#marry me yuval

[theverumproject]

Writeblr Interview Tag!

Thanks for the tag @darekasama

Tags: @teamarine777 + open tag!

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Short stories, novels, or poems?

Short stories are my good night and good morning stories. And I absolutely love to read novels. I loved to write short stories as a child, now I prefer to work on one big project, which is currently almost novel sized (Just need a few thousand more words!)

What genre do you prefer reading?

I love Sci fi and Horror mixed with romance (I am a ✨monsterfucker✨). Scientific literature is also embedded deeply into my heart. I swear I can feel my intelligence leveling up, like the green bar in The Sims, lol.

Are you a planner or a “write as I go” kind of person?

I'm a planner. Before I began writing The Robotic Era, I wrote down every major thing that's gonna happen and every single idea that came to my mind. 

What music do you listen to while writing?

I don't listen to any music. Thoughts are like noise to me. So when I write, I can't have more actual noise in my ears than in my head. Music is more like a tool to block inside and outside noises.

Favorite books/movies?

I just finished 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed reading it! It gave me a lot of insight into our world and how we work. I really recommend it! Definitely up there with my favorites. I also read the autobiography of an African Woman a few years ago. From her childhood, when she fled from being married, to how she became a model. It is beyond me how I read a book of such size in one afternoon. Sadly I forgot what it was called.

As for movies, my favorite one is Interstellar. I also love Bumblebee, the Alien movies, the Terminator movies, Wall-E and more of the sorts. I'm also a sucker for horror, especially the classic slasher movies. While no horror movie really scares me, there was only one that ever chilled me; The Blair Witch Project. I still slept like a baby afterwards though, lol. But I guess atmospheric horror (or whatever you call it) gets me the most.

Any current WIPs?

The Robotic Era is the second book I'm working on. It's part of the Verum Series.

If someone were to make a cartoon out of you what would your standard outfit be?

I have a few personas, so I'm gonna show two of them. The one for this account and the one that I call my IRL sona.

The one for this account is just a black entity that's drawn with minimal effort.

The IRL sona is also drawn with minimal effort. It wears a black shirt with “Slapknutz” written on it three times. The text is too big for the shirt, so it always hangs halfway in the air. There's a black long sleeve shirt underneath it. The jeans are black with a chain/s attached to it. It wears black leather boots on its feet. The mustache, beard and top hat are all optional accessories.

Awww look! They're holding hands!

Create a character description of yourself: 

Oh no… Oh nooo… I'll just do appearance and personality, you don't need to know much more than that, lol. Well, actually, you don't need to know anything about me, since I'm just here to write, technically. But oh well… 

I'm gonna do this in first person though, since any other way would feel a little weird.

Man, that would just be me talking about myself, fuck. Now stop yapping, me, and tell something about yourself! (Is this procrastination?)

Appearance: Everything about me is loooong. My hair (which reaches just past my butt), my legs, my fingers, my nose, my forehead, my clothes (always long jeans and sleeves), hell, even my toes are fucking long for some reason! My clothes are always black and a friend always calls me a “langer, schwarzer Strich in der Landschaft” (long, black line in the landscape), also because of how tall and thin I am. My skin is pale, my hair is brown and my eyes are green brown (in a certain lighting I think they are a shade of unhealthy piss, lol), there's not much more color to me than that. Except for the band T's that I always wear, the pictures on it often have color. When you see me, it's pretty obvious that I'm a metalhead. A coworker once told me that I look like a “badass elf”.

Personality: I did a Myers-Brigg personality test a few years ago and it said that I'm an INFJ, but Idk if it was/still is accurate. 

The first thing that I always say is that I am a creative person. I think my creativity is what makes me me, without it, I'm dead. Then there's curiosity, I love to learn about all kinds of fields of science. This is also were a lot of my inspiration (as a Sci fi author) comes from. I'm very quiet. I went to a LGBTQ place thingie once (been there before, but that was the first time alone). I sat there for three hours and said nothing, couldn't say anything. I was told by a guy that he had never met such a quiet person as me. I do like to talk, but I'm horrible at it when there's a group of people. I also need a person that is more talkative than I am.

I really like to work. I don't feel like I am, but I've been told that I am a very trustworthy and punctual individual. If I have a job, I will finish it with good quality. Though I think that's just a basic trait that everybody should have. I feel like I am almost a perfectionist, but if something frustrates me too much, I will give up/leave it be. 

I also constantly daydream and listen to the music in my head. I truly live in my own world, while still functioning normally in the real one.

This monday, a person told me that I remind them of Ozzy Osbourne, something about “the way I'm standing there”. She said it makes her think of that one video.

Ok, this is already wayyyy to much…

Do you like incorporating actual people you know into your writing?

Nope, never done it.

Are you kill happy with your characters?

Ohhhh yes! People die in most parts of TRE.

Coffee or Tea while writing?

Coffee makes me nauseous, but I like tea! Drink it every morning and evening.

Slow or fast writer?

I'm rather slow. I'm slow in everything that I do, actually.

Where/who/what do you draw inspiration from?

Science and random other things that I encounter in the world. Sometimes characters and other things randomly appear in my head though. Just today, while on the bus, a robot that I have never seen or thought about in my entire life just appeared in my head. Who the fuck are you and what do you want? You look cool, but please let me forget you, I already have way too many robot characters.

If you were in a fantasy world, what would you be?

Like fantasy fantasy? I'd be a scientist, doing my science stuff, like staring at the stars, thinking about atoms and electricity, making hydrochloric acid and finding uranium for fun. But then the church starts to think I'm doing witchcraft and burns me at the stake :(

Most fav book cliche:

I have always liked reading books where the MC is absolutley traumatized, depressed and suicidal with a future love interest that absolutley hates them. Fuck, suffering tastes good!

Least favorite cliche:

Misunderstandings/miscommunication. Just fucking talk to each other, idiots!

Favorite scene to write?

I kind of enjoy writing dialogues where two characters are just having some fun. Something that's lighthearted with a little teasing and some non serious bickering

Reason for writing?

Science and having to let everything out of my brain before it gets overfilled, stuff falls out and gets lost.

[pipesdrumsfiddles]

I really do love this! There are so many great excerpts - and I’m always pumped when Unsuk Chin gets a shout-out. Plus, I’ve never heard of Jessie Montgomery, but now I probably should go check out her work. The piece that Caroline Shaw endorsed is quite impressive. And of course, Yuval Sharon, LA experimental opera director extraordinaire, has the best and most on-brand suggestion.

[queermediastudies]

Intro Post

Hello everybody! I'm so glad to meet all of you. My official name is Shenyu Zhang (he/him), but you can call me Miles and I would prefer that. I'm a COMM senior from China (ICB program more specifically; Selene posted some information about it). I also minor in Philosophy and International Studies.

The first reason for me to take this course is that this is an Exit Course for my major. And more importantly, I believe Queer theory and Queer media studies can bring me a more inclusive and diverse understanding and enrich my communication knowledge. After I graduate, I want to go to a graduate school in the direction of media and cultural study, so I believe this course can also contribute to my future study.

Outside of class, I usually watch movies and TV shows and read some books. I recently finished reading Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari (a professor in History from Israel and also a gay member). He basically reviews the history and discusses how technology like AI will impact the future of human beings (sorry that my English ability doesn't allow me to introduce it very well; anyway, highly recommended). And I also recommend a movie named The Wedding Banquet (1993) directed by Ang Lee, who is also the director of Brokeback Mountain (2005). The Wedding Banquet tells the story of Wai-Tung Gao, a gay man living in the United States, who marries Wei-Wei Gu, an illegal immigrant, in a fake marriage to ease his parents who urged him to get married. You can know some of the conditions of the Chinese LGBT through this movie. Btw, Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016) is also a good movie (my aunt cried when she was watching it).

Hope to have a wonderful learning experience with you all.

[alfredo-kesmann]

1,3,5,10,12,13 ❤️

Hello my dear friend <3 Thank you so much for the lovely asks <3

1. what song makes you feel better?

Hmm, that really depends on the day. Recently, it was Salvatore by Lana del Rey (I don’t get the reason why either lmao), but I'd also say Vienna by Ben Platt (it's a cover from the Billy Joel song; I think the song is a reminder everyone needs sometimes <3). Also - and @veterveter is to blame (thank is a better word, really<3) for this - Timantit on ikuisia by Cheek (and I also love Sanni’s cover a lot as well), it's such a catchy song even if I don't understand the words and only get the general idea because I looked up a translation on the internet lol. Also, anything by MIKA or ABBA always cheers me up as well. 

3. what's your favorite candle scent?

Ohh that is a good question, but I rarely have any candles because my cat jumps on tables quite regularly and I think it's quite dangerous if we just have candles on there with her walking around so close to them. Hence I don't have much knowledge about scented candles, but, I'd probably say anything with vanilla, anything sweet and spicy (like amber or cinnamon) or citrus.

5. who do you feel most you around?

Err, I guess at home? Because we all share the same shitty (amazing) sense of humour. People are always confused when they come over for the first time because we're constantly 'roasting' each other (but in a good way, that is). 

Also, with friends when we're meeting up and just doing fun games and exchanging stories from what recently happened in our lives because we don’t see each other very often nowadays.

And then again, on this website talking to my friends, as well, because I can just unapologetically scream about fandom here 25/7 and I have a gut feeling my family and friends wouldn't appreciate it if I spent hours ranting about berlermo to them lmaoo

10. what's something you're excited for?

Hmm, there’s many different things, so I’ll just choose three ‘smaller’ ones. I have this book I have to read for uni, that I actually wanted to read for a while (21 lessons for the 21st century by Yuval Noah Harari) so I'm looking forward to reading that.

Futhermore, many Covid measures have been lifted so the country is opening up again and I'm excited to go to the cinema and see the King's Man once I have the time.

Also, I'm excited for the three WIPs I'm currently working on even if one of them is just... crack (it literally is a berlermo married at first sight AU and I love it *because* it is so cracky).

12. how are you?

Good, actually, and even better now you sent me this cute ask <3 So good that I have an exam next week and I'm not stressed at all, but actually... interested in the subject?? I need to do *a lot* of catching up (I only watched 1 out of 5 really long lectures thus far) but I’m not even dreading to do so, so this is new to me lol. I actually have *faith* in my lastminute approach so that’s good. 

13. what's your comfort food?

Anything chocolate covered: miny pretzels, peanuts, raisins, dates, everything.  Chocolate dates are literally one of the best things I’ve had *ever*. Also, chocolate cake hmmm (though I don’t eat that often). Furthermore, salted peanuts. And the pancakes my mom always makes. 

[alkhale]

so... that new his dark materials on HBO got me feeling some things and thinking... Memos HDM AU?

Memos His Dark Materials AU Ko-Fi Request

(for context for the excerpt down below this, when someone’s daemon makes contact with another person’s daemon, it’s considered very personal and intimate. This is normal between family members and very close friends or loved ones, say, Luffy’s daemon would probably touch all his nakama’s left and right just fine, but for certain others, this may come as a bit of an alarming little sensation for them since people feel what their daemons feel and the same vice versa as extension of their souls)

- Hoku’s daemon is a white panther named Hau.

The two of them don’t get along very well and tend to get on each other’s nerves due to personal reasons. They’re capable of being a fairly good distance apart even though this isn’t normal and considered painful for most people. They sort of trained themselves to be able to be apart because they felt following their independent values was most important. It’s a bit of a messy situation but they’re the first ones either of them would turn to no matter what. He has the same marking she has painted around the curve of his left eye because it’s tradition for Pokians to paint it onto their daemons when they come of age. All daemons from Artopoki are also always colored white just like their hair.

His name means “happiness” in Hawaiian.

- Mahina’s daemon is a white horse while Manu’s is a small white wild cat. Mihawk’s is a massive, massive ink black raven named Sable. She and Mahina’s daemon got along really well.

- Shank’s daemon is a reddish tinted lionness who goes by Reina. Hoku and Hau are a bit smitten by her but Hau kind of hates Shanks, maybe not hate but he tends to be on the more skeptical end of him versus Hoku being a little doe-eyed for the man. Hau loved Mihawk though. Mihawk was the first person to ever touch him outside of Hoku’s parents (human to daemon contact is a super big deal when it’s not family or intimate loved ones, daemon to daemon is a little more tolerable but raises some brows)

- Luffy’s daemon settles as a springy lionness name Soleil who he calls Sol. She’s very energetic and can’t really read a room but she makes up for it with energy. She and Luffy are two peas in a pod.

- Nami’s daemon is an orange fox named Riki, the greatest thieving duo across the East Blue.

- Zoro’s is a massive bengal tiger named Masumi and she’s got a much more approachable personality than her counterpart but tends to be just as lazy and ferocious.

- Usopp’s is a chameleon by the name of Emmo. She’s a bit of a coward too but she’s funny.

- Sanji’s is a beautiful, rather stunning lady jackrabbit by the name of Celine who loves beautiful people and kicking. She seems a little wiser than Sanji.

- Brook’s is the skeleton of a songbird named Aretha. They’re the strangest case on the Grand Line because of his devil fruit. She sings beautifully for a pile of bones though.

- Franky’s is a female beaver named Aspen, they’re pretty much carbon copies of each other.

- Robin’s is a black owl named Yuval. He’s on the quieter side and tends to creep people out on first glance but he’s a very gentlemanly owl.

- Ace’s ends up settling as a red and black lynx by the name of Iskra. Sabo’s is a peregrine falcon named Brisa.

- Vivi’s is a fennec fox named Seti.

- I couldn’t decide of Kid’s should be one hell of a murderous honey badger with attitude named Naga or a crocodile or a bear. Any of those three felt pretty right but I lean more toward the honey badger HAHAHA.

- Law’s daemon is a snow leopard named Estrella. These two are an especially dangerous duo and Estrella tends to be a bit more on the mysterious side at first.

- - - - - - -

“Your blood,” Shank said, cupping her cheek. “Is worth treasures more than his.”

Hau bit at Shanks’ cloak, snarling as a white husky in protest, trying to pull him away. Reina watched him in utter amusement.

Steam exploded from Hoku’s ears, her entire face flushing red.

“Oops, hey, someone get Makino! I’m worried dove’s got a fever!”

- - - - - - -

“It’s nothing but a childish crush,” Hau said pointedly to her, perfectly aware of the fluttery, gross feelings inside Hoku spilling over to him. He walked after her, lashing his tail angrily while Hoku stared up at the sky in a daze. Shanks had just given them a living, ripe kiionohi tree. “He just thinks we’re cute kids. He likes teasing us. This is how he took Luffy!”

Hau worked over-time to remain as indifferent toward Shanks as Hoku originally wanted to be. Hoku had just given up and rolled over to the fact that Shanks was just… so hard to dislike. Was there even a reason to dislike him? Sure, she still got jealous that Luffy was so damn fond of him, but when Luffy was always pulling her around despite that, promising she was his first before anyone else—

“Are you listening to me?” Hau hissed at her, biting her ankle in protest. Hoku looked down at him. “I don’t like him! He’s just another schmuck! Nothing’s gonna happen anyway! Dream on! We’re just kids to him, got it?”

“I know that,” Hoku snapped, cheeks flushing. “I-It’s just adoration. Childish adoration. What do you think I’m gonna do, ask him to marry me?”

“No,” Hau muttered, “but don’t get any ideas.”

“I’m not,” Hoku snapped back at him, lightly nudging his paws. Hau swiped at her. “He’s just… he’s just charming, is all. And you’re one to talk, you know. You look at anyone that’s willing to scratch your ears like they’re god!”

“I don’t let people scratch me behind the ears!” Hau protested. “No one’s allowed to touch me!”

“Yeah,” Hoku snorted. “Except Luffy, right? I feel what you feel too, dumbass. Think about how it feels for me to get scratched behind the ears too, okay?”

Hau grumpily settled down onto his haunches, stubbornly looking over to the side, “But it’s Luffy.”

Hoku could understand that, but it didn’t make the sensation any more normal. Actually, I might be starting to get used to that. Luffy’s so damn touchy it’ll kill me. She didn’t even flinch anymore when Hau and Soleil were pressed tight together, rolling around or tumbling about each other or cuddled up in a pile. Luffy’s warm fingers patting Hau’s head, hefting him up into his arms—that was still something she was getting used to.

Or Hoku, cupping Soleil’s head in her hands, pressing a kiss to the top of the daemon’s head, committing utter taboo. Hoku, letting Soleil cozy up to the crook of her neck, shove her face into Hoku’s hand, weave between her fingers while Luffy laughed beside them—

The four of them, touching each other’s daemons, each other’s partners, each other’s souls—

But I am getting used to it. Hoku shivered. Never touching anyone’s daemon, huh?

Hau lashed his tail, “I won’t let Shanks touch me, you can count on that.”

“You’re just jealous,” Hoku said. “Luffy and Soleil already said we’re first. And it’s not like Shanks is going to be here forever, he’s a pirate, remember?”

Hoku rubbed the side of her arm, looking down at her shoes, “He’s just… he’s just become Luffy’s idol. You see how he looks at him—Luffy knows what he wants to do now ‘cause of him.”

Hau huffed, whiskers twitching. Hoku gave him a little shove and Hau shifted into a bull, ramming at the back of her knees as Hoku laughed, shoving back at him.

Shanks was just a bit of fun, that was it.

- - - - - - - - 

But Reina didn’t play by the rules.

“You’re getting faster, little dove.”

Hoku almost screamed. Her heart lodged into her throat, forcing her to choke as Mau nearly clattered onto the dirt from her hands had she not hooked it last minute. She apologized to the amused blade, checking for scratches and trying to work out a game plan in her head.

Hau frowned. As deep of a frown as an unhappy skunk could make, sitting by a log and looking pointedly Reina’s way.

She didn’t know when Shanks’ daemon had made her way over to them or where Shanks was, probably with Luffy to be honest, but there Reina was, living up to her name.

The lioness daemon was stretched out onto a fat slab of rock jutting upwards from the ground. Luffy used it as a launching platform a lot when they were playing. Her red-gold body rippled, leisurely soaking up the sunlight.

Hoku’s fingers itched.

Reina watched them with golden irises. 

“Thanks,” Hoku said, trying not to be awkward but feeling very much so. “I’m not there yet though.”

Reina’s chest rumbled, a deep sound that made Hau wrinkle his nose in protest. She laid her head down onto her paws, rolling over onto her side. Hoku noticed the scars lining her softer underbelly, the notch missing from a piece of her flicking tail.

“You’ll get there,” Reina said soothingly. “Why don’t you take a break?”

I feel like I’m talking to the devil. Hoku shivered. Temptation incarnate. “I haven’t hit my number of swings yet.”

“Shanks and Luffy are playing by the harbor,” Reina almost purred. “Don’t you want to join?”

Hoku frowned at her boots. Yes. “No. I’m glad Shanks is taking up all his time.”

Reina’s ear twitched. Her eyes glimmered playfully. Hoku felt as though if her feet weren’t planted firmly to begin with, she’d already be making her way over to the lioness for no reason other than the fact that Reina seemed to be beckoning her over.

“How come you two can be so far apart?” Hau blurted. Hoku shot him a look of disbelief. 

Reina’s whiskers twitched in amusement.

Hau hunkered down, waving his big bushy tail. “I-Isn’t it painful? It’s weird, daemons aren’t supposed to be able to do that.”

“You two seem to be able to go fairly far,” Reina murmured. “Is that not strange?”

Hoku and Hau flinched.

Reina laid her head down onto the rock, letting the sun color her pelt. She looked crimson gold in the sunlight. “He and I simply found it in ourselves to promise to live our lives to the fullest and the freest.”

Reina seemed to smile, lips pulling back to show her fangs. “Besides, like this, I can be with Luffy and he can be with little dove at the same time, hmm?”

Hoku and Hau blinked in confusion. They looked at each other and back to Reina who’d rolled over to show them her back, settling down for a nice, long nap.

“Finish up those swings, dove,” Reina purred. “Then let’s play.”

I miss Luffy. Hoku miserably flattened herself down against the grass, Mau propped up onto a trunk beside her. Hau was chirping haughtily in the tree branch above her, flapping his white wings even though he was supposed to be a toucan. I always run off even when he’s playing with Shanks. Maybe I should just suck it up and have fun with them too. Or, not fun. Just… spend time. Yeah.

Hoku groaned, rubbing her sweaty face with her hands.

“About time,” Hau chirped at her. “Let’s go! I don’t care if Shanks and everyone else is there, I want to see Luffy and Sol.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hoku snapped. “I heard ya. You just want to get touched again.”

Hau flattened, ruffling his feathers, “That’s not true!”

It absolutely is. Hoku sighed, preparing her aching muscles to lift her sluggish body up. Hau was practically touched starved and Luffy’s generous pats were like a drug. He did a good job making sure Shanks never got near him though. Hoku didn’t even flinch. Touching other people’s daemons is still such a weird feeling though, I can’t get used to anyone else but them. 

She’d only ever touched Sable twice. Ki and Kekoa didn’t count because they were family. Soleil was the only one she ever really touch-touched, and even then, it was still a sensation Hoku felt all the way to the tip of her toes and down to her bones. Intimate. 

Bet no one else has a daemon willing to get himself pet. Hoku peeked through her fingers at Hau who jumped from the branch and shifted into a little white butterfly. He’d turn into a dog later because it was easier to play with Luffy like that. What daemon goes up to someone to get themselves touched? 

Some taboos just weren’t meant to be crossed.

A shadow fell over Hoku’s face and she blinked, moving her hands away to look up.

Reina looked down at her.

Hoku froze, stiff against the ground like a corpse. Her heart hammered stupidly loud in her chest, loud enough to burst through her ears. From this spot, she could make out every fine, red-gold hair smoothed over Reina’s slender face. She could see the dark lines that traced her feline gold eyes, followed the slope of her muzzle, to the long, elegant whiskers—a few cut short, and the few scars that lined her soft nose. 

This was the closest she had ever been to the daemon.

She could sense heat from the lioness, hulking power and muscle. Reina’s killing paws sat on either side of her head. She could crush Hoku’s skull without much effort. Rip her throat out. In another world, Hoku would be fearing for her life—even in this world, Hoku was still fearing for her life, but, but, maybe death at the hands of such a beautiful, powerful daemon couldn’t be that awful.

Hoku waited, staring at Reina with wide eyes.

Reina blinked once, slowly. Something like amusement seemed to shift over the fine hairs on her face and she lowered her head over Hoku’s. Her body seized up, unable to breathe.

And then languidly, a warm, wet and scratchy pink tongue rolled once across her face, down her forehead to her lips and over her chin. Reina pulled away, satisfied, looking down at Hoku’s disheveled, slightly wet face and bulging eyes before calmly sauntering off, hips swaying.

It took her a moment. A good, solid moment. Her heart did something funny, her body frozen stiff and ascended to some other plain of existence, her mind whirring and still buzzing from the electricity of the slightest contact with—

Someone else’s daemon—

 Reina—

Shanks’ daemon—

Touched—

Hoku’s face blushed a bright, scarlet red. She grabbed her face with her hands and rolled around in the dirt like the little bug she was.

Hau jealously nudged her face with his little ferret nose, huffing and puffing in displeasure.

She’d never been touched by someone else’s daemon before.

- - - - - - - -

The final nail into her own coffin was done by Hoku’s own hands.

At the crack of dawn, when the light was just beginning to crawl its way out of the horizon to peek over into the sky. Just hours before, Hoku had finally shown Shanks the book, speaking with him in the low light of that bar and making a total fool of herself—enough for Hau to tease and taunt her about it for hours until they fell asleep.

She woke up earlier than Luffy today, leaving him snoring in her hammock with Soleil sprawled as a baby badger over him. Hau woke up, slithering into her shirt and keeping himself warm by her stomach as they walked out into the forest.

Reina was already waiting for them.

“Dove,” Reina greeted, velvet voice carrying over as Hoku trudged through the dewy grass. Sunlight was warming her pelt, heating it up like a forge and turning the red-gold of her pelt darker and brighter.

Hau muttered a low, half-reluctant protest. Yesterday, Luffy had picked him up, holding him close and willingly thrusted Hau toward Shanks like some kind of sacrificial offering. 

Shanks didn’t take the daemon, simply grinning in understanding at Hau’s horrified expression. Her daemon had never felt more betrayed.

“Hau, you gotta get along with everyone!” Luffy laughed. “Don’t be dumb like Hoku!”

Hoku couldn’t stop the greedy, uncontrollable itch in her fingers.

“...good morning,” Hoku mumbled, tucking hair behind her ear out of habit. Reina was stretched out, regal and picture perfect on that same slab of stone. Dawn was rising over the fine curve of her spine and the lioness kept her gaze on them evenly, waiting as Hoku slowly came to stand beside the slab of rock.

Reina’s ears swiveled forward. She watched Hoku, eyes glittering. A soft sound left her parted jaws.

Hoku hesitantly took a seat on the rock, a few inches away from Reina. She could feel heat rising from the daemon, her head turning to follow Hoku as they stared at each other.

She weakly raised one hand. Hau’s heartbeat matched her own.

“Could I… Could I draw you?”

Reina’s jaws parted to let out a soft rumble. Her body curved more, keeping Hoku in the middle. Her paws stretched out and Reina kept her eyes evenly on Hoku’s.

Hoku softly set her hand down on Reina’s side. Warmth flooded into her fingertips, spreading up her arm and making half her body feel almost numb with the sensation. Hoku’s head spun, buzzing with that vibrant thrum of energy as Reina’s pelt shifted under her fingertips. Hoku daringly let her hand come down Reina’s spine, feeling the muscles and scars in one gentle stroke.

Reina’s scratchy tongue dragged over Hoku’s hand in approval.

“I hope that man is deep, deep asleep,” Hau muttered. Hoku agreed.

She thought her heart was going to burst.

- - - - - -- -- - -

“This place is crawling with marines now,” Smoker said. “What are you going to do? Let them arrest you like some kind of washed up drunk?”

Hoku lightly pushed the glass in front of her. The bartender nervously refilled the glass, jumping in fear when Smoker glared daggers at him.

“Hoku,” Smoker said.

The woman kept swallowing mouthfuls of the whiskey in her cup, ignoring him. Blanca’s fur had settled over her back, smoothing out. His daemon watched the woman before them in silence, looking at Hau and then back to Hoku.

A soft sound left Blanca’s lips. Smoker shot her a warning look. The smoky colored husky daemon lowered her tail.

“What happened to all that spunk?” Smoker continued. “You don’t give two shits if I cuff you and take you in from here?”

Hoku didn’t even turn to look at them. She kept her shoulders hunched, curling in on herself over the bar’s countertop and refusing to meet the gazes burning into her back. The empty glasses spread out across the wood counter beside her, the heavy smell of alcohol settling amidst the cigarette smoke.

Hau kept silent at her feet, curled up and head low. Smoker observed the daemon carefully, noticing the matted fur, the dirt stains in the crisp white that used to be his go-to for hunting them down in the crowd. His unsheathed claws, caked with dried dirt and blood. The cleanest spot was the blood red ink curled over his half-hidden face under the countertop’s shadow.

A new spot was inked into his fur. A small, blood red flame right where the muscle of his shoulder blade bunched under his right foreleg. Smoker’s eyes traveled upwards to the matching red flame inked into Hoku’s skin over her right shoulder blade.

“This is it?” Smoker said gruffly.

Hoku snorted. Blanca shot him a look, gray eyes hard to read but Smoker never needed to read her eyes, he could hear her thoughts loud and clear in his own head, in the space they shared.

“Who cares,” Hoku muttered bitterly. “You got what you wanted.”

Blanca fell silent. Smoker shot his daemon a sharp look, but she refused to meet his gaze, tail limp behind her and ears pricked far forward, focused on the woman before them.

Hoku bowed her head. Her hands went up, carding through her hair, holding them there as though she were cradling her head in her hands.

“You won,” Hoku whispered.

His daemon took a step forward.

“Blanca,” he warned.

The husky kept her muzzle shut, looking at him.

“Smoker.”

Smoker tossed his cigar to the side. His gloved hand clenched into a fist before it loosened. Smoker let out an aggravated sigh, shaking his head. He took a step forward, raising his hand up.

Hau’s growl ripped through the air like a knife. A single, resounding warning. Smoker glanced down to the daemon, glaring at them with icy venom, fangs and claws bared. Blanca lowered her head only an inch, her only way of showing they meant no harm. Hau pulled his lips back into a louder snarl, tail lashing in aggravation.

Hoku glanced down to her companion, frowning for a moment before she raised her head and looked back at Smoker.

Tears continued to trickle from the corners of her eyes. They slid down the curve of her cheeks, dripping down her chin. Hoku watched him in silence, expression unreadable.

The admiral hesitated for only a second. Blanca let out the softest, softest whine.

For a moment, Hau’s body untensed, staring. The foggy look started to clear. Hoku’s brows creased and Smoker reached out with his gloved hand one more time.

The doors to the bar slammed open.

The light winked out from Hoku’s eyes. Hau stood onto his paws, head lowered, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. 

His men flooded the dimly lit room, raising their guns and shouting out orders as Smoker cursed in his head and Blanca’s ferocious barks of protest flooded the room over his, ordering the marine daemons to stand down.

Smoker lurched, eyes snapping in surprise to where Hau suddenly had Blanca pinned to the wooden floorboards of the bar. His daemon was silent, rigidly looking up at Hau with her teeth barely bared, body still while Hau’s jaws were wrapped around her neck. Smoker felt his teeth on his own, Hoku’s dead eyes looking at all of them.

“Go ahead,” Hoku said coldly. She turned to the marines by the door, half-smiling. “Just don’t forget, Hau’s got one more life over her.”

Blanca kept silent, staring imploringly at Hau. The panther ignored her gaze, keeping his jaws buried in the scruff of her throat, waiting. Smoker stared hard at Hoku and she kept her gaze on his men, expression devoid of emotion.

-- - ----- ----

“Estrella,” Law drawled, ice dripping with the roll of his tongue.

His daemon pounced.

They poor no-body marine dog never stood a chance.

--- --- ---- ---- --- 

“No,” Law said. “This is rehab.”

He kicked Hoku’s lower back, sending her flying down the stairs with an ungoldy screech and down into the boiler room. Penguin and Sachi peeked their heads around the corner, staring down into the darkest depths of their sub while Law shoved a hand into his pocket.

“Is she still alive?” Penguin asked.

“She’s got a couple, right?” Law asked Hau. “Which one was that?”

Hau flicked his tail tip, the only sign of his annoyance. Estrella watched him with peering eyes, following the sway of Hau’s haunches as he slunk down the steps into the boiler room after Hoku.

“Fuck you, Law!” came the ghostly holler. “I’m going to blow up your submarine! You forgot I’m suicidal, asshole!”

Law looked satisfied, turning his back on them and closing the boiler room door. To Sachi and Penguin he added, “Make sure she doesn’t come out until she’s done.”

---- --- --- --- ---

Law froze, his entire body stiff as ice.

He took a moment, reassessing the sensation he felt unfolding in his chest. He considered it carefully, made sure this… this feeling was not a mistake, that he had not wrongly interpreted the shared sensation between himself and his daemon. He picked it apart in seconds, slowly, rigidly turning his head to the corner of the deck.

It was dark, only a single headbeam lit from the corner pathway of the submarine. The deck on top of the rounded hull was bathed in darkness, but even in the thin light, he knew down to his bones he was not seeing wrongly. 

Law gave the woman beside him one discreet, searching glance.

Hoku looked completely and utterly unaffected. He watched her a second longer to make sure it wasn’t an act, but her careless, bored demeanor showed truthfully she had no inclination whatsoever to sharing his barely, barely startled turmoil. Hoku looked completely at ease, still squinting in the distance to see if she could make out the constellation they’d just discussed, mouth moving around the dried fruit she’d just popped into her mouth.

Law carefully, with great composure, withheld the light, creeping shiver that traveled down his spine. He narrowed his eyes, looking back, but Estrella coyly kept her mind blank, hiding all of her thoughts from him the way they’d taught each other to.

There, against the side of the entry doorway, the two of them laid. 

Hoku’s daemon had stretched out, directly in the middle of the deck to keep the perfect distance away from either side of the railings. His long, furred body turned a pale, ghostly shade of white under the moonlight, large paws hiding pearl white claws. Hau’s side rose and fell in lazy slumber, his tail stretched out behind him like a white whip, ears twitching only occasionally.

But the issue was who was beside him.

Estrella had silently made her way from Law’s side across the deck to his. Her lithe, powerful feline body almost nearly matched his in size. Law watched her with rapt, rigid focus, brows furrowed in dark disbelief as his daemon purposefully ignored his silent prodding.

She stopped inches from Hau’s form, sitting on her haunches, tail curled neatly over her paws. Hau’s ear flicked once in her direction to signal he’d noticed, but kept his eyes closed. Estrella stared down at him, icy gray gaze that had stared back as she ripped throats out of marines and pirates and their enemies alike, becoming almost clear.

Estrella rearranged herself, laying down on her stomach barely a centimeter—a heavy, tense centimeter Law could feel—from him. She folded her paws neatly over each other, staring out seemingly in boredom. Her striped black tail flicked from side to side, occasionally brushing against Hau’s limp one. A ghost of a touch.

Touch.

His daemon. Estrella.

Hau didn’t move, tail limp, body relaxed. Estrella turned her head to look down at the other daemon, expression carefully blank. Her tail curled and then the tip of it brushed against Hau’s flank. His fur seemed to shift, bright, scarred pink nose twitching but he remained relaxed. Estrella seemed pleased by this and her tail promptly laid out beside his own, curling idly over his.

Touching.

Law looked back at Hoku and she reached for another dried fruit, popping it into her mouth. She shuffled through her bag, debating whether or not to shove a handful more. Oblivious.

Is your connection to your daemon that terrible? Law almost bit out. Almost. It would have come out calm and cold and collected. Are you that dull? Is it that messed up? Are you an idiot—

He went rigid, gripping Kikoku with white knuckles. 

Law exhaled, slowly. He carefully turned over his shoulder, inch by inch, glaring daggers behind him.

Estrella didn’t even blink at him, eyes trained sideways and away. She looked silver against Hau’s snow white. Her long, raspy pink tongue slid out languidly from her mouth in soothing, relaxed motions. It showed off the dangerous curve of bone-crushing fangs. But Estrella’s tongue was now running over the top of Hau’s face, over his ears, around his neck as she turned her face and—

“Are you grooming him?” Law spat out in disbelief at her. 

The snow leopard lazily flicked her tail behind her in response. Hau yawned, stretching his paws out, unbothered, and resumed his slumber as Estrella continued her grooming, content.

Law ripped apart the shudder that almost raced down his spine. He shoved the sensations traveling from Estrella and Hau’s shared connection, the low buzz of energy, of electricity that came when two daemons touched each. A feeling he’d only ever felt when Corazon’s Rosa would curl her soft, furry body up around Estrella—

He grit his teeth, squaring his shoulders and forcibly maintaining his composure as he promptly knocked Kikoku against the metal railing once.

Hoku looked up, brows creasing. A fruit stuck out from between her lips. She gave him a look, as though he’d done something wrong for disturbing her.

Your daemon is touching my daemon.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Hoku asked.

Do you not feel what I feel?

Law gave her a flat look. Hoku continued to chew.

Go get your daemon—

“Hoku,” she and Law both looked down. Hau’s voice was smooth and not too low, like a melted rumble. He came up to her leg, pressing his big head against her hip and curling his tail over her leg. The white panther daemon blinked blue eyes up at them. Law could see gold.

Hau seemed to examine Law for a moment before his long whiskers twitched. The white panther blinked once. Law stared back at him, curious about the eye contact someone else’s daemon was making with him.

Without even pausing, Hoku’s hand ran over his face, pushing past his soft ears and turning against his cheek to scratch under his chin. Hau lifted his head for better access, a loud rumble filling the air.

Several feet away, Estrella slowly made her way toward them, nonchalant and shifting mass of silver and black fur. She didn’t even acknowledge the icy daggers her other half was fixing her with, haunches swaying as she came up and sat down loyally by Law’s feet. Estrella looked up at Hoku, whiskers twitching.

“What game are you playing?” Law thought at her.

“Nothing,” Estrella thought back at him, innocent. “Nothing at all.”

---- ----- -----

P.S - If you guys like this au, highly recommend checking out 500shadesofblue’s story “Echoes” on ao3, super good.

[nicistrying]

@always-the-2nd and @spoopyfitti have both tagged me to do this, thank you lovelies!! 

LAST SONG: Step It Up by Armand van Helden & Sharlene Hector. I was also listening to get pumped up for work!

LAST MOVIE: I feel like it’s been ages since I watched a movie. I think it was Grease the other weekend at my sister’s house

CURRENTLY WATCHING: The Office (UK) which I’ve wanted to watch just out of curiosity for ages, and the series Unwell on Netflix which my sister recommended to me. It’s super interesting!

CURRENTLY READING: I don’t sit down and read much atm so still reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. Also Shagged, Married, Annoyed by Chris & Rosie Ramsey just for something more light-hearted. I choose which book to read depending on my mood

CURRENTLY CRAVING: I just had some Weetabix and a crumpet so I’m not craving much food-wise other than chocolate which is just a constant lol, but I’m also really craving a night in with Matthew, pushing the sofas together and snuggling with all the blankets watching The Witcher and having drinks. I can’t wait for season 2 and for that to be a thing!

I tag @zombie-apocalypse-training @therambl3r @insertcaffeine @therunnymoonsover @belovedgoofball @jacqattacq

[27timescinema]

INTERVIEW - BIENNALE COLLEGE - KEREN BEN RAFAEL

By Victor Courgeon (pics © Kareem Baholzer)

Keren Ben Rafael is a screenwriter and director based between Paris and Tel Aviv. She studied Philosophy and French literature at the Tel Aviv University, and later entered the directing department at La Fémis.

She has an impressive career, with some of her short films selected in different festivals around the world. Her first feature, Virgins, was released in 2018, while the second one, The End Of Love, was developed within the Biennale College Cinema program this year. We met at the Villa degli Autori for an interview during the 76th Venice Film Festival.

Why did you decide to depict a long-distance relationship through Skype conversations? In what way is that connected to the economical context of production within the Biennale College Cinema?

The scheme of the film was both the first idea and a way to talk about a modern couple. What is modern love today? How do modern couples communicate? I had a similar intense relationship between two countries and I also had a baby – but I’m still married (laughs). This Skype relationship shows how day-do-day issues can be pushed to their limits. To me, this couple would have had the same troubles even if they were living in the same country. They are just facing regular couple issues: being from different countries, with different cultures, having a baby. Julie is a ‘single’ mother that must raise her child alone, while working at the same time. It is a contemporary situation. The two lovers being separated, these long-distance video calls exacerbating the tensions...

When we got in the Biennale College, they thought that it would be a cheap project, mainly because they did not quite figure how we were going to shoot it. Maybe, they imagined that we were going to record real Skype videos – but we obviously didn’t do that. Those constraints with the video recordings made it quite complex. It took us some time to figure out how to make it work. At first, I thought that I would film the two actors separately, but we came to the conclusion that it was better to let them act together.

How did you manage to do that? Because they are constantly acting in front of the camera and talking to it.

I wanted to try at first with some rehearsals, but I was in Tel Aviv, Judith Chemla was in France and Arieh Worthalter was in Belgium. The first encounter between the actors was a Skype session with the three of us. We discussed about it for a while, each of us being at home. Then, when they started rehearsing, I turned off my webcam so that I could watch them without them being able to see me. They got close and familiar really fast, and when I turned back on my webcam they were surprised by the intrusion into their “relationship” (laughs). They found instantly a very intimate connection. Then, when we did the proper rehearsals in Paris just before the shooting, we already had a true relationship between them. I even asked them to do some groceries and to cook dinner to have that feeling of being truly together as a couple. We created souvenirs of a shared everyday life.

Later, we figured out that their relationship was properly genuine when they had this Skype barrier. I would put them in different bedrooms, and they would act as if they were really far away from each other. It was easier for them to imagine that they were a couple.

In your previous feature, Virgins, the music of the ‘mermaid party’ that concludes the film was The End of Love – were you carrying this story for a long time?

I had the idea a few years ago, but I was directing Virgins at the time, and also my short film La plage (2015). At the beginning I was thinking of making an improvised movie, which today does not sound like a great idea (laughs).

We chose the title when we submitted the project to the Biennale College Cinema. My producer Delphine Benroubi, who also produced several shorts and documentaries I made, decided we should apply for it. Incidentally, I really like Leonard Cohen. The title was questioned by the Biennale College: does it make sense to choose a title revealing the ending? But the clash between this title and the general mood of the film was interesting.

The mix between the two genres (comedy and drama) with that title that makes it sound like a tragedy works perfectly. Yet, you open the film with a very romantic sequence. They are making love, but we don’t really know if they are together…

It was a difficult scene to make. We tried having them in the same bed and cheat afterwards, but it did not work properly. It is like they needed a separation between them to create liberty. It is a very intimate scene, that strangely worked better when they were separated. This scene was one of the first we made.

The shooting lasted for 3 weeks, and during the first one we were in a Parisian apartment. We had created inside this apartment a bedroom that was supposed to be Yuval’s. We had two cameras and two tiny screens for them to see each other (and very small earpieces so that they could hear each other). It was an interesting experiment. They were acting simultaneously, and I could either direct them in one of the bedrooms or watch them on a split screen.

The scene also works thanks to the two protagonists. All the actors are perfectly chosen but I must say that Judith and Arieh suit particularly their characters.

They are both magnificent. For Yuval’s character, I thought I would have an Israeli actor speaking French, but it was hard to find. It was important for my producer to have an actor that speaks perfectly French. It had to be understandable, like the French I speak. I am not French, but I learnt it and studied in France (at la Fémis). Arieh is Belgian and speaks French, we just had to work on his accent.

What about Bastien Bouillon, Julie’s colleague? He is also starring in Dominik Moll’s Only the animals. Or Vassili Schneider, the babysitter…

I did not know Bastien Bouillon; it was a proposition of my casting director. I thought he was perfect as an oposite of Arieh. A man that is smoother, more French, to exacerbate the differences. We tried to do that as well with the family and the friends. If you compare Bastien to Yuval’s friends – they are really different. He brought something elegant.

Vassili is Niels Schneider’s brother. He came on the set the third day and I was struggling because it was the beginning of the shooting: we had to get used to the cameras and the equipment. His arrival was like a breeze of fresh air. The babysitting scenes he’s in are funny because of the temporality of the action, and Yuval trying to monitor the babysitter.

What is your opinion on the development of the means of communication? Do they turn into means of surveillance? From connection to disconnection…

It is a tool that is useful at first. It was created to improve our life condition. But Skype just faces the same issues as Messenger or Whatsapp. It can ruin your life at some point, and I know what I am talking about because Whatsapp is huge in Israel! The problem with video calls is that these might become an obsession: it becomes dangerous. Skype creates a mise en scène of yourself and your life. Our parents used to send letters… Nowadays, we don’t have that space left for imagination.

Sex is very present in all your films as an important aspect of a couple’s life. How so?

Sexuality is important. A woman that shoots a sex scene creates something different from what we usually see. It is a big part of our everyday life. You cannot separate love from sex. All the issues you face in life are related somehow to sex. It is as simple as that.

And those scenes are really well written. To know more about the writing of the film, could you tell us about your relationship with the Benroubi family? Delphine Benroubi is your producer and Elise Benroubi wrote the script with you.

I met Elise when I arrived at La Fémis. I was in the directing department and she was in the script department: we met the first day and stayed inseparable. We co-wrote a lot of films together, nearly all my shorts and my first feature. We like to write comedies together, that include existential problems (laughs). Even though I could not direct a slapstick! We wrote that script in two weeks and it relies on that balance between gags and existential questioning.

Delphine was also studying at La Fémis but in the exhibition-distribution department and started her career as a distributor. She became a producer working with me on my documentary A pleines dents (2013). Then we did a short film for Canal+ called L’aurore boréale (2013) – that was also written by Elise. Same for La plage (2015).

We work with family. I also work with my companion, Damien Dufresne; he is my DOP. He is French, and not Jewish – which is also really connected to my movie (laughs).

[honeyjoongie]

Questions tag✨

Tagged by: @missminji and I think there's someone else but I can't remember :((

Rules : Answer the questions and tag 10 people

How tall are you?

I’ve been 1,63 (5.35 ft I think?) for the past three years and I’ve lost all hope of growing taller :(

What color and style is your hair?

Shoulder length with side bangs and brown with a little bit of red at the ends if you squint

What color are your eyes?

plain boring brown :(

Do you wear glasses?

I do and I’m blind without them oof

Do you have braces?

I used to but not anymore

What’s your fashion sense?

See, that’s a question I ask myself all the time because I can’t limit myself to one style. I usually wear black combat boots, black jeans and lots of crop tops or hoodies,,, there’s no in between. In the summer tho I kind of dress more retro?? I guess I could call it?? Mom jeans, belts and oversized colorful tees and again lots of crop tops kjsafj

What’s your full name??

My name is actually Elli, it’s just my second name

When were you born?

October of 2001

Where are you from and where do you live?

I’m from Greece and I still live here

What school(s) do you go to?

I’m a senior in highschool :(

What kind of student are you?

I like to think I’m a good student?? I care about my grades and they’ve always been excellent kfjljdnv so yeah

Do you like school?

I used to because I enjoy learning and I find many subjects interesting ,, but this year it’s been absolute hell and the stress is overbearing I can’t wait for everything to be over

Fav subject?

I love biology!! Idk I really like learning about the human body and even cells and stuff like that

Fav TV shows?

Okay I love sitcoms such as Friends, How I met your Mother and Big Bang Theory. Currently I'm loving a show with Lawyers called suits and my ultimate favorite used to be pretty little liars

Fav books?

Djjdjfjf that's hard!! I'm reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari now and I really like that one. Also The Hell book by Carlo Frabbeti and 1984 by George Orwell

Fav pastimes?

I don't really have free time anymore?? These days I really enjoy dancing in my study breaks tho! And generally I love drawing, reading making crafts

Do you have any regrets?

Doesn't everyone??

Dream job?

Honestly?? A dancer... But realistically speaking.... That's not going to happen and other than I have no idea. I just want to get into uni first

Would you ever like to be married?

I think yes?? I'm not sure though

Would you like to have children?

At this point I feel like I'll never want to have children because I don't think I'd make a good mum...maybe in the future I'll change my mind tho

If so, how many?

No more than two

Do you like shopping?

Yes xjfdhdh I love shopping!! Especially shopping for clothes, decor or art supplies,, I get really inspired idk

What countries have you visited?

Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, The Netherlands, Belgium

Scariest nightmare you’ve ever had?

Thankfully it's been a long time since I last had a nightmare. The last one I remember was sth about being chased by giants??

Any enemies?

No, but there are some people irl I dislike because of the way they've treated me or my friends :/

Do you have a significant other?

HAHAHA HAHAHA I wish

Do you get along with your family?

Thankfully yes!! We've had some ups and downs these years but nothing serious

Do you believe in miracles?

I don't :/ I used to when I was younger

How are you?

Right now?? Stressed. I'm always stressed hhchch. I have endless things to do but I can't stop procrastinating and it's stressing me out even more

I tag @minicovaa @yeosangkang @hyuunwoo @risingsan @visualsan @smol-joong @hongjooong @atiny-lesgeddit @chasingatinydream @atiteez,, if you want,, and sorry if you've done it already

[maaarine]

21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Yuval Noah Harari, 2018)

“As George Orwell envisioned in Nineteen Eighty-Four, the television will watch us while we are watching it.

After we’ve finished watching Tarantino’s entire filmography, we may have forgotten most of it. 

But Netflix, or Amazon, or whoever owns the TV algorithm, will know our personality type, and how to press our emotional buttons.

Such data could enable Netflix and Amazon to choose movies for us with uncanny precision, but it could also enable them to make for us the most important decisions in life – such as what to study, where to work, and who to marry.

Of course Amazon won’t be correct all the time. That’s impossible. Algorithms will repeatedly make mistakes due to insufficient data, faulty programming, muddled goal definitions and the chaotic nature of life.

But Amazon won’t have to be perfect. It will just need to be better on average than us humans.” 

(…)

“One student might start law school because she has an inaccurate image of her own skills, and an even more distorted view of what being a lawyer actually involves (you don’t get to give dramatic speeches and shout ‘Objection, Your Honour!’ all day).

Meanwhile her friend decides to fulfil a childhood dream and study professional ballet dancing, even though she doesn’t have the necessary bone structure or discipline.

Years later, both deeply regret their choices. In the future we could rely on Google to make such decisions for us.

Google could tell me that I would be wasting my time in law school or in ballet school – but that I might make an excellent (and very happy) psychologist or plumber.

Once AI makes better decisions than us about careers and perhaps even relationships, our concept of humanity and of life will have to change.

Humans are used to thinking about life as a drama of decision-making.”

[turtlecactus]

Yuval, @thelordofthecats tagged me to put my music on shuffle and write the first 10 songs that come out:

1. We are the champions- Queen

2. Getting married today- Company (London cast)

3. How far I'll go- Moana

4. Screen- Twenty one pilots

5. Open your eyes- Snow patrol

6. Happy- Five for fighting

7. Movin out- Billy joel

8. Stand for something- Watsky

9. Yorktown- Hamilton

10. Liquid state- Muse

I tag @mrsheeper @itsnotteaitsdrugs and @theresasnakeinmylizzieboots if you wanna do it :)

[josephbinningyoumatter]

PERCEPTIONS & CHOICES Why You See and Choose What You Do

        Carefully watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Manage and watch your words, for they will become your actions.  Consider and judge your actions, for they have become your habits. Acknowledge and watch your habits, for they shall become your values. Understand and embrace your values, for they become your destiny. — Mahatma Gandhi     Our feelings, thoughts, and responses to life have a great deal to do with the conditions in which we were raised, the locations in which we grew up, the channels of knowledge we received, and the beliefs of the people who raised us.   From before you can even remember, you have been making thousands of decisions and choices, many of which you were not aware of making, but following, or doing out of habit, or by not thinking, or choosing by lack of a specific desire. Every one of your decisions—both those you were aware of making, and those you were not aware of making—come into play every day of your existence. From birth, you they indoctrinate you with decisions and choices based primarily on someone else’s direction, opinion, desire, belief, need, or pressure.     Most mammals emerge from the womb like glazed earthenware emerging from a kiln— any attempt at remolding will only a scratch or break them. Humans emerge from the womb like molten glass from a furnace. Humans can be molded and shaped with surprising freedom.   —Yuval Harari, Author, Sapiens   Through education, politics, religion, culture, and other institutions, from childhood, they mold us into Christians or Buddhists, Capitalists or Socialists, Revolutionaries or Peace Seekers—and so on. Without realizing it, we are products of our conditioning.  What we perceive to be normal or true is a product of our history and upbringing, and these perceptions influence our decisions and actions every day.     Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change. — Wayne Dyer   I like to rephrase Mr. Dyer’s quote:   If you change the way you look at things, you will change the way you see.   An online survey asked, “What’s the first thing you notice about someone you see for the first time, when seeing them from a distance?”  The overwhelming response was, “appearance.”  When asked what the second thing is, the majority answered, “the way they carried themselves and if they seemed approachable, or not, from a personal safety standpoint.”   A man entered a subway with his two children and sat staring ahead in a daze, as if lost in deep thought. His two children were running everywhere, loud, and unruly.  After some time, an annoyed passenger approached the man and said, “Excuse me, could you please tend to your children? They are disturbing the other passengers.”  The man looked up at him and said, “I’m sorry, they just lost their mother.  Cancer.  They don’t know how to deal with it.”   We see people from the viewpoint of our perceptions of them, which are based on everything they have taught us, without knowing that we are not seeing them in their complete, true beingness.  Most times, that which we perceive is not the reality. Based on experiences, the passenger thought the children were unruly and the man was a bad parent. They base perceived reality on the limited, incomplete, and/or false knowledge, beliefs, and data.  Our perceptions of everyone and everything outside of us are all based on our reality—our learned beliefs, experiences, and expectations from them—though we believe we are being aimed to see factual reality.  Our perceived reality is the frame through which we see and explain the world.   We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are. ― Anaïs Nin   One of the biggest thoughts that block our growth, peace, and happiness is the reasoning that, “It’s always been this way, so we need not change it.”   We need to change. We need to ask ourselves: “Why?  Why do I see things this way? Why do I react this way? Why do I act this way?” “Why do I say these things?”   Here is a simple exercise to help you:   Answer as honestly as you can.   Did you choose your profession based on your own perception of it?  Was it because you thought it would provide stability, or esteem, or some quality that you believed would be necessary or valuable?  Or was your decision a result of discussions with one or more parents, counselors, experts, or friends, and their perceptions of it?  Did you decide based on other’s perceptions, wishes, or offers?  Or did you choose it purely from your own thoughts and desires?   Did you marry or enter a relationship with someone of the same religious affiliation?  If so, did you choose that person?  Or were you following the family’s tradition, desires, or direction?  Or was your choice not influenced by religion at all?   Are you living in a location, dwelling, city, state, or country that you chose?  Or are you living in a location out of financial or other necessity?  Or are you living somewhere out of someone else’s desire, influence or requirement, or to be in proximity to a person, family, or group of people?  Are you living in a location for the pure and simple reason that you liked it and desired to live there?   Have you attended a college, university, or educational institution?  Whether yes, or no—is it because you chose to, or chose not to?  Was the choice yours, or was it made under the request or influence of someone else, or to make someone happy?   Are you deciding based on someone else’s opinion, request, need, or demand?  Or are you deciding based on your own desires, knowledge, or preferences?     Three men were building a wall at a beautiful church.  When asked what he was doing, the first replied, “I’m stacking these stones.”  The second man answered, “I’m building a wall.”  The third man declared, “I’m helping to create a magnificent place for people to find comfort and peace.”  Three different men doing the same task have three different perceptions of what they were doing.  Only one knew why.   Which one is most like you?  Why?   Which one is like the “You” you are becoming? In what way?   When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see more things as good, other things become bad. — Tao de Chang Chapter 2 Verse 12     I’ve written another article that you might like. You can read it here: IN THE END ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHAT YOU DO If you have enjoyed this article, please visit me at www.JosephBinning.com for more helpful tips and articles. You can also get more helpful information in my book You Matter, even if you don’t think so which you can purchase on Amazon here Amazon You Matter, even if you don't think so For my free report Happiness Is A Choice click here: Happiness Is A Choice Free Report Remember: Happiness is a choice, so be happy.       AZ Quotes.com/Quotes/Authors/M/ Mahatma Gandhi/ https://www.azquotes.com/quote/453692 Dreamflesg.com/reviews/Sapiens A Brief History of Mankind/ https://dreamflesh.com/review/book/sapiens/#:~:text=Most%20mammals%20emerge%20from%20the%20womb%20like%20glazed,much%20or%20more%20by%20culture%20as%20by%20nature. BraineyQoutes.com/Wayne Dyer Quotes/ https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/wayne_dyer_384143 www.goodreads/Quotes/ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=We+don%27t+see+things+as+they+are%3B+we+see+them+as+we+are.++%E2%80%95+Ana%C3%AFs+Nin&commit=Search Goodreads.com/Lao Tzu > Quotes > Quotable Quote/ https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/582339-when-people-see-some-things-as-beautiful-other-things-become Read the full article

[meandwhatmore]

Thriving at 30

I gave a shot at Accenture interview and was in the last round. The interviewer asked which was considered so typical back then- where do you see yourself 10 years down the lane? Me, with all flying mode, already having an offer in hand, remember shrugging off and replying him- I would see myself in the cover page of Time magazine. Looking back, it was fun. I eventually sucked at that interview and joined Cognizant –which raised me up for the most part of the next 10 years followed.

I’m here to jot down the yearly habit of writing notes. I missed the 2018 train and dont want to make missing a habit. But yes, let’s cut some slack for the new daddy and the full time entrepreneur (?!)

She and him.

So follow-up to where I ended my 2018 post. That december disaster indeed got real. In the middle of 2019, I was married to Gomathi and sometime in the year followed, we had a boy. It’s now, like the next two years with commitment rate of 300%. Someone please let this life breath well and take it slow? Hunting a name for the boy or planning a small getaway, it’s by far been a long quest in finding a common ground. I’m more thrilled about this year as we begin to build the family full time.

V

The best company you can ever get. The cognizance, the style, questioning just everything, taking care of little ones, V is nicely doing it all- and with passion and elan.

Work

We moved to a new dedicated place from the garage (immediate saving: no mosquitoes!). And this helped us scale team (now we are four), explore new markets, create a new name (roopac along with cardnival), and the ride by far is nothing but fascinating. As we pan out new and creative ways to reach market, we had some convincing numbers to validate our experiments and we are now all in, doubling the efforts. If there is a new thing I’ve personally learnt, it is snowballing small clients and seeing it become a large amount. Along the run, we even had to grievingly let go one of our latest sales hires.

Reads and Cinema

Ride of a lifetime by Disney boss, Shoe Dog by Nike boy, Deep work from Cal Newport, and Yuval’s 2018 release: 21 lessons resonated so well. A rare find on twitter, Naval Ravikant’s wisdom is so beautifully told to an extent that I tried exploring ways to name the kid of us with Naval but ended up with Agan Murugasamy.

OTTs and Podcasts were so much 2019, I’ve subscribed to what not and listened/seen almost everything that was brought to me by internet. Staying current with Shunya One and She says she’s fine. I also loved seeing the might Forrest Gump for the first time and watching Super Deluxe (Tamil) was an acing experience

Running

I have kept at running for most part of the year. A mile a day, 20 runs a month-at a pace of 10.5-11.25 minutes a mile. Fairly good isn’t it? I skipped running half marathons and I might pass this year too. Best find was Annamalai University ground- but would be sad to see it go this year. In all, the days with no morning run somewhow felt shaddy. Did I also tell, transit to Chidambaram- Tiruppur covered most of my foursquare checkins?

If true wealth is Time and Freedom, you gotta hustle and earn. No further closing notes this year- I’m glad and feeling content doing things that I am currently with and hope to keep at it, in the year and the nexts to come. What’s your decade plan? 

[erik-lehnsherr-the-hot-hypocrite]

Tag Meme stuff! Thanks to @curvyjimkirk the Magnificent! Rules: Tag 9 people you’d like to get to know better (but I’m not going to do that because I’m a real rebellious anarchist™)

Relationship status: Happily married to my wonderful bed and Netflix account, I will never leave them Favourite Colour: Bordeaux Red Lipstick or Chapstick: Even if I would look absolutely stunning with lipsticks my masculinity is way to fragile to pull that off Last Song I Listened to: Me And The Devil - Soap&Skin Last Movie I Watched: “Mudbound” Top 3 TV Shows: Peaky Blinders, Stranger Things, Brooklyn 99 Top 3 Characters:  Erik Lehnsherr, Frank Caste, Thomas Shelby Top 3 Bands/Artists: Lorn, Woodkid, Florence + the machine Books I’m Currently Reading:  Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari & The Social Construction of Reality by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann

[ask-the-stormrider-marines]

Inktober 13: Build; Yuval as the Valiant Little Tailor

In this fairytale the Valiant Little Tailor brags with having killed seven flies in one blow, which gets misinterpreted into him having killed seven men in one blow. This makes other people afraid of him to the point where the king wanted to get rid of him. He promised him the hand of his daughter and half the kingdom for doing three undoable tasks.

The first one consists of killing two giants. The tailor manages to get them mad at each other and hides in a tree while they kill each other.

The second consists of catching a unicorn. The tailor jumps away from the attacking creature last second, letting it ram its horn into a tree were it got stuck.

The third one consists of catching a certain wild boar. The tailor lured it into a chapel and locked it inside.

Now, Yuval wouldn’t ever brag with anything, nor would he marry someone just because they were promised to him. But accidentally getting into weird adventures and solving problems in an unexpected manner is very much like him, so I think it still fits.

Build, because the poor tailor was surely not build for what others thought he was.

Text taken from: http://www.poetry.de/showthread.php?t=38632

Translation by me.

[quotespicture]

https://quoteswithpicture.com/game-of-thrones-finale-review/

Game of Thrones Finale Review

By MA Iliasu (Kano State, Nigeria)

  Season Finale; Game of Thrones. Episode Finale; The Iron Throne.

A wise man once said: “There’s nothing in the world more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. It unites people better than Armies, Gold and Flags ever can.” That wise man is no one but Tyrion of house Lannister, the imp, the daemon monkey, the pisser over the edge of the wall and the almighty hand of the king – the wise man with the sharpest tongue in Westeros. The perfect proof of Lord Tyrion’s submission is how George RR Martin, an American storywriter unites over one billion world population with the greatest story ever written, ever told and turned into motion picture in man’s living memory – the Game of Thrones.

White or Black, Asian, European, Caribbean or African, Arabic, English, Latino, French, Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Swahili, Hausa or Yoruba, underage, ageing or aged; one seventh of the world population, and everyone is a Game of Thrones fan. And by fan, I mean the kind of fanatic level of fanboyhood. What makes Lord Tyrion’s submission even more unbelievable is the fact that its author is authored by the man we’re just trying to prove writes the greatest story ever told – with the stuff someone said in his own stuff. Wow! This is levels ahead of human beings comprehensible ability.

David Benioff and D. B Weiss also mustn’t be left behind, their infamous application of logic has wrapped up the story which its fluidity has the potential to flow until the last day, at an intensive, competent and adventurous pace. The episode finale has rationalized and solved many of the puzzles that have been in place since the inception of the show, from episode one – “Winter is Coming”, to episode last – “The Iron Throne”, in the most efficient, rational, logical and idealistic way possible. Justice is served to all; the sword is swinged by him who serves the sentence, and to him whose sentence was served, the nothingness in the truth of him who said I’m the king has been proved, the slaps of honour have been worn in both silence and noise, the status quo is disrupted against all the odds, and the real power is proved just as the script is written; the greatest of all powers is knowledge just as bit much as the inevitability of change is the biggest truth.

The talking points:

1. Don’t bury your head under the sand of delusion, not everything comes through inheritance, the biggest determinant of materiality is fate, and one must accept what it throws at him, no matter why, when and how. It’s just up to one to be ready before or when it arrives. The rightful-ness of everything lies in its righteousness, and for things to function in desired way, that which is rightful must be that which is righteous.

After all the political brouhaha amongst the prominent houses, the determination and the claims of bloodline lineages, and all the explanations and predictions; the person that gets to rule is a crippled son of Ned Stark who couldn’t lift his arm right to fire an arrow. Who would’ve thought? The boy, who was named after his uncle Bran, who was also named after Bran the Builder travelled north of the wall to find the missing tape in the cassette of his fate. Robb Stark once said to Lord Manderly: “If Bran can’t be lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can’t be king before Stannis” and I wish he was alive to see Bran as the king of Andals right in the sight of rightful heirs, and there’s nothing anyone of them can do about it. Isn’t that a great lesson? Ladies and gentlemen, please to Brandon the Broken, the first of his name, the king of the Andals and the first men, the lord of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm. Long may he reign!

2. No one should eat his cake and still have it. No one should pass the sentence and refuse to swing the sword. No one should take a debt and refuse to pay. What all this is trying to prove is that people must take their words seriously if world is to be any liveable environment for the living.

Daenerys Targaryen made promise of mercy, but fulfilled it with a wrath. She’s taken a debt of betterment, but paid it with aggravation. No one should get away with that. Jon Snow on the other hand has been a consistent soldier of mercy, truth, honour and honesty. He’s the personification of that proverb: “Truth is worth more than a pound.” The two lovers are complete opposite of each other, but still have so much affection for each other in a “love is blind” kind of way. Their characters define the ideals of human coexistence; take your word serious and be remembered as the greatest, but take it as a joke and be remembered as the worst.

3. Jon Snow as bigger name than Aegon the Conqueror, and Brandon the Builder in history of Westeros would be a very fair argument. Within his short life he had been a bastard, a steward, Lord Commander, a prisoner, wildlings saviour, King in the North, rightful heir to the iron throne and saviour of the realm. In all of the mentioned, he has been the greatest that has ever bear the title. No man has served the realm closer to how much Jon did. He died and came back. He’s stupid, clueless and indecisive, but which honourable, honest and brave man is not? He has the blessings of prince Rhaegar, Ned Stark, Lord Commander Mormont, Aemon Targaryen, Mance Rayder, Stannis Baratheon and Cersei Lannister. And for everyone who is against him being sent back to the wall, remember, there has to be a Stark and a Targaryen every time in Black, and a man who is good at commanding, and very dear to the Wildlings, Jon meets that criteria, in fact, he’s the only one that meets that criteria. Jeor Mormont did give him the long claw for a reason. And Maester Aemon defined love to him for a reason. Ghost agreed to follow Tormund to the wall for a reason. Edd Tollett refused the Lord Commander post for a reason. It’s for Jon to guard the realm till eternity, and it’s fair to say the realm is safe till eternity. The greatest man that ever lived in Westeros. He indeed knows nothing, but who else knows something?

4. The new small council is just a testimony of the past great councilors. Lord Tywin’s blood must always be there to be hand of the king, because no one had ever been better at it. Tyrion was sent by his father to serve in his place for a reason. Bronn of Blackwater has the cunning of Petyr Baelish, and even bigger love for gold. He also knows what it takes to convert an empty bag into bag full of gold. Samwell Tarly has learnt a great deal from Maester Aemon, and from Maesters in the citadel. He’ll make a better Maester than Pycelle. Davos Seaworth is an experienced smuggler who survived every single battle without a shred of combat ability. No one is better at brokering a deal, he’ll be of great service as the master of the ships. Brienne of Tarth as Lord Commander of Kingsguard would allow Jaime to sleep peacefully in his grave. With the only vacant post remaining is Master of Whisperers. But who in this life or another do you think could resemble Varys, let alone replicate his job? RIP Lord Varys, may the soul of Dany rot in hell for taking you away from us.

5. Yuval Noah Harari is apt; “Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.” When – Lord Commander Mormont forbade Samwell Tarly to die, Mance Rayder died while being burned alive for refusing to kneel, Craster marrying his daughters to himself, The hound threatening soldiers to rape their corpses if they run, Stannis Baratheon admitting to murder while being helpless, Robin Arryn sucking his mother’s breast while been at the age Brandon Stark was ruling Winterfell in place of Robb, and Edd Tollett saying his mother farted while dying that the whole bed shook, I thought I heard it all. I thought I’ve seen it all. Then boom!!! Lord Edmure Tully stood right there in front of lords with hope for them to endorse him as the king of six kingdoms. Wow! I think this is the greatest insult an entity has ever suffered, and I was there asking God to offer me a chance to give Edmure the greatest flogging he has ever received. What a dunce! And he truly meant it.

6. The north is finally a recognised independent dominion. North has always been an arena for extraordinary stubbornness. They worship old Gods in trees instead of fire and new, stay in snowflakes through the winter and bowed only to the dragons. The fury of northern lord matches the fire of a dragon. Greatjon Umber couldn’t agree for Lord Glover to lead northern banners until he got his fingers eaten by a dire wolf. Lord Karstark murdered two Lannister boys because Lady Catelyn set Jaime free, which costed him his head and he didn’t regret. Lyanna Mormont killed a giant in such a young age, and once wrote a reply to Ramsay saying her house recognises no king but the king in the north whose name is Stark, and we all know Ramsey. These people shall never bend before anyone who is not a northerner, and they got one in Queen Sansa, a brilliant lady with experience, with a fine lineage and beautiful face. I am that northern soldier who bends when she was done getting crowned. Our Queen! Arya Stark on the other hand refused to be the Lady of Storm’s End, instead wants to see the boundary of Storm’s End. Cold little bitch, as the hound puts it. That girl can’t live in a world where there’s no people like Ned Stark, Sandor Clegane, Blackfish and Jaqen H’ghar. The hero of the realm!

In the end, there are some missing stuff in the season finale that needs to be accounted for such as: 1. How did they rebuild King’s Landing within days? 2. How did they rebuild the wall in such little period? 3. Samwell Tarly still has the bows of Night’s Watch, how did he become a Grand Maester with bows, when did they pardon him? 4. It has been seen when the Unsullied sailed to Naath, but what happened to the Dothraki, who knows where they go? 5. What happened to or where is Ellaria Sand and her daughter? Are they still rotting in the dungeons of King’s Landing? Did the girl die from Cersei’s poison, did Ellaria watch her rot? Is she alive or dead?

Rating: 4/5

  Return to Movie Reviews

[janinahesheles]

My translation of Yuval Sarna’s paper on Janina Altman 

 ."Righteous in Sodom. This afternoon, when you pass by the tolerance square under the Bahai Gardens and see the righteous Women in Black, do wave with love. Excerpt from my column in news today about a kind of Primo Levi from Haifa."In worst times you'll find good people. Who are not silent. Not afraid. Who do not bury their heads in the sands of real estate. But do good. A nation that exists thanks to a certain dose of rightous, fearless. People by nature of their birth, their family, their education and circumstances in their life, have grown to be people of truth. Without them - Sodom and its bitter edge. One of them you can see every Friday, whether it’s under the rain or in a hot day. Not just in the screen. On the contrary. She gets cursed and spit at: "Go f*ck with Arabs". This type of righteous.She is a 86 year old bright blue eyes. Dressed in black at the occasion, cursed for already 30 years on the square in Haifa, 1500 Fridays. With signs "Stop the Occupation". With a handful of friends she is subject to curses especially after terror attacks. The rest of the year, a little less. There saliva can fill a tank of ammonia. From the curses one may erect a Temple of Hate. [In contrast] from the blessings and encouragements one may build a quiet little house. She is one of the “Women in Black" of Haifa. Anyone who has studied the [biblical] story of Sodom, remembers how little is needed to save a sinful city from the Fire of God. A few righteous. Not the righteous with Mercedes and plea agreements, but some women in the square below the Bahai gardens. She is the oldest.They shouted "Hitler should have finished with you"! It suites her. She defeated Hitler at the age of 12. Janina Altman Hescheles was born in 1931 as the daughter of the chief editor of the Zionist newspaper in Poland. 15 years later, in 1946, she wrote at the request of her rescuers her life memories at the Ghetto of Lviv and at the Janowski concentration camp. Only recently it was published in the world as well as here: "Through the eyes of a twelve-year-old girl." [Like] a diary of Anne Frank, but of one who took her own fate in her hands and survived."Be brave and do not cry," said her father before leaving forever. "Weeping humiliates Human both in happiness and tragedy." Since then she only cried secretly. The father was murdered in the street when she was ten. Her mother sent her to escape and swallowed cyanide when Janina was 12. If Minister Bennett looks for a model to be imitated by pupils, there is a perfect one: Janina Hescheles. Smart girl, educated, full of ingenuity, writer, managed to escape.In Poland after the Holocaust, when the Polish government did everything possible to restore its millions of orphans, Janina studied diligently. And at age 19 moved to Israel. Alone in the world, went through the army and the kibbutz, studied and studied until she was an expert chemist at the Technion. Meat the physicist Colman Altman. "And married". "When?" "I don’t remember". In 1957, he said calmly from the other room where he sits in front of a computer. "I began a blank page," she said. She studied at the Weizmann Institute in Munich [...]. And immediately noticed injustice. Gaps between established israelis and immigrants. Between the Kibbutzs and the slums, between Jews and Arabs.  She discovered in the 50’s that there is only one party in which activists both Jews and Arabs struggle together. The Communist Party, along with its strength and its flaws."And I've always been someone small in party. I was first a chemist and a mother for my two sons. And like many who went through the Holocaust, was a leftist. When we were standing on the square with comrade Haya, who was married to Emil Touma from the party, and [drivers] shouted at her, at a woman of about eighty years old, go to sleep with Arabs, Haya Touma replied with a smile: "I'm doing it. And it's very Grrrrrrrreat"."Two years ago I was invited for the first time," Janina says to me, "to light a torch [at the ceremony] in the Kibbutz of the Ghetto Fighters House. They projected among others my photo in a vigil of Women in Black in the square. The General Staff officers sat and applauded. Maybe he did not notice". She is very thin as if she has reached the very spiritual essence of her. Not fragile. An example of a great rebirth of the human spirit. She calls Professor Colman Altman, ninety years old and still working, her husband for the last sixty years, to come to be photographed with her. He hugs her as if they met a moment ago. She is full of hope for the future which she knows she will not see, in which Jews and Arabs will live well together.