#sheet/palte

[brooklynnsart]

STILL LIFE WEEK #9 - 2023

this week had its background and the cup and paltes painted on mixed media paper. Then the fruit and the floral design were painted onto separate sheets of clear acetate.

ref from @stillherestilllife

[beyondlife-m]

Chapter-5

“Its Alive”

Next morning we were all set along with our bags. Anna, me, Jack and Martha, We all were ready for exploring the island. We all took the necessary stuffs like Food, mini stove, Knife, spoon, and few paltes. And ya! Bread and jam too. I looked at that book “the tree of life” And kept in my bag, it thought I would read it, Reason was its cover, it was like made from tree bark and a embossed tree imprinted on it. And then we marched toward the woods behind the house. It was all green out there. We didn’t find any significance of any human touch. But there were trails like someone use to walk on it but there were no human foot prints. So we decided to follow the trails, maybe we could find something on the other side. We kept walking until there was a divergent of path. We decided to go to the left first and then the right one. Anna and I were carrying the bags and she had the camera. so she kept clicking the photos of nearby things like flowers birds, trees and us. I was just following her footsteps, because I am very bad at exploring things but she always finds out the way. Jack and Martha kept looking with there nose all the way to find something, something interesting maybe.

“Anna, did you here the music last night” I asked her.

“Ya anna we heard it too” Jack said to anna.

“Ya. it was so beautiful, We thought you were playing it.” Martha said to us.

“Of Corse I heard it but, I thought Matthew told you both to play the music, he always do such thing” Anna said.

“No Anna. Last night I didn’t do any thing…..What if someone is living here? Other than us” I asked.

“That’s what we are here to do. We will explore, May be we could some other people, after all it a vacation spot” Anna said to us.

“But Anna I don’t there is any other human on this island, I smelled everywhere, I didn’t find any human smell” Jack said. 

“Ya Anna I don’t think so there are any other humans” Martha agreed with him.

“Then what it could be?” I asked.

“Hmmm… Lets go and find it out” Anna said. And we kept walking.

We ended up on a beach at the end of the trail with lot of coconut trees. We had few fruits we found on the way. It was already after noon and the sky was clear, We looked around and there were no any another people then us. And the big endless beautiful bulesgreen  sea! it was calling us to take a dive. But before that I paced the blanket sheet on the beach and we rest for almost half an hour and enjoyed sandwiches I made in the morning.  And then Anna and I ran in to the sea. Jack and Martha was still playing on the sandy surface while we walked in to the water holding each other’s hand.

As the sea tides came and covered our feet, we both looked at each other and smiled, like the first time we went on vacation trip. Our first honeymoon! after marriage. We both were shy then. But somehow we managed it to hold each other. She was still looking as beautiful as I saw her for the first time in my collage day. And the library, it all started from the library. She loves to read and write, I use to hold the book just to see her. And the way she came in my life and everything changed. I was so changed man by now just because of her. I looked the ocean for a moment and then at her, I took her in my arms and walked in the never ending ocean.

“Matthew, what are you doing” she asked laughing and tried to get away from arms.

“I am doing that I suppose to do earlier” I said and jumped in to the sea with her. And  we were swimming and cuddling with each other and playing.

“Tell me the last time we enjoyed such time” I asked. she didn’t  said anything but she was smiling and came on my back. And I knew what to do. I was her flight I kept swimming everywhere having her on my back. And after few round of circle she told me to dive, So I did.  I took the dive and she same in front of me under the water. We both were holding each other’s hand  and looking at each other we came close and kissed each other,  and along with the kiss she did the most delighted thing, She breathed me, I felt fragrance of her breaths, deep till all corners of my heart and lungs, I felt drunk for few moment. Then she looked and me and smiled and we came back on the surface. She again came on my back and we came on the sandy surface and fall on the blanket to take a nap for a couple of moments while Jack and Martha were still playing there and enjoying the there time.

“Matthew.  Are we going to do the camping here” Jack asked.

“No we are going on the other trail we left behind, we will find some other palace there” Anna said before I could say something.

And again we all were moving in the forest and we reached on the other tail, there was an old sign board we didn’t see before, but the writings were faded so we couldn’t figure it out what was written on it but we decided to kept moving on it and almost half an hour we finally came to an end the trail. There was a giant massive old tree, it was very big. It reminded me cover of that book that Jack brough from the basement. We found it weird because we never saw such tree before. And there was a nice clean rocky surface just in front of that tree and lot of flowers plants around us. It was already evening by now and sun was just about to go down. So we decided to do the camping there. Anna told us to collect some dry woods and fruits from nearby. There were lots of fruit and berries tree. So I and jack went to do our job while Anna and Martha were arranging the tents for night stay.

It was already dark by now, we all were done with our work by now and we started the campfire. We all were sitting around the fire, We felt cold as the night was getting darker.

“So, Matthew? Let’s play something” Jack said.

“Its not ‘playing’ its ‘sharing’ you Dumbo.” Martha punched him and said.

“Ya, that’s what I wanted to say,. Let share something… Something about your space missions.” Jack said.

“Yes Anna what happed on your last trip” Martha asked so curiously.

“Its really a long story, Martha.” Anna said.

“You know what happed there, We went to a planet called “Zecros” and there…” I was trying to narrate that horrible story but Anna didn’t let me finish with my words.

“And noting happed (looking at me with big eyes) We just had a delivery to make, of a briefcase. And there we made few friends too and we attended there marriage. And the come back home.” Anna said.

“So you made friends there, Are they better than us.” Martha asked.

“Ya. Anna, I thought we are the only you have” jack said with a sad face.

“Ya there are lot of people and friends… But” Anna said.

“But what?” Jack said. And I was smiling.

“But there are no batter companion then you both… and you both my best buddy” Anna said while I was smiling and watching her saying such thing. Because, she never said such things for me. Jack and Martha   quickly jumped beside her.

“See I told you we are her best friends” jack said to Martha.

“Hmmm..” Martha said.

“What are you doing, Why are you smiling like an idiot?” Anna said to me. I came back to my senses.

“What?” I asked. As I don’t know what she is asking for?

“Prepare some dishes. They all must be hungry by now.” Anna said. I wanted to tell her that “I am hungry too, is there is anyone who cares me?” But  that was meaningless thing to do. I arranged dishes with bread jam, fruits and berry and Marshmallow barbeque.

“Hey Matthew, will you tell us story what happed on your first honeymoon?” Jack said while enjoying the marshmallow.

“Ya, Matthew them what happened on our first honeymoon” Anna said with a laugh and I knows why she was laughing .

“Did something dumb happed on first trip” Martha asked.

“Ya. There was no first trip at all” I said.  Anna was still laughing at me watching my falling face and her laugh was making feel so sad and dumb.

“What do you mean, there was no first trip?” Martha said.

“I was so late to book the tickets then. All tickets were sold out and we were out of any trip in our budget. But we were still on holydays, So Anna decided to visit all the famous places like museum and parks of our own city. We went to the museum and few roller-coaster rides and the food streets at evening…” I was saying.

“But it was still fun know. We enjoyed rooming around the streets of our own city; we never looked at the city like that before. We didn’t felt like we missed anything; infect it more interesting than the trip. It was still beautiful and memorable. I wish you both were there with us on that time, we enjoyed so much” Anna said. She was looking at me with a smile. And I was smiling back.

“Now its your turn jack to say something, tell me what you both do when we are out of the house” I asked. I always wanted to know what they actually do in our absence.

“O! we watch our neighbors, play with some other street buddy’s and some time we do some secr… Ouch!” Jack was trying to say something but Martha punched him.

“He means watching some match scores on TV.” Martha said. And me and Anna we both felt they are hiding something. But we didn’t interrupt them. It was already so dark at night and the fire was about to finish. Anna told to get in the tent to sleep, So I added few more wood before going to sleep.  and we all went inside the tent to sleep.

Almost after half an hour we saw light around our tent, me and Anna were still awake while jack and Martha were already went to sleep. We came out and saw that big tree and the flowers, it was glowing, and we were so fascinated to watch that. We both were blank watching around us and then we saw birds coming and set on the branches of that tree. Those birds started sing. Ya birds were singing. I thought I was watching a dream.

“Matthew isn’t it’s the same music we heard last night” Anna said patting my shoulder with her hand.

“Ya…” I said.

“What’s Going on” Martha came with a yawn. And jack took. Jack rubbed his eyes twice.

“Is this for real, is this really happing” Jack asked.

“Ya I think so” Martha said looking around with her wide eyes open. Actually we all felt the same as Martha.

“Anna, What is happening” I asked Anna.

“I don’t know lets go and see” she took my hand and walked toward that tree. And we all were slowly steeping.

“Bird are singing” Anna said.

“Ya, I can see that” I said.

“No I didn’t mean that. I mean if the birds are singing then who is playing the music” Anna said, she can only think of such thing to investigate. We all wanted to know what is actually happing here.

“hmmm there are instrumentals music other than singing.” I said.

“Hey Matthew, I think it’s coming from the flowers.” Jack said.

“What” I said. And moved towered the flowers. I was just about to touch that one from that flower.

“I won’t do that son” A heavy ghostly voice hit our ears and we all were freeze except jack. He quickly jumped back and started baking at tree.

“Flowers look beautiful on branches more then in someone’s hand” Again the same voice came.

“It’s coming from the tree.. I thing its hiding under the tree” Jack said and kept barking. “Calm down my child, I am the tree” Another voice hit our ears. We all were frightened by now. Is that tree was really talking to us. We all had the question in our minds. (And our conversation wen on)    

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[skyfire85]

-The sole remaining M6A1 Seiran at the NASM Udvar Hazy Center after an 11 year restoration. | Photo: Karsten Palt

Flightline: 53 - Aichi M6A1 Seiran

Capitalizing on the successful raid on Pearl Harbor, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, proposed a fleet of large submarine aircraft carriers to attack the continental US.

-I-401 underway, date unknown. | Photo: IJN

Work on the I-400-class submarine, the largest sub constructed until the ballistic missile submarines of the 1960's, began in 1943, though the planned fleet of 18 was scaled back to nine, then five as the war turned against the Japanese. The leviathan subs had a watertight tube which could hold three airplanes, as well as torpedo tubes and a deck gun. Each plane would be rolled out, rigged for flight and launched via a compressed air catapult. In the end, only three were completed, and only the first two, I-400 and I-401 were launched before the war’s end. The US captured all three subs, though I-402 was sunk off Fukue Island to prevent the USSR from also inspecting the sub. I-400 and I-401 were sailed to Hawaii for further study, though they were eventually sunk in 1946, again to keep them out of Soviet hands.

Aichi Kokuki KK was tapped to build the new torpedo/dive bomber, which would be launched from the subs, attack the targets, then return to the sub’s position, which would then surface and retrieve the crew before sinking the planes. Initially planning to adapt the D4Y1 (Judy) dive bombers Aichi was building under license, eventually a clean-sheet design was needed as the modifications would be too extensive.

-Orthographic view of the M6A1. | Illustration: Kaboldy

The final design was a low-wing monoplane with pontoons.The plane featured a crew of two and was armed with an 850kg torpedo or bomb, as well as 13mm machine gun on a flexible mount for self defense. The plane was powered by a license-built copy of the Daimler-Benz DB 601 V12 engine, which provided a cruise speed of 296km/h and a range of 1,188km.

-Scan of a model kit instructions showing the extensive folding required to fit the M6A1 into its hangar. | Screenshot: Tamiya Model Co.

-Cutaway model of the I-400 submarine showing the folded M6A1s. | Photo: Pintrest

In order to cut down on prep time, the aircraft, given the designation M6A and called the Seiran (lit. “storm from the clear sky”) would be launched from a cold start, with oil and water preheated separately and pumped into the engine prior to catapult, an idea borrowed from the Nazis, who developed it for their incomplete aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin. The first Seiran flew in 1943, and production started in 1944. Two trainers, designated M6A1-K Nanzan (“South Mountain”) were constructed, with hand-cranked landing gear replacing the floats.

-One of the two M6A1-K , designated “Jake” by the US. | Photo: Unkown

The M6A1 were organized into the Shinryuu Tokubetsukougeki-tai (“God-Dragon Special Attack Squad”), and commenced training to attack the locks on the Panama Canal, which would cut American supply lines. The plan was for the I-400 and I-401 to be joined by two smaller subs, the I-13 and I-14, which would be modified to carry two Seirans each, and attack the Gatun locks on the Atlantic side, as this would maximize the damage. Crews trained on a full-scale wooden mockup of the locks, with training concluded on 20 June 1945. The aircraft were painted with false US markings and the subs were set to sail when the Allies captured Okinawa.

The loss of Okinawa resulted in the attack on Panama being canceled, and the sub’s target was changed to Ulithi atoll, where the US Navy was massing in preparation for attacks on the Home islands. The Seirans would be tasked with making Kamikaze runs on the Allied ships. The I-400 and -401 would then sail for Hong Kong to take on additional aircraft to continue raiding Allied warships. The Emperor ordered surrender before the attacks could commence, and the M6As, without wings or tails, were catapulted into the ocean in accordance with orders to disarm.

-The Smithsonian’s Seiran undergoing restoration in 1998. | Photo: Brandon W. Smith

One Seiran was surrendered to US forces by Lt Kazuo Akatsuka of the Imperial Japanese Navy, who ferried it from Fukuyama to Yokosuka. After examining the airplane, the Navy placed it in storage, and eventually donated it to the Smithsonian in 1962. Restoration work on the Seiran began in June 1989 and was completed in February 2000, when it was placed on display at the Air & Space Museum. The M6A was moved to the Udvar-Hazy Center, where it remains today.

-Color orthograph of the M6A1, showing the wings and tail folded. | Graphic: Pintrest

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[asongstress1422]

Drinking Game

For day 14 of Zutara month. Please check out my AO3!

“Zuko?” Katara’s voice echoed through the house as she replaced the spare key back above the door, the movement awkward in her overstuffed parka. She entered closing and locking it behind her. “Zuko? Did you forget we were carpooling tonight? Are you even ready?” A cursory look around his living room confirmed that he wasn’t there. Pausing she listened for the sound of a shower. Nothing. Annoyed now she marched for his bedroom. “Are you even awake?”

She shoved open his bedroom door ready to drag him out by his hair. She was not going to be late to the rehearsal dinner because someone wasn’t going to get out of bed in time. The room was a mess. Clothes strewn everywhere, take out boxes and dirty dishes, empty bottles. The room smelled like a weak-old kitchen trash, stale beer and the noxious scent of vomit. Lovely.

“Zuko!” She hissed, picking her way through the minefield of a room to his bed. She watched as a roll of blankets tumbled off the edge of the mattress and landed with louder thunk then their weight warranted.

Zuko’s head popped up from the side. “Yeah, what… Katara?” He blinked several times holding a hand over his left eye, trying to bring her in focus. “What are you doing here?”

“We were supposed to drive to the rehearsal together, remember?”

“Yeah, but that’s on Thursday.”

“Guess what today is, Genus.”

He sat there staring at her for a long minute then, blinking owlishly, turned to his clock. Reading the time he burst into movement. “Shit!”

“Zuko! Pants!” Katara screeched turning her back and blushing as he untangled himself from the blanket cocoon.

“Shit!” He cursed again, diving for a discarded pair of boxers and almost concussing himself when he caught his foot and ended shoulder checking the wall. All the movement caused his head to spin and simultaneously feel like to was about to split open. Cradling it between his hands he pressed. “Oh fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“Zuko, are you alright?” she asked reaching for him, concerned at his state of unkept. For a man who was usually fastidious about his appearance he looked a wreck.

He warded her off, stumbling from the petri dish he called a room, towards the main body of the house. “Yeah. Peaches. Nothing some coffee and a shower won’t fix.”

“Water first.” She harped following him. “We don’t need to add another drug into your system before we flush some of the old out.”

He ignored her, shoveling grounds into the machine.

“We don’t have time for this.” She filled a glass with water shoved it into his hands and hip checked him out of the way of the coffee maker, taking the pot to the sink to fill with water. “Drink that, get in the shower, and I’ll bring you a cup when it's ready. If we are not out of here in twenty-five minutes I will kill you to explain my absence.”

“We’ll get there. Besides you can’t kill the best man two days before the wedding.”

She shot him a harried look as she poured water in the percolator, “try me.”

Deciding it was in his best interest to remain quiet at this time, at least until his head stop pounding, he downed the glass on his way to the shower.

Five minutes later there was knock on the bathroom door that jerked him from his semi comatose state. “Zuko, coffee’s ready.” The door opened a crack and she called in. “Are you almost done?”

“Yes. Go away.”

“Do you have a towel?”

“Yes.” He poured shampoo in his hand and scrubbed it in his scalp.

“Did you finish that water?”

“Yes! Now leave me alone.”

He heard the door close. Sighing he ran his head under the spray and nearly blinded himself on top of slipping when he heard the sink tap turn on. “Katara, what are you doing? Get out of here.” Her slightly distorted shape moved closer to the shower frosted curtain. Her hand shoved around the thin sheet of plastic with another full glass of water. “Good god, I am in the shower!”

“I know that. Take the glass.”

“No. Go away.”

“Take the fucking glass, Zuko!” Startled he grabbed the glass. Katara never cursed. The hand retreated for a moment only to reappear. “Ibuprofen.”

“Thanks.” He popped the pills as her image moved away.

“Eighteen minutes.” She said pulling the door closed behind her.

Back in the kitchen Katara began rummaging in the cupboard. She needed to shove down his throat to help soak up whatever alcohol was left in his system and help balance out his blood sugar levels. She unearthed a jar of peanut butter and a partial jar of strawberry jam in the door of the fridge but no bread. Grumbling under her breath she went back to rummaging. When was the last time he went to the store? In the back of the free standing pantry behind  boxes of expired hamburger helper she found a unopened box of saltines. As it was either stuff the peanut butter and jelly into uncooked pasta shells or the ancient forgotten crackers, she opted that the extra sodium would help. Setting about she made a dozen little cracker sandwiches.

Hearing the shower turn off she pulled down a mug and filled it with coffee adding a teaspoon of sugar and, after a cursory sniff of the pint, a haft splash of milk. She debated making a cup for herself, just for the taste, but decided she actually wanted to sleep tonight.

Taking coffee and pb&j’s she met Zuko as he was leaving the bathroom a towel around his hips.

“Oh thank god.” He grabbed the coffee and downed at least half of it in one go. He eyed the palate. “What are those?”

“Mini sandwich crackers.” She held the palt under his nose. “Eat them.”

He looked at them suspiciously before marching back to his room. “I’m good.”

She followed harping at him. “You need food. Dinner’s not being served til seven, and knowing how long winded Sokka is it might not be til seven-thirty. Besides that I don’t want to be trapped in a car with you for an hour when you're in this kind of mood.”

“I’m not in a mood. Now if you would please excuse me I need to get dressed in under ten minutes or this nut bag of a woman, who broke into to my house, is going to flip out on me.”

“I didn’t break in . I used the spare key.” She said one hand on hip the other holding out the plate of mini sandwiches. “Eat the crackers.”

“You entered without my permission or my knowledge. What is that but breaking in?”

“Checking on a friend.” She waggled the plate causing the crackers to slide back and forth in offering.

“So you wanna play it that way, hu? Fine.” He dropped the towel.

“You are impossible,” she growled slamming out of the room with the plate, face red.

Ignoring her little tantrum he turned to his chest of drawers pulling out a new set of boxers. He couldn’t believe he had agreed to drive her to this thing. He would have had to go anyway. It wasn’t often one of your best friends got married. But dear god what possessed him to agree to drive Katara as well?

He dressed in white dress shirt tan slacks and a grey tie. His suit for the wedding was still at the dry cleaners. He had meant to pick it up on Monday, but things had gone downhill so quickly. Had he really shut himself up for four days? He didn’t even remember a lot of it. Judging by the refuse in his room, he was going to be paying for it with more than just a splitting headache.

I should have just rented a car , Katara thought bouncing on her toes watching the second hand make its sixth rotation after the hour. She was going to kill Zuko.

Finally she heard his door open.

“We have to leave now. ” She said turning to him. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him. His hair was still damp but brushed back from his face and in a semi-formal tie and button-up he looked a thousand times better than what she had walked in half hour before.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m ready.” He said shoving his wallet into his back pocket and sliding on his coat. He gestured to the door. “After you.” He locked up behind her and they made their way to the garage.

“When did you stop drinking?” She asked shoving her hands in her jacket pockets. His apartment had been cold but nothing compared to the biting chill of the parking structure.

“What?”

“What time did you have your last drink?”

“I don’t know, sometime this morning? Why?” He clicked the button on his key and the car flashed and made a small whooping noise as it unlocked, grating at his skull.

“What was it?”

He opened the car door and stared at her over the roof. “Why are you asking?”

“How long were you drinking last night?”

“I don’t know, the majority. Why do you want to know?”

“The likelihood of you still being intoxicated is high. I want to drive.” She held out her hand.

“Katara, I’m fine. Get in the car.”

“No.”

“Katara, stop being ridiculous. Get in the car, we’re going to be late.”

She stormed around the car to get into his face. “I am not being ridiculous.”

Her mother was killed by a drunk driver when she and Sokka had both been kids. He knew that, damn it. “I know. I’m sorry. But I am okay to drive.”

“Not from what I can see. From the state for your room you're on a several day bender. Judging that you didn’t even know what day it was, you've been blackout drinking at least part of the time. You are letting me drive or I am finding a different ride and if you try to drive I am calling the police.” He stared at her in shock her hand held out for the keys. “I’d rather miss the rehearsal then miss the wedding because some jerk-bender crashed his car.”

“I’m fine.” He ground out slamming the key ring into her hand and moving around to the passenger seat.

“I’m sure you are. Prove it to me tonight and I’ll let you drive home.” She started the car and it hummed. She buckled up and readjusted all his mirrors before backing out.

“If you put one scratch in my car, I’m coming after you.”

He grumbled his way through her city driving, how she coasted to every light even when it was yellow and actually went the speed limit. “Wanna hurry it up, grandma? The way your driving we won't arrive till the actual wedding.”

“ This is why I wanted you to eat something. You turn into a prick when you're hungry. And I’m guessing your hungover-hungry is ten times worse.” She tapped her break when a car jetted into her lane.

“You can’t let them get in front of you!” He groused.

“They can get in front of me all they want as long as they don’t hit me. I hate driving in the city, there are too many people.” She held the wheel in a death grip. “I packed those cracker sandwiches in my purse.”

“I don’t want them. On your left.” He pointed out and she slowed to let the car in. “I just said you can’t let them get in front of you!”

“And I saID TO EAT THE DAMN CRACKERS AND SHUT UP!”

After another ten minutes of wanderer her way through the city she finally hit the freeway and just the beginning lag of rush hour. Another fifteen minutes and it saw them out of the city. She finally punched the accelerator and hit a cruising speed she was comfortable with when the traffic died down.

Another five minutes and he was digging in her purse.

“In the side compartment,” she directed. “There’s a water bottle in there for you too.” A few more minutes passed, the crunch of crackers and an occasional sip of water the only sound.

“Do you want to talk about it?” About why he was in his apartment surrounded by trash and so out of it he forgot his best friend's rehearsal dinner that he was an intricate part of.

Zuko was staring out the window, little baggie of peanut butter and jelly crackers in hand. “Nope.”

She nodded and turned her full attention back to the road.  

“We wouldn’t be late if you weren’t such a grandma on the road,” he snipped skipping up the front steps of the hotel.

“No, we wouldn’t be late if you were dressed and ready like you were supposed to be,” she reprimanded a half step behind him. He held the door open as she sailed into the lobby.

The decor was gold, red and cream. Muted enough not to be garish and helped a certain amount of sophisticated charm with its three tier chandelier and granite water feature. There were other people milling about. The attached restaurant across the way seemed packed and the bar lounge was doing a steady business.

“Hold up,” Katara said latching onto his arm as she balanced on one foot to adjust the strap of her shoe.

“And you blame me for not being ready,” he growled even as he steadied her.

She rolled her eyes fighting with her shoe. She had kicked off her orthopedic sneakers and scrub bottoms in the car to reveal black tights and to slip into sparkly heeled sandals.

“Zuko?” The voice brought him up short. He turned slowly hopping again everything that it wasn’t who he thought it was. A woman in an elegant black evening dress was gliding towards them.

“Mai, what are you doing here?”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m best friends with the bride and the maid of honor, of course I’m going to be here Zuko.”

“O-of course. I’m sorry. How are you?” He stuttered, trying for cordial.

“Fine.” The one word was a knife to his heart.

“That’s… good.”

Katara looked between the two. “I’ll check in in Ty Lee to see if there's anything she needs help with,” she said before disappearing into the room.

“Is she your date?” Mai asked.

“No, I just drove her. I’m not like you.” He couldn’t help the cutting remark.

Mai sighed. “We both know that our relationship wasn’t working for a long time now. Don’t blame me for finding happiness.”

Zuko snorted. “Where is Lee now?”

“He had work. He’ll be here for the ceremony Sunday.”

The words scourged his soul. Five years down the drain just like that. Yes, they fought. Yes, they spent more time apart these days then together both focusing on their carriers. But she was his first love and the reality that she had someone waiting in the wings hurt him deeply.

“Don’t you think that will cause talk?”

“You know I’ve never cared about what others think. I’ve told Suki and Ty Lee, and now I’ve told you so you can make a decision on how you want to proceed.”

“What if I don’t want him to come?”

“Then that’s you prerogative.”

“But it won't change anything thing.”

“No.” The stood in the silence of their shared history. Both of them stubborn to a fault, nearly always unwilling to bend.

“I won’t like him,” Zuko said petulantly.

“You would it you gave him a chance,” her face softened as she thought about him. “He makes me smile.”

“I made you smile.”

“Yes,” she looked at him, eyes serious once more. “But I never tried to make you smile. I try with Lee. I was selfish in our relationship, you were there and you were safe and I knew you would never leave me.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“No, no Zuko.” She wasn’t the best at getting her emotions out into words but she was making a real effort now. “But it was not fair to you. If I felt angry, I took it out on you. If I was sad, I took it out on you. We fell into that routine and we were making each other miserable. I hated what I was doing but I just couldn’t seem to stop. Then I met Lee--”

“And he swept you off your feet. Yes you told me.” He turned away, wanting this conversation to be done.

She stopped him. “And I learned I needed a clean slate. I didn’t need past guilt constantly hanging over me. That every time I was with you I was beating myself up over hurting you, and that would make me angry and I would blame you and the cycle would start again.”

“I had been planning on breaking up with you for a while but I couldn’t think of a way that wouldn’t hurt you.”

“So you decided jumping into another man’s arms was the right choice?”

“No, I decided that it was going to hurt anyway I went about it and I just needed to stop dragging it on and do it. We both deserve much better than what we were giving each other.”

“All I want to do is dig into you to make you feel how I’m feeling right now but we’re at our best friend's wedding and it’s not right.”

“You’re right. I only meant to let you know I would be brining a date and I’ve done that. When you want to talk, let me know.”

“I think you’ve said everything that needs to be said. You broke my heart to protect me, great.”

Mai sighed. “I can see you’re in one of your moods again.”

“One of my moods, what-- No, no, I’m not doing this. I hope you have a wonderful life and everything works out great for you and Lee. I just-- I got to go.”

He turned and fled into the crowd. He was making a beeline for the bar when Sokka caught him.

“Katara said you were here!” Sokka wrapped both arms around his best and gave him a bone crushing hug.

“Yeah, sorry we’re late.”

“No trouble. Suki’s parents are running a bit behind so we were holding dinner for them.” He squeezed his shoulder. “She told me about you and Mai. That’s rough buddy.”

“Don’t worry about me, this is your and Suki’s big night. Speaking of Suki, where is the bride to be?”

“In the corner talking girl stuff with her generals. If dad ever needs to get foreign diplomats to follow his tune he should just send that group after them and it would be done in a trice. Come on, she wants to say hello.”

It was the end of the night, the dinner guests of family and friends saying their final goodbyes until the big day two days hence, when Katara slid onto the bar stool next to him. “I thought we had a deal.”

He held out the car keys he tipped his glass to his lips. Without a word she took them setting them on the counter in front of her. She smiled at the bar tender when he came over to see what she wanted to drink.

“I pitcher of water, no ice, and two shot glasses. Oh, and,” she stole the half full whisky tumbler from Zuko and handed it over, “get rid of that, please.”

The man nodded and filed off to fill her order.

“That was my drink,” Zuko said with little inflection, resting his head on his hand. He was pleasantly warm and his headache was all but forgotten.

“I’m cutting you off,” she smiled again as the bartender test down the pitcher and two shot glasses.

“Water?”

“Well your inebriated enough for the both of us.” She picked up the pitcher, filling both glasses. “I need to get up early tomorrow for my shift, so coffees out. You know my stance on soda and we just ate our weight in wedding fare. So, yeah, water.” She pushed one glass his way. “Though it we ask really nice Mr. Barkeep might be able to find us some decaffeinated tea.”

“Uncle would kill us,” Zuko said as he down took the shot making her laughed like he meant her too.

“Yes he would.” They traded taking shots for a few minutes. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Zuko’s dark mood threatened to roll back up. “Do you want to talk why you and Aang broke up.” He downed his shot, now wishing for something stronger.

“He wanted to change me into who he thought I was and I was tempted to let him.” She downed her shot. “Your turn.”

“Mai found someone new and told me dumping me was for my own good.” He poured.

“Was it?” She tossed down her next shot

About to take his shot, he paused. “What?”

“Was her breaking up with you good for you? Because I can see it was good for Mai. She seems… calmer. Less quick with the put downs. She actually made a joke with me over the duck entree.”

He set down the glass still full. “I don’t know. She had a lot of points but I’m too drunk and too tired to think about them. All I do not is that I’m hurt.”

“That’s going to last a while. I was the one that finally ended things with Aang and it hurt for months but I knew it was the right decision. I still love the guy but I knew if I stayed I would have killed him. And I’m still not sure if I mean that figuratively or not.” Katara poured herself another and downed it hand still on the pitcher. “I’m going to go use the restroom. We can drop the conversation if you want or I’ll be there to listen the whole ride back, your choice.” She slid of the stoll placing a hand on his shoulder. “But you have friends, Zuko, that care deeply for you and going off the deep end is not okay.”

“I know, I know.” He smirked. “Mom Katara to the rescue again.”

She mocked glared. “Don’t make me sick Ty Lee on you.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Thanks, Katara.”

She smile. “I’ll meet you in the Lobby.”

[rebeccaroberts-photography]

Photography - The beginning of Photography

Victorian Portraits

The Victorian era began after the Georgian period in 1837 when Queen Victorian reigned and ended in 1901. Photography in this time period became popular as the Daguerreotype, Calotype and wet collodion were invented.

Creating a printed image

The first cameras were camera obscuras (the pinhole camera) where the image projected through a small hole (aperture) into a light tight box would be upside down and back to front.

The camera equipment used were bellows cameras, invented by Francis Fowke and made by Thomas Ottewill in 1856.

Johann Schultz experimented with silver nitrate in 1717, he discovered that chalk and nitric acid that contained silver would be darkened by sunlight but not heat from fire – proving that light develops an image. However, this image was not permanent. Chalk image:

Soon after, Louis Daguerre invented the Daguerreotype which was the first successful photographic process. A daguerreotype is both a negative and a positive image simultaneously on a silver copper plate that was secured in glass or a leather case.

From here, Nicéphore Niepce created the first image on puter in 1820 and in 1839 used a silver salt coated plate and used the fumed from heated mercury to develop the image, creating the first printed photograph of the view from his window. The first photograph:

Henry Fox Talbot invented the salt paper and calotype process, spending his time trying to find the right material to capture an image on. He dipped salt and silver nitrate covered paper into a strong salt solution to create salt prints.

Soon after, Sir John Hershal introduced the use of silver halide crystals to create a negative. In 1851, the wet collodion process was created by Frederick Scott Archer, this involved combining a soluble iodide and a collodion solution which is coated onto a glass plate, this image is a direct negative.

The Ambrotype (collodion/direct positive) is a wet collodion glass palte negative but on a black background makes it a positive.

The Tintype is a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal that is coated with a dark lacquer or enamel to support the photographic emulsion.

[victoriahousetx]

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?

BY Derek Womack

On a chilly Friday evening, the Port Arthur Little Theatre is opening its run of EVIL DEAD: The Musical. I step carefully towards the front row, over sheets of plastic they've taped to the floors and seats.  There is a certain "uncertainty" that excites me.  I look around somewhat surprised by the amount of people (many covered in plastic as well).  I sit down. My normal level of social anxiety is at its peak, but there is a stronger feeling that is building.  It's .....   

As part of a generation nursed on cable tv, and babysat by afternoon cartoons only to graduate with on-demand streaming with my iPhone; I can't help but wonder if maybe I've missed some important element of entertainment.

Maybe the experience

Not just of the movie, concert, art show itself... or in this case, a play, but of the shared group experience as an audience member.. the collective unspoken bond that forms. (That familiar face that would otherwise be a stranger giving you a nod and a smile as they pass you on the street,  as if to say  "hey, we were there for that."

And we all have excuses, a lot of which are completely justifiable.  I understand completely the last minute reasoning that debunks even the best laid plans.  "Wait.  Do we have money?"  

"Who's watching the kids".

"Oh shit, I have to talk to people in person...without spellcheck... in real time.."  

"What if there's more than one person there?"

 "Why are we here?   WHY??!!"

But there we were. The only warning I received, or rather, that I remembered was this: "Expect to get soaked"

The warning echoed through my head as the show began.   I adjusted the little bill of my hat, hoping it would shield my eyes if things were to get too messy.  

     The first song begins, and oddly enough i'm enjoying the shit out of it.   The songs are hilarious, the performances spot on.  I'm geeking out, having to stop myself from being the dumbass who looks around and points every time they make some "insider" reference.  "Hey.  Did you get that" nudge nudge wink wink or what the fuck ever.  

Act I closes as blood sprays into the audience, me and my wife are soaked.  She got it directly in the face, and isn't happy.  

(But we knew this would happen, right?)

INTERMISSION

We are standing outside, talking with some other audience members; in the distance someone is getting sprayed down with a super soaker full of fake blood.  My wife has calmed down; I piggyback a few conversations about the show and the constant "hey, you’re on my friends list" introductions.. constantly thinking... "if this is how Act I ends then we are going to be drenched during the finale."

They announce the show is about to resume and we make our way through the blood soaked theatre to take our seats.  The lights go dark.....

Southeast Texas has a long history of producing creative people, (for more on that, go down to the Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur) but I've never seen the local arts and entertainment scene thrive like it is right now.  There are bands playing several times a week, art exhibits, multimedia projects and probably 20 other things a week that no one knows about.  There is this energy occurring that is creating some amazing things.

I mean, if I went back in a time machine 10 years and told myself I would be watching PALT do Evil Dead The Musical, my younger self would have thrown up a "Bullshit" flag, and yet, here we are.

As the final act begins, all bets are off... though we are soaked, everyone seems to be uncomfortably awaiting the inevitable.  The suspense is thrilling.

    The dead surround ash as the song begins.   

This is going to be it, blood bath time.   

The chainsaw starts up...

The musical massacre is upon us...

The blood begins spraying....

soaking

everyone.   

I tilt my head down to poorly shield my eyes,  I can barely see the stage through the storm of carnage...

I slightly turn, seeing others shielding themselves, smiling, laughing.

My wife even seems to have a smile.

I'm fucking 12 years old again and this is fucking awesome.  

There is something to this... this collective blood bath, this soul soaking experience, something maybe, cathartic even.  I know I've never really had this feeling watching movies at home or listening to new tracks on my headphones.   This was an event, the entertainment was only a part of the experience, that when combined with everything else, made for a night of memories I will cherish for a lifetime.

The following week at work, I told a friend about the play.

"I might make it out to see a local show or something like once or twice every five years", he confessed to me while we were on break.

"I mean, I want to go to more local things, but I always end up saying, I'll go to the next one."

 Are you one of those people who will "catch the next one"?  What was the last local event that you supported?   Have we become spoiled so much to the Netflix and chill mentality that the idea of attending events has become alien to us?  I fear that if the "I'll catch the next show" mentality continues.... eventually, there won't be a next one to catch.   

Support Your Scene

​So what was your favorite experience at a local show?

[amardeepsteel]