#Hong Kong City Hall

[jptattooart]

Paradise X

天堂X

Joey Pang 郭靜

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start anew 從『新』開始

HK New Ink Art Association Members' Artworks Exhibition

香港新墨協會 第二屆會員作品展

Time:

20 Nov 2023 (Mon) 5:00pm - 7:00pm

21-23 Nov 2023 (Tue-Thu) 11:00am - 7:00pm

24 Nov 2023 (Fri) 11:00am - 5:00pm

Venue:

Hong Kong City Hall (Exhibition Hall)

香港大會堂 (展覽廳)

Fee:

Free Admission

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#hk_niaa #startanew #artcube #newinkart #newink

#artexhibition #chinesepainting #modernart

#modernink #fineart #fineartpainting #fineartgallery

#chineseinkart #artpainting #inkart #artistsoninstagram

#asianinkandart #hkart #從新開始 #新水墨

#香港新墨協會 #香港畫展 #畫展 #展覽 #香港藝術

#水墨畫 #藝術家 #現代アート #當代水墨 #현대미술

[hongkongartman-mlee]

The Story Of The 1st Impresario In Hong Kong Mr Harry Odell, His Empire Theatre (璇宮戲院) & To Be Continued尚未完場, The Touching Film About This Jewish Man

An ‘impresario’ is a person who organizes and finances concerts, plays and operas. Art intermediaries are important. They make the availability of art performances much more accessible for the public. A good impresario knows well the audience and their needs.

Mr Harry Odell, a Jewish man, was born in 1896. He came to live in Hong Kong in 1921 and died in 1975 at the age of 79.

It was said that his real name was ‘Harry Obadofsky’. He was the son of Russian Jewish parents. He was educated at St. Francis Xavier’s College, in Shanghai. He ran away from home at 16 and supported himself as a tap dancer in Japan, before emigrating to the USA. In 1921, Obadofsky arrived in Hong Kong and changed his surname to Odell for the reason of marrying a girl Sophie Weill whose family owned the prestigious jewellery business Sennet Freres in Hong Kong. He fought in the defence of Hong Kong in 1941 and was made a prisoner of war by the Japanese.  

Mr Odell loved art and culture. By persuading international acclaimed artists such as Xavier Cugat and Issace Stern to perform here in the colony in those years, he was the first impresario in the history of Hong Kong. He tirelessly lobbied the colonial government to build a permanent place for art performances. As a result, the first such venue, Hong Kong City Hall, was completed in 1962(information provided by Judy Green from 'The Dictionary of Hong Kong Biography’).

Mr Odell built his own concert theatre and film cinema known as the ‘Empire Theatre璇宮戲院’ in 1952.  It was located in the North Point area along King’s Road and in those years, North Point was regarded as a remote place. Business was bad and it closed in 1957, and re-opened in 1959 as the ‘State Theatre皇都戲院’ following the purchase by a rich Chinese businessman and extensive renovations. The State Theatre sadly closed in 1997.

Concerns were raised in 2015 that the heritage building might be demolished. In 2020, a big property developer in Hong Kong New World Development acquired the ownership right of the Theatre and put forward good proposals related to the conservation of State Theatre. The Theatre is being repaired and will be opened soon for the third time.

The above is not just a story of history. It is a love story of how Harry Odell loved Hong Kong and how we loved this art hero. His life is one big touching story with hundreds of little touching stories within it.  

2 film directors, Dora Choi & Haider Kikabhoy, made an evocative documentary movie about the noble story of Harry Odell and it is called To Be Continued 尚未完場.  This piece of impressive work looks back on the history of the State Theatre (formerly the Empire Theatre) and the great life of Harry Odell. A film critic wrote this: “Kikabhoy and Choi created a film that is not just educational; it is also upbeat, amusing and heart felt at the same time.”

Apart from visiting Odell’s grave in Happy Valley and gazing at Odell’s former residence Old Alberose in Pokfulam, you must watch this heart-warming good film To Be Continued! Maurice Lee To Be Continued Trailer  https://youtu.be/U6GICy7Nmpc   Acknowledgement – 尚未完場  Hong Kong City Hall  https://youtu.be/fg97X8gfsrA  Acknowledgement – Online Museum

State Theatre  https://youtu.be/S7D0U8DgEyo   Acknowledgement – Bloomberg Television 

[calochortus]

retrospective: "the moment right before I got wet" (2006) by hugo poon Via Flickr: Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong

[shijiujun]

TGCF SEASON 2 EPISODE 1 PREMIERE RECAP

Omg okay so it was the premiere today and yes TGCF DONGHUA season 2 is not out yet it’ll air on October 18 as scheduled but episode 1 is premiering early today, tomorrow and next week (?) at physical premiere ticketed events, one in Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok each.

What happened: (1) VA intros and yes! Xie Lian’s new VA (2) An edited 1 hour plus long S1 highlights so you JOG UR MEMORY OF WHAT HAPPENED (3) S2 Episode 1 premiere (4) Guest appearance by vtuber Fulgur lol and (5) There’s a lucky draw quiz segment (?)

What you guys can expect in Episode 1 of Season 2:

It starts with court drama as we all know and Jun Wu’s voice is more twinky than I expected LOL

SHI QINGXUAN?! That first meeting between SQX and XL we saw in the mid-autumn teaser release ISNT ALL LIKE THAT SCENE IS WAY FUNNIER IN FULL OMFG

Yes the part where SQX male turns back into SQX female and trying to get XL to try it out

GHOST CITY ANIMATION IS SO DAMN FUCKING GOOD??!!! And all the random store sellers and Lan Chang the older ghost who harassed XL?! And the way he delivers the line where he says he’s impotent LOL

OMFG AND THE DAMN HIGHLIGHT WAS CERTAINLY THAT GAMBLING SCENE FOR LANG QIANQIU omg all the ghosts were watching HUA CHENGZHU flirt with Xie Lian and LIVING FOR IT IT IS WAY FUNNIER ANIMATED EVERYONE IN THE HALL WAS LAUGHING EVERY TWO MINUTES

The TRIPLE QUARDRUPLE HANDHOLDING SCENES OMGGGGGG LIKE EVERYONE ISTG EEPED AND AWWED LIKE THAT IS HOW SWEET AND MUSHY AND EMBARRASSING IT WAS HUA CHENG CONTROL URSELF

We are in for a treat ISTG episode 1!!!

Ends with ‘Gege, I lost to you’ ERMMM AND FLASHBACK TO WHEN SAN LANG SAID HE WOULD MEET XIE LIAN THE NEXT TIME IN HIS TRUE FORM

A random ghost in the background: “omg I’m going to die I’m going to die” after seeing Hua Cheng’s newest ‘skin’ and another ghost going: “wtf aren’t you alr dead lol” 😂😂😂😂😂

Sound on for half a Xie Lian intro and a full Hua Cheng intro 😘

Going to head back and open up the goodie pack!!! I swear I had forgotten how good TGCF was and how excited I am for it like GET TOGETHER TGCF FRIENDS CUZ EPISODE 1 AND SEASON 2 DONGHUA IS GOING TO BE A HELL OF A RIDE

Edit: LOVE THE KEYCHAIN FROM THE SET

[incorrectbatfam]

All the places the batfam was banned from

Dick

Damian's parent-teacher conferences

The HBO writer's room

An almond farm in Manteca, California

Victoria's Secret

Jason

32 U.S. states + Puerto Rico

6 countries

Downtown Tokyo

Comm. Gordon's office

Ra's Al Ghul's hot tub

The Phantom Zone

Other-dimension Jason's safehouse

Every Pizza Hut in Ontario

15 feet of any Confederate statue in South Carolina

The Ford dealership in Tallahassee

Riker's Island

Alcatraz

Club Penguin

Tim

The original Starbucks

Wayne Enterprises boiler room

Brentwood Academy biology department

Madripoor

Damian

Outback Steakhouse

West-Reeve school debate team

Steph's apartment bathroom

USDA regional inspection office

Every BP gas station on the Atlantic seaboard

Duke

Gotham High model rocket club

Gotham High acapella choir

Gotham High ventilation system

Cullen

Harper's work table

A meme subreddit

A furry Discord

A Minecraft battle royale

His part-time job after ghosting instead of formally resigning

Stephanie

Oktoberfest

Every Gotham restaurant requiring a dress code

50 feet of the Mona Lisa

The Manor's wine cellar

Planet Fitness

A Harry Styles concert

Cassandra

A falafel cart

Justice League snack storage

The local tarot reader

A bus stop in Hong Kong

The Vienna Philharmonic

Barbara

The Apple Store

The Microsoft Store

Amazon HQ

The backend of all Google sites

Best Buy

The Pentagon

Twitter

Harper

A Home Depot in Wisconsin

Yellowstone National Park

A free pottery class

Gotham City Hall

Carrie

The Tootsie Roll factory

Boy Scouts (not because of gender)

The duck pond at the park

A Barnes & Noble in Boston

Webkinz.com

Kate

A soccer stadium

A Dairy Queen in Houston

A rest stop near Reno

Death Valley

Alfred

The Kremlin

The British Museum

The Vatican

Selina

Most museums in Gotham

Times Square

Buckingham Palace

A mini golf course

Netflix studios

Bruce

The kitchen

Kate's garage without her present

Mars

Batburger without someone else accompanying

A Justice League conference room

The Batcave when injured

Build-A-Bear

Best Western

Jason's safehouse

Facebook Marketplace

Diana's invisible jet

The GOP

Stark Industries break room mini-fridge

Near any animals on Kent Farm without Clark's supervision

[rosesrotofficial]

meet the writer: rosesrot.

hi, i’m rose rao. 

i write because there isn’t nearly enough fucked-up queer stuff in the world. don’t get me wrong, i love the sweet sapphics as much as the next person; but us of that kind is the only kind of us acceptable to the mainstream. where’s our chaos, our complexities, where’s our destruction? where is it, on our own terms?

because of that, i attempt to explore modern identity, queerness, and relationships through the latent abjection that is inherent within oneself: touching on the haphazard, taboo, and less-than-desired spaces that we take up. my stories intend to be a reclamatory celebration—and catharsis—of the darker human aspects we prefer not to think about.

that is to say: i write about girls, sapphics, friendships and destructions; i thrive with fucked-up queer stuff; glorious girls and fallen girls, walking-dead girls and manic-made girls; i'm in love with the deranged and the apotheotic.  

are you?

(projects below.)

▼ story #1: CUCKOOSONG, a book trilogy about a pair of thrill-killing sapphics who escape from their lifetime of captivity, believing they can make the world theirs through death; but the scientist that made them the way they are will stop at nothing to hunt them down. an exploration of trauma, identity, worldmaking, and destructive love.

inspirations: killing eve; ariel; mad girl's love song; death tractates; american psycho; the erl-king (angela carter); gods and mortals and girls

(image by @wide-awake-and-dead-xx)

△ story #2: ENTER SERAPHIM and IN THE HALLS OF HALLOW, a collaborative book duology with @wide-awake-and-dead-xx about a band of societal outcasts who find each other through the murder hotel they run to. an exploration of connections, relationships, and found family. 

inspirations: stephen king; chuck palahniuk; h.h. holmes and his murder hotel; american horror story

(art by @nitunioart)

▼ game #1: MORTAL COIL, a visual novel about a VR death game reality TV show where if you die in game, you die in real life. a deconstruction of youtuber, streaming, and vtuber culture.

inspirations: social media; youtube; twitch; vtubers; hunger games; danganronpa; squid game; mafia (the party game); town of salem; hong kong

(art by miencha and graphic by James Molloy)

△ game #2: SERAPHIM SLUM, a spooktober visual novel about a girl who moves to the slums and meets three girls that intrigue her. a deconstruction of what it means to be the devil.

inspirations: the devil we know; kakegurui; paradise lost; richard iii; dr faustus; the kowloon walled city

△ game #3: TBN, a visual novel about a Prom Queen who must discover the identity of her killer to break free from the repetitive cycle of reliving her death on Prom Night. a dark coming-of-age deconstruction of gender and girlhood.

inspirations: heathers; happy death day; carrie; insatiable; drop dead gorgeous; dare me; candyman

(image credit: @tsamporadhoe; image above only used as aesthetic representation; i have no claim to the characters portrayed.)

△ screenplay #1: REQUIEM OF THEIR BODIES, a film about a misanthropic queen bee who must team up with her ex-girlfriend’s trans brother to secure the votes for Prom victory, but his eerie terms threaten to confront her repressed dysphoria and her dark secrets.

inspirations: see above! this screenplay is a darker alternate universe of the visual novel.

thank you for reading. i hope you enjoy what i write and find a kind of catharsis in it too.

~ Rose.

▼ my carrd

△ play MORTAL COIL's demo

▼ play SERAPHIM SLUM

△ join my server!

[mrmrswales]

The EARTHSHOT PRIZE AWARDS 2022 Ceremony will take place at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway on December 2nd.

THE FINALISTS:

FIX OUR CLIMATE:

44:01 (Oman) - According to the UN, removing CO2 is essential if we are to limit global warming. Oman-based 44.01 removes CO2 permanently by mineralising it in rock.

LanzaTech (USA) - Carbon, released into the atmosphere, heats the planet. LanzaTech are using bacteria to recycle carbon pollution into profitable and sustainable products.

Low Carbon Materials (United Kingdom) - Concrete is responsible for an extraordinary eight percent of the world’s CO2 emissions. Now, thanks to UK based LCM, production could soon go from unclean to green.

CLEAN OUR AIR:

Ampd Enertainer (Hong Kong) - The construction industry is difficult to decarbonise and is one of the biggest drivers of air pollution. Ampd Energy has revolutionised the way we power construction. 

Mukuru Clean Stoves (Kenya) - Across Africa, 700 million people use traditional cookstoves, which emit harmful chemicals and lack safeguards. Mukuru Clean Stoves are different. 

Roam (Kenya) - The electric vehicle revolution is coming to East Africa. Roam is bringing affordable, electric transport to one of the world’s fastest growing regions.

BUILD A WASTE-FREE WORLD:

City of Amsterdam, Circular Economy (The Netherlands) -  In 2020, The City of Amsterdam committed to becoming a circular economy. By 2050, it aims to waste nothing and recycle everything.

Fleather (India) - Flowers cast into the Ganges river contain highly toxic pesticides. Phool used this floral waste to make a sustainable alternative to leather. 

Notpla (United Kingdom) - 6.3bn tonnes of untreated plastic waste currently litter our streets and fill our seas. Notpla shows us that the future is not plastic, it’s seaweed.

PROTECT & RESTORE NATURE:

Desert Agricultural Transformation (China) - The climate crisis means more of the Earth will become inhospitable desert. But now, thanks to Desert Agricultural Transformation, barren landscapes are turning into lush, green oases.

Hutan (Malaysia) - In Malaysian Borneo, research organisation Hutan is working with the local community to develop a more harmonious coexistence between its wildlife and people.

Kheyti (India) - Eight in ten of the world's farmers are smallholders. Beset by climate-affected harvests, Kheyti's Greenhouse-in-a-Box is helping them reduce climate risk and increase yields.

REVIVE OUR OCEANS:

Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) - The Great Barrier Reef is under constant environmental threat. Now, the Indigenous Women of the Great Barrier Reef are empowering each other to protect critical ecosystems. 

SeaForester (Portugal) - Human activities and the climate crisis are decimating underwater seaweed forests. Pål Bakken and the SeaForester team are on a mission to restore them. 

The Great Bubble Barrier (The Netherlands) - Every year, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the world’s oceans. The Great Bubble Barrier's solution intercepts plastic waste before it reaches the sea.

[purplefeathersandblackleather]

Writing prompt? Hmmmmmm - how about Stephen & Cloak getting adjusted to one another's quirks after they settle down in their place at the NYC Sanctum?

We Are Who We Are

Characters: Doctor Strange & Cloak of Leviation (Levi) Rating: PG Warnings: Mentions of death & violence. Mental dystopia. Words: 2,605 Genre: Humor, fluff, hurt/comfort Plot: Stephen has taken over the Sanctum Sanctorum as its Master and now he's learning how to live in the city again. More so, he's learning to live with someone again. Cloak has made it very apparent that he's got his own quirks that he's going to have to get used to. But he's already aware of the growing bond between himself and the sentient artifact. Song Inspiration: Conversation by LP A/N: I'm so sorry that it took so long to get to this one, dear. I hope that you like it, though! I really enjoyed writing this and showing my AU's take on Stephen and Cloak's relationship. This takes place in the Dragon Soul AU, where Stephen is "Bonded" with Cloak from birth.

All writings belong to @purplefeathersandblackleather. Do not steal, repost as your own or take credit for my work. If you have a request, put it in my inbox!

"Let's have a conversation, I know you really care and so do I."

The end of the battle had finally brought him to the point where he knew what the Ancient One had wanted him to be. He had decided after coming back from the Dark Dimension and putting the Eye of Agamotto in its resting place for now, Stephen took on the role of Master Of the New York Sanctum. He bid goodbye to Wong, who went to help Hong Kong with the damage that the Sanctum there had sustained even after he reversed time on it using the Infinity Stone. He also said farewell to Damon, who went to help London - the city of his mother's heritage - to help them begin rebuilding their Sanctum as well. He was disappointed that he couldn't help them, but he knew that it was best if he went back to his own Sanctum to keep an eye on it. He also had to familiarize himself with the beautiful building that he would now be calling his home. It was a little overwhelming, if he was perfectly honest, to go from that small room in Kamar-Taj to this gorgeous, antique building that predated even the oldest streets around it. He walked through the many halls, taking in the different and distinct themes of each one as he did: The east wing seemed to be dedicated to artifacts, where the study was - he took note of the huge floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that ran along the entire room except where the fireplace resided on the north wall - as well as where the meditation room. The west wing was more of the "house" part of the building, consisting of the den, the kitchen and a grand dining room. Stephen noted the scuff marks on the floor where the chairs had been slid in and out from the table so many times, concluding that this was also probably where meetings between Masters would take place. He would have to ask Wong or Damon about that next time that he saw them. As he passed by the changing windows, he was suddenly tugged to a stop, making him grunt and stumble to catch his balance. He looked at the artifact that was still resting on his shoulders which, up until this point, had been silently about him looking around.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked the sentient artifact. Ever since Cloak - who he was now sure he was Bonding to - had been released from that case and saved him from dying, he had noticed that the artifact was quite quirky about things. "Is there something down that hallway you don't like?"

The artifact rippled against his back and tried to pull him away from the entrance of the hall, but Stephen pushed back against him and told him to cut it out. He could almost feel the whine echo in his throat even though he wasn't the one who made that made it. They had only been together for a couple of days, yet here he was already channeling his partner's emotions through his own body. He sighed and made the artifact let go of his shoulders by gently pulling the clasps from the front of his robes. He watched as his partner hovered off of the floor, the uneven pleats swayed as it did and it shook its collar at the man, making him tilt his head in question before looking down the hallway. He could see there were at least two doors on each side of the hall as well as another hallway that split off at the end of it, so whatever it was that his partner didn't want to go near must be in one of the rooms. He looked back at the cloak and just held his hand up for it to stay where it was.

"Okay, you stay there then, and I'll go look down this hallway without you," he told it. The shorter corner of the fabric wrapped around his hand like a small child holding onto its parent and it shook its collar again. "Levi, I have to go down there so that I know what I'm doing in this place. You wouldn't want The Ancient One to be upset with me, would you? Tell you what, just tell me what room you're so nervous about and I won't look in that one. How does that sound?"

This seemed to calm his partner down and it - albeit begrudged he sensed - let go of his hand, pointing to the one on the right, so Stephen looked. It was a set of bamboo wooden doors that closed in the center of the doorway where they met to form a blockade to whatever was behind them. He looked back to his partner, pointing at it to make sure that was the one that Cloak didn't want him to look in, to which the artifact nodded. He returned it and headed down the hallway, looking at the paintings on the walls as he did. A couple of them were scenic; large mountains like the Alps with a flowing river at the base through a field of poppies and others were dense forests with god rays shining through the gaps in the branches or with deer standing in a clearing. When he got to the first set of rooms, he looked at the right room and then over his shoulder to where his partner was watching him closely and seemed to have puffed up in anxiety. He swallowed thickly as he felt the artifact's emotions in his own chest, making his heart race so he looked back at the doors for a moment before deciding that his partner's trust was more important than his own curiosity. He turned away from the doors and opted to search the rest of the rooms which turned out to be a pantry since the kitchen was just around the corner, a large linen closet and a storage room. As he got to the end of the hallway, he looked to the left and noticed it went towards a single, large wood and metal door. The right hallway had a hand count of more rooms on it, so he went that way first and opened each door to find bedrooms that were furnished in rococo sets ranging from rosewood to deep mahogany. He guessed these were guest rooms for when the other Masters came over for meetings, so he headed back to the T junction to see Cloak still patiently waiting for him where he had told him to. He smiled to himself, but he knew somehow that the artifact could feel the pleasant sensation of thankfulness in his chest. He went down the other hallway, noting the decorative shelves on the walls here and that there seemed to be a key rack next to this door. He looked confused at it, with its four different rings full of keys on it, then to the large door in front of him. It didn't have a lock on it, so whatever the keys were for must have been behind it, which made his curiosity grow. He opened the door and peeked in, seeing that there was a large stone staircase going downwards, bringing him to the conclusion that there was some kind of sublevel to the Sanctum that he would have to explore later. He closed the door for now and turned, heading back to the main hallway to find that Cloak had seemed to have fluttered off somewhere. He couldn't help himself when he saw that his partner wasn't in view but to very carefully open one of the bamboo doors to see what was behind it. He damn near busted out laughing as he did. Whatever he had been expecting to see - an interrogation room, a room for destroying out of control artifacts, whatever - was completely blasted from his mind at the sight of the clean, large room with a large marble top table on the left side next to a counter with a sink under a decorative window directly across from him. On the righthand side of the room was a very modern - and very out of place with everything else - washer and dryer set. He could understand why Cloak would hate this room and he laughed to himself as he closed the door, though it was a laugh not of humor, but of endearment. However, when he looked at the end of the hallway, he noticed his partner hovering there and its shoulders were sagging, and he felt a pang of sadness in his chest from his partner. He immediately was overcome with guilt at the feeling and tears filled his eyes from his partner's emotions. Did the cloak think that he had been laughing at him because he thought it was funny?

"Levi-" he called out, jumping when the cloak flew off. "Levi, wait!"

He rushed after his partner, heading back through the hallways and barely keeping track of him. As he got back out to large foyer of the Sanctum, he lost track of where his partner went and looked around, still feeling guilt but now there was a bit of panic. He knew that Cloak couldn't open doors, but he also was realizing just how huge this place was and it would be hard to find his partner since it clearly knew all of the individual rooms better than he did. Rather than panic, he tamed himself down for a moment and reached out to his partner's energy to sense where it was coming from. Though they were just starting to Bond, he could already sense the being's energy, so he followed it to its source and found the cloak curled up in what was left of its case. For a moment, Stephen got a flash of a man with long black hair wearing burgundy and gold Master's robes sitting in his partner's place, hugging his knees to his body with his head down. He blinked the vision away, shaking his head before looking at the cloak and frowned as he sensed its sorrow. Rather than open his mouth and risk making it worse, Stephen left his partner alone for a moment and went back to the pantry to grab the broom and dustpan that he had seen there. He returned, setting the dustpan aside and began to sweep up the shattered glass, the sound letting Cloak know that his partner was still there even if he wasn't ready to talk. Sure, he could have cleaned up the mess with his magic, but this was about spending time with his partner, even if he wasn't ready for him to talk yet. As he swept the glass up into the dustpan, he winced very softly as his fingers popped because he had them clenched so tightly around the handle of the broom. The noise made Cloak look up slowly to make sure that his partner was okay, which drew Stephen's attention over to him and he paused what he was doing, setting the broom against another case. He went over and sat down carefully beside the case, looking at the cloak who looked back to him and he could still sense the sadness in his chest as the entity looked down at his pleats.

"Levi, I wasn't laughing at you, I promise," he whispered softly, getting his partner's attention. He thought about the image that he had seen when he approached the casing of the man sitting in his partner's place and he began to understand. "I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny, I was laughing because I thought it was endearing that you are a cloak who has the sentience to be scared of the laundry room. But you're much more than that, aren't you?"

The artifact raised its collar a little and turned to face him as it did. Stephen could sense it wondering what he had seen.

"Ever since you saved me from breaking my neck when Kaecillius knocked me over the banister, I could tell you were different. But I didn't realize that you weren't created by magic, that you're actually a spirit woven into the threads you're made from." The artifact rose up from its sitting position, so Stephen did too, and they faced each other properly. "I can now understand why you're scared of the washing machine; you still see the world as a person, even though you're a cloak. That must have been torture for you, being pushed under water and thrown around without regard for what you really are. Not…unlike how Dormammu suffocated me with the water wisps."

The artifact came out of its case and reached up to his face, wiping at it and the man realized he had been crying without realizing it. He took Cloak's corner and held it to his chest, bowing his head as he closed his eyes and trembled, the unseen wounds under his robes from the many deaths he had suffered burning fiercely. He felt his partner wrap around him, but where he was expecting soft fabric, he felt warm, strong arms and a shoulder where he rests his head against it as he let himself cry for what he had gone through finally. He grabbed onto the man who shushed him gently, a hand resting on the back of his head as he gripped the soft red fabric in his aching fingers.

"I'm so sorry," Stephen choked out. "For what I've put you through…for being so ignorant to your feelings like I have everyone else's."

You are too hard on yourself, Stephen, he heard a voice speak in his mind, warm like a desert and soft like a brush of wings against the wind. I chose you because you needed me, and I will always forgive you for whatever we go through together. But you must also forgive yourself for being human.

Stephen raised his head from the man's shoulder, and he expected the vision to fade, only to be pleasantly surprised when it remained. The man looking back at him had handsome, strong features with tan skin and a well-kept goatee similar to his own with high cheekbones haloed by long black waves of silken hair. His brown eyes were like deep forests, hiding stories that were just waiting to be explored which drew Stephen it. The man smiled at him, and he felt himself relax, closing his eyes once again as the man's forehead pressed against his own before fading into a soft feeling of fabric against his skin. When they parted, the sorcerer looked at the cloak and gave him a half smile as the artifact lowered itself from his shoulders.

"Okay, I'll do my best, but only on one condition," he replied finally, making Cloak tilt his collar. "Whenever you get dirty, you let me wash you in the shower where you'll be more comfortable. What do you say?"

He could sense the artifact smile in his heart and Cloak nodded his collar before moving to wrap itself around his shoulders again.

"Good. Now, let's go finish our look around. I'm getting tired and I'd like to sleep soon."

The man proceeded around the railing of the grand staircase and down one of the hallways to his right to look around. He knew now that their Bond was much more important than just a Master of the Mystic Arts and his sentient cloak, he just wasn't sure how. As time would progress, maybe those brown eyes he had seen that now were so vividly imprinted on his mind would reveal their secrets, just like his new home would tell him all its stories.

@sobeautifullyobsessed @fanartka @harlekin6 @icytrickster17 @sinisterstrange616 @stewardofningishzida @bechnokid @sirleafheart @strangelockd @bakerstreethound @darsynia @withalittlehoney @sassenach-on-the-rocks @kate-kaned @deepbatched @geeky-politics-46 @asherloki @multificwriterslibrary

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

In good political news today, Toronto elected Olivia Chow as mayor and I'm super stoked to have her back in City Hall.

From this CBC Article:

Olivia Chow was elected Toronto's next mayor in an unexpectedly close race Monday, promising to bring a more progressive approach after more than a decade of conservative leadership at city hall. The former downtown Toronto NDP MP and city councillor bested a record field of 102 candidates that included about a half dozen established contenders. Among those rivals was second-place finisher Ana Bailão — a past deputy to former mayor John Tory, whose shock resignation in February triggered the byelection. Chow, who was born in Hong Kong and came to Toronto at age 13, will become the third woman and first racialized person to serve as mayor in the city's history. She steps into the top spot as it grapples with a massive budget shortfall, an affordability crisis and public safety concerns. "If you ever doubted what's possible together, if you ever questioned your faith in a better future and what we can do with each other, for each other, tonight is your answer," Chow said in her speech to a crowd of cheering supporters. "Thank you to the people of Toronto for the trust you've placed in me and the mandate for change as your new mayor." [...] Among her headline commitments is a pledge to get the city back into social housing development and an annual $100 million investment in a program to purchase affordable homes and transfer them to non-profits and land trusts. [...]

Chow campaigned from the left, promising to boost rent supplements by introducing a "luxury home tax," an expanded land transfer tax on homes sold for $3 million and over. She also said she'll triple the city's existing vacant homes tax to three per cent. Chow will inherit largely untested strong mayor powers, however she has repeatedly said she wouldn't use them to override "majority rule" in council. In theory they would allow Chow to pass budgets with just one-third council support, veto bylaws and unilaterally shape the city's top-level administration. She did not release a fully-costed platform, and repeatedly declined to say by how much she would need to raise property taxes to pay for her suite of commitments — a focal point of criticism from her main rivals throughout the campaign.

The last week of the campaign saw Ontario Premier Doug Ford all but formally endorsed Saunders, warning at an unrelated news conference that a Chow mayoralty would be an "unmitigated disaster" and that she would raise taxes at an "unprecedented rate." Saunders finished third with 8.4 per cent of the total vote share.   Ford's pointed attack raises questions about Chow's relationship with Queen's Park as the city faces a $1.5-billion budget hole that will almost certainly require provincial help to fill. In a statement Monday night, Ford struck a conciliatory tone, saying he will "work with anyone ready to work with our government to better our city and province.  "Throughout Olivia's life, she has proven her desire and dedication to serving the city that many of us call home. While we're not always going to agree on everything, what we can agree on is our shared commitment to making Toronto a place where businesses, families, and workers can thrive."

Chow has long been a fixture of Toronto politics. She became a school board trustee in 1985, served 12 years on city council representing Trinity-Spadina and eventually became a New Democrat parliamentarian alongside her late husband and former federal NDP leader Jack Layton. Some of her notable policy stances include supporting an anti-homophobia curriculum in the 1980s, helping bring nutrition programs to Toronto schools in the 1990s and fighting against exploitative immigration consultants in the 2000s. For much of the last decade, she has run the Institute for Change Leaders at Toronto Metropolitan University where she trained community organizers.

The city being in basic bankruptcy position that will require provincial bail-out support is going to be contentious because Doug Ford is a nasty piece of work and vindictive as fuck - especially against Toronto Mayors - so we will see what she'll be able to get out of him (if anything). The Federal level will be able to help some, but it's really a municipal-provincial issue.

[suzannahnatters]

Miss Dark and her crew will shortly be headed to colonial Hong Kong! For this reason I have been trying to give myself a crash course in Hong Kong history for the past two weeks, and it's the worst struggle not to instantly plan a huge sprawling JADE CITY-style historical fantasy epic for this setting - in the 1890s alone you have imperialist geopolitics! you have triads! you have the opium trade! you have Chinese revolutionaries! you have assassins! you have THE BUBONIC PLAGUE! 😭 it's so unfair that there aren't a ton more books about this setting because what a ride???

Anyway this is a picture of Hong Kong's Douglas Castle, a 2,000-square-metre mansion built by the merchant Douglas Lapraik in the 1860s overlooking Victoria Harbour. Today it serves as the University Hall for the University of Hong Kong but I might be stealing it to use as a big fancy gothic mansion for DARK & DAWN... . (IMAGE CREDIT - WIKIPEDIA)

[yellowocaballero]

Iron Fist is Kinda Weird

Or: How do we talk about talking about social justice?

I have a diseased brain poisoned from reading comic books since elementary school, and I think it's fun to look at bad things and wonder why they're bad. I ended up writing Danny Rand AKA The Immortal Iron Fist for my Moon Knight fic series and I got so deep into researching him and the Heroes For Hire that he began to interest me. I ended up having a lot of opinions about it, things went out of hand again, I wrote a very weird Iron Fist story, and I'm officially giving up and putting my thoughts down about the character.

TL;DR: Iron Fist's history, character, and most notable relationship has an intrinsic relationship with race that really shouldn't be ignored, but the consistent framing of the character is highly revealing of the assumed context of media about social issues.

Yeah, there's some stuff to talk about. Rest under the cut. I want to make a giant disclaimer here that I am speaking from the perspective of the origins and histories of the characters, and that I am sourcing from the 1970s-1980s Heroes For Hire comic.

Unfortunately Important History

In 1974 comic book executives realized that martial arts movies were highly popular among teenage boys and were making a lot of money. Similarly, the other comic book execs across the hall were also realizing that Blaxploitation movies were also super hot right now. Thus, Iron Fist and Luke Cage were born. With this identical genesis, it's fitting that they ended up so tightly paired.

Thanks in part to the martial arts movies and the booming Hong Kong and Japanese industries, Orientalism was at a huge high America. Probably highest since the 1920s when the whole archeology thing and movies with dancing women were really taking off. TV shows like Kung Fu, about a man who wandered around knowing kung fu, were about the glories of kung fu and featuring a half-white half-Asian man played by a white man. Similarly, Blaxpoitation movies (which I know relatively little about besides the fact that the NAACP hated it, so that's probably the main takeaway here) were probably the first American film genre predominantly featuring Black people. Blaxploitation films...talked about Black issues...kind of...in a way, and you can see that thread in Luke Cage. The main thing you need to know about Luke Cage was that Dwayne McDuffie, one of the founders of the imprint featuring the only comics that actually deserve to talk about race (DC you neutered Static Shock), hated him. The background for these guys and the cultural & media landscape that gave birth to them is important, but you mostly just need to get that they were born from an American voyeuristic fascination with sensationalized depictions of other cultures.

Frog (Luke) and Toad (Danny) Are Friends

To their credit (?), they did eventually realize this about themselves, and Danny and Luke's strong friendship was characterized by their polar opposite backgrounds. Danny had been adopted at nine years old by the mystical Oriental city of kung fu etc, became the specialest little white boy and harnessed his chi to become the hero of K'un Lun, and travelled back to America in a revenge quest to find his father's killer and avenge him and inherit a fuckton of money. Luke was in a gang and then prison and he's very bitter about the prison industrial complex. They're good friends and a great team, but you can see repeatedly that no matter how seamlessly they work in the field they essentially can never understand each other. The most interesting parts of their relationship involve the push and pull of this disconnect, where Danny's naïve and clueless about America and Luke has to teach him about how the world works and the injustices that POC face. Luke teaches Danny about racism and checks his privilege like a thousand times a day. Observe.

Danny doesn't know or give a shit about money so he cluelessly tells Luke that they are best friends, what's mine is yours! Luke's tetchy about it because of Blaxpoitation Baggage. Danny's offended and he doesn't know why, Luke's old wounds are reopened and he struggles to explain it. Frog and Toad have racial conflict.

Danny is, basically, the clueless white guy. The backstory panels highlight that: he was trained in kung fu in K'un Lun, and now he's swimming in money and privilege in America and Luke feels weird about it.

Look at the way Danny talks about himself - Danny talks about his life in K'un Lun as if he had gone to the weirdest boarding school of all time. He talks about K'un Lun from a distance, using words an American would use. Danny is the privileged, sheltered white guy.

He does not think of Asia as an actual home. He doesn't identify with it. Narratively and thematically, he is a white guy who grew up in a sheltered place learning kung fu and now he's Dazed And Confused in America struggling to connect with his best friend's very unsheltered experiences.

The conversations Danny has with Luke about race are held as a white person. It is Luke explaining racism to a white person over and over again. It is a white person's clueless privilege being knocked down a peg again and again. Danny could be from Antarctica or Mars and his relationship with Luke would be he same.

Wait, Why Would A Dynamic Entirely Around Race Never Engage With The Fact That One Party Grew Up In Asia

You tell me buddy!!!

Why! Why make this choice? It is RIGHT there! Why would a guy whose entire schtick is living in Fantasy Vaguely Tibet from ages 9-19 never once speak from that cultural perspective? Why flush all of that experience and perspective down the drain?

Why would Danny engage with the world as a privileged, clueless white guy? He was just a kid when he left America. He doesn't engage with these conversations with Luke as, "Wow, your weird American situation's fucked up", he engages with it as "That can't possibly be what America is like!". Like a white person. There is no difference between Danny and someone who never left their boarding school as a child.

Is this really the most interesting way to talk about race? The characters, by virtue of their history and genesis, are inherently about race. Why are we talking about it as a Black guy constantly educating a white guy instead of as a Black guy talking to a white guy who grew up in Fantasy Tibet? As a a product of capitalism to a product of Whatever K'un Lun's Fantasy Economy was. As a product of a highly racialized society to an aracialized society. As someone who's from an area of great cultural and racial diversity to someone who grew up in a racial and cultural monoculture.

Why does Danny not have a complex relationship with his own race? He was the only white guy around for ten years, that has to be kind of weird. How does he relate his adopted culture to his home one? How does he deal with the white privilege he does hold when he doesn't understand why he holds it? I can seriously go on. I absolutely did go on.

None of this makes any sense. And the only way it makes any sense if if you see that Luke & Danny's conversations about race are not actually conversations about race. They are Luke explaining racism to the reader. Danny is the audience stand-in. The audience is obviously American white guys, so Danny has to be white and engage with the entire thing as an American white guy would. As he audience stand-in Danny has to come from the same place and viewpoint as the assumed reader, so he has to come from a place of white privilege.

It sucks. Not every reader was a privileged white guy. Not every reader was white. This narrative decision, conscious or unconscious, cut off a lot of interesting choices at the kneecaps. Because there is a basic assumption that white audiences cannot relate to nonwhite characters, and that they are incapable of looking through another's eyes and learning from their perspective.

How Do We Talk About Talking About Race?

Why should we care that Iron Fist is uninteresting and bad? This is not news. The premise has always been vaguely racist and boring. I've read some pretty nifty Iron Fists in my time and there are a fair handful of good Iron Fist comics, but the very root of the character is Orientalist. This Dances With Wolves style of 'story about POC but the lead has to be white or white people won't watch it' scenario is very old hat.

Heroes For Hire is interested in race. Luke Cage & Iron Fist are characterized by race. Their writers can admit this or not, but it's true. At its best, this inherent disconnect opens up the comics for potentially interesting breakdowns of racial dynamics, prejudice, the prison industrial complex, privilege, and American society. Luke & Danny talk about everything from capitalism to crime. Pretty reliably, the comic tends to actually try.

But all of these conversations are fixed through a white gaze. Luke talks through a white gaze, Danny's characterized by a white gaze, and these conversations are written with the white audience as the implied constant observers. At a certain point it never really feels like two different perspectives clashing and changing - just one perspective, talking about two different issues from both sides of its mouth.

I have mixed feelings on #ownvoices, but I think this is what people mean when they talk about it. There is a provincial, reductionist scope of perspectives allowed into the conversations Heroes For Hire holds, and although that's not a crime it's abjectly disappointing when compared against the interesting stories that could be told.

I haven't read a modern Iron Fist comic in like ten years, and the last time I read Heroes For Hire was during the cursed Civil War situation. I really don't know if modern Heroes For Hire and Danny & Luke are still like this. They probably aren't! But the same problems probably still underlie the two characters, and their origins will always occupy this strange space.

TL;DR: Read Milestone comics. Start with Static and move to Icon & Rocket. These are the only comics about race people should read. Look up their history sometime, it's fascinating. Ignore Luke Cage & Iron Fist. Good god.

[beardedmrbean]

I testified Thursday against the City Council Fair Chance for Housing Act, my second time in Council Chambers. The first was in May 2019 when I spoke personally and passionately about protecting New York City’s specialized high schools.

The bill, also known as Int. 632, is another City Council measure designed to protect lawbreakers at the expense of the law-abiding. It would prohibit criminal background checks on prospective tenants and buyers of residential housing.

After testifying, I left City Hall. It wasn’t until hours later that I heard the racist response to my testimony from Douglas Powell, who spoke on behalf of city-funded nonprofit Vocal-NY. He and his organization want individuals such as Powell, who has a criminal record and is a level 2 registered sex offender, to be able to access housing without criminal background checks.

His testimony laid out his criminal-justice experience and his lived experience of anti-black discrimination at Asian stores — culminating in a racist attack on the Asian community where he lives. In his three-minute tirade, he called Queens’ Rego Park the most racist neighborhood because it is majority Asian. “It’s not their neighborhood — they from China, Hong Kong,” he said. “We from New York.” 

Convicted sex offender spews anti-Asian slurs during NYC Council meeting — and pols do nothing to stop him

This anti-Asian, perpetual-foreigner, “You don’t belong here” rhetoric is dangerous hate speech that incites violence. Unprovoked attacks on Asian New Yorkers are on the rise.

Powell’s racist rant was delivered in the presence of three councilmembers without interruption or admonishment. Committee chair Nantasha Williams even thanked Powell for his testimony. It’s as if his anti-Asian hate speech in the chamber was unremarkable white noise. It took hours, after online pressure from constituents, for those present to issue generic disapproval statements, retweeting other electeds’ condemnation, and say “both sides” share blame for systemic racism.

Like many Asian Americans, I am a property owner and small landlord. When I graduated, my parents encouraged me to live at home, pay off my debt and save to buy a property. I lived at home for a few years and paid off my student loans as quickly as I could. Decades later, I bought my first investment property. I rented mostly to young men and women at the start of their careers. As a landlord, I treated my tenants the way I wanted to be treated: fairly and responsively. I’m fortunate real-estate brokers and condo management could conduct criminal and credit checks, not only for my benefit but for the safety of neighbors in the building.

Powell spewed hateful, anti-Asian rhetoric at the council meeting.Stephen Yang

Asian Americans have the highest rate of home ownership in the city, 42%. The stability of owning property as a means of building wealth is deeply rooted in Asian culture. New York’s pro-tenant policies, especially the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, have resulted in heartbreaking stories from small-property landlords. The laws, intended to help tenants, some of whom lost jobs during COVID, disproportionately hurt immigrant landlords. Not only have they not been paid rent for three years; some living in multi-family units are terrorized by tenants who know they can’t evict. Many Asian property owners are working class, and their modest rental income helps pay for the mortgage, property taxes and unit upkeep.

While bad tenants existed before this bill, it would make things worse. Private-property owners should not bear the burden of unknowingly renting to convicted arsonists and murderers and letting them live next door to New Yorkers who want a safe place after a long day braving our unpredictable city streets and subways. We worry about higher insurance, liability in endangering other tenants and frivolous lawsuits in tenant-friendly courts. That becomes a cost-benefit question for owners — whether it’s worth it to rent with little profit.

Like most landlords, I don’t live in the building I rent, but I do worry about the tenants I rent to. I think of the kindhearted young Asian professional who pleaded with me to let her have a Hurricane Sandy rescue dog. I worry about the wheelchair-bound young man grateful to find independence in living in an accessible building and appreciative of me letting him install an automatic door opener for his convenience. I want them to have the peace of mind that when they return to their small haven in the city, they will be safe, among neighbors who won’t pose a risk to them.

The fight to save specialized high schools that brought me to council the first time galvanized many Asian voters who had never been involved in city politics before. I am one of those newly politicized voters. This year, I co-founded Asian Wave Alliance to make sure that Asian-American New Yorkers’ needs are not ignored by the very councilmembers who sat quietly and listened to Powell’s racist attacks.

This time, I went to council to convince the Committee on Human and Civil Rights and the bill’s sponsors that the Fair Chance for Housing Act is not “fair” at all to small landlords and already-existing tenants. Getting rid of reasonable safeguards like criminal background checks is not “fair” to the city’s law-abiding citizens and will put people in danger. True fairness requires listening to all New Yorkers and prioritizing safety and transparency. 

[hongkongartman-mlee]

‘Culture Is Chinese Traditional Values As The Foundation Including Western Values When Appropriate, Elevated To A Set Of Social Beliefs Which Become The Soft Power Of Hong Kong’—Cultural Pundit Master Darwin Chen

Today we live in a world that is highly fractured, ambiguous and self-centred. Freedom and personal interest are the 2 biggest things that people often abuse.

Architect Ma Yansong said, “Where traditional values are concerned, Chinese people see nature as very symbolic. It is a form of culture.” Nature gave Chinese the imaginations, beauty, peace and most importantly, harmony as our cultural value. Chinese learnt to properly behave and get along with everyone and everything including nature. We did not say everyone is equal. Instead, specific moral duties were prescribed to each of us as oneself, in a family and the society. The duties are virtues such as love, kindness, respect, devotion, allegiance and integrity. Chinese believed that self-restraints were vital and people were capable of attaining these through education and reflection. People with personal mastery would treat themselves and others morally and lead others better. In turn, we all contribute our share to the greater harmony of nature and a good society.

The veteran of arts and culture in Hong Kong Darwin Chen(陳達文博士) who has served government since 1961 emphasized to me, “We must embrace our traditional Chinese values. They help us build up a sense of appropriateness and consummation. They also bring families and members of the community spiritually together and enable people to connect and harmonize. Now, ‘selfish’ is the high pitch in this city. The keyword should however be ‘selfless’.” Old owl like Chen is very wise.

In 1932, Master Chen was born in a Cantonese family which lived well, loved lots and laughed often in Shanghai. World War II destroyed all. He came with the family to Hong Kong in 1946. His education journey was from Diocesan Boys’ School, Northcote College of Education to University of London. His career path was from a reporter, teacher, officer of culture, high level official and presently a scholar.

Regardless of his government positions, master Chen always committed himself to the development of arts and culture in Hong Kong. He served Hong Kong Arts Development Council as Vice Chairman and Chairman from 1996 to 2004. His great honours include the Honorary Fellowship from The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Academy for Performance Arts and University of Hong Kong. In 2003, government awarded Master Chen with the Silver Bauhinia Star. He was given in 2012 the Life Achievement Award for his tremendous devotions to arts and culture.

Master Chen is always serious, gentle and patient. He told me, “Western civilization was inaugurated by the philosophies of the Greeks and Romans, in particular, the development of the concept of democracy which was relevant to the belief of equality and freedom. Rights such as right to life, marriage, sex orientation, welfare, freedom of expression and political opposition are roaringly stressed. Taking these rights to the extreme, a person nowadays may end up being an egotist and his self-interest becomes the motive of all arrogant action and foundation of his morality.” I agreed, “Very often, I heard someone say, ‘Well, it’s not illegal and I can do anything that I want to!’” This is a flagrantly proud attitude. Author Abhijit Naskar once said, “Self-regulation is not caution. It is an act of course-correction. There is no greater contentment than the feeling of victory over your own savagery.”

I added, “The western world has a ‘Harm Principle’ in that interference into one’s liberty can only be permitted only when his act will harm others. Moral ground is excluded.”

Master Chen responded to me, “You can enjoy reading books by authors such as Y N Harari, Francis Fukuyama and Peter Drucker. You can also study the history of the Magna Carta which was a document guaranteeing English political liberties. These days, we all shout for more and more freedoms but seldom exercise the freedom of thought which generates true wisdom. We forget the opposite importance of ‘altruism’. Our culture must balance egoism against the greater need for the selfless concern for the well-being of others.”

Master Chen paused, “We live together in a tiny city of Hong Kong and it is morality which can bind people. We must learn to have kind regard for others. I have spent my life preaching the values of self-reflection and self-restraint and only these good cultures will not blunt the fine edge of love, peace, mutual respect and altruism.”

I asked, “Hong Kong government will soon set up a cultural bureau to promote arts and culture, and we would be a cultural city of the world!” How would you see it?” He replied, “It is definitely a good thing. The Bureau should however not position itself sheerly as a planning and operational organ of cultural activities. Culture should not be treated as only leisure and recreational pursuits. Culture should be promoted as a set of shared spiritual beliefs that people of Hong Kong will be able to define themselves, share, translate them into a society’s good deeds and aspire collectively to contribute to a happier and harmonious Hong Kong.”  

Master Chen thought twice, “The cultural bureau must not let itself to become a technical bureaucracy because in any bureaucracy, there is a self-justifying tendency to let the system become a pretext for not trying new things which may benefit Hong Kong. When I was in charge of the first Hong Kong cultural venue City Hall in the 1960s, I told my colleagues, ‘Be brave! It takes many good initiatives to achieve a good thing. Don’t be afraid of problems when the cause is good. Just do it and this is the only way that you can try it out! As a dedicated servant for the people of Hong Kong, personal gain or loss must be secondary.’ In those days, we lent books to the public and did not worry about them not being returned. We presented Cantonese operas and would not believe that they might degrade the reputation of the place. We made theatre tickets very cheap so that the grassroots could sit side by side with the upper class to enjoy. Remember: culture is about how to be a human and how your life is being humane. No one in Hong Kong should be shallow when culture would nourish our soul.”

I was curious, “Most people here are too westernized. How is our traditional Confucianism still important today?” He smiled, “The teachings of Confucius should be made an important part of Hong Kong education today, for students and the general public. It is our proud Chinese culture. The 3 essentials elements, among other good things, of Confucianism are: filial piety, humaneness and ritual consciousness. Our traditional values can cultivate the ideal personality of a citizen and then this will enhance harmony of the presently torn society. Hong Kong people have lost substantially good ethical, moral and social standards of the past. I do believe the Chinese ways should be re-examined and will form the basis of the future right way of life for Hong Kong people and also as our unique city culture mixing the best of East and West.”  

For the first time since 1842 when Hong Kong was ceded as a colony, we could have a cultural bureau. It may be able to rewrite reality and relinquish the bad name of Hong Kong being a ‘cultural desert’ devoid of spiritual and intellectual attentions. The threat remains—the bureau may stumble on the way if it fails to give vent to the great need for the fostering of a more non-material, harmonious and humane Hong Kong. Both the rich and the poor here have to learn to be more cultured and cultural.

MLee

Chinese Version 中文版:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/wen-hua-yi-shu-68677492?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=postshare

Dr. Darwin Chen’s Interview  https://youtu.be/M-wU3t034-c  Acknowledgement-HKCO

Hong Kong City Hall & Colonial History   https://youtu.be/yAPpRNlnUhM  Acknowledgement – online museum

Speech by Dr. Darwin Chen  https://youtu.be/d8LHxdH0wVU  Acknowledgement-pfdahk

Cantonese Opera鳳閣恩仇未了情  https://youtu.be/eFK2cp5kkZk  Acknowledgement – Hello  Hello

Hong Kong in 1961 https://youtu.be/T73Qyn8XFT0  Acknowledgement-MichaelRogge

《大會堂演奏廳》by Hacken Lee  https://youtu.be/lyhzolB4ue8  Acknowledgement-Hacken Lee

[multiversemusings]

We Are Who We Are

Requested originally by @sobeautifullyobsessed Characters: Doctor Strange & Cloak of Leviation (Levi) Rating: PG Warnings: Mentions of death & violence. Mental dystopia. Words: 2,605 Genre: Humor, fluff, hurt/comfort Plot: Stephen has taken over the Sanctum Sanctorum as its Master and now he's learning how to live in the city again. More so, he's learning to live with someone again. Cloak has made it very apparent that he's got his own quirks that he's going to have to get used to. But he's already aware of the growing bond between himself and the sentient artifact. Song Inspiration: Conversation by LP

A/N: I'm so sorry that it took so long to get to this one, dear. I hope that you like it, though! I really enjoyed writing this and showing my AU's take on Stephen and Cloak's relationship. This takes place in the Dragon Soul AU, where Stephen is "Bonded" with Cloak from birth.

All writings belong to @multiversemusings. Do not steal, repost as your own or take credit for my work. If you have a request, please put it in my inbox!

"Let's have a conversation, I know you really care and so do I."

The end of the battle had finally brought him to the point where he knew what the Ancient One had wanted him to be. He had decided after coming back from the Dark Dimension and putting the Eye of Agamotto in its resting place for now, Stephen took on the role of Master Of the New York Sanctum. He bid goodbye to Wong, who went to help Hong Kong with the damage that the Sanctum there had sustained even after he reversed time on it using the Infinity Stone. He also said farewell to Damon, who went to help London - the city of his mother's heritage - to help them begin rebuilding their Sanctum as well. He was disappointed that he couldn't help them, but he knew that it was best if he went back to his own Sanctum to keep an eye on it. He also had to familiarize himself with the beautiful building that he would now be calling his home. It was a little overwhelming, if he was perfectly honest, to go from that small room in Kamar-Taj to this gorgeous, antique building that predated even the oldest streets around it. He walked through the many halls, taking in the different and distinct themes of each one as he did: The east wing seemed to be dedicated to artifacts, where the study was as well through a large set of oak doors. He took note of the huge floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that ran along the entire room except where the fireplace resided on the north wall, before proceeding down the hall to find that this was where the meditation room was situated as well. The west wing was more of the "house" part of the building, consisting of the den, the kitchen and a grand dining room. Stephen noted the scuff marks on the floor where the chairs had been slid in and out from the table so many times, concluding that this was also probably where meetings between Masters would take place. He would have to ask Wong or Damon about that next time that he saw them. As he passed by the changing windows, he was suddenly tugged to a stop, making him grunt and stumble to catch his balance. He looked at the artifact that was still resting on his shoulders which, up until this point, had been silently about him looking around.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked the sentient artifact. Ever since Cloak - who he was now sure he was Bonding to - had been released from that case and saved him from dying, he had noticed that the artifact was quite quirky about things. "Is there something down that hallway you don't like?"

The artifact rippled against his back and tried to pull him away from the entrance of the hall, but Stephen pushed back against him and told him to cut it out. He could almost feel the whine echo in his throat even though he wasn't the one who made that made it. They had only been together for a couple of days, yet here he was already channeling his partner's emotions through his own body. He sighed and made the artifact let go of his shoulders by gently pulling the clasps from the front of his robes. He watched as his partner hovered off of the floor, the uneven pleats swayed as it did and it shook its collar at the man, making him tilt his head in question before looking down the hallway. He could see there were at least two doors on each side of the hall as well as another hallway that split off at the end of it, so whatever it was that his partner didn't want to go near must be in one of the rooms. He looked back at the cloak and just held his hand up for it to stay where it was.

"Okay, you stay there then, and I'll go look down this hallway without you," he told it. The shorter corner of the fabric wrapped around his hand like a small child holding onto its parent and it shook its collar again. "Levi, I have to go down there so that I know what I'm doing in this place. You wouldn't want The Ancient One to be upset with me, would you? Tell you what, just tell me what room you're so nervous about and I won't look in that one. How does that sound?"

This seemed to calm his partner down and it - albeit begrudged he sensed - let go of his hand, pointing to the one on the right, so Stephen looked. It was a set of bamboo wooden doors that closed in the center of the doorway where they met to form a blockade to whatever was behind them. He looked back to his partner, pointing at it to make sure that was the one that Cloak didn't want him to look in, to which the artifact nodded. He returned it and headed down the hallway, looking at the paintings on the walls as he did. A couple of them were scenic; large mountains like the Alps with a flowing river at the base through a field of poppies and others were dense forests with god rays shining through the gaps in the branches or with deer standing in a clearing. When he got to the first set of rooms, he looked at the right room and then over his shoulder to where his partner was watching him closely and seemed to have puffed up in anxiety. He swallowed thickly as he felt the artifact's emotions in his own chest, making his heart race so he looked back at the doors for a moment before deciding that his partner's trust was more important than his own curiosity. He turned away from the doors and opted to search the rest of the rooms which turned out to be a pantry since the kitchen was just around the corner, a large linen closet and a storage room. As he got to the end of the hallway, he looked to the left and noticed it went towards a single, large wood and metal door. The right hallway had a hand count of more rooms on it, so he went that way first and opened each door to find bedrooms that were furnished in rococo sets ranging from rosewood to deep mahogany. He guessed these were guest rooms for when the other Masters came over for meetings, so he headed back to the T junction to see Cloak still patiently waiting for him where he had told him to. He smiled to himself, but he knew somehow that the artifact could feel the pleasant sensation of thankfulness in his chest. He went down the other hallway, noting the decorative shelves on the walls here and that there seemed to be a key rack next to this door. He looked confused at it, with its four different rings full of keys on it, then to the large door in front of him. It didn't have a lock on it, so whatever the keys were for must have been behind it, which made his curiosity grow. He opened the door and peeked in, seeing that there was a large stone staircase going downwards, bringing him to the conclusion that there was some kind of sublevel to the Sanctum that he would have to explore later. He closed the door for now and turned, heading back to the main hallway to find that Cloak had seemed to have fluttered off somewhere. He couldn't help himself when he saw that his partner wasn't in view but to very carefully open one of the bamboo doors to see what was behind it. He damn near busted out laughing as he did. Whatever he had been expecting to see - an interrogation room, a room for destroying out of control artifacts, whatever - was completely blasted from his mind at the sight of the clean, large room with a large marble top table on the left side next to a counter with a sink under a decorative window directly across from him. On the righthand side of the room was a very modern - and very out of place with everything else - washer and dryer set. He could understand why Cloak would hate this room and he laughed to himself as he closed the door, though it was a laugh not of humor, but of endearment. However, when he looked at the end of the hallway, he noticed his partner hovering there and its shoulders were sagging, and he felt a pang of sadness in his chest from his partner. He immediately was overcome with guilt at the feeling and tears filled his eyes from his partner's emotions. Did the cloak think that he had been laughing at him because he thought it was funny?

"Levi-" he called out, jumping when the cloak flew off. "Levi, wait!"

He rushed after his partner, heading back through the hallways and barely keeping track of him. As he got back out to large foyer of the Sanctum, he lost track of where his partner went and looked around, still feeling guilt but now there was a bit of panic. He knew that Cloak couldn't open doors, but he also was realizing just how huge this place was and it would be hard to find his partner since it clearly knew all of the individual rooms better than he did. Rather than panic, he tamed himself down for a moment and reached out to his partner's energy to sense where it was coming from. Though they were just starting to Bond, he could already sense the being's energy, so he followed it to its source and found the cloak curled up in what was left of its case. For a moment, Stephen got a flash of a man with long black hair wearing burgundy and gold Master's robes sitting in his partner's place, hugging his knees to his body with his head down. He blinked the vision away, shaking his head before looking at the cloak and frowned as he sensed its sorrow. Rather than open his mouth and risk making it worse, Stephen left his partner alone for a moment and went back to the pantry to grab the broom and dustpan that he had seen there. He returned, setting the dustpan aside and began to sweep up the shattered glass, the sound letting Cloak know that his partner was still there even if he wasn't ready to talk. Sure, he could have cleaned up the mess with his magic, but this was about spending time with his partner, even if he wasn't ready for him to talk yet. As he swept the glass up into the dustpan, he winced very softly as his fingers popped because he had them clenched so tightly around the handle of the broom. The noise made Cloak look up slowly to make sure that his partner was okay, which drew Stephen's attention over to him and he paused what he was doing, setting the broom against another case. He went over and sat down carefully beside the case, looking at the cloak who looked back to him and he could still sense the sadness in his chest as the entity looked down at his pleats.

"Levi, I wasn't laughing at you, I promise," he whispered softly, getting his partner's attention. He thought about the image that he had seen when he approached the casing of the man sitting in his partner's place and he began to understand. "I wasn't laughing because I thought it was funny, I was laughing because I thought it was endearing that you are a cloak who has the sentience to be scared of the laundry room. But you're much more than that, aren't you?"

The artifact raised its collar a little and turned to face him as it did. Stephen could sense it wondering what he had seen.

"Ever since you saved me from breaking my neck when Kaecillius knocked me over the banister, I could tell you were different. But I didn't realize that you weren't created by magic, that you're actually a spirit woven into the threads you're made from." The artifact rose up from its sitting position, so Stephen did too, and they faced each other properly. "I can now understand why you're scared of the washing machine; you still see the world as a person, even though you're a cloak. That must have been torture for you, being pushed under water and thrown around without regard for what you really are. Not…unlike how Dormammu suffocated me with the water wisps."

The artifact came out of its case and reached up to his face, wiping at it and the man realized he had been crying without realizing it. He took Cloak's corner and held it to his chest, bowing his head as he closed his eyes and trembled, the unseen wounds under his robes from the many deaths he had suffered burning fiercely. He felt his partner wrap around him, but where he was expecting soft fabric, he felt warm, strong arms and a shoulder where he rests his head against it as he let himself cry for what he had gone through finally. He grabbed onto the man who shushed him gently, a hand resting on the back of his head as he gripped the soft red fabric in his aching fingers.

"I'm so sorry," Stephen choked out. "For what I've put you through…for being so ignorant to your feelings like I have everyone else's."

You are too hard on yourself, Stephen, he heard a voice speak in his mind, warm like a desert and soft like a brush of wings against the wind. I chose you because you needed me, and I will always forgive you for whatever we go through together. But you must also forgive yourself for being human.

Stephen raised his head from the man's shoulder, and he expected the vision to fade, only to be pleasantly surprised when it remained. The man looking back at him had handsome, strong features with tan skin and a well-kept goatee similar to his own with high cheekbones haloed by long black waves of silken hair. His brown eyes were like deep forests, hiding stories that were just waiting to be explored which drew Stephen it. The man smiled at him, and he felt himself relax, closing his eyes once again as the man's forehead pressed against his own before fading into a soft feeling of fabric against his skin. When they parted, the sorcerer looked at the cloak and gave him a half smile as the artifact lowered itself from his shoulders.

"Okay, I'll do my best, but only on one condition," he replied finally, making Cloak tilt his collar. "Whenever you get dirty, you let me wash you in the shower where you'll be more comfortable. What do you say?"

He could sense the artifact smile in his heart and Cloak nodded his collar before moving to wrap itself around his shoulders again.

"Good. Now, let's go finish our look around. I'm getting tired and I'd like to sleep soon."

The man proceeded around the railing of the grand staircase and down one of the hallways to his right to look around. He knew now that their Bond was much more important than just a Master of the Mystic Arts and his sentient cloak, he just wasn't sure how. As time would progress, maybe those brown eyes he had seen that now were so vividly imprinted on his mind would reveal their secrets, just like his new home would tell him all its stories.

@sobeautifullyobsessed @fanartka @harlekin6 @icytrickster17 @greg-house-gay-diagnostician @stewardofningishzida @bechnokid @sirleafheart @strangelockd @bakerstreethound @darsynia @withalittlehoney @sassenach-on-the-rocks @kate-kaned @deepbatched @geeky-politics-46 @asherloki

[jadegretz]

Chun-Li's Strength: Beauty in Action by Jade Gretz

Moonlight dripped through the canopy of Hong Kong's bustling night market, painting the crowded scene in an ethereal glow. But beneath the surface, shadows danced with a different rhythm. Chun-Li, disguised amongst the throng, her lithe form concealed by a flowing robe, followed whispers she had painstakingly gleaned from the city's underworld. They spoke of a clandestine group - the Crimson Fists - practicing forbidden martial arts, rumored to grant power beyond human comprehension.

Drawn by a mix of duty and curiosity, Chun-Li navigated the labyrinthine alleyways, finally arriving at a decrepit temple, its intricate carvings obscured by dust and neglect. Slipping through a side entrance, she entered a cavernous hall. Figures in crimson robes moved in hypnotic unison, their strikes blurring into a dance of unnatural grace. Fear, raw and primal, gnawed at her, fueled by the unsettling energy emanating from their movements.

A man, his face hidden behind a grotesque mask, stood at the center, his voice booming with power as he chanted in an otherworldly tongue. As the ritual reached its crescendo, the air crackled, an unseen portal tearing open above them. Through the jagged edges, tendrils of darkness oozed, revealing glimpses of a landscape both beautiful and horrific – rolling emerald hills punctuated by jagged obsidian towers, inhabited by monstrous creatures with glowing eyes.

Panic threatened to overwhelm Chun-Li, but years of honed instinct took over. Leaping from the shadows, she unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches, disrupting the ritual and sending shockwaves through the room. The masked leader whirled towards her, crimson aura swirling around his raised hand. With a guttural roar, he unleashed a blast of dark energy, forcing Chun-Li to deflect it with a desperate block.

The battle raged, the Crimson Fists their movements shifting, now feral and monstrous, fueled by the encroaching darkness. Chun-Li fought with the ferocity of a cornered tigress, each blow resonating with the desperation to close the portal before it consumed them all.

But the masked leader r …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)

[spudkid]

January 23rd - cont.

Then we headed for lunch at the Maxwell Hawker Center.

There are food halls like this throughout the city (some are outdoors) and you get to choose from all kinds of southeast Asian foods. The term “hawker” refers to a person who informally sells something in public. Hawker centres began in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. Not feeling confident, we chose this stall because it was mentioned in our guide book.

When you go into a hawker center, the first thing you do is stake out a seat. This is done by leaving some item (a hat, water bottle or even a tissue) on your stool. You then go and order. Some venders will even bring it to the table. Bedlam at lunchtime! After lunch, we wandered around Chinatown and enjoyed the activity.