zhang Yimou’s Raise the Red Lantern and some of the flashbacks in The Joy Luck Club (which I recently rewatched and cried my eyes out, but don’t tell anyone).

Then opening Friday at the Film Forum is Andrey Paunov’s documentary Walking on Water (Kino Lorber), about artist Christo and his late wife Jeanne-Claude, who had built some of the most amazing large-scale installations including the famous “The Gates” in Central Park and their most recent project “The Floating Piers” over Lake Iseo in Italy. The movie will open in L.A. and San Fran next Friday, May 24.

Johnny Depp stars in Wayne Roberts’ The Professor (Saban Films), a movie that seems to be getting dumped into theaters after a DirecTV release. Depp plays Richard, a college lecturer who discovers he has six months to live so he turns into a party animal, much to the shock of his wife (Rosemarie DeWitt) and chancellor (Ron Livingston). Also costarring Zoey Deutch, it opens in select cities.

Kevin and Michael Goetz’s A Violent Separation (Screen Media) stars Brenton Thwaites as Norman Young, deputy of a midwstern town who is forced to arrest his older brother Ray (Ben Robson) for murder. Things get more difficult when Norman gets involved with the victim’s younger sister (Alycia Debnam-Carey). It opens at New York’s Cinema Village and a few other theaters as well as On Demand.

Now playing at the Roxy Cinema in New York is Matt Hinton’s doc Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury (Abramorama) about the small-town band Luxury, whose career almost ended in a wreck, but who continue to make records even as three members become priests.

Another music-related doc out this week is the Cordero Brothers thriller Room 37 - The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders (Cleopatra Entertainment), which as you might guess from the title is about famed rocker Johnny Thunders (Leo Ramsay) and how his trip to New Orleans to get his life together turned deadly.

This week’s Bollywood offering is Aki Ali’s De De Pyaar De, starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu and Rakul Preet Singh in a London-based love triangle.

Opening in New York this Friday, then in L.A. May 24 and VOD June 21 is Eddie Alcazar’s Perfect  (Breaker Films), exec. produced by Steven Soderbergh, which stars Garrett Wareing as a troubled young man sent to a clinic by his mother (Abbie Cornish) to help with his dark visions.

Next up is Rachel Carey’s Ask for Jane  (Level Film) starring Cait Cortelyou in a timely movie set in Chicago 1969 where abortion is punishable by prison and two women try to find a doctor to help a pregnant student at the University of Chicago has tried to kill herself. The two women end up forming the Jane Collective, an organization that helps women get safe abortions.

Asa Butterfield, Finn Cole, Hermione Corfield, Michael Sheen, Margot Robbie, Nick Frost and Simon Pegg star in Crispian Mills’ horror-comedy Slaughterhouse Rulez set in a British boarding school where monsters have been unleashed from a sinkhole. The movie was a hit in England but is barely getting a release in the States even with that amazing cast.

STREAMING AND CABLE

Not much of note on Netflix except Kate Melville’s rom-com Good Sam, a movie about a reporter who is trying to find a stranger who is leaving bags of money all around New York City.

I probably haven’t been paying enough attention to the streaming service MUBU, but in honor of the Cannes Film Festival that started this week, the service is doing a “Cannes Takeover” which includes Gus Van Sant’s Paranoid Park, Crisi Piu’s The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Alejandro Innaritu’s Amores Perrosand other films that broke out of the French film festival.

REPERTORY

METROGRAPH (NYC):

Sci-fi author Samuel R. Delaney will be at the Metrograph for Delaneymania, a collection of films selected by him including This Island Earth (1955), Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal  (1957), Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus  (1950), as well as Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil: Director’s Cut  (1958). The series will also include Fred Barney Taylor’s doc about Delany called The Polymath and more. Playtime: Family Matinees is also getting involved into Delanwymania with screenings of The Boy with the Green Hair (1948) on Saturday and Sunday morning. Also this weekend is the firstMetrograph Book Fair of the year with lots of rare and vintage books and magazines on sale.This week’s Late Nites at Metrographincludes screenings of Michael Mann’s Thief  (1981) and more screenings of Gasar Noé’sClimax, which seems to be Metrograph’s new go-to movie. (Sorry, Carol!)

THE NEW BEVERLY (L.A.):

Weds and Thursday seems double features of Elaine May’s Mikey & Nicky  (1976), starring Peter Falk and John Cassavetes, and Between the Lines (1977), while Friday and Saturday’s double feature is Martha Coolidge’s 1983 film Valley Girl (with Coolidge and special guests on Saturday!) and Sofia Coppola’s 1999 debut The Virgin Suicides.  The Sunday/Monday double feature is two from Dorothy Arzner, Merrily We Go To Hell (1932) and First Comes Courage(1943).Friday’s midnight is Tarantino and Rodriguez’s 2007 anthology Grindhouse, while Saturday at midnight, you have another chance to watch The Love Witch from 2016.  The weekend’s KIDDEE MATINEE is Agnieszka Holland’s 1993 film The Secret Garden  (which is being remade next year). On Monday afternoon, there’s a screening of Josie and the Pussycats… no, I’m not sure why either.

FILM FORUM (NYC):

Sadly, the Trilogies series ends Thursday, but the Film Forum will screen a 4k restoration of Alain Resnais’ Last Year at Marienbad (1961), and this weekend’s Film Forum Jr.offering is Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands  (1990), starring Johnny Depp. Dan Streible is back with his eclectic of shorts called More Orphans of New York.

EGYPTIAN THEATRE (LA):

On Friday, you can catch a “New York Sleaze Triple Feature” (yes, in L.A.) with Fulci’s The New York Ripper (1982),Nightmares in a Damaged Brain  (1981) and Abel Ferrar’s The Driller Killer  (1979). The Cassavetes & Scorsese: Love is Strangeseries continues on Saturday with Goodfellas and Husbands, plus the 1965 film The 10th Victim is showing as part of the Art Directors Guild Film Society Series on Sunday. Also on Sunday, Spanish filmmaker Ivan Zulueta (who died ten years ago) gets a tribute with a screening of 1979’s Arrebato.

AERO  (LA):

This week, the Aero begins the Passion of Pier Paolo Pasolini series (probably in conjunction with Abel Ferrara’s film, which finally gets a theatrical release) with a series of double features: Solo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975) and Pigsty (1969) on Thursday, The Decameron  (1970) and Oedipus Rex (1967) on Friday, The Canterbury Tales (1971) and Teorema (1968) on Saturday, and Arabian Nights (1974)and Medea (1969) on Sunday. On Monday, they’ll screen a rare 35mm print of Pasonlini’s The Gospel According to St. Matthew(1964). Since I really enjoyed Ferrara’s new film starring Willem Dafoe, I’m bummed I missed the Metrograph’s retrospective of Pasolini last year, but this is a good chance to see this prolific Italian filmmaker’s often-controversial work.

QUAD CINEMA (NYC):

Another great series begins at the Quad this weekend with Fighting Mad: German Genre Films from the Margins, based around Dominik Graf’s two-part documentary A Journey Through German Film. Graf programmed the series with Olaf Müller, who presents a few of the screenings. It’s a pretty rich series with no films that I personally have had a chance to see – I have a couple screeners to watch – but there are sure to be a few gems in there if you have time to see some of the 17 movies.

IFC CENTER (NYC)

Waverly Midnights: ParentalGuidance  will screen Roman Polanski’s horror classicRosemary’s Baby (1968) and James Cameron’s Aliens (again). Weekend Classics: Love Mom and Dad screens Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1962 film Mamma Roma, while Late Night Favorites: Spring shows the Coens’ Fargo, David Fincher’s Fight Club and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

BAM CINEMATEK (NYC):

Black 90s: A Turning Point in American Cinema continues this weekend with Waiting to Exhale, The Five Heartbeats, Fear of a Black Hat, House Party, a 20thAnniversary screening of The Best Man and a lot more. It’s a really good series with a lot of movies worth checking out.

MOMA (NYC):

Abel Ferrara: Unrated continues with 1986’s Crime Story on Wednesday, 1993’s Dangerous Game on Thursday, Welcome to New York  (2014) on Sunday and Piazza Vittorio (2017) and 4:44 Last Day on Earth  (2011) on Sunday. The series will continue through May 31. MOMA is also doing a Jean-Claude Carriereseries, honoring the amazing prolific work of the French screenwriter, including Louis Malle’s Milou en Mai  (1964), Milos Forman’s Taking Off (1971) and many more, which will be screened between now and June 16.

ROXY CINEMA (NYC)

A new addition! The theater in the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca is showing Joanna Hogg’s earlier film Archipelego (2010), as well as Sally Potter’s 1992 film Orlando in 35mm!

MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (NYC):

On Saturday, MOMI is doing a Filmmaker Memorial for John Singleton, put together by The Black Filmmaker Foundation and the Black Film Critics Circle with BFCC President Michael Sargent and other critics discussing Singleton’s work. Otherwise, MOMI is finishing up Panorama Europe.

LANDMARK THEATRES NUART  (LA):

This week’s midnight movie on Friday is the Japanese horror filmHouse (Hausu) from 1977.

That’s it for this week. Next week, we get Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin, starring Will Smith; Olivia Wilde’s hilarious Book Smart and the James Gunn-produced Brightburn. Oh, yeah, and it’s Memorial Day weekend!

[semper-femina]

music tag

I was tagged by @devil--in--suit. Thank you, sir!

I will just write down all the songs I’ve been listening to on repeat recently (in no particular order).

Ten songs (sorry for the weird choices, my playlist has been kind of messy lately) and ten mutuals:

Touch, by Little Mix.

Shape of You, by Ed Sheeran

No Lie, by Sean Paul feat. Dua Lipa

Fast Car, by Tracy Chapman

Go Now - From “Sing Street” Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, by Adam Levine

While My Guitar Gently Weeps, by Regina Spektor

Side To Side, by Ariana Grande feat. Nicki Minaj

Last Night, by Iseo (I’ll be seeing her in May, hopefully. Highly recommended)

Million Reasons, by Lady Gaga

Lucky, by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat

I tag: @writingletterstoshakespeare, @hemingsways, @hcsperrhodos, @eirenelle, @thestorycanresume, @pluiesurlesfleursbleues, @girodentado, @calines, @restersimple, @womenlikeher

[noiseartists]

Staircase Paradox: Beautiful Parisian indie reverb pop

To discover Staircase Paradox, let’s start with 2 songs we like:

The band’s present themselves on social media as follows:

“We are Staircase Paradox. We are two girls & two guys. We like melancholy, animals, distortions, flowers & smashed guitars. We make euphoric & sad songs with straightforward melodies you can hum all day long because that’s the way we want it to be... We already love you, why don’t you love us yet ?”

Well … we do love them and their mature and melodic music, including styles like indie, dreampop, Altrock and shoegaze. If you do no know them, listen to them urgently.

The lineup is:

Pauline Falzon : bass & vocals

Amélie Repetto : piano, synth & vocals

Nathan Stibbe : drums

Billy Montoya : vocals & guitar

The music work to date is as follows:

2001: Demo

2006: .​.​. Made to Last Forever, EP

2008: Songs are Minutes Made to Last Forever, LP

2011: Lower Manhattan Hipster Elite, LP

2015: Hand Shaking Heart Stopping Moment , LP

2019: Landmines Have Feelings Too , EP

INTERVIEW

What is your music about?

It’s about lost loves, death and depression, mainly. It’s a way we use to cope with the events of our lives. Most of our lyrics are dark and depressing but there’s always hindsight and irony, and even when we’re trivial there’s a deeper reflection.

What are your goals as an artist artistically/commercially?

Do exactly what we want to do ! It obviously would be amazing if we could live from our music, but for now we settle for doing as much music as we can humanly fit in a day. Our more “operational” goal for now is to be able to do justice to our songs by giving them the best recording and the best live performances possible.

Who would you want as a dream producer, and why?

We don’t have a “dream producer” anymore. The chemistry between a band and a producer is as hazardous as in a love story… We’re currently working with a young producer (Iseo Furudoi from “Gashasound”) who works a lot with trap/electro-hip-hop musicians, and he’s doing a thousand times better job than any “rock oriented” person we’ve ever worked with.

But if you really want names, we would never say no to Josh Carter from Phantogram (Amélie), Zoot Woman (Billy), Quincy Jones (Nathan), or Stella Mozgawa from Warpaint (Pauline) 

What are you trying to avoid as a band?

Getting in a rut, not pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones, losing our drive…

Explain your songwriting process.

We don’t have a definite method. Sometimes someone brings an entire song and we work together until it’s every band member’s favorite song we’ve ever made (it’s a miracle that it really does happen often enough !), sometimes it comes from 30 seconds in a 30mn jam that we listen to months later and fall in love with and turn into a song... Any way is a good way !

Why do you make the music you make? Is it in you? Is it your environment?

The world we live in is deeply affecting us for sure. And it goes on top of everything life puts us through...To quote Nick Hornby in “High Fidelity” : “Am I miserable because I listen to sad songs ? Or do I listen to them because I’m miserable?” I guess we’ll never know, but without that vent (writing songs, playing loud, singing our brains out) who knows what or where we would be…    

Describe your palette of sound.

We obviously use lots of reverb, chorus and delay. We try to get closer to a dream sound that would be a synthesis between Nirvana’s anger, My Bloody Valentine’s ethereal melancholy, Warpaint’s sensuality & Eliott Smith’s sophistication (yeah, easy ! … not…).

The main thing that has evolved over the years is the way we use voices. We stopped being ashamed of them. We will never be perfect, but we want to use the endless possibilities that layers of female and male voices intertwined can bring to our sound.

You are from France, what are the advantages and disadvantages as a band? 

Main disadvantage (no contest) : “Why aren’t you singing in French ?” asked wayyy more often than we’d like !

Advantage: the indie rock scene is not that big and it’s pretty easy to meet passionate people who’ll want to help you with your project. “Kernel Panic” that help us with booking/promotion, and “Oh No! Factory” that help us with mixing and with our visuals (EP sleeve, some of the videos), for instance, are all people we met after shows.

Find Staircase Paradox:

website

Instagram

Soundcloud

Bandcamp

Facebook

Youtube

Kernel Panic Records