#the mannequin gallery chapter 4 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thelioncourts · 4 years

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title: the mannequin gallery fandom: captive prince pairing: damen/laurent rating: mature words: 5228 for chapter four (4/?); 20080 all together

story summary: If things would have gone the way they were supposed to, Damen and Laurent would have never met. But things didn’t go the way they were supposed to, not at all, and their meeting ended up being the equivalent of skydiving with a malfunctioning parachute. Damen tried not to complain. After all, he was now living his dream; he was travelling with his best friend without having to make sure their “I"s were dotted and their “T"s crossed. And, sure, Laurent was difficult to work with, to work for, but he was also great to look at and they made it work well as long as they were anywhere but in Paris. But when Laurent’s past begins to cause present-day problems, Damen finds out those difficulties Laurent constantly displays were a bit more warranted than he could have ever imagined. And Laurent? Laurent finds out the truth – and finds out how to smile.

The next day, their walk to the gallery was accompanied by rain. It wasn’t a hard rain, much more of a drizzle, but it left the sidewalks darkened, the population outside scarce, and the tops of Damen and Nik’s shoes wet.

“Is today going to be like yesterday?” Damen asked from underneath the black umbrella.

“Essentially,” said Nik. “We’re not getting there until eight o’clock because they don’t need to introduce us, and I know we’re photographing a different line than the gold label, but everything else will be the same.”

“Why aren’t you doing the gold label again?”

“They want to see how we work with a bolder color as opposed to the shine of metallics. The lighting to capture the two is so different and it will be a really good way to gage if the photographers know what they’re doing.”

They turned a corner and narrowly missed colliding with a man wearing a suit and holding a cup of coffee. Though they did avoid such a disaster, their umbrellas got briefly intertwined, allowing for rain to fall on them while exposed to the elements. Damen’s right shoulder took most of the water. Unperturbed, Damen shook it off and they got back to their steady pace.

“I remember the first time you really had to work with color,” Damen said.

“Do you?” Nik asked with an amused raise of his brow.

“I do,” said Damen. “Vihaan was getting married. We were invited, of course, and he wanted to hire you as the wedding photographer. You tried to decline, saying that you didn’t have enough experience to be responsible for such a day, but Vihaan insisted.” The gallery was just ahead now and through the windows they could see a few people walking around. “We were about three weeks away from the wedding and you started to freak out about all the color that would be at an Indian wedding. So, instead of letting you freak out, I scheduled a trip for us.”

“Old San Juan,” Nik said.

“Old San Juan,” Damen repeated with a smile. “Puerto Rico had so much color for you to practice with. It wasn’t any surprise that your photos for Vihaan’s wedding turned out as good as they did.”

As he opened the door to the gallery, Nik said, “They wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for you.”

“Not true,” Damen argued. They both shook off the umbrellas as much as they could before closing them and letting the door close behind them. “They would have turned out great no matter what. I just,” Damen trailed off, looking for the right thing to say, “gave you the placebo you needed to think you could take those kinds of photos.”

There were more people here than there were yesterday, but they both decided that was because of the hour later start time for the photographers. Much like yesterday, however, was where people were. Damen recognized their friend Vannes from yesterday, standing at the beverage station with another delicate black stir stick in hand, stirring it clockwise while she chatted with Audin. Across the way, Talik couldn’t take her eyes off of the female designer, the camera in Talik’s hands long forgotten in its importance. Charls, who Nik had said was even cheerier than he had seemed when Damen saw him, was in the back at the makeup vanities, his joyous laugh carrying through the echoing gallery brightly. Juerre and Guilliame were huddled by the curtain the photographers had disappeared behind the day before, no doubt speaking in French, and, from the fiddling of Guilliame’s fidgety hands, talking something serious; probably gossiping about which photographers wouldn’t get picked for the show. Then they saw a flash of red.

“There’s the answer on what bold color you’re going to be dealing with today,” Damen said. The redhead, whom they had learned yesterday was named Ancel (courtesy only of his agent pleading at him about something) was prancing around with a confidence unlike any of the others, already dressed in clothes that matched the fire of his hair. They seemed to prefer him in sheer fabrics, or maybe he preferred himself in them, but he was wearing a shirt that wasn’t a shirt at all, but red fishnet fabric that went from his neck to the tops of his ribs and all the way down each arm, cinching tight right at the wrists. His pants, shiny red leather, were no doubt similarly cinched around his ankles if the red thigh-high boots he had on were any indication. But the most striking was the simplistic styling of his red hair and the red liner winged on his eyelids.

[Continue on AO3]

“At least it wasn’t something too bright, like yellow or something,” Nik said. He adjusted the camera back over his shoulder, heaved a sigh, and looked at Damen. “I should go start fiddling with my camera again. All my settings are going to need adjusted.”

“Go,” Damen said with a jut of his chin. “I’ll go make a fool of myself again. After a coffee, of course.

“Right.” Nik stepped once then immediately turned to face Damen again. “If you see Laurent anytime in the next hour, try not to sexually harass him. He’s the one person here who can really make or break me. Him wanting to rip your dick off so you’ll stop thinking with it will definitely have him wanting to do the latter.”

“I have never sexually harassed anyone in my life,” Damen argued, sounding utterly indigent.

“No,” Nik said after some consideration, “but you’ve pursued and never been told “No” a day in your life. Laurent doesn’t seem like a “Yes” kind of guy.”

Damen waved him off, ignoring the call of, “Damen, I’m being serious!” and made his way over to get himself a coffee. After a minute, he didn’t see so much as hear Nik stomp away in a huff of fond annoyance. He was smiling to himself when Vannes said, “And how did your friend survive yesterday, Mr. Influencer?”

She had a smug grin on her face, something that seemed permanent in her disposition, but Damen met it with a steady gaze. “He did more than fine. How are you today, Ms. Vannes?”

“I’m quite well,” she said. It was obvious that she made note of how quickly he shifted the conversation. “I’m reminiscing while seeing pieces from one of our older lines running around here. It speaks volumes into how we’ve changed.”

“How old is this line?” Damen asked.

Vannes hummed. “It was from a winter line we launched three years ago. Many of the models that were here for that line have left the business. The ones still with us have different measurements than they did then. In turn, it’s been a puzzle refitting things this morning.”

The coffee maker, just as yesterday, hissed and steamed.

“Many of the models have left the business?” Damen asked. “Is there often a high turnover rate in modeling? I feel like the same girls have been walking for Victoria’s Secret for the last decade.”

“You would compare this to Victoria’s Secret,” Vannes muttered. “Etoile is predominantly a youth modeling agency. Our models normally range from only the ages of fifteen to twenty. After that, our models’ contracts are up and not renewed.”

“Fifteen? That’s young,” Damen said.

“Laurent was signed on when he was thirteen.” Vannes placed her red mug onto the table. “Laurent is Etoile’s star.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Damen said, his smile telling. “I saw him yesterday.”

Vannes hummed again. “Well, enjoy it. He’s turning twenty-one this year. And I highly doubt he’ll be renewing his contract.”

“Why wouldn’t he? He’s the owner’s nephew, right? There have to be some kind of familial advantage that would let him do this another few years if he wanted to.”

“He’s a spoiled and entitled brat,” Vannes said matter of fact. “Over the years, he’s gotten mouthier, refused to listen to his uncle or the Etoile board on what he needs to do to represent us. He won’t re-sign because he doesn’t want to be told what to do.”

Charls voice, like yesterday, interrupted to ring out through the gallery. “Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to start by thanking you all for such a lovely day yesterday. All your work is much appreciated. None of our designs mean anything if we don’t have the stylists, artists, photographers, assistants, and, of course, models to make them magical.” Vannes waved at Damen with a fluttering of her fingers as she made her way over to where Charls was standing. Audin was doing the same. “Today we have dusted off one of our past winter lines to see how our photographers do with bold color. The day will go much as it did yesterday, with preliminary group photos followed by a rotation of our models in small groups or duos. After a discussion with our photographers yesterday, we are going to double the time of rotation, however. This will, hopefully, allow you all to get to know one another much better and will allow our photographers opportunity to get the best photos. Are there any outstanding questions or concerns to address before we begin?” Charls paused, turning around the room in search for a raised hand, and when no one responded, he clapped his hands together and said, “Then we will begin shortly! Our beautiful models are almost ready.”

“The models might almost be ready, but I’m not,” Nik said to Damen as Damen wandered back over.

“You’re fine. Just like yesterday, you’re fine,” Damen said.

“They’re not having me by the windows for the individual shots today. They’ve moved me over there,” Nik said, pointing over to the wall farthest from the windows he had been at yesterday. There were three columns, large and white, Corinthian styled, and nothing more besides the shadows they casted on the floor.

“So, adjust your settings and kill it like you did before,” Damen said. Nik shot him a glare.

“What do you think I’m trying to do?”

Damen put his hands up defensively. “Alright, I’ll leave you to it.”

Walking around felt different than it had yesterday. Already Damen had expectations as to what he would see. The biggest difference today, he noted when he was by the clothing carts, was that there were more clothes leftover than there had been yesterday. Vannes hadn’t been lying when she said a lot of the clothes didn’t fit the current models’ measurements. He was running a hand over a pair of large red hooped earrings when he heard a click of heels. It wasn’t hard for him to realize how like yesterday this was, him at the tables near the vanities.

Laurent was talking to another model, one of the pretty ones with honeyed eyes. The boy was talking with a smile and Laurent was smiling indulgently back and his smile would have been the most distracting thing, was the most distracting thing, but it also drew attention to the other most distracting thing which was the red lipstick on his mouth, accentuating its fullness with the adroitly smeared bit at the right corner as though it was daring Damen to look anywhere else.

Still, he eventually did look anywhere else; he had to look at what Laurent was wearing because it was so excessive, so demanding of attention. The red lipstick on his mouth was the only color on his face. It made the color all the more sensual, the appearance of it looking kissed off and ruined. His hair, like Ancel’s, was simplistically styled and that in itself drew more attention to the less than simplistic ruby necklace on his collarbones. It was a large piece of jewelry, the beginning of it a choker that started low on his neck before scooping down to rest on the flat of his chest. Its width was at least four inches at the curve where his neck met shoulder. Damen wasn’t certain how much a necklace like that would go for, but if he had learned truly anything in the last few days it was that Etoile wasn’t cheap; this thing easily had to cost more than ten thousand dollars. But even it wasn’t enough to take away from the red suit Laurent was wearing. The suit jacket, sans shirt, was buttoned just up to the button between the top portion of Laurent’s ribcage. It was a single-breasted jacket with notched lapels and angled pockets, and it was fitted like a glove, so tight to Laurent’s body that Damen could make out the precise movements of his shoulder blades underneath the fabric. There was no vent to the back of the jacket, and it fell far enough to hide the pockets of both the front and back of the pants he was wearing. Even with the pockets hidden, it wasn’t difficult to notice three things: that the pants were made of the exact same material as the jacket, that the pants were tight too, and that Laurent had the most delicately shaped ankles on the planet.

In another life, one where Damen would have most definitely ran into Laurent on his own terms, Damen would have spent the last two days working all of his charms, the exact ones that have yet to fail him, just to see if he could get the blond underneath him in bed. But in this life, the one where Laurent was an integral part to Nik’s first break in the photography industry, Damen knew he had to behave. So, he did.

If Laurent had noticed him staring, he made no effort to disengage such actions. In fact, Laurent seemed to not know Damen was standing in the vicinity at all. After the honey-eyed model had finished talking about whatever had been on his mind, Laurent had said a few words with that same indulgent smile and then turned toward Charls, beckoning the model to follow.

Damen whistled lowly as he approached Nik again. “That blond, man.”

“You didn’t talk to him, did you?”

“Have some faith in me, Nik,” Damen said. “I didn’t say a word.”

“I feel like I need to reiterate it to you as often as possible,” Nik said.

“I promise not to jeopardize this,” Damen said, hand over his heart. “I’ll wait until the big fashion week is over before I tell him all the things I’d like to do with him.”

Nik made a face. “Gross.”

He was at the columns and Damen stepped to the side to allow him to test a few pictures. He tried one, two, three, and he must have done something different on each one with a simple twist of a dial, because he stared at his screen for a few minutes, analyzing the photos. “Hey,” he said after a minute, walking back up to Damen with the screen of the camera gestured out, “doesn’t this look like some of those pictures we took back home a few years ago?”

Damen took the camera and smiled at the memory, and right as he was opening up to say so, Nik’s hand clasped around his wrist in a vice-like grip. “Damen, we haven’t taken any pictures for online. Shit, Damen, I’ve been so focused on this –”

“Nik, relax,” Damen laughed, unlatching Nik’s hand. “I took our scheduled stuff from Italy and changed it to post every other day instead of every day. We’re good for another two weeks. In the meantime, I’ve still been posting my workouts on my story. Those always seem to do well.”

“I forgot you were still working out at hellish early hours,” Nik said. His face screamed of relief.

“Parisian sunrises are pretty amazing. You should try to get up and see one before we leave,” Damen said.

Nik was better after that, better enough to start fiddling with his camera again. It was right after he had taken two more pictures that a clicking of heels and the shuffling of feet alerted them both to movement back at the center of the room. Sure enough, all the models were gathering together in the same places they had yesterday, Laurent, Ancel, and the green eyed one near the front.

“Look at our models,” Charls announced loudly, drawing attention from those still straggling. “This red was such a bold statement for our winter line, and we were thrilled to dust off its vibrancy. If we could have our photographers gather, we are now ready to begin!”

The group photos went just like yesterday; the models all had a unique energy and so did the five photographers. It was fun to watch Nik at first as he tried to find what angle worked best with this coloring, this lighting, and then when he found it, Damen’s gaze was allowed to drift and it found Laurent’s mouth.

Like yesterday too, Damen was struck by how Laurent posed or, more specifically, how he didn’t seem to pose at all. Ancel was exaggerated with his body, moving it in the obvious way meant for seduction. The green eyed one looked less practiced, but was doing the same, arching his back and drawing attention to the jut of his hip bones. And it worked for the both of them and the others, it did, but Laurent did his own nonexaggerated thing and it was effortless and beautiful.

Damen still couldn’t stop staring at the smudge of red on his mouth.

“I can feel your staring and it’s not even at me,” Nik mumbled. Damen turned his head so no one else would see his grin.

“Sorry.”

“You don’t sound it.”

Charls rushed forward to adjust the collar on the green eyed one’s shirt (Aimeric was his name) and then he rushed right back, his eyes shining as he took in what he had created. Then he announced it was time for the photographers to move to their designated individual places. Nik started to pack up his camera bag when Talik came up to him, and Damen, with a furrow between her brows.

“I’m in your spot from yesterday,” she said. “And I can’t figure out the lighting with the windows though. How did you manage it yesterday?”

“Here are the settings I used,” Nik said, showing her a sheet of paper stuffed in his bag. He had written down the numbers.

She thanked him and left, and Damen huffed. “Giving away your secrets?”

“It’s tough lighting to shoot in over there.”

“Well, wait to give away all your secrets until after you’ve been chosen to go to the Olympics,” Damen said.

Having had already figured out everything for his new place, Nik found it easy to set up. Damen, instead, watched the other photographers set up. He watched Talik adjust her settings to what Nik had shown her, he watched Jeurre’s manager talk animatedly to him under the crystal chandelier, and he watched Charls direct the models in the same groups and duos they had been in yesterday. Laurent went to Hendric first.

The first group sent Nik’s way was beautiful and dressed in silks, silks that draped and flowed like the wind was always caught in their weight. The twenty minutes gave Nik the time to actually pose the models in a multitude of ways, to space them between the columns, to take pictures in the shadows the columns casted, to take pictures of brown eyes against the white stone.

Charls called for the groups to move and Nik was graced with the presence of Ancel and Aimeric. They were a startling duo, Ancel’s pin straight red hair against Aimeric’s brown curls, but both with green eyes. Aimeric lacked Ancel’s confidence but made up for it with the aristocratic curves of his face. Nik asked for them to stand back-to-back, asked for Ancel to bend at the knees ever so slightly so he was at equal height with Aimeric and they could angle their faces up toward the light. Ancel said, with a sly smile on his face, “You two are by far the most handsome strangers I’ve ever had photograph me,” and Nik didn’t say anything other than a low hum of acknowledgment. And when Charls called for the groups to move, Ancel waved flirtatiously as he had the day before.

Then there was Laurent.

His blue eyes were cool as he assessed the columns, assessed the light and the dark, assessed Nik and the camera in his hands.

“Well?” Laurent asked after a moment’s pause.

“Can we do something like what we did yesterday, with you behind one of the columns?”

Laurent moved in acquiesce, his feet quiet against the marble floor, and Nik took a picture of Laurent’s jeweled hand resting on the stone before anything else. They did a few variations there, some photos focused on the contrast of the bold red against the minimalistic background, others focused on the way Laurent could lean a shoulder against the white stone and look more becoming than anyone had a right to. It was when Nik motioned for Laurent to step forward that the blond spoke again.

“I heard your real name is Nikandros,” he said, pressing the palm of his head into the grooves of the column that were equally tall as his own eye level. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” Nik said simply.

“Very Greek,” Laurent said. He placed all his weight on the column, bearing it between his shoulder blades. The vent of his jacket was so tight that it didn’t lean away from his body as he arched away from the column. Instead it stayed in place, the lines of it all so clean, even down to the curves of his heels.

“And did you grow up in Greece your entire life?” Laurent asked. Nik snapped another photo.

“Yes. I went to the same schools my parents attended in their youth.”

“Why leave?”

Damen could see it in Nik’s shoulders that he wasn’t sure what to make of what was happening. Damen wasn’t quite sure what to make of hearing Laurent speak; his voice was like cold water splashed on your face after a day in scorching heat. He also wasn’t quite sure what to make of Laurent’s line of questioning.

“I – we – decided that there was more to see of the world than our city by ocean. We wanted to see it before we ended up like our parents, old and sheltered from sights different than the ones we were born surrounded by,” Nik said.

“By ‘we’ I assume you’re talking about your friend over there,” Laurent said as though Damen wasn’t in hearing-distance. “Friend? Brother? More?” Nik glared at his camera screen and adjusted a singular setting.

“Friends,” Damen supplied in answer, watching Nik get distracted. Laurent’s cool blue gaze landed on him. The red he was bathed in made his eyes look brighter.

“And you must be the face of the two,” Laurent said.

“The face?” Damen asked, taking a step closer. Nik was still fiddling with the camera.

“You two are the,” Laurent paused, “social media influences.”

Damen couldn’t help but laugh, even if his laugh was an incredulous one. “What is with you all and –”

“I had been trying to deduce which of the five of my uncle’s latest group of experimentees was the Instagram photographer, but I soon realized that looking at the photographers themselves would never do. I needed to look at their acquaintances.” Laurent had lowered himself to the ground without any direction, splaying his long, red-clad legs out and bending one just enticingly enough to look like temptation. “Everything about you screams it.”

“‘Everything?’” Damen asked. “How could everything about me scream something like that? Especially when it’s not true.”

For the first time since the shoot had started, Laurent smiled, and it wasn’t kind. He looked at Damen under blond eyelashes then spent a moment consciously changing the smile to something alluring. The entire display was magic. “You’re either extremely confident in yourself or extremely oblivious about the way life works.” He tilted his head to show off the column of his throat. “Or both.”

“We travel the world,” Damen said, taking another step closer. “We can’t help what it’s turned into, but it hasn’t changed us. We’re still doing this for us and no one else.”

“Everyone is always doing something for the approval of someone else. Even if they don’t think they are, they are.”

“You seem young to be this cynical,” Damen said.

“You seem old to be relying on teenagers on social media for your career,” Laurent said right back. He moved again, laying down, spreading his hair out like a halo on the marble floor, and turning to look at the camera.

“Can you lower your left arm?” Nik asked. Laurent complied.

Damen realized he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from speaking. He was pretty sure that lashing out at Laurent would have the same effect as trying to come on to him, and both of those ended with him and Nik packing their bags in two days.

“What is your backup plan?” Laurent asked to neither of them in particular. “Social media is currently what is bringing in the money, but social media didn’t exist in this capacity ten years ago. In another few years, something newer will take over in rank.”

“We haven’t thought that far,” Nik said. He snapped another photo.

Laurent smiled again. “I don’t doubt that.”

Damen ran a hand through his hair and breathed out a laugh, the kind of laugh that was only a breath of air out of his nostrils, and when his self-control was finally slipping away, Charls called for the models to move once more. Laurent, elegant, got off the floor and walked away.

Nik shot Damen a look. “That was unbearable.”

“Yeah.”

Nik got a lovely group of five models to photograph next and, to Nik’s surprise, one of the models, one with a confidence at a level near Ancel’s, suggested they lift the smallest of the five, a beautiful sandy haired one, up over their heads. Nik thought that sounded wonderful as long as they felt safe doing so and he had them stand center between two of the columns and lift. Erasmus, the sandy haired one, giggled. Their shadows were complementary to the shadows of the columns.

To not disrupt anything, there was a rule while the shoot was going on and that was no one in or out of the entry doors. There was everything anyone could need in this main part of the gallery and the entry doors almost always allowed a gust of wind to enter that could ruin the models’ hair. Everyone knew the rule and there was usually someone outside to ensure no one broke that rule. So, when the door opened, everyone noticed.

It was the child from Etoile’s office.

The child was wearing an outfit that cost at least as much as anything any of the models were wearing and the curls of his hair looked to be done professionally. He strutted through the gallery like he owned it, all arrogant in a way that betrayed his age. There were some looks thrown his way, but most seemed familiar or even expectant.

Damen watched, curiously, as the child walked with that never-faltering arrogance all the way up to Laurent. With a petulance befitting his age, he crossed his arms over his tiny chest, and tapped his heeled shoe on the ground. Laurent, for his part, must not have seen him or didn’t want to see him because he kept doing what he had been doing as the child had walked in: posing with his head tilted up toward the crystal chandelier. It didn’t seem to bother him that the child was ruining his shot, not until the child tugged on the sleeve of Laurent’s expensive suit jacket.

Finally, Laurent gave the child his attention. They both wore similar frowns on their faces, near mirrors of one another. The child said something, and his face said that whatever he said wasn’t kind. Laurent said something in return and his face looked the same. The child said something again and Laurent motioned at the door. With a huff, the child turned to go, but not before Laurent ruffled his perfectly curled hair. It was obvious it wasn’t a normal sign of affection and was only done to incite anger. It worked. The child swatted hard at Laurent’s arm.

“Hey,” Nik said, getting Damen’s attention. Damen waited until the child was walking out the entry doors before he turned back. “Can we go out and get drinks tonight?”

“Name the time. I’ll find us a good place,” Damen said. He was already reaching for his phone. The suggestion sounded more like a plea.

Charls announced for the models to move one last time.

There was a bar called Danico just two blocks away from the gallery. Neither Damen nor Nik wanted to bother stopping by their room, they just wanted to go. And when they got there, it was moody and alive, and they grabbed two perfectly empty stools at the bar. Nik, with his camera still in hand, didn’t even look at the menu. Damen ordered them both something strong, carbonated, and refreshing.

“Tomorrow is the last day of shooting,” Damen said, knowing Nik knew.

“Yeah,” Nik said. “I’ve never been under pressure like this for photography. The last time I felt like this was when we were kids and playing sports.”

“They’re going to choose you,” Damen said.

“I don’t think Laurent likes us very much.” They both smiled politely as their drinks were put in front of them. Nik drank a mouthful and then another.

“Well, I don’t think he likes anyone very much,” Damen laughed. “I think the playing ground is still even there.”

They sat in silence for a good ten minutes, decompressing and taking in the atmosphere of the bar. There were some beautiful people wandering around, all in nightlife wear, and Damen had that look in his eyes that earned him a not-so-easy punch in the arm from Nik.

“I’m trying not to be overconfident, but I guess I should start researching other fashion weeks,” Nik said.

“That’s not overconfidence speaking. That’s reality.”

“Whatever you want to call it, I still have no idea what I’m actually doing.”

“We’ve done really well at faking it this long,” Damen said with a grin.

“What are we even going to do for the two full weeks before fashion week?” Nik asked, ignoring him.

“There’s plenty to do in Paris,” Damen said. “And we haven’t even explored once. We’ll find more than enough to keep us busy for two weeks.”

It was easy to fall into other conversation after that. Damen brought out his phone and they looked at stats and messages and scheduled posts from their last trip in Italy. Then they talked about the phone calls they had both ignored from their families.

“Do they even know we’re here in Paris?” Nik asked, laughing. They had also ordered two more drinks.

“I have no idea,” Damen said, laughing too.

“Let’s tell them,” Nik said. He motioned for Damen to stand.

“Oh, come on,” Damen said. Nik motioned again. “Aren’t you tired of taking pictures?”

#captive prince #captive prince fic #damen of akielos #laurent of vere #capri #capri fic #the mannequin gallery #mannequin gallery 'verse #the mannequin gallery chapter 4

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maiji · 5 years

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Tale of Genji stories in one post - see full gallery on Instagram.

1) (2nd photo) Nonomiya Jinja is a Shinto shrine located inside the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, a pit stop for Imperial princesses on their way to serve as priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine/Jingu - like Akikonomu in the Tale of Genji. They had an informal quiz which @atorier translated for me. I failed 0 for 5. 2 questions were about character ages at various points of the story (I was within 5-8 years!!). 2 I misunderstood to be about Murasaki the character when they were actually about Murasaki Shikibu and was thoroughly confused at when these things were indicated in the story lmao. The last asked who was the model for Hikaru Genji. Scholars disagree on this and I’m personally in the court of Genji not being based on one particular figure, but I gamely answered Ariwara no Narihira. They used Minamoto no Toru. So much for my street cred.

2) At the Tale of Genji Museum in Uji I was excited to play the Genjiko incense guessing game! Basically it involves smelling a sequence of 5 incenses, identifying which are identical, and marking your guess with the matching Genjiko mon/seal. I thought their setup with stamps for each mon was very well-done. I got it right and the staff gave me a sticker that says I did it!!! I think they purposefully made it easy with really obviously different scents though…

3) Fukuju Saryo cafe (mentioned in my previous Uji post) had a pair of drinks based on the two main rivals of the Uji Chapters!! At first I was like “why is Niou matcha latte and Kaoru houjicha latte 🤨” then “oh houjicha is mild and matcha is bitter, okay I accept that.” @atorier was like “so judgey 🙄” I’m just excited I got to say “Kaorunokimi kudasai” which made the waitress chuckle 😂😂😂 and that I got to go to the closest thing to a Tale of Genji character cafe.

4) The museum had a lot of mannequins recreating the kaimami (peeping through screens and fences) scenes, and a section where you could see what it looks like to peek through Heian blinds, so I made a photo comic. Thanks Zanazac for modelling a sexy Heian lady.

Bless my friends for listening to me go on and on about the Tale of Genji. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3svRS3Bd33/?igshid=11cqbvul8m181

#tale of genji #genji monogatari #tale of genji museum #Uji #Kyoto #japan #travel #Nonomiya Jinja #Fukuju Saryo #kaimami #Genjiko

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foxwitchaine · 6 years

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Please Remember Me: Chapter 3

You don’t remember me, do you?

“I’m not sure, but you seem familiar.”

We’ve met before, a long time ago.

“Why can’t I recognize you?”

You were young. Not too young to remember, though.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

I know. It’s just-- Oh…

“Just what?”

We went through so much together, you and I.

“I don’t understand.”

I know. It’s not you

“Then what is it?”

Something must’ve happened when you escaped.

“Escaped from where?”

… I’ll leave it at that for now.

“Why?”

Because I want to tell you in person.

“What do you mean you can’t accept anyone right now?!?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but because we’re closing for the day, we’re not allowing anyone in. It’s our policy.”

“Policy, schmolicy. Can’t you make even one exception?”

“No exceptions, ma’am. Those are the rules.”

“Oh for crying out loud…”

She’d forgotten how long they’d been there, but she was sure only a few minutes had passed. There wasn’t really anything Ib could do but stand there and watch Karen argue with the receptionist. Apparently, they’d arrived too late to secure a tour. Not that Ib minded, of course. She could use another two or more hours of sleeping given her condition.

But this was not an opportunity to throw away easily.

If she could find out why she dreamed of animated headless statues chasing her, ladies in various colors bursting out of their frames and crawling like maniacs, and white mannequin heads dripping a red fluid, then perhaps she could finally have a good night’s sleep. Glancing off to the side, Ib saw her opportunity. Since the gallery was closing (and short-staffed, Ib noticed), there was one staircase that hadn’t been blocked off yet.

The staircase leading upwards.

She started sneaking off while Karen continued her crusader’s quest, but stopped and hesitated. A small nagging feeling tugged at her. If she were to go off on her own into a museum calling it a day, wouldn’t it be considered trespassing?

They might think of it like that.

There it was. Where had it--? Oh, right. It trailed off outside the museum because it wanted to talk to her in person.

You know, you can always try tomorrow.

True, very true. But then… what would happen during the time until tomorrow. Plus, there’d be people. Who would watch her talking to a painting, of all things, and wonder if she’s touched in the head. Ib didn’t want that.

“Better now or never,” Ib whispered to herself. With a renewed resolve, she walked off, leaving a fervent Karen still in a verbal match with the receptionist.

Walking up a staircase isn’t often associated with nostalgia, but for Ib, it opened up a treasure chest of memories.

Except that one that always eluded her.

Once she had reached the top, she stood still for what seemed like an hour, even though it had only been a scant minute.

Can you see me?

Aside from the window, eight paintings lined the wall, accompanied by two sculptures to the southwest. The three headless statues unnerved her for some reason. Ignoring the sudden feeling of alarm, Ib casually sauntered up to the painting by the window.

The slate read “Lady Taking the Newspaper”. True to the title, the painting was of a blonde woman in a simple plum dress taking what seemed to be the morning newspaper. Ib smiled at the warm memory of her mother reminding her to bring her handkerchief with her.

Did you remember everything, Ib?

Oh! Do you have your handkerchief?

You know, the one you got for your birthday.

Keep it safe in your pocket, okay?

Don’t lose it!

Speaking of the handkerchief, Ib instinctively reached into her back pocket. She fished out the white, silky cloth decorated with lace from underneath a pile of other mundane things. She unfolded the snowy material to reveal her name written in black ink on one of the corners.

Ib.

She held the handkerchief close to her face, a slight blush following.

Strange. Why did her face suddenly feel warm? The air conditioning was still on, despite it being closing hours. Shrugging it off to the side, Ib clip-clapped onto the next painting.

Hanged Man.

Somehow, this particular painting felt out of place here. Ib couldn’t stop thinking another painting should be here.

They moved things around a little bit.

She didn’t have much choice but to take its word for it and move on.

The next painting was hard to see, even without the glare from the ceiling lights. Heck, she had to squint her eyes hard just to read the slate underneath it.

“Couplet Towers,” it read. Guertena must’ve been gifted in naming as well, since the painting was a symmetrical portrayal of two identical towers. Ib recalled in English class that “couplet” meant two lines in a poem with the same number of syllables joined by rhyme to form a unit. Taking this concept and applying it to art, along with taking the painting’s title and content into account, it fit so well.

The next painting Ib focused her attention on was definitely disturbing.

Worry.

The bug-eyed, deathly white man against a vivid, almost bloody vermilion backdrop was enough to cause nightmares for a week. As if Ib needed anymore sleep problems. Shuddering, she clicked her heels and sped the opposite direction. She stopped between “Lady Taking the Newspaper”, “Hanged Man”… and those statues.

Ib couldn’t put her finger on it, but those statues filled her with indescribable dread, even though she was only looking at them. She felt as if they would come to life and try to kill her.

Trust me, they won’t.

Ib let out a sigh of relief.

In this world anyway.

This world…?

…

What did he mean this world? Was there another world Ib didn’t know about? It didn’t hurt to ask, but it did take some careful thought.

“What world do you think you’re in?” Awkward, but at least it got an answer.

Actually, it might not be a real world, but a painting.

What?!? A painting?!?

“What do you mean a painting?”

The Fabricated World…

Fabricated World… Okay, why was there a chill up the spine all of a sudden? Ib was literally feeling her blood run cold at the mention of this “Fabricated World”.

…

Ah, yes. The mural… There was a large mural stretching across one wall just around the corner where the statues stood. Ib was curious to see it, but her feet were glued to the floor. How irritating. No matter what she did to will her feet to move, they remained still. They began to feel numb…

I’m just down the hallway, in case you’re curious.

His soothing voice brought the warmth back to her now board-stiff body. With that, she was able to command her feet again. Slowly, she regained the feeling throughout the rest of her body. Wonderful thing, fear was. Powerful, too. Soon enough, she was able to straighten out her posture. She was ready to meet the face behind the voice.

“Which way do I go?”

Just follow the paintings here.

“Simple enough,” she quietly chuckled.

Including the ones she looked at earlier, there were eight paintings total. On this particular wall anyway.

Misshapen Diamond. The Lady in Red. Bitter Fruit. Spectacle of Centuries End. For some reason, they all had an odd sense of nostalgia about them. Perhaps it was all the fond memories Ib made with her parents here? Possibly, though, like with the statues, there was something eerie about the Lady in Red painting…

Can you see me now?

Ib broke out of her train of thought long enough to reply.

“No.”

Didn’t it say it was at the end of the hallway here?

I am, but…

Awkward pause.

I must be in the other hallway. Oops…

Ib had to slap herself right there. Not because of her, but because of it. How in the world did it expect her to find it if it didn’t know where it was.

Hold on. I think I see you.

What? It did?

Turn around.

Ib turned to the left.

Further.

She turned right

Other way.

Her back was now facing “Spectacle of Centuries End”.

Stop.

She obeyed. In the distance, behind a tasty-looking tree and an amorphous blue figure, she could barely make out a dull brown frame. She’d have to get closer to see the content of the painting no thanks to the lights being out. At least there was a generous amount of whatever was left of the sunlight. Thank goodness for that.

Did you see a brown frame anywhere?

Thank you Captain Interruption. Yes, she had seen the frame, but she hadn’t seen him, assuming the voice was a him.

The painting…

The painting…?

…

What about the painting?

That’s me.

“Wha--?!?”

The voice… it was coming from a… painting…?

…

This whole time… she had been talking to a painting?

Kinda shocking, eh?

It let out a nervous chuckle, even though Ib was still too shocked to respond. To think, this whole time, she had been talking to a collection of paint brushed on a surface inside a rectangular frame… Well, at least she finally knew where the voice came from… somewhat. The painting itself was still too far away to determine what its content was. Besides, Ib didn’t actually have enough concrete evidence to prove the voice came from a painting despite getting the say-so from it. Of all things… a painting… was talking to her. Still, it can’t hurt to at least take a look. With that, Ib began walking towards the other end of the hallway.

She passed the tree that looked like candy.

“Taste-Cleansing Tree” it was called. How fitting.

She passed the blue blob resembling a disfigured person from the waist up.

“Fusion” the slate read. Fusion? Of what? Feelings? Bodies? Okay, scratch that last one out. Whatever it was, it looked pretty dang creepy, for lack of a better word. Magnificent technique, though. She had to give Guertena credit for his imagination and skill.

Now, however, it was time to get serious. It was time to get the answers to her problems. Taking a deep breath, Ib shifted her attention to the painting in the dull brown frame.

She was ready to face the voice from the painting, whatever and whoever it might be.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 - you are here

Part 4

Part 5

Epilogue

#ib #ib game #ib horror rpg #garry #karen strikes again #ib fanfiction #ib fanfic #im finding other places to post fanfiction besides ff.net #this is pretty neat

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odditystew · 6 years

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The Junji Ito Index (for Currently Available English Translations)

A preexisting index I’ve found on Tumblr lists all Ito stories and links to where you could purchase his work on Amazon or read on scanlation sites. The following list has no links. The purpose of this is a list where you can keep track of which stories have already been collected and published in America by VIZ or other imprints. Previous publishings from Dark Horse are no longer in print and are ignored. I was pretty bored.

COLLECTED VOLUMES

Volumes and series that have been translated to English in their entirety

[✎] Uzumaki Collection [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects Uzumaki Vol. 1, 2, & 3 20 Chapters

[✎] Gyo Collection [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects GYO vol. 1 and GYO vol.2 19 Chapters Bonus chapters: -The Sad Tale of the Principal Post - Enigma of Amigara Fault

[✎] Tomie Collection [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects every Tomie story: The Horror World of Junji Ito Vol 1 & 2 and Tomie Again (Vol. 3) 20 Chapters

[✎] Junji Ito’s Cat Diary [ ★ Kodansha ★ ] Collects the Japanese release of Junji Ito’s Cat Diary 10 chapters [✎] Dissolving Classroom [ ★ Vertical ★ ] Collects the Japanese release of Dissolving Classroom

5 Chapters Bonus chapters: - Children of the Earth - Meet Again

[✎] Fragments of Horror [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects the Japanese release of Shards of Evil, a new short story collection.

01. Futon 02. Wooden Spirit 03. Tomio: Red Turtleneck 04. Gentle Goodbye 05. Dissection 06. Blackbird 07. Magami Nanakuse 08. Whispering Woman

[✎] Shiver [Junji Ito Selected Stories] [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects the Japanese Release of Junji Ito’s Selected Masterpieces, which contains various stories from THWOJI and others (As noted below)

01. Used Record (orig. in THWOJI Vol 10) 02. Shiver (orig. in THWOJI Vol 7) 03. Fashion Model (orig. in THWOJI Vol 6) 04. Hanging Blimp (orig. in THWOJI Vol 4) 05. Marionette Mansion (orig. in THWOJI Vol 10) 06. Painter (orig. in THWOJI Vol 2 [Also collected in Tomie Collection]) 07. The Long Dream (orig. in THWOJI Vol 14) 08. Honored Ancestors (orig. in THWOJI Vol 4) 09. Greased (orig. in Voices in the Dark) Bonus chapter: - Fashion Model: Cursed Frame (previously unreleased)

[✎] Frankenstein [Junji Ito Collection] [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects THWOJI Vol. 16 and THWOJI Vol. 9

01. Frankenstein 02. Hallucinations 03. Bog of the Living Dead 04. Penpal 05. Intruder 06. Further Tales of Oshikiri 07. Further Tales of Oshikiri: Walls 08. A Doll’s Hellish Burial 09. Fixed Face Bonus chapter: - Ito Junji's Dog Diary

[✎] Smashed [Junji Ito Collection] [ ★ VIZ ★ ]

Collects the remaining unpublished stories from Voices in the Dark and all stories from New Voices in the Dark (omits Greased, which appeared in Shiver Story Collection)

01. Bloodsucking Darkness 02. The Ghosts of Primetime 03. Roar 04. The Earthbound 05. Death Row Doorbell 06. The Secret of the Haunted Mansion 07. The Secret of the Haunted Mansion: Souichi’s Version 08. Souichi's Beloved Pet 09. In Mirror Valley 10. I Don’t Want to Be a Ghost 11. Library Vision 12. Splendid Shadow Song 13. Smashed

[✎] No Longer Human [ ★ VIZ ★ ]

Adaptation of Osamu Dazai’s semi-autobiographical novel.

24 Chapters [✎] Venus in the Blind Spot [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects the Japanese release of “The Best of Junji Ito: Short Story Collection” which consists of a cover gallery, various short stories previously left uncollected, AND select bonus stories from Gyo, Remina, and Black Paradox.

01. Color Gallery - 02. Billions Alone (orig. from Hellstar Remina) 03. The Human Chair - Original Story by Edogawa Ranpo 04. An Unearthly Love - Original Story by Edogawa Ranpo 05. Venus in the Blind Spot 06. The Licking Woman (orig. from Black Paradox) 07. Master Umezz and Me 08. How Love Came to Professor Kirida - Original Story by Robert Hichens 09. The Enigma of Amigara Fault (orig. from Gyo) 10. The Sad Tale of the Principal Post (orig. from Gyo) 11. Keepsake

FUTURE RELEASES

Announced titles (Accuracy adequate until release)

[✎] REMINA [ ★ VIZ ★ ]

Collects the entirety of Hellstar Remina, with possible short bonus stories

6 chapters Bonus chapter: - Army of One (appears in Venus In the Blind Spot as “Billions Alone”)

[✎] Lovesickness [Junji Ito Collection] [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects THWOJI vol.15

01. The Beautiful Youth of the Intersections 02. The Anxious Woman 03. Shadows 04. Screams in the Night Sequel: The White-Clothed Pretty Boy Bonus chapters: - Ribs Woman - Phantom Mansion

[✎] SENSOR [ ★ VIZ ★ ] Collects the Japanese release of Sensor

UNRELEASED WORKS

What it sounds like. These titles are not currently available, besides THWOJI’s old Dark Horse publications. Any stories that have already been collected or are anticipated to be in the VIZ omnibuses will be noted.

[✎] STAND ALONE CHAPTERS These stories are one-shots published in various magazines

[✎] Demon's Voice [✎] Fixed Face [✎] Mountain of Gods: Precipice of the Unknown [✎] She is a Slow Walker [✎] Snow White [✎] The Summer Graduation Trip [✎] Layers of Fear

[✎] BLACK PARADOX

01. Group Suicide 02. Strange Tale of the Pylorus 03. Paradoxical Night 04. Dr. Suka's Village 05. The Spirit World Project 06. To the Dazzling Future Bonus chapters: - The Licking Woman (appears in Venus in the Blind Spot) - Mystery Pavilion

[✎] KAIKI KANZUME [Bizarre Canned Food] [ This volume contains select chapters from THWOJI; no new stories.] 01. Clubhouse 02. Slug Girl 03. The Window Next Door 04. The Thing that Drifted Ashore 05. My Dear Ancestors 06. Near Miss! 07. TBHS: The Second Daughter's Lover 08. TBHS: Seance

[✎] The Horror World of Junji Ito Note: The Horror World of Junji Ito collection (aka THWOJI or Kyoufu Collection) is a 16 volume series. Volumes 1 and 2 are Tomie stories. Volumes 5 and 6 are Souichi stories. The rest are stand-alone short stories collected from various magazine publications. I will be striking thru any story in the collection currently already available translated in some form. Stars on any volume without any stories in current english publication. [✎] THWOJI: vol.1: TOMIE (Collected in the Tomie Collection) 01. Tomie 02. Photograph 03. Kiss 04. Mansion 05. Revenge 06. The Basin of the Waterfall [✎] THWOJI: vol.2: TOMIE (Collected in the Tomie Collection) 07. Tomie Part 2 08. Basement 09. Painter 10. Murder 11. Hair 12. Orphan Girl [✎] ★ THWOJI vol.3: FLESH COLORED HORROR ★ 01. Long Hair in the Attic 02. Permission/Approval 03. Beehive 04. Dying Young 05. Headless Statues 06. Flesh Colored Horror [✎] THWOJI vol.4: THE FACE BURGLAR 01. The Face Burglar 02. Scarecrows 03. Falling 04. The Red String 05. My Dear Ancestors 06. Hanging Balloons [✎] ★ THWOJI vol.5: SOUICHI'S DIARY OF DELIGHTS ★ 01. Fun Summer Vacation 02. Fun Winter Vacation 03. Souichi's Diary of Delights 04. Souichi's Home Tutor 05. Mannequin Teacher 06. Souichi's Birthday [✎] THWOJI vol.6: SOUICHI'S DIARY OF CURSES 01. Souichi's Selfish Curse 02. The Silent Room (Room With Four Walls) 03. Coffin 04. Rumors 05. Fashion Model [✎] THWOJI vol.7: SLUG GIRL 01. Slug Girl 02. The Thing that Drifted Ashore 03. Mold 04. Coldness/The Chill 05. Ryokan 06. The Groaning Drain 07. Biohouse [✎] ★ THWOJI vol.8: BLOOD-BUBBLE BUSHES ★ 01. Blood-Bubble Bushes 02. Unbearable Labyrinth 03. Sword of the Re-Animator 04. The Will 05. The Bridge 06. Demonology (The Devil's Logic) 07. The Conversation Room [✎] THWOJI vol.9: HALLUCINATIONS (Collected in Frankenstein Collection) 01. Hallucinations 02. Bog of the Living Dead 03. Penpal 04. Intruder 05. Further Tales of Oshikiri 06. Further Tales of Oshikiri: Walls Bonus chapters: Junji Ito's Dog Diary [✎] THWOJI vol.10: HOUSE OF THE MARIONETTES 01. Ice Cream Bus 02. Clubhouse 03. The Smoking Club 04. Second-hand Record 05. The Sleeping Room (Den of the Sleep Demon) 06. The Gift Bearer 07. House of the Marionettes [✎] ★ THWOJI vol.11: THE TOWN WITHOUT STREETS ★ 01. The Town Without Streets 02. Near Miss! 03. Maptown 04. Village of the Siren 05. The Supernatural Transfer Student [✎] ★ THWOJI vol.12: THE BULLY ★ 01. The Bully 02. House of the Deserter 03. Heart of a Father 04. Memory 05. The Back Alley 06. Love as Scripted 07. In the Soil [✎] ★ THWOJI vol.13: THE CIRCUS IS HERE ★ 01. The Circus is Here 02. Gravetown 03. The Window Next Door 04. TBHS: The Second Daughter's Lover 05. TBHS: Seance (Assembly of the Fallen Ghost) [✎] THWOJI vol.14: THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS TUNNEL 01. Long Dream 02. The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel 03. The Bronze Statue 04. Drifting Spores 05. Blood Sickness of the White Sands Village

[✎] ★ THWOJI vol.15: LOVESICK DEAD (UNDYING LOVE) ★ 01. The Beautiful Youth of the Intersections 02. The Anxious Woman 03. Shadows 04. Screams in the Night Sequel: The White-Clothed Pretty Boy Bonus chapters: - Ribs Woman - Phantom Mansion

[✎] THWOJI vol.16: FRANKENSTEIN 01. Frankenstein 02. A Doll's Hellish Burial 03. Fixed Face [✎] MIMI NO KAIDAN (MIMI'S GHOST STORIES) 01. The Woman Next Door 02. Sound of Grass 03. Graveman 04. The Seashore 05. Just the Two of Us/Alone With You 06. The Scarlet Circle [✎] SIREN

#junji ito

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gunboatbaylodge · 7 years

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Things to Do in Vancouver this Weekend: April 6, 2017

This weekend Vancouver is bringing it with a bunch of diverse activity options. We’ve got monster trucks, cherry blossom activities, a Harry Potter symphony, art, floral fashion, African dance, world music, and a festival of BC’s best distilled spirits.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

Friday April 7

Vancouver Monster Jam

Vancouver Monster Jam Where: Pacific Coliseum What: Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, Monster Jam trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Monster Jam trucks can fly up to125 to 130 feet in distance and up to 35 feet in the air. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

Western World

Western World Where: Vancouver Improv Centre (Granville Island) What: Vancouver TheatreSports’™ improvisers will demonstrate their lightning fast wit as they play the “hosts” to the audience “guests” in Western World – an improvised parody inspired by the popular TV series Westworld. Runs until: Saturday May 13, 2017

The VSO Performs Music from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Where: The Orpheum What: This concert will feature the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performing every note from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.™ Cars fly, trees fight back and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

Xi Xanya Dzam – Those Who Are Amazing At Making Things Where: The Bill Reid Gallery What: Xi Xanya Dzam (pronounced hee hun ya zam) is the Kwak’wala word describing incredibly talented and gifted people who create works of art. The exhibition is both a showcase and a critical exploration of ‘achievement’ and ‘excellence’ in traditional and contemporary First Nations art. Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2017

David Lynch: The Art of Life

David Lynch: The Art of Life Where: VanCity Theatre What: Revered for films like Blue Velvet and Mulholland Dr, David Lynch began his creative explorations through art, originally training as a painter in Philadelphia. David Lynch: The Art Life grants viewers unparalleled, intimate access to the enigmatic auteur while he works in his painting studio. Early memories and reflections on his formative years through the triumph of Eraserhead reveal eerie connections to his body of work, making this portrait an indispensable look at an artist and his process. Runs until: Thursday April 13, 2017

Mom’s the Word 3: Nest ½ Empty Where: Arts Club Theatre What: From the world-renowned creative team behind the Mom’s the Word series comes a new chapter in their stories of family and fracas. Their kids are grown, their marriages have “evolved,” and their bodies are backfiring. Life doesn’t get any prettier, but it never strays far from ludicrous or poignant as the moms continue to mine their personal history for every embarrassing detail. Runs until: Saturday May 6, 2017

Vancouver World Music Festival Where: Various locations What: A festival dedicated to presenting local and international artists playing traditional music from around the globe. Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Genetic Drift

Genetic Drift Where: The Fishbowl on Granville Island What: A performance that imagines a future where temperatures have risen to a level where human life can no longer sustain itself. Society’s solution for impending extinction? Splice human DNA with life forms that can sustain extremely hot temperatures. Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Caroline Mesquita The Ballad

Caroline Mesquita The Ballad Where: Centre 221A What: A sculptural practice that intertwines the materiality of altered, oxidized, and painted copper and brass sheets with theatrical playfulness. Runs until: Saturday June 3, 2017

Carlos Núñez plays Galician Bagpipes

Carlos Núñez plays Galician Bagpipes Where: The Vogue Theatre What: The magnetic performer was raised in Spain’s northwest, where he started playing music on the recorder as a child.

Fleurs de Villes Where: Metropolis at Metrotown What: Over a dozen top local Greater Vancouver florists, including The Flower Factory, Floralista Flower Studio and Quince Fine Florals, will be paired with leading brands to design stunning displays and bring them to life with flowers. Each floral-dressed mannequin is clothed in a one-of-a-kind design made up of hundreds of fresh blooms. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

East Side Flea Where: 1024 Main St. What: Over 50 local vendors, food trucks, a live deejay, artisan showrooms, seasonal drink specials, pinball and more. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

Mitski

Mitski Where: The Biltmore What: New York-based indie rock singer-songwriter, Mitski is on tour to support her latest release “Puberty 2”.

World Ski and Snowboard Festival Where: Whistler, BC What: A 10 day and night showcase of some of the best of mountain culture, music, arts and snow sports. Runs until: Sunday April 16, 2017

The Watershed

The Watershed Where: Gateway Theatre What: Celebrated documentary theatre artist Annabel Soutar leads her family on a cross-Canada journey, probing the future of our dwindling natural resources. By innovatively dramatizing insightful sets of interviews with scientists, government officials, activists and business leaders, The Watershed uncovers the complexities underlying the environmental, economic and political stakes of oil production and fresh water preservation in Canada. Runs until: Saturday April 15, 2017

Saturday April 8

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Sakura Days Japan Fair

Sakura Days Japan Fair Where: VanDusen Garden What: A family-friendly weekend celebration showcasing the cultural arts of Japan. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

BC Distilled Festival Where: Croatian Cultural Centre What: The year’s best chance to sample the best spirits BC has to offer in an atmosphere that encourages you to discuss their distinctive qualities with their makers. Most of the distilleries are represented at the show by their distillers and owners, so it’s a great chance to meet the makers and learn about how spirits are made.

Global Dance Connections 6: Zab Maboungou | Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata

Global Dance Connections 6: Zab Maboungou | Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre What: Montreal-based choreographer Zab Maboungou has earned an international reputation for pioneering a unique style which is deeply rooted in traditional African dances, but is imbued with a fiercely contemporary approach. Tickets Available at Tickets Tonight.

Eraserhead

Eraserhead Where: VanCity Theatre What: Filmed in high contrast black and white, with a cacophonous industrial soundtrack and stark, decrepit design, Lynch’s first feature reeks of alienation, sexual revulsion and domestic horror. He filmed it over five years on a shoestring budget as a he struggled to adjust to fatherhood and life in the big city. It became a famous midnight movie, a cult that propelled him to Hollywood. (Also, my favorite movie as a teenager.)

Warrior: George Littlechild

Warrior: George Littlechild Where: Kimoto Gallery What: In George Littlechild’s new series ‘Warrior’, he has painted 10 portraits (5 female & 5 male) of 10 individual First Nations people who are fighting the good fight for the planet, the environment and mankind. These individuals are dedicated and devoted to making positive change in their community and in the world, so that future generations will have a better place to inhabit. Runs until: Saturday April 29, 2017

Sunday April 9

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Nifty for Fifty Where: Heritage Hall What: 30 local designers are offering deep discounts where all items are priced at $ 50 or less. It’s a great opportunity to meet local, independent clothing designers, makers and jewellers, where everything from hand bags to handmade jewellery, clothing, accessories and housewares.

Max Raabe Where: The Chan Centre What: The always-dapper Max Raabe brings audiences through time to the bygone-era of Berlin in the 1920s. Backed by the styling’s of Palast Orchester, Raabe’s embrace of the past can be heard in renditions from Kurt Weill’s Alabama Song, to the Walter Jurmann classic Mein Gorilla hat ‘ne Villa im Zoo.

La Collectionneuse

La Collectionneuse Where: The Cinematheque What: Set in Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera, during a tranquil summer, antique dealer Adrien and painter friend Daniel ponder the enigma of Haydée, a young, bikini-clad woman they dub “la collectionneuse” (“the collector”) because of her succession of one-night conquests.

Ongoing

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Valley Song (ends this weekend) Where: Pacific Theatre What: Torn between the hope of the new South Africa and the familiarity of all he has known, Abraam “Buks” Jonkers tills land he will never own while his granddaughter dreams of the Johannesburg stage. A heartfelt story of tradition, change, and the resilience of the human spirit. Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Reel 2 Reel Film Festival | Image still from Louise by the Shore

Reel 2 Reel Film Festival (ends this weekend) Where: Various locations What: An international festival for youth films. Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Genetic Drift

Genetic Drift (ends this weekend) Where: The Fishbowl on Granville Island What: A performance that imagines a future where temperatures have risen to a level where human life can no longer sustain itself. Society’s solution for impending extinction? Splice human DNA with life forms that can sustain extremely hot temperatures. Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Vancouver World Music Festival (ends this weekend) Where: Various locations What: A festival dedicated to presenting local and international artists playing traditional music from around the globe. Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Abracadabra

Abracadabra (ends this weekend) Where: The York Theatre What: A magic show for the entire family. For the first time in his life, Camilo takes on the roll of the classic magician; bringing unique and fascinating illusions back to life. Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

The VSO Performs Music from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (ends this weekend) Where: The Orpheum What: This concert will feature the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performing every note from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.™ Cars fly, trees fight back and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of his second year at Hogwarts. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

East Side Flea (this weekend only) Where: 1024 Main St. What: Over 50 local vendors, food trucks, a live deejay, artisan showrooms, seasonal drink specials, pinball and more. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

Layers of Influence

Layers of Influence (ends this weekend) Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: This stunning exhibition will explore clothing’s inherent evidence of human ingenuity, creativity and skill, drawing from MOA’s textile collection — the largest collection in Western Canada — to display a global range of materials, production techniques and adornments across different cultures and time frames. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

The Daisy Theatre

The Daisy Theatre (ends this weekend) Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre What: Each performance will be different, daring, ridiculous, and on the edge of the hands of renowned puppeteer provocateur Ronnie Burkett and his resident company of over 40 marionettes. No two performances will be the same, making this a performance to see more than once. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

Fleurs de Villes (ends this weekend) Where: Metropolis at Metrotown What: Over a dozen top local Greater Vancouver florists, including The Flower Factory, Floralista Flower Studio and Quince Fine Florals, will be paired with leading brands to design stunning displays and bring them to life with flowers. Each floral-dressed mannequin is clothed in a one-of-a-kind design made up of hundreds of fresh blooms. Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

David Lynch: The Art of Life

The Watershed

World Ski and Snowboard Festival Where: Whistler, BC What: A 10 day and night showcase of some of the best of mountain culture, music, arts and snow sports. Runs until: Sunday April 16, 2017

Vancouver Special Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: The first iteration of this series and it features works by 40 artists produced within the last five years—Vancouver’s post-Olympic period. The exhibition includes many emerging artists as well as those who are more established but whose ideas were prescient. Some are recent arrivals to Vancouver, while others are long-term residents who have already made significant contributions. Others are nomadic, less settled in one place and are working energetically between several locations. Runs until: Monday April 17, 2016

Nat Bailey Stadium Winter Farmers Market

Nat Bailey Stadium Winter Farmers Market Where: Nat Bailey Stadium What: Don’t fret the summers Farmers markets packing up – winter is here, and you can still shop local for fresh produce, preserves, baked goods, and crafts. Runs until: Saturday April 22, 2017

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Where: Various locations What: It’s that time of year when the city turns all shades of pink – the cherry blossoms are about to bllom! Celebrate with community picnics, fairs, blossomy bike rides, and group walks. The Blossom Barge will be at Granville Island featuring free performances. Runs until: Sunday April 23, 2017

Angels in America Where: Arts Club Theatre What: A tale of companionship and abandonment that takes place when the personal became political. Set in New York City at the height of the Reagan era, Tony Kushner’s modern masterpiece contrasts the lives of five individuals struggling with identity issues alongside the crippling effects of stereotypes and an incurable diagnosis. Runs until: Sunday April 23, 2017

Capture Photography Festival | In Between Dreaming and Living

Capture Photography Festival Where: Various locations What: High-profile exhibitions as well as emerging talent and community participation are in the lens. There will be events in Vancouver’s leading public and commercial galleries, as well as public installations and a series of community-based photo workshops, tours, artist talks, films, and panel discussions. Runs until: Friday April 28, 2017

Warrior: George Littlechild

Hastings Park Farmers Market

Hastings Park Farmers Market Where: Hastings Park (near the PNE) What: The Hastings Park Farmers Market features a great selection of local produce; nursery items, fish, meat & dairy; artisan prepared foods, baking and treats; local crafts, and of course, food trucks. Runs until: Sunday April 30, 2017

Western World

Susan Point: Spindle Whorl

Susan Point: Spindle Whorl Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Since the early 1980s, Susan Point has received wide acclaim for her remarkably accomplished oeuvre that forcefully asserts the vitality of Coast Salish culture, both past and present. She has produced an extensive body of prints and an expansive corpus of sculptural work in a wide variety of materials that includes glass, resin, concrete, steel, wood and paper. Runs until: Sunday May 28, 2017

Pacific Crossings: Hong Kong Artists in Vancouver | Sunset, Carrie Koo

Pacific Crossings: Hong Kong Artists in Vancouver Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: June 2017 marks the 20-year anniversary of the transfer of Hong Kong sovereignty from the United Kingdom to mainland China. In the lead up to the handover, tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents immigrated to Canada, many choosing to settle in Vancouver, and among them were a significant number of artists. Pacific Crossings presents works from well-known Hong Kong artists created after their relocation to Vancouver throughout the 1960-90s. Runs until: May 28, 2017

Retainers of Anarchy

Retainers of Anarchy Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: A solo exhibition featuring new work from Howie Tsui that considers wuxia, a traditional form of martial arts literature, as a narrative tool for dissidence and resistance. Runs until: May 28, 2017

Caroline Mesquita The Ballad

Song of the Open Road

Song of the Open Road Where: Contemporary Art Gallery What: Bringing together artists from Canada, Eritrea, Ireland, Sweden, and the US, the exhibition includes works that combine thematically to interrogate ideas rooted in photographic histories, engaging ideas such as veracity, recollection, remembrance, belonging, staging, and how the image documents and records these or is evidence of differing realities. Runs until: Sunday June 18, 2017

Up Close

Up Close Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden What: All the artists represented in this group exhibition find their inspiration while painting on location at VanDusen Garden. The Vancouver en plein air group, initiated in April 2011, zooms-in to the lush vegetation that provides a new dimension of foreground details. The subjects are varied, and so is the medium. Runs until: Tuesday June 27, 2017

The Lost Fleet Exhibit Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum What: On December 7, 1941 the world was shocked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, launching the United States into the war. This action also resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The Lost Fleet looks at the world of the Japanese-Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major role in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese-Canadian property and the internment of an entire people. Runs until: Winter 2017

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: MOA will showcase its Amazonian collections in a significant exploration of socially and environmentally-conscious notions intrinsic to indigenous South American cultures, which have recently become innovations in International Law. These are foundational to the notions of Rights of Nature, and they have been consolidating in the nine countries that share responsibilities over the Amazonian basin. Runs until: January 28, 2018

What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below or tweet me directly at @lextacular

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