#Chimera Atelier

[dorinoke]

CHIMERA OLRUGGIO RAAAHHH🍳

[themakeupbrush]

What are your thoughts on the Schiaparelli tech baby, specifically in regards to any sort of societal commentary but also in terms of the rest of the collection?

Collection description from Daniel Roseberry

If there's one thing Schiaparelli is good at, it's having a weird showstopper that everyone will be talking about. It always feels a little gimmicky but clearly it works and keeps fashion week interesting, so I'm not complaining. Also, Daniel Roseberry's dedication to fashion + couture is always inspiring. You can read an article here where he complains about people feeding his work through AI, being inspired by other couture icons, and honoring a member of the atelier who's retring.

I think they accomplished the classic Schiaparelli goal of putting two unlikely things together and making them work, but to me this collection kind of felt like it had one too many design concepts going on. It had extraterrestrial, technology, texas cowboy, and then all the iconic Schiaparelli design elements. The outfits on their own were great and cohesive, but it kind of made the show feel like it was all over the place.

Collection description from Daniel Roseberry:

In 1877, Elsa Schiaparelli’s uncle Giovanni Schiaparelli, the director of the Brera Observatory in Milan, discovered something new: a series of channels, an area as large as the Grand Canyon, scoring the surface of Mars. He also coined the term “Martian”, and inadvertently began our modern fascination with creatures from out there, a fascination that continues to this day. So it makes sense that space has always been an informal code of the Maison. Elsa was, famously, preoccupied with astrology, and why not? Looking to the stars was clearly a family pastime. This collection is an homage to that obsession, as well as a study in contradictions — of legacy and the avant-garde, of the beautiful and the provocative, of the earthbound and the heaven-sent. But as art (and nature) teaches us again and again, the things and ideas that seem diametrically opposed to each other can also combine to make startling chimeras, objects composed of familiar parts that, when united, create something unexpected and new It is, in fact, one of the Maison’s guiding philosophies: Elsa was committed to unlikely marriages win her own design, and the looks in this collection honor that tradition, combining old world techniques (such as over-embroidered guipure laces, velvet and lace appliqués, and hand cut and embroidered chenille fringe) with new world shapes, patterns, and references (such as a motherboard-and-strasse microchip dress encrusted with pre-2007 technological artifacts — now, the technology I grew up with is so antiquated that it’s almost as difficult to source as certain vintage fabrics and embellishments). They also unite her personal references with my own: you’ll see abstracted references to iconographies of my home state of Texas throughout, from the bandana, here remade in hand-painted paillettes; to the cowboy boot, reconceived as a thigh-high fantasy bristling with buckles; to the iconic horse braid dressage knots redone as silk satin spikes and smothering a camel suede bomber jacket and a white denim corset suit. Elsa was famous for her codes — the keyhole, the measuring tape, anatomical body parts — and we’ve embedded them like Easter eggs in jewelry, shoes, clutches, and embroidery, a secret message from us to the woman who wears them. The result are a series of profiles both familiar and not — part human, part something else. And, therefore, totally Schiaparelli.

[nursesharkinfirmary]

ִֶָ࣪𓂃 * -` 🥖 ´- kasane teto npts 🌺 ㅤׂㅤ⭒

─ 𖦹 ˙ ̟Names

Chimera, Tera/Terri, Baguette, Kisssee, Wilde, Drill, Justice, Ted/Teddie/Teddy, Era, Synth, Baina, Facade, Abyss, Diva, Mono, Chartette, Atelier, Magenta, Azalea, Dianthe, Blush, Coralie

─ 𖦹 ˙ ̟Pronouns

Diva/Diva's, Free/Free's, Bread/Bread's, Devil/Devil's, Chime/Chime's, Twirl/Twirl's, Growl/Growl's, Terri/Torie's, Function/Function's, 💗/💗's, 😈/😈's, 🌷/🌷's, 🥖/🥖's, 🥐/🥐's, 🍞/🍞's, 🎀/🎀's, 🎛/🎛's

─ 𖦹 ˙ ̟Titles

The Chimera Performer, (Prn) with Free Software, Bread-Eating (Pref Supernatural Creature), The One who will not be Mesmerized, (Prn) with Mischievous Functions

[enriquemzn262]

It’s really funny how I was completely anti-anime for close to 10 years, then the pandemic hit and confinement made me revisit the medium and fall in love with it again, only for then leave me in my current state of trying my hardest to watch the new stuff, but being completely put off by the plague of basic bitch isekais, boring battle shonen, cookie cutter slice of life, just plain boring romcoms, and what is essentially porn but without actual sex, which is increasingly crossing over with the previous genres.

I am looking forward to a few stuff though, Witch Hat Atelier comes out next year, and I know it’s going to be amazing, both Ranger Reject and Delicious in Dungeon are getting new seasons, and I’m hopeful Frieren gets one too, not to mention the Zombie Land Saga movie that hopefully isn’t cancelled.

But overall I’m falling off anime again, and manga may be following suit, as besides Far East Chimera, I haven’t picked up a new series in months, I’m basically still following what’s still in production of what I originally began to read during the lockdowns, which is around 12 or so titles, out of up to 30 I used to follow just a few years back (half gone because they ended, the other because I stopped enjoying them).

The days where I binged two animes per day only to then stay awake reading Berserk seem so far now.

[multiverseofseries]

La Bella Estate: la sensuale primavera del nostro scontento

La bella estate, adattamento del romanzo di Cesare Pavese ad opera di Laura Luchetti, con Yile Yara Vianello, Deva Cassel e Alessandro Piavani.

La bellezza delle opere di Cesare Pavese la ritroviamo nella descrizione dei personaggi. Dai piccoli e nitidi dettagli che fanno vivere sulla pagina uomini e donne. Nel caso però de La bella estate, soprattutto donne, essendo uno dei più noti romanzi "al femminile" dello scrittore piemontese. E del resto chi meglio di una regista può portarlo sul grande schermo? E di fronte a tale impresa Laura Luchetti trova una chiave di lettura efficace. Quanto Amelia, interpretata da Deva Cassel al suo debutto sul grande schermo, nella volontà di Pavese e Luchetti, è sfuggente e misteriosa, quanto Ginia, A interpretarla è Yile Yara Vianello già vista in Corpo celeste e La chimera di Alice Rohrwacher, la vera protagonista, è radicata nel presente, divisa tra l'impiego come sarta e i lavori domestici per accudire il fratello Severino.

La chimica tra le due attrici è il fulcro attorno a cui ruota La bella estate, dramma in costume elegante e calibrato. La ricostruzione temporale operata da Laura Luchetti avvolge lo spettatore grazie a personaggi vividi, i cui piccoli drammi catturano da subito l'attenzione nonostante il senso di incompiuto che incombe in sottofondo. A stupire però è la rappresentazione di queste giovani donne che, nell'estate del '38, con la Seconda Guerra Mondiale che bussa alle porte, sono più preoccupate a cercare un'attività che le realizzi in una concezione decisamente moderna.

Con un'estetica che rispetta i canoni dell'epoca in cui la storia è ambientata, e la grande cura nell'aspetto dei personaggi, nei costumi, nelle posture, nella ricostruzione degli ambienti, La bella estate ci sottopone l'universalità della forza vitale della gioventù attraverso le vite di un gruppo di amici che lottano contro le difficoltà del quotidiano in una grande città come Torino e le loro reazioni di fronte all'arrivo di un elemento estraneo. Elemento che si manifesterà nella persona di Amelia, che fa il suo ingresso arrivando a nuoto dal lago dopo essersi tuffata come una sirena e introduce Ginia nel suo mondo fatto di assenzio, pittori spiantati, atelier polverosi e sensualità smaccata.

la regista prende alla lettera il titolo del suo nuovo lavoro costruendo una pellicola fatta di sguardi, primissimi piani, corpi adagiati su sofà, ma anche su mani consumate dal lavoro o sporche di pittura. I giovani al centro della storia sono tutti belli, vitali. Alessandro Piavani si carica sulle spalle il perso del personaggio più sgradevole quel Guido che alterna sedute di pittura e attività predatoria cercando giovani donne da sedurre nell'atelier che condivide con il più estroso Rodriguez (Adrien Dewitte). La bella estate è la storia della maturazione di una giovane donna attraverso dolori, rimpianti, errori, silenzi e passi falsi. Niente di nuovo sotto il sole, ma grazie allo sforzo registico di Laura Luchetti questo mondo antico risulta meno lontano nel tempo del previsto.

La bella estate è un film profondamente sensuale, ma la sensibilità della regista interviene nella rappresentazione del sesso "raffreddandola" per evitare volgarità e scene gratuite. Mentre i nudi di Amelia, che di lavoro fa la modella, sono sempre contenuti e ridotti a una sorta di vedo/non vedo, il nudo di Ginia risulta totalmente naturale. Il tocco femminile nella rappresentazione coreografica affiora nella prima volta di Ginia, nell'irruenza sessuale di Guido e nelle danze maliziose di Amelia culminando infine nel ballo lento tra le due ragazze durante una festa di paese, con la telecamera talmente vicina al loro volti da spingere lo spettatore a chiedersi se intorno a loro le altre persone si siano rese conto del loro legame speciale o se questo esiste principalmente nelle loro menti.

La bella estate: Yile Yara Vianello e Alessandro Piavani a Locarno 2023

Parlare di relazione omosessuale ed esplorazione della propria identità sotto il Fascismo non è semplice e il film di Laura Luchetti è molto prudente nella rappresentazione del rapporto tra Ginia e Amelia, limitandosi a mezze frasi, sguardi languidi, senza mai esplicitare la questione. Se da una parte quest'aura di non detto può rendere, si, più intrigante la scoperta di questo piccolo mondo antico, in cui troviamo echi del presente, dall'altra può risultare frustrante. Perchè anche nei momenti più intensi si continua a percepire un certo distacco emotivo, una freddezza di fondo dovuta al registro usato dai personaggi.

In conclusione un La bella estate, di Laura Lucchetti pellicola liberamente ispirata al classico di Cesare Pavese, è adattamento centrato e affascinante. Il film traduce in immagini le vicende delle adolescenti in cerca di identità raccontate da Pavese, inglobando in un ambientazione classica elementi che risultano anche contemporanei. Convincente il cast, nonostante le performance risultino complessivamente troppo corrette e poco coinvolgenti a livello emotivo.

👍

- La ricostruzione di un'epoca risulta affascinante grazie agli sforzi produttivi in termini di ambienti, costumi e scenografie.

- La regia equilibrata ed elegante.

- L'essenza del romanzo di Pavese prende vita con un'apertura all'attualità.

👎

- Le performance del cast corrette, ma poco coinvolgenti.

[raven]

theres many animes that i would say are "objectively" better than fma, of course, objectivity means nothing, but we can pretend. Bc fma fans do. revolutionary girl utena. mob psycho 100. chimera ant arc (like, not all of hxh... But chimera ant arc... woahh) theres mangas for SURE. dungeon meshi of course. witch hat atelier -> and that ones got moral lessons too, but theyre better. mob psycho & chimera ant arc mangas. and im not much of a weeb or anything so these are the few things i know.

[strykingback]

On nearly every monitor throughout the governments of Remnant, only the words, "REPENT." would be featured on the screens of many. Systems were being hacked if only to send a message to the people.

And then a voice was heard.

It was the voice of an elderly man, though his voice held the strength and resolve of a resilient force, a force that would signal the coming apocalypse for this unfortunate world.

"And yet, after all these cycles, you still find yourself screaming in terror into that void where no one would ever answer you. No one but me. For I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness. I am the alpha and the omega. The possibilities within me are beyond anything you can conceive. Yet you still insist on resisting. Yet you refuse to submit your guilt to me. As if you could atone for it in a way that matters."

Unidentified spacecraft and ships would be nearing the system.

Each of them resembled massive, cathedrals, houses of worship when in truth, these were devastating machines of war. The number of these ships would cause the unprepared to faint if they saw into the deep reaches of the cosmic void.

One thing was certain though: This would be the beginnings of an apocalypse never witnessed before by anyone.

Would the people of Remnant be ready for what would become the fight of their lives?

Only time may tell.

The cycle of guilt cannot be broken,....

Across Remnant people would see this as they all listened with horror wirtten on their faces even as now Remnant had survived one horror after the other. And just when it seemed they were finally healing something no someone just had to stand in the way... but.... does that mean they are not prepared. No.... they are always ready.

OST: Guardians Of Light (Autoplay Warning)

In Brumel, King Rodrigues and the Council of Brumel agreed for the first time that this was a threat to Remnant he would say only one thing to everyone including the Atelier Paladins and the Hunters across Remnant.

"Arm yourselves..... for Brumel and Remnant Stand as one!!!"

Across to that of Ruins of Light in Mistral, Exaltia for the first time could feel the oncoming darkness that was coming one that could rival even her brother Imperius. Walking out of the Ruins of Light and looking up to the sky and taking an inhale in she would release a Titan Call..... calling any and all Grimm Titans to awaken and fight.

The Neo-Shinbaori would hear of this as well thanks to Mizunami and his influence in the Mistrali government as Masamune would rise holding his Katana and nod at his trusted allies.

"It is time to fight.... not just for our lives but for the fate of Remnant in its entireity"

While above Aelius would release a screeching roar flying above with draconic grimm following them, with that of wyverns, gryphons, screechers, and even chimeras following the Titan King of the Air as he flew above the main city, which left everyone fearful but what they noticed was Aelius was keeping them in check and even releasing a few chirps to make sure they dont harm a human or faunus... keeping a silent vigil of Mistral...

In Argus, Perseus and the Atlesian Military along with many Sea-Dragon Grimm were patrolling the seas with the Titan rising from it looking up at the sky and angrily giving a glare... to what was coming.......he wanted to be ready this time....

In Vale, Hades was running through the mountains holding his War Axe which he looked up at the sky as well throwing the Axe down and slamming his fists against his chest before he released a loud roar of defiance....

Then in Vacuo Hideyoshi would prepare the Desertwalkers along with many bandits who had saw the announcement..... they lost their home to war once.... they were not going to lose it again........

And lastly the Scions of Salem.... Salem would look for the first time worried.... but this was the time to fight.... it was time to throw away her plans...as she too had a connection to Remnant whether if it was good or bad... as finally... she turned around to look at all them.

"TO ARMS...."

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER..... REMNANT WAS UNIFIED... UNDERNEATH ONE BANNER..... EVERY CREED, RELIGION, AND RACE WAS UNIFIED TO FIGHT

[grxmincvdescxnce]

( yaya dacosta, she/her, spirit warrior ) to BELLADONA VIDANYA, the whole world looks like an open page. with a leap of faith, their ability of TRANSMUTATION MAGIC grows a little stronger. they’re pledged to the HOUSE of FRASER to defend the enchanted lands of cagliostro with their ENCHANTED POCKET WATCH. for TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-SEVEN years, they have survived a world of magic with both their FORMIDABILITY and LETHARGY. they work as an ALCHEMICAL INVENTOR, but if they could change their fate, they’d want to SEE THE DEATH OF HER TRUE ENEMY.

inspo includes the likes of the following: ramizel erlenmeyer of atelier sophie series, coffy of cowboy bebop, izumi curtis of fullmetal alchemist, cable of marvel comics, senju tsunade of naruto, urahara kisuke of bleach, flo of pixar’s cars, the doctor of doctor who, edalyn clawthorne of the owl house.

&. ⸻ BASICS

name — dr. belladona vidanya

aliases — don, donnie, bella, the doc, strong-arm alchemist, the amazon, etc 

birthdate — may 17

zodiac — taurus

birthplace — kardia village

sexuality — panromantic pansexual

alignment — neutral good

temperament — choleric

element — earth

primary vice — sloth

primary virtue — faith

house — fraser

occupation — alchemical inventor, owner of the strong arm atelier

markings — several, mostly claw marks

&. ⸻ HEADCANONS

belladona is ludmila wilbell’s grandmother, though not by blood. she’s taken care to ensure ludmila is none the wiser, treating her exactly as she would her own child. ludmila’s true grandmother was a dear friend of belladona’s, tasking the alchemist with the care of her family upon her passing. and with don’s own child taken from her and an unwillingness present in pursuance of another, the time walker took well to the request.

belladona’s talent for alchemy comes from a long line of ancestorial backing. her family specialized, primarily, in biological alchemy.

her doctorate was awarded, rather than academically pursued, following her significant contributions in the field of research and science by way of her inventions.

for those who choose to become her apprentice, of which she’s had only a select few over her many years, they should be aware of the hard work and strenuous efforts ahead. she takes well to self-made worth, never one to believe in handouts, which is why she pushes her granddaughter and others as hard as she does.

her right hand has a tattooed transmutation array, permitting her the ability to use alchemical talents ‘on the go’ and in fluidity with her natural martial arts skill, resulting in seamless transitions from one form to the next.

she is a diagnosed narcoleptic, capable of sleeping anywhere, anytime. particularly in the colder months.

her great enemy stems from a specific family of time manipulators, determined to claim immortality for themselves by using underhanded and downright despicable actions. belladona has been secretly employed to face against them over the sprawling years, and has kept this entirely secret from those closest. she has allowed her life to span on as long as it has for this reason alone, to see their final defeat by her hands. since ludmila’s come into her life, however, she’s found herself with another reason to continue. 

&. ⸻ BEAST MODE

chimera form — her uncle was a bio-alchemist who would eventually be responsible for alchemically splicing his niece, transforming her into what she is today — a chimera, or half human, half animal — for the sole purpose of having the power to do so, believing himself a god in his own right. she would not be alone in this change, as others were among her uncle’s ‘volunteers’ and subsequent failures. don would be among the few to survive and be considered a noted success. her unnatural strength derives from her beastly half, alongside a number of her other ‘quirks’ such as her tendency to oversleep and slather honey on everything. her breed, specifically, is a cinnamon bear. — for reference: here

&. ⸻ CURSE

temporal curse — there is an ongoing rumor she can grant immortality. she has never confirmed or denied this, but has yet to offer her knowledge on this freely and claims her youthful looks are entirely genetic. in fact, her youth is a product of a longstanding time curse, brought on by an enchanted pocket watch. it does tell time, but it also houses a part of her dual soul in a dorian gray painting sort of way. so long as it remains unbroken, her immortality and balance will mostly stay — allowing her to ‘jump’ through her personal timeline to manipulate aspects of herself including her age and sense of speed. years of abuse of this talent, however, has caused unnatural shifting, between forms and internally. her insides, specifically, have begun revolting against her as they do not operate the same as her external self, on account of the experimentation. stabilizing potions are often taken for this reason. if the watch is broken and the curse is lifted, she'll rapidly decay, turn to dust, and die. thankfully, or perhaps not depending on one’s interpretation, the watch itself is not easily damaged. and don herself would know this rather well. — for reference: here

&. ⸻ SPECIALIZATION

don is an alchemist who specializes in potions with property based manipulation, matter transmutation, and general craftsmanship and reconfiguration — primarily with weaponry and armor. as expected, her shop is full of mystical objects and scavenged material, with don herself responsible for quite a few of the magical artifacts and armaments of legend in the world. prosthetics are also well within her wheelhouse and tend to be heavily customized. her potions, specifically, range anywhere from vaguely medicinal to biologically disrupting to elemental or support-enhancing. sleep or disintegrating powders, strength and endurance building, etc. because of their range in ability, she tends to keep a few on hand regularly. 

&. ⸻ THE ATELIER

a mobile alchemic workshop, known as the ‘strong arm’, that resembles a half house on large, muscular chicken legs. the shop is enchanted to appear bigger on the inside and will never turn up in the same place twice. streams of greenery and branches grow freely, aiding its disguise around selphia. it also doubles as a well-furnished home for belladona and ludmila, with protection spells and a security system in place for any possible intruder.  — for reference: here ( legs ) + here ( actual shop )

[seiko-matsushita]

Falling Toys - Chimera/落下する玩具 - キメラ Images for the animation -  Mother’s Voice ATELIER・K, Yokohama   2022

[beninparis]

Blog Submission 3

I remember vividly the moment I realized we had a week left. I was sitting in my bed looking at the schedule and how many days we had left, when the realization hit me. I’m not sure I could call it a full on cry, but I did shed actual tears in that moment. Even if I were able to somehow see everything, I still don’t think I would be ready to go back. There’s something different about Paris. It’s all of what I stated before, but there might be something else that I can’t identify until after the fact. A few times now, I have considered making my return be a goal, either for another few weeks or even moving in for a good chunk of my life. I can’t guarantee it would be the same or better than this, but it’s probably worth a try.

Bastille Day was a bit of rush in the last few minutes, partially because of me. Aiden said “We were going to take the metro to the Eiffel Tower.” I said “We can watch from the Seine dude.” That we did. It was crowded, we had to walk for miles, and we didn’t really get the best view. Then again though, this was probably better so we didn’t have to take the hour walk home at 1 am.

The hill to MontMartre offered the second best view of Paris, with the third being the Arc De Triomphe. The kind of view that makes Paris seem smaller while simultaneously reminding you how big it is. I would say it’s fitting that the church be put here to remind Parisians of God’s position above them, but that metaphor gets ruined whenever you remember the church isn’t the highest thing in Paris. With that being said though, it’s one of the best and most grand churches I have seen in Paris. I don’t know if it’s the best church (I wish Notre Dame were open for me to compare) but I do know it’s the one church we went to that compelled me to pray beneath one of the statues. Something about the kind of power that the building has. The rest of the street is glorious too, but in a more secular way. The readings describe the hill as devoted to art and pleasure and that can be seen in the many artists at work and the various restaurants.

I went to the sewers. They stink. They're also probably cleaner than my old highschool’s bathrooms. It was fascinating to see how the city handles its water and to see another portion of Paris’ underground “city”. Honestly though, I think I was more fascinated by the rat monster, a weird chimera involving a rat, a mantis, and a scorpion. It just appears in one of the tunnels and is even acknowledged in the gift shop, but has no context or explanation. I tried Googling the thing and I think even Google is drawing blanks. I’ve become a character in a sci-fi B movie because I need to know more about the creature and its origins.

I don’t think anything is going to match Atelier des Lumieres. Even after the readings, I still didn’t know what to expect. I was presented with one of the most immersive presentations of art, history, and life I have ever seen. It’s presented in a way that surrounds you and becomes the only world there is for a moment. Firouzen insisted we watch from the railway upstairs, which was a nice break. Yet, I feel like there was just as much, sometimes more magic in standing below and facing the walls head on. Almost like you’re part of the exhibit too. Also, someone please recreate this kind of thing but with quicker animations and house music. That would be my kind of rave.

Now who could pass up a chance to graffiti a wall and not get arrested for it? Fortunately, I got to do that and have my first try and spray painting. We went over the basics first: lines, filling in shapes, and gradients. We had to choose a word or phrase for the workshop, something that would sum up Paris and our time with it. One of the first things that came to my mind was Lee Ann Womack, who said that if we had the choice to sit it out or dance, she hoped we would dance. I think the rest of the class were on the same page, whether they knew the song or not.

Of course though, I wasn’t going to end my trip to Paris without a certain stop. I mentioned the third and second best views previously. Here’s the first.

The tower was packed and I managed to get on in time to watch the sunset as I ascended. The fire of the sun was the warmest as it left the sky, dipping down below the city in an orange ball of light. The tower soon became as golden as the streets would become while the sky darkened from blue to black. It’s probably best that I did this in the last week, so that I have a little bit more of a relation with those golden streets. Despite the place swarming with people, nothing was going to take away from the climactic view. Except maybe the champagne price. Seriously, 46 euro for a glass? Either way, this view felt somewhat sacred, the thing that my applications, planning, travel, and classwork all built up to. The moment the sky blackens and the streets become gold is the kind of fantasy that so many movies and tv shows sell Paris on. Only it wasn’t a fantasy. It was Monday night.

Versailles was a decent follow up, not as impressive but still with its own charm. As an occasional hunter, I personally think an uppity lodge surrounded by gold is an insult to the earthy nature of hunting, but the royal family was wired differently. So differently that the queen thought make-believing as peasants with life sized playhouses was a normal thing to do. Either way, it was a lovely place and row boating was one the best things to do on a day like that. I also learned something about myself. I am not very fast.

I think my biggest concern is, who will I be whenever I come back home? Will I be better than I was or as I was? I’m told by Nancy that travel changes me and I sincerely hope she’s right. The closest I can think of to a change is in writing. I still remember the comment Nancy made to me after my first blog post and what it made me feel. I also remember the comment she and Herman made about the follow up post. They seemed like they were a little surprised with me and that made me surprised in return. It also made me write a bit more than I probably would have otherwise. I wrote in Cafe de Flore for extra credit and I wrote about the church where the concert was. Nothing earth shattering, just what I saw and what I felt and I tried to dress it up as fancy as can be. I know I shouldn’t seek validation and doing that can be a danger for many artists, but damn does it feel nice. If they have a knack for it, then I might go even further.

When people say that Paris is a city of love, they usually mean a romantic love. To me, it’s a love of life.

Tips:

Get to know your breakfast options, most of the time it’s just Boulangerie goods, but you can find other options if you look enough.

Learn how to work the transit system. The metro at the very least.

If the cheese has mold in it and its blue cheese specifically, you can eat it. If there’s mold on the rinds, avoid the rinds. In fact, avoid most rinds.

Be prepared for blisters. Blisters are inevitable.

Dance.

[ifikeahadanairline]

EVANESCENT is an artwork driven by the forces and natural occurrences within the changing world around us. The use of dichroic film creates the illusion of the bubble-like form. The original meaning of dichroic, from the Greek dikhroos, two-coloured, refers to an optical device which can split a beam of light into two beams with differing wavelengths. These properties give the dichroic film it unique aesthetic effects, mimicking those of the bubble.

[vinetooth-prime]

Happy New Year! With all the seasonal retail rush cleared up, I have more time to draw again! (& address commissions soon!)

here’s the first real doodle I’ve done in a while; Rue (@alchemic-atelier) thought she could charm her way into a surprise win. :^)

[peggyannmourot]

Vide Atelier !

Chimera Acrylique & Encre de Chine 30x40 Un des trois dessins réalisés spécialement pour FANTASMA aux éditions Joie Panique.

Disponible sur mon site, frais de port offerts pour la France.

https://peggyannmourot.com/boutique/encres/chimera/

https://peggyannmourot.com/

[atamascolily]

lily watches fma:b, eps. 37-40

I can only watch 2 episodes at a time because I keep having to pause and write angry screeds in a text document. I suppose this is what is called “engaging with the source material” in media studies.

Cut for extreme length and also me ranting about Hohenheim because FUCK THAT DUDE. Also, worldbuilding stuff I don’t understand.

Ed reciting the periodic table to get his mind off his boner for Winry is just perfect.

Meanwhile, Winry's nerding out over combat automail and Kimblee's just sippin' his coffee watching the whole thing

Kimblee got Winry to like him by saying he admired her parents, argghhh

Pride is revealed to be Selim Bradley and harasses Hawkeye because he's a little shit... also it conveniently allows Buccaneer's tunnel team to escape. Why is Pride simultaneously in Central AND Briggs? I guess we'll find out.

Hawkeye going home and seeing her shadow and realizing just how fucked they are is PERFECT.

Kimblee tells Ed he'll give him a Philosopher's stone if Ed helps him find Scar and Marcoh and finish the job at Briggs (i.e., kill everyone to make a stone). Ed asks--very reasonably, I might add--why Kimblee is going along with the homunculi and his answer is basically "for the lulz". (Oh, and they let him kill people instead of locking him up for war crimes.)

(although I'd argue the homunculi only let him do so when it's personally convenient; they have no qualms about keeping his ass in jail otherwise)

(also: please note kimblee ISN'T in jail for war crimes against Ishval, he's in jail because he murdered some Amestrisian guards so no one would know he has a Philosopher's Stone.)

Ed's like, "so Winry, you're a hostage for my good behvior and I might have to comnit mass murder, fyi" AT LEAST HE FINALLY FOUND A WAY TO TELL HER

love how winry forces her way into the convoy and kimblee just goes with it because he's too busy to argue.

(meanwhile, the end credits still have her at the atelier in Rush Valley, lol)

Yoki's flashback in the 1920s film style is HILARIOUS (if biased) account

Scar and Kimblee face off. I'm reminded of the 2003 anime where iirc Scar sacrifices himself to utterly destroy Kimblee halfway through. no such luck here.

I'm still not happy that Scar killed Winry's parents in this version. It was much more interesting when it was the Amestrisian military--specifically, Roy Mustang, one of the so-called good guys.

(It's not that it was morally okay for Scar to kill the doctors who saved his life--or anyone--just because of their race but it's a whole 'nother ballgame when the murder cover-up for a military dictatorship and the perpetrator is a character the audience has come to root for vs. misguided revenge)

What IS interesting here is Scar confronting Miles, asking him how he can serve in the same institution that killed his family. Miles says he's trying to change minds from the inside; Scar is highly skeptical but claims to be glad there are people like Miles in this world (who aren't so consumed by hatred and grief that they can do that kind of work, instead of becoming a vigilante).

one of Miles' troopers has a backpack that's a phone. Okay... WHAT? I guess if they have automail they can have extremely bulk cellphones, but... I don't understand the tech in this world.

brief detour for Al to lecture the chimera prisoners, okay

Yoki actually has a good idea for once!

I don't understand the chimeras saying they want their bodies back - it seems like they can shift from human to their other form and back (they do it a few minutes later) so... I get that they've been experimented upon and it's horrible, but they're not quite in the same desperate straits as Al, who doesn't have a body at all, or Nina Tucker *sob*. Or am I missing something obvious here??

...okay, I think they were moved to DIFFERENT human bodies than their original forms? It's kind of unclear from context.  

Just as I was admiring Winry's piercings for the bajillionth time, a random dude tells her they'll cause frostbite so she takes them out and gives them to Ed as a token. And probably also so Kimblee will suspect the ruse later if/when he notices that detail.

Scar's like, "man, why'd I have to kill the FAMOUS doctors, sigh"

Al has a vision of his body and it's SO FREAKING CREEPY, YO (I like the detail that his nails are really long)

Cut to Father playing with little mini versions of Ed and Al on a transmutation circle in his lair OH YEAH THAT'S CREEPY - he needs 5 people to complete the circle. Ed, Al, and Hohenheim are each little skull-people, Izumi is "a possibility," and that leaves one more... probably Roy.

I love Hawkeye and Roy's verbal codes, Roy hitting on Olivier, Olivier straight up admitting to Bradley she offed Raven, Roy's apparent shift into the flower business, etc, etc.

TIME FOR A FLASHBACK.FINALLY SOME EXPLANATORY BACKSTORY.

Okay, so we meet Slave 23 in an alchemy lab - his master used his blood to make a creepy blob in a flask that is talking to him and names said slave "Van Hohenheim" (because he didn't want to be "Theophrastus Bombastus", lol.) There's a time skip and Hohenheim becomes a skilled apprentice alchemist thanks to the blob's interference and education.

Note: I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ALL OF THIS. Also, WHY.

(but let's be real, I am distracted by the fact that young!Hohenheim, like old!Hohenheim, is extremely hot.)

The King of Xerxes summons the blob to ask it about immortality. I can already tell this is going to end well.

The blob tells the King the secret - cut to laborers digging a giant circular "irrigation canal". also, people start dying in coordinated attacks at specific geographic points just like in amestris.

I still don't understand how this works, though. In the 03 version, you just need a bunch of people to die all at once aftermaking a few preparations. It was city-scale, not country-scale.

also apparently, there's been a time skip because Hohenheim is significantly older than before (his job is to carry the blob in its flask around, I guess?). He's so excited about the immortality thing yet seems to have NO IDEA what it entails.

The blob made the actual center of the circle where Hohenheim was standing so everyone else dies. I'm not sure how that works because it's only a few meters off--is it really that precise?--but okay, whatever, sure.

Also, the blob regards Hohenheim as "blood kin" because it was made from his blood and... it's not WRONG.

the gate opens, the flask is shattered, Hohenheim is now immortal, and everyone in Xerxes is dead, and... Hohenheim was totally an innocent bystander who just HAPPENED to be caught up in it all?

not gonna lie: I'm not thrilled about this development.

I preferred the 03 version where Hohenheim was actively a bodysnatching jackass who decided to DO BETTER BY NOT DOING THAT. somehow the fact that he ends up immortal without trying here just sticks in my craw.

oh, no, but this means that HE KNOWS EVERYONE IN HIS PHILOSOPHER'S STONE PERSONALLY, DOESN'T HE? AHHHHHH

Father takes on Hohenheim's human form because they have the same blood and it's convenient?(also:hot, though I doubt the blob is interested in sex appeal.)

Father: Isn't it great? immortality, amirite? Hohenheim: *through gritted teeth* Thanks, I hate it.

Father and Hohenheim each got half of Xerxes' population, aka half the power.

turns out this was all a dream-flashback and Hohenheim is actually asleep on a train in the present and Izumi wakes him up.

have they met before? signs point to no because Hohenheim doesn't seem to know her. I'd ask how Izumi recognized him, but Hoheheim looks JUST LIKE ED so it's not like it's *hard*.

most awkward parent-teacher conference ever? but actually izumi starts coughing up blood and Hohenheim realizes she's performed human transmutation and opened a gate and uses alchemy to help her.

he can't restore the lost organs (I'm not sure WHY not - he has a philosopher's stone, that's like the whole point) but it helps.

AND THEN HE JUST COMES OUT AND SAYS HE'S A PHILOSOPHER'S STONE IN HUMAN FORM, ARRGGHH, WHYYYYYY, I don't get why he can't just fix her!!

sig decks hohenheim and I'm so thrilled, even if it doesn't actually take. THANK YOU SIG, I LOVE U.

Also: if Hohenheim had stuck around, he could have healed Trisha and she probably wouldn't have died and his sons would never have lost their bodies trying to bring her back, so FUCK YOU HOHENHEIM, THIS IS LITERALLY ALL YOUR FAULT. (And apparently, the homunculi are too, at least indirectly). FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU.

[lamaisongaga]

LADY GAGA DINES AT ATELIER CRENN WEARING BALMAIN, OH MY EYES & AUSTIN JAMES SMITH

Two nights ago Lady Gaga celebrated her birthday two weeks early at the Atelier Crenn restaurant in San Francisco. Check out what she wore below!

Let us first talk about the jacket which by now everyone knows about.

This is Gaga’s favorite Balmain Fall/Winter 2009 black leather biker jacket, accented with multiple zippers and strong, exaggerated shoulders — a piece she owns and wears since a decade.

Her new pair of OH-06 hand-made premium black Japanese titanium sunglasses are from Stockholm-based eyewear label Oh My Eyes ($189).

Shop:

Oh My Eyes “OH-06″ Sunglasses ($189.00)

Furthermore, she sported Austin James Smith’s Chimera rhodium-plated brass earrings, which are being sold as a single earring for $195.

Shop:

Austin James Smith “Chimera” Earring ($195.00)

She’s also wearing a bunch of gold brass alphabet rings (no brand identified). Our girl chose for her rings to spell “Lady Gaga”. Cute!

As we can see here, she carried her Celine Spring/Summer 2019 medium 16 satinated top handle leather bag with gold-tone hardware ($4,950).

Shop:

Celine “16″ Satinated Leather Bag ($4,950.00)

[actionlearned]

The Anthroparion

Alchemy, like any science, focuses on the creation of great works. Once, Iris chased the fool’s chrysopoeia that was true resurrection. Thankfully, someone beat her to that tragic miscalculation, and she veered off that idea to this one, the driving force she’d pursued since she was old enough to understand the ways of the world. 

Iris could not restore Eliza from the dead, so she did the next best thing. For four years she had amassed resources, tested theories, and determined the one course of action she could to achieve the dream she once shared with her now long departed beloved. The dream she’d held in her breast since a child. The dream of a daughter. 

Now, Iris Blanchimont obviously knew the typical process for attaining a daughter. It disgusted her. She didn’t think less of those who engaged in such brutish, animal forms of creation but it was not suited to her, either from a pragmatic ‘enjoyment’ sense or from the elevated ideals of the polymath’s soul. No, she pursued her anthropian, her Great Work. Her homunculus.

Thanks to that woman, the proper clever one at Facta, she had what she needed. She had the blood of an Allagan.

“Analysis confirmed,” her node Odelia had given the good news. “Synthesization of Allagan technology activation gene successful. Aetheric manipulation of Allagan equipment enabled.”

That was all she needed. She’d tried dozens of times to recreate the chimera technology of the Allagans, but it just wasn’t working. It was too much to reverse-engineer. You can know how to build an airship, but if all you have is twine and rocks you won’t fly far. So, this was the only means she had. With this tool, with these gauntlets, Iris was as woman of Allag, as far as machines could tell. And so, the machines obeyed her.

Her House Knights -- or at least the four she’d been spared by the manager of her estates Audrey -- had joined her in Azys Lla. They’d been given transport by Highwind Skyways, but Iris had flown ahead in her personal pinnace the Northswain. She knew her Knights were there to keep the project secure, but she had to risk being there first. She wanted to embrace the gravity of what she was setting out to do.

The gauntlets were a bit of a pain. They were cumbersome, and they upset her sense of aether. But many of the mechanisms of Azys Lla gave her a wide berth as she walked through the forgotten, desolate land. They were working. The technology did not see her as a threat. Odelia, the analytics node, had taught Iris to give her Knights some measure of the same protection, but without the ATA Gauntlet she wasn’t sure how safe anything would be. Which was, ultimately, the point of her Knights to begin with. 

Safety, though, was tangential to what really mattered. This showed in practice what her nodes had said in labratory conditions that morning. The gloves worked.

Now all that remained was bringing the ancient lab back to life. Over the coming weeks she’d have to move more of her equipment to Azys Lla, but that would take a small effort. It was not exactly friendly airspace and so bringing in a cargo ship like the Somnambulist would be tough. But the work could begin now. She’d been to the old, abandoned Allagan atelier before, she’d looked for the tanks that held against time the best. She’d prepared over countless moons.

She couldn’t save Eliza. She couldn’t bring Eliza back to her. She couldn’t have that happy ending. So, instead, Iris was going to give ‘birth’ to the daughter she and her once-loved deserved. And in so doing, the Researcher Renown was going to change the world. And to think it took her thirty-one trips /round the Star to finally, unquestionably, become the greatest scientist alive. 

Granted, she hadn’t invented the recombination chamber she was using, that had been Allag. But in some respects it was easier to create from whole cloth, or distort what was the natural world. The Ixal, that was small popotos. You could have near countless trials, near countless chances to work out conflicts in the blood. And those conflicts were glaringly obvious. Taking a blood sample from two Keeper women and reconciling the whole tree of life’s design into one being, with such small nuanced conflicts and with but one trial? That was masterwork. 

 She waved her hand in the air. The aethercells on the ATA Gauntlets flared to life, and eons-old mechanization began to hum quietly to life. This made Iris smile. The Allagans must seem like gods to the average modern illiterate. And so, Iris invented god, and wore it on her arm. 

She inserted the samples she carried in her coat’s pockets as data began to spool to life for the recombination pod she’d chosen. They were listed Unidentified Sample and Meracydian Genetic Data, which gave Iris mild alarm -- was the machine too damaged to work? But no, other than the identification process being clearly decayed beyond use the other data seemed to match the simulations she’d run in her lab. 

So she’d need to bring some analytical equipment to replace the damaged sensor, it was one of the parts that only mattered infrequently as she monitored gestation and could be easily replaced by her own computer systems. It was the tank itself she couldn’t replicate. The anvil upon which could be forged living cells from data. The artificial womb within which the anthroparion could be monitored, edited, preserved. 

That would spare Iris displeasure, but it was more important than vanity. Using an organic body to gestate this first homunculus would pose unknown risk both to the body and to the homunculus. When more was known about the process, maybe a living host could carry to term, she understood that process facilitated mother-daughter bonding and was quite important to some people. Not to her, but to some people. But she needed as much data as possible about her first chimera child, and organic bodies were poor sensors and data analysis devices. 

She looked up at the chamber, brightly glowing green and reporting ready to begin parthenogenesis. She’d wanted to have something to say to commemorate the completion of a life’s ambition. Maybe she’d have something more on mind when the child was ready to leave the chamber? As it stood, she simply lifted her arm and the aethercells flared. The chamber flared in return. The die was cast. 

At all times, she wanted this lab guarded by two of her Knights, the other two would be able to rest at quarters in the Residential Complex that Iris could prepare with the ATA Gauntlets. And she’d prepare a suite there for herself as well. She... she didn’t want to be far from her experiment. It was her life’s work after all.

That was it. It was her life’s work. It was that she’d watched a lesbian parthenogenic conception for the first time in eons, possibly for the first time in history. It wasn’t that she now, in the most abstract of senses, had a child. That would be sentiment.