#love how the turks’ one is a lot darker

[foxes-that-run]

Clean

I'm so sad we didn't get videos for 1989TV, but we did get some great visuals in the lyric videos. Especially Cleans, which references a lot of other songs. I see similarities to the music video for Style, Out of the Woods, Late Night Talking, Falling and Cardigan. I think this fits how often this song has been referenced in other songs by Harry and Taylor.

Timeline

Clean was written on 9 February with Imogen Heap. Taylor said in the Grammy Pro event:

“When you get your heart broken, or you loose someone from your life, or when you’re trying to recover from a breakup, it’s almost the same kind of struggle that someone goes through when trying to beat addiction. It’s not one habit your breaking, it’s every single minute of the day you’re breaking a habit. And it’s exhausting. I had this metaphor in my head about being in this house. There’s been a drought but you feel like there’s a storm coming, and so instead of blocking out the storm you punch a hole in the roof and just let all the rain come in. And when you wake up in the morning, it’s washed away everything that used to hurt you. And then you’re clean.”

Taylor also said it and Shake it Off were the last song's written, but Style was actually the last song written on 19 February 2014.

Live performances

Clean was on the 1989 mainset list proceeded by the Clean Speech which changed slightly every night. There is a wonderful Masterpost of Clean Speechs most of these. The Speech generally stated with a scene setter that they are all there together, going through things and would end with variations on " And then I think that if you continue to move through your life, and replace old habits with new ones, I think you can erase that feeling that everyone sees your mistakes when they’re looking at you. And that’s the moment you know that you’re finally clean." The middle section of the speeches varied depending on what Taylor wanted to say. I think these are a nice call back to Speak Now Arm Lyrics, which started after she may have first met Harry.

Since the 1989 World Tour it has been played Clean on:

21 July 2018 - end of (Cruel) summer end of Live on Tour, Camille BUA, Harry went to Italy, she went to Turks and Caicos with Joe.

1 April 2023 - show after Joe BUA

28 May 2023 - Between Maroon and Hits Different. TR and TK first seen soon after.

Lyrics

The drought was the very worst (Oh-oh, oh-oh) When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst It was months and months of back and forth (Oh-oh, oh-oh) You're still all over me Like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore

Is it over now? "With the wilt of the rose (Uh-huh)", Harry responded to this in Sunflower Vol 6 with "Plant new seeds in the melody"

Wine on clothes is many songs: Olivia: "This isn't the stain of a red wine, I'm bleeding love", Little Freak: "Red wine and a ginger ale / But you would make fun of me for sure", Maroon: "The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wine into me" and "Your roommate's cheap-ass screw-top , that's how", The 1: "Rosé flowing with your chosen family" and Grapejuice "There's just no gettin' through / Without you / A bottle of rouge"

Hung my head as I lost the war And the sky turned black like a perfect storm

Taylor has used war as a metaphor for a fight in several songs. And described dark skies for relationship trouble.

This Love: "Skies grew darker, currents swept you out again"

Coney Island: "Did I paint your bluest skies the darkest gray?"

Rain came pouring down When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe And by morning Gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean (Oh, oh, oh, oh)

The imagery of rain pouring down, washing away but also as a metaphor for depression has been a theme in Harry and Taylors songs. Most remarkably in the music videos for Falling/Cardigan, which references these lyrics in Clean.

Clean is referencing Everything has changed, a song about the start of Harry and Taylor's relationship, Clean being an (ending at that time.)

Everything Has Changed: "All I know is pouring rain and everything has changed"

How You Get The Girl: "Stand there like a ghost, shaking from the rain"

Peace: "But the rain is always gonna come if you’re standing with me"

There was nothing left to do (Oh-oh, oh-oh) When the butterflies turned to dust that covered my whole room So I punched a hole in the roof (Oh-oh, oh-oh) Let the flood carry away all my pictures of you

Everything has changed is also the only other song Taylor has referred to Butterfly's "And all I feel in my stomach is butterflies, the beautiful kind" which Harry referenced in Olivia "The summertime and butterflies / All belong to your creation / I love you, it's all I do"

Dust is also only in:

Holy Ground: And the story’s got dust on every page

Everything Has Changed: So dust off your highest hopes, and

Right Where You Left Me: Dust collected on my pinned-up hair

Finally, as the closing track, 1989 was a very photo driven marketing campaign, the line of 'washing my pictures of you' and references to photos in the album bring that story to a close.

The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud But no one heard a thing

Harry referenced this line in the Falling Music Video, which Taylor then referenced in the Clean TV Lyric Video:

Ten months sober, I must admit Just because you're clean, don't mean you don't miss it Ten months older, I won't give in Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it

Clean likens their relationship to an addiction, which they do in several songs (Grapejuice "There's just no gettin' through / Without you A bottle of rouge", MMIH “gotta get better / give me some morphine.”)

Is it over now? "Let's fast forward to three hundred takeout coffees later" 300 take out coffees, one a day is 10 months.

The song was written 9 February 2014, 10 months prior was April 2013. One Direction was playing UK shows and Taylor on the US leg of the Red Tour. They were MIA on tour breaks 23 - 25 April 2013 after Harry arrived alone in LA, Harry wearing the Peace Ring when he left LA. Finding that timing makes me feel:

[queen-yalo]

FFVII | Headcanons | Vincent Valentine dating a female Turk

Request: Can I request a headcanons for Vincent dating a female turkk?

A/N: Hope you enjoy! ♥

Pairing: Vincent Valentine x reader

+++

• It goes without saying that this relationship would have to be a secret at all times. If you’re behind closed doors and nobody’s watching, you’re the most perfect couple in existence. You joke a lot but you also have deep, serious conversations. You don’t fight, you openly discuss. The intimacy is definitely top quality. But when you meet outside of your apartment? You’re enemies. Simple as that. He’s on ShinRa’s blacklist and you’re representing said company. You cannot be seen together – at least not in a loving fashion.

• Vincent would probably be a little stressed out about this. He knows how it’s like to be a Turk. He knows of the duties, responsibilities and especially of the darker side of the job – tidying up after ShinRa or making sure their enemies stay silent. It’s not pretty, it’s not easy and first and foremost: it’s dangerous. He doesn’t like that you’re in constant danger. He’d much rather have you work at a safer, quieter job.

• But he also knows that nobody becomes a Turk if they aren’t real and passionate about it. Passionate as in ‘ready to work hard for it’. So, it would probably be unfair of him to tell you to quit and find another job. Even if he doesn’t like it – he supports you.

• He listens to you when you talk about your day, even though he’s done with ShinRa and really doesn’t want to hear about them anymore. He is still very interested in what you have to say. But he will not hold back on giving advice or letting you know his point of view on things – especially when you had to do some morally questionable things again.

• He secretly hopes that one day you will listen to his subtle advice of finding another job, even though he knows that it’s difficult to cut ties with ShinRa. But should the day come and you’re ready to leave that company behind, he will be there to help you of course. And if not, he’ll still be there with you every step of the way.

• That includes helping you out on missions. If you need his help in any way (which is rarely the case), he will not reject you. He will support you. He hates the thought of you getting into trouble more than he hates ShinRa. But sometimes he will actively work against you as well. Sometimes you know, sometimes you don’t. Think about the Sector 7 incident. If something like this happened again you bet your butt, that Vincent would try to stop you and your fellow Turks – even if it was very hard for him to actively fight you.

• All in all though, your relationship would be a good and secure one. You both accept the fact that there are parts of your lives that you just cannot share. But above all else – you truly love each other. That was the most important thing.

[multi-fandom-imagine]

The SOLDIER and The Baker || Cloud Strife || Pt4

Part 1 || Part 2. || Part 3

A/n: Also vote....if you don’t mind cause that part is coming up soon{{ vote here }}

A/n 2: I totally gave Sam a wife cause i love this man...annd here is the dress. I will do my best to describe it.

P.S: THANK YOU ALL FOR THE NICE COMMENTS AND LIKE AND STUFF, IT MEANS SO MUCH.

A/n 3: Since i was taking forever on this Part 5 is going to be the who thing with Cloud in a dress / the ghost train yard and the whole.....err the thing with the Plate.

A: 10

B: 1 

C: 10

Tag List: @ayamenimthiriel​ || @kitsamii. || @courageouslystupid.

If i forgot to tag you....just let me know and you’ll be added.

THE DATE YOU AND CLOUD GO ON Here.

.And the dress Here

“The first time I’ve meet your mother....she was covered in dirt and grime....tryin to rescue some animal.” Sam snorted shaking his head, a small smile forming on his face. “She had no other family...she was alone...this ten year old...well my Ma wouldn’t have it so she took the girl in.”

Listing intently, your fingers clutching your dress tightly. You held back your tears as the man continued to talk about your mother. 

“So after E-” Sam caught himself from saying her name, you wondered if it was to painful for him “-- your mother became my little sister and as the years went on I started to notice somethings...things Ma and Pa didn’t see. Your mother would talk to things that weren’t their. Know things that she couldn’t have known. Animals flocked to her, flowers seemed to grow...not to mention how she could use magic with out Materia.”

Frowning you glanced down at your own hands, you just thought you were seeing things. The spirits you’d talk too though it made you feel better that your mother could do it too. “So...if you know all that about my mother...she wasn’t human...was she?”

“No...no she was not.”

“Then what was she? I need to know.”

“Y/n...I believe your mother was a Cetra.”

Taking a deep breath in it felt like the world was moving to fast, your started to feel sick. “A...and my father? did you know him.”

“I did.” Sam spat, it sounded like he couldn’t stand the man. “Do you even remember him.”

“I..do...a little...I remember his smile.” You then frowned clutching your head tightly, a painful memory resurfacing. 

You wanted to remember more but everything was fuzzy, you saw spotty images of your father and mother. Images of you playing with Rufus then something went wrong. You father was arguing with a man, he stormed out then the next thing you knew you and your mother were living near Aerith’s church.

“Your mother was an amazing woman, she did her best to help the people of Wall Market and if you’re anything like her. I know you’ll be able to do the same.” Sam gave you a smile. 

“Your father...Reeve Tuesti....he works for a dangerous company...so be careful Y/n...I’d hate to see anything happen to my sisters kid.” Standing up Sam then slipped off his hat, his fingers clutching the brim. “Stay far away from Shinra...the Turks and Reeve Tuesti...It will bring you nothing but trouble.” Clearing out his throat he gave you a nod placing the hat back on his head blinking away a few tears that have formed in his eyes.

“Now little lady...I made a promise to you, that I intend to keep.” Smiling he held out his hand for you to take. “Don’t hesitate to kick that mans ass.” Giving your hand a squeeze he pulled you up from the chair, walking with him you could feel your heart hammer in your chest doing your best to wrap around everything you were told.

Stepping into a from you were greeted by a pretty blonde that was a few inches taller than you, she gave you a kind smile then turned to give Sam a small glare. “You must be Y/n...Sam has told me an awful lot about you..”

“Huh?” Glancing over at Sam the man held his hands up though it took a few strides for him to be standing next to the woman. Planting a kiss on the side of her head you then spotted the ring on his finger. 

“Just try not to make her too beautiful darlin.”

Rolling her eyes, the woman gave him a smile. “You know I can’t do that.” With a wink she then shoved the man out. “Now leave us be!.” Slamming the door shut she then turned her attention back to you placing her hands on her hips. “Lets get started.”

Cloud scowled to himself, the people who passed him to scared to even look at the man afraid they might set him off. Aerith rolled her eyes watching the man, he sure wasn’t scaring her, the only thing she felt was annoyance. 

“You’re acting like a child Could, Y/n will be done soon just you wait!!.” She smiled giving him a wink though she then turned to the attention of all the voices. Whatever it was seemed to cause quiet a stir among everyone. “Oh.!” and that must has been the reason why the people were talking.

Stepping threw the parted crowed your cheeks flared from all the talk, did everyone really think you were that beautiful? Though the flashes from the camera were a bit to much and of course their had to be fireworks.

Turning to see what the commotion was about Cloud could feel that his breath was taken away when he spotted you. You were wearing a long voluminous strapless dress, different blue’s that flowed together. He really liked the darker blue that was layered over the more soft blue, the sparkling fabric seemed to make your eyes pop more and for a moment Cloud couldn’t breath. You hair was pulled to side tied off in soft waves, the blue flower he had given you was the only accessory in your hair. You looked perfect, like he was staring into the night sky back at home. 

“C-Come on...I don’t look that bad to do?” You tired to ignore the cheers from the people, the one’s opinion you really wanted to hear from just stood their dumb struck.

Cloud blinked as he tried to take this all in. Where you wearing lip stick? and just how soft could your lips be? Boy did he want to find out. Opening his mouth the man tried to respond only to receive a scolding from Aerith. 

“Cloud...say something.”

“Wow...you look...” What could he even say to you?, a simple word really couldn’t do you justice.

“I know....Corneo’s got certain...tastes.”  You sighed glancing down at the long elegant dress, the soft blue seemed to make your skin glow. Sighing you shook your head twisting around, the dressing flowing with your movements. “I mean it’s so gaudy...I can barley move in it.” You were starting to miss your dress that was covered in flour.

“Y-Yea.” Cloud swallowed thickly, it was hard to take his eyes off of you.

Sighing you stepped closer to the man to peer in his face. “Cloud.?”

“Huh”

Aerith sighed as she grasped your hand then Clouds. “I think what he’s trying to say is that you look beautiful....right Cloud.?”

“Right.” He said quickly though refused to meet your eyes.

“Annd he would like to take you out...on a date.” Aerith beamed as she waited for Clouds answer.

“Right...wait wha-”

“Perfect!” Aerith quickly placed your hand in Clouds, the man to stunned to say anything and judging by the smug look on her face you thought she was planing this all along.

“Aerith!.”

Laughing she quickly waved you off, your carbuncle following after the florist. “Don’t you worry about me! Madam M agreed to sign me up! have fun you two!.”

Sighing you then glanced at your joined hands, about to let go an apologize the man gave your palm a small squeeze. “I...let’s okay.”

Taking a deep breath you two walked in silence, doing your best to ignore the whispers of the people. Did they really think you and Cloud were together?God you shouldn’t be thinking that, not when it made your heart race so fast.Nibbling your lip a habit you seemed to be doing lately, you  glanced up noticing that his pale cheeks were tinted pink.

Using your free hand to clutch the silky fabric you tried to focus your gaze on anywhere but the man now. 

“So”

“So”

Chuckling that you both managed to answer at the same time you shook your head then tugged him to a food stand, doing your best to not get the dress dirty.

“So...what would you like to know about me Cloud?” Giving him a smile you at least wanted the man to relax, he looked like he was going to keel over.

“I...what was your mother like?”

“Oh” Surprised you thought he’d ask about something else but this was an easier topic for you to talk about. “She was wonderful....when ever I was sad she’d always bake my favorite cookies then hold it out to him and with a smile on her face she say. ‘A cookie a day...keeps the sadness away.’ s-she’d then take a bite of the cookie then give me a kiss.” Feeling a few tears slid down your cheek you then felt the familiar hand on your skin, the coolness of his glove calming you down.

Cloud didn’t know what made him touch you, but he found himself hating seeing you cry. It made him feel useless that he couldn’t stop it and angry for whoever took your mother away from you. “It’s alright to mourn your mother...to miss her.” He let his thumb slide across your cheek. “But you should know that you’re no longer alone. “You have the children of Leaf House, Aerith....and me.”

Sniffling, you could feel Cloud brushing away your tears though shaking your head you gave him a smile before grabbing his hand gently. “Haha! you’re right! look at me! I didn’t mean to be a big baby! come on! I wanted to try one more place.”

Cloud blinked a few times though his lips twitched into a smile, to bad you missed it. 

Cheek’s still burning from the kiss, your mind was still reeling. You never thought that Cloud would kiss you, you never thought that his lips could feel so soft but what you did wanted was from him to kiss you again. Cloud refused to look at you, the man seemed determined to keep his gaze everywhere that wasn’t your face. Did he not mean to kiss you? If so then why did he even do it in the first place.

Fingers gripping the blue fabric of the dress you were about to question him until Aerith bounded over to you. Not sensing the awkwardness between the two of you, the young woman smiled as she rocked on her heels. “I know a way to get Cloud in with us!”

“What is it?” Cloud quickly turned his attention to her, anything to keep his mind off that kiss.

“First! We gotta go to the Honey Bee Inn.”

[stingslikeabee]

From one OC player to the other, and since its munday, how did your character THE QUEEN BEE come to be? when was she created.?

random asks . always accepting

Fun fact: did you know that if you search for ‘queen bee’ on tumblr, your results are mostly related to the French animation ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ and Beyoncé? :D I had some fun times trying to find aesthetics here, haha.

But in all seriousness - Melissa was born as a result of mainly three things, back in 2016:

1. The Wall Market: I was always drawn to the way Wall Market was done in OG and how closely it seemed to be inspired by the Japanese nightlife - I am intrigued by all things Japan and these darker themes that could be further explored in these settings. The fact that I’ve visited Japan later and walked around places like Shinjuku at night - the inspiration is so clear to me. Japan is home to a lot of several quirky things and I can see why a place where girls dress up as bees would be a popular spot. The remake clearly went for a 80s cabaret feeling too, which is amazing!

2. Sucker Punch: I didn’t realize I wanted to write Melissa until I watched Sucker Punch - and I know I talk about this movie all the time here, and this usually puzzles people because it was badly marketed at the time it was released and not many people seem to be familiar with the thing.

But if you have a chance and see the original (full) cut - it’s one hella interesting story. One of the storylines follows a brothel, where a woman steps up to protect and teach the young ones to defend themselves (the character here being Dr. / Madam Gorski, played by Carla Gugino) and inspires them to fight back - this made my muse get really strong for a female, older character in some sort of ‘mentor’ role for younger girls (technically everyone you meet in OG, from the main party to relevant side characters, is very young - so she could have a relevant audience to interact).

3. This particular post about the Turks loving to visit strip clubs, brothels, all the joints around because they loved the food - and because they could get hot tips for their jobs. And besides, if a trademark Turk suit is around, wouldn’t that make the girls feel safer and wouldn’t that stop trouble from happening?

So - combining these things, I started to see Melissa taking shape by asking myself ‘so what if there was a madame to take care of the girls?’ And I started to put together a backstory for her, the reasons and what could have compelled her to buy the place and establish herself as the madame but also as a caring figure for the girls. 

Within a few days, she was born. :D I later developed a few other aspects, such as the rivalry with Don Corneo being the key reason she relied on the non-official Turk support and the information business etc and I have been expanding the inn since, shaping the brothel into something more over the years and under her rule. The queen bee thing itself really was such an easy pun - there is always a queen for every hive, so why not crowning yourself a ruler like that? :)

[zaxxusu]

Character Sheet (Answered by Zack!)

Mun’s Note: Filling a character sheet or even writing a character meta is not my thing. So I cudgel one's brains to keep filling what I’m tagged with... by interviewing my muse [laughs]. FYI, I roleplay him mostly as a spirit from Lifestream. Here we go! 

BASICS.

full name.   Zack Fair pronunciation.  Zek Fe-Ir nickname.  You aren’t Angeal so don’t call me Puppy! Would you say I became a Hero? gender.  male height.  185 cm age.   I thought I was still 18 but the reality is... I'm now 23 zodiac.   I should ask Square Enix my Mom first when my birthday is!  (//mun goes with Libra) spoken languages.  You can talk to me? Nah, guess Gaia have international language for Earth haha.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

hair color.   Jet black eye color.    The color of the sky! skin tone.    FAIR! Haha, kidding, it’s Light to medium. Guess I burned my skin a lot when I was kids; can’t just stay at home most times! And it’s gettin’ darker due to SOLDIER missions body type.    muscular, build accent.  idk, man voice.   upbeat dominant hand.  righty posture.  no backbone is bent here scars.   I was a SOLDIER, so I have some here and there behind my clothes due to fight. tattoos.   none birthmarks.  none, even if I had, I wouldn’t tell you most noticeable feature(s).   x-scar on my face, my stylish spike hair, buster sword

CHILDHOOD.

place of birth.  Me? Gongaga! hometown.    Gongaga Village birth weight.   how could I know that? ask my mom. birth height.  same as above manner of birth.   what is it? first words.   again, ask my parents for this siblings.  Sadly, I have none. It must be nice to have siblings! Maybe I should adopt Cloud as my ‘lil bro haha. parents.  it’s silly, I never ask their name, but my family name is Fair parental involvement. They raised me in good way. They’re harmonious. And you know what? They have no shame to show how romantic they are in front of their kid haha. Idk if it involved me, sort of... whaddaya think?

ADULT LIFE.

occupation.  Ex-SOLDIER current residence.  Is Lifestream counted? close friends.  Kunsel, Cissnei, Tseng; I think that’s all. Haha, kidding, Cloud too! Well, I also used to be close with Sephiroth since Angeal passed away, but that was before he completely lost his mind. I also sometimes hanged out with Luxiere since I was promoted, but he... ah, that’s what you call bootlicker. Essai and Sebastian were also my close friend, but they returned to Lifestream long before me, I missed ‘em. relationship status.   it’s complicated, Man. Last thing I know, my girlfriend broke me up through her 89th letter and I never had a chance to explain it ‘cause I never did what she might think I did. Unexpectedly we’re now reunited in Lifestream, so.... is it happy end or not? But if I could, I wouldn’t let her go. No way! financial status.  Well, Turks are paid better and Shin-Ra have sealed my bank account where I did saving, so ... you can see it. driver’s license.  You don’t know that I even could fly a helicopter. criminal record. Nah, I don’t wanna call myself a criminal, but Shin-Ra really made me a wanted man vices. Well, I admit I’m impulsive, but following your heart isn’t that bad, right? I commit not to be as reckless as I used to be.

SEX & ROMANCE.

sexual orientation.  straight! love women! romantic orientation.  straight too! preferred emotional role.   submissive  |  dominant  |  switch   preferred sexual role.  submissive  |  dominant | switch libido. Mhmm..., give me any porn magazine or video, and yeah, I think I’m horny then. turn on’s.  Pretty much anything except the things below. turn off’s.  clingy, over-sensitive/sentimental, and possessive. love language.   Not sure, I enjoy my time with Aerith whatever silliness we did haha (even if it was just me sitting on the bench to see her tending), I also feel her love when she embraced me (or maybe that she’s just being there when I was in my lowest point)... but one single letter also could easily broke me up! relationship tendencies.  Right after everything is so click, I’ll go with the deep. No postpone and wait!

MISCELLANEOUS.

character’s theme song.  I think “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi and “YOLO” by Smash Into Pieces are  very me, haha! (//mun goes with Last Order and The Price of Freedom from the OST) hobbies to pass time.   I used to do squat... not sure right now since time doesn’t exist here. Scarin’ naughty kids seems a good idea! mental illnesses.   none physical illnesses.   Mhmm.... okay, I was totally wounded so badly that it finally stopped my body functions left or right-brained.  Math isn’t my thing so I guess it’s right? fears.  Tbh, I’d never think or feel about it--not good to discover it until... the 9 months on the run was really a nightmare I never felt before

My biggest fear is perhaps loosing a freedom... well, when I was being a lab rat, I was mostly unconscious to be able to feel it but... NO! Don’t make me imagine if I was captured and return there ‘cause I knew there’s no guarantee. I'D RATHER DIE TO FIGHT FOR MY FREEDOM. Ssstt... maybe that was also a kind of reason why I left home... I mean, my mom didn’t want me to join SOLDIER and it’s against my freedom.

I also hate being alone or feeling lonely so maybe I’m afraid of being abandoned by the whole world. I’m glad I knew Kunsel didn’t abandon me through what I read on mails, Cissnei also helped me too. Those made me still able to cope with, not a total loneliness... and Cloud (whatever his state) is with me, I would never abandon him too. But..., the final letter Aerith sent to me was another nightmare. I’d never did what I’m afraid the most to my one and only love--I tried to fulfill my promise, heck I never knew I had been stuck for 4 years; but I feel Iike she did it to me, crushin’ my hope. Can’t blame her but still....dammit!

self-confidence level.  Are you askin’ me? When was I ever not being confident? vulnerabilities. Whatever it is, I never wanna show you that.

Tagged by: @brawlfists (//you can see Zerith here!) Tagging: @gaeaheal @finalhxaven​ @finalheavn​ @fatescourge @blackcowledbat @penjarah @illecebrcus​ @unforestalledreturn​ @coscuvilheiro​ @brokeniisms​ @elaceto​ @holywhitemateria​ @hatredheld​ And anyone who didn’t do this yet. No force, it’s a freedom!

[hamliet]

Scrubs (yes the sitcom)

Seasons 1-8 since we’re not touching season 9 and its new cast. 

A sitcom that, by its fourth episode, showed (as it would continue to show) that it was at its best when it was at its most heartbreaking, because those were often the moments that it was also at its most heartwarming. The theme of “My Old Lady” (the fourth episode) is really that you can’t save everyone and death is indeed scary (a recurring theme in Scrubs), and you have to acknowledge that. But even in that fear, there are beautiful moments too, and taking the time to breathe and feel the sun and find something warm even in those moments can get you through them. 

Dr. Kelso, Dr. Cox, Jordan, Elliott, Turk, and Carla were my favorite characters, though everyone was well done, from JD to Laverne to the Janitor. Jordan was just... an enjoyable twist on the devil woman archetype. For that matter, almost every character was really a hyperbolic, exaggerated character for comedic effect. Elliott’s eccentricities, Kelso’s cruelty, Cox’s grumpiness, Ted’s cowardice and incompetence, Todd’s sexuality, JD’s need for approval--they were all exaggerated for comedic purposes (which ties into why things weren’t ruined for me with those characters, but they could be for other people and it’s legit if so). Elliott was relatable in her anxieties, her parental issues, her relationship struggles. Cox’s breakdown in season 5 really got me, and Laverne--along with Turk and Cox’s sister Paige--all had their faith treated as an important part of their character just as Cox’s atheism was an important part of his, which I appreciated. Everyone was respected. 

i also enjoyed how different seasons focused on slowly building up towards a breakdown of different characters. For example, Carla and Turk in season 4, JD and Cox in season 5 (kept focusing more than normal on his arrogance and that went places). The relationships were also really well written and enjoyable. From the Janitor and Lady, to Ted and Gooch, to Cox and Jordan, Elliott and JD, and of course Carla and Turk, each couple had their own unique foiling and unique strengths that made them appealing together. Their personalities always remained unique, but together they made something beautiful. And the friendships were just as powerful.

I appreciated that a main theme was that there are no easy answers. Be it professionally, relationally, grief, marriage, parenting--nothing is easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s miserable either. As Dr. Kelso says in season 4, “nothing worth having comes easy.” The nuance was great in this show. For me in particular, the episodes that focused on grief (and a LOT of them did) were incredibly cathartic and healing for me, as I’ve been working through my dad’s death over the past year. 

The show was really good. The soundtrack was always on point--music as a whole was brilliantly used in this series. I highly recommend it if you want a feel-good show that doesn’t avoid even the darker aspects of life, and if you’re wrangling with grief. 

Of course, it’s got its issues too. It hasn’t aged well, like at all, in how it portrays race and especially in its portrayal of sexual harassment. Todd Quinlan is basically Mineta from BNHA as a doctor--but somehow still likable/has redeeming qualities. STill, Todd’s actions are really despicable (as are Dr. Kelso’s towards his wife) even while played for comedy, and none of these things would fly today as funny, nor should they. But within the context of the series as a whole, in my personal opinion they didn’t ruin it for me even if I cringed. I still liked Todd and loved Dr. Kelso as characters. 

Season 8 in particular was weaker than the other seasons, and if it weren’t for the writer’s strike in season 7 which cut it very short, I kind of think season 7 would have wrapped the show up. Season 8 had less budget, so the main characters didn’t always appear in episodes, and the jokes were a bit more... insensitive/cheap rather than clever like in the past (it switched networks between seasons 7 and 8 too). That being said, Season 8 did magnificently conclude the characters’ arcs, with Kelso stepping into a mentor role and a new friendship with Cox, to Cox and Jordan’s relationship, Carla and Turk’s, Elliott finding her worth and feeling as if it was okay to chase her desires, Ted and the Janitor both finding love with Gooch and Lady respectively, and everyone passing the torch to the new interns, wherein our cast became the teachers. 

For my favorite episodes: 

My Old Lady (season 1 episode 4). This episode really set the whole theme and tone of the show, and deserved the award it won. 

My Own Personal Jesus (season 1 episode 11). A hilarious rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and the really cool theme of Christmas spirit made this great.

My Dream Job (season 2 episode 22). The last minutes of this episode were pure satisfactory gold that also marked a really important step in Dr. Cox’s, Elliott’s, and Dr. Kelso’s characters, and honestly JD’s as well. Also Ryan Reynolds guest-stars. 

My Own American Girl (season 3 episode 1). This is one of the few ones on here for mostly comedy. “My machines!” is one of the funniest scenes I’ve ever seen. 

My Brother Where Art Thou (Season 3 episode 5). Scrubs has a habit of doing excellent mini, cross-season arcs with its minor characters, and JD’s brother Dan had a great arc that continued in every episode he appeared in over the seasons. But his moment with Dr. Cox at the end makes this my favorite of the Dan episodes. 

My Friend, the Doctor (season 3 episode 8). I loved the development for the Janitor. 

My Screw-Up (season 3 episode 14). Like with Dan, Ben’s episodes as the brother of Jordan and best friend of Dr. Cox all really stood out, and this one’s twist at the end, plus expert foreshadowing, made it fantastic viewing. 

My Boss’ Free Haircut (season 4 episode 20). Dr. Kelso’s humanity begins to emerge more, and his speech to his patient and to Turk is what I referenced above. It also deals with Carla and Turk’s marital issues in an empathetic way, and Carla is given room to grieve for her mom in a way that really resonated with me. 

My New God (season 5 episode 5). Cox’s reveal of his childhood and interactions with Paige--a character who easily could have been played for ridicule but was instead given empathy for her beliefs just as Cox was--resonated with me. 

My Bright Idea (season 5 episode 16). From JD’s hilarious slip-up in front of the priest to Carla and Turk’s pregnancy reveal in the episode’s final episodes, it was golden all the way through. I cried from happiness in this episode. 

My Lunch & My Fallen Idol (season 5 episodes 20-21). I don’t remember the last time I cried so hard at a show/movie since Hodor died in Game of Thrones. It was based on a real case, and helped me cope with my own grief, in addition to giving a powerful development to Cox and JD’s relationship. I think these are the two best episodes. 

My Musical (season 6 episode 6). Despite the idea of making an episode a musical, the premise for why it was a musical was clever, and the songs (”Guy Love” in particular) were hilarious. 

My Long Goodbye (season 6 episode 15). Within a week of watching “My Lunch,” I watched this one and cried just as hard. This episode and the one that comes before it are really powerful, but they hurt. 

My Cold Shower (Season 6 episode 19). Despite Elliott making a mistake, the way her friends are all genuinely happy for her and JD’s realization in the end that he loves her were... moving. 

My Dumb Luck (season 7 episode 9). The episode that shows you just how much Dr. Kelso developed, from character you loved because you hated him to character you saw how much he cared. It was the perfect development for him.

My Princess (season 7 episode 11). A really clever use of a fairy-tale AU, and a powerful story too that allowed for Jordan and Cox to have one of their more humanizing, tender moments. Yet again, in the end though, the implications aren’t that you can save everyone, but even in failure, there’s something to believe in. 

My Full Moon (season 8, episode 13) On the whole I think season 8 is the weakest of the acknowledged seasons (I’ve no interest in season 9) but it does have some really lovely conclusions, like I said, and this one concluded Elliott’s arc in a satisfying way. As she’s one of my faves, and as it has a really well-acted scene where she tells a patient they are HIV positive (as HIV awareness and decreasing the stigma are very important to me), it’s one of my favorites.

My Finale (Part 2) (season 8, episode 19) A really excellent final scene and a powerful series message. 

[amandajoyce118]

Daredevil Season 3 Easter Eggs And References

I somehow managed to watch the full season in about a week. Probably because I actually had a day off of work in there. These season of Daredevil borrows heavily from two very famous comic book arcs, “Born Again,” and “Guardian Devil.” If you’re familiar with the comics, you probably saw a few things coming. That being said, there aren’t a huge amount of Easter eggs in the season.

As usual, the Easter eggs are broken down by episode so if you want to read as you go without being spoiled for future episodes, you can. This is spoiler-heavy though, so if you’re trying to steer clear and haven’t watched the season yet, look away. I’ll understand.

I didn’t spend a lot of time explaining who people are if they’ve appeared in the show before, maybe just a reminder here and there in case they didn’t make a huge impression on you.

So, onto the Easter eggs!

S3E01 “Resurrection”

Father Lantom

I’m sure we all remember him from earlier seasons, but this is just a reminder of his role in the comics. In the comics, he also provides a place of refuge for Cloak And Dagger as well as the Runaways. Taking in heroes with sad backstories is kind of his thing.

St. Agnes

Again, sure everyone recognizes it, but also just a reminder that on Agents of SHIELD, the orphanage where Daisy Johnson AKA Skye AKA Mary Sue Poots spent her youth was also called St. Agnes. I’d still love a connection.

The Timeline

Despite Matt waking up and seemingly thinking he just made it out of a collapsed building, it’s actually been “several weeks,” which probably puts this happening right around the same time as the events of the most recent season of Luke Cage or Iron Fist. More episodes will likely clear this up.

Sister Maggie

She is a comic book character, plucked from the pages of the “Born Again” story arc. There’s likely a big reveal coming with Sister Maggie, so I won’t spoil that for you. She also features prominently in the “Guardian Devil” story arc.

Ben Donovan

This lawyer certainly gets around. Taking care of Wilson Fisk still even though he was devoting so much time to Mariah Dillard over on Luke Cage.

Fisk And The Wall

After he gets bad news, he stares at the white wall of his prison cell. You’ll remember in season one, he liked “White Rabbit In A Snowstorm” because it helped him think. It’s also how he was forced to deal with his father abusing his mother.

Rymon Cable

The van that has bad guys Matt decides to test himself against? It’s full of clothes even though it has the Rymon Cable logo on it. There’s no comic book connection to Rymon, but Holly S. Rymon is a “production executive” on the series. She’s also worked on Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher over the last two years.

S3E02 “Please”

Fisk’s Deal

This deal isn’t unlike ones he’s made in the comics to further his own ends. During “Civil War” he actually passes information about Captain America to Iron Man, which briefly makes him a target for other criminals. He tries to get his stature back by putting a hit out on Spider-Man and his family, which backfires when Spider-Man shows up in prison and beats him to a pulp.

Karen’s Backstory

In the comics, she’s an only child, but she does have darker and darker side stories. She becomes a drug addict and a prostitute at one point, so I’m curious to see how much the writers reveal of her dark backstory here.

Blackout Cripples NY

This headline appears on a new newspaper clipping on the wall in Karen’s Bulletin office. Now, all of the other clippings were there before the office belonged to her, courtesy of Ben Urich. That means this new headline is likely one of her stories. That story is likely in response to the blackouts that happened all over the world in Agents of SHIELD season four when a hate group was making a statement about Inhumans.

Blake Tower

You all remember Blake Tower, right? He’s been showing up on multiple shows, just like Ben Donovan, Claire Temple, and Turk Barrett.

“Hell’s Kitchen is ground zero for vigilantes…”

Foggy’s not wrong. Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage have all been around in the last few years. Iron Fist promised to protect Hell’s Kitchen, but the events of his last season changed things up a bit.

S3E03 “No Good Deed”

Kingpin’s White/Grey/Lavender Penthouse

The color scheme for Wilson Fisk’s room is very reminiscent of his clothing choices in the comics.

The Presidential Hotel

Was it just me who noticed the hotel, combined with the “Lock Fisk up,” the fake news comments, and the fact that the owner was convicted of fraud? I think those are a lot of real world shoutouts right there, and I appreciate every single one of them.

Fisk’s White Suit

Matt might be hallucinating Fisk, but this is Kingpin’s comic book look. It’s perfect.

Millar

I couldn’t make out the second name of the electrical/plumbing company Matt sneaks into the hotel with, but the first in the logo is definitely Millar. Frank Miller is typically the name associated with Daredevil, but I feel like Millar is a shoutout to comic book creator Mark Millar. He’s better known for the Kick-Ass franchise and his work for DC, but he’s also written on some X-Men books, some Fantastic Four, and some Spider-Man, as well as the “Civil War” arc.

Vanessa Hiding In Spain

Vanessa frequently has to hide out in the comics to escape the wrath of Wilson’s enemies. Spain isn’t usually a big spot for her, but Wilson lived there for about a year in the comics before Lady Bullseye caught up with him and sent a bunch of Hand ninjas after him.

Agent Poindexter

He seems to like the nickname Dex and he has a great skillset - never missing his mark. Benjamin Poindexter is the main alias of a villain named Bullseye in the comics, and I don’t think that’s spoiling anything for you since casting rumors and trailers should have done that already. He’s probably Daredevil’s biggest enemy, not Kingpin. So, that’s going to be fun to watch develop.

Matt’s Clothes

Not his vigilante ensemble, which is a callback to him first starting out in season one. His walking around clothes. It looks a lot like how Stick used to dress when he was in New York, huh? Guess Matt is taking cues from his former sensei.

Matt Picking Foggy’s Pocket

Okay, so I realize this is just a means to an end for Matt, but I like to think of it as another connection between Matt and Daisy. Both orphans at St. Agnes (possibly the same one), both steal the ID of someone who meets with them in order to get more info. (In Daisy AKA Skye’s case, it was Mike Peterson in the Agents of SHIELD pilot.)

S3E04 “Blindsided”

District Attorney Foggy Nelson

Foggy was District Attorney of New York City for a while in the comics. He also became Chief of Staff for the mayor for a while too.

The Prison Fight Sequence

Less an Easter egg and more a reminder that Daredevil is known for doing a spectacular single take fight sequence every season. This one, where the cameraman literally just followed Charlie Cox from room to room lasted nearly a crazy 15 minutes. No cuts. That’s impressive.

“We were just being friendly.”

And Karen pulls a gun on some guys up to no good. I feel like she and Jessica Jones need to hang out more. They could just intimidate skeevey guys in alleys for laughs.

Trucks Full Of Chemicals

The FBI agent’s story about her dad hauling chemicals, I think, made a nice nod to the fact that both Matt Murdock and Jessica Jones got their abilities from trucks full of chemicals hitting them in the comics.

Felix Manning

“Felix” has been the name of the person in charge of Vanessa’s location, so I’m going to wager they’re one in the same. He also appears in a whopping two comic books - Daredevil issues 230 and 231. He wanted Melvin Potter, who appeared early in the Netflix series, to make him a duplicate of the Daredevil costume. He was actually killed by a Daredevil imposter. Foreshadowing? We’ll see.

A Taxi To The Water

A version of this happened in “Born Again.” It didn’t get rid of Matt, but it did make him a little more loopy.

S3E05 “The Perfect Game”

Fisk Giving Matt’s Name

There is a story in the comics where Fisk implicates Matt as a vigilante and gets him arrested. The FBI, however, decides not to take the deal with him, and they put Fisk in prison for numerous crimes as well. This clearly isn’t playing out exactly the same way, but, when Matt and Fisk try to break out of prison during a riot, it’s Bullseye who has to save them. I can’t help but wonder if there was a little inspiration there.

Felix Threatens Karen

Again, a little hint of her backstory here. In the comics, she’s also from the New England area. Her father, Paxton Page, who gets namechecked in the threat, actually became a villain named Death’s Head in the comics.

Baseball And Bullseye

Cute that little Dex has a bullseye on his baseball cap in his childhood. Funnily enough, comic book villain Bullseye claims to have attempted to become a major league baseball player, but he got bored pitching a no hitter and threw the ball at the final hitter to kill him in a minor league game. Killing his coach when he pulls him from the game is a bit of a twist on that.

S3E06 “The Devil You Know”

Matt Doesn’t Take Karen’s Coffee

Luke Cage’s “coffee” has ruined he drink for everyone. Karen offering Matt a cup when he comes to her for help, and Matt refusing could be a sign that anything romantic between them is officially over. Or it means nothing. Who knows?

Karen Is Way Too Comfortable In A Drug Den

Karen is around drugs a lot this season. A lot. And it all seems to give a nod to her comic book story, but I feel like we’re inching toward more of her family backstory with just how comfortable she is buying drugs and making her way around other addicts.

“Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll lock me up next to Fisk.”

This did actually happen in the comics, as I’ve mentioned before. It’s a nice nod.

Felix Manning Getting Dex The Suit

Likewise, I also mentioned Felix being the one to get a copy of a Daredevil suit in the comics. Looks like his appearance was some foreshadowing after all.

Dex As Daredevil

Bullseye has actually dressed up as Daredevil in the comics as well. He’s not the only one. So has Foggy.

Karen Between Bullseye And A Victim

If Karen stepping between Dex and the witness gave you pause, it’s probably because you know how she loses her life in the comics. She gets between Bullseye and Matt in a fight, taking a lethal blow to save Matt’s life. This imagery is not going to be fun for Karen fans.

Side note: I’ve never really been a Karen Page fan because the comics put her firmly in the slot of victim. She never really outgrows that no matter who writes for her. But I love her this season. Maybe it’s because we got to see more of Karen being Karen than of trying to fill someone else’s shoes.

S3E07 “Aftermath”

The Hidden Room

Kingpin officially has a supervillain lair. Less of an Easter egg here and more of it being about time.

WJPBTV, WNEX, WHiH, etc

All of the news networks Fisk sees the Bulletin carnage on exist within the MCU already. WJPB is the news station most often seen in Luke Cage. WNEX is the station that aired Trish Talk. WHiH is the one most often seen in the movies. You get the idea.

Melvin Potter

AKA Gladiator in the comics is something of a gentle giant. He kind of fell into a life of crime, which is largely what Daredevil has done with him in the show as well. The shirt he’s wearing when Matt confronts him is a nod to his comic book costume. So are the saw blades. His girlfriend Betsy was, I believe, a social worker in the comics, not a parole officer. (BTW, the comic that features Matt, Fisk, and Bullseye breaking out of prison during a riot? Melvin’s in prison at the same time as well. Matt advises him to stay in his cell so he doesn’t get hurt.)

S3E08 “Upstairs/Downstairs”

Keys

As Karen nears the front door of her apartment, there’s a piece of paper from a legal pad that says “KEYS.” I love that she’s so focused on her work that she has likely forgotten to take her keys with her enough that it warrants a giant reminder.

Fisk’s Plan

His plan, of putting himself in charge of the criminal groups, is essentially what he wanted in season 2 as well when he gave Frank Castle a means to escape prison.

The Maggia

This is the first time the Italian-American version of the mafia has been mentioned in the present day in the MCU. I say present day because it did have its fingers in Agent Carter season two. In the comics, the Maggia gets the ire of quite a few heroes and antiheroes, but most often, the Punisher.

Sister Maggie

Unless you never read anything related to Daredevil at all, you were probably spoiled at some point that Sister Maggie was really Matt’s mom. People started speculating about the reveal being imminent as soon as there was a “get Maggie” at the end of The Defenders. In the comics, the reveal is a little different as Matt already suspected she was his mother before he found out for sure.

Apartment 131

Dex lives in apartment 131. What comic book did Bullseye make his debut in? Daredevil #131.

S3E09 “Revelations”

Kingpin

Wilson Fisk finally officially gets his codename. I like that we’re back to the season one idea of his lackeys not wanting to name him because someone is always watching/listening.

Karen’s Running

In the comics, Karen basically runs whenever things get hard. I’m kind of surprised she stuck things out this long on the show.

Rosalie Carbone

The woman we see Nadeem take in was last spotted in season two of Luke Cage making a play for Harlem. She’s the one with the Maggia connection. The other names we get are Hammond and Star. The only Hammond I know of in Marvel Comics was the original Human Torch. I’ve got nothing for Star, but the other names could have been picked at random. I don’t recognize the other two people at the table either.

S3E10 “Karen”

Karen Selling Drugs

At least this explains why she’s so comfortable in drug dens. I like that this gives us a nod to her comic book tragedy, but here she’s the seller instead of the addict.

Fagan Corners, Vermont

This is where Karen’s from in the comics as well. The name of the fictional town is an homage to Tom Rutland. Rutland organized an annual Halloween parade in Vermont themed around superheroes. He was actually written into Avengers comics in the 1970s.

Penny’s Place

Named for Karen’s mom in the comics, Penelope.

“... two lines away from doing blow jobs on the street for heroin…”

Maybe this isn’t true on the Netflix show, but yes, this happened in the comics.

Bullseye And Daredevil In The Church

Their in-church fight actually happened in the comics when Matt and Karen were hiding a baby in the church. The big difference here is that when Bullseye aimed a fatal blow at Daredevil with his own billy club, Karen got between them and died from her injury. Father Lantom takes the hit for Karen here.

S3E11 “Reunion”

Custos Diaboli

This is inscribed above the gate to get to the basement where Matt and Karen hide out. From the Latin, in translates to Guardian Devil, one of the comic book arcs the series draws from.

KTTA And ZCN

These are two of the networks I could make out on the mics in front of Fisk when he has a press conference outside of the hotel. KTTA is a television station from the comics that frequently reported on the Thunderbolts. ZCN already exists in the Netflix universe. They offered Trish Walker a job in the second season of Jessica Jones.

Nelson & Murdock: Attorneys At Law

Leave it to Foggy to formally name them as they were named in the comics (and the first season of the show).

Side note: I love the Holocaust survivor standing up to Fisk and refusing to give him her family’s painting. It very much reminds me of the scene in The Avengers when Loki demands everyone kneel, but one man reminds the crowd, “there are always men like you,” and refuses. It’s a great reminder that so many comic book creators, during an era when comics flourished, were Jewish, and their relatives were being persecuted and killed half a world away.

S3E12 “One Last Shot”

Vanessa Embracing The Kingpin

Not a lot of Easter eggs in this episode that I noticed, but I thought it was important to point out that in the normal timeline of the comics, Vanessa isn’t a part of Wilson’s criminal undertakings. In alternate timelines though, she’s the Kingpin herself. Her embracing his work and wanting to be a part of it feels like the writers are trying to find some middle ground there.

Side note: Some fans pointed out on twitter that the Morales vs Parker poster in Fogwell’s Gym is a nod to the Spider-Man characters of Marvel Comics. I find that unlikely only because there are plenty of boxers who have shared those names. It’s more likely a coincidence, especially since most of the names in previous seasons were nod to production team members and writers.

S3E13 “A New Napkin”

The Rose

Interesting that Vanessa specifies Fisk should pick the rose. Why? In the comics, Fisk’s son Richard became a vigilante who used the name the Rose. In fact, he wanted to overthrow his father at one point. His mother was the one who killed him. Will Vanessa become the Rose instead? It would be a nice touch.

The Crystals Bounce Off Fisk’s Suit Jacket

In the comics, Fisk actually wears kevlar under his suits to prevent any of his enemies from surprising him with bullets or knives. In the first season, his body armor that he was wearing were designed by Melvin Potter and he wore them under his suits. It seems he might have gotten an upgrade as everything just bounces off of it instead of tearing it, and he gives his jacket to Vanessa to prevent her being hit by anything.

Karen’s More Stable Than Jessica Jones

There are probably a lot of people more stable than Jessica Jones, Matt, jeez. That doesn’t mean she’s not a great detective.

Dex’s Injury And Cognium

In the comics, Bullseye did some time paralyzed. Of course, like all comic book characters, it didn’t last forever. Something else Dex had in the comics? A spine laced with adamantium. Yep, the same stuff on Wolverine’s bones. It’s what made him so indestructible. The MCU probably can’t use it since it’s reserved for the X-Men movies. At least not until everything about the Disney-FOX deal is official.

Dr. Oyama

This doc goes by another name in the comics. Kenji Oyama is Lord Dark Wind. This is the comic book doctor who found a way to make adamantium bond to bone. Wolverine and Bullseye have him to think for their bone structure.

Dex’s Eye

That final shot of Dex’s eye makes what we’ve all been waiting for clear. Dex is definitely officially Bullseye now.

Side note: The milk crates in the freezer with the bodies that have ice all over them? Must have been there for years. I’ve got milk crates used to store product in my freezer at work, and they never build up frost. And our freezer is kept far below zero. Also? I love how much Rosalie Carbone appreciates theatrics. And how Vanessa just wanders around in the background after Fisk repeatedly tells her to leave while there’s a huge fight going on. That’s all.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 14 May 2018

Quick Bits:

A Walk Through Hell #1 is largely atmosphere and introduction, as we’re dropped into the lives of a couple of FBI agents, a strange mass shooting at a mall, and the subsequent disappearance of two of their colleagues in a warehouse. Garth Ennis giving us some straight up horror again is very welcome and the tease of what occurs with an entire SWAT unit is enticing for what’s to come. Also, the art from Goran Sudžuka and Ive Svorcina is perfect.

| Published by AfterShock

All-New Wolverine #35 brings the series to an end. Over the thirty-five issues, plus an annual and a Generations special, Tom Taylor has delivered one of the most consistently excellent series from Marvel in recent years. The stories have been entertaining, the characters interesting, and contained a nice mix of action, humour, and a real sense of family between Laura, Gabby, and the real wolverine, Jonathan. It’s sad to see it end. But at least it goes out on a high note. This final chapter of “Old Woman Laura”, with wonderful art from Ramon Rosanas and Nolan Woodard, has encapsulated a large part of the fun of this series.

| Published by Marvel

Avengers #2 continues the over the top bombast and destruction of the first issue, actually raising it a bit higher as Ed McGuinness, Mark Morales, Jay Leisten, and David Curiel break out even more action. There is a bit of confusion in regards to Jennifer Walters’ current state, apparently she’s a dumb Hulk again, is built like her angry grey version, but green. It’s like she’s regressed, but there’s no explanation here. Other than that, Jason Aaron progresses the arrival of the Final Host nicely, with an interesting narration from one of the reasons why the Avengers originally came together in the first place.

| Published by Marvel

Avengers: Back to Basics #6 concludes this digital original series. It’s been fun. Peter David’s story has been highly entertaining, with two-issue sub-stories fitting into one over-arcing story involving Ms. Marvel. These past two issues dealing with that mostly head on as Kamala’s dealt with Kang. Also, the art has been great. The first two issues and these last two issues have had the art chores handles by Brian Level and Jordan Boyd, with some very nice page layouts and interesting decisions for panel composition.

| Published by Marvel

Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #18 has some really nice art from André Lima Araújo. I love his style, basically a mix between someone like Martín Morazzo and Katsuhiro Otomo.

| Published by Marvel

Bloodshot Salvation #9 has Ray Fawkes join in on the writing duties for an excellent standalone story detailing the origin of Bloodhound deep in the trench warfare of World War I. Along with Renato Guedes wonderful art, this is a good story even if you’re not regularly a reader.

| Published by Valiant

Cable #157 continues to play with Cable’s history, past and future, as Nate Grey and a group of alterNates from various timelines are brought together at the end of time to face Metus. It’s interesting how Lonnie Nadler and Zac Thompson are mining Cable’s continuity, while still building new encounters and characters to fill in some of the holes.

| Published by Marvel

Cold War #4 peels back the curtain just a little bit, to give more hints as to what’s going on truly with the war and its pieces. We get some more insight into LQ, as well as mainly following Sath and Tikk this issue, bringing about some interesting control issues for Vinh. Christopher Sebela and Hayden Sherman have some interesting characters here and the overall future plot just more interesting.

| Published by AfterShock

Crude #1 jumps headfirst into the seedy, unsavoury, and harsh life of working in Blackstone. Interesting to see the rival “gangs” vying for control over the land and the people, as well as giving an insight into what it might have been like for Kiril here before his death. Gerry Brown’s artwork is perfect for this, dark, gritty, and feeling like the characters have walked for ages through mud and worse.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Daredevil #602 gives a good argument for why Mike Henderson is one of the best artists at Marvel right now. He’s great with action and talking pieces, making the various moments of horror, heroism, and humour in Charles Soule’s script shine.

| Published by Marvel

The Dead Hand #2...hoo boy, damn this is a good comic. Kyle Higgins, Stephen Mooney, and Jordie Bellaire are producing a taut thriller and mystery, tapping into Cold War era paranoia and espionage epics and creating something amazing here. The characters are great, fitting perfectly into the spy mould, but the revelations each issue as to what’s going on raise the stakes and storytelling to a higher bar. Also, the art is incredible. This is some great stuff.

| Published by Image

Death of Love #4 gives us a pretty epic confrontation between Philo & Friends and the army of Cupidae. There’s some humour as they work out who the players were in the first issue and set up for the final conclusion next issue. The art from Donal DeLay and Omar Estévez really shines this issue.

| Published by Image

Dry County #3 comes up with some interesting avenues for investigation as Lou continues to try to find out what happened to Janet. Rich Tommaso is mining the trappings of Miami Noir so perfectly, but what I absolutely love is how he’s incorporated even the comic strip into the narrative. It’s not just work, it’s also another tool in Lou’s arsenal as an amateur detective. Brilliant storytelling.

| Published by Image

Ether: The Copper Golems #1 is a very welcome return to the world of Ether from Matt Kindt and David Rubín. I’ve said before that Rubín’s art deserves many accolades and the original Ether series was one of the many reasons why, but one of the first in the North American market. It’s just wonderful. A mix of whimsy and detail, with amazing character designs and interesting page layouts, I just love the art. It also helps that Kindt more than pulls his own weight, adding more interesting wrinkles to Boone Dias’ personal life on Earth that makes his departures into the fantasy realm deeper. Also, there’s something sad and somewhat sinister when someone introduces themselves as “Lost”.

| Published by Dark Horse

Flavor #1 is a fascinating creature. It reminds me a bit of the beginning of Joe Keatinge’s other fantasy series, Shutter, somewhat in tone, with beautiful bright art from Wook Jin Clark and Tamra Bonvillain, but also that there seems to be a lot more going on than just what we see at first. That undercurrent has me hooked, but the surface is also rather captivating. Xoo and her dog, Buster, are endearing and the world of fantastical culinary chefs is something different for comics (Moonstruck and Brave Chef Brianna notwithstanding).

| Published by Image

Gideon Falls #3 is another issue full of oblique messages and hints at something insidious as Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Dave Stewart continue to play the long game when it comes to the horror that’s lurking in Gideon Falls. So far it’s all about atmosphere and building up the characters, with some interesting bits of how Norton’s paranoia and obsessive compulsiveness can bring out some dangerous behaviour, regardless of whether or not he’s actually right.

| Published by Image

Hunt for Wolverine: The Claws of the Killer #1 is the third limited series, this one following Lady Deathstrike, Sabretooth, and Daken. This one also makes me question some of the status quo of the characters, what with Sabretooth acting more villainous (although there has been a darker turn in Weapon X of late) and Daken’s characterization currently being all over the map between this, Iceman, and X-Men Blue, but taken at face value, this story from Mariko Tamaki is one of the ones that makes the most amount of sense, and looks like it’s going to have an interesting plot on top of just the hunt for Wolverine angle. The art from Butch Guice, Cam Smith, and Dan Brown is really nice. It’s a bit scratchier than I’ve come to expect from Guice, but it suits the darker subject matter.

| Published by Marvel

Infidel #3 keeps the hits coming as Leslie’s dead, Kris is hurt but stable, and Aisha is randomly unconscious. Pornsak Pichetshote plays up the racist angle outright here, with Aisha’s friends and neighbours addressing it outright, and it looks like the anger, hate, fear, and division are feeding whatever’s going on. Plus, a notebook full of Goetic sigils and other stuff. Aaron Campbell and José Villarrubia again nail the creepy atmosphere. 

| Published by Image

Infinity 8 #3 marks the end of the first part of this series and the first recursion loop. Dominique Bertail’s art is stunning, the designs for the different Kornaliens and all of the dead creatures throughout the necropolis are amazing. It’s also interesting in Lewis Trondheim and Zep’s story how the mystery is going to progress as time resets and the crew tries to learn what’s going on. 

| Published by Lion Forge / Magnetic Collection

Infinity Countdown: Daredevil #1 is a one-shot detailing how the mind stone came into Turk Barrett’s possession. It’s the kind of fluffy thing that would usually be a couple of panels or a throwaway line in the main series of a crossover, but it’s not bad on its own. I kind of get the impression that all of Infinity Countdown will be better read as a whole, even if the event is just a primer for the forthcoming Infinity Wars. At the moments, it’s just a lot of little disparate pieces. Nice art, though.

| Published by Marvel

James Bond: The Body #5 is another great issue, working as both its own discrete story, with great art from Hayden Sherman and Valentina Pinto, and as part of the broader whole story that Aleš Kot has been serving up in this series. The approach of analyzing Bond from within, piece by piece, has been highly entertaining.

| Published by Dynamite

Kick-Ass #4 is a fairly explosive instalment of the series, with Patience essentially running into a brick wall and finally beginning to assess the ramifications of some of her actions. Still not the moral implications, but certainly the toll that her life of crime would have on her family.

| Published by Image

Lucy Dreaming #3 continues to be a fun read, as we find out a bit more about the world than Lucy dreams herself into and the science project that allows her and her friend Welsey access it. All while delivering a humorous take on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Max Bemis and Michael Dialynas are delivering something very imaginative with this series.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

The Mighty Thor: At the Gates of Valhalla #1 is a one shot that acts as a bridge between the latest volume with Jane Foster and the upcoming new series starring the original Thor Odinson. It features two somewhat connected stories by Jason Aaron, the first with art by Jen Bartel spotlighting the Goddesses of Thunder, Thor’s granddaughters from the future who were introduced early on in Aaron’s run, and a second illustrated by Ramón Pérez following Malekith’s plans for the War of the Realms, both nimbly coloured by Matthew Wilson.  

| Published by Marvel

Ninja-K #7 puts together a kind of Unity 2.0 in order to put down the Coalition in Mexico. I love that Christos Gage is playing with the wider Valiant universe for this arc. Often times the stories from Valiant stand on their own save for crossover periods these day, and, while that’s certainly a strength, it’s nice to see that shared universe utilized in entertaining ways. Especially when it means more Doctor Mirage and Punk Mambo. Also the art from Juan José Ryp and Jordie Bellaire is amazing.

| Published by Valiant

The Punisher #224 brings Frank back stateside for the beginning of one hell of a reckoning in the wake of him donning the War Machine armour and the ramifications from Secret Empire. It does seem a bit hypocritical coming from the hands of Captain Marvel, though. There still really hasn’t been any concrete fallout on her own actions from Civil War II, which is somewhat disappointing. Still, Matthew Rosenberg gives us a good story here as Frank cuts an even more brutal swath through Marvel’s rogues gallery.

| Published by Marvel

Quicksilver: No Surrender #1 continues on from Quicksilver’s sacrifice run in the Avengers’ “No Surrender” arc with Pietro finding himself unstuck in time. Saladin Ahmed pens an intriguing script, but the real highlight here is Eric Nguyen and Rico Renzi’s art. Particularly Renzi’s colours. The stark contrast between Pietro, the colours of the energy demon thing(s), and the world devoid of colour is an impressive choice. It really makes the story come alive and hammers home the strangeness of the situation.

| Published by Marvel

Summit #5 begins the second arc with Federico Dallocchio taking over the art duties, while Amy Chu pens a story that more properly sets up Val’s current status quo and supporting cast at MIT. It’s an interesting approach, an astronaut celebrity professor superhero, and an decent set up.

| Published by Lion Forge / Catalyst Prime

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #82 has more excellent art from Dave Wachter and Ronda Pattison. The story also gets a bit more interesting as the various factions in New York begin to move on plans for something more, even as Baxter Stockman betrays what happened to the Triceratons. Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, and Tom Waltz also expand upon the Rat King, Toad Baron, and their family of immortals in interesting ways.

| Published by IDW

TMNT Universe #22 concludes the two-part story from Paul Allor, Mark Torres, and Ronda Pattison that puts the Utroms and Triceratons on a hard road to peace. It’s a good set-up, despite a foundation on lies, that makes me interested to see what happens next in this tenuous situation. There’s also a nice character piece back-up from Ross May, Chris Johnson, and Mark Englert with Leatherhead and his interpretation of freedom.

| Published by IDW

Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #3 has Usagi and Inspector Ishida inch closer to the truth as they continue to hunt the murderers of the two unknown ronin.

| Published by Dark Horse

Weapon H #3 is still much, much better than I ever would have expected a book about a Wolverine/Hulk mash-up character would be. Greg Pak, Cory Smith, Morry Hollowell, and Rachelle Rosenberg are doing an impeccable job here, as the over-the-top action continues with Clay facing an squad of Broodlings under the control of Roxxon, while his wife continues to investigate his “death”. There’s a kind of old school sensibility about this series and it’s being utilized to great effect.

| Published by Marvel

X-Men: The Wedding Special #1 gives us a trio of tales in advance of the wedding of Kitty Pryde and Colossus, including a retrospective of Kitty’s history, and one each for the bachelor and bachelorette parties. The retrospective is about what you’d expect from Chris Claremont, wordy and with a penchant to highlight some bits of his time with the character. Honestly, it’s good to see, with some nice art from Todd Nauck and Rachelle Rosenberg.

| Published by Marvel

X-Men Red #4 gives us a revelation of part of Cassandra Nova’s plan, weaponizing hate through a new form of nanite sentinel. Mahmud Asrar and Rain Beredo outdo themselves with depicting an impressive confrontation with Storm.

| Published by Marvel

Other Highlights: The Archies #7, Assassinistas #5, The Ballad of Sang #3, Barrier #3, Captain America #702, Cinema Purgatorio #14, Curse Words #14, Encounter #3, Jimmy’s Bastards #8, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #27, Moonshine #10, The Originals: Essential Edition, Persephone, Riverdale #12, Ruin of Thieves #1, Star Trek: The Next Generation - Through the Mirror #3, Star Wars: Poe Dameron #27, The Wicked + The Divine #36, You Are Deadpool #3

Recommended Collections: The Ballad of Halo Jones - Colour Edition, Black Magick - Volume 2: Awakenings II, Black Science: Premiere Hardcover - Volume 1: Remastered Edition, Evolution - Volume 1, Hulk: Return to Planet Hulk, Infinite Loop - Volume 2, Mage - Volume 4: The Hero Defined - Book 2, Moon Knight - Volume 1: Crazy Runs in the Family, Paradiso - Volume 1: Essential Singularity, Rick & Morty - Volume 7, Star Wars: Poe Dameron - Volume 4: Legend Found, Summit - Volume 1, Turok - Volume 1, The Unsound

d. emerson eddy is not the one you know.

[jeremystrele]

Jono Fleming On The Ultimate Outdoor Room (+ WIN A Kun Design Outdoor Bar Cart!)

Jono Fleming On The Ultimate Outdoor Room (+ WIN A Kun Design Outdoor Bar Cart!)

Design Eye

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

Relaxing in the great outdoors with all the right furnishings and accessories! Pipe Bar Cart by Kun Design from DOMO. Pillow Lounge Chair by Kun Design from DOMO. Lotus Coffee Table by Kun Design from DOMO. Cushions by Lucy Montgomery. Glassware and candles by Maison Balzac. Resin pieces by Dinosaur Designs. Plants from Plant Society. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.

Pipe Bar Cart by Kun Design from DOMO. Pillow Lounge Chair by Kun Design from DOMO. Lotus Coffee Table by Kun Design from DOMO. Cushions by Lucy Montgomery. Glassware and candles by Maison Balzac. Resin pieces by Dinosaur Designs. Plants from Plant Society. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.

Jono Fleming himself! Pipe Bar Cart by Kun Design from DOMO. Pillow Lounge Chair by Kun Design from DOMO. Glassware and candles by Maison Balzac. Resin pieces by Dinosaur Designs. Plants from Plant Society. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.

Pillow Sunlounger by Kun Design from DOMO. Cushions by Lucy Montgomery. Pipe Side Table by Kun Design for DOMO. Glassware and candles by Maison Balzac. Resin pieces by Dinosaur Designs. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.

Left: Bagel Lounge Armchair by Kun Design from DOMO. Right: Pipe Bar Cart by Kun Design from DOMO. Pillow Lounge Chair by Kun Design from DOMO. Lotus Coffee Table by Kun Design from DOMO. Cushions by Lucy Montgomery. Glassware and candles by Maison Balzac. Resin pieces by Dinosaur Designs. Plants from Plant Society. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.

Left: Pillow Lounge Chair by Kun Design from DOMO. Pipe Bar Cart by Kun Design from DOMO. Glassware and candles by Maison Balzac. Resin pieces by Dinosaur Designs. Right: Pipe Side Table by Kun Design for DOMO. Glassware and candles by Maison Balzac. Resin pieces by Dinosaur Designs. Cushions by Lucy Montgomery. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.

An outdoor room with a view! Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Jono Fleming.

As the year draws to a close (and what a year its been!) we’re finding ourselves drawn to the great outdoors more than ever before. From pop-up parklets (re-purposed parking bays) sprinkled across Melbourne’s main streets, to festive garden parties, and of course the ever-enticing backdrop of Australia’s sparkling coastline calling us to escape the city… if there was EVER a time to relish an outdoor lifestyle, this is it.

For Sydney stylist Jono Fleming, pulling together the ultimate outdoor room at home isn’t complicated. According to Jono, furnishing and styling an outdoor space is simply about treating your garden (or balcony, or courtyard) just like any other room in your house.

‘The first thing I think about for an outdoor space is how I’m going to use it, and what kind of feeling I want when I’m in the space’ Jono says. ‘Whether you’ve got a large backyard or a small balcony, I love thinking of the space as a secondary living room of sorts’.

Here, Jono shows us how it’s done, with his contemporary edit of outdoor furniture and decorative details in this stunning courtyard garden in Sydney. The star of the show is the range of sleek yet super comfy upholstered furniture from Kun Design, available exclusively at DOMO.

Your interiors projects are often quite eclectic and personality-filled – incorporating bold colour, lots of artwork and decorative pieces. But what about OUTSIDE, what is your approach when styling an outdoor area like a balcony, verandah or courtyard?

The first thing I think about for an outdoor space is how I’m going to use it, and what kind of feeling I want when I’m in the space. Whether you’ve got a large backyard or a small balcony, I personally love thinking of the space as a secondary living room of sorts, somewhere comfortable but surrounded by plants and nature.

This year has has shown how important that connection with the natural environment can be. Nothing makes me happier than creating a comfortable outdoor room that you can spend hours in, have all your creature comforts at your fingertips and not have to move all day.

How do you inject personality into an outdoor room?

I’m not one to shy away from colour, pattern and shape when it comes to my interior spaces, so the outside is no different for me! As a self confessed #plantdaddy, the first thing I do is add plenty of greenery. Plants of different heights, species and sizes help layer the space and create the base for your decor and palette.

Don’t be afraid to add soft furnishings outdoors – but make sure you choose upholstery and cushions that can withstand our strong Australian sun. There are so many fabric options now that work both indoors and outdoors – here I’ve accessorised with some beautiful striped outdoor cushions with fringe, by Lucy Montgomery.

For entertaining and decorating, I again choose pieces that work just as well indoor and outdoors. Sculptural, colourful resin pieces from Dinosaur Designs are durable and really stunning in any space, adding visual interest through their cast patterns and shapes. And just like indoors, I love layers of lighting, so a bit of sparkle when it gets darker outside is a must for me. Taper candles and beautiful glassware help add that final touch to any outdoor space – and don’t just save these for special occasions, use them any time!

In this stunning Sydney garden, you’ve created the ultimate outdoor room with key pieces by Kun Design furniture – what is it about the range that works so well in this space?

For so long outdoor furniture was relegated to hard steel chairs and that table we’ve all spent time around at some point, you know the one with the glass top and the metal frame. What’s so special about the Kun Design range is that it takes a beautiful designed approached to the form of the objects, and still delivers the practicality of outdoor furniture.

The Pillow lounge chair is so comfortable, with plush upholstery that really elevates this piece beyond your typical outdoor furniture. The ribbed details on the Lotus coffee table and planters is both on trend and timeless, which means it’s adaptable to most styles of home. These classic shapes, colours and designs allow the pieces to stand out as outdoor furniture, but blend seamlessly into their environments at the same time.

In addition to sleek contemporary lounges, armchairs, side tables and planters, a key piece you’ve included in this outdoor room is Kun Design’s Pipe Bar Cart – so sleek! What is it you love most about this piece?

A bar cart outdoors is the ultimate luxury I reckon! And it’s a luxury that’s super accessible. From a practical side, it’s a dream to have something you can place anywhere, both for entertaining and also just as an extra surface for storage and styling – it’s an amazing way to change up a space, and add layers to an outdoor room.

While most bar carts indoors might just be storage for drinks, the outdoor bar cart works as a plant stand, a beautiful spot for garden storage, and of course, a place for drinks too. The versatility in the design of the Pipe bar cart means it can work just as well indoors but having the durability for outdoors is perfect for the Australian lifestyle.

What advice would you have for people keen to elevate their outdoor area, but unsure where to start? Where is a good place to start when furnishing and styling an outdoor area?

Definitely start with figuring out how you use the space. Is it a lounge space, or a dining area? Those sorts of questions really help guide your choices from the beginning.

Mainly, treat the outdoor room like any other room in your home! The rules are the same, and by keeping the same mood from inside to out, you create a really cohesive outdoor living space that feels like a seamless extension of your home.

What’s next for Jono Fleming?

This year I was so proud to launch my brand Palette by Jono Fleming. It stemmed from an idea whilst in lock down, affordable art doesn’t all need to look the same and can still be somewhat bespoke and exclusive, but without the price tag. I’ve just launched the second collection titled SHORE featuring artworks by the talented Tym Yee. These artworks are editions of 25 and explore Tym’s relationship with the Australian coastline.

But aside from the art, I’m hoping to get a bit of sun, outdoors time, get in some gardening, beach days, and enjoy how lucky we are to live somewhere that really provides the ultimate outdoor lifestyle, no matter where you are!

To be in the running to WIN a Kun Design Pipe Bar Cart from Domo Australia, tell us your dream outdoor set up in 25 words or less, follow @domoaustralia, and share your Instagram handle below. See here for terms and conditions

For more than 30 years, DOMO has remained Australia’s exclusive stockist of prestigious design brands from Europe, and across the globe.

With showrooms in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Gold Coast, DOMO offers a curated collection of classic, contemporary indoor and outdoor furniture ranges that last a lifetime.

For more design inspiration, follow DOMO on Instagram here.

[grimtwin]

How do you think an Interaction between the Straw Hat Pirates and the FF7 Party Group would go if they met? I absolutely love these series.

I love both of these series as well. But this is a difficult question since both groups are pretty dynamic in their own rights and their series don’t have too much in common...but how bout this:

Sanji’s going to swoon over Tifa and Yuffie like there’s no tomorrow. Especially Tifa. She’s got the figure that man is in love with most so he’d drop to his knees and worship her. Probably much to her and Cloud’s chagrin. At least Sanji and Tifa have somewhat similar fighting style, so perhaps they’ll trade kicking-based techniques. As for Yuffie, she’d just schmooze up to Sanji, do a little flirting, which will work very well, then rob him of his goods lol.

Franky would probably have the most fun meeting the FF7 crew. I imagine he’d been very enthralled with Barret’s gun arm, and could either learn some tips or enhance Barret’s weaponry like crazy. Likewise with Cait Sith. There’s a lot of potential to upgrade Cait Sith’s moogle body to be able to do something other than just punch with fuzzy arms. 

Chopper would probably be pretty excited to meet Red XIII, and perhaps vice-versa. Talking animal-like creatures are a dime a dozen in the One Piece world, but not so much for Red XIII that we know, so meeting Chopper could be fun. I imagine Chopper would love to try and ride on Red XIII’s back. Robin though, I feel like she’d absolutely adore Cait Sith and Red XIII’s weird appearances, like she did that ugly dragon drawing, so she’d probably hang around them.

More on Robin...she and Vincent have more distant, darker themes to them. Robin moreso in her humor and hypothetical thoughts, but maybe the two could get along? I don’t know what they’d talk about though. Vincent seems more learned from his past with his Turks, so maybe there’s some kind of information trade to be made. Aerith could probably do pretty well with Robin as well if she’s still around at that point. Both ladies look pretty well educated.

A dangerous combo, Nami and Yuffie, would definitely plot out something nefarious and sneaky. The thieves of the bunch, members of the other teams would probably have things go missing, like money and some rare or powerful items. Add Tifa, Robin, and Aerith, and I feel like the ladies of both groups would get along pretty well. Can’t be easy traveling with so many men and be fighting all the time. 

Cloud and Zoro are the most difficult to place. They’re probably not going to be the most talkative to many of the other crews, but maybe they could bond over swordsmanship. I’m sure Zoro would be interested in Cloud’s massive Buster Sword, and maybe Cloud could take interest in Zoro’s fighting style and katana.

Usopp, Franky, and Cid would also get into some engineering for sure, especially if Cid saw any of the Thousand Sunny and Franky’s creations. Probably get some major tips on how to upgrade the Highwind or the Shera.

Vincent and Usopp are the sharpshooters of the bunch. They might be able to work in a shooting competition.

Tifa’s a pretty experienced bar tender, and with Sanji’s cooking, the two of them could put together one hell of a party. Maybe Tifa would even be able to make up some drinks that’d get even Zoro and Nami drunk. 

Brook is going to immediately ask to see Tifa, Aerith, or Yuffie’s panties. He might either get decked, laughed at, or be given a peek for some of his money...or a shuriken in the face. And given his immense trauma from Zou, I think Brook might try to avoid Red XIII at first, fearing that he might be chewed on. But both are pretty old, Red is like 45 compared to humans, so they might have some wordly experiences to share. 

Luffy...that dude’s just going to have a grand ol’ time, no matter what. He might want to try and fight, and I think he’d have a pretty good tussle with Cloud or Tifa. He’d be amazed with Cait Sith, seeing it as a weird robot which he adores so much, and be blown away with any type of materia, especially summons.

There’s probably a lot more than can be said. Once I started typing, it was pretty easy to imagine how they’d get along. 

[keremulusoy]

The art of calligraphy, which has been practiced for centuries in Turkish Islamic  Tradition and has been accelerated according to various ecoles and styles, has been advanced in Ottoman Tradition in every century starting from the reign of Sultan Mehmet  The Conqueror.

Considering the traditional Turkish arts, the calligraphy, which is one of the preliminary examples to come to mind, is for those willing to dedicate their lives to it; it is an art looking for calligraphers who practice the art with their eyes, their heart and their hand. The lexical meaning of calligraphy is writing and line which is written and performed in accordance with the principles of practice in the art literature and is known as calligraphy art which appeals to visual and aesthetic tastes.

“Painting With Writing” Hüsnühat (the art of nice and neat writing) or calligraphy systems are used in the methods of art practice. The fact that it contains texts that provide information on a specific subject creates difficulty due to both the way of implementation and the hardship of its execution. Therefore visual and aesthetic perception of the image in the form of the writing feature outweigh.  Uğur Derman is one of the most prominent performers of the art of calligraphy and tradition which has such a long-established style and tradition, and also contributed to the historical and academic development of this art…

He describes his life, his love for calligraphy, and the efforts he has embraced in this endeavor in the same way as the soft folds of a calligraphy letter. “Sir, I’m a pharmacy, but I’m a man who’s devoted to our traditional arts. In 1960, I became a pharmacist, but from 1955 on, I became interested in traditional arts, especially calligraphy. My master is Necmeddin Okyay. I’ve been interested in calligraphy for 63 years.  During this time, I have always been interested in this art. But I have a malady called amblyopia, innate, I guess, due to the inability of my sight functions I had to leave calligraphy practice after a while. Then I realized that; there is not a lot of reference source for the relevant artists in terms of history and technique of these arts. After 1961, I am dedicated to researching the history of traditional Turkish arts. Especially the calligraphy. Now that I look back, I see that there are over 30 books and more than 500 articles.”

Calligraphy From Iran To Ottoman Considering the historical development of calligraphy, although its origins are based on the Arabic alphabet, Uğur Derman indicates Istanbul as a touchstone while explaining the main development of the art within the framework of Turkish-Ottoman culture and art and how art has developed in this process of change. “Calligraphy is a great art that glorifies in the hands of Turks for nearly a thousand years.This art was performed by the Great Seljuks in Iran, then the Anatolian Seljuks and finally the Ottoman, respectively.However, calligraphy gained speed especially in the Ottoman period with the conquest of Istanbul. Again, during this period, it also acquires a national character. While it is considered as an Arabic alphabet, starting from the 1490s, calligraphy enters into the process of kneading and interpretation within the scope of Ottoman art gathering-places. From this date on we can call this art a genuine Turkish-Ottoman art. With this beginning, its graphics and aesthetic value increased and continued until the 20th century. Almost no retreat had ever happened.”

In the art of calligraphy is a long and laborious process that continues with a master-apprentice relationship. The student eager to learn pays utmost attention to the words of the master, and also to the style of the hand, and to the style of calligraphy. Starting with one-on-one lessons, the process proceeds towards the path of the apprentice following the steps such as the apprenticeship, journeyman and eventually mastership. Prof. Dr. Uğur Derman explains why the art of calligraphy is called Turkish-Ottoman art by drawing attention to this characteristic, and how it has become aesthetically rooted in this period.

Zakat Of Art “Calligraphy is learnt one one-to-one within the scope of the master-student relationship, not with an educational understanding provided in a public classroom. Not in a public class with collective education. Every student is taken care of by his/her teacher one by one. The most important thing is the fact that there is no material interest or accounting plan between the teacher and the student during the transfer of information, style, and attitude. The calligraphy master owes his student a debt o gratitude because back in the old days his own master also did not have any financial expectations. This is called the alms of art. This chain is moving in such a manner that it never breaks. Of course, art can renew itself every century. It has not been stuck in its traditional form and has been progressed and improved in terms of style and aesthetic style. You’ll appreciate that change in art is utterly important. This tradition brings along the aesthetic change and the reinterpretation of the form.” After 1928, the calligraphy is entering a static process with the Alphabet Revolution. But by that time, the master had been able to move forward without compromising from the apprentice relationship. The age of the generation can read the Ottoman letters and the new generations learned the Latin letters. But I can say that this pause process has begun to change slightly for the last twenty and thirty years. A more concerned, a more focused on generation began to catch up in this field. This art, after all, is practiced by heart. There are aspirants who set their heart on this art. In other words, after a process of disconnection, the calligraphy was born again. But it never was like the glorious period of the Ottoman Empire.”

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Necmettin Okyay and Uğur Derman (1961, at the rose garden of Necmettin Okyay)

The art of calligraphy has a non-equivalent tradition in Western culture and art history. He began to cultivate himself in many traditional arts such as architecture, gilding, miniature, music, especially in the second half of the 18th century. It continues its impeccable entity by linking the lack of deformation to the art of calligraphy from the influence of Western culture.

The signature used by Kadıasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi on the panel at Hagia Sophia.

Western Interest On Eastern Caligraphy Although the changes brought by the modern age have negative effects on the transfer of our traditional arts to the next generations, maybe it aroused the interest of Orientalists over time with orientalist wonder.Uğur Derman attributes this interest to the tradition of calligraphy as well as its visual, aesthetic richness.

“Westerners’ interest in our traditional art has always been intense. Maybe you heard the name of a French painter called Léopold Lévy. He came to our country in the 1940s and made a lot of interest and compliment to our traditional arts, especially calligraphy. We hear that Pablo Picasso was very interested in calligraphy and he added that he admires these lines. Moreover, it is the Algerian line that he saw, if he could have seen the Ottoman calligraphy works, I am sure that his interest would increase. There are also studies called scribbleby calligraphists. What is a scribble indeed? Once the calligrapher finishes his ordered piece of work and doesn’t have an occupation, just like how the footballer does the practice or the pianist works four hours a day, he also makes letters and sentences with his reed pen and ink in order to practice his hand skills.  And the top of the sheet is so full that it’s called a scratch. As it is written with carbon black ink, it seems even darker. Westerners are fond of this work, they see it as a figurless painting. Interestingly, I witnessed the western artists or the enthusiasts most admire these messy sketches with disarranged lines”.

The calligraphy, which lived its most magnificent days during the Ottoman Empire, is nowadays far away those days. UgurDerman, who also mentioned this point during our conversation, is showing one of the examples of tens of calligraphy produced labouringly and decorating the walls of his house.  He begins to read the harmony, formerly used as ornaments on doors and window lids, in the stanza practised by Kadi-ul asker Mustafa İzzet Efendi in accordance with the grace of calligraphy: “N’olagülmîh-ibâbıakdesintâcolsaşâhâna/Kisensinpâdişehlerpâdişehieyşeh-ilevlâk (…). Eymefhar-ıdüâlemeyâseyyide’l-beşer”

NOTES:

A Major Art Exalted At The Hands Of The Turks Calligraphy is a major art that have been exalted at the hands of the Turks for about a millennium. The art’s major eras are called: Great Seljukian Empire in Iran, Anatolian Seljukian Empire and finally Ottoman eras. But especially during Ottoman era, the calligraphy gained pace right after conquest of Istanbul. It also acquired a national character during the same era.

Written Authorization The person occupying in calligraphy is called as “calligraphist”. Calligraphistshave grown in the master-apprentice relationship for centuries. The person who is aspiring to learn calligraphy should take lessons from a calligraphist.First of all, the spelling of letters one by one, then the merging forms of two letters and its rules are learned. Later on,it is passed to mergingmore than two letters that is, line study. For this, initially usually a long ode, then some verse of the Koran and hadiths, prayers, words of wisdom are written. Candidate of calligraphist takes a kind of exam by writing before two or three calligraphistsat the end of this training, which takes approximately three to five years.  If calligraphistsapprove this writing, they sign it. This is called “written authorization”.

By: Necati Bulut / Photo: Bahar Alban

*This article was  published in the  May– June issue of Marmara Life.

An Entire Life Dedicated To Calligraphy Prof. Dr. Uğur Derman The art of calligraphy, which has been practiced for centuries in Turkish Islamic  Tradition and has been accelerated according to various ecoles and styles, has been advanced in Ottoman Tradition in every century starting from the reign of Sultan Mehmet  The Conqueror.

[crimsonbreeze]

Favorite Episode List

One Piece- 1015 Bleach- ep.13 Friends- 5x11

[andrea-cristina-travel-blog]

Why Menorca should be your next summer escape

We spent the afternoon relaxing on the golden sands of Cala Mitjana, the gentle crash of waves sending us into an unexpected nap. We’d made the most of our week on Menorca, the second largest (and least populous) of Spain’s iconic Balearic Islands, but the constant exploration had us weary. Morning walks along the rugged coast, long lunches in hidden cafes, afternoons spent on golden beaches, hikes through national parks, balmy evening meals under the moonlight; all had taken their toll. This nap, it turns out, was much needed.   A gentle breeze roused us in time for one last quick dip in the achingly beautiful turquoise waters, before setting off for our last dinner of our Menorcan escape. It was going to be hard to leave our new island paradise. During our week on Menorca, we discovered an understated island packed full of surprises. It offers a combination of interesting history, natural beauty, varied outdoor pursuits, quality food and wine, and most importantly, over 100 stunning beaches. Here’s a few reasons why Menorca should be your next summer escape. WHY MENORCA SHOULD BE YOUR NEXT SUMMER ESCAPE  THE ISLAND OF MENORCA IS ACTUALLY STUNNING Yep, the whole damn island. We visited almost every single corner, and everywhere we went was exceedingly pretty. The main towns of Mahon and Ciutadella are lifted straight from the ‘pretty old European town’ playbook, with pastel coloured laneways, gothic churches, medieval architecture, Moorish-style buildings, large Piazzas, pretty harbours, and a huge variety of restaurants. Step outside the main centres and you’re met with rolling fields of gold, pretty white houses dotted across the landscape, winding country lanes enclosed by ancient stone walls, and farm stores selling local produce. Menorca was declared a UNESCO Biosphere reserve in 1993, 42% of which encompasses this small island. As a result, the island is full of natural beauty, both on land and sea. S’Albufera des Grau is the largest nature reserve on the island, and it’s possible to hike, bike, kayak, and swim in the reserve.  MENORCA HAS SOME OF THE BEST BEACHES, EVER Menorca’s beaches are quite simply some of the best we’ve ever seen. Seriously. To the south of the island lay the many amazing unspoilt coves of Mitjana, Macarella, Macarelleta, Turqueta, Binidali and Binigaus. Our pick/s, if we HAD to choose, would be Mitjana, and Macarelleta; both are dreamlike in their composition: pure white sand, turquoise blue waters, dense pine groves, enclosed by sandstone cliffs. To the north, the beaches differ greatly. The sand is darker, the cliffs more pronounced, vegetation sparse, yet the water equally clear. Menorca’s northern beaches are quieter (although maybe not in August – the island’s peak tourism season), which in many ways makes them more appealing. Our pick of the bunch is Cavallaria – 500m long, with incredibly clear water. In many ways, the beaches are reason enough to visit Menorca, yet that would be a shame, because… SUMMER INSPIRATION: 7 AMAZING EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS YOU MUST VISIT THIS SUMMER  THE PACE OF LIFE ON MENORCA IS WONDERFULLY SLOW With a permanent population of just over 76,000, Menorca thankfully doesn’t have the infrastructure in place for mass tourism. Menorca is a ‘slow’ destination, and it’s great. In Menorca, we walked down city streets without feeling like we were on the London tube, we had our own slice of brilliant sand, we never once had to make a dinner reservation, and had miles of hiking paths to ourselves. Locals stopped to chat, a foreign experience for any Londoner, often leading to delightful conversations. Things are just slower in Menorca; it’s an island that ebbs and flows to a different tempo, with locals working in unison to maintain this enjoyable, slower pace. As a tourist, you can feel your heart rate relaxing as you exit the airport.  MENORCA IS A NATURE LOVERS PARADISE Being a UNESCO biosphere reserve is kind of a big deal, and Menorca is one of them. It means the environment is prioritised over socioeconomic development, which has led to the preservation of many areas of the island. Skyscrapers are banned too, so there’s no risk of having your view impeded by a wall of glass and steel! If you’re like us and into your natural activities, there’s a heap to do. The famous Cami de Cavalls hike circles the island, and at 180 km in length, isn’t for the faint hearted. Alternatively, mountain-biking, horse riding and golfing are all possible on the island. In the surrounding crystal clear waters, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, windsurfing, and even surfing, is possible. Our favourite activity was definitely swimming – how could we resist those crystal clear waters?   LOVE SPAIN? HOW TO SPEND A WONDERFUL WEEKEND IN SANTANDER, SPAIN  MENORCA IS SMALL ENOUGH TO TRAVEL IN A DAY Menorca is quite small, 47 kms in length, and 17 kms at its widest, and it’s possible to traverse the island in one day. Admittedly, it’ll be a busy day, but done right you’ll be able to pack in a lot of fun –  we spent a day road-tripping around the island and managed to see a lot! A car can be hired for as little as €30 for the day, while fuel should only set you back €30 depending on how far and wide you decide to venture. As a minimum, we recommend exploring the old town of Ciutadella, a swim at the beaches of Cala Mitjana in the south, and Cavallaria in the north, a walk to Favàritx Lighthouse, cheese tasting at Subaida cheese farm (Ctra. Alaior-Arenal Castell, 07730, Alaior, Minorca, Spain), visiting the highest point on the island, El Toro, admiring the white town of Binibecca Vell, cocktails at the Cova d’en Xoroi (Cala N’Porter, Minorca, Spain) cave bar, and dinner and wine at Bodegas Binifadet (Carretera Ses Barraques S/N, 07710, Sant Lluis, Minorca, Spain).   THE PRODUCE ON MENORCA IS EXCEPTIONAL For a small island, the quality and variety of food on Menorca is exceptional. We can safely say we never had a bad meal, even accounting for Mark’s distaste for all things seafood. For those that DO love seafood (Mim), the bounty is endless. Curiously for an island, Menorca’s two famous dishes are cheese and sausage. The British imported Friesian cows in the 1740’s, and over the following years Mahon cheese was perfected. There are many cheese farms dotted throughout the countryside towards El Toro, the best being Subaida (Ctra. Alaior-Arenal Castell, 07730, Alaior, Minorca, Spain). Sobrasada is the local sausage made of pork and red paprika, and by all reports, delicious (being mostly vegetarian meant this was off the menu for us). Other famous Menorcan dishes include oliaigo (Menorcan tomato soup), caldereta (fish stew), and amargos (similar to macaroons). La Minerva (Lugar Moll de Llevant 87, 07701 Mahon, Minorca, Spain), located on a platform in the port of Mahon, was our best meal on the Island. A ridiculously good cheese platter, delicious vegetarian paella, too many mussels, and a mouthwatering dessert concoction of berries and chocolate. If you’re into Gin (who isn’t), Menorca is a brilliant place. A legacy of the British occupation of the island was Menorcan Gin, and you can find and enjoy a Pomada (Menorcan gin with cloudy lemonade) just about anywhere. Warning, they’re extremely ‘moreish’…! COUPLES TRAVEL: 7 REASONS WHY YOU NEED TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR PARTNER  THE TOWN OF CIUTADELLA IS PICTURE PERFECT Ciutadella was actually an afterthought for us – we’d planned on overlooking it to spend more time on Menorca’s glorious beaches. Thankfully, we changed our mind and ended up being blown away by Menorca’s former capital. Formerly under the influence of the Romans, Muslims, Turks and the British, the city was destroyed in 1558 and rebuilt in the 17th century. Little has changed since then, and the old town remains mostly untouched. The cobblestone streets of the old quarter, coupled with pretty pastel facades at every turn make Ciutadella incredibly photogenic. The narrow laneways are filled with medieval, gothic and Moorish architecture, the best example being the 13th century Ciutadella de Menorca cathedral. It is worth noting – this is one part of the island where you can feel the presence of tourism. Fortunately, a quick detour into one of the quaint laneways off the main will have you in peace and quiet. The port is far more picturesque than Mahon, and a just short walk from the old quarter.   BINIBECA VELL IS A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM In the south east of Menorca lies Binibeca, a quaint seaside village made up of gleaming white houses, built to mirror traditional fishing villages of years past. Reminiscent of the Greek island villages made so famous by Instagram, Binibeca is the perfect little town to explore, camera in hand. In fact, we ended up spending far longer here than we expected, such was the lure of the pretty cobbled streets, afternoon shadows and angles. Just remember, this is a village with private dwellings, so act responsibly!   LIKE THIS POST? PIN AND SHARE IT! JOIN OUR TRIBE & WANDER WITH US Join 30,000+ people and receive travel stories, tips + hacks, and stunning photography to inspire your wanderlust. Straight to your inbox We hate spammers. We'll never be those people.   We were hosted by Spain Tourism, Visit Menorca, and Traverse as part of the #MustSeeMenorca campaign. A big thank you to the team for making our stay memorable. As always, all views are our own. Check out #MustSeeMenorca on Twitter or Instagram. The post Why Menorca should be your next summer escape appeared first on The Common Wanderer.

https://www.thecommonwanderer.com/visit-menorca-spain-your-next-summer-escape/

[fadingfartconnoisseur]

In Odessa, Romance and Grandeur

Several years ago, I was in Paris and perusing the books at Shakespeare and Company. As I lost myself in the colorful aisles, I came across a modest paperback: Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslian Charles.

I was intrigued by this city I knew so little about, and after reading the back of the book, I decided to buy it. And while I liked the idea of the plot, about a twenty-something woman who tries to carve out a life for herself in Odessa and starts working part time at a mail-order bride company, it was the description of the city that won me over.

Odessa: a place where the streets were lined with candy-colored buildings, where people had conversations about classical music and art and literature, where cooking for friends and family was the greatest way to express your love, where women wore sky-high heels with miniskirts and clattered down the street. From that point on, I knew I had to visit.

Just as Bloodline brought me to the Florida Keys, it was Moonlight in Odessa that brought me to Odessa.

Did Odessa live up to my expectations? It went far and beyond. I fell madly in love with Odessa from the moment I arrived, and it’s one of my favorite destinations in years.

I arrived in Odessa on a bus from Chisinau, Moldova. After a quick stop at an ATM, I jumped in a taxi, agreed on a price that was likely far too much, and whirled down the pastel streets.

I was dumbfounded. I knew it would be beautiful, but how could Odessa be this beautiful?

I went out for a stroll with my camera and soon learned that Odessa is cheap. Ukraine is cheap overall. I knew it wouldn’t be too expensive, but I was shocked at just how low the prices were. Until this trip, I thought Albania and Macedonia had the cheapest prices in Europe; I soon realized Ukraine had them beat.

When Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea a few years ago (or as Russian loyalists would say, they took back what was rightfully theirs), Ukraine’s currency took a significant hit. What was already cheap became even more so.

Some examples of prices? I would regularly have a multi-course meal with wine for about $8.

A latte in a fancy cafe would cost around 95 cents.

The most expensive tickets at the opera? Around $10.

My boutique hotel room that would run for at least $250 if it were in New York? $42.

But on that note, there’s nothing to be worried about in terms of Russia and safety. There is no violence or military presence in Odessa. You wouldn’t know anything was happening.

You can’t travel to Crimea overland from Ukraine, and while Ukrainians now need a special permit in order to enter, non-Ukrainians can visit at their will. Flights from Moscow to Crimea are now considered domestic.

Today Odessa is just as safe as any other European city.

  When I heard there was a bakery called Make My Cake, I had to stop by — there’s a Make My Cake in Harlem (and they make some of the absolute best cupcakes in the city, so if you’re in New York, you should come visit). Rather than cupcakes, though, this place was all about macarons.

Including black truffle macarons.

It sounds crazy, but trust me — they were amazing. Who knew that black truffles tasted so delicious with a bit of sugar? And each macaron cost less than a dollar, because why would you ever pay more than that in Ukraine?

On the more traditional end, I tried my first Ukrainian food at a restaurant called Kumanets. If you look for traditional food in Odessa, that’s the first restaurant that pops up, and you should go. It’s touristy as hell, with servers in traditional Ukrainian costumes, but the food is delicious and they have a lot of traditional Odessa dishes.

If you’re going to get the vareniki, or dumplings, get them with cabbage. Those are most traditional.

I also got my first taste of borscht — a new addiction that I would order nearly every day I was in Ukraine.

The next day, I met my guide Olga from JayWay Travel for a walking tour of Odessa with some food stops along the way.

I don’t often do private tours — it’s usually a group tour, a solo wander, or nothing — but I learned so much about Odessa from Olga that I was nearly bereft at how much I would have missed without her.

For starters, Odessa has been home to a multi-ethnic population for centuries. And if you’re Jewish and of Russian descent, chances are high that your family came from Odessa. Jewish culture is strong here to this day: I asked Olga what a traditional Odessa dish would be, and she replied, “Gefilte fish.”

Beyond the Jews, Odessa is home to Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Poles, Bulgarians, and of course Russians. All of these ethnicities melding together have made for some wild history — and some very interesting and surprisingly Mediterranean-influenced cuisine.

I had expected Odessa to be full of six foot tall blonde women, but it wasn’t like that at all. People were shorter, darker, and heavier than you might expect.

How amazing is this heart? I’m not a fan of love locks in general because they weaken bridges, destroy the look of architecture, and at this point, they’re such a cliché.

But Odessa has figured out the perfect solution. Instead of a bridge, they have a heart sculpture designated specifically for love locks. This way you can lock a symbol of your love to an icon in the city without destroying a bridge in the process!

Every city needs to do this.

Odessa is famous for its courtyards, Olga told me. She took me into several of them and pointed out wells that dated back generations, the only places where you could get fresh water in the city. Today many of them had old cars.

I loved this tiny house and its plants, just sitting in the middle of the courtyard!

And some courtyards are home to elegant restaurants.

The Potemkin Steps are one of the symbols of Odessa. The steps are actually an optical illusion — they’re much wider at the bottom than they are at the top. This was meant to give the appearance of a much larger staircase and intimidate any wayward sailor who found himself in the city!

The steps were actually under construction during my visit, but I was able to get this photo across the street from them.

There were happy yellow buses…

Teenagers out with their friends…

Poles covered in urgent advertisements…

Red brick houses topped with yellow…

Proud Ukrainians marching in the streets…

Outdoor restaurants with gauze-covered tents…

Indoor arcades lined in Baroque sculptures…

And picture-perfect street cafes.

I was so in love with Odessa. My heart swelled with every step I took.

And then a rogue hailstorm hit! I’ve never seen hail that big or loud in my life!

Roughly the size of canned hams, am I right?

Afterward I couldn’t believe that the walking street completely flooded! It was fine a few hours later, though.

Checking out the Catacombs

Also worth seeing are the catacombs. But unlike Paris and Rome, the catacombs are not filled with bones.

Here in Odessa, they were home to the resistance against the Nazis during World War II. The resistance lived down here, plotted and fought. People would stay underground for months at a time.

At one point, there were seven children living in the catacombs. This was their classroom.

Yes, that’s literal cave art about Hitler. This image is of a Nazi coming back injured. Translation: you’re losing the war!

The catacombs were also where Olga handled a mansplainer with aplomb. As we were waiting to go in, a tall hefty man in a navy blue pinstripe suit (with a royal purple pinstripe shirt…what?) said something to her in Ukrainian. She smiled weakly and ignored him. He then said a second thing to her, then a third. From the expression on her face I knew she was dealing with a mansplainer.

“What did he say to you?” I asked once we were inside.

“Oh, he said, ‘You can’t go in there, it’s locked.’ Then he said, ‘It’s too early for you to buy your tickets, they don’t have money.’ Then he said, ‘You’re not allowed to go in there.’ And I said, ‘I’m here five days a week,’ and walked in.” Of course. He didn’t believe she could possibly be a guide; he assumed he knew more than she did.

I sympathized with Olga and told her my own experience: on my flight from Bucharest to Chisinau, the man next to me kept explaining to me what happens when you fly on a small plane. I had given him the same weak smile while thinking, “I fly for a living, pal.”

No matter how far you travel, some things stay the same.

The Takeaway

Odessa brought me so much joy. I felt so light and happy the whole time I was there, almost laughing for no reason. And as a result, I’m worried that this blog post didn’t convey enough information about Odessa itself. Does it make you actually want to visit? Or am I just a crazy lady distracted by pretty things that made her happy?

This shy balloon seller made me happy.

This orange bicycle made me happy.

This little pink car made me happy.

These little yellow chairs made me so happy.

Odessa, you were pure joy to me. Thank you for bringing such a big smile to my face.

Essential Info: In Ukraine I was a guest of JayWay Travel, a boutique Central and Eastern European travel company, for a custom itinerary they built for me with hotels, transfers, and tours. They do custom trips so whatever you’re looking for, reach out to them. It was so nice to not have to worry about transfers, and I was grateful that Olga went into the airport with me and found out where I was to depart (one terminal is currently under construction) — with the language barrier, I never would have been able to do that on my own. Contact them directly for tours or other bookings.

I stayed at the Hotel Milano, a brand new boutique hotel ideally located close to the walking street. I highly recommend it — it was extremely comfortable and modern, the staff were very helpful and spoke English well (a bit rare in Ukraine) and for $42 per night, it was a steal. (Olga pointed out that it’s a much louder neighborhood during the summer.) You can see more hotels in Odessa here.

There is a significant language barrier in Ukraine, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared. In central Odessa lots of people in restaurants and hotels speak a bit of English. I do recommend learning Cyrillic, which is pretty easy to do. It will make your life so much easier when you can read what’s in front of you, as many words are similar to English.

I visited Odessa in May, which was the perfect time. Odessa is a beach city and gets crazy in the summer months — which means it gets crowded, there are lots of late night parties with loud music, and older foreign men swarm the city searching for wives.

Moonlight in Odessa is out of print, but you can still get it for Kindle or secondhand.

Don’t visit Odessa without travel insurance. Whether you get appendicitis and need to be hospitalized, or your phone gets stolen, or an injury means you need to cancel all or part of your trip, travel insurance will help you out. I use and recommend World Nomads as travel insurance for trips to Ukraine.

Many thanks to JayWay Travel for hosting me throughout Ukraine. They paid for my hotels, airport transfers, and tours; I paid for flights, meals, and everything else. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Have you been to Odessa? Does it look like your kind of city?

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[jacy1d]

Do you prefer bar or liquid soap?

I usually use bar soap, I find liquid soap runs out too fast.

When was the last time you wore your favourite article of clothing?

I don’t think I have a favourite article of clothing. 

Where was your Facebook profile picture taken?

My bedroom.

Do your parents smoke?

They did when I was little.

Would you rather bake cookies or a potato?

Cookies. I’m not a fan of potatoes.

Do you live close to a park?

The waterfowl park is more or less across the street.

Is your favourite animal endangered?

As far as I know wolves aren’t endangered.

Have you eaten pizza in the last week?

Surprisingly no.

Who was the last person you added to your contacts list?

Uuuum...I honestly couldn’t tell you.

How long does it take you to shower?

15 minutes to half an hour, depending on if I have to shave or if I feel like washing my hair.

Do you prefer a brand of bottled water over others, or is it all the same?

Evian is the best, but it’s so pricey.

Have you used Wikipedia today?

Yeah.

How many pens can you see from where you’re sitting?

Two.

What is your current desktop background?

Turks & Caicos.

Have you ever been stung by a bee or a wasp?

Bees.

How many schools have you been to in your lifetime?

One elementary school, two high schools, one university.

What is the middle name of the last person you texted?

I can’t remember.

Are you of legal age in your country?

Have been for 4 years.

Why did you last visit a doctor?

Idk, it’s been awhile.

Would you prefer an ice cream cake or a regular cake?

Ice cream please.

How old is your best friend?

22.

Do you carry pain relievers with you at all times?

I usually take Advil everywhere with me just in case.

Where is your mother right now?

Home.

What was the last thing to make you smile?

My Deadpool ringtone.

Generally speaking, do you prefer sweet or savoury?

Savoury.

When did you last go outside, and what for?

I was outside when I was carrying my groceries from my car to the building.

What colour is your backpack?

Like a neon yellow-green.

What search engine do you usually use?

Google.

How much did the shirt you’re wearing cost?

I don’t really know, it’s a sweater that used to belong to my dad.

Do you know anyone who gives way too many hugs?

Yep.

What time do you usually wake up on Sundays?

10ish.

Have you whispered today?

nope.

What is something that is bothering you right now? Missing someone I shouldn’t be missing.

Will you be in a relationship one month from now? It’s highly unlikely.

Who was the last person to see you cry? Whoever walked by me in the Superstore parking lot today.     Do you drink bottled water? I do.

What was the last thing you drank? Pepsi. Do you hate the last person who called you? Some person at the Ford service desk, so no because I don’t technically know her.         Where is your best friend right now? In PEI.   Do you believe in love? Yeah, I believe it destroys you. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having? Depression.   If you’re being extremely quiet, what does that mean? It could mean I’m sad, depressed, worried, anxious, annoyed, shy, etc.       Last person of the opposite sex you texted single? Yeah. Tell me about the shirt you’re wearing: It’s a black BUM sweatshirt with the #86 in red on it. Used to be my dad’s.     How long have you lived in your current home? 2 years. You never know what you have until it’s gone. True or false? So true. Are you sad when someone says they hate you? More confused.   Are you scared of losing the person you like to someone else? I’ve already lost him. Will you be in bed in the next 20 minutes? Probably, but just because I’ll be watching TV and I’m cold.     Do you laugh at inappropriate times? I tend to do that sometimes.

What time did you wake up today? 10:30. Would you rather be single all your life or grow old with someone? Grow old with someone, obviously. That’s the goal anyway. How many bracelets do you have on right now? None. How long have you liked the person you like right now? Since August.   Is there someone of the opposite sex you can talk to? Yeah, to an extent I guess. He’s not really there for me like he promised he would be though.     Do you like mac n cheese? I love it. Do you get mad when people don’t text back? I get annoyed. What does your phone do when it receives a text? Vibrates and says “Bad Deadpool”. How late did you stay up til last night and why? 1 something, was tired.   Are you going out of town soon? I don’t think so.     Think back to Februrary, how was your love life? Shitty as fuck. Will you regret your next kiss? I hope not. What is in your pocket? not a thing.   Did you wake up in the middle of the night last night? Many times.   Are you happier now or 5 months ago? They have both sucked. Are you usually wide awake when you wake up? Definitely not.   Can you remember the last person you texted without looking? Mom.. Can you sleep without blankets covering you? I cannot. Do you listen to music everyday? Couldn’t live without it. How long have you known your first phone contact? Since junior high. Who are all your texts in your inbox from? Mom, Colton, Dad, Dougie, Jarin, Kiera, Ashley, Sarah, Ellie, Brenda, Katie, Chelsea T, Trevor, Faye, Alison, Jess, Chelsea W, Jan, Uncle Jay, Morgan, Chayce & Zach.         Do you have a hard time making decisions? Very much so. Are you gonna be home alone tonight? No, unfortunately Ashley’s here.   What are you looking forward to? Being happy again...     Are you a morning or night person? 100%  night person. Are you excited for this weekend? Ah, no. I have a presentation to work on.       What are you wearing on your feet? They’re naked lol.   If there was a large spider in your room, would you stay in the room? I’d do my best to kill it.

What is the last thing you touched, other than your computer? My hair.

When was the last time you talked to your best friend? My birthday.

Have you heard a song that reminds you of someone today? The playlist I have on right now is literally all songs that remind me of him.        .

Are you a social or anti-social person?

I’m not overly social.

Can you recall the last time you liked someone? I’m in love with someone right now.

Where were you last night at 8 PM? Home, watching Making History with the fam.

What color is your cell phone? Black and silver.

What is the last non-alcoholic beverage you drank? Pepsi.

Your last received text, would you kiss them? I want to say no but I’ve used him before and honestly it’ll probably happen again.

Have you told anybody you loved them and meant it?   Of course. I don’t say it if I don’t mean it.

Are you in a good mood? Definitely not.

What were you doing an hour ago?       Painting my nails.

Is there anyone that could make your day if they showed up at your house?     Fuck yes. Too bad he won’t.

Does your middle name begin with an A, M, or S?             A.

How old was the last person you rode in a car with?       19 and 20.

What color was the last vehicle you were in?     Green.

Do you have plans for next weekend?             Working on my presentation.

What was the last movie you saw in theaters and who did you go with? 50 Shades Darker with Kiera.

How old were you in 1999?         5.

Are you taller than 5'6"?             That’s my height.

Who were the last three people to call you?     Ford, Kiera, Ford.

What were you doing last night at 10pm?           Unpacking/folding laundry.

If you turn around, what is behind you?               Bed, lamp, stereo.

Would you dye your hair hot pink for $50?         Likely not.

Do you have any step or half siblings?   I do not.

What color is your underwear? Blue.

Where did you get the shirt you are wearing?   Dad.

Who was the last person to hug you?   Mom.

Who is on your mind right now?               Him. Always.

In how many years will you be thirty?   7.

What are your plans after this? Watch TV.

Are you currently barefoot? Yessir.

What’s the dumbest thing you have ever said? I’ve said many dumb things.

You can never drink tea again or soda. Which do you give up? Tea, 100%.

Last time you drank coffee? A few days ago.

Do you listen to screamo? Not really.

In what month were you born? February.

Do you take vitamins daily? Yep.

Who is your 9th contact in your phone? Ashley.

How many programs are running on your computer now? 4.

What’s the first icon on your desktop? iTunes.

What were you doing at 8:00 this morning? Sleeping.

How old is the cellphone you have right now? 3 years or so?

Do you get pissed off when your computer freezes? Drives me crazy.

What’s the last thing you laughed at? My ringtone.

What’s one thing you hate about your best friend? She lives so far away...

Where is your dad right now? Home.

Last person to hug you who isn’t family?

Shannon.

Do you take pictures of yourself on a daily basis? Pretty close, yeah. Do you like the name Adam? It isn’t my favourite but I don’t hate it.

What is the first liquid you drank today? Water. Have you ever been to Los Angeles, California? Nope. Do you believe in angels? I don’t know. Do you prefer Pepsi or Coke? Or do you not care either way? PEPSI. Is there anything in your past that you used to regret, but now you don’t? There are plenty of things I still regret to this day. Can’t think of anything I don’t regret anymore.                 When is the last time you ate donuts? A few weeks ago maybe? Are you left handed? Nope. Do you use your left or right thumb to press the space bar? I use the index finger on my left hand.     Have you ever had a Hershey’s bar with almonds? Yeah, they’re so good.

What cell phone company do you have? Bell. Do you text on a daily basis? What about hourly? Yes, and no.   What button on your keyboard do you press most besides the space bar? Likely the “e”. What’s the last song you listened to? First Time Again - Jason Aldean ft Kelsea Ballerini.         When is the last time you sneezed? Yesterday. Who is the 3rd person you talked to this morning? Idk. Are you dating the last person you talked to on the phone? Definitely no.

Does your knee hurt? Nope. Has anyone ever bitten your knee? I don’t believe so. Do you know anyone whose name starts with an X, Q, or U? X and Q.   Do you know anyone whose name ends with a J, Q, or W? My own name starts with a J...Lol.     8 Friends. 1. Sarah 2. Colton   3. Kiera  4. Dougie  5. Ash  6. Jena  7. Brenda    8. Zach

Questions

Has 8 ever eaten in front of you? Yeah. Have you ever been on a date with 1? Nope. Does 2 remind you of any cartoon characters? not a cartoon character but a TV character  . Is 6 your best friend? We just met in January    . Can 4 count backwards from 69 to -248? I honestly am not sure he can ‘)     Can 2 touch his/her nose with his/her tongue? I don’t think.     Have you ever been outside with 1 when it was below freezing? Many times.   Has 1 ever been skating with you? Nah. Has 5 ever let you borrow clothing before? She has. Would 8 and 7 make a cute couple? Definitely not considering there’s like a 30 year age difference hahaha.          If 2 and 3 both were in a wreck at the same time, would that be sad? Obviously, Jesus... Did 4 go to 5’s last birthday party? Ah no. Did 5 go to 4’s wedding? I didn’t even go to 4′s wedding, his wife hated me hahaha.       Who is sexier: 3 or 7? My sister’s pretty hot hehehe. Is 3 your best friend? The absolute best. 6 and 7 just confessed they love you. You’re single. Which do you date? Um, neither haha.

Has anyone ever called you sexy? Yep. Do you have children? I do not.   Do you like raisins? nah. Would you buy three 12-packs of coke products if you liked Pepsi? Fuck Coke. Did that question even make sense? It did not/   What is your favorite bug? Butterflies. What color is your camera? Black. Do you speak any language besides English? Some French.   Can you eat cheese? I fucking love cheese.   Who was your favorite teacher in middle school? Ms. Collins.   Was math your worst subject in high school? For sure. Are you in college? University.   Have you ever driven a purple car? Can’t say I have. Been in one though, we used to call my uncle’s old car the Barney car because of its colour.             What about a green car? I own a green car.

Do you drink hard liquor? Fuck yeah. Do you like scrabble? Sure.

What were you doing on April 21, 2008? Like I’d remember what I was doing April of grade 8?

Can you count to 113 in a language other than English? French.   What should you be doing now instead of this survey? Homework. Do you have a printer? Yeah.

What is your favorite food? Pizza. Do you like sweet and sour chicken on white rice? I hate sweet & sour anything.     Do you even like corn? Meh. Have you met anyone new yet today? Can’t say I have.   What is your biggest pet peeve? Liars. Have you ever overheard a conversation you weren’t supposed to? Mhmm. Do you wish it was 10 hours later than it is now? Ah no.   Have you ever been to New York City, Chicago, or Indianapolis? NYC. Do you want some pie? Sure I guess. Have you ever stayed up until 7:30 AM? More than once.     Have you ever lived in Pennsylvania, Arizona, or Hawaii? Nope. Do you like ants? Not really. Unless you count Ant Man.         Did you like the movie Antz? Meh. What is your favorite Disney movie? Tangled.   What do you think of “Octomom”? Ridiculous. She’s fucking brave.   Do you like octopi? Meh. Do you wish this survey was longer, shorter, or neither? Shorter. What was your favorite ice cream flavor when you were little? Chocolate chip cookie dough. Is it still your favorite? One of them.   By the way, what is your name? Jacy. And what time is it? 8:18pm. What time zone do you live in? Atlantic.  

Do you like drums? I wish I could play them. Have you ever drank goat milk? no. What is your favorite soft drink? Pepsi. I see. So do you want to go to bed? I wish. What’s your favorite video game? I don’t have one. Do you like cats? Love them. Are goldfish your favorite fish? Koi are the best. How many pets do you have? 3 cats, 1 dog. How old is the oldest person who lives in your house? 23. Do you wish your house had a basement? Not really. Do you like vanilla pudding? I actually don’t.   Which band is your favorite? Hedley. Does Taylor Swift suck? Absolutely not/   What do you smell right now? Candle.

What is your opinion on abortion? I’m pro choice all the way. What is your opinion on gay marriage? Love is love. What is your opinion on gay adoption? It shouldn’t even be an issue.       Care for a cookie? no.

Do you like crumpets and scones? I don’t.   Do you wish this survey was over yet? Yeah. Are you currently in a relationship? I fucking wish. Are you happy about that? Obviously not ^   What is your favorite David Cook song? Permanent.     How many more minutes until you will next eat? Coupla hours probably. Is there a “merged” restaurant in your city (like Taco Bell/KFC)? I don’t think so. Do you like Pizza hut? Sure. Is A&W your favorite brand of root beer? I think I’m allergic to rootbeer.   Who was the last person to ask for your number? Dougie. Is the sun shining? It’s dark out.

What’s the last thing you watched on TV? Grimm. When was the last time you went to the cinema? Last month.   What did you see? And who did you go with? 50 Shades Darker with my sister. Don’t you just hate football?! Yeah I do. Is someone/something annoying you right now? Mhmm. Who are you texting at the moment? Dougie, Colton, my mom.   What have you eaten today? Turkey sandwich, molasses cookie, perogies, Greek turkey wrap.   Pancakes or waffles? Either. Do you have pictures on your bedroom wall? I do. What did you do yesterday? Pancake house with Kiera & Jarin, hung with the fam, then came back to Sackville.         When did you last wear tights? Uh, can’t remember. Might have been Christmas Eve.  Has a close friend ever moved away? Many times.   Have you been to a wedding this year? nope. When’s your birthday? February 24th. How annoying is ‘LOL’? I don’t really find it annoying. Who is your best friend of the opposite sex? Colton. Do you get along with your neighbours? I don’t know them. When did you last go to a park? Idk. Which friend lives closest to you? Ashley. If someone liked you would you want them to tell you? It depends on the person. Could have gone without a certain friend telling me.               Give us a random fact about the person you last called.. She’s my mom. Would you ever consider plastic surgery? Maybe. Do you like getting drunk? Love it. Makes me more social & numbs the pain.     Who made you smile today? Mom, TV. What was the last thing you bought? Monster energy drink, blackberries, pizza.   Facebook, Myspace or Twitter? Twitter. Are you pretty? :)) I’m not.   Are you shy? Very, for the most part. Who do you know with the nicest smile? Him. What colour would you change your eyes to? Just green without the brown.     What song are you listening to? Hurricane-Luke Combs.   Do you know what the word 'mardy’ means? I do not.   What’s your favourite boy’s name? Roen or Jacob.   Girl’s name? I’m not sure.   How do you think your life is going to be? Depressing. Disappointing.       Is this the best year of your life? HAHAHA. Live laugh love, right? Sure. Do you need a party? Yes plz. Computer or laptop? Laptop. Do you wear makeup? I hate leaving the house without it.   What are your favourite pair of jeans? My light blue ones/   What’s the most you’ve ever spent on shoes? $200. Have you ever been strawberry picking? Yep. Do you love your nan? Of course. Don’t you just hate people who love a different person every week? Yeah. Honestly, how many people do you trust? Like, zero. How are you feeling? Very sad. When will you next see your mum? I’m not sure.   Is anything good on TV tonight? Idk.