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milfjagger · 3 months ago

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halloween recs 2024 🎃

more halloween/horror recs for you all!!! these are all movies that meet at least two (if not all) of my "halloween movie" criteria, which are as follows:

set in autumn or october specifically

features halloween decorations, or typical halloween activities such as pumpkin carving, trick or treating etc

features elements of the supernatural, especially typical "halloween" characters like ghosts, witches and vampires

gothic, scary, spooky or creepy

comedic or campy

not all of these are horror; not all of the "horror" movies are scary in any quantifiable way. movies that (i think) are suitable for people who have a fairly low horror tolerance will be marked with an asterisk (*). movies that are (generally regarded as) not scary at all will be marked with a double asterisk (**). ENJOY!!!

🎃 ghosts & haunted(?) houses 🎃 oddity (2024) cobweb (2023) the black phone (2021) terrified (2017) crimson peak (2015) lake mungo (2008) the orphanage (2007) the devil's backbone (2001)* the others (2001) ghostwatch (1992) candyman (1992) lost hearts (1973) the haunting (1963) the innocents (1961)

🎃 curses, witches & demons 🎃 longlegs (2024) the first omen (2024) late night with the devil (2023) talk to me (2022) smile (2021) & smile 2 (2024) the dark and the wicked (2020) halloween party (2019)* pyewacket (2017) the devil's candy (2015) the witch (2015) the blackcoat's daughter (2015) the babadook (2014) sinister (2012) the house of the devil (2009) wake wood (2009) the ring (2002) the blair witch project (1999) ringu (1998) the craft (1996)* the serpent and the rainbow (1988) hellraiser (1987) suspiria (1977) the omen (1976) the exorcist (1973) & the exorcist iii (1990) the blood on satan's claw (1971) the devil rides out (1968)* black sunday (1960) night of the demon (1957)*

🎃 vampires, werewolves, zombies & monsters 🎃 lisa frankenstein (2024)* evil dead rise (2023) the ritual (2017) evil dead (2013) dog soldiers (2001) ginger snaps (2000) & ginger snaps 2: unleashed (2004) bram stoker's dracula (1992) it (1990) pet sematary (1989) pumpkinhead (1988) the lost boys (1987)* fright night (1985) re-animator (1985) & bride of re-animator (1990) gremlins (1984)* the howling (1981) an american werewolf in london (1981) evil dead movies (1981-1992) dracula (1958)* nosferatu (1922)*

🎃 dark fantasy 🎃 gretel & hansel (2020) the hallow (2015) red riding hood (2011)* coraline (2009)* pan's labyrinth (2006)* the spiderwick chronicles (2008)** sleepy hollow (1999)* edward scissorhands (1990)** the juniper tree (1990)* the witches (1990)* labyrinth (1986)** the company of wolves (1984) something wicked this way comes (1983)*

🎃 spooky anthologies 🎃 v/h/s 99 (2022) v/h/s 94 (2021) the mortuary collection (2019) tales of halloween (2015) trick 'r' treat (2007) creepshow (1982) & creepshow 2 (1987) the monster club (1981)* black sabbath (1963)

🎃 non-horror & barely-horror 🎃 the munsters (2022)** frankenweenie (2012)** corpse bride (2005)** scooby-doo (2002)** & scooby-doo 2: monsters unleashed (2004)** practical magic (1998)** halloweentown (1998)** casper (1995)** hocus pocus (1993)** the nightmare before christmas (1993)** the halloween tree (1993)** death becomes her (1992)** ernest scared stupid (1991)* the addams family (1991)** & addams family values (1993)** beetlejuice (1988)* the witches of eastwick (1987)* the halloween that almost wasn't (1979)** kenny & company (1976)** the paul lynde halloween special (1976)** the rocky horror picture show (1975)** the adventures of ichabod and mr toad (1949)** bud abbott and lou costello meet frankenstein (1948)** betty boop's hallowe'en party (1933)**

🎃 wacky, weird & so-bad-it's-good 🎃 NB: i cannot vouch for the quality of these movies. actually some of them are borderline unwatchable but i did personally enjoy them. real halloweeners will understand malignant (2021) the barn (2016)* 31 (2016) deathgasm (2015) the dog who saved halloween (2011)** dead silence (2007) the covenant (2006)* house of 1000 corpses (2003) casper meets wendy (1998)** the people under the stairs (1991) troll 2 (1990)** warlock (1989)* hack-o-lantern (1988)* killer klowns from outer space (1988)* ghost fever (1987)** trick or treat (1986)* the worst witch (1986)** ghoulies (1984)* halloween iii: season of the witch (1982) witch's night out (1978)**

#just in time hahahehe

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pickledpascal · 12 days ago

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Hold Me Like Water

Chapter Seven: Fragile

Warnings: 2020 whump aka the virus, emotional talks, relationship in decline

Word Count: 2.2k

Hold Me Like Water Masterlist

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

August 2020,

Quarantine was in full force. Thankfully, Maya was locked down with her family up in Canada. They knew to give her space but also when to give her things to do. However, she has been able to get some work done. Mostly voice roles. She’d lock herself in her room and record voice lines on her phone.

Other than that, it’s felt a little like her childhood again. Lots and lots of throwing snowballs at Sakari. They could go outside, their neighbors were half a mile away so they were a safe distance away. Maya’s father, Nick, has been teaching her to carve wood and antler so she’s been keeping herself busy with practicing that too.

The bad thing about being cooped up for so long is that she couldn’t see Hugh. Not in person. They would video call every so often. About once a week to check in with each other. Arlo would call too, with updates about films she was supposed to be filming for and to ask how she was doing. It was nice to know her agent cared about her well-being on top of her career. Though, Arlo was her friend first before they became her agent.

“So when are we going to meet Hugh?” Nick asked while cooking down some berries for a jam, stirring lightly.

Maya was helping her mother and Sakari put a previous batch of jam in jars. They were going to deliver them later to their neighbors. “I don’t know. He wants to visit but, obviously, he can’t right now.” She shrugged, screwing a lid closed as tightly as possible.

“Still can’t believe he worked with Baz Luhrmann. Australia was horrible.” Maya’s mother, Bea, sighed as she shook her head.

Since Maya had the time, she was going through Hugh’s filmography because she realized she hadn’t seen that much of his work beside the X-Men films and a handful of others. Seeing as she was staying with her parents, she invited them to watch his movies with her. Some were better than others.

They all had a lot of thoughts about the bad ones in particular. It had nothing to do with Hugh ever, his performance was always good no matter what. Knowing him, though, Maya would never repeat any of these things to his face. He didn’t like reading reviews, even if they were good ones.

Sakari piped up, “I can. They’re both Australian. Aussies love working with Aussies as I’m sure Maya would love working with an Inuit,” She poured jam in a jar while Maya nodded. “What I can’t get over is Nicole Kidman’s performance. So over the top.”

“Because it’s a Baz Luhrmann movie.” Maya added. She glanced back at where her father was on the stove.

“Still! She just—” Sakari recreated a few of her exaggerated huffs and moans. She wasn’t looking and nearly dropped one of the jars. Maya caught it so it didn’t shatter on the floor. “Oops, sorry.” She laughed.

Maya nudged Sakari's shoulder with hers and laughed softly. “Be a bit more careful, hm?” She winked. She looked over Nick's shoulder to check how the berries were doing.

After all the jars were filled and capped, they each delivered a few to their neighbors. They saved a few for themselves as well. Maya set two jars on a porch, they clinked together slightly as she put them down. She knocked on the door and then pressed on the doorbell before she left to do the same thing to the next neighbor. She had a bag full of jars as did Bea and Sakari.

When she finally came back home, her father had started a fire. She went up to him and kissed his cheek in thanks as she removed her beanie. She sat in front of the fireplace on the rug and warmed her hands.

“Is it just me or is it colder?” Sakari let out a puff of air when she walked through the door.

Bea rolled her eyes as she prepared some hot tea. “You're just used to New York winters now.”

“Oh, god, I'm turning white.” Sakari said in a fake-scared tone. “Next thing you know, my favorite food is gonna be poutine!” Maya laughed, shaking her head at her sister's antics.

After they all warmed up again, Maya went to her room and shed her jacket. She sipped on her tea, checking the time in Australia. It would be morning down there. She pursed her lips as she sat at her desk. Maybe it was too early in the morning for her to call Hugh? He was probably just waking up. She always had this debate in her head.

She set her phone down on the surface in front of her and then separated her hair to braid it. Even if it was her own hands, getting her hair braided always made her relax. Once she put her hair into two braids, she pushed them so they fell against her shoulders and took another sip of her tea.

She always called him anyway. If he didn't answer, he would always call back when he could. She just didn't want to bother him. Especially now with everything happening… Maybe he wanted to spend more time with his family and this was the only way he could do it. Maybe he wanted some peace and quiet away from the job. Maybe he wanted the world to stop caring about him for a while. Maya wasn't sure. These were strange times.

She set up her phone against some books as she pressed the call button. She brought her knees up to her chest, feet planted in the chair.

Hugh answered after a few rings, a light, tired smile on his face. He was in the office. It was the only private place in his house, away from his kids and Deb. “G’morning, or, uh, afternoon.” He chuckled. “I almost didn't think you were gonna call today.”

“Well, since we've been home, my dad has been putting us to work,” Maya shrugged, taking another sip of her tea. “Today we delivered homemade jam around the village.”

Hugh sighed wistfully. “That sounds delicious.” He grabbed a mug, taking a sip from it. Presumably coffee.

“You have anything planned today?” Maya asked. She set her mug down and hugged one of her legs to her chest.

“I want to read one of the books you recommended me. The poetry book by Natalie Diaz,” Hugh ran a hand through his hair, “But, I don’t know—Deb always does something. She hates doing nothing. And, well, I like doing nothing.” He chuckled dryly.

Maya frowned slightly, pursing her lips. Hugh thought he was boring because he always compared himself to Deb and the fact that she could ‘have fun in a paper bag’ as he’d say. “You just have lower energy when you’re in private and she has higher energy. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.” She reasoned gently.

“Yeah but it was fun at the beginning of all this, now it’s just a bit too tiring.” Hugh ran a hand up his face, letting out a breath.

Maya had never seen Hugh so—sad wasn’t the right word. Upset? Tired? No, he was exhausted. “Look, this won’t last forever. It’s just because you’re trapped together. You’ve never experienced anything like this before, most people haven’t. It’ll get better once this all goes away. You just have to wait it out.” She sympathized with him.

Although Hugh loved Deb deeply and tried to bring her nearly everywhere he went, he was as free as a bird. He’d fly from place to place and be totally fine with performing the next day. Under quarantine laws, he was caged and he hated it. He had nothing to keep himself busy. Nothing quite satisfied him like acting.

Seeing him more vulnerable was a sight, though. To Maya, even when he talked about his feelings or heavier topics, he seemed so put together and like he knew what he wanted to say and the exact way he was going to say it. Now, he stumbled over his words.

She was glad he trusted her with this—his grievances, his worries, his hopes, what was in his brain and what was in his heart. She wasn’t sure if he relayed all this to Ryan but it still made her feel like she was important in Hugh’s life.

“I hope you’re right.” He murmured, glancing down at something off-screen before he focused on Maya again. A soft, genuine smile appeared on his lips when he looked at her. “You do anything else today?”

Maya ran her hand up and down her shin absentmindedly, thinking for a few seconds. “Well, this morning we gathered berries for the jam. It hasn’t snowed here yet so it wasn’t too bad getting enough for the village.” She hummed.

Nunavut wasn’t as populated as the southern provinces so they could go places without running into people. Her family always brought masks just in case. They were always careful.

“Damn, I wish I could do something like that here.” Hugh laughed softly.

“I’m lucky my village doesn’t fucking care how famous I am. I can’t imagine the amount of pictures that would be taken if you went berry picking down under.” Maya laughed along with him.

The paps loved Hugh, especially in his home country. They never left him alone. Maya wondered if they secretly put a tracker on him and he just didn’t know. She wouldn’t put it past them. The amount of beach pictures he’s had taken of him… She wondered how they never got tired of it. Hugh was never doing anything scandalous in public unlike some other celebrities.

He shook his head, “I try not to even focus on that stuff anymore. Pictures are going to be taken of me no matter where I go.” Hugh scratched against his neck.

“I guess, yeah.” Maya pursed her lips into a thin line.

Even after six years, she was not used to it nearly as much as he was. To be fair, he’d been in the spotlight for a little over twenty years. He had more time to accept a lack of privacy.

“No new pictures because of quarantine, though.” Maya joked softly. “A win is a win.”

Hugh chuckled. “I suppose so. However will the gossip magazines survive?”

“Who knows and who cares?” Maya hummed, rolling her eyes.

Maybe her sister was rubbing off on her a little bit. Although they lived together back in New York, Sakari was always out of the apartment doing something. Maya didn’t always ask. So now that they were forced to be inside, she might’ve been picking up a few things from Sakari’s personality.

Maya and Hugh talked until the sun went down. She filled him in on the week she had since they last called and he did the same, though he was much more interested in hearing her talk about herself.

“You really do have a beautiful voice.” Hugh hummed as he pressed his face against his hand. His coffee had gone cold. Her tea did too.

Maya flushed slightly at the compliment. “Well, I—Thanks.”

“Oscar was playing whatever game you’re in—”

“God of War?”

“Yes! I was listening to the game and you really do have the voice of a goddess. It has an ethereal quality to it. It’s so soothing yet you can make it cut like a knife.” Hugh scratched at his eyebrow as he leaned back into his chair. “I don’t know how you do it.”

Maya shrugged, “Blame the voice coach.”

“I wish you would take credit for something for once.” Hugh pushed softly.

“I wish you would too.” Maya pushed back, “You really hate taking compliments.”

Hugh chuckled nervously, knowing he was caught. Compliments always made him shy as well. Much like her, he believed filmmaking was a group effort. Even if he gave a stellar performance, it was on the cinematographer to frame it correctly, on the editor to make sure they could hear his dialogue, all these little things that came together which could make him stand out.

Maya looked out the window, realizing it was dark. “Anyway, I think I’ve talked your ear off for today.”

“You know I always have time for you, darling.” Hugh said sincerely.

“Mm, maybe but it’s night now.” Maya chuckled. “And I’d like to get some sleep.”

Hugh breathed then nodded. “That’s a good excuse.” Sometimes he forgot they were sixteen hours away. He blew a kiss to the camera. “Goodnight. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Maya waved before she ended the call.

She ran a hand up her face, rubbing at her eyes. Without Hugh in front of her, she could feel the tiredness seep into her all the sudden. She changed for bed and got under the covers.

She really hoped everything would work out for Hugh. He seemed so terminally exhausted that it made her heart ache…

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mimzalot · 2 years ago

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Ambition (Edelgard and Claude FE3H)

copied over from twitter • 24 Mar 2020

my current brainworm's name is "Edelgard And Claude's Ambitions And How They Accomplish Them" and it's just a long and spieling metaphor about how to thrive as a predator vs. how to thrive as prey, the Eagle vs the Deer, the hacking force of an axe vs the precise aim of the arrow

Edelgard's plans hurtle forward with a startling momentum. it's said constantly: she carves her own path. part of the effectiveness of Edelgard's style is that it is a constant barrage of power, both political and *holds up axe* literal. add a Hubert and she's nigh unstoppable.

while she lays her path covertly, once it's out there it's a straight line, and marching that line is about being so strong and mighty that those who don't move out of the way have no choice but to join the march or be mown down. she's an axe toppling trees to navigate the woods.

compare this to Claude. a deer doesn't knock down trees, it works out the best way to navigate them. it knows all the ways to escape. it winds trails through familiar territory, confuses its predators, lies in wait. it doesn't have the power nor intention to hunt - only survive.

except of course this deer's survival is attached to an ambition. Claude makes his territory familiar through research, and by asking questions. he observes, understands and ultimately uses people to navigate a terrain that he knows he can't face alone - tactically speaking.

Edelgard's plans are intricate and rigid. they rely on her being a powerful, constant, active force at the helm. Claude's plans depend on him staying alive, carefully playing his cards. patience. waiting for the bullseye to reveal itself before letting loose an arrow.

the thing about a straightforward plan is that it has a straightforward end. Edelgard's path relies on power and once you start to overwhelm that power (see: by having Byleth) it falls apart when she falls. her carved path becomes the straight line you follow to her demise.

and the thing about an adapting, evolving plan like Claude's is that it always has an out because it's not set in stone - his contingencies have contingencies. Claude can survive all the routes because this is how he plans, it's in the best interest of his end goal to stay alive.

fun fact (spoilers ahead) in my playthrough of Crimson Flower, I didn't know you could spare Claude. I got overwhelmed by Lysithea so I sent the Black Eagle Strike Force around the other side of the map, charged through the defences, and sent Ferdinand ahead to kill Claude.

... thus illustrating that the only way to stop the unstoppable tactician with his multiple outs was to hurl a javelin at him before he could fly away, while Hilda and Judith all hurried in vain to stop me. the most achingly appropriate way I could have played Crimson Flower.

but otherwise, if Claude survives, he still hasn't failed his grand plan. he still has his purpose. undoubtedly one of his paths has been drenched in blood and quashed by Edelgard but is he trapped? is it the end of his road? nope. he just jumps ship to a new one.

Claude being a more passive presence in his own plans is deliberate - likewise, Edelgard is a more active presence. and the success and failure of each plan hangs on the edge of a knife (Claude just set himself up with a LOT of knives whereas Edelgard gave herself a GIANT knife)

the two of them are similarly driven by their ambitions, and see themselves as catalysts for necessary change. the major difference: bloodshed. so it makes sense that Edelgard's focus is on military power overhaul, while Claude's focus depends more on sociopolitical juggling.

it's reflected in their skills. Edelgard is a dignified and inspiring leader. in lieu of religious motivation, her transparency of intent gives the people a purpose - they're willing to fight for her cause. as an Emperor with a clear voice and mission, she is a call to action.

how do you motivate someone to fight for you? how do you inspire the masses? Edelgard does it by being Emperor (tapping into an established power), stripping power from those who may oppose her (also murder, thanks Hubert), and giving purpose to the rest (spiritual motivation).

meanwhile, I'm towards the end of Verdant Wind and people are STILL questioning Claude. he deferred that spiritual leadership role to Byleth so he could keep moving freely. he's managing people and expectations through careful manipulation so as to avoid doing so with violence.

and remaining under the radar in such a way gives him the invisibility he requires to do what he needs - to keep his secrets (which permit him to navigate terrain freely as well as being his tactical wildcards) and to manage the mayhem of war without spilling (as much) blood.

one can't operate like the other or the whole MO goes out the window. Claude can't be transparent about his intent and Edelgard can't be secretive about hers. Claude needs his evasive manoeuvres and tactics the way Edelgard needs her ability to strike and kill in one fell swoop.

y'know... like a Deer and an Eagle. 😎👉👉

#claude von riegan #edelgard von hresvelg #fire emblem three houses #fe3h #3hopes has been feeding these brainworms so well tbh #during stream today claude used an extended metaphor to refer to the other lords and i was like GASP #I HAVE ONE OF THOSE! thanks for the reminder king representation matters or sumn #mimzameta #mimzamine

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longlistshort · 11 months ago

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“The Flameless Green Dragon”, 2018, Elm and acrylic

“In Rhythm”, 2018, Elm and acrylic; and “Water Music”, 2002, Inkjet photocollage on paper

“Introvert”, 2019, Elm; “Engendering Life”, 2020, Green soapstone

Two left sculptures made of Italian translucent alabaster and “Harboring Emptiness”, 2021, Maple and acrylic

Above are several works from Barbara Stanczak Spirit and Matter, the artist’s recent exhibition at Akron Art Museum. Stanczak’s sculptures are energetic shapes created in partnership with the natural materials used.

From the museum’s web page-

Barbara Stanczak’s sculptures are born from an essential combination: the artist’s creative vision and the natural qualities of her materials. This two-sided collaboration remains in effect throughout Stanczak’s entire process of conceiving and creating an artwork. A piece of wood or stone presents initial possibilities that help to set a direction, but invariably the course will change—the substance may be so hard as to resist carving, or it may contain internal structures that must be accommodated. But the artist does not surrender her own interests, as she has found that a successful work must become the physical embodiment of a rich and valuable idea. In her own words, “I can only hold onto my idea of the whole by letting go of ‘mine’ and focusing on ‘our.’ The material becomes a partner who needs my patience, respect, thoughtfulness, cooperation, skill, and persistence.”

Stanczak committed to working with wood and stone only after a long process of discovery. Born in Germany in 1941, she moved to the United States in 1960 to assist her grandfather in painting church frescoes, and later worked in handmade paper, metal, and a variety of other media. She also worked alongside her husband, Julian Stanczak, whose paintings and prints were celebrated at the Akron Art Museum with a one-artist show in 2013. As her own career evolved throughout her thirty-seven-year tenure as a professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Barbara carved her first wooden sculpture in 1992. “I was tired of searching,” she recalls. “It was time to arrive!”

Stanczak continues to find wood and stone compelling because, as she puts it, they are constantly “teasing, tempting, and provoking me to see more, to see beyond, to see the micro and the macro of the universe.” She finds these universal qualities not in immediately recognizable forms like leaves and flowers, but rather in dense rings and layers, subtle features formed over decades or even thousands of years. As Stanczak exercises her own intuition, she aligns it with these natural processes. As the artist and the materials harmonize, it is as if two forms of intelligence are working together—as if spirit and matter are not so separate as one might expect.

#Barbara Stanczak #Akron Art Museum #Akron Art Shows #Art #Art Shows #Sculpture #Mixed Media #Mixed Media Art #Ohio Art Shows #Ohio Artist #Photography #Wood Sculpture #Julian Stanczak #Year of the Dragon #Dragon

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actual-aestival · 2 years ago

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I got really angry and bitter after 2020... In January I started trying to meditate more (again) and take on a more mindful approach to life. It has helped. Trying to take a step back from social media that stresses me out and only do what brings me joy and inspiration. Also trying to be outdoors more. It's true, huh, that it does help your mental health.

Trying to quit smoking canna as much as I do... Trying to get active... Doesn't help that right now I have a stress fracture and can't walk without a boot but I can sit on my back porch and be at peace here.

I miss creating. Last night I carved four stamps! I bought a wood carving kit before I quit my last job. My ex got me a gouache set and I want to try plein air.

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catboymettaton · 1 year ago

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Mx. Minotaur

(after Carol Ann Duffy. I wrote this in 2020 be niceys)

Two doors stare at me, practically identical, yet the difference between them is infinite. I hold my hands in front of me, pointer finger out, thumb at a right angle, like a compass, lead the way. Daedalus, you bastard, these walls all look the same. I loosen my fingers and pluck at the thread tied to my wrist.

I know exactly what lies ahead, yet it’s a mystery still. I know every inch of these walls, though I’ve never set foot in this junction before. I could run and be smothered – charred, scorched, and covered in ash before I would make it ten yards. I run my hands through my hair, shorn short and slick with sweat.

I see footprints crisscrossing before me and through the doorways, where many human travellers have passed. Spiders skitter past me to their inky lairs under the gaps between wood and dirt, taunting me: Watch this, it’s easy. I still need to find my crevice in this mess of a maze. I pace before the doors, dust clouds rising in my wake.

Shall I lie here forever and drown in this earth? Half human, half beast, a freak with hands and hooves and horns, I’m a horrible hybrid, a curse. How could I dare to dream any higher than this hell? Better by far for all if I stay here, beneath. I blink my eyes tight, feel the warmth of my lids.

The walls have shifted. The way out is gone. My pulse races, then I dig in my heels, clear my eyes, quiet the bells in my skull. I can’t let this all go to waste. I fix my eyes on the twin brass knobs and press my palms against the cold metal, heart drumming through every inch of my veins. It’s too much.

I bow my head against the dirt, my energy spent. And then I feel it: the wall gives way to my horns. At last I can finally leave the doors behind. I lean in and shove, shaking and shuddering – The whole cavern shatters around me. I carve my own door, I choose my own path.

#mine #poetry

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ralph-wreckin-reilly · 1 month ago

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November 10 — Five Times X, One Time Y TW: Parental abuse

Five Holidays Ralph Ruined and One He Didn't

STUMP DAY, 2020

Stump Day. Ralph had thought he'd heard of some ridiculous holidays, especially throughout his time around Europe, but Mjaunie was definitely taking the cake.

He wasn't even sure he got it. A bunch of people became friends around a tree so now they worshiped it? It was basically their version of Christmas? Or New Years? Or something?

All he knew was that he'd been told the stump was really big and he wanted to see it.

Granted, things that were "really big" had kind of worn off their novelty after five years living with giants. But the way people talked about this stump was like it was some kind of god. Ralph wanted to see.

Unfortunately, he often tended to forget that he was a "monster" and second class citizen. He tried invoking his title as ambassador of the giants to get into the party--nothing. He offered a delicious cake he had baked--nothing. It was times like these that he thought maybe the old lizard had a point.

Luckily, he did have one "in"--the princess. Or, daughter of the Countess, or whatever her title was, but their unlikely friendship gave him some perks here and there. Like a back entrance into the holiday party of the year.

He definitely got some looks as he made his way through the crowd, making a beeline right for the stump. Finally, breaking through the crowd, he found it. And...!

It was just a normal tree stump. Granted, a pretty big one, the tree had obviously been hundreds and hundreds of years old, but they had just as big up in the mountains. Ralph didn't find it all that impressive.

There was, however, something strange carved into the bark. He leaned down, over the protective railing set up and went to touch it.

Which was a mistake. The stump began to shake before its roots lunged out of the ground, wrapping around his waist and easily hoisting him up in the air like a toy. Screams erupted throughout the party as it fully sprang to life, ripping itself from the ground and scuttling into the mass of people. Ralph was whipped around, his innate strength not even able to rend him from this tree.

Then a flash of magic was fired into the wood, causing the stump to groan and squeal. Ralph could hear the voice of the princess calling out to him.

Then his head hit something hard and everything went dark.

He woke up in the Mjaunie jail. He had no idea how everything had ended, though he overheard the guards talking about the Countess saving the day. Eventually he was let out, though he had no idea if that was the work of the princess, the old lizard, or the giants. He just knew he needed to get out of dodge.

He didn't go into town as much after that. Whenever he did, he never saw the princess. The one time he asked, someone said she wasn't around anymore.

He never went to another Stump Day celebration.

KOMOEDITSA, 2015

This was the first holiday he was celebrating since joining the giants.

Things had certainly been...strange for his first few months here. The language barrier was proving to be a bigger obstacle that he'd anticipated. While a lot of Europeans had learned English growing up, the isolated community of the giants had no such tradition, and Ralph was still trying to catch up learning Danish or uh-- whatever the giants spoke. It was kind of hard to tell.

Not to mention the size difference. Even the smallest giants were still several heads taller than Ralph, so it was hard not to feel like a child when interacting with everyone. If he sat down and thought about it, realizing this is what he gave everything up for and spent a large chunk of his life pursuing, then-- well, he didn't want to think about it.

So he didn't! Instead, he decided things would get better once he proved himself and made himself an integral part of the community. That meant the holiday going off without a hitch.

Komo-eh-deet-sah, it was called, he thought. At least, that was the word that kept floating around. It seemed to be some kind of spring awakening, like an equinox or something. Through context clues, Ralph could tell there was going to be some kind of a feast, a dance, and a bonfire.

So he helped collect wood. He watched what kindling and materials were being used. One of the giants, who had always been a bit a more patient with him, even showed him how to use the specialized tinderbox, guiding him through it visually even if he couldn't understand the spoken instructions.

Later in the night, Ralph watched as various giants took on different corners of the enormous pile to begin lighting. Looking over the materials, he found one tinderbox that was smaller than the others, a little more his size. He took it up and recreated the steps.

The spark that it produced was much brighter than the others and once it hit the kindling, it erupted into a ball of flame that knocked back Ralph and several others. Everything erupted into chaos. He didn't know what had happened! As the others thundered about to put out the spreading flames, his giant "friend" found him and ushered him away.

He tried to ask, but whatever misunderstanding had happened got lost in translation. Instead, they shoved him into the kitchen and told him to stay there. Help there, maybe? It smelled like they were baking some kind of bread, which Ralph may have liked to participate in, but instead they sat him by the oven and pointed at it, as if telling him to wait.

So he did. He was not summoned again for the feast, even though he could see the meals going outside. He heard the music, laughter and dancing around the bonfire, but he did not join them. Instead, he waited.

But he was never called.

OKTOBERFEST, 2013

Ralph always wanted to spend Oktoberfest in Germany!

Okay, so he didn't really have the money or means to get to the actual big festival in Munich, but there were a bunch of mini festivals happening all over the country! Including near the only hostel he'd managed to find vacancy in during this holiday season.

The festival itself was really cool though. The streets were lined with vendor stalls selling everything from beer to strudel (it was fine--Ralph was fairly sure he could bake better) to beer to old school thrift wares to even more beer.

"Are you looking for something?"

Ralph stopped and looked around until he saw a small, frail old woman addressing him.

"Are you talking to me?" He asked, pointing to himself. She hobbled forward towards him.

"You're looking for something, aren't you?" She repeated, her English thick under the hard lines of her accent. Before he could answer, she wrapped her bony fingers around his wrist to drag him along. "Come! I can help!"

While Ralph could have easily pulled away, it felt rude to do so and he was honestly kind of nervous that one fall would break every bone in her body. He attempted to verbally protest as she brought him over to her tent, which was draped in purple cloth and tapestries. There was a sign above it written in German, though had the universal font that he could only assume was "psychic".

He had to dip his head to follow her in and was immediately hit with a curtain of beads that had him sputtering. Then she sat him in a chair that was wildly too small for him, hunched over a table, and held out his palm so she could draw her finger over it. A shiver traveled up his spine.

"You are looking for something," she repeated again. Ralph sighed curtly.

"Yeah. Isn't everyone?"

She continued to draw her finger over his palm, causing him to shift uncomfortably as it honestly tickled. "You've been seeking it many years. Your whole life perhaps, even if you didn't realize."

Ralph rolled his eyes. Yes, it had been a long time since he left home in search of the giants. But he came from a magick-friendly town, he knew what actual sorcery looked like. As far as he could tell, especially along these travels, most people who advertised themselves as magic very rarely were.

"A home. No. A people, with whom your ties were severed," she said, which drew his attention. While she was most likely just a conwoman, it had been a long time since he'd gotten any sort of lead to follow. Maybe she wasn't bullshitting him? He leaned a little closer to listen.

"Up in the mountains is where the ancient river lies. Her furious icy currents pull under anyone who draws near so in isolation she hides, attempting to freeze over. Follow the winds of her path and she will guide you."

It didn't take long for Ralph to become fully enraptured, staring intently at the face of the woman with the far off gaze, as if looking into the distance or the future or wherever she needed to look for this forbidden information.

"Okay," he said. "What mountains? What river? Where is this?"

Her lips pursed and her eyes flickered as if looking but then she blinked and shook her head. "No. It is gone now."

"What? No, hey come on! That doesn't help me at all! Give me at least a name of something!"

She merely shook her head again. "It is gone now. That will be twenty euros."

"Excuse me? No way, you didn't even give me any information!"

"I have told you the truth that you need. It is the will of the fates. And it will guide you to what you seek. Twenty euros."

"I didn't even ask for this, you're the one who dragged me in here! That really sucks, lady!" With that, he pushed himself up, the chair flying backwards. It was awkward, navigating in a space so small, but eventually he managed to turn himself to start heading through the beaded curtain. "I'm out of here."

"Wait!" She called. "I am seeing-- I see-- Arendelle--"

He turned around again and the beads started to get caught in his jacket, some wrapping around his arms as he did so. "What?" Was that some kind of German word? "What do you mean?"

He took a step back towards her, but the beads had fully ensnared him and as he moved, they pulled everything along with him, bringing the whole tent crashing down. He heard several screams outside but it took a lot of untangling before he could poke his head out of the pile of cloth to see.

He had not just taken down her tent, but several of the neighboring ones as well. A tray of strudel was in disarray on the streets, where local dogs and children were grabbing for it. A tankard of beer was split open, where local drunks were trying to refill their cups. And all glares turned towards him.

He left pretty quickly. The woman was helped up by her neighbors who spoke to her in her own language, but he couldn't imagine what they were saying was any good.

For awhile, he didn't think much of the encounter. Chalked it up to a carnival huxter trying to make a few bucks. But months later, as he was continuing on his journey, he found a familiar town name written on a map of Norway...

EASTER, 2008

Ralph was in the kitchen, working on a carrot cake. Despite the joy that baking usually brought him, he couldn't get into it. As he stirred and stirred, he stared out the window and lost track of time as he got lost on his thoughts.

"Ralph?"

"Huh?" He stopped and turned around to see his Dad in the doorway. He was home early. "Oh."

"Are you listening? I said your brother's train is delayed, but he still should be home in time for dinner. I sent your Mum to the store to pick up some last minute items. She said you'd be done in here--what's the hold up?"

Ralph turned away from him again, muscles tense. "Guess it's just taking longer than I thought."

He heard his father move farther into the kitchen, pulling out some dishware. "Well you're gonna have to hurry it up. Once your Mum gets back, she's going to need the kitchen and you'll need to move your junk out of the way."

Ralph stopped mid-stir, his grip tightening on the spoon. "It's our dessert."

"Hardly the most important part of the meal, is it?"

A silence fell over them, only the sound of clinking plates filling the air. Ralph's preparations should be joining them, but he was completely still, not starting up again.

"So, uh. Earlier Mum asked me to go up into the attic and pull out some old decorations," Ralph said, his voice stiff.

"Mhm," his Dad replied, though his dismissive tone betrayed that he wasn't really listening.

"I didn't really know where they were. I just kind of looked through everything."

"Uhuh."

"I found the strangest thing. It was a hammer, at least, that's what it looked like. But when I grabbed it, it grew in size. So it could fit in my hands."

It was at that point the clinking stopped and the entire kitchen went silent. Ralph put the bowl he was holding back on the counter. Despite the way his heart pounded in his chest, he turned to face his father fully. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. Shock? Regret? Anger? Instead, his Dad was looking at him with...pity.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"What?!" Ralph balked. "You're just-- going to deny it? Act like it never happened? I found the letter too, I know where you got it, I know what I am!"

"And what are you, Ralph? Because right now the answer seems to be "delusional"."

"A--" He faltered. He hated that he faltered. Why was this happening? "A giant."

"Oh my God, Ralph, really? Just because you're tall--"

"It's more than that! I've always known I was different. I've always been stronger and tougher--"

"Well now it sounds like you're just bragging--"

The two of them were talking over each other, their arguments barely heard over the sound of the other.

"I've heard enough of this. Get all this cleaned up before your Mum gets home--"

"Is she my Mum?!" Ralph cried. "Because I don't think she is! I think--"

This time, when he was cut off it was the sound of flesh hitting flesh. All his life, his parents had spoken over him, belittled him, made him feel small--but they had never hit him.

Until now. The pain radiated out of his cheek where a red mark was beginning to form. Ralph stood there in shock, eyes flickering before looking down at the expression of his father, darker than he'd ever seen.

"Don't you dare. Ever question this family. I don't give a shit what you think or what delusional imaginings you got in your head. Not a word of this comes out to your mother or your brother. Do you understand me?"

Ralph couldn't reply at first. His cheek stung. All his life, there had been cracks in the facade of the perfect Reilly family, that everyone constantly tried to smooth over. In this instance, the hit had been like a demolition ball coming through and tearing it all down. There was no salvaging it.

"...I won't," Ralph finally replied, his voice quivering. "I can't."

His father's eyes narrowed, his hands balling into fists. For a moment, Ralph wasn't sure that he wasn't going to try to hit him again. His own muscles tensed--this time ready to fight back. But instead, he merely growled.

"Then you need to leave."

So he did.

VALENTINES DAY, 1999

Ralph was sitting in a chair outside of the principal's office with his shoulders hunched. His cheeks were flushed a light pink, his eyes a puffy red, and his lips pursed into a scowl that betrayed hurt, humiliation, and anger. His fingers gripped the blue plastic of the chair, which whined and groaned beneath the pressure he was putting under it. Despite it being crafted for your typical fourth year primary student, he filled it out entirely too much, similar to how an adult might.

"Ralph!" He heard the biting hissing across the way and flinched, looking up to see his Mum approaching, looking very cross. "What did you do?"

Ralph opened his mouth to respond but the door to the office opened first, with the principal greeting her and ushering them both in. The boy sniffled, wiping his nose across his sleeve before he followed inside, sitting in a plush chair much more his size.

"Mrs. Reilly, thank you for coming," the principal said as they sat in their seat behind the desk. "I apologize for calling you during the middle of the day."

"Whatever he's done, I apologize deeply. We can pay for any damages--" His Mum began but the principal put up a hand to stop her.

"That won't be necessary. Granted there have been damages, but nothing insurance can't cover. Now Ralph, would you like to explain yourself?"

Now given permission, the young boy whose big emotions had been bubbling to the surface finally began to spill out. "So it's Valentimes Day a-and I spent all night making cards for everyone in class and making the cookies--"

"Yes, I know, I've been cleaning up all day," his mother sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"S-so I gave 'em all out and then we went to lunch and then--"

"Ralph, you need to calm down. Speak normally."

He took a few deep breaths, though each one got caught in his throat, tears stinging in his eyes again. His hands balled into fists in his lap. "And then when we came back, all the cards I made had been stuck on the ceiling!"

Despite the anguish in his voice, his mother didn't react. Instead, she looked to him skeptically, as if he might be lying, before looking to the principal, who merely nodded.

"Alright?" She replied, asking for more.

"W-well I dragged the desk over and stood on top of it to pull them down but I pulled too hard--"

"There it is," she muttered under her breath.

"--a-and then it all came crashing down!"

She sighed deeply, looking to the principal once more. "Was anyone hurt?"

"There are a few students in the nurse's office, but there are no serious injuries or concussions. As it stands, Ralph should be taken home for the day and he'll have to be suspended for the rest of the week."

"But that's not fair, it's not my fault!" Ralph insisted, though his Mum quickly and harshly shushed him, making him fall silent.

"I completely understand. Thank you for letting me know. We'll take care of Ralph at home," she told the principal before standing. Holding out a hand, Ralph hesitated before taking it and she dragged him to his feet, pulling him out of the office with a tight grip. He did not hold it in turn, merely allowing himself to be dragged. Even at this age, he almost stood at her shoulder.

As they got in the car, Ralph sat forward, hunching his shoulders like he had outside of the office. He didn't say anything--he didn't have to.

Anything he said didn't matter anyway.

CHRISTMAS, 1994

Ralph was sitting in the living room underneath the Christmas tree, playing with a small plastic game. On each side of the small rectangle were bubbles that needed to be pressed and the rings suspended in water would rise, with each attempt trying to land them on the tiny little pegs within. He'd already pressed down too hard to the point where the bubbles didn't work properly anymore, so instead he manually turned the rectangle, trying to turn it fast enough so that gravity would do the job for him.

His brother was outside, playing with his friends in Swynlake's first snow of the year. In the other room, he could hear his mother baking.

"Oh--" she huffed. "Gosh darn it!"

He glanced up and leaned over to peek into the kitchen, where he could see her with her hands on her hips, glaring at the mixer on the counter. Out of her periphery, she caught him looking and called out. "Ralph? Could you come here?"

He winced a little, sure that he was in trouble. For what, he didn't know, but surely it was coming. Putting his toy to the side, he made his way in, head already hung in shame. Much to his surprise, however, she took the large plastic bowl off the counter and handed it to him.

"Could you help Mummy mix this gingerbread? The darn mixer is on the fritz again," she said. "Maybe your father will get me a new one for Christmas."

Ralph was cautious at first--he was never given these kinds of things. He tentatively took the wooden spoon and began to mix as carefully as he could. He could feel his eyes on her.

"No--you need to do it harder," she said. Harder? Every time he did something hard, it would usually end up breaking. Broken toys, cracked furniture, ripped clothes--all the time he was told to be gentler. But not wanting to disobey his mother, he did as he was asked.

"There you go!" She said, her eyes lighting up. "Who needs a mixer anyway? What I actually want from your father is that necklace I was eying..." Ralph's little chest swelled at the praise as he continued a strong and sturdy pace. The dough was really tough but he thought he was doing a pretty good job pushing through. And his Mum did too!

"This is the year. This is the year we're going to win the gingerbread contest! And beat a certain you-know-who," she cooed with a wink. Ralph didn't know--there were a lot of families that theirs didn't seem to like. They spoke about them in a dull, exaggerated way that let Ralph know that they were the bad people. He knew, because that was the way they spoke about him too. But not this time!

From there, Ralph did everything his mother asked. He helped her lay out the dough, and pressed down hard with the roller to get it all flat. Then it went in the fridge for the rest of the day until his Dad came home from work and his brother came in from playing. Together, his father and brother measured out the dough and cut it into specific pieces for the house they were going to build. Ralph got to push down the shapes for the gingerbread people.

Once the gingerbread was baked and cooled, then the decorating began. He wasn't allowed to touch the pipers or the candy or the assembled gingerbread house, but his Mum let him mix all the frosting! His Dad and brother even said how good it tasted! By the end of the night, they had a perfectly built house, with white frosting snow and a little family of gingerbread men standing out the front. A Mummy, Daddy, and two boys. Each one of them had a smile.

When the day of the contest finally came, the winners were announced--and the Reillys won! When the time came to get their picture taken, Ralph's Mum took his hand and pulled him up to be with them. The smile he gave was wide and bright, reflecting his cookie self.

From then on, Ralph always enjoyed baking.

#swynwrimo #swynwrimo2024 #tw abuse

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cyclament · 4 months ago

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Crow Costume | Claws

October 31, 2020 - October 28, 2021

Originally I wanted to manually create/CAD/sculpt my own articulated finger extensions, but I had the self awareness to figure out that that was beyond my skill level. Also there's so many CAD models of these online it was a bit too easy. I still want to make my own version of these someday, but 2021 was not the time 💀

OH yeah even before that I didn't just want to make finger extensions, I wanted to make a wooden arm and hand that hand moveable fingers. Inspired by smth similar I saw on yt. I think I was deterred from this option because of how difficult it would've been to carve the wood.

I got the CAD models for free on thingyverse ❤️. At first I tried 3D printing these on my 3D printer, but I didn't know how to adjust the settings to have a print actually work (pieces would always peel up from the build plate) so I eventually outsourced it to my auto teacher lmao.

Assembling these was a trip, but we made it through >:) 💪

Didn't end up ever painting these guys, so they just existed as uglies.

Super glue and PLA filament on 3D printer magic

#3D printing #costume #project #pla filament #cyclamen trad #cyclamen costume

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mirandamckenni1 · 7 months ago

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youtube

Ogham and the Celts: Ancient Script, Modern Pagan Divination Discover the world of the Ogham script, an ancient form of writing developed by the Celts in Ireland during the early centuries CE. Characterized by linear strokes carved into stone and wood, Ogham is one of Ireland's earliest known alphabets. In this video, we explore its historical origins, cultural significance, and modern interpretations within Paganism. We'll tackle: * The scholarly debate on Ogham's origins and its development. * The significance of Ogham inscriptions found across Ireland and the British Isles. * The role of the Book of Ballymote in preserving Ogham knowledge. * The modern neo-pagan practice of Ogham divination and its tree associations. CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://ift.tt/0OhKgwJ WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER 💌 https://ift.tt/67TUt3f BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://ift.tt/ABkTWnp BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://ift.tt/f6hV4TB SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ☕️https://ift.tt/I6W2oSO ONE-OFF DONATIONS 💰 https://ift.tt/TAUMWEL JOIN MEMBERSHIPS 👥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSbip_LX2AxbGeAQfLp-Ig/join MY PODCAST 🎙 https://ift.tt/FJAKBWd MY MERCH 👕 https://ift.tt/tIr1qEy FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 REFERENCES 📚 Eastwood, L. (2020) ‘A Re-evaluation Of The Ogham Tree List’. Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids. Available at: (https://www.druidry.org). Hutton, R. (1999) The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft. Oxford University Press. Available at: [Oxford Academic](https://ift.tt/NnBWAiw). Irving, J. (2012) ‘Ogham’. World History Encyclopedia. Available at: [https://ift.tt/WsEDtrA] Mac Coitir, N. (2012) ‘The Ogham Alphabet—A Military Origin?’, Archaeology Ireland, 26(1), pp. 22-25. Available at: [JSTOR](https://ift.tt/XMVKLCc). MacSweeny, C. and Hitchcock, P. S. I. (1853) ‘The Ogham Inscriptions’, Ulster Journal of Archaeology, 1, pp. 101-105. Available at: [JSTOR](https://ift.tt/kc98SmX). Magliocco, S. (2004) Witching Culture: Folklore and Neo-Paganism in America. University of Pennsylvania Press. Available at: [Internet Archive](https://ift.tt/sdZgD9G). McManus, D. (1991) A Guide to Ogam. Maynooth. Available at: [JSTOR](https://ift.tt/XMVKLCc). Raftery, B. (1969) ‘A Late Ogham Inscription from Co. Tipperary’, The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 99(2), pp. 161-164. Available at: [JSTOR](https://ift.tt/xwNCs5e). York, M. (2005) Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion. NYU Press. Available at: [Oxford Academic](https://ift.tt/t6uBdIh). ‘What is Ogham, and how is it used?’ (n.d.) Ogham Academy. Available at: [https://www.ogham.academy](https://www.ogham.academy). MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙�� https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ 00:00 Introduction Ogham -pronunciation guide and explanation 01:01 Support Angela’s Symposium 02:10 Origins of the Ogham writing system 02:52 Geographic extent of Ogham 03:33 Uses of Ogham – Ogham stones 04:19 Insights into Irish culture in the Middle Ages 05:45 Usage by Celts and Proto-Celts 06:56 Earliest inscriptions on Standing Stones 07:28 The Book of Ballymote – a key to reading Ogham 10:08 Other mediaeval manuscripts and archaeology 10:47 The Littleton Weaver's Sword 11:41 Ogham in contemporary Paganism and Divination 12:14 The Ogham Tree Alphabet 13:51 Historical vs. Modern Interpretations 15:04 Support Angela’s Symposium ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out! via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywQzDu5vJfU

#IFTTT #YouTube #Youtube

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huanyukang · 1 year ago

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Blog 6 sources and significance

An analysis of colour and scene design in the “Story of Yanxi Palace (2018)”

The production of this 70 episode TV series is very excellent, especially in the production of scene concept art design. This TV series tells the story of the protagonist Wei Yingluo how she won the palace struggle and became the noble consort of Emperor Qianlong. In the summer of 2018, the popularity of "Story of Yanxi Palace" directed by Yu Zheng rose sharply, becoming a leader in courses dramas over the same period (Qu, Mao and Liu, 2020). The most interesting aspect of this TV series is the director's handling of the overall color tone of the movie, and the overall color tone of this TV series presents a very beautiful gray tone, which is worth exploring

screenshoot from Story of Yanxi Palace(2018)

youtube

Yanxi Palace(In order），Youtube. https://youtu.be/Cry3gapJAW0?si=De7fdODOBq1fslwy(Accessed: 15 February 2024)

1.Interesting gray tones in TV dramas The first characteristic is the director's approach to reducing the brightness and purity of the video. In this TV drama, the director deliberately lowered the brightness of the video, such as the many red pillars and green beams in the Qing Dynasty palace scene, which are extremely bright and easily cause aesthetic fatigue for the audience. Therefore, the director intentionally lowered the overall brightness when dealing with the color tone of the video, making the Qing Dynasty palace as a set less eye-catching. In addition, the director likes to decorate palace scenes with items in adjacent color tones. For example, in the Yanxi Palace of the protagonist Wei Yingluo, the director extensively uses brown wood carvings for decoration, while other accessories in this scene, such as bed sheets and curtains, also lean towards brown color, providing the audience with a comfortable visual experience. The second characteristic is the director's careful selection of character clothing colors, as there are many scenes in this TV drama where characters have to sit together for meetings. Therefore, the director uses the purity of clothing colors to distinguish different levels of characters, such as high-level characters such as the queen and high-ranking concubines. The director usually designs clothing with particularly high purity for them, such as saturated bright red, blue, etc., while low-level concubines, The director uses a lot of light gray, such as light green and light purple clothing, and the overall color tone of the clothing is also designed by the director to have different levels of gray, which can quickly help the audience distinguish the level of the characters.

screenshoot from Story of Yanxi Palace(2018)

2.Some distinctive scene designs The most interesting one is the design of Chu Xiu palace, the antagonist character Gao Guifei. In the drama, Consort Gao is determined to kill the protagonist Wei Yingluo, so the interior design of the Chu Xiu Palace can clearly convey the personality traits of the antagonist Consort Gao. Firstly, in terms of the color scheme of the entire drama, the director extensively utilizes the style of Chinese ink painting, while incorporating the advanced gray color scheme of the Morandi color scheme to design the scenes, which can make the visuals in the drama very harmonious and sophisticated. However, in designing the Chu Xiu Palace for Consort Gao, the director utilized a large number of complementary colors such as red and green, allowing the audience to feel the conflict and aggression of these colors, thereby understanding Consort Gao's domineering personality. It is worth noting that Consort Gao wore many decorations with Chinese intangible cultural heritage "velvet flowers" on her head. Although these velvet flowers were not large, their production techniques were special and time-consuming, requiring brass and silk as raw materials to be processed layer by layer. The velvet flowers appearing in the drama were carefully crafted under the leadership of Zhao Shuxian, the "last velvet flower craftsman in Nanjing", based on existing reference materials for royal headwear (Zhou, 2020), The decoration on Gao Guifei's head also reflects her high status in the palace. In addition, based on Consort Gao's love for Chinese opera, the director also designed multiple door beams in the Chu Xiu Palace, on which many Chinese opera patterns were carved. This set not only showcases Consort Gao's majesty, but also allows the audience's gaze to be more focused. At the same time, the complex carving design of the door beams is like a prison cage, implying the sinister nature of palace life

In short, the director of this TV series places great emphasis on shaping the beauty of the color tones in the scene. The director brings a comfortable visual experience to the audience by reducing the brightness of the colors and distinguishing the purity of the tones in the scene

Reference:

Mao, H., Liu, J., & Qu, Z. (2021). Chinese Traditional Aesthetics in Qing Palace Drama*-Take “Story of Yanxi Palace” as an example. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 236, p. 05082). EDP Sciences. (Accessed: 15 February 2024)

Zhou，X (2020). Analysis of from “Story of Yanxi Palace”the perspective of traditional cultural inheritance. Mudan (20), 145-146. Available at:https://www.cnki.net (Accessed: 15 February 2024)

Yanxi Palace(In order），Youtube. https://youtu.be/Cry3gapJAW0?si=De7fdODOBq1fslwy(Accessed: 15 February 2024)

#sources and significance #Youtube

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livinterio · 1 year ago

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Trends in Noida's Interior Design

In the midst of our daily life struggles, our home is the one place that offers us serenity and to which we can return at the end of a long, trying day.

However, to attain the desired calm and peace, you have to pull up your socks and turn to those home décor plans you have been postponing for the last year! It’s time to turn over a new chapter and start with beautiful interior designs to change the look of your house!

Take a look at our list of remarkable interior design trends in Noida to spruce up your home décor done by the best interior designer in Noida

Light Shade Woodwork

Each type of wood is different in color. Some are light while others are dark (such as Teak, generally dark, whereas Maplewood is light).

The past few years have all been about light wood. Thus, designing cabinets, closets, and side tables with wood like maple, red oak, white oak, bamboo, and so on will add some much-needed elegance and grace to your home décor. If you are willing to get this done, you can consider an interior designer in Noida.

How to Use it?

Wooden work in the home brings warmth and texture. With light-shaded wood designs, it makes the place look more spacious.

This is what makes it a common décor trend in Noida for those with compact homes. It’s safe to say that light wooden flooring will be a major trend in the coming years.

Pantone Colours

Every year, Pantone releases color shades for the entire decoration industry. In 2020, it was classic blue, and in 2021, it is brooding grey.

Pantone colors bring about a sense of resilience, strength, and calm in the house. Pairing it with dark yellow will add a dollop of charm to your home.

How to Use it?

Use a grey tone on your home walls and pair it with the yellow shade of furniture such as cabinets, sofas, chairs, etc.

You can use a bright yellow headboard to complement the grey hue of your walls. The yellow furniture will spice up the look of your living room.

Rounded Furniture

The last decade was all about straight-line sofas and furniture. But today, people are going gaga about rounded furniture. Whether they are compact sofas, dining tables, or balcony chairs, rounded furniture is all set to rock this season.

How to Use it?

If you want to redecorate your living room, pick a couch or sofa set with curves. For the dining room, you can choose rounded back chairs with shapely curved legs. You can also add a round coffee table to your living room accompanied by a patterned rug to complete the look.

Eco-friendly Décor

People love plants and greens, but with how busy modern lifestyles have become, it becomes hard to stay connected with nature and gardening.

However, you can still get an eco-friendly home space with indoor plants and enjoy the gardening vibes. Indoor plants have become a desirable option in Noida homes, as they are easy to maintain and provide a sense of calmness within.

How to Use it?

In Indian metro cities, houseplants are the new natural. As traveling to the hills is not always possible, houseplants can be a great way to bring some greenery to your doorstep.

You can purchase indoor plants like jasmine, money plants, orchids, etc., to bring a positive essence to your home.

Victorian Era Décor

One of the most popular trends throughout the world is Victorian-era décor. It is a timeless and classic décor trend that several households in India are slowly waking up to.

The Victorian era was a time of oversized furniture and dramatic, warm, and complex design. However, it is a nightmare for a minimalist, but a dream design for people with big houses.

How to Use it?

You can start with dark shades and big furniture like a king-size bed, carved wooden add-ons, wall decoration, classical accessories, patterned carpets, etc. Victorian-style designs bring out a sense of grace and style in your home.

Wall Patterns

To turn a plain and dull house into one that’s creative and trendy, you need to go above and beyond. The walls of your home are the first thing that anyone walking in for the first time would notice.

So, shift from bare walls to varied wall patterns to amplify the ambiance and artistry of your home.

How to Use it?

You can add POP panels, both attractive and budget-friendly, with solid wood patterns to the living room wall, storage wall designs, etc.

Wall patterns make your living space look aesthetic, so try to implement any of the trending wall patterns and transform your home décor.

Accessorize with Artefacts

Noida is a city that’s deep-rooted in tradition, but at the same time very modern and contemporary.

Dress up your home with an eclectic collection of artifacts, both old and new, that speak to your personality and align well with your home décor theme.

Wall art, sculptures, and accessories add the final touch to your home décor and tie the different elements together beautifully.

False Ceilings

One of the very popular trends in cities like Noida is false ceilings. Today, home interiors seem incomplete without a beautiful fifth wall.

Metal frames and wooden ceilings are two of the most common décor trends that bring out the beauty in the fifth wall of your home.

How to Use it?

POP has been around for decades. Some other trends including gypsum and wood ceilings have caught the attention of millennials. You can use it as a single-layer or multi-layer to add a beautiful finish to your house.

A beautiful home brings excitement and serenity, all at the same time. With the latest style statements and trends, you can easily amplify the overall look of your house.

Livinterio brings you the latest home décor trends in Noida by top interior designer in Noida to help you transform your home into an ingenious work of art!

#best interior designer in noida #interior designer in noida #top interior designer in noida

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college-girl199328 · 2 years ago

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The mini stock cars of Radio Control Racers Edmonton are swerving down the track at their new storefront in the Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre.

The club is one of the unconventional tenants setting up shop in the shopping center, which alternative mall foot traffic numbers Control Edmonton took over a storefront in the building last month. President Randy Van said the first few weeks have been a massive success for both club and the mall.

"It's been great for the community," he said. "Everybody that lives close to the mall is coming just to watch races the Edmonton Train Collectors Association, a model train club, Africart, a locally-owned African clothing and art store, and Priya Fashions, a clothing store specializing in Indian and Islamic bridal fashion.

The shopping center's general manager Tammy Abbott said the pandemic forced the mall, which opened in 1968, to change the business.

"We've had to look out of the box and bring new concepts to the plate," she said. "Consumer patterns have changed, so we have to change."

According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians shopping online rose from 73% in 2018 to 82% in 2020 e-commerce than in-person sales, according to the most recent data.

Changing spending patterns are causing flagship stores to fail at malls across Edmonton Co-op grocery store in the Mill Woods Town Centre closed this January. In the same month, The Toys "R" Us store in the West Edmonton Mall announced it would close, as did the Sport Chek in the City Centre Mall location.

As well as boutique stores and local clubs, Bonnie Doon is boosting business through the experience attractions center shoppers admired art displays throughout the building, listened to live music, and talked to local artists about their work.

The Night of Artists organization also runs a full-time art gallery in the space founder believes the mall's unique approach is restoring connections between neighbors, which are whittling away.

"It slows people down, and I think we need more [opportunities] where people stop and smell the roses and stop and look at the art," he said.

The Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre also operates an outdoor ice rink to attract families during winter months and a community vegetable garden in a storefront.

"[The garden] started during COVID as a team building exercise for our office staff, and we quickly realized that it takes many hands to grow vegetables," said Abbott.

"Volunteers come to take care of the plants, harvest them, and plant more fresh produce at Edmonton's The Mustard Seed and Youth Empowerment and Support Services.

Roxx, a store that sells semi-precious stones, fossils, and tiny carved penguins, fairies, and dragons, claims the new strategies are boosting business.

"Us personally have had a major influx of more traffic," said Roxx part-owner Jacqueline Bursey definitely may not be having as much success as us."

Mall organizers expect the Valley Line LRT, featuring a stop at the shopping center, will help retail businesses to build on recent momentum.

The Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre has invested 2 million in a transit plaza linking the mall, and the LRT station Valley Line is two years behind schedule and has not yet announced an opening date for the line.

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james4roger · 2 years ago

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Baker Furniture: A Luxury Brand That Stands the Test of Time

Baker Furniture has been the epitome of luxury in the furniture industry for over a century. It is known for its timeless designs, exceptional craftsmanship, and unwavering attention to detail. This article will explore what makes Baker Furniture so unique and why it is a sought-after brand today.

History of Baker Furniture

Founded in 1890 by Siebe Baker in Michigan, USA, Baker Furniture started as a humble furniture manufacturer with only a few employees. Its reputation for top-quality furniture increased, and by the early 20th century, it had become one of America's leading fine furniture manufacturers. Today, under the ownership of Kohler Co. The company continues to produce world-class furniture that exudes luxury and elegance.

Aesthetics

Baker Furniture continues to stand out after all these years due to its impeccable aesthetics. Every piece is thoughtfully designed with classic motifs that evoke tradition while incorporating contemporary trends. The design team focuses on intricate details such as hand-carved woodwork or expertly tailored fabrics to create stunning heirloom-quality pieces.

Attention to Detail

From classic to contemporary styles, Baker Furniture can always be identified by its meticulous attention to detail. Along with the incorporation of rich and unique materials like exotic wood veneers, Baker Furniture takes pride in every aspect of production - from conception all the way through to completion.

Craftsmanship

Beyond just good looks, Baker Furniture has built a reputation for masterful craftsmanship. The materials used are hand-selected for quality before being crafted into beautiful pieces by skilled artisans who take pride in their work. Each piece undergoes rigorous inspections before being stamped with the iconic medallion-shaped logo, guaranteeing the authenticity and quality assurance.

Design Excellence

At the heart of Baker Furniture is its design excellence which has set a new standard in luxury home décor. Every design this brand produces combines classic sophistication with contemporary sensibilities creating a timeless allure that never goes out of style. Baker Furniture has something for everyone, from traditional silhouettes imbued with elegant touches to modern pieces reimagined for today's living spaces.

Sustainability

Finally, sustainability is one value that sets Baker Furniture apart from other luxury brands today. They understand how important it is to reduce waste while still creating exceptional products that last for generations– taking extraordinary measures to reduce their carbon footprint through responsible sourcing practices and environmental awareness programs.

Eco-Friendly Production

As preserving our environment becomes increasingly important, sustainability is at the heart of every decision made at Baker Furniture. With a focus on environmentally friendly practices during production, they strive towards protecting our planet for future generations.

Today's Luxury Classics

As 2020 marks 130 years since the foundation of Baker Furniture Company, Modernizing classic, timeless design continues to be their critical focal point. Collaborations with esteemed designers have allowed for innovative new designs whilst retaining tradition, keeping a consistent flow amongst past glorious collections, and entering into the contemporary territory, furnishing today's modern living spaces.

Legacy & Reputation

Baker Furniture's reputation speaks volumes about who they are as an organization; there's no question about its legacy or heirloom quality products that have adorned homes since 1890. Each year, they produce statement pieces for high-end residential clients globally, collections comprising late-century modernism interiors or art-touched new traditional styles customized for superior living experiences.

Conclusion

Baker Furniture remains true to its roots as an innovative leader in the furniture industry even after more than a century since its inception. No matter how styles change over time, elegance and quality never go out of fashion – making every piece from Baker timeless investments that will continue to impress future generations.

With a long-standing history of impeccable service delivery marked by brilliant aesthetics across every collection published - from Palm Beach chic designs made for Ivanka Trump or Stephen Sills' New York apartment masterpieces - buyers can rest assured they're receiving pieces that aren't just beautiful but built with durability in mind too!

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