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independentartistbuzz · 2 months ago

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INDIE 5:0 - 5 Q'S WITH DAN LOWE

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Dan Lowe. An eclectic singer-songwriter whose music blends rock, country, folk, jazz, blues, and R&B into a sound that is both timeless and contemporary.

Based in Nashville but with roots in Alaska, Dan’s journey has been shaped by early influences like The Beatles and the British Invasion, as well as his deep love for all forms of music.

His latest single, "Flame," has struck a chord with listeners, resonating as strongly today as it did when it was first released during the 2020 election cycle.

We explore Dan's creative process as he shares how he merges diverse musical influences, his thoughts on the evolving relevance of "Flame," and the personal experiences that inspired his latest album, "No Running From The Storm (Songs Of Life, Love, And Loss)".

Your music blends a wide range of genres, from rock and country to jazz and blues.

How do you approach the process of merging these different influences into a cohesive sound, especially when performing solo on an acoustic guitar?

Well, it helps that I'm kind of a 'groove' guy - so the rhythmic element in my playing is pretty strong (much stronger than any finger-picking that I do), so getting the 'beat' aspect of whatever song it is across is pretty key to my approach.

A lot of that gets driven by the fact that I'm trying to communicate something emotionally so that the listeners actually 'feel' it, and so another element is that the music - even in an instrumental section or song - exists to help communicate the emotion that's being conveyed in (or by) the song itself.

Because I love all types of music, I may push some jazz-inspired chords - for example - into a country or blues song if that's what I believe will help make that happen.

Can you share more about how the early exposure to bands like The Beatles shaped your approach to songwriting and performance?

What bands like The Beatles taught me - everyone, really - was (or is) that tracks as diverse as "Elanor Rigby" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" belong on the same album, and that we - as listeners - need to hear all of it, and so as a songwriter and performer I need to do my best to present it all - which is what I try to do.

Your single "Flame" has remained relevant from the 2020 election cycle through to the 2024 elections. What do you think gives this song its enduring power, and how has its meaning evolved for you over time?

I think that on the topical/political side, "Flame" has been fueled by Trump's refusal to go away, and not only that - but to continue to stoke the fires of division that he - and others like him - have spread throughout the country... the world, even.

Lyrically - because it uses the metaphor of ancient Rome - it remains fairly timeless. I'd like to think that in ten or twenty years: A) It won't be so applicable politically or socially, and B) It can - and will - still serve as a reminder of what we've been - and, hopefully, come - through.

You've mentioned that your love for all kinds of music has kept your sound both timeless and contemporary.

How do you balance honoring traditional musical roots with bringing something fresh and new to your compositions?

In the same way that I like to mix elements from different musical genres, I like to mix elements of those genres from different eras. To me, "Flame" is actually a pretty good example of that: You can't get much more basic than a simple acoustic guitar track - which is how it starts out - playing what is essentially a relatively common chord progression (used in several genres), but the chords are voiced differently and in a way that you might not have heard up until a few years ago; these are nuances that most listeners - even musicians - may not catch in a way that they can identify, but intrinsically their ears pick up on it; then, let's add some electric guitar that sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday or maybe fourty-some years ago... oh, and let's add some cellos (because they're used so often in conjunction with electric guitars!), and don't forget the percussion track which employs instruments that have been around forever but let's construct it using loop-based tools, etc.... anyway, you get the idea.

The other thing that's important is to allow these different elements to 'inspire' or influence the others - which is what led to Dean adding the piano to the track, for example, although sometimes that approach can lead you to leave something out too. The important thing is: Does it help the track (or song) communicate what you want to communicate?

Your album, "No Running From The Storm (Songs Of Life, Love, And Loss)," is clearly a project close to your heart. Can you tell us more about the themes explored in this album and what inspired you to create it?

Well, the title song and a couple of the others were born out of the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina, which really served as a metaphor for the theme of the album, which is how so much of life is finding our way through events that impact us to varying degrees and yet over which we have no control.

For example, "The Waiting Room" was written as a result of our youngest daughter's near-death experience in a car accident, but Dean [Baskerville] ended up living it as well as he went through the treatment - and ultimately, the loss - of his wife, Leana (to whom the album is dedicated), from cancer a short time after we'd recorded it.

So, there's loss for you - but really it's a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and that's what I hope people get from it!

Listen to "Flame" on Spotify here:

The new album "No Running From The Storm (Songs of Life, Love, and Loss) is available on Dan Lowe's Website for Pre-order.

Stay up to date with Dan Lowe & The Skeletal Remains here:

Website / Facebook / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music

#spotify #music #youtube #indie #new music #interview #indie music #indie artist #rock #pop

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diamond-pearl · 5 years ago

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A/N: Last part guys!

Warning/Genres: Violence. Spoilers. Angst (Kind of?). Fluff. Mom & Dad goals! ~

Pairing: The mandalorian x Fem!Reader

Words: +2K

Summary: With the duty to find and protect baby Yoda, you didn’t know sweet trouble will come to you.

-|- Previously

On the way back, the egg carefully in hand, Kuiil was relieved to see you three.

— “Mando!”, he shouted towards us.

— “Mando? Is that your name?”, you suppress the urge to smile. “I finally know your name.”

— “Not too late Y/n.”

— You stopped walking. “How did you—. It was Kuiil who told you?”

— “I have it.”,he stated, out of breath. “I’ve got the egg.”

With the little engine filled with all the parts of Mando’s ship, you drove off to your next quest: repairing the ship. With the baby napping at the back, along with all of those stuff, you were forced to share the little seat with Mando.

So you just sat there, at the little end of the little box. You were too close for your liking; you were even uncomfortable. You decided to move away a little; a little too much because if Mando haven’t caught you by the waist, you would have sure regained the ground. You lowered your head with pinkish cheeks and thanked him with a voice so low he wasn’t sure at first what you just said.

Back to the ship, Mando, Kuiil and you started right away the reparation. You have a ship of you own so you know exactly what you were doing and with your help, it’ll go faster. After working tirelessly, you give yourself a break well-deserved. You searched for Mando and after finding him, you started chatting with him; more like doing a monologue.

— “Many people of mine tried to achieve the mission before me and failed. I strongly believe in a form a destiny you know? Maybe I have something that they don’t. I… I wasn’t sure that I was made for this kind of mission, I mean an important one. They, even, didn’t believe that I could make it. They said that growing unsupervised, because I’m an orphan, makes me under-qualified.”, your eyes got lost in the distance.

He examined your face, a face filled with sorrow. He could even sense a hint of guilt. But why would you feel guilty? He then realized that looking at you, was like looking at his reflection in a mirror. You strengthen your posture, trying to shoot this sad feeling away. You turned to him with a smile.

— “But hey, I’m doing my mission pretty well, don’t you think? I even came to conclusion that you were pretty truthfully. I kinda have this ability to discern if a person have a good heart or not.”

Without letting Mando respond, Kuiil came to us, rushing us to get back work.

The next day was the day of departure, you were watching over the sleepy silhouette of Ayod, absent minded. Mando and Kuiil was talking at the back but your ears were like, shut off. Going away with Mando meant abandoning your old life, even abandoning your ship here. He even didn’t push you off, he said nothing. Was he going to let you just… keep following him?

— “I can use a crew member of your ability, and I can pay handsomely.”, informed Mando to Kuiil.

— “I’m honored, but I have worked a lifetime to finally be free of servitude.”

— “I understand. Then all I can offer is my thanks.”

— “Besides, you already have a crew member with you.”, affirm Kuiil before turned to at you.

— He glanced at you, “Y/n?”

— “You said it yourself. She’s well-skilled, fast, great abilities that I’m sure will go in your favor. Good qualities for a crew member.”

— “I agree.”, he added, contemplating you.

You came paying your respect to your host, alongside with Mando. And like that, you were flying away with him, him and the baby.

Time passed by, you didn’t say a word, kinda afraid, as if talking will remind him of your presence, causing him to change his mind. You didn’t even say a world when he started shaking the cradle, trying to wake up Ayod. After being comfortable in your seat, you started to doze off. You woke at the sound of a voice and when you opened your eyes; you saw a hologram transmission, only the greetings at the end of the message. That’s when you noticed Ayod sitting on the board control. You quickly get up to him.

— “It’s not a toy”, Mando said before taking back what belongs to him. He catches Ayod by his clothes and tuned around to see you. “What are you doing?”

— You froze. “I.. Um… Maybe he can just have it and play with it?”

— “No.” He finished, leaving no room for conversation.

You sat back in seat, looking out the windows, fighting the urge to stop sleep. Always keeping an eye after the baby was exhausting, leaving practically no time for resting. Your eyes, now too heavy, started to close slowly.

At dawn, the ship arrived at destination. When Mando get up to take the child without hesitation, he paused when he saw you sleeping, peacefully, with no worry in mind. He looked at the baby, then back to you. It wasn’t in his habit to even doubt. So he brushed everything, every feeling as far away as possible. He gets off the ship, along with Ayod.

You finally woke up, feeling uneasy. Looking around you, you noticed that you real, well, alone. You hurry yourself back to your feet; sensing the panic overwhelming you. Without losing a single second, you ran out the ship, repeating yourself that they were just maybe outside; trying to calm you.

Now you were outside, you recognize no one. You covered your mouth with one hand, suppressing the urge to cry. Not Ayod! You prayed, over and over, running everywhere to find him.

After what seemed ages, you finalizing find a person, a single one person. Mando. You ran to him and blocked his path. Your eyes grow wide when you saw his brand new armour.

— “What did you do?!”, you cried your lungs out, eyes red from tears.

— “...”

— “He’s just a child for god’s sake! He trusted you!... I... I trusted you...”

— “I’ve done what you were supposed to do, achieve a mission.”

He sharply stated, before walking past your frozen silhouette. You were horrified. He was awfully right. You didn’t succeed, in all of this mess, it was you’re one and only fault.

Before entering his ship, he glanced at your back and figure that haven’t moved since. He then took plate on the pilot's seat.

He nodded to himself. At least some peace he thought. But... this thought sounded wrong in his mind. It should make him feel lighter, it should have be. A profound feeling of loss was devouring him, drowning him even. More than he wanted to. A feeling that enraged him because against all of his likings, he wouldn’t admit that he missed having you and the baby around, missed hearing you scold him, hearing you laugh, hearing your voice.

When he saw this little metal ball, he turned on his heels, determined to get back this little Ayod, first, and then go get you back. He has entirely faith on your potential; he knows you could handle yourself.

When he finally stepped out of the client’s den with the baby, Ayod looked around, then back to Mando.

— “Don’t look at me like that. She’s not here.”, he informed the child and with an almost whisper he added, “She wasn’t where I last saw her.”

— “Maybe because I’m right beside you metal bag.”

— He turned around. “Y/n…”

— “Don’t be too happy to see me. I’m gonna make you regret what you did.”, you assured before following him closely.

— “I thought you left.”, he admitted.

— “Never without Ayod. I’ve told you I’ll stick around. I tried entering this fortress, but it was harder than expected.”

— “How’s your arm?”, he pointed at your wound bleeding.

— “It doesn’t matter right now.”, you reassured him. You then noticing all of those people following you three. “Um… Mando?”

— He slowed down progressively, asking you in a low voice, “Are you armed?”

— “Yes.”

— “Good.”

A black man appeared in front of you, a man you recognized from the transmission.

— “Now put the package down.”, ordered the man.

— “Step aside. I’m going to my ship,”, required Mando.

— “If you truly care about the kid, then you’ll put it on the speeder.”

— “Y/n, listened to me carefully”, he whispered so only you could hear.

— “Yes?”

— “When I tell you, jump into the speeder.”

— “What about you?”, you asked worriedly.

— “Trust me okay? You can do that?”

— “Yes.”

— “How do I know I can trust you?”, replied Mando to the black man.

— “Because I’m your only hope.”

Mando looked around; analyzing and evaluating the limits of his plan. He then ambled to the speeder and shouted: “Now!”. You jumped into the small engine, quickly followed by him and Ayod in his arm. He threatening the droid and it drive you out.

It was raining fire shot, from the enemy and from yours and Mando blaster. Rapidly, the situation became overwhelming. No one wanted to give up.

Mando approached you. You were holding Ayod tight, eyes squeezed shut, heart pounding in your ears. He looked at the sleeping child in your arms, then turned to you, as if trying to remember your face. When you opened your eyes, you both looked each other.

The unexpected sudden happen. Dozen of Mandalorian on jetpack came at your rescue, fighting the enemy away.

One shouted to you both.

— “Get out of here! We’ll hold them off!”, he then turned to you both. “This is the ways.”

— Mando nodded, “This is the way.”

He rushed you to follow him.

You let out a sigh of relief when you three entered the ship safe and sound. Your hope vanished right away when you heard the voice of the black man. Mando automatically raised a hand toward you and Ayod still in your arm, in sign of protection. He proceeds to broke a pipe, letting out white and heavy steam. With this diversion, he easily shot the man away.

The ship fly out, above a place still in chaos.

You rested your head on the seat, finally at ease for good. After a moment, a thought came happily in your mind.

— “I knew that you have a good heart.”, you said.

— “...”

— “I know that you get attached to him and you can’t help loving him”, you paused for a moment, glancing at the back of the Mandalorian. Then you added with a sweet and gentle voice, “I do, too.”

— “You’ve known it for just few days.”

— “Stop referring to him like that, he’s a child. Now, look at him and tell him you love him. I’m sure he'll be pretty happy.”

— He sights for a split second and mumbled under his breath, “You’re a child too.”

— “You know I’m still mad at you right? And you want to make it worse?”, you take Ayod in your arms and repeat yourself, “Come on it’s not that hard, look at him.”

— “...”

— “Come on Mando! Turn around.”

He dropped his shoulder, along with a long sigh. You’ll not stop until you’ll get what you want. He knew that. He learned to know you. Therefore, he finally turned to you both.

— “See? It’s not that hard. Now look at his big beautiful eyes and tell him you love him.”

— “...”

— “Come on ~!”, you encouraged him, lifting Ayod up so both of your cheek collided smoothly; smile on your lips.

— “I… love you.”, he then turned around quickly, clearing his throat. “Happy?”, he asked with a tone full of fake frustration.

— “I… I guess…”

Wasn't he… Didn’t he just looked at you saying those… words? You immediately shake your head. It can’t be. You can’t even see his face and most importantly, why would he?

You turned your head to the windows, admiring the scenery, without noticing the curious expression on the baby's face, looking at Mando, then back at you.

#I love how in parenting they automatically say the same things #also i love how they confess to heach other indirectly #strong events will always link souls together #lol look at me #analyzing my own writing like a professor of litterature #lmao #the mandalorian #the mandalorian imagine #the mandalorian x reader #mando x reader #star wars imagine #did i just like that added a charecter and recreated the show?#Yes #Yes I did

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siriusist · 4 years ago

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My (Updated) Masterpost for Asexuality [2020]:

Some Youtube Videos I found Really Lovely and Validating:

Debunking Asexual and Aromantic Myths

Ace-Spec and Are-Spectrum Book Recommendations

And Some LGBTQIA+ Channels That Bring Up Asexual Experiences:

Rowan Ellis

Problems of a Book Nerd

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard

Some Shows with Confirmed Asexual Characters:

Sex Education

Bojack Horseman

Liv in ‘Emmerdale’ (UK Soap)

Historical Asexuals/ Demisexuals:

Emily Brontë: Emily Brontë was a very private person and as such it’s impossible to be entirely certain of her sexual orientation. Some Brontë scholars believe she died a virgin, never having had physical relationships with men or women. However, most Brontë scholars think that the content of her novels would suggest she may have been asexual, but she was not aromantic.

J.M. Barrie: The man who wrote Peter Pan into existence, was reportedly asexual. His marriage was never consummated and ended in divorce when his wife cheated on him. Because of his relationship with his neighbor children, and the subject matter of his books, some speculated Barrie was prone to pedophilia. Those who knew him closely vehemently deny Barrie ever exhibited such behavior. Instead his lack of sexual relationships was more likely due to his asexuality.

George Bernard Shaw: Renowned playwright George Bernard Shaw was a man far more interested in intellect than sex. He never consummated his marriage (also at the request of his wife, Charlotte Frances Payne-Townshend) and was a virgin until 29. Shaw told friends he appreciated the ability of sex to produce “a celestial flood of emotion and exaltation” but only as it compared to the “conscious intellectual activity” he strove for with his work.

Isaac Newton: Isaac Newton’s supposed asexuality is based on his recorded behavior and lifestyle. He had strict religious views, never married, was obsessive in his scientific careers, and supposedly died a virgin. Whether he truly lacked sexual attraction or was simply too immersed in making massive scientific discoveries to have a sex life is unsure.

T.E. Lawrence: Tragically, T.E. Lawrence – a man immortalized in the film Lawrence of Arabia – was sexually assaulted while held prisoner during The Great War. His lack of sexual and romantic relationships in life were mostly attributed to this trauma but some scholars argue he may have been asexual. He had no documented relationships with men or women. Most notably, since it was the turn of the 20th century, Lawrence was known to be non-judgmental of homosexuals. His personal orientation may have motivated his tolerance.

Florence Nightingale: Interestingly, though “the Florence Nightingale effect” is a situation where a caregiver develops an attraction to the patient they are caring for, the effect’s namesake, Florence Nightingale, was likely asexual. The famous nurse never married and instead chose to devote her life entirely to her work. She even refused a marriage proposal from a suitor who had been pursuing her for years. Nightingale rarely discussed her personal life and the term “asexual” was not widely used at the time, but asexual activists and scholars strongly suspect she lacked sexual interest.

Nikola Tesla: Nikola Tesla, the revolutionary engineer who was instrumental in the invention of electricity, also lived a life of celibacy typical of asexuals. He showed very little interest in sexual relationships throughout his life, preferring to focus on science. Many asexuals describe their lack of attraction as a blessing allowing them sharp focus. Once again, we have a person who could have been too busy (and brilliant) to focus on relationships, but who’s asexuality likely allowed him to be busy (and brilliant). [Fun fact: I am actually related to ol’Nikola. Sometimes it’s nice to even think about someone in my family being asexual, because it makes me feel like we’d both be able to get along together when we get fixed in our little studies, research, and schemes ♥]

Frederic Chopin: Famed composer and pianist Frederic Chopin is supposed to also have been asexual. While he lived with writer George Sand, she noted in her biography that their connection was affectionate without being sexual. She described their affair as “eight years of maternal devotion,“ also noting, “He seemed to despise the courser side of human nature and…to fear to soil our love by further ecstasy.”Whether Chopin was uninterested in sex, or had reservations about consummating the relationship for other reasons, is unclear. Many scholars believe the famed pianist lacked sexual desire altogether.

John Ruskin: Victorian art critic John Ruskin was known to be particularly uninterested in sex. Though Ruskin was once married, he reportedly showed no interest in getting physical with his wife. Typical of other asexuals on this list, his marriage ended having never been consummated.

Young Adult Fiction/ Books about Asexuality (NOTE: Some of these are coming out later this year, August and September 2020):

How to be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess: Brave, witty and empowering, this graphic memoir follows Rebecca as she navigates her asexual identity and mental health in a world obsessed with sex. From school to work to relationships, this book offers an unparalleled insight into asexuality.

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, And The Meaning Of Sex by Angela Chen: An engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that’s obsessed with sexual attraction, and what the ace perspective can teach all of us about desire and identity. What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society? This accessible examination of asexuality shows that the issues that aces face–confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships–are the same conflicts that nearly all of us will experience. Through a blend of reporting, cultural criticism, and memoir, the misconceptions around the “A” of LGBTQIA and invites everyone to rethink pleasure and intimacy.Journalist Angela Chen creates her path to understanding her own asexuality with the perspectives of a diverse group of asexual people. Vulnerable and honest, these stories include a woman who had blood tests done because she was convinced that “not wanting sex” was a sign of serious illness, and a man who grew up in a religious household and did everything “right,” only to realize after marriage that his experience of sexuality had never been the same as that of others. Disabled aces, aces of color, gender-nonconforming aces, and aces who both do and don’t want romantic relationships all share their experiences navigating a society in which a lack of sexual attraction is considered abnormal. Chen’s careful cultural analysis explores how societal norms limit understanding of sex and relationships and celebrates the breadth of sexuality and queerness.

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann: Alice’s last girlfriend, Margo, ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual. Now Alice is sure she’s done with dating… and then she meets Takumi. She can’t stop thinking about him or the rom-com-grade romance feelings she did not ask for. When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library-employee badge, Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated– or understood. [A bisexual POC protagonist; adorable fluffy, easy and sweet read].

All Out: The No-longer-secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages: Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love, and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens. [This features several different types of queer stories, from transexual freedom fighters, but also a very sweet asexual love story set in a seventies roller rink with a POC protagonist].

The Pride Guide: A Guide to Sexual and Social Health for LGBTQ Youth by Jo Lanford: Jo Langford offers a complete guide to sexual and social development, safety, and health for LGBTQ youth and those who love and support them. Written from a practical perspective, the author explores the realities of teen sexuality, particularly that of trans teens, and provides guidance and understanding for parents and kids alike. [Although this is a little rudimentary, I found it a great resource even in my twenties for someone coming out, or to slowly but carefully come out to those who may be uncomfortable or not understand asexuality, or not see it as a valid sexuality or lack thereof].

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Katie Ormsbee: Natasha ‘Tash’ Zelenka has found herself and her amateur web series plucked from obscurity and thrust in the limelight. And who wouldn’t want fame and fortune? But along with the 40,000 new subscribers, the gushing tweets, and flashing Tumblr gifs, comes the pressure to deliver the best web series ever. As Tash struggles to combat the critics and her own doubts, she finds herself butting heads with her family and friends - the ones that helped make her show, Unhappy Families (a modern adaption of Anna Karenina, written by Tash’s eternal love Leo Tolstoy), what it is today. And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a prestigious award, Tash’s confusing cyber-flirtation with an Internet celeb suddenly has the potential to become something IRL if she can figure out how to tell him that she’s a romantic asexual. But her new relationship creates tension with her friend Paul since he thought Tash wasn’t interested in relationships ever. All Tash wants to think about is the upcoming award ceremony in Orlando, even though she’ll have to face all the friends she steamrolled to get there. But isn’t that just the price you pay for success?

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire: The story is set in a boarding school for teenagers who have passed through "doorways” into fantasy worlds only to be evicted back into the real world. It serves as something of a recovery center for boarders who find they no longer fit in, either in the “real” world or their own uncomprehending families. For a fortunate few it is just a way station until they can find their ways back to the worlds they do fit into; for others, it’s the least bleak choice in what may be a life-long exile. This unhappy ending for the students takes a terrifying turn when some of their number start turning up dead. A small group joins together in an attempt to expose the person committing these murders before it is too late to save the school, or even themselves.

The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality by Julie Sondra Decker: What if you weren’t sexually attracted to anyone?A growing number of people are identifying as asexual. They aren’t sexually attracted to anyone, and they consider it a sexual orientation—like gay, straight, or bisexual.Asexuality is the invisible orientation. Most people believe that “everyone” wants sex, that “everyone” understands what it means to be attracted to other people, and that “everyone” wants to date and mate. But that’s where asexual people are left out—they don’t find other people sexually attractive, and if and when they say so, they are very rarely treated as though that’s okay.When an asexual person comes out, alarming reactions regularly follow; loved ones fear that an asexual person is sick, or psychologically warped, or suffering from abuse. Critics confront asexual people with accusations of following a fad, hiding homosexuality, or making excuses for romantic failures. And all of this contributes to a discouraging master narrative: there is no such thing as “asexual.” Being an asexual person is a lie or an illness, and it needs to be fixed.In The Invisible Orientation, Julie Sondra Decker outlines what asexuality is, counters misconceptions, provides resources, and puts asexual people��s experiences in context as they move through a very sexualized world. It includes information for asexual people to help understand their orientation and what it means for their relationships, as well as tips and facts for those who want to understand their asexual friends and loved ones [A good beginning place to start if you’re considering your asexuality. Also provides reassurances about the most common stereotypes concerning asexuality].

Switchback by Danika Stone: Vale loves to hike, but kind of hates her classmates. Ash is okay with his classmates, but kind of hates the outdoors. So, needless to say they are both fairly certain that the overnight nature hike with their PE class is going to be a hellish experience. But when they get separated from the group during a storm, they have worse things to worry about than bullies and blisters.Lost in the Canadian wilderness with limited supplies, caught in dangerous weather conditions, and surrounded by deadly wildlife, it’s going to take every bit of strength, skill, and luck they can muster to survive.

Not Your Backup (Sidekick Squad #3) by C.B. Lee: Emma Robledo has a few more responsibilities that the usual high school senior, but then again, she and her friends have left school to lead a fractured Resistance movement against a corrupt Heroes League of Heroes. Emma is the only member of a supercharged team without powers, and she isn’t always taken seriously. A natural leader, Emma is determined to win this battle, and when that’s done, get back to school. As the Resistance moves to challenge the League, Emma realizes where her place is in this fight: at the front. [This is a third in a series, but the main character has recently come out as asexual at the end of the last book].

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann: Winnie is living her best fat girl life and is on her way to her favorite place—Misty Haven and her granny’s diner, Goldeen’s. With her family and ungirlfriend at her side, she has everything she needs for one last perfect summer before starting college in the fall.…until she becomes Misty Haven’s Summer Queen.Newly crowned, Winnie is forced to take center stage at a never-ending list of community royal engagements. Almost immediately, she discovers that she’s deathly afraid of it all: the spotlight, the obligations, and the way her Summer King wears his heart, humor, and honesty on his sleeve.To salvage her summer Winnie must conquer her fears, defy expectations, and be the best Winnie she knows she can be—regardless of what anyone else thinks of her. [Another POC protagonist and promises to be a cute summer read in the vein of Gilmore Girls. Claire Kann’s first book was the adorable ‘Lets Talk About Love’ which reads as an asexual rom-com. This also promises to be absolutely precious.].

Immoral Code by Lillian Clark: Ocean’s 8 meets The Breakfast Club in this fast-paced, multi-perspective story about five teens determined to hack into one billionaire absentee father’s company to steal tuition money.For Nari, aka Narioka Diane, aka hacker digital alter ego “d0l0s,” it’s college and then a career at “one of the big ones,” like Google or Apple. Keagan, her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, is happy to follow her wherever she may lead. Reese is an ace/aro visual artist with plans to travel the world. Santiago is off to Stanford on a diving scholarship, with very real Olympic hopes. And Bellamy? Physics genius Bellamy is admitted to MIT–but the student loan she’d been counting on is denied when it turns out her estranged father–one Robert Foster–is loaded. Nari isn’t about to let her friend’s dreams be squashed by a deadbeat billionaire, so she hatches a plan to steal just enough from Foster to allow Bellamy to achieve her goals.

Loveless by Alice Oseman: The fourth novel from the phenomenally talented Alice Oseman - one of the most authentic and talked-about voices in contemporary YA.It was all sinking in. I'd never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean? Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush - but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she's sure she'll find her person one day. As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia's ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her 'teenage dream' is in sight. But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her - asexual, aromantic - Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever. Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along? This wise, warm and witty story of identity and self-acceptance sees Alice Oseman on towering form as Georgia and her friends discover that true love isn't limited to romance.

The Last Eight by Laura Pohl: Extinction was just the beginning in this thrilling, post-apocalyptic debut, perfect for fans of The 5th Wave series. Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the reason she isn’t among the dead when aliens invade and destroy Earth as she knows it.Clover is convinced she’s the only one left until she hears a voice on the radio urging her to go to the former Area 51. When she arrives, she’s greeted by a band of misfits who call themselves The Last Teenagers on Earth.Only they aren’t the ragtag group of heroes Clover was expecting. The seven strangers seem more interested in pretending the world didn’t end than fighting back, and Clover starts to wonder if she was better off alone. But when she finds a hidden spaceship within the walls of the compound, she doesn’t know what to believe…or who to trust. [I’ve read there is also aromantic representation in this book too, so helpful for the Aros out there as well ♥]

LGBTQIA+ Comics with Possible Asexual Representation/ Influence:

Lumberjanes: At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! [I LOVE THESE COMICS SO MUCH I SWEAR THEY’RE SO DAMN CUTE ♥]

The Backstagers: When Jory transfers to the private, all-boys school St. Genesius, he figures joining the stage crew would involve a lot of just fetching props and getting splinters. To his pleasant surprise, he discovers there’s a door backstage that leads to different worlds, and all of the stagehands know about it!All the world’s a stage…but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic!

And Lastly, Extra Online Resources For Asexuality:

UCLA LGBT Campus Resource Center: Asexuality

The Trevor Project on Asexuality

Campus Pride: Asexuality

The Canadian Centre for Gender Diversity and Awareness

Asexuality needs to be a recognized as its own, unique sexual orientation, Canadian experts say

Asexuality.org

A Lot of Ace (An Ace Positivity Blog on Tumblr ♥)

#asexuality #masterpost #lgbt+#lgbtqia+#queer masterpost #queer rights #queer history #queer literature #you're welcome #but honestly I love everything on here besides the shows which I actually haven't seen outright #but it's good to know those are out there #also I need to read the newest books of lumberjanes and backstagers #because they're adorable #personal #a-lot-of-ace

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paralleljulieverse · 6 years ago

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This week marks the anniversary of the birth of Robert Wise, the celebrated Hollywood filmmaker who was born 104 years ago on 10 September 1914 in Winchester, Indiana. Wise holds a special place in the affections of the Parallel Julieverse as he directed two of Julie Andrews’s finest screen musicals: The Sound of Music (1965) and Star! (1968). What better occasion, therefore, to post a brief pictorial tribute to this supremely talented Star!-Maker…

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Across a long and distinguished career, Robert Wise directed close to forty feature films including such major successes as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Executive Suite (1954), Run Silent, Run Deep (1958), I Want to Live! (1958), The Haunting (1963), West Side Story (1961), The Sound of Music (1965), The Sand Pebbles (1966), The Andromeda Strain (1971) and Star Trek (1979). Running the gamut from melodramas and war films to musicals, ghost films and science fiction, Wise’s output was striking in its diversity and a testament to the ease with which he could work across a very broad cinematic palette.

The eclecticism of Wise’s oeuvre was, however, a double-edged sword. In professional terms, it served the director extremely well, earning him “wide respect…both at the box office and in the industry” as one of Hollywood’s most versatile and commercially successful genre filmmakers (Busch, ii). But it proved far less advantageous to Wise’s critical reception. Lacking the kind of identifiable stylistic patterns or thematic consistency prized by authorial film critics, Wise’s work has tended to be overlooked, if not actively devalued, in the received canons of ‘star-directors’ (Busch, viii-ix; Leeman, 5-7). Even Wise was aware of the critical disregard with which his work was viewed in certain quarters:

“I’ve been taken apart sometimes for not having a really consistent style…but that’s exactly what I wanted. I try to address each script in the cinematic fashion I think is right…and since I’ve done such different kinds of stories, there’s no straight stylistic line in my work” (Leeman, 7) .

Modest in temperament and collaborative in work practice, Wise was the antithesis of the egoistic director striving to put a personal imprint all over a project. An old-school practitioner of classical narrative filmmaking, Wise preferred to make the work rather than his personality the focus of attention (Leeman, 5). As Justin Busch (2010) asserts, Wise’s “stylistic eclecticism is not accidental” but a direct expression of his filmmaking rationale, an “organic connection to the material” where “[w]hat matters is the manner in which the presentation is grounded in the events being presented” (ix).

Not that Wise was a disengaged or back-seat director. Far from it. Rising through the studio ranks in the 30s and 40s, first as a sound and music technician and then film editor, before graduating to full directing honours, Wise possessed a detailed insider’s knowledge of cinematic craft and a rare capacity to actively shepherd a film through the whole industrial cycle from pre- to post-production (Gehring, 3ff; Leeman, 17ff). For all his soft-spoken gentlemanly manner, Wise was intensely passionate about his work and staked a deep intimate investment in each of his films. “Even though I don’t make so-called personal films,” he asserted, “they are personal to me in what they express about matters I feel very strongly about” (Leeman, 5).

So what were the aspects of Star! that appealed strongly and personally to Wise? In a nutshell: Julie Andrews. She was the alpha and omega of the whole project. As trade reports explained at the start of the film’s production:

“So much did Wise and Miss Andrews enjoy working together [on The Sound Music] that they each hoped to find a proper vehicle for the reuniting of their talents. Wise…began combing the field for subjects and discovered that rights to the colorful story of Gertrude Lawrence were available” (Arneel, 7).

By the director’s own admission he “never had the slightest interest in filming the life and times of Gertrude Lawrence” but was “motivated entirely by a desire to find a vehicle for Julie Andrews…I would never have made the picture if Julie…had declined” (Hale, S7; see also Arneel, 7).

Together, Wise and Julie worked harder on Star! than anything else either had done before. A “movie of epic proportions,” the production required a herculean commitment from the director-star duo, consuming over two years of Wise’s life and a full twelve months of Julie’s (Kaplan, 12). “This is the most difficult film I’ve ever made,” exclaimed Julie in an on-set interview, “It’s like going into training. I must take care of myself or I’d be dead” (Wilson, 11) It was a sentiment confirmed by Wise who remarked with a mix of admiration and concern, “I believe [Julie’s] role in Star! represents the toughest assignment ever accepted by a screen actress, anywhere, anytime” (Heffernan, 42).

When Star! subsequently crashed at the box office, Wise took the film’s failure to heart:

“I’ve had films that haven’t paid off, but STAR! was my biggest disappointment because I think it’s a better film and more of an achievement than was acknowledged by the mass audience” (Leemann, 195).

He was especially sorry for his leading lady:

“It has always been a mystery to those of us who made the film why it did so poorly on its original release…I was particularly disappointed for Julie Andrews who gave such a superb performance as Gertrude Lawrence. She worked so very hard on all aspects of the film and never got the recognition she deserved for it” (Wise, personal communication, 3 December 1996).

The hard work wasn’t completely in vain, however, as Star! went on to enjoy a rosier after-life, growing in cultural stature and recognition. Indeed, the film acquired something of “a cult following almost from its inception” with a dedicated base of enthusiastic fans and a growing chorus of critical champions (”Be Glad”, 1).

Happily, Wise lived to see the latter day reappraisal of Star! In 1993, on the occasion of the film’s 25th anniversary, Wise personally supervised a meticulous restoration of Star! to its original roadshow glory, after which it was given a lavish re-release to select theatres, cable TV and home video markets (Edwards 1993: 4-5). It not only inspired renewed appreciation for this “lost classic” but also helped introduce the film to younger audiences who marvelled at the big screen pizazz and beautifully crafted production values of “this most lavish of musicals” (Edwards 1993: 5). “I am so relieved that it is going to be out there and not forgotten,” said a genuinely delighted Wise at the time, “I think it’s one of the fine[st] musicals that has ever come out of Hollywood” (Edwards 1993).

So do we, Mr. Wise, so do we!

Postscript:

In a sure sign of the deep and genuine affection Wise enjoyed among those who worked with him, for his birthday in September 1967 the whole cast and crew of Star! threw the director a surprise on-set party. They even sang a birthday song in his honour with special lyrics penned by Saul Chaplin set to the tune of one of the film’s numbers, “’N Everything”:

Who is the man that we admire the most? It’s Robert Wise. And so we’ve gathered here to drink a toast To Robert Wise. This Sunday is his natal date, And that is why we celebrate, We’re glad to know him, And so to show him, We’re giving him his own Stage Eight. And even though our schedule almost daily They revise, They’ll never throw us cause we’re all the way With Robert Wise. Though actors come from near and far, To us he is the star of STAR! And that is why we planned this small surprise To honor Robert Wise! (Edwards 1993)

Sources:

Arneel, Gene. “How Wise-Andrews Encore Came About.” Film Daily. 6 June 1967: 7.

“Be Glad They Still Make Discs Like This!” Laser Disc Newsletter. No. 133. September 1995: 1

Busch, Justin E. A. Self and Society in the Films of Robert Wise. Jefferson: McFarland and Co, 2010.

Edwards, T. J. “Rare Julie Star!: After 25 Years, A Lost Classic Returns.” American Movie Classics. 6: 7, July 1993: 4-5.

Edwards, T. J. “The Saga of ‘Star!’”. Star! Special Edition LaserDisc. Beverley Hills, CA: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1993.

Edwards, T. J. Silver Star! (Video Documentary) Robert Wise Productions, 1994.

Gehring, Wes D. Robert Wise: Shadowlands. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society Press, 2012.

Hale, Wanda. “Film Biography of Gertrude Lawrence.” Daily News. 13 October 1968: S7.

Heffernan, Harold. “Julie Andrews Undertakes Toughest Role in ‘Star’”. Philadelphia Daily News. 21 April 1967: 42.

Kaplan, Mike. “Will Julie Hit the Big Jackpot Again?” Press and Sun-Bulletin. 6 May 1967: 12.

Leeman, Sergio. Robert Wise on His Films: From Editing Room to Director’s Chair. Los Angeles: Silman-James Press, 1995.

Wilson, Jane. “Thoroughly Wholesome Julie.” West: The Los Angeles Times Magazine. 15 October 1967: 11-17.

#julie andrews #robert wise #Star!#star!50 #gertrude lawrence #musicals #hollywood #classic film #film director #Twentieth Century Fox #birthday

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after-2021caly-film · 3 years ago

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After We Fell {2021} » Oglądaj Cały Film Online za darmo

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Tytuł oryginalny: After We Fell

Wydany: 2021-09-01

Czas działania: 108 minut

Gatunek: Romans,Dramat

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Wszyscy zawsze mówili o Cassie (Carey Mulligan), że to obiecująca młoda kobieta... ale zdarzyło się coś, co brutalnie zmieniło jej przyszłość. W jej życiu nic nie jest tym, na co wygląda. Jest niezwykle bystra, kusząco przebiegła, a nocami prowadzi sekretne podwójne życie. A teraz, dzięki niespodziewanemu spotkaniu, Cassie otrzymuje szansę, by rozliczyć się z przeszłością. I na pewno tę szansę wykorzysta.

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Action movies have a lot of exciting effects like car chases and gun fights, involving stuntmen. They usually involve 'goodies' and 'baddies', so war and crime are common subjects. Action movies usually need very little effort to watch, since the plot is normally simple. For example, in Die Hard, terrorists take control of a skyscraper and ask for a big ransom in exchange for not killing the hostage workers. One hero somehow manages to save everyone. Action movies do not usually make people cry, but if the action movie is also a drama, emotion will be involved. Adventure Movies usually involve a hero who sets out on a quest to save the world or loved ones.

Animated movies use artificial images like talking cartoons to tell a story. These movies used to be drawn by hand, one frame at a time, but are now made on computers. Buddy movies involve 2 heroes, one must save the other, both must overcome obstacles. Buddy movies often involve comedy, but there is also some emotion, because of the close friendship between the 'buddies'. Comedies are funny movies about people being silly or doing unusual things or being in silly or unusual situations that make the audience laugh. Documentaries are movies that are (or claim to be) about real people and real events.

They are nearly always serious and may involve strongly emotional subjects, for example cruelty. Dramas are serious, and often about people falling in love or needing to make a big decision in their life. They tell stories about relationships between people. They usually follow a basic plot where one or two main characters (each actor plays a character) have to 'overcome' (get past) an obstacle (the thing stopping them) to get what they want. Tragedies are always dramas, and are about people in trouble. For example, a husband and wife who are divorcing must each try to prove to a court of law that they are the best person to take care of their child. Emotion (feelings) are a big part of the movie and the audience (people watching the movie) may get upset and even cry.

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sangurabi-kenthu · 3 years ago

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[Za Darmo] Psi Patrol Film (2021) — Oglądaj cały film online

Quando il più grande rivale della PAW Patrol, il sindaco Humdinger, diventa sindaco della vicina Adventure City e inizia a scatenare il caos, Ryder e gli eroici cuccioli preferiti di tutti si danno da fare per affrontare la sfida a testa alta. Mentre uno dei cuccioli deve affrontare il suo passato ad Adventure City, la squadra trova l'aiuto di un nuovo alleato, l'esperto bassotto Liberty. Insieme, armati di nuovi ed entusiasmanti gadget ed equipaggiamento, la PAW Patrol combatte per salvare i cittadini di Adventure City e impedire al sindaco Humdinger di distruggere la vivace metropoli.

Rilasciato : Aug 09, 2021 Durata: 90 min. Genere : Animazione, Famiglia, Avventura, Commedia Stelle : Iain Armitage, Will Brisbin, Ron Pardo, Marsai Martin Direttore : Ruth Lambert

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Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. The verb to stream refers to the process of delivering or obtaining media in this manner.[clarification needed] Streaming refers to the delivery method of the medium, rather than the medium itself. Distinguishing delivery method from the media distributed applies specifically to telecommunications networks, as most of the delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g. radio, television, streaming apps) or inherently non-streaming (e.g. books, video cassettes, audio CDs). There are challenges with streaming content on the Internet. For example, users whose Internet connection lacks sufficient bandwidth may experience stops, lags, or slow buffering of the content. And users lacking compatible hardware or software systems may be unable to stream certain content. Live streaming is the delivery of Internet content in real-time much as live television broadcasts content over the airwaves via a television signal. Live internet streaming requires a form of source media (e.g. a video camera, an audio interface, screen capture software), an encoder to digitize the content, a media publisher, and a content delivery network to distribute and deliver the content. Live streaming does not need to be recorded at the origination point, although it frequently is. Streaming is an alternative to file downloading, a process in which the end-user obtains the entire file for the content before watching or listening to it. Through streaming, an end-user can use their media player to start playing digital video or digital audio content before the entire file has been transmitted. The term "streaming media" can apply to media other than video and audio, such as live closed captioning, ticker tape, and real-time text, which are all considered "streaming text". Elevator Hasadék was among the earliest popular Hasadék available as streaming media; nowadays Internet television is a common form of streamed media. Some popular streaming services include Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, the video sharing website YouTube, and other sites which stream films and television shows; Apple Hasadék, YouTube Hasadék and Spotify, which stream Hasadék; and the video game live streaming site Twitch.

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Copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to make copies of a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educational, or Hasadékal form. Copyright is intended to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, but not the idea itself. A copyright is subject to limitations based on public interest considerations, such as the fair use doctrine in the United States. Some jurisdictions require "fixing" copyrighted works in a tangible form. It is often shared among multiple authors, each of whom hOlds a set of rights to use or license the work, and who are commonly referred to as rights hOlders. [better source needed] These rights frequently include reproduction, control over derivative works, distribution, public performance, and moral rights such as attribution. Copyrights can be granted by public law and are in that case considered "territorial rights". This means that copyrights granted by the law of a certain state, do not extend beyond the territory of that specific jurisdiction. Copyrights of this type vary by country; many countries, and sometimes a large group of countries, have made agreements with other countries on procedures applicable when works "cross" national borders or national rights are inconsistent. Typically, the public law duration of a copyright expires 50 to 100 years after the creator dies, depending on the jurisdiction. Some countries require certain copyright formalities to establishing copyright, others recognize copyright in any completed work, without a formal registration. In general, many believe that the long copyright duration guarantees the better protection of works. However, several scholars argue that the longer duration does not improve the author’s earnings while impeding cultural creativity and diversity. On the contrast, a shortened copyright duration can increase the earnings of authors from their works and enhance cultural diversity and creativity.

◇ MOVIES / FILM ◇

Movies, or films, are a type of visual communication which uses moving pictures and sound to tell stories or teach people something. Most people watch (view) movies as a type of entertainment or a way to have fun. For some people, fun movies can mean movies that make them laugh, while for others it can mean movies that make them cry, or feel afraid. It is widely believed that copyrights are a must to foster cultural diversity and creativity. However, Parc argues that contrary to prevailing beliefs, imitation and copying do not restrict cultural creativity or diversity but in fact support them further. This argument has been supported by many examples such as Millet and Van Gogh, Picasso, Manet, and Monet, etc. Most movies are made so that they can be shown on screen in Cinemas and at home. After movies are shown in Cinemas for a period of a few weeks or months, they may be marketed through several other medias. They are shown on pay television or cable television, and sOld or rented on DVD disks or videocassette tapes, so that people can watch the movies at home. You can also download or stream movies. Older movies are shown on television broadcasting stations. A movie camera or video camera takes pictures very quickly, usually at 24 or 25 pictures (frames) every second. When a movie projector, a computer, or a television shows the pictures at that rate, it looks like the things shown in the set of pictures are really moving. Sound is either recorded at the same time, or added later. The sounds in a movie usually include the sounds of people talking (which is called dialogue), Hasadék (which is called the "soundtrack"), and sound effects, the sounds of activities that are happening in the movie (such as doors opening or guns being fired).

Film noir movies are 1940s-era detective dramas about crime and violence. Family movies are made to be good for the entire family. They are mainly made for children but often entertaining for adults as well. Disney is famous for their family movies. Horror movies use fear to excite the audience. Hasadék, lighting and sets (man-made places in movie studios where the movie is made) are all designed to add to the feeling. Romantic Comedies (Rom-Coms) are usually love stories about 2 people from different worlds, who must overcome obstacles to be together. Rom-Coms are usually light-hearten, but may include some emotion. Comedy horror movies blend horror and comic motifs in its plots. Movies in this genre sometimes use black comedy as the main form of humor. Science fiction movies are set in the future or in outer space. Some use their future or alien settings to ask questions about the meaning of life or how we should think about life. Science fiction movies often use special effects to create images of alien worlds, outer space, alien creatures, and spaceships. Fantasy movies include magical and impossible things that any real human being cannot do. Thrillers are usually about a mystery, strange event, or crime that needs to be solved. The audience is kept guessing until the final minutes, when there are usually 'twists' in the plot (surprises). Suspense movies keep you on the edge of your seat. They usually have multiple twists that confuse the watcher. Western movies tell stories about cowboys in the western United States in the 1870s and 1880s. They are usually action movies, but with historical costumes. Some involve Native Americans. Not all films that are set in the American West are made there. For example, Western films made in Italy are called Spaghetti Westerns. Some films can also use Western plots even if they are set in other places.

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overdosingontruth-blog · 6 years ago

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The Future of Fortnite

In September 2017, a free-to-play Battle Royale by the name of Fortnite, bursted upon the scene. The games competing in the industry of the Battle Royale genre, H1Z1, and PUBG stood no chance against the new building mechanics, that were never successfully used before.

For those who don’t know, Fortnite is a 100 player Battle Royale, in which the arena you fight in is a hand-crafted island, about 500x500 meters. You can queue up solo, duo, as well as with 3 other friends in squads, which is the most dominated queue currently. You and your team, jump from the ‘Battle Bus’, parachuting down to your choice of location. Land, pick up a weapon, harvest materials, fight until your last press.

Fortnite stormed into the scene using it’s building mechanics mainly. However, there is a aspect to Fortnite, that really no other game has quite given us the way it has so quickly. It’s intent of being competitively fun. Fortnite combines intense micromechanic play, macroeconomic building strategies, and needed muscle memory, with bodily obstacle courses, shopping carts, and golf carts, goofy cosmetics, and intriguing concept execution. For anyone whom sees this too, you’ll immediately see just how attached you actually are to the Fortnite world. Whether you hate it or love it, Fortnite has created so much history in such an intensely short time, so many players have become completely attached, with intentions to playing nothing else any time soon. Something about this game didn’t just get the attention of the gamers inside of us, it caught the attention of that want of particular individual diversity, and freedom, that you didn’t quite get in reality. Everyone has their own buildstyle, gun preferences, muscle memory, sensitivity, and motives. Some want to win, some want to get a high kill score, some want a high K/D, some want particular leaderboard placements, some want to play professionally.

I’m realizing… everything I love about Fortnite right now… I as well loved the same things in what was the most popular, what is still now the most popular ESports game. League of Legends. The diversity of the player base, the diversity of the skill-cap. The game was such a large macrocosm, the never figured out exactly how to play the game, therefore never in time, did anybody, and everybody play exactly the same way. Because both games had such wide pools of rules, players had a choice to commit to creating a personality that didn’t have to follow a dogma. As well that choice was never taken away. Hence why I do believe that League of Legends was the most popular, and safe to say maybe on of the best video games, for that reason. Fortnite is taking it’s seat gradually though. I get this same exact feeling from Fortnite, and as well I get the feeling others are realizing this as well. Maybe not quite the exact format of of my idea, the whole dichotomy between video games and such.. But I thinks it’s very important we grasp on to this chance while it’s there. I believe the future of Fortnite is important, if you do to, let’s help it’s progression. I as well believe. Fortnite is nowhere near dying as others claim. Fortnite is rising, more and more still.

Today Epic Games receives millions of emails a day, that they have to root through. Love, hate, spam, suggestions, business marketing, a plethora of different subjects. There employee pool is growing, though they still need more experience. I inspire you today if you have experience in any field they might ask for, to apply for a job at Epic Games, and or even just give your organized opinion in a well formatted EMail.

As gamers we have a tendency to not care enough about the things we love, and treat as though it’s not our responsibility to help these things. League of Legend’s player base turned ‘incredibly toxic’ because the player base instead of helping, suggesting, and imploying concepts, hated and misinformed Riot employees. Gamers have a mutual understanding, and opinion of League of Legend’s current state. Without being offensive, at least the informed, and educated ones do.

The point of this video is to ask:

The next time you report someone, use proper English, don’t abuse the report system, reporting people for being too good, or for being too bad. This hurts the system, and makes it useless.

Exploits are allowed, but they should be looked down upon. Axe canceling, shute canceling, ghost shooting, ghost peeking, C4 duping, etc. This is a topic to be spoken on at another time, but I do hold the opinion very strongly, as well as others, that bugs are embarrassing, and inconsistent for the game’s skill-based value. A game should not allow bugs that create a competitive advantage, this is not the player bases fault. Opinions do not have affiliation with what is determine an exploit. An exploit is a game bug, that can be used to gain competitive advantage. However I understand that the opinion is there, I think we can all mutually understand why exploiting is bad, and would make others look down upon your character. Though, I do understand the perspective of competitive consistency, using exploits because the develops will not rid of them, and others are still using them. I as well commit in this problem, though, we can still fix it, by not being okay with it. Strictly put, either don’t use exploits, or if you do, report them to Epic Games consistently, and DO NOT report others for using ANY kind of exploit, regardless of it’s level of unfairity in your opinion. 0’s and 1’s do not care for your opinion.

The next time you find a bug, if it’s game-breaking call Epic Games, if it’s not EMail them daily, copying and pasting the same EMail.

If you have computer science skills, business marketing skills, or anything else you think might help Epic Games. Apply at https://www.epicgames.com/site/en-US/careers.

If we care about this game, we will help it, not destroy it.

#fortnite #fortnitebattleroyale #fortnite battle royale #fortnite battleroyale #gamingwithpurpose #philosophy #gamingasacareer #fortniteisbeautiful

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higuchimon · 4 years ago

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[fanfic] Rewards of Losing: Chapter 12

Kei paused outside of Ryou’s apartment, sniffing the air and murmuring to the plants. What had they seen? What could they tell him?

Not nearly enough. Ryou hadn’t been outside since he came back the night before. But someone had been in there, someone the native plants didn’t like at all. That was Yuuri, he suspected.

The air could tell him little more. Ryou's scent hung clear in the air, but it wasn’t as fresh as it would be if he were there. Hours old, at least. There was another scent as well. That one was probably Yuuri. It tasted much the same as the flytrap, only more human.

And a bit of something else as well. That he wasn’t sure of, though it felt oddly familiar. He would have to figure this out.

For now, though, he leaped up to the balcony and scrambled his way inside, looking around and sniffing thoroughly for any clues.

What he saw chilled him to the bone. The room held almost nothing. No sign of the flytrap or Ryou or Yuuri. Their scents weren’t as strong – they’d been gone for hours. Where they’d gone Kei had no idea.

Slowly he cast back and forth, but there wasn’t anything else. All he could find that held any extra scent were the cards Ryou got out of the packs he’d bought from Mizael’s shop. Kei sniffed those – Ryou hadn’t touched them in hours as well.

“Nova,” he called, “are you there?” Faster to do it this way than to try and paw through all the cards. Had Ryou taken Cyber Dragon Nova with him or not?

A shimmer of spirit appeared before him – Cyber Dragon Nova. His head was down, his frill withdrawn.

“I tried, Kei,” he murmured, scales clanging against one another. “But neither of them could see me or hear me. I couldn’t do anything.”

Kei leaped onto the couch and stared at Nova. “Tell me what happened,” he ordered. If Nova had been human, he might well have been weeping. But the Cyber Dragon line didn’t shed tears.

“After you left, Ryou went somewhere.” Nova reported. “He used a Duel Disk I haven’t seen before. He made sure to leave me and the other cards here. I don’t know what happened while he was gone, but a short time afterward, he came back. He fell down when he did and didn’t move.” Slowly Nova’s tail twitched. “I tried to call you but you weren’t anywhere around.”

Then he drew in a deep breath. “That other Healer showed up. The one who isn’t quite human – with purple hair and a dragon’s heart.”

Oh. Interesting. Kei hadn’t thought of Yuuri like that before but when he reconsidered the times he’d seen him before – he could understand it. He nodded for Nova to continue.

“He picked Ryou up and put him on the couch, then grew out the flytrap and used it to tie him up. Ryou didn’t wake up until close to morning.” Nova’s tail twitched back and forth. “The Healer mentioned that he’d used Firedamp on Ryou.”

It was just as well that there weren’t any humans in the room. What Kei said wasn’t spoken in any human language. But the emphasis would have made it clear regardless.

“Is there anything else that they said?” Kei wanted to know. “And where did they go?”

“Back to Fusion,” Nova reported. “They’re going to come back so Yuuri can duel Mizael, however. Yuuri said he’s going to card him regardless. Whatever that means. And you too.”

Kei’s claws flexed in and out. Firedamp. Not good. He’d known from the moment he laid eyes on Ryou that the Firestarter could become a Frostflame with the right incentive. He might even survive the process. Firedamp not only shorted out a Firestarter’s flames but increased the chances that a Firestarter could frost over – while dropping their chances of living through it.

He wasn’t worried about being carded. He’d managed to spy on Ryou doing it and he didn’t think there was a Cat born that couldn’t evade that. Ryou remained more important.

I can’t get to Fusion. I have to talk to Mizael again. He couldn’t be certain what Ryou wanted or didn’t want right now. Nova didn’t understand enough about humans to be able to tell him what Ryou was thinking and that would make the difference. Had Ryou been bound because he tried to flee or was it something he’d consented to?

Had they returned to Fusion to avoid Mizael here or so Ryou couldn't have a chance to flee? Kei didn’t like not knowing this. He believed with all of his heart that Ryou was a good person. What he didn’t know was if Ryou knew how good of a person he was.

He regarded the cards carefully before he carefully took two of them in hi mouth. If he hated anything about being a Cat and not a human, it was the lack of opposable thumbs. With Cyber Dragon Nova and Cyber Dragon Drei, he leaped out the window and headed towards Mizael.

Ryou kept scraping, reaching for the tiniest flicks of flame, anything that would help him get out of the vines’ grip. But there wasn’t even a hint of the flames anymore. Just the aching cavern of emptiness that filled him ever since he woke from Yuuri’s nasty drugs.

As if that weren’t bad enough, his head throbbed to the point he found himself quite grateful that Yuuri never yelled at him. Of course, those soft words were laced with poison of a different kind as the hours ticked by.

“You don’t really think either one of them are going to want anything to do with you, do you?” Yuuri murmured from where he sat, one arm slung around Ryou’s shoulders. The fingers of his other hand brushed through Ryou’s head over and over. The remains of a fine meal rested on the nearby table.

To anyone else watching, it would have been a perfect scene of Firestarter and Healer domesticity. Ryou ached to get out of there, to feel the flames burst to life inside of himself once more.

Yuuri tapped him gently. “Answer me,” he murmured, just the faintest hint of sternness in his tone.

Ryou knew the answer that Yuuri expected to hear. He knew what everyone else in Fusion would give. He knew also what he wanted to believe. Those two answers remained opposite from one another.

“They won’t,” he said. “They’ll hate me because of what I did.” He’d done the Fusion dimension proud. Yuuri said so. The Professor said so. He’d believed it – up until a point. Up until the Professor so casually decided that he could have his memories torn away for no reason whatsoever.

That made no sense to him. He’d been a loyal soldier all these years. The Professor even seemed willing to accept Mizael – with restrictions. But to card Kei? That didn’t make sense.

The restrictions that would be placed on Mizael sort of did. But Ryou didn’t want those restrictions placed. He wanted to speak to Mizael, to explain things to him, to let him make his own decisions. He'd not be Mizael otherwise.

Again Yuuri’s fingers brushed through Ryou’s hair, pulling his thoughts away from Mizael. Yuuri never let him think of the other Healer for very long.

“How very true. And you did enjoy what you did so much. And what you’re going to do. I have such plans for you. Whether or not we bond.” He chuckled. “Remember what I said about the Professor? We’re still going to do that.”

Ryou didn’t dare to say it out loud, but he knew what Yuuri meant. To kill the Professor – part of him shied away from the thought. He’d spent so long respecting the man and learning from him.

And yet another part yearned to have his flames back so he could set Akaba Leo on fire. The casual way he dismissed Cats, how readily he intended to strip Ryou’s memories, and Ryou didn’t even want to think about what he’d really wanted of Mizael.

“This is all for your own good, after all. I saw those cards you had back there.” Again his fingers played through Ryou’s hair, so soft, far too soft, his words whispering deep into Ryou’s ears. “It’s bad enough that Dennis learned how to use XYZ and he needed that for his mission. You didn’t and you still had some? Unforgivable.” Soft fingers pressed against the side of his neck and Ryou jerked hard, eyes going wide at the jolt of pain. “But I will forgive you, because I wasn’t there to keep you on the right path. Bond or no bond, you have tasks to do that only I can guide you in.”

Ryou shuddered; there had always been an element of pleasure in pain for him. He'd tried very hard to keep it from most people, but Yuuri always knew what Ryou didn’t want him to know.

He wanted his flames back. He wanted to hear the laughter of the fire and feel it dance along his skin and inside of his blood. But no matter how hard he tried, that emptiness didn’t change.

Ryou closed his eyes again, trying to at least rest. He wasn’t sure what all of the effects of Firedamp were, but he didn’t seem to have that much energy. He could move around if he really put in the effort, but actually dragging up the energy to do so seemed beyond him most of the time. He didn’t feel hungry – he ate because Yuuri insisted, not because he had an actual appetite. What he really wanted to do was sleep.

Instead he dragged his eyes open and drew in a deep breath. “Why – am I so tired?” Yuuri would probably know. He wasn’t sure of how much it mattered, except that it might give him an idea of when he wouldn’t feel so drained.

“I suspect it’s because of the drug I used to knock you out and the Firedamp.” Yuuri actually seemed pleased that he’d asked the question. “They’re interacting. I wonder what else they’ll do to you.” He tilted his head to examine Ryou. “You’re going to tell me everything about how you feel.”

“Right now?” Ryou snorted at that. “Tired.”

Yuuri chuckled. “Then go to sleep. I’ll wake you when it’s time to eat again. There’s nothing else you need to do for now.”

There was that part of him that didn’t want to do what Yuuri said. But as much as he disliked it, there were few Firestarters who could resist a Healer’s orders when given in such a tone. It would have helped if he were bonded to someone else, but right now, he didn’t have that protection.

He let his eyes close now, and wondered if he would ever feel warm again.

Yuuri thumbed through his PDA, searching for any interesting topics to keep his attention as he whiled away the time until he needed to return to XYZ and watch the invasion begin. Oh, how he looked forward to that.

If he could have, he would have popped over to Standard or Synchro and found a few low-level duelists that could serve a useful purpose in becoming a part of Super Fusion. But he didn’t want to take the chance on missing the invasion, let alone leaving Marufuji behind unsupervised.

He glanced down at the sleeping Firestarter, more than a little amused at how peaceful he looked. There weren’t many people who looked that peaceful around him, let alone sleep near him. Granted, Marufuji didn’t exactly have any choices in that.

With a twitch of his fingers he had the vines slowly pull away from Marufuji, leaving him somewhat free. It was safe enough; he would remain too drained of energy to run off anywhere when he woke up, and he knew better than to try and escape Yuuri in the first place. Or he should. If not – Yuuri would be pleased to teach him.

A quiet tap came on the door. Yuuri raised one eyebrow. He didn’t get many visitors. He reached a thought to the plants that kept guard on his door, then rolled his eyes.

“Come in, Dennis.” Yuuri ordered. Who else would it have been, really?

Dennis strolled inside, waving his fingers at Yuuri as soon as he was in sight. “I thought you’d be getting ready for the fun stuff. It’s going to be tomorrow.”

“I know.” Yuuri didn’t move from his spot on his comfortable couch. “But I have other matters to deal with.”

Dennis blinked as he settled down in his usual chair. “You two aren’t bonding already, are you? I thought I heard something about Marufuji -”

Yuuri silenced Dennis with a cut of his eyes. “No. We’re not. We’d be in my garden if we were.” The safest and best place to bond would always be the Healer's personal garden. There were other places, of course, but whenever he bonded, that was where it would happen.

Dennis fidgeted. “So what are you two doing here, then?”

“Right now, I’m keeping him out of trouble. He’s going to be memory wiped after the invasion is settled.” Yuuri wasn’t going to let the scientists do that if he didn’t have to. He had his own methods to make Marufuji more biddable. “He was a little too attached to XYZ.”

That got an eyebrow raised from Dennis. “Oh?”

Yuuri snorted at his expression. “Not like you. He was actually developing feelings for one of those Healer duelists. He wanted one of them spared because he likes them, not because they're good duelists. And he was starting to get connected to one of those Healer Cats.” His lip curled. “The Professor won’t allow that and neither will I.”

Dennis nodded slowly. “Makes sense.”

Yuuri suspected Dennis didn’t think that it made as much sense as all that. But Dennis at least knew when to shut up and let smarter people do the thinking.

“Now, did you just come here for gossip or did you want something important?”

To his credit, Dennis didn’t fidget. He merely shrugged. “Gossip, mostly. There’s not much else for either of us to do until the invasion gets started.”

That was a bit more true than Yuuri would have liked it to be. Dennis had already completed the basic part of his task by finding the girl that the Professor wanted – with the pleasant added bonus of finding another Firestarter for Yuuri to potentially play with.

“Have you found out anything else about that Firestarter?” Yuuri wanted all the information before he did anything. It so helped to know his prey’s weaknesses before he struck.

Dennis examined the fingers of his left hand. “A few things. I don’t think he’s quite as prone to enjoying pain as Marufuji there.”

The side of Yuuri’s mouth twitched. “Not yet, anyway.” He did rather like that about Marufuji. Having someone around who thoroughly enjoyed the pain he could put them through made everything that much better. He wasn’t sure if it would be more entertaining if they wanted to enjoy it or not.

That was something he would have to find out. He looked forward to that as well.

“Anything else?” He knew that it would be easier to snatch the girl up in the chaos that would follow the invasion. He hadn’t made his mind up on when he wanted to take his own prize. He’d probably end up taking the girl first, if only so the Professor would not pester him.

He already had too much that he didn’t want the Professor to know about. His work in creating Super Fusion, the real purpose he wanted to use Marufuji for, his plans for the boy from XYZ. Part of him wondered if he wanted to kill the Professor just to eliminate the sense of the man looking over his shoulder.

Not that it mattered. He would kill him no matter what.

Once again Kei squirmed his way into Mizael’s apartment. He set the cards he carried down on the nearest flat surface and sniffed.

“We have to talk,” he declared. “It’s about Ryou.”

Mizael turned towards him. “What?” His voice was a trifle clipped and as Kei came over, he saw him looking over his deck. “Did he come back?”

“No. That’s the problem. Yuuri took him to Fusion, or so I guess.” He crossed over to sit near Mizael and told him what Cyber Dragon Nova had reported. Mizael listened quietly the whole way before he picked up the two cards.

Nova appeared at once; Drei hadn’t yet properly gained awareness, though both of them could feel the spirit sleeping in the card. Nova’s frill remained down, as did his head.

“So what do we do?” Mizael wondered. “Tomorrow is when I duel Yuuri – and when the invasion is going to start.”

Kei wasn’t going to tell what he’d done at the Night Garden. Mizael would want to keep himself as far from that as possible. Though the trees and grass and flowers all whispered of danger and caution even now. The Healers and Firestarters who were also duelists slowly prepared themselves.

But would they be enough? Even if they were, would they be strong enough?

That Kei didn’t know.

“He’s going to be there when the duel happens,” Kei said at last, his tail twitching as he considered all of their options. “Until we see him then and there, we can’t know what he really wants to do. We might not be able to even then. But that’s the only chance we have to see him.”

Mizael nodded slowly, lips pressed together. Then he turned back to the cards set out there. “I’ve been trying to come up with some sort of strategy to negate what Yuuri might try. But I haven’t been able to think of much.”

Nova spoke up quietly. “I know a few things. The Cyber Dragon line – the oldest of us are Fusion monsters. I’ve talked to them. I know ways to nullify Fusion summoning.” Slowly his tail twitched. “I don’t know what Yuuri uses, but if I can help, I will.”

Mizael reached out and rested one hand on Nova’s head, at least as much as he could when the spirit remained insubstantial. “What can you tell me?”

As the two of them got into strategy and deck-building, Kei relaxed. He would go out later to talk to his fellow Cats, but for now, he needed rest of his own. So much bordered on beginning.

To Be Continued

Notes: So close to important things happening!

#Fanfic.#higuchimon write #ygobb2020 #ygo gx #ygo zexal #ygo arc-v #marufuji ryou #Mizael #yuuri (Arc-V)#chapters: rewards of losing #au: healer firestarter

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academiablogs · 8 years ago

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You Are What You Read

(Image source) In the Renaissance, when books were quite scarce and each one a precious object, owning a library was a sign of either wealth or eccentricity. Cardinal Bessarion (1403-1472) assiduously tried to assemble, piece by piece, most of the forgotten learning of the Greek and ancient world before it was irretrievably lost. As he explained in a letter,

“I tried, to the best of my ability, to collect books for their quality rather than their quantity, and to find single volumes of single works; and so I assembled almost all the works of the wise men of Greece, especially those which were rare and difficult to find…They must be preserved in a place that is both safe and accessible, for the general good of all readers” (Jardine, Worldly Goods).

For Bessarion, there was a difference between many books and good books: he was willing to exhaust his time and coffers to find “quality” rather than simply amass a library. Even a Cardinal knew we needed a richer, more varied diet than 15th century Europe offered to the masses. If every dish represents a culture, then so, too, each book represents a whole history of ideas, preserved in careful thought and language. By reading the great works of the ancients, he hoped to bring about a true Renaissance of learning, as if books alone could resurrect the academies and agoras of the ancient philosophers.

Perhaps Bessarion followed the old adage that “you are what you eat.” So to stretch the metaphor a bit further, are you also what you read? While food literally breaks down into nutrients and waste, where does all the reading go? To your brain or to your heart? Or to nowhere at all—merely to the same place that mindless hours of television watching go, here one minute and gone the next, to be dimly recalled when you watch the next episode? The larger question is, of course, what kind of activity we should call reading. Is it strictly intellectual, something that actively engages the mind and shapes identity? Can even the breeziest beach read shape your moral and aesthetic outlook? Or is reading simply a way to pass the time, allowing some to pontificate and others to procrastinate?

If you locked a young person in a room with only pulp fantasy novels—say, the works of Robert E. Howard, author of Conan the Barbarian—it would serve as an education. While he or she might not be a Rhodes Scholar, their outlook would be profoundly shaped by the novels in question. Specific (and dated) notions of gender are built into these novels, as well as the aesthetics of storytelling: flowery, archaic narrative and scene-chewing dialogue. The young person’s notions of what makes a good story, good characters, and a good book would be forever shaped by this experience, even if subsequent reading challenged these notions. In short, a book which never set out to educate anyone or impose a set of values would do exactly that. If the young person decided to pen his or her own book, it would undoubtedly sound like a carbon copy of Howard’s prose, complete with his virile hero and his compliant, panting heroine.

(Conan the Barbarian, who still has a great deal of influence on high fantasy to this day). In a sense, we’re all locked up in similar rooms during our childhood and adolescence, which is a time of cultural and intellectual isolation. Until adulthood, our perspective is largely limited to our own schools, homes, and rooms, which however diverse, is necessarily limited to a specific viewpoint. Boys usually surround themselves (if they read at all) with stories of space, swords, and monsters; girls gravitate to YA tales of romance and magic, often with a few vampires thrown in. All reading has to begin somewhere, so in this sense, any reading is healthy. While some might argue this fact, I strongly believe that reading is an intellectual exercise. It is more than passive entertainment, since it demands that the reader use his or her imagination to make the black marks of sentences live and breathe. Even the simplest story requires rudimentary translation and problem solving, since all narrative involve some measure of ambiguity and assumption. A book writes to a specific culture in a specific time, and using our cultural and intellectual baggage, we shape it in our likeness; indeed, no two books are exactly alike, as no two readers exactly resemble each other.

However, these early works shape our tastes well into middle-age, and for some, become the very definition of “good” or “bad” literature. So what should a person read as he or she embraces the identity of a ‘reader’? Is anything fair game? If all reading is intellectual, then doesn’t anything constitute a substantial, nutrient-rich meal as long as you avoid a famine? It’s a tough question. However, I think reading changes with the reader, and as a reader increases in age and sophistication, the reading should follow suit. In essence, just as the demands of the body adapt to advancing years (less salt, less sugar, more fiber, etc.), so reading, too, demands a diverse, wide-ranging diet that avoids bulking up on the “sugars” and the “fats.”

While this metaphor can easily be stretched too far, here’s a better example. In college, students usually encounter their first truly difficult reading: works such as Plato’s Republic or Shakespeare plays without convenient film adaptations. These works cannot be skimmed; they have to be read slowly, often with footnotes, as the text stubbornly resists the word-to-image translation they’ve become accustomed to. The first response for many students is, this is boring, or this is terribly written—it’s too dense, too long, and the characters are undeveloped. Simply check the 1 and 2 star reviews on Goodreads or Amazon for classic literature, and most will start “Had to read this for a class. Hated it!” In the same way, the first time someone has to try a dish from another culture with an exotic flavor profile, the response is often disgust—confusion—outrage. Many diners vow never to eat said food again, while others, taking bite after bite, start to become accustomed to the flavor. A select few become lifelong believers.

Becoming cultured demands a moment of conflict. All food shouldn’t have to be sweet; all books shouldn’t have to be novels. Good readers are born while struggling with a difficult text, since reading, more than anything else, is a skill. The only difference between a ‘bad’ reader and a ‘good’ reader is experience and curiosity. Those with experience know that not everything readily conforms to your notions of ‘good’ books, while those who are curious don’t expect them to. A good reader must actively challenge him or herself in different genres, with different authors, throughout the whole range of literature. The more we order the same dish at the same restaurant the less we exercise our reading acumen. Imagination is able to slumber, relying on the tried-and-true tropes of a given genre to supply the needed information. Then you stop actually reading, and are simply running your eyes over the words in a numb exercise of comfort; fine for a rainy day or a way to decompress from work, but not the vital, life-giving manna of thought.

So while all books are literature (since all can become agents of thought and education), not every book is the meal you need right now, at whatever age and position you find yourself in life. Reading has to grow with the reader, and while you can return to favorite books time and again, you also have to explore something new. Just as you are a different person from day to day, and year to year, so you have to find the right books, authors, genres, and themes to help you along. A book you dismissed as pretentious and irrelevant at 24 might become your personal bible at 45. Likewise, a favorite childhood tome might no longer speak to you at all. The only ‘bad’ books are the ones that no longer grow with you and advance you in your intellectual journey. What makes this exciting is that you never know what a good book will be—or where you will find it. You can only trust that reading with curiosity and rigor will bring the next great book within arm’s reach.

#amreading #bookish #blogs #discussion #reading #booklr #writing #books #fantasy #amwriting #writer #writers

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dyspla · 7 years ago

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Introducing the DIMIF Panel Members

Deborah Williams - Panel Chair

“This festival is a vital next step in the growth of DYSPLA. I am looking forward to facilitating the panel discussion, getting to see the films and hearing from the artists.”

Deborah Williams is CEO of the Creative Diversity Network (CDN) - the body funded by the UK’s major broadcasters, which brings together organisations across the UK television industry to promote, celebrate and share good practice around the diversity agenda. As CEO, Deborah is responsible for the strategic direction of CDN, delivering all aspects of the organisation’s activities; including the ground-breaking Diamond diversity monitoring scheme, diversity talent databases, online resources and the CDN awards.

Prior to joining CDN, Deborah was Diversity Manager at the British Film Institute (BFI), where she opened and managed a £1m lottery fund for diversity, designed the BFI diversity standards for film, and contributed to the BFI business plan and strategy. Before joining the BFI, Deborah was the Senior Officer for Equality and Diversity at Arts Council England.

Deborah is also an award winning actress, as well as being a writer and theatre maker with 20 years’ experience in creating and presenting distinctive, high quality work that challenges ideas of difference and diversity.

D-Fuse

“I think that events like this are important because by facing the stigma of dyslexia and neurodivergence in our society head on, we almost supersede it and turn it into something positive.”

Our commissioned artist D-Fuse will be creating a live 3D installation on the opening night of DIMIF, as well as being part of our panel on the Panel Discussion night on the 15th of March.

D-Fuse are a London-based artist collective who work across a range of media. Founded in the mid-1990s by Michael Faulkner, D-Fuse’s output encompasses installations, film, experimental documentary, photography, live cinema performances and architectural projects.

Beginning in graphic and web design and VJing, D-Fuse’s work has evolved to address social and environmental themes and explore collaborative processes. Besides work with groundbreaking musicians from a wide range of genres including Steve Reich, Beck, Hauschka, Scanner and Swayzak, much of D-Fuse’s output since 2004 includes sound and music by audio director Matthias Kispert.

Their work has been shown internationally, including SFMOMA, WRO Festival [Wroclaw], Prix Ars Electronica [Linz], Sonar [Barcelona], onedotzero Festivals, Eyebeam and TriBeCa Film Festival [NYC], MU and STRPFestival [Eindhoven], Lisbon and Valencia Bienniale, Moscow Architectural Biennale, and many others. The D-Fuse-edited book VJ: Audiovisual Art and VJ Culture was published by Laurence King in 2007.

Chris Arnold

“I think it is great that we can both celebrate dyslexia and inspire others. For me dyslexia has been a gift and an opportunity to see things in ways others cannot imagine.”

Chris is a Creative Director and founder of the brand marketing and creative ad agency Creative Orchestra.

He is also the founder of The Garage, a specialist disruptive innovation consultancy that helps companies think differently and deliberately uses dyslexics. He was a board director and a Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi before setting up FEEL – the UK’s first ethical marketing & advertising agency.

He is one of the UK’s leading experts in ethical marketing and author of Ethical Marketing & The New Consumer (published by Wiley). Being a dyslexic himself, he is a champion of dyslexia – believing that “every board room should hire a dyslexic.” Despite being dyslexic, he has written a weekly blog on ethical marketing on Brand Republic for almost 10 years, as well as pieces for many other publications.

He has also written the mini-insights reports Why Women Shop on Venus & Men Shop on Mars and co-written insighst reports The Truth About Students and The Content insight Guide to Millennials and Students. He’s currently writing THUNK (a different way to think) which is based on his creative thinking workshops.

A former board member of the DMA (Europe’s largest marketing trade body) he’s been the Chairman of both the Agency Council and the Creative Council. He is passionate about community and founded the UK’s largest community arts festival – The Crouch End Arts Festival. He also runs The Intimate Space, “London’s smallest and coolest venue”, as it’s been described, based in a 500 year old church tower in Hornsey. The venture is designed to support young people’s creative talents.

Chris has written for many publications, including the FT, Creative Review, Campaign, Marketing, Impact, The Times, Third Sector, Brand Strategy and Brand Republic – Europe’s largest marketing online site.

He’s also appeared as a marketing expert on BBC’s Working Lunch, Watchdog (3 times) and in a number of documentaries on marketing. On Channel 4 (Food Unwrapped, Superfoods and Despatches) and the BBC. On radio – BBC and LBC. Plus online TV channels.

He lectures around the world on creativity, marketing, brand, innovation & futurology, ethical marketing, Proximity Mobile Marketing and Disruptive Innovation.

Sara Putt

“I think the festival is going to talk about some key issues, and I'm excited about taking part in the festival's discussion on improving the diversity in the business.”

Sara runs Sara Putt Associates. Based at Shepperton Studios, her company is the leading independent UK agency for film and television heads of department - providing personal management and representation within feature films, TV drama, documentaries and entertainment for over 20 years. Alongside the Agency, the Diary Service provides diary management and production knowledge for crew.

Keen on nurturing new talent, in 2011 Sara Putt Associates launched the 'Trainee & Assistants Scheme' providing opportunities to those at the start of their careers. They collaborate with film and television agents in the US and work alongside literary agency ‘Sayle Screen’.

Sara also sits on the BAFTA Board and TV Committee Chairs, BAFTA’s Learning and New Talent Committee, and is Deputy Chair of WFTV.

Mike Forshaw

“I am very honoured and excited to reveal that SATURDAY has been selected for the DYSPLA International Moving Image Festival. During the festival I will be taking part in a panel discussion about dyslexia, and I could not be prouder. As someone who was only diagnosed with dyslexia whilst at university, I strongly believe that open conversation is vitally important to raise public awareness and understanding for a condition that many people still do not fully understand. This event will hopefully provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how my dyslexia has shaped me as a director and why my diagnosis was so liberating.”

Born and raised in Liverpool, Mike studied film at Northumbria University before moving to London to study Fiction Direction at the National Film & Television School. His graduation film premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, and his shorts have screened at numerous UK and international film festivals.

In 2013, Saturday was awarded a top prize during Nisi Masa’s European Short Pitch, and the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2015. In 2014 Mike was selected for TorinoFilmLab’s AdaptLab workshop, and is currently developing his first feature, King of Grain, with Agile Films.

Jim Rokos

“After everything we have said about the creative gifts that the neurodiverse mind can bring to creativity, a festival of alternative thinking brings an enormous pressure to deliver the truly exceptional. With the red tape fallen away, I am very excited to see what will be achieved.”

Originally training as a model-maker in the film and TV industry (working on The Muppet Treasure Island, Band of Brothers, Tomb Raider, Victoria and Albert), Jim went on to teach at a school in London before completing a Master’s degree in Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins College.

In close collaboration with Ab Rogers, in 2016 Jim curated the very first ‘Dyslexic Design’ exhibition, which was hosted by designjunction, also at King’s Cross on Granary Square. The show challenged perceptions of dyslexia by accentuating its positive effects and its close association with design. ‘Dyslexic Design’ is a ‘Silver Winner’ in the London Design Awards; category: Pop-Ups, Display, Exhibit & Set Design. It was also nominated for the ‘iF Social Impact Prize 2017′ for Health & Demographic Change. Many now consider Jim's work to be a symbol of the gifts that dyslexia can bring.

Jim also runs 'Rokos'- his brand of playful and sculptural glassware that behave in unexpected ways... Exceptional products express their character - they come to life when they are used! They can take on the mood of the users (13° 60° 104° Decanter) or they can express the behaviour of the object contained (Gauge flower vase).

Rokos won the prestigious 2012 ‘Reddot Design Award’ for the 13° 60° 104° Wine Decanter and the Enterprise Europe Network Award 2014 for the Gauge vase. The vase also won the ‘German Design Award 2017′ for Excellent Product Design and the Smoke colour Gauge has won the ‘LUX Designer Awards 2018′ for 'Most Original Glassware Design'. In addition to this, Jim has been awarded the 'Best Glassware Designer 2018 - United Kingdom' by the LUX Designer Awards.

Jim's innovative cat-food bowl won BBC1’s Tomorrow’s World's Best Inventions pilot in 2001. His Blindspot series is Design Parade selected (2007). In 2008, he won an ‘RSA Design Directions’ award and in 2012, the ‘Faces of Design’ award.

Helen Taylor

“I am very honoured to be part of the Panel Discussion on the Dyslexic Aesthetic at the DYSPLA festival. The broader information processing style of dyslexics really lends itself to greater recombination and translation that underlies novelty and originality. It will be fascinating to see the films and hear my dyslexic panel members describe how their dyslexic cognition shapes their work.”

Dr. Helen Taylor studied initially at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, she was diagnosed with dyslexia herself after nearly being thrown out of her undergraduate degree. She went on to achieve a 1st class honours for her degree as well as several prizes and won a scholarship to study her Masters. On completion she was awarded the highest mark in the history of the department along with several research awards including the Petrie Prize and Seton Lloyd Memorial Prize. After completing a Sackler Fellowship at The British Museum she won a full AHRC scholarship to study her doctorate at the University of Cambridge where she investigated the emergence of social complexity.

Alongside this she started mentoring undergraduate and Ph.D students with dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia and autism. Frustrated by the lack of appreciation of these kinds of cogition she became determined during her time at Cambridge to understand what these differences were. By combining insights from her Ph.D, and research into the cognitive differences and strengths found in dyslexia, she developed a new theory of human evolution named The Evolution of ComplementaryCognition. This shows that different kinds of cogntion were not only fundamental to the adaptive success of our species, but are critical to organisational effectiveness in the modern world. Helen is currently working to publish the results of her research. To learn more follow Helen on Twitter.

Tickets

DYSPLA is extremely excited to welcome our esteemed panel members for an academic discussion on the DYSLEXIC AESTHETIC. It will take place on the second night of the festival, 15th of March 2018 at 7:00 PM, so save the date if you’re up for a debate! There are only 30 tickets available so book your tickets today.

Buy your Panel Discussion tickets here for £10

Listing Information*

Awards Ceremony, Gala & Gin Reception: 14th March, 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM, £30.00

Industry Panel Discussion: 15th March, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM, £10.00

Daily festival screenings: 15th March, 1-7 PM; 16th-18th March, 1-8:30 PM, £5.00

(All films will be screened continuously throughout the festival) *All tickets will include £1 booking fee. Tickets are an extra £5.00 on the door.

The Crypt Gallery, Euston Rd, King’s Cross, London, NW1 2BA Closest national rail and underground stations: King’s Cross & Euston

#dyspla #dimif #dysplainternationalmovingimagefestival #paneldiscussion #academic #dyslexia #neurodivergence #neurodiversity #dyslexicaesthetic #dyslexicdiscourse #diversity #alternativethinking #dyslexiccreativity #experimentalfilmfestival #creativeindustry

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rubysmithmdia104 · 7 years ago

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YouTube Essay

Ruby Smith 300411754

MDA 104

Platform: YouTube

Word Count: 1746

The world of YouTube is a creative and diverse platform that is the driving force behind many social media influencers fame and success. The affordances and norms of YouTube allow creative influencers the opportunity to build their own self brand and social capital. YouTube is a social and interactive media platform, which can be defined by Graham Meikle as “networked database platforms that combine public with personal communication” (Meikle, Graham).

In this essay I will explore the relationship between self-branding and YouTube’s norms and affordances. I will firstly discuss what self-branding is and it’s importance today, I will then look into some of YouTube’s norms in terms of what content creators can and can’t do, I will then explore the affordances of YouTube and how they help build influencers social capital.

Establishing a self-brand for many has been the key to their YouTube success. YouTube has in fact, become the new ‘de facto launchpad’ for this generation's new wave of celebrities ("The 15 Most Popular Youtubers In The World"). Users can simply make an account and post any sort of video they choose to their channel. The range of YouTube's genres is endless, there is a content creator for every area. From beauty to gaming, meme-culture to political opinions, prank videos to fitness advice and music to sex education. All these influencers however must adopt YouTube's norms and affordances to reach success on there channels.

In the book Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, and Branding in the Social Media Age by Alice E. Marwick, she explores the idea of self-branding on platforms such as YouTube. Self-branding is now presented as an essential Web 2.0 strategy. What self-branding promotes is essentially limitless opportunities, as you are in control of the brand, and competing with an individual person becomes more difficult than competing with a direct brand or company. In a sense, it is hard to replicate someone's on-screen characteristics that you see when you watch YouTube videos. It is essentially a series of ‘marketing strategies applied to the individual’. One must switch the mindset to think about themselves as a ‘salable commodity’ (Marwick, Alice Emily) that has the ability to attract potential employers and audiences. To link self-branding back to the norms and affordances of YouTube; Marwick states that self-branding would be “impossible without the affordable means of information distribution that the internet provides”. It is inherently “linked to the features of social media technologies” that that make self-branding possible on such a wide scale (Marwick, Alice Emily).

Social Capital, referred to as ‘Cultural Capital’ by French Philosopher Pierre Bourdieu is directly linked to self-branding. It represents ‘untouchable culturally significant attributes’ (Marwick, Alice Emily) which can transfer to attributes such as prestige, personal status and authority. Marwick analyses that Cultural (Social) Capital is not universally the same, hence why it is untouchable and undefined. One Youtuber may have high Social Capital in their area of expertise, gaming perhaps, but not be recognized in the beauty world of YouTube one could say.

Understanding a norm is being able to understand the cultural and social behaviour that occurs on the platform. The basic norm of a YouTuber is to upload content. Content that becomes popular aims to create a profit for YouTube, advertisers and content creators (Garcia-Rapp, Florencia, and Carles Roca-Cuberes). The norms of YouTube are technically ‘unwritten’ and same goes for all other social media platforms. We can further understand this through the Habitus theory by Bourdieu.

He describes norms as a ‘cultural field’ in which can be defined as a ‘series of rules, rituals, conventions, categories, designations, appointments and titles’ (Schirato, Tony et al.) These in turn authorise certain behaviors that are to be performed on the platform. An example of an unwritten norm on YouTube would that it would be okay to film yourself (as a creator) and post it online, but would not be acceptable to film someone else and post it online without there permission. It is important to understand that with norms (or Cultural Fields) they are not established through the content creators and rules, but instead the interactions between the audience and the content creators and rules.

An example of this interaction was in 2015 when British YouTuber Sam Pepper was condemned out by the YouTube ‘community’ for his offensive videos that included pranking someone with the accusation that their best friend had been murdered, as well as having a strong rape culture theme and jokes throughout several of his videos. YouTube as an company declined the urge to take Peppers videos down as it didn’t breach any of YouTube's ‘written’ guidelines, however it was the audience that established the ‘norm’ that his videos were not acceptable. Over 200,000 members of YouTube's audience signed a petition on change.org to remove these videos and other successful influencers tweeted their disgust of Peppers videos ("Sign The Petition"), as shown below.

Eventually these videos were deleted, highlighting the way that the audience interacts with the rules to establish their own norms online. From this idea, we can link it back to social capital. Sam Pepper's social capital was raised, but in a negative way, this is how the norms of YouTube affect a content creators status and prestige.

What these norms do is help establish content creators own brand and social capital. As users channels grow in popularity, they often learn what their audience wants to see. A large amount of views on a video can be identified as a leading reason that it is a good video to watch, same with likes and dislikes. The more users that have ‘reacted’ to a video, the more social capital the channel will grow. This can be positive or negative social capital in terms of the social status of an individual. An example of this is published in the journal ‘Environmental Communication’. The experiment examined if the number of views on a video about Climate Change affected how the members of the study felt about climate change. Participants were exposed to two videos about climate change, one with a very small amount of views and one with a large amount of views. Results show that the video with the larger number of views did ‘influence participant perceptions’ of the issue of climate change (Spartz, James T. et al.). What this shows in terms of norms is that as users; our minds are wired to believe that a video with greater amount of views is worth watching, and a channel with a large amount of subscribers is worth following. The more views, the more interactive trust is built with the users. People connect the idea of having a lot of views with the idea of subscribing to a channel because the known trust is there that they will enjoy the content posted. This is how content creators use norms to build their self-brand and social capital. They use techniques such as clickbait titles, sponsored advertisements and exciting thumbnails in order to get more views - these can also be considered as ‘affordances’ of YouTube also.

An example of ‘clickbait’ thumbnails that attract veiwers on YouTube. Shane Dawson & Tana Mongeau

An affordance is what social media platforms offers to the users; what it ‘affords’. It can be defined as a key way in understanding and analysing ‘social media interfaces and the relations between technology and it users’ ("The Affordances Of Social Media Platforms – Anne Helmond"). An affordance can be classed also as an interface, button, or feature of the site. The affordance offered doesn’t change dependent on who uses it. It is dependent on what we are trying to achieve and what context we are in.

In saying this, an affordance of YouTube is viewer interaction. Viewer interaction strongly determines the Social Capital of the content creator. By having the affordance to comment, suscribe and like if offers a more interactive viewer interaction than other places such as Instagram, because viewers get a more physical interaction with the influencer, as they are hearing them speak, seeing natural characteristics of them move and following their lives, unlike instagram or twitter, where often you are getting condensed snapshots of their lives. YouTube affords viewers to see content creators, also known as micro-celebrities in a different light, as it is more real and light-hearted. Many YouTubers do daily vlogs, which opens up the opportunity for the viewers to see the Youtuber going about their daily life, often realising they are more similar to them than they thought. A survey of 13-19 year old American teenagers on Variety.com identified that Youtube content creators were more popular than mainstream celebs like Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift, influencing this was the factor that “YouTubers were judged to be more engaging, extraordinary and relatable than mainstream stars, who were rated as being smarter and more reliable” (Ault, Susanne).

The simplicity of the ‘like’ and ‘dislike’ button is a crucial affordance of YouTube in terms of a content creator's self-brand and social capital. Helmond refers to features as ‘communicational actors’, being that they ‘produce meanings and meaningfulness’ ("The Affordances Of Social Media Platforms – Anne Helmond"). Like and dislikes heighten content visibility. However, there is no such thing as ‘bad engagement’ ("Your Youtube Likes And Dislikes Bar: How Much Does It Matter?"); even if a video gets a lot of dislikes it still is engagement and interaction with an audience, because it is making them feel something to feel that way. For example, Rebecca Black's ‘Friday’ music video had over a million dislikes, only around 250,000 likes but over 53 million views. In order to dislike the video, you need to watch the video; increasing the views. This built up her self-brand, even if she was ridiculed, those views accumulated to money. In a sense, the likes and dislikes don’t actually affect the popularity of the video, its the views that boost the popularity; likes and dislikes are an affordance that connects to the emotional state of the mind, large amounts of likes/dislikes spark curiosity, therefore boosting the views. This is how content creators build their social capital and get there name out in the public sphere. Affordances such as buttons and interfaces, as well as viewer interaction, are important because they grow social capital.

To conclude, the affordances and norms of YouTube allow creative influencers the opportunity to build their own self brand and social capital. Norms and affordances are crucial on all social media platforms in order to be successful. However, the question can be raised to what platform uses these methods the best?

References:

Garcia-Rapp, Florencia, and Carles Roca-Cuberes. "Being An Online Celebrity: Norms And Expectations Of Youtube's Beauty Community." 2017, https://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/7788/6331.

Schirato, Tony et al. "Cultural Field And The Habitus." Understanding Bourdieu, 2002, pp. 21-44.

"Over 100,000 People Want Youtube To Ban Sam Pepper For Staging A Prank Murder." Washington Post, 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/12/01/over-100000-people-want-youtube-to-ban-sam-pepper-for-staging-a-prank-murder/?utm_term=.dc3510342714.

"Sign The Petition." Change.Org, 2017, https://www.change.org/p/youtube-petition-to-youtube-to-deactivate-sam-pepper-s-channel?recruiter=438596306&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink.

"The 15 Most Popular Youtubers In The World." Business Insider, 2017, http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-popular-youtuber-stars-in-the-world/?r=AU&IR=T.

Marwick, Alice Emily. Status Update: Celebrity, Publicity, And Branding In The Social Media Age. Yale University Press, 2013,.

Spartz, James T. et al. "Youtube, Social Norms And Perceived Salience Of Climate Change In The American Mind." Environmental Communication, vol 11, no. 1, 2015, pp. 1-16. Informa UK Limited, doi:10.1080/17524032.2015.1047887.

Meikle, Graham. "What Are Social Media?." Social Media: Communication, Sharing And Visibility, 2016, pp. 1-23.

"The Affordances Of Social Media Platforms – Anne Helmond." Annehelmond.Nl, 2017, http://www.annehelmond.nl/2016/08/01/the-affordances-of-social-media-platforms/.

Halmond, Anne. "The Affordances Of Social Media Platforms.." The SAGE Handbook Of Social Media, 2016, http://www.annehelmond.nl/wordpress/wp-content/uploads//2016/07/BucherHelmond_SocialMediaAffordances-preprint.pdf.

"Your Youtube Likes And Dislikes Bar: How Much Does It Matter?." Tubular Insights, 2017, http://tubularinsights.com/youtube-likes-dislikes-bar-how-much-does-it-matter/.

"Affordances And Youtube Case Study – The Wild Cats: AKA, An Online Video Study – Medium." Medium, 2017, https://medium.com/the-wild-cats-aka-an-online-video-study/affordances-and-youtube-case-study-94c5d51f8fab.

Ault, Susanne, and Susanne Ault. "Survey: Youtube Stars More Popular Than Mainstream Celebs Among U.S. Teens." Variety, 2017, http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/survey-youtube-stars-more-popular-than-mainstream-celebs-among-u-s-teens-1201275245/.

Dredge, Stuart. "Why Are Youtube Stars So Popular?." The Guardian, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/03/why-youtube-stars-popular-zoella.

"Youtube." Youtube.Com, 2017, https://www.youtube.com.

"Sam." Youtube, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/user/OFFICIALsampepper/videos.

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omgstefan-blog1 · 7 years ago

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English Final assignment

Short Essay ( what is Fashion to you )

People been wondering about this particular question, “What is Fashion ?”. most people answered “ its a piece of clothing that you were in daily bases”. To me is more than just a cloth it define who the real you. Not only that , other still questioning a question that can’t be answer, but more to opinion. Simply because every one that lives on earth have different answer and taste in fashion. in my opinion fashion isn’t just wearing clothes for a day it more than that not only boosting you’re confident as well as showing the true meaning of that person personalities. Without fashion you’re living in black and white world where there aren’t any excitement or meaning into your life. To me I’m more toward into street wear and designer clothes, even If it is expensive but I do enjoy it as a designer I can see why designer clothes are pricey and lots of people enjoy it. in conclusion fashion isn’t just a fabric that you wear and feel good about it and no one have the answer for it and I believe the reason for this simply because everyone have different type of style, preference and personalities .

Long Essay ( fashion culture and trend)

fashion culture and trend are controlled by times and people. This been happening from generation to generation from year to year trend after another no matter where, when and why fashion will revolve around you and around the world no matter what it will change the only solution either to accept it and accept it or being left out by others. Most of the time people that are being ignorant to not willing to change soon will be dead, that is why a lot of fashion back then are so much different than todays fashion. In this essay I’ll discuss how fashion change and look like in 70s, 80s, 90s and nowadays fashion. fashion back in 1970’s consider to be diverse, reflecting new interest in clothing as an self expression. there are lots of mix such as hippie, retro, and punk. general silhouette was long and more hair, both sexes gave this era an androgynous appeal. This era was the time for uni-sex hair salons, where shoes appeared for both men and woman and both sexes wore high waisted paints and having shag haircuts. it also the era where continued 60’s theme of pop art, op art and psychedelia with bold print in geometric design and bright color, this style toward more to bohemian style of hippies where they wear collars and long printed dresses with lace of bib fronts. In 70’s men and women sported similar styles. High waisted pants were worn by all sexes. Bell bottoms gave the look less exaggerated flare legged pants, then move to straight legs by the end. Short and long sleeved T shirt, button down shirts we worn tight and tucked in. 80’s fashion history is memorable and quite distinctive because it favored applied decoration on T-shirt and suit. 80’s term of fashion is all about extremes, shockingly had its value the idea of women wearing shoulder pads and some big brass button to claim their happiness. The history of fashion is filled with creative styles. Its a combination of practically and innovation, they say nothing truly goes out of out style and they believe it will come back. In 1980’s fashion it refuse to die because it bought a whole new genre of clothing movie, music and other thing that are now still around. Particularly rich era for young British fashion. moving on to 90’s fashion it brought forth a youthful movement and offered carefree style which is a rebellion. Wearing grunge and minimalism were biggest trend with casual streetwear and “ sexy school girl” style. In this generation they’re trying to emulate “ too cool to care” looks and fashion was infused with this attitude. Wearing delicate slip dresses create a feminine and masculinity. one of everyday wear were layering, plaid and low-rise, ripped, wide -leg jeans. Music and fashion went hand in hand as fans replicate the unique style of their musical idols. Iconic films and pop music such as clueless, inspired other with spectrum. Some everyday wear to get that rebellion looks, mini skirt, knee high socks and platform shoes created the schoolgirl look, to top it all of add some playful body glitter.celebrities style icon of the 90’s are inspired the sartorial choices of generation, the generation style and outfits were copied and recreated, all while never failing to celebrate individual, back than everyone wanted to look like their favorite musician such as madonna, Britney Spear, Gwen Stefani or spice girls. Each of this celebrity has their own unique style for example Madonna had her unforgettable jean Paul Gaultier, cone bra. Britney offered the schoolgirl look while Gwen Stefani promote grunge. Moving on to 90’s hairstyles were anything but boring. It gave birth to several iconic styles with Youthful and Playful hair. “The Rachel” was the most popular haircut in 90’s for girl where the hair styled the half-up-half-down look was simps and modern while schoolgirl gave us pigtails hairstyle. To add more fun to 90’s hairstyle was an array of hair accessories such as butterfly clips, bandanas, scrunchies and colored hair streak were worn with pride. On 90’s they had this trend where shoes are made heavy-duty, combat boots that can be wear for male and female, it made them to look like and army. They were though, gritty and paired with slip dresses and florals to frayed jeans and flannel shirts. one of minimalist trend also had staple shoe in the way. from article that I just wrote we can see that trend overtime will change and evolve to new environments and era. Some fashion might come goes around to the present.

Long Essay ( process Fashion Product)

it took me proximately 4 days to finished my amazing and good looking product called bond. for the most part I found this actually to be okay I found lots of error in progress but overall I got this in the back. the most difficult part I find is time consumption because it is annoying just wasting time and theres nothing you can do about it. first thing that you’ll need is base, so grab some water, glue, tissue and a pair of useless shoes. I need something to stick the tissue on top of the shoes, so I created I mixture to actually stick the tissue and doesn’t waste too much material. By mixing glue with warm water. It is very important to use warm water instead of cold or room temperature water, the reason is simple it help the glue to dissolve quicker and save more energy by less stirring. 60% warm water and 40 % glue a shocker to me is the water act as a glue instead of the glue, it also help to Harden tissue to stick on shoes. another important information you’ll need is to cover every side of shoes with tissue and don’t make sure to not leave any spaces behind. multiple layer is necessary not only it made the tissue to be torn also have more texture I made mine 4 layers on each shoes. please be gentle and careful applying mixture with the tissue if not theres a chance of actually tear the tissue or broke the texture. at this point the tissue are wet and ready to be dry for this progress you don’t have to do anything just leave it on open space or air could flow. It took mine about 1 to 2 hours to completely dry up. Before letting it completely dried I bought a mannequin feet online and slide it in, by doing the base of your shoes won’t be deflated rather have and shoes shape. Once it Harden it’s similar to paper mache, take out your brush water and black poster paint because its time for the best part which is coloring the base. I feel like coloring the base with just all paint is a waste of material, instead I create another mixture involve water. 50% water and 50% paint since the base made out of tissue It will absorb a lot of moisture on the base that’s why mixing both material are important. Just take your time to paint the whole base because it going to be a while, painting sole is going to be challenged sine it isn’t covered with tissue the mixture won’t affect as well as tissue what I done is to use pure paint. once everything dry you can start making the bone so take out your das Clay and start shaping bones and joints, this is probably second difficult part in the process. I ended up making 537 bones and 315 joints, all of this are necessary and I ended up using 90% of it. the length of each bones approximately 1,5 cm x 7 cm and for the join approximately 1,5cm x 1,5 cm. After you create at least 500 bones and 300 joints you can let it dry outdoor or indoor, for outdoor with sunny weather will take 4 hours to completely dry while indoor it will took 13 hours. i strongly recommended to let it dry outside the reason is first its time consuming second it won’t stink your house with clay smell. after you got this 2 component dry and ready to use you’ll need lots of glue gun and yes this is the most hated part for this process product, reason is either you accidentally miss stick the bone or you burn or glued your own hand, It is countless how many time I actually burn my own hand and It wasn’t a pleasant memories. Moving on by plug in your hot glue and stick some bones. Before we begin to sticking I have create 2 pattern, pattern number one it consist of bone, joint, bone, joint, etc. while pattern number 2 will be joints, bone, joints, bone ,etc. the way its going to be is pattern 1 in between pattern 2 and then pattern 2 beside it will be pattern one, fill this until the front part of the shoes are completely fill and leave some spaces between each bones and joints. on each side of shoes I stick it with bones slanted a bit . At the back of the shoes stick a straight bone. as you get to the back part of the shoes the bones are designed in straight line instead of facing diagonal directions. Next is to put joints on top of slanted bones and try find the same level so it look smooth. stick 7 bones on top of front part of shoes on top of that stick some joints to create a smooth look. Beside those 7 bones put 5 ones on each side from the first to fourth bone make it straight while fifth bone make it slanted about 45 degree. Remove any glue string or excess glue. let the glue dry and you’re basically finished, this is how you create my product within 4 days .

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siriusist · 6 years ago

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♠ ACE REPRESENTATION MASTERLIST ♠

Sherlock Holmes.

Jughead Jones [in the reboot solo comics -coughcoughthanksriverdale-]

Let’s face it. Mostly everyone’s favourite literary characters are asexuals, but when faced with most asexuals in real life, people tend to get...

Weird.

‘Why don’t you like to go out?’

‘You just haven’t met the right guy.’

#WHYISITANYOFYOURBUSINESS

To be blunt, we lack the representation that other orientations have. For example,I’m twenty-six, and I didn’t have half of the resources/ representation growing up that is available today. Which is why this year, in my twenty-sixth year of life, I am proud to have experienced more asexual media/representation than I ever have before.

Which ALSO is why I knew I needed to make a list for my own health and myself to show that there IS positive representation out there, and show those aces younger than me (and maybe even older than me, if you’ve been struggling with your sexuality or lack thereof as long as I have) that we exist, and we are not simply ��freaks’ to be judged and chided.

Which is why.

I am proud to present.

THE GIGANTIC HUGE UBER LIST OF ACE RESOURCES [trumpets]

This includes a list of historical asexual/demisexuals, young adult literature/ resource books, cute merchandise, asexual books currently being released in 2019, and additional resources. ♥

( P.S: I also labeled these if they feature any sort of intersectionality, such as POC protagonists, bisexuality/lesbianism, or any intersectional aspects to try to give people the biggest and broadest representation within the asexual field we can.

I also tried to include the literature that had the most positive representations and dispelled as much of the ‘myths’ about being asexual as possible, and presenting us as regular people in a strong powerful light, who just happen to be asexual. Some of these include dispelling myths around ‘YOU JUST HAVE TO TRY IT,’ ‘YOU’RE NOT REALLY QUEER,’ ‘THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU,’ ‘YOU MUST HAVE EXPERIENCED ABUSE,’ ETC. Anything dealing with dispelling absolutes. For example, I was sexually abused when I was a child, but I now know that even though I could have issues with sexuality due to trauma, my asexuality/ demisexuality is completely separate from my past, and I am proud to come to that conclusion. I hope I can help others to come to that conclusion, too.)

Lastly, I also put my own comments in brackets besides copied book descriptions/ biographies if I had anything else to contribute; hopefully someone besides myself might find this helpful! ♥

Historical Asexuals/ Demisexuals:

George Bernard Shaw: Renowned playwright George Bernard Shaw was a man far more interested in intellect than sex. He never consummated his marriage (also at the request of his wife, Charlotte Frances Payne-Townshend) and was a virgin until 29. Shaw told friends he appreciated the ability of sex to produce "a celestial flood of emotion and exaltation" but only as it compared to the "conscious intellectual activity" he strove for with his work.

Isaac Newton: Isaac Newton's supposed asexuality is based on his recorded behavior and lifestyle. He had strict religious views, never married, was obsessive in his scientific careers, and supposedly died a virgin. Whether he truly lacked sexual attraction or was simply too immersed in making massive scientific discoveries to have a sex life is unsure.

Florence Nightingale: Interestingly, though "the Florence Nightingale effect" is a situation where a caregiver develops an attraction to the patient they are caring for, the effect's namesake, Florence Nightingale, was likely asexual. The famous nurse never married and instead chose to devote her life entirely to her work. She even refused a marriage proposal from a suitor who had been pursuing her for years. Nightingale rarely discussed her personal life and the term “asexual” was not widely used at the time, but asexual activists and scholars strongly suspect she lacked sexual interest.

Nikola Tesla: Nikola Tesla, the revolutionary engineer who was instrumental in the invention of electricity, also lived a life of celibacy typical of asexuals. He showed very little interest in sexual relationships throughout his life, preferring to focus on science. Many asexuals describe their lack of attraction as a blessing allowing them sharp focus. Once again, we have a person who could have been too busy (and brilliant) to focus on relationships, but who's asexuality likely allowed him to be busy (and brilliant). [Fun fact: I am actually related to ol’Nikola. Sometimes it’s nice to even think about someone in my family being asexual, because it makes me feel like we’d both be able to get along together when we get fixed in our little studies, research, and schemes ♥]

Frederic Chopin: Famed composer and pianist Frederic Chopin is supposed to also have been asexual. While he lived with writer George Sand, she noted in her biography that their connection was affectionate without being sexual. She described their affair as “eight years of maternal devotion," also noting, “He seemed to despise the courser side of human nature and...to fear to soil our love by further ecstasy.”Whether Chopin was uninterested in sex, or had reservations about consummating the relationship for other reasons, is unclear. Many scholars believe the famed pianist lacked sexual desire altogether.

Cute Pins/ T-shirts/ Merch Representation:

Ace and Anxious Mug

Asexual Hearts Mug

Ace and Anxious Sweatshirt

Netflix and Actually Chilling Sweatshirt

World’s Okayest Grey Sexual Baseball Shirt

Ace Illuminati Pin

Asexual Flag Pin

Asexual Pride Flag Pin

Asexuality ‘Nope’ T-Shirt

‘Space Ace’ Astronaut Pin

Asexual ‘I Am Valid’ Heart Sticker

LGBTA+ GameBoy Sticker

‘I Put the A in the LGBTA’ Shirt

Young Adult Fiction/ Books about Asexuality:

Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann: Alice's last girlfriend, Margo, ended things when Alice confessed she's asexual. Now Alice is sure she's done with dating... and then she meets Takumi. She can't stop thinking about him or the rom-com-grade romance feelings she did not ask for. When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library-employee badge, Alice has to decide if she's willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated-- or understood. [A bisexual POC protagonist; adorable fluffy, easy and sweet read].

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Katie Ormsbee: Natasha 'Tash' Zelenka has found herself and her amateur web series plucked from obscurity and thrust in the limelight. And who wouldn't want fame and fortune? But along with the 40,000 new subscribers, the gushing tweets, and flashing Tumblr gifs, comes the pressure to deliver the best web series ever. As Tash struggles to combat the critics and her own doubts, she finds herself butting heads with her family and friends - the ones that helped make her show, Unhappy Families (a modern adaption of Anna Karenina, written by Tash's eternal love Leo Tolstoy), what it is today. And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a prestigious award, Tash's confusing cyber-flirtation with an Internet celeb suddenly has the potential to become something IRL if she can figure out how to tell him that she's a romantic asexual. But her new relationship creates tension with her friend Paul since he thought Tash wasn't interested in relationships ever. All Tash wants to think about is the upcoming award ceremony in Orlando, even though she'll have to face all the friends she steamrolled to get there. But isn't that just the price you pay for success?

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire: The story is set in a boarding school for teenagers who have passed through "doorways" into fantasy worlds only to be evicted back into the real world. It serves as something of a recovery center for boarders who find they no longer fit in, either in the "real" world or their own uncomprehending families. For a fortunate few it is just a way station until they can find their ways back to the worlds they do fit into; for others, it's the least bleak choice in what may be a life-long exile. This unhappy ending for the students takes a terrifying turn when some of their number start turning up dead. A small group joins together in an attempt to expose the person committing these murders before it is too late to save the school, or even themselves.

The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality by Julie Sondra Decker: What if you weren’t sexually attracted to anyone?A growing number of people are identifying as asexual. They aren’t sexually attracted to anyone, and they consider it a sexual orientation—like gay, straight, or bisexual.Asexuality is the invisible orientation. Most people believe that “everyone” wants sex, that “everyone” understands what it means to be attracted to other people, and that “everyone” wants to date and mate. But that’s where asexual people are left out—they don’t find other people sexually attractive, and if and when they say so, they are very rarely treated as though that’s okay.When an asexual person comes out, alarming reactions regularly follow; loved ones fear that an asexual person is sick, or psychologically warped, or suffering from abuse. Critics confront asexual people with accusations of following a fad, hiding homosexuality, or making excuses for romantic failures. And all of this contributes to a discouraging master narrative: there is no such thing as “asexual.” Being an asexual person is a lie or an illness, and it needs to be fixed.In The Invisible Orientation, Julie Sondra Decker outlines what asexuality is, counters misconceptions, provides resources, and puts asexual people’s experiences in context as they move through a very sexualized world. It includes information for asexual people to help understand their orientation and what it means for their relationships, as well as tips and facts for those who want to understand their asexual friends and loved ones [A good beginning place to start if you’re considering your asexuality. Also provides reassurances about the most common stereotypes concerning asexuality].

Young Adult Fiction/ Books about Asexuality Coming Out in 2019:

Switchback by Danika Stone: Vale loves to hike, but kind of hates her classmates. Ash is okay with his classmates, but kind of hates the outdoors. So, needless to say they are both fairly certain that the overnight nature hike with their PE class is going to be a hellish experience. But when they get separated from the group during a storm, they have worse things to worry about than bullies and blisters.Lost in the Canadian wilderness with limited supplies, caught in dangerous weather conditions, and surrounded by deadly wildlife, it's going to take every bit of strength, skill, and luck they can muster to survive.

Not Your Backup (Sidekick Squad #3) by C.B. Lee: Emma Robledo has a few more responsibilities that the usual high school senior, but then again, she and her friends have left school to lead a fractured Resistance movement against a corrupt Heroes League of Heroes. Emma is the only member of a supercharged team without powers, and she isn't always taken seriously. A natural leader, Emma is determined to win this battle, and when that's done, get back to school. As the Resistance moves to challenge the League, Emma realizes where her place is in this fight: at the front. [This is a third in a series, but the main character has recently come out as asexual at the end of the last book].

Immoral Code by Lillian Clark: Ocean's 8 meets The Breakfast Club in this fast-paced, multi-perspective story about five teens determined to hack into one billionaire absentee father's company to steal tuition money.For Nari, aka Narioka Diane, aka hacker digital alter ego "d0l0s," it's college and then a career at "one of the big ones," like Google or Apple. Keagan, her sweet, sensitive boyfriend, is happy to follow her wherever she may lead. Reese is an ace/aro visual artist with plans to travel the world. Santiago is off to Stanford on a diving scholarship, with very real Olympic hopes. And Bellamy? Physics genius Bellamy is admitted to MIT--but the student loan she'd been counting on is denied when it turns out her estranged father--one Robert Foster--is loaded. Nari isn't about to let her friend's dreams be squashed by a deadbeat billionaire, so she hatches a plan to steal just enough from Foster to allow Bellamy to achieve her goals.

The Last Eight by Laura Pohl: Extinction was just the beginning in this thrilling, post-apocalyptic debut, perfect for fans of The 5th Wave series. Clover Martinez has always been a survivor, which is the reason she isn't among the dead when aliens invade and destroy Earth as she knows it.Clover is convinced she's the only one left until she hears a voice on the radio urging her to go to the former Area 51. When she arrives, she's greeted by a band of misfits who call themselves The Last Teenagers on Earth.Only they aren't the ragtag group of heroes Clover was expecting. The seven strangers seem more interested in pretending the world didn't end than fighting back, and Clover starts to wonder if she was better off alone. But when she finds a hidden spaceship within the walls of the compound, she doesn't know what to believe...or who to trust. [I’ve read there is also aromantic representation in this book too, so helpful for the Aros out there as well ♥]

LGBTA+ Comics with Possible Asexual Representation/ Influence:

Check, Please!: Check, Please! is written and drawn by Ngozi Ukazu. Eric Bittle—former Georgia junior figure skating champion, vlogger extraordinaire, and amateur pâtissier—is starting his freshman year playing hockey at the prestigious Samwell University in Samwell, Massachusetts. And it’s basically nothing like co-ed club hockey back in the South. For one? There’s checking.It’s a story about hockey and friendship and bros and trying to find yourself during the best 4 years of your life. [You can also read the cartoons online; it’s actually started by Tumblrite/ Yale Grad who is positively adorbs and I follow her on Instagram and I’m sort of obsessed with her/ it’s about hockey. CANADAAAAAAAA [x]]

And Lastly, Extra Online Resources For Asexuality:

UCLA LGBT Campus Resource Center: Asexuality

The Trevor Project on Asexuality

Campus Pride: Asexuality

The Canadian Centre for Gender Diversity and Awareness

Asexuality needs to be a recognized as its own, unique sexual orientation, Canadian experts say

Asexuality.org

Hopefully this helps! ♥♥♥

#resources #lgbta #lgbt+ community #asexuality #demisexuality #representation #reading #literature #merchandise #masterpost #my resources

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higuchimon · 6 years ago

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[fanfic] Fire and Water: Chapter 3

She waited. She made certain to wait where it wasn’t as likely that any of the guards or those who directly served the so-called leaders – she wasn’t sure if they should even be referred to as leaders, not when their goal couldn’t be anything so benign. Exactly what they had planned she didn’t know, but she trusted that Austin – O’Brien, he hadn’t granted permission to use his given name – would be able to stop them.

Noise came from where she’d guessed the two of them were, and people began to look in that direction. It wasn’t enough noise to be certain what was going on, but the longer she heard it go on, the more certain she became that O’Brien was dealing with them very decisively.

Those weren’t just noises, she realized quite quickly, but the sounds of duel combat. A few words floated down clearly, mostly ones that involved dueling of some sort.

She tensed at the realization. Dueling. Someone was going to die and it could be O’Brien, if matters fell out in the wrong way. She took a few careful steps towards the cliff-side, wondering if she would be able to get up there quickly enough. She was no duelist by any means, but she knew quite well how to use her trident. If she needed to…

A cry that wasn’t in a voice she recognized, then someone appeared at one of the openings up there. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was.

“Look!” She gestured, heart pounding in delight, as a large horned figure fell backwards and crashed into the ground. Everyone got a very good look at Skull Bishop before he shrank down to Demonic Sky Elder, remaining there just long enough for everyone in the area to see who he was, before he vanished altogether.

“That was… he’s one of Haou’s top servants! His Death Duelists!” One of the guards declared, eyes wide and voice full of fear. “W-what was he doing here?”

“And why was he in disguise?” Someone else wondered. A third person guessed the reality of the situation before the others.

“Haou’s troops are going to come soon! We can’t fight them off on our own! We’re all going to die!”

A fourth person shoved her way a little closer to the front, casting worried eyes here and there. “Who did this? Who defeated him?”

As if in answer to her question, O’Brien came down the wall, Guardian of the Underworld in bonds with him. Everyone there stared at him in awe as he landed and took the whole situation in.

“He entered this village in disguise to ensure you fell to Haou’s troops,” O’Brien reported, attention on where Demonic Sky Elder had been. Then he nudged Guardian of the Underworld with his foot. “And he intended to help him, for his own gain.”

Whispered words ran here and there through the gathering before one clear voice spoke up. “What are we going to do? We don’t have a leader anymore! We need someone who can win this fight and there isn’t anyone!”

The priestess smiled to herself for a swift heartbeat before she moved forward. “There is!” She turned her attention to O’Brien. “He defeated Skull Bishop, one of Haou’s most powerful servants. He saved us all. If anyone here can be our new leader, then he’s the one!”

O’Brien’s eyes widened and he shook his head, trying to protest. She didn’t give him the chance to say anything else.

“You do have a strong power within you, one that’s not like anyone else’s. You were able to overcome your fears and you saved us all!” She reached toward him, making sure not to touch him, though everything within her demanded that she do so.

Others of the village began to nod. “She’s right! You’re the best for the job!”

“You can do it!”

He was being convinced. Perhaps he didn’t like the concept – it did involve a lot of responsibility, especially with a battle hovering on the horizon – but they needed someone who could do the job and there wasn’t anyone else who could do it.

“All right,” he agreed at last, raising his head up. A fresh confidence blew through him as he did so and she smiled. He really was the hero that she’d been searching for.

Once everyone else scattered on their new tasks, O’Brien approached her, a new light in his eyes. A faint smile played over his lips at the same time.

“Thank you,” he murmured. “This isn’t what I’m suited for, but thank you anyway.”

She smiled back, adjusting her grip on her trident. “I only did what I felt was right. You may not believe that you’re suited for the task, but I believe you can do it.”

“I’ll do what I can.” He turned his attention to the village gates, where a few sentries now stood, more confidence in their demeanor than before. “There’s something that I need you to do as well.”

She raised one eyebrow, curious as to what he had in mind. What she heard wasn’t close to what she’d expected.

“I have to leave here soon. The best way I can protect you all is to fight Haou directly.”

Her heart froze at the words. She knew he spoke truth; it made sense in every way, regardless of if she liked it or not. She hadn’t wanted to hear it. They knew there would be an attack soon and it wasn’t unlikely that Haou would lead it. He could wait here for that.

But he wouldn’t. That wasn’t the way that he thought and despite how short of a time she’d known him, she could already see that. She nodded; he would have her find another leader. She hadn’t talked to many people in the village and those who she had didn’t seem suited for it. Most of them would tremble in the fact of battle, which was why she’d encouraged O’Brien to step up in the first place.

“Someone will have to lead these people while I’m away. I think that you can do it.”

She stared at him, wondering what madness gripped him. “No… I’m not a duelist...I can’t.”

His eyes met hers. “You don’t have to be. You can see into the hearts of people and find what they can do. Like you did for me. I can try to give them hope in me. You can encourage hope in themselves.” The smile that tilted his lips felt a little more real. “Will you try?”

She drew in an unsteady breath. She’d never imagined herself leading people but he was right on the point that someone had to do it. “I’ll do what I can – while I can. When you return -” Because he had to return. Leading this place on her own would be a nightmare that she didn’t want to have. To risk so many deaths if she made too many mistakes…

“I’ll come back when I can.” But the way that he didn’t look at her when he spoke this time didn’t encourage her at all. She wanted to know what was on his mind, but the words escaped her. It had something to do with Haou. She knew that O’Brien feared the warlord – was there anyone in this world who didn’t? - but something else lurked in the set of his shoulders and the tilt of his head, something she couldn’t understand.

She would find out when he came back, she promised herself. Before she could say anything else to that effect, noise sprang up near the gates and someone began to call for O’Brien. He bid her a quick farewell and headed there at a rush.

She watched his departure, glancing up to her fairy friends as they settled near her.

“You think he’s not going to come back?” One of them asked. “That he’ll die in battle?”

“I hope he doesn’t.” She pressed her lips together for a few seconds. “I want to believe that he’ll return.” She believed in that as strongly as she believed in her god and in an entirely different way. She believed in her god because she’d been raised to do so; it was her purpose in existing.

She believed in O’Brien because she’d seen what he could do and she did not want to risk the despair that would engulf her if he did fall against their enemy.

But he would come back. She had to believe that he would come back. Her god marked them as soulmates. The divine wouldn’t be so cruel as to bring them together and yet not allow them the chance to be together.

She had to believe.

O'Brien didn’t come back. He bid her farewell, still standing away from her – that she understood, it was his gift, to not seal the bond when he faced a situation where he could die – and then he and those who were his unexpected allies and friends departed from the village. His last words to the people as a whole were to work with the new arrivals and listen to her, but to be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

She did all that she could to get ready for that. The new allies who arrived with Hell Kaiser – such an odd name – and Edo Phoenix were all duelists and took on the defense of the village, while the ones who’d already been there settled into defensive guarding positions and managing food and shelter. She sent out others to find somewhere they could retreat to if all were lost and others to search for any gates to other worlds that they could use in the most extreme of pinches.

At least she had help now. These allies weren’t like the villagers; they’d seen the horror of Haou and his power firsthand, and while they respected it, they’d lived so far. They hadn’t yet lost hope, and being rescued from the brink of death helped with that.

“You’re worried about him,” a quiet voice murmured not that far from her. She didn’t look away from where her attention centered: the path that O’Brien had taken towards Haou’s castle. But she knew who spoke: Amazoness Holy Warrior, one of those who’d been rescued. In the scant hours since their arrival, this warrior quickly proved herself to be talented and capable, and the priestess enjoyed having her around.

“Of course I am. He’s going to fight Haou.” Worry only made sense, didn’t it? Even if they hadn’t been soulmates, it would have made sense. She worried about his allies as well. There’d been something strange about that Hell Kaiser, a sense of impending illness, that she hadn’t had time to investigate. Healing would never be her forte, but she detected something wrong even if she couldn’t do anything about it.

Holy Warrior reached out her arm and the priestess glanced towards the motion, spying a faded, all bu t invisible, mark on the back of her hand. She sat up; that was a soulmate mark!

“Tactical Warrior,” Amazoness Holy Warrior said, a gentle smile on her lips far at odds with the way she polished her sword. “I never thought that I would meet my soulmate in another world or that I would come to love her so much when we had such little time together. A few months, that was all. Then we were trapped by Haou’s people and she fell against Chaos Sorcerer.” Her eyes hardened. “I would kill him myself if I had the chance. I didn’t then – feeling your bonded soulmate die is one of the most horrible feelings in the world. I couldn’t even fight.”

That was why O’Brien refused to commit to their bond. Perhaps neither of them knew what it could feel like to lose a bit hf your soul, but also neither of them wanted to know.

“One day I’m going to die too,” Amazoness Holy Warrior mused. “And then we’ll be together again.”

The priestess discovered she was smiling. It didn’t feel like a happy smile. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Perhaps. Did it?”

“No.” She refused to lie about that. If anything, it made her feel worse.

“I couldn’t have stopped her from fighting. I didn’t even try. It was what she wanted to do and there were many people who lived because she died. I miss her – I will miss her every day of my life. But it would have been so much worse if she’d lived and I would have had to wake up every day to see the sorrow in her eyes.” The Holy Warrior’s smile didn’t feel much happier than hers. “We all serve our own gods in the way that we believe will help the most. I serve my goddess by letting those who can fight do so in their own way, and fighting in mine.”

The priestess nodded slowly. She wasn’t sure if it made sense because she liked it or if she liked it because it made sense. Regardless, it did ease something deep within her and she made her way to her feet.

“I think it’s time for dinner,” she said, and Amazoness Holy Warrior nodded, that small touch of a smile crossing her lips as well.

The two of them hadn’t taken more than a half dozen steps before the priestess stumbled to a halt, an odd sensation sweeping all through her, starting from her arm. Her throat closed before she dared to make another move.

No. No.

She didn’t want to look at her arm, with its display of vivid green zeroes. She tried to turn her head away, but no part of her body wanted to move at all. She could feel the holy warrior’s hands on her shoulders, supporting her. She could breath, but every scrap of air sliced into her lungs like tiny knives.

Austin. Austin O’Brien.

What little relationship they’d had existed more on a promise of potential, on what might have been and what could be, if they met in other circumstances, if they survived the war, if there was ever a chance they could spend enough time together to really get to know each other, to want to affirm their bond and march towards the future together.

Ever so unwillingly she turned her gaze down to her arm, just in time to see the numbers there blurring and fading. They didn’t vanish altogether – there would always be a semblance of them – but now they were a smeared charcoal gray, as if someone smeared ashes on her skin.

Her knees crumpled underneath her and she gasped, choked out a sob that was half a demand to her god on why this happened.

O’Brien was dead.

To Be Continued

Notes: Final chapter goes up tomorrow. I quite thoroughly enjoyed writing about Amazoness Holy Warrior (who actually is visible in episode 142 as one of those Ryou & Edo rescued. You can see her standing next to Warrior Lady of the Wasteland) and Tactical Warrior. Maybe some day when I have more time and energy I’ll write their love story.

Also, anyone want to help me make Steamshipping the official name for O’Brien x Sea God’s Priestess? More fanfic, plz ;)

#fanfic #higuchimon writes #ygo gx #austin o'brien #sea god's priestess #sea god's priestess x o'brien #o'brien x sea god's priestess #steamshipping #chapters: fire and water #series: to accept fate's will

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