#I just need to figure out the overall shape of a pose before continuing further-- and push those angles back not forward

[mewkwota]

So I was just supposed to find out myself that Volnutt had a (scrapped) casual outfit, so sure, of course I'm gonna try to draw it.

That way he has something more fashionable to wear out of battle.

[archandshri]

The Lionheart Brothers Bookcover (part - 2) from Shri - 01/03/24

Hi Archie

That sounds like exciting stuff! Absolutely loved seeing the Riso come together colour by colour!

Also, I'm super happy that you're letting your (comfort?) characters marine in your head for a while! There is nothing more fun and relaxing than just imagining your comfort characters interact/go through their story with no pressure of making it a 'good' story.

I constantly have my comfort characters go through self-indulgent story structures e.g. sickfic vibes or hurt/comfort storylines (have I imagined many of those sorts of scenes before? yes. Will I image it again? yes.

Anyway, getting into part 2 now.

When sketching these first few ideas, I was completely free and open, not limiting myself to any boundaries yet.

The only thing I was roughly keeping in mind was the visual cues and elements of the book. These included elements such as the Dove, Cutler (the bag guy), the brothers and the house. I was also really loosely thinking about composition, and how the dynamics of the story/character will affect the composition.

You can see me thinking about the relationship of the characters further here, playing around with this big dark shadowy figure taking up most of the page, Showing how this ominous creature is in control/power.

Elements I considered 

Brothers' closeness (showing that in their physical closeness to each other on the page and their body language)

peaceful with overshadowing danger (either with a shadow figure or maybe the dove being shot?)

Rusky (younger brother) follows/wants to be more like his older brother Jonathan

This is why in a lot of the images I drew I purposely put Rusky below Jonathan/or following him somewhere, this is to show how Rusky isn't where his brother is but is striving to get there. This was quite difficult to get as making them close yet having this relationship dynamic was had to capture.

This is where I had to now put on my critical hat and really ask what sketch serves the book better. Although I absolutely adore the cover with them on the horses and the one what them climbing the mountain together. They didn't quite convey the message/story the book had, so I went with the last one.

My notes I took at the time.

First Image (Brothers on horses)

I love this cover but it really doesn't tell us anything about the bother, except that they have a good relationship. 

Second image (climbing up a mountain)

I think the dynamic feel to the cover, again shows the brother's bravery

There are more journey vibes in this sketch (which might be better to fit with the beginning of the book?)

Third Image (facing of the bad guy with a creature in the back)

I think this is the best image in showing the conflict between the brothers and Tengil while also showing their bravery.

To push the brother's notice aspect in the story I'll need to tweak

I'm pushing the sketch further by simplifying it so I can figure out the overall shapes and silhouettes.

Notes at the time:

Poses of the brothers

Rusky runs behind to catch up with his brother

Rusky still holding hands but behind his brother looking back into the camera

This was to show how Rusky is still trying to catch up to his older brother both physically and metaphorically.

Though having them holding hands shows this closeness between them, so shows this dynamic relationship where Rusky (the younger brother) is trying to be as great as his older brother but also having a wholesome relationship.

I roughly put in the values.

At this point, this is where the trouble strikes.

The image above is just not sitting right. theoretically it makes sense but the whole image just feels weird

so I continued to play around with the existing image (see above), playing around with adding elements and text.

It just continued to not sit right. Although I did consider just colouring it in any way, I went back to the drawing board and relook at this cover.

Thought at the time:

Issues

Redline work looks like a psychological horror

The vibe of cover feels a bit too menacing/sentence for the sweet and quant feel of the book

Too much happening???

Here I'm just going ham and playing with more graphic/competition shapes to see if I feel like I can get anything else

Notes at the time

Likes 

Really like what the border brings, it brings room/space, something to play with (shapes) and it gives the tone of the book a more fairytale/old feel which was something really lacking before.

Dislikes

posing of brothers not really encapsulating abortions

Then I had a whole Slide just ranting about this project and why I can't seem to get the image to fit right.

I am very frustrated because the image is just not working. This is because I believe iced over complicated it and it doesn't have enough space to breathe with is something I appreciate in imagery

At this point, I am truly lost. So when you are in any sense lost in a project, you always go back to one point.

What are you trying to say?

I was to show Rusky's bravery and wanting to be like his brother. I want to show his bravery in helping liberate Wild Rose Village (they live in Cherry Village) and liberate Wild Rose Village.

Character at the bottom (to show weakness and powerless) but Vertical lines to show their energetic and rebellious motions. (Molly Bang)

The dictator guy needs to be at the top of the page because he has total control of Wild Rose Village (not Cherry Valley yet), However, he only has this power because of the horn that controls Cutla, otherwise, he's not that bad.

What do I want to convey:

Vie Text: Lionheart Brothers, Brave and Courageous bothers

Via Image:

I want to convey their wholesome relationship

Shorshadow Cutla 

Duve 

That rusky is becoming braver like his brother

I'll see you in the last part! (it gets better from here :))

Hope you have a lovely week

Shri

[animetrashlord-007]

M.I;; Chapter Four

Word Count;; 3k

Genre;; Fluff, Suggestive, Eventual Smut, Slowburn

Pairing;; Oikawa x Ushijima

Side Pairing;; Kuroo x Sugawara

Summary;;

Them boys go for a jog.

Published;; 07.29.17

Notes;;

My Masterlist

Mutual Interests Masterlist

   “So how did practice go?” Suga asked, twirling a strand of his silver hair with his pointer finger as he gazed at the ceiling.

   When he received no immediate response, Suga peered at each of his comrades. Ushijima had his textbook open but his attention was far from the words on the page. His eyes were hazy as he looked out the window, observing two students outside playing with a frisbee. Unlike Ushijima, Oikawa and Kuroo weren't even pretending to study. Kuroo’s legs were spread out to the side of his chair and his head was tilted back as he emitted a constant, low groan. Oikawa sat between his fellow volleyball players and across from Suga. Lifting his head from its resting spot on the table, he stared at Suga. It might have been considered a glare had his eyes been more fiery and less deadpan.

   “That good, huh?” Suga jeered, earning simultaneous grunts from each of the men.

   They all fell into silence as they stared into the distance. Suga was the first to yawn, creating a chain reaction and within seconds the whole group was yawning. They were weary after their first volleyball practice. Once they were chosen and accepted onto the team, the coach informed them that they would be meeting every day without fail and needed to be doing their own individual training regimen on top of team practice. While they were all in great shape, they weren't expecting such a gruelling set of exercises on the first day and they were exhausted.

   Pushing themselves away from the table and slumping in their chairs, they began to sprawl out and get comfortable. Minutes passed and the boys started to doze off. Kuroo started snoring, gaining the attention of the other students in the library. Ushijima’s head bobbed up and down as he tried to fight off his drowsiness, opening his eyes every few seconds only to have them close once more as he drifted back to sleep. It wasn't until Oikawa’s head dropped onto the table and Suga began to cackle, unable to feign his fatigue any longer, that the librarian stormed over to their table. Slamming his hand against the wooden surface with a thunderous smack, he glowered at each of the boys as their eyes jolted open and they straightened themselves in their chairs.

   “Excuse me, gentlemen. This is a library, not your bedroom. If you wish to sleep, go elsewhere,” he snapped at them, crossing his arms over his chest.

   “Please forgive us! It won't happen again,” Oikawa said as he rubbed the reddening mark on his forehead.

   “It better not,” he sighed, turning away from the group and glaring at the other students that were now snickering. Silence once again engulfed the room as he stomped back to his desk in the center of the library.

   “I'm so worn out,” Oikawa whined once the hum of quiet chatter echoed throughout the room again.

   “I can't even keep my eyes open. I need a nap,” Kuroo groaned as he stretched his legs under the table, kicking aside a pair of feet that got in his way.

   “Stop that! Keep your legs in your own area!”

   “It's not my fault my legs are so long, Oikawa-san. I need extra room.”

   “You're just doing it to piss me off!”

   Kuroo chuckled as he lowered himself down into his chair, pushing his legs further into Oikawa’s space. He grinned when Oikawa tried to nudge his feet back over to his side. They began to wrestle, their legs entwining and interlocking as they fought for the extra legroom. Kicking at one another, the table began to shake and tremble. The sound of their knees bumping the wooden underside of the desk resonated throughout the room. The librarian shot them a glare, which they ignored as they continued to battle.

   Ushijima raised a curious brow while Suga rolled his eyes at the display. Neither spoke up, however, as the table continued to rock. This continued for several minutes until Kuroo pushed Oikawa and his chair away from the desk. Scowling, Oikawa stood up and stretched. He had an unpleasant aura surrounding him as he dipped down to touch his toes. Pulling his arm behind his back, he began to mutter under his breath about Kuroo’s smug smile and overall bad attitude. He wiggled his entire body to loosen his muscles for a solid minute before addressing the study group.

   “I'm going for a jog! Who wants to come with me?”

   “I'll go,” Ushijima said, packing his materials away.

   “Suga?”

   “Sorry, Oikawa-san, but I have class.” Suga gave him an apologetic smile.

   “And I'm way too tired,” Kuroo piped in, yawning for added effect.

   “Well no one asked you, Kuroo-chan!”

   “You're so rude!”

   “Don't worry, Oikawa-san, Ushijima-san will keep you company,” Suga spoke up, interrupting the brewing disagreement.

   “Whatever, let's just go, Ushiwaka.”

   “You guys are swinging by the dorms, right? Can you take my stuff back?”

   “Of course, Kuroo-san.”

   “Take your own damn stuff, you lazy ass!” Oikawa snapped, still vexed from their skirmish.

   Kuroo and Suga exchanged glances as the brunet grabbed Ushijima’s arm close to his chest, pulling him away from the table. He maintained his grip on the ace’s arm, cradling the limb to his body until they were halfway back to the dorms. Realising what he was doing, Oikawa released Ushijima and uttered an apology. His cheeks burned as he averted his gaze from the taller male. They walked in silence, his embarrassment festering until it reached its peak and overcame him. Oikawa darted down the nearest hallway, eager to ditch his companion. Ushijima stared after him in confusion, tilting his head as the chocolate-haired male faced him with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.

   “It's a shortcut! Meet at my room!”

   It wasn't a shortcut. Oikawa didn't even know this hallway existed. It was dingy and creepy with the kind of atmosphere you would see in a horror movie. The lights began to flicker. He thought he could hear moaning coming from every direction. There seemed to be no end in sight and he could no longer see where he had entered this hallway of doom. None of the classroom doors would open. They didn't have names or numbers or any papers on them at all. Everything was identical and blank. No longer could he hear the sounds of daily life and exuberant students; all he could hear was the deafening silence.

   That was, at least, until a set of footsteps began to follow him. They matched his pace, quickening whenever he sped up. Oikawa didn't dare look back for fear of what might be lurking in the shadows. He broke into a run, but so did his pursuer. A cold sweat covered his body as he raced forward.

   At last he could see the light - the end of the hallway was near. He just had to beat the footsteps that were hot on his tail. Oikawa shuddered. He could feel a presence right behind him. It was reaching for him, he just knew it. The exit shone before him like a beacon of hope. Brushing aside how weird he would look, he ducked down and performed a combat roll to cross the last few metres before jumping to his feet. With an enthusiastic grunt, he kicked open the door and somersaulted through it.

   He had made it. Landing on his feet, he swiveled around to leer back at the hell dimension he had somehow entered. The lights were dim but he could see a figure approaching the door. Throwing his arms up in a defensive pose, he awaited his stalker. Oikawa shrieked upon seeing the evil fiend as it strolled up to him.

   “Bakatoshi!”

   “Oikawa-san, you look pale,” Ushijima murmured as he placed the back of his hand against the setter’s forehead. “A bit warm, too.”

   “What the hell are you doing here? You scared the shit out of me!”

   “You said it was a shortcut. Our dorms are pretty close to each other’s. It made sense to follow. Are you feeling well? You were acting weird back there.”

   “I'm fine! Stop that!”

   “Are you sure?”

   “Yes!”

   “Would you like me to carry your bags for you?”

   “No!” Oikawa paused to consider the offer, eyes shifting from side to side. This hall was quiet and had only a few people scattered here and there, most of them too engrossed within their schoolwork to notice the pair. His little acrobatic stunt had caused him to pull a muscle in his back. It would be beneficial to accept Ushijima’s offer, even if he despised the idea of the ace assisting him. With pursed lips, he continued, “Fine, go ahead.”

   “I was worried you might have hurt yourself.”

   “Have more faith in me, Ushiwaka!”

   Dumping his bags onto Ushijima, Oikawa gave him a pat on shoulder. While he didn't like Ushijima, Oikawa couldn't deny that he was a decent guy. Not wanting another awkward encounter, Oikawa walked ahead of his companion the entire journey to their dorm rooms. His ‘shortcut’ had added an additional thirty minutes to the trip and required a call to Student Services to help them find their bearings. Oikawa was grateful for Ushijima’s silence on the matter.

   They reached Ushijima’s dorm first. To their surprise, Kuroo wasn't in the room. Oikawa took his bags back and headed to his own room. Suga wasn't there so putting two and two together, he deduced that they were still in the library. Oikawa sighed in relief; he didn't want to deal with Kuroo’s sass or Suga’s jubilance. Tossing his book bag and his sports bag onto the floor, he flopped onto the bed.

   “Stupid Wakatoshi,” he groaned out loud as he massaged the small of his back.

   Several minutes passed as he wrestled with his inner thoughts. He didn't want to go jogging any longer but he also didn't want to admit he had hurt himself. Resisting the urge to crawl under the covers and fall asleep, Oikawa pushed himself off the bed. He had wasted enough time already. So much time, in fact, that he decided to get changed in his room rather than the bathrooms. He was willing to risk Suga walking in on him if it meant regaining a few of the minutes he had lost in that cursed hallway.

   Shedding the clothes he had worn for the majority of the day and tossing them in his hamper, he grabbed his athletic wear (which consisted of a black tank top and blue shorts) and laid them out on the bed. He was standing in just his boxers when the door swung open and a deep voice called out for him. The voice was much too low to belong to Suga. Oikawa had a pretty decent idea who it was. It was always him.

   Spinning around on his heels, Oikawa turned to the intruder as they spoke, “Oikawa-san, are you-”

   Oikawa’s face paled as he stared at Ushijima and his fear was confirmed. With a shrill shriek, he threw his pillow at the ace, “Bakatoshi, you pervert! Get out!”

   A light blush crossed Ushijima’s face as he bowed in apology, scuttling out the door as quick as he came. Oikawa’s nerves were fried; Ushijima always had him on edge and it was stressing the setter out. The sane half of Oikawa wanted to cancel their jog whereas the stubborn half told him to just suck it up. He felt conflicted as he yanked his sportswear on. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he tried to clear his mind.

   Oikawa exited the room and waved at Ushijima, encouraging him to follow before he bounced down the hall. It wasn't until he reached the scenic trail that encircled the campus that he checked to make sure Ushijima had followed. He was several feet behind Oikawa, keeping his distance unlike he had most of the day. Oikawa rolled his eyes. Brushing aside his prior discomfort, he walked over to Ushijima. He slapped Ushijima across the back and chuckled at how the ace’s eyes widened.

   “What's the point of jogging together if you're that far behind?”

   “I thought you might feel uncomfortable if I was too close.”

   “I know I told you to meet back at my room, but I forgot and wasn't expecting anyone to walk in.” Oikawa bit his bottom lip, struggling to spit the words out. He rubbed the back of his neck as he gazed at Ushijima. Oikawa knew he had overreacted, at least a tad, but he didn't know how to express it and help alleviate Ushijima’s discomfort. “Listen, I didn't mean- uh, I shouldn't have called you a pervert. That was… uncalled for. We’ll be seeing plenty of each other in the locker rooms, after all. It’s no big deal.”

   “I should have knocked.”

   “Yeah, you should have, but the past is the past. As I said, it's no big deal. Let's just move on.”

   “Thank you, Oikawa-san.”

   “Yeah, yeah. It's no big-” Oikawa’s phone began to beep, indicating an incoming call. His eyes widened and a genuine smile spread across his face. “It's Iwa-chan, hold on.”

   “Iwaizumi-san? Tell him I said hello.”

   “Iwa-chan! How are you?” Oikawa exclaimed, closing his eyes as he listened to his friend. When he reopened them, he noticed Ushijima had moved on ahead. “Oi, where do you think you’re going?”

   With a puzzled frown, Ushijima replied, “To give you space.”

   “Don't just leave me alone out here!” Oikawa growled as he closed the gap between them once more. “I'm sorry, Iwa-chan. No, no, I'm not busy! Tell me what's new with you!” The two began to walk along the trail and after a considerable pause, Oikawa spoke up again, “That's great to hear! I'm so happy for you! Oh no, you don't want to hear about my shitty college life. I'd rather talk about you! Yes, you have to give me details about it!”

   The skies darkened as they strolled side by side along the path. Shadows cast from the many trees and foliage engulfed them. Ushijima was silent, checking his own phone from time to time to make sure it wasn't getting too late. Oikawa nodded and hummed, and on occasion he would gasp while placing his hand over his mouth. Minutes trickled by and soon a whole hour had passed.

   Ushijima felt a tugging on his sleeve and when he turned to observe Oikawa, he smiled. Oikawa was grinning from ear to ear and it was contagious. Ushijima stopped walking and Oikawa gave him an appreciative nod before focusing on his call. They had walked a full circle around the trail and were pretty close to where they had started when Iwaizumi had called.

   “I can’t wait! It'll be so much fun! Bye bye, Iwa-chan, let's talk again soon!”

   Waiting until after he ended the call, Ushijima spoke, “You didn't tell him I said hello.”

   “Why would I? He wouldn't want to hear from you anyway. Come on, let's head back to the dorms.”

   They engaged in small talk on the way back, much to Ushijima’s surprise. Oikawa even cracked a joke about the lack of jogging during their trip, as that was the whole purpose of them hanging out together. Ushijima reminded him about the weird hallway - that earned him a scowl and prompted a pact to never mention the event or hallway again.

   They soon arrived back within the dormitories. It was getting late and the halls were empty. Ushijima insisted on walking Oikawa to his room but provided no reason other than it was dark out. Oikawa rolled his eyes but didn't protest. He could handle himself and the lateness of the hour had no effect on that, but Ushijima was a pain in the ass to argue with and Oikawa was already exhausted.

   When they arrived at his dorm, he noticed the taller male fidgeting. Ushijima looked concerned and, since his curiosity was piqued, Oikawa decided to question his restlessness.

   “What's your problem?”

   “It's not a problem, just an observation. You seem much happier when you speak to Iwaizumi-san. Do you miss him?”

   Oikawa snorted and slapped the ace’s arm, “Do you not miss your old team?”

   “I guess that was a silly question.”

   “Yeah, you guessed right. You're so dense sometimes, Wakatoshi.”

   “Well, have a good night, Oikawa-san.”

   “Yeah, yeah, you too.”

   Oikawa watched him disappear down the hall. He wasn't annoyed with Ushijima, which he found odd. He blamed his jovial mood on Iwaizumi; he could always cheer Oikawa up. Oikawa was also surprised by his lack of displeasure at Ushijima for reading his expressions and personality shift with ease. Not to mention, Ushijima wasn't wrong in his observation; Oikawa did miss Iwaizumi. There was a slight churning in Oikawa’s stomach whenever he thought about how they each were moving on with their lives. Iwaizumi was, at least. He had found a new set of friends and had started dating. He was making the most of his college life and Oikawa was proud of him, if not a little envious.

   Discarding the thoughts, he put on his best smile and unlocked the door. He could hear muffled voices inside but thought nothing of it. It was a shared room, after all. The door creaked as it opened and Oikawa stepped inside, still oblivious to the dalliance occurring within. Nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to witness.

[bladekindeyewear]

Andrew has a post over here (or rather, “a message Hussie sent to the Perfectly Generic Podcast”) detailing his thoughts on the Epilogues, how he thought people would feel about them, and why he made them the way he did.  Interesting read-- here are my thoughts as I was reading:

Wakraya -Today at 4:34 PM

Pst pst :3 We just got a statement from Hussie on the Epilogues if you ever feel ready to check that out

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:00 PM

ooh

yeah if there's a link?

Wakraya -Today at 5:01 PM

https://www.reddit.com/r/homestuck/comments/cuywff/the_homestuck_epilogues_bridges_and_offramps_new/

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:02 PM

yeah I was like "there's a HARDCOVER version?!??" trying to google what you described

Wakraya -Today at 5:02 PM

Oh yeah it just got announced recently, and this is what Hussie said about it, sent to the PGP people just a bit ago

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:03 PM

collapsing the bubble, yeah... he understood all this pretty well

readin further

"it's heavily implied to be a piece of bridge-media"  --definitely, so why... there couldn't possibly be a follow-up, could there? ...

"Our continued attention is the very property which incites new problems," -- yeah, I definitely understood that as a theme of the Epilogues... but it also felt like a slap in the face to everyone invested in those characters for that exact reason, and torturing us like that should give way to SOME kind of more settling payoff to offset it, right? right andrew?.....

"But "implied" is all it was. There was no immediate announcement for followup content, and I'm not announcing anything here yet either. More time was always going to be necessary to figure out what to do next, including what form it takes, the timing, and all those questions." --okay yeah that's... SANE.  That's MORE sane than the follow-up to Homestuck it seemed to be implying, the creation half to the destruction half.  Because as much as it seemed to be implying that with those ending sections, I really couldn't imagine a continuation to such a ridiculously saturated story as FEASIBLE; you couldn't possibly loop in anyone who wasn't into the first body of work in the first place.  But... then why leave so many of the characters in such dire straits, unsatisfied, their happiness jeopardized even after the lesson was imparted about how our looking in damaged things?

"For now I think it was alright to just let things simmer for a while, and give people an extended period of time to meditate on the meaning of the epilogues and why they involved the choices they did. But regardless of anyone's conclusions about it, I can at least confirm that it WAS designed to feel like a bridge piece since its conception."  ...I'm not, uh.  ENTIRELY.  sure. that Andrew understands.  how paralyzingly invested we are in some of these characters.  :neutral_face:

"Is it this way because an epilogue SHOULD be this way? No. It is this way because I thought that was the most suitable role for an epilogue to play in the context of the weird piece of media Homestuck has always been."  Fair... but that was the impression the end of Homestuck gave us in the first place, right?  Art and message over our feelings.  That's been the strength AND curse of Andrew's work.  His relentless artistic integrity.  He's going to give the message he wants to give even if it kills us.  :c

this mulling over how he played with "Intermission" is fun, spelling it all out and how eagerly he wanted to play with and subvert those tropes...

Wakraya -Today at 5:14 PM

Oh, keep going

You're going to like the end I feel

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:15 PM

yeah all this is gonna go up on my blog if you let me

Wakraya -Today at 5:15 PM

Absolutely! :p

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:16 PM

"So now the label "epilogue" has been toyed with in a similar way, and also in a manner which exposes an apparent flaw with the label. Or actually, just by using the label "epilogue" at all, it seems the story is admitting to an apparent flaw." --So how were those who DID interpret the ending of Homestuck as not addressing stuff that needed to be addressed supposed to interpret it, though?  Those who needed a more explicit explanation of why Andrew was seeming to "toss aside" so much of what they cared about as stuff that "didn't matter"?

He knew those people existed... hence the outcry!

you can't deliver a message to those people with a mocking thrust, you've gotta be, hm... more delicate about it? IF, that is, you feel an obligation to those people in the first place

and I was never sure whether Andrew DOES....?

hmmmmmn

"It's already an unhinged implementation of the label before you even read it, which means it's probably time to get nervous about whether it satisfies your expectations about what the content existing under such a label should provide."  Yes, you knew people were gonna get super nervous even before they cracked open the cover... and then you DELIVERED, rather intentionally, on some of their worst fears.....?

"My feeling is, there's almost no choice but to turn the conventional ideas associated with epilogues completely inside-out, because of the inherent contradictions involved with crossing the post-canon threshold and revealing that which was not meant to be known."  Yes, and I understood Andrew was trying for that.  But... um....... what about satisfaction?  You gonna give us ANY comfort after that's been dealt with, that lesson imparted?  Why throw all our feelings by the wayside after you've communicated that overall lesson?

"By deploying it as mock-fanfiction, and including other authors, I'm making an overt gesture that is beginning to diminish my relevance as the sole authority on the direction this story takes, what should be regarded as canon, and even introducing some ambiguity into your understanding of what canon means as the torch is being passed into a realm governed by fan desires." --Yes, I've read that really good tumblr post I won't bother linking  (EDIT: because I can’t find it, or where I commented on it, it was probably in discord; could someone link that to me? the one that talked about how this epilogue posed as Fanfiction and took on those trappings but could never BE that, and how it was their opinion ((though not mine FYI)) that Andrew didnt understand that?) that expresses how the author's intervention into this "territory" ruins the effect that this sort of work is supposed to have, and how it can't be judged as similar, but given the stuff that Andrew was TRYING to get across -- the sort of, "freeing fanwork from the vestiges of canon" stuff and the other lessons he's alluding to in this very Reddit post -- he didn't have much choice in terms of presentation framework.  Could it have been presented more elegantly, less fanon-hijacky?  Sure, he ain't perfect... Could it have more explicitly endorsed other interpretations of so-called canon as more valid than this, or AS valid?  Absolutely, but he's never been one to spell things out for us so plainly... Ah, but could it have ended in a way to give those of us so nervous about the work more SATISFACTION, less grief?  THAT is an entirely DIFFERENT matter that I hope he answers as this post goes forward.... readin readin'.......

"If the epilogues really prove to be the bridge media they were designed to feel like, then I expect this trend to continue. The fanfiction format is effectively a call to action, for another generation of creators to imagine different outcomes, to submit their own work within the universe, to extend what happens beyond the epilogues, or to pave over them with their own ideas."  True, but... gosh darn, Andrew, you coulda been more explicit with that.  Especially with the potential pave-over-ability of it all.  Expressing that a lot more explicitly would have gone to help smooth over a bunch of that one tumblr post I mentioned's concerns. :T

"It's also an opportunity for people to discuss any of the difficult content critically, and for fandom in general to continue developing the tools for processing the negative emotions art can generate."  Yeah, I... have to admit, I'm not as good at dealing with negative content in media as I should be.  And that's definitely part of what is making the fanbase feel stabbed in the heart, yeah, but..... again, it feels kind of as if Andrew does NOT understand how irrationally attached so much of the fanbase is to these characters and how irrationally overinvested in their happiness, and all of this feels kind of callous.  :frowning:

Wakraya -Today at 5:27 PM

He's very aware of how powerfully a lot of people feel about it, with all he's gone through with the Fandom. He really is just like this isn't he?

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:27 PM

"fandom is something which can develop better skills as well. Skills like critical discussion, dealing constructively with negative feelings resulting from the media they consume, interacting with each other in more meaningful ways, and trying to understand different points of view outside of the factions within fandom that can become very hardened over time."  Hmn!  That's...... true, yeah, but wow did you take a HAMMER to it instead of a scalpel

yeah

Andrew's always just

well it's like I said isn't it?

He's got that artistic vision, and even though he knows he's in an interaction with the fandom and shapes things to it by the design of the story, he is N O T compromising that artistic vision

even if it feels like a punch to the gut to us

immersion therapy :frowning:

not sure I can say whether that's right or wrong!  only that it hurt XD

Wakraya -Today at 5:29 PM

X3

It hurts, but he does understand.

Perhaps precisely because he understands, he pushes us to our limits

He doesn't matter if he loses part of his audience in the process- He wants to showcase a message.

Painful as it may be, that's kind of admirable in a stubborn way.

And when he delivers happiness, he does it in spades

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:30 PM

yeah, he never cared about losing support because he said what he felt was necessary

Wakraya -Today at 5:30 PM

And if it is something actually like

Problematic

He does backpedal and fix things up

BlastYoBoots -Today at 5:31 PM

"But I don't see why it can't be an objective to try to improve fandom, just as creators can improve their work."  --and he was DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY trying to improve the way members of the fandom treated a WHOLE BUNCH of different affectations of the Homestuck fanfiction in the community.  that was something kind of admirable and insane throughout the epilogues... on the deeper scale, how he used the Roxy arc in Candy to at the end put the reader to task with "HEY!!! How do you know this wasn't how Roxy would canonically act in this situation? You don't know the inside of her head! ALL SORTS of stuff is valid!  You can't use those reasons to point at certain fanfiction and call it BAD."  And I do love that.  With a more insane surface example, the dog dick stuff. Jesus.  XD

"So now I'm looking to all of you on the matter of where to go next." --oh SHIT.  :X

Well, there's a problem.  XD

fuck, you can't just ASK us what we want XDDD

"Wherever the most conscientious and invested members of fandom want to drive this universe, as well as the standards by which we engage with media in general, that will be the direction I follow."  mother FUCK

well, now the pressure's on.  god help us all XD

time to post this

[candyshua]

It’s a Long Way Home | Chapter 4

Pairing: Joshua x Minghao x Reader

Synopsis: It was dark, and then it was light. You’re finally lucid. After 15 years of not being conscious, you wake up in a desolate and post-apocalyptic earth where infected flesh-eating beings roam the streets. Soon enveloped into a mysterious group of survivors, you consistently wonder who they are. But most importantly, who are you?

Genre: Heavy angst, some fluff here and there

Warnings: Gore, bad language, physical & verbal abuse

Word Count: 2.6k

Throughout the time period of a few weeks, you drifted in and out of consciousness hazily. Joshua and Minghao checked up on you daily, along with Cleo, Margo, Junhui, and of course Seungkwan. You were high on morphine for the majority of the first week, the second week you slept most of the time. The third week is when you started to slowly get better, recuperating with baby steps. The fourth week is when you were again coherent, and most of your bruises and wounds had healed. Of course, there would be some scars that never faded.

Throughout your hazy isolated rendezvous, you had dreamed of many things. You were convinced some of the dreams were memories, but you couldn't remember them. All you could process is that there was a doctor whom you were terrified of.

Now on the fifth week, you decided to contribute to Fort Lockwood. You had gained everyone's trust (even Junhui's) much to your surprise. Today, you were to go back to your assigned house, where you'd live with Cleo and Margo. They welcomed you warmly, for which you were eternally grateful. Everyday, you'd help out just about everywhere, until working with Seungkwan is where you realized you were much more useful than you thought.

Many important bits of knowledge came to your head while helping out various patients, until you realized that you were very educated on the topic of medicine. You knew how to address a wound, what medication to give them, yet you were still frustrated. Where had you learned this?

One night, while walking back from a shift at the community "hospital", Joshua had approached you. You walked in each other's silence quite comfortably, until he broke it. "Are you okay?" He asked, and you knew he wasn't asking about your injuries, or your recent experiences with Seungcheol, he was just asking you if you were comfortable.

"Slowly, memories are coming back to me. I don't know if I'm okay, but I don't think I am." You admitted, the two of you walking down the sidewalk. You reached his house, and he made the notion for you to come in, and you did so quietly. Junhui was passed out on the couch, so the two of you sneaked quietly up stairs. You arrived in his room, which was next to Minghao's (his door was closed which did not surprise you in the slightest). His room was quite plain, the beige walls and king sized bed were the main parts of it. There was a plain wooden dresser, and the floor itself was a tan rug. His curtains were closed (it was a rule to do so at night when a lamp was turned on), but you had a feeling it'd be closed anyway. What grabbed your attention was a picture on his nightstand. It was a framed, old photo, with him and what looked like his mother in front of the Statue of Liberty. You picked up the frame without thinking, while Joshua closed the door. He looked over to you and you smiled shyly, and he didn't know why he smiled so easily around you, but he just did.

You two sat on the floor of his room, legs crossed while you held one of his pillows. He admired the way you leaned on the pillow you head, your cheek squished against the soft material. "Can I tell you a secret?" You questioned, positioning yourself to a more upright pose. Joshua merely nodded. "I-I'm not okay. But no one is, because everybody has lost somebody, but I just lost myself." You admitted, Joshua's intent gaze on you the whole time.

"Can I tell you a secret?" He said, and you nodded just like he did. "I'm really fucking scared, Y/N. I don't know how exactly I became the leader of this place, and I don't know what to do with it. I just want to keep the human race alive for as long as possible. But it's hard when people are trying to kill you, and it's even harder when you kill them. I've done a lot of fucked up shit, but everybody has. Everybody. I'm just afraid that this is it for us - humans - I'm afraid that there will be no more future generations to clean up the mess that was created. I'm just so scared." Joshua rambled, his brown eyes sad and intent while his soft voice said all the words that made him more likable. You looked up into his eyes, those beautiful brown orbs swimming with many unreadable emotions. You swallowed.

"I'm scared too. I'm getting to know myself, all while comprehending the fact that I killed people when I could've solved it differently, but I killed them." You said, eyes distant and empty.

"We have all killed. Even the kids here have, it's what you do to stay alive. The first person I killed was my mother." He said, those words hanging in the air. You sucked in a sharp breath, letting him continue.

"She was bitten. I shot her before she could turn. This was about six months in, and a part of me still isn't over it. It's a miracle that I've survived three whole years in this mess, but I stayed alive for her. So her death wouldn't be another meaningless end to a sad unlucky life." He explained.

"You've managed to stay a good person throughout all of this. I think that's why you're the leader of this place," You began abruptly, "because you're genuine. Your intentions aren't malicious, you aren't power hungry nor evil. You're a good human being, and that's why you're still alive. It may seem like the evil people rule this world now, or those infected things, but if you manage to stay a good person you're stronger than other those other evil bastards. You're strong, Josh."

He gave you a small but authentic smile, and you returned it shyly. You were glad that you came across a person like Joshua throughout this horrendous confusing life, because with him you felt a little less lost. "I should get going." You muttered, standing up. But Josh reached up to your wrist and held it, looking up at you with hooded, tired eyes.

"Stay." He almost pleaded, so you sat down next to him immediately. You wanted to stay anyway.

-

You didn't realize how long you two had been talking until it started to get a little lighter outside. You told Joshua everything that you could remember, from waking up in the city to your experiences with Seungcheol. You talked about your memories, showed him your scar, and tried to figure out what your memories meant with him. But in between those heavy topics, lighthearted ones bloomed peacefully. You'd share the occasional giggle with him, along with playful banter. It felt like you had known Josh for years, and he felt the same. His heart felt light when talking to you, which was quite odd. Even when talking to his best friends, the stress of responsibility weighed him down. But when talking with you, he forgot all of his troubles in the world. His undivided attention was focused on you, and you only.

"Have we been talking for that long?" You giggled, and he nodded with a light frown on his face. You heard the door of Minghao's room creak open, to which you looked at Joshua confusedly.

"He gets up at dawn, and goes and works out in our gym." Joshua explained, and you nodded. "If you want to sleep, go ahead. I don't get much sleep anyway, so this won't affect me much."

"I don't get much sleep either, to be quite honest." You admitted, so you walked downstairs with Josh and started making breakfast with him. "What are the plans for today?" You asked while Joshua was frying eggs.

"Since you're kind of weak from all of your injuries, Minghao is going to train you today, since he just wants you back in shape. When you finish eating, head over there ASAP."

"'ASAP?'" You questioned.

"As soon as possible." Joshua chuckled, and you nodded innocently.

-

To be quite honest, you needed to get back in shape. You became soft after five weeks of doing absolutely nothing, and softies didn't survive in this world. "Hey Minghao." You greeted, walking into their "gym" casually. It was merely the basement of their "hospital" with punching bags, various equipment, and some mats.

"Mhm." The preoccupied Minghao responded. He was sprinting on a treadmill, his harsh eyes completely focused on the task at hand.

"It's Y/N. I'm here for 'training'." You further explained, which caused him to realize that it was you, and then turn off the treadmill.

"Hi."

"Hey! How are-"

"I'm so sorry." Minghao interrupted, which only made you chuckle lightly.

"I know, and I forgive you. We've been over this many times." You responded, with a warm grin plastered on your face.

"I'm such a pussy. I shouldn't have ran, it was selfish of me. I only ran because I needed to get more people so we could come and save you, Y/N. I would never run solely to save myself-"

"I know." You sarcastically said, already exhausted.

-

Within 15 minutes of your training session, you were burnt out. But, Minghao was merciless. He pushed you until you physically couldn't move, and the moment you could you were back on your feet.

You worked on your fighting, your stamina, and your overall strength. You lifted weights, ran for what felt like hours, swung at the punching bags mercilessly, and now it was time to face off with him. "Please go easy." You huffed.

Minghao couldn't help but find you incredibly cute. Whenever he trained, he became serious, strict, and quite mean. You were no exception, but your cuteness definitely challenged him. "No." He spat, and you rolled your eyes.

To be fair, you held up a good fight. It took Minghao a good fifteen minutes to pin you to the ground, and even then you still fought. You struggled underneath his tight grip, his legs sprawled across you so you couldn't kick him. "Ughhh!" You groaned, which resulted in a slight smirk on Minghao's end.

He lied next to you on the mat you just fought on, breathing slightly quicker than usual. He was barely fazed, unlike you, you were a glistening sweaty mess whose breathing could not slow down. Suddenly, a pang reverberated through your head. You closed your eyes, knowing what exactly was about to happen.

"You need to learn all of these things, Y/N, so you can survive when you're down there." Your father explained while you were hunched over, hands on your knees.

"I know, Dad. I'll try harder." You promised, and the both of you knew that your promises were sacred. You continued to fight with your father, until you managed to flip him over when he attacked you. He landed with a loud thud, but he showed no sign of pain.

"Good job, Y/N!" He encouraged, and you wore a genuine smile after succeeding. Smiling was a rare occasion, so your dad savored the moment. He savored every moment with you, because you were the most important thing to him. He loved you, and he made sure you knew that while you still could.

You were sixteen, and at that age you were a desperate and curious soul. You would indulge in books about medicine, human anatomy, and much more. Learning is what kept you sane, along with your dad.

"One more round, Y/N." Your father demanded, and you nodded and got back up. He loved you so much, and you would never remember how much he did.

"Oh my god." You said breathlessly, holding your head in a hunched over position. Minghao's worried face was actually quite cute, and he held you trying to calm you down. Each time you remembered something, the pain was less severe. "Minghao...I think I know why I can fight. My father taught me." You mumbled, while Minghao furrowed his eyebrows.

"What?"

"My father. He trained me how to fight, so I could survive while I'm 'down there'." You explained.

"What?"

"My exact thought." You responded. Was "down there" here? Why was earth down? Where were you at that time?

"Y/N, your memories will come back slowly. But eventually, all of your questions will be answered." Minghao said with an insightful tinge to it. A few moments of comfortable silence passed until Minghao spoke up again. "Y/N," He began, "why'd you tell me to run? Why did you save me, instead of yourself?"

"Because, people need you. You're important. I'm not." You muttered, shrugging casually. You soon felt his hands on your shoulders, long, calloused fingers and a large palm. He forced you to face him, his brown eyes boring into your irises, while he clenched his jaw tightly.

"You're important to me." He stated, his words leaving a thick tension in the air. "Don't ever pull shit like that again, I was worried sick about you."

"But you barely knew me." You argued, which was quite true.

"People who go out of their way to save my life are automatically important to me. You have saved me twice now, and I owe you just about everything. I'm sorry if I'm a jerk at times, it's just who I am, but don't ever doubt your importance."

His gaze was intense, and you - a naturally dominant person - felt vulnerable under his dominant eyes.

"Minghao," You muttered, "who are you?"

He sighed. He knew he owed it to you, you had to know who exactly he was. You deserved to know the horrible things he had done, because he knew that you enjoyed his company, but usually nobody ever does once they find out the truth.

You had learned that his parents were Chinese immigrants, so he was fluent in the language. You had also learned he had a girlfriend he was engaged to when the outbreak began, and he watched her turn because he was too scared to save her. "I just stood there, frozen, as the love of my life died right in front of me." Is what he had said specifically.

He also told you about what that had turned him into. After the death of his girlfriend, he became a monster. He killed survivors, stole their supplies, and continued to live on his own.

That was until one night, when Joshua, Junhui, and Seungkwan weren't important figures but mere struggling survivors, came across Minghao in a house on Lockwood Street. He had begged for them to kill him, because he was horrible, he was a monster, worse than the infected. He was a fucking monster.

But they refused. And slowly, Minghao unwound his past to them, thinking he was horrible. But he changed, and slowly he got over the love of his life, and he built Fort Lockwood with them, and two women they met along the way.

He expected you to hate him, and spit on him like you did with Seungcheol. Instead, you hugged him. "I'm glad I saved you." You whispered in his ears, the soft echoes of your voice making the hairs on his neck stand up straight.

"When you're lost, you let yourself go. You lose all sense of who you are, and I never exactly had one in the first place. But if it weren't for you and your group, who knows what would've happened? You don't need my forgiveness, nor your victims' forgiveness as well. You need your own, Hao." You stated sagely, giving him a spontaneous new nickname.

He was taken aback by how wise your words were, and how much he needed them. You were completely right, and it surprised Minghao to no end. Instead of dwelling over your words, he got back up.

"We need to continue training," He said, but he did that for selfish reasons. He needed you to get back in shape, so that you could protect yourself again. He needed you to survive.

He just needed you.

[eolian-234]

Chapter Sixteen

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18560182/chapters/45401884

Someone to Care

Chapter Fifteen

Happy Wednesday! It has been raining on and off the whole day here. Hope the weather is nice wherever you are!

Pepper sat at her desk shuffling through the papers scattered around her. She was organizing for a meeting that she had at the end of the week. This was a big one. Well, if she was being honest with herself and normally she tried to be it felt like every meeting was a big one since Tony appointed her in charge. Despite the respect the board showed her, let’s face it she was a wildly better boss than her predecessor, she still felt like she had to live up to his name; to keep getting exponentially better. And although the work was a passion of hers, it was difficult to constantly try to prove she was worthy, even if it was just to herself. Her phone rang interrupting her thoughts. She played with a paperclip in one hand as Selena relayed to her what the guy at the front desk had just called up to her. “Hi boss. Rob just called me to say that a girl just tried to swipe in. I wasn’t sure whether to just call security but Rob said that she scanned an approved identification card.”

“No you did the right thing in telling me. What was her name?” Pepper asked, her voice lacking the usual firm quality it held. Afraid she already knew the answer.

“It was a Miss Peyton Parker. Rob said she was just sitting in the front lobby. Should I have someone collect her?”

“I can do it. Thank you Selena.” Turning off her monitor she left her office. “Friday was Peyton supposed to be coming today?”

“Yes but not until five p.m.” Pepper tapped her manicured nail on the railing of the elevator as it went down wondering what the girl was doing here so early. It would be pleasant to see her again. Even since their meeting Pepper’s interest had been peeked and her thoughts kept circling back to her. The overall effects of her large eyes and innocent expression were so endearing. She hadn’t seen Tony so invested in something and in someone for a long time.

Pepper knew Tony better than anyone else. She knew that his confident exterior was many times just a ruse, a tool to get through an uncomfortable situation. Holding eye contact was difficult for him and as a way to distract from that he would talk loud and quick, mesmerizing people with his intelligence and wit. While he could command a crowd like no other he was uncomfortable in them. Always he strived to live up to the expectations his father had set for him, to step out from the shadows and be accepted for who he was. She knew all this like she knew the face that looked at her in the mirror. So when she stepped into the lab she had to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. It was like she was seeing a revived Tony. The lines on his forehead weren’t as dark and commanding of attention. His eyes were wide and sparkling with new plans and interest, no longer held down by the bruise like circles underneath. Even the contours in his beard seemed straighter, more kept.

It was almost hilarious the way the two mirrored each other. As all three of them talked Pepper could see the way Peyton kept an peeking over to Tony, noting how he was standing. Slowly, as if testing out the new pose she would move her body to match his stance. Looking more confident when she was sure no one was watching to try out the unfamiliar posture. And Tony was by no means oblivious to it. His smile when he caught her staring at him warmed Pepper’s heart and he was perceptive to the girl’s needs. The lab, which was always cold, held no exception that day and Peyton had tightened her sweater around her torso. Tony had noticed and without making a huge deal went over to turn up the heat, not breaking up the conversation. At one point an awkward silence meet the trio, the youngest of them assumed it was her fault and began to turn into herself looking between the two adults. Tony had distracted her with some far-fetched story about something and they continued on like nothing had happened.

The illuminated numbers continued to decrease and her muscles tightened ready to defend themselves from something unknown. Hopefully Peyton was just here early getting some homework done but she couldn’t help but worry. The large ledger appeared in her thoughts. Pepper could invite the girl to her office or an empty room if she preferred to be alone while she waited for Tony. The timing couldn’t be better. It would be a way to check in on her, make sure she wasn’t overwhelmed with everything going on. It was easy to hold onto secrets. To use them to cloak you away and Pepper didn’t want to disrobe any Peyton had wrapped around her shoulders. Maybe Pepper could be there for her; be a confidant of some sorts.

The tower was empty that night a week or so ago. The floor silent as mist and rain descended on the city outside. She sat in the dark thinking about the day, trying not to let the worry overwhelm her. His shadow was the first to enter the room stretching thin across the floor stopping just before where her feet were resting. Next came the rest of him, demons and all. His face was obscured by the backlight and she spied him placing his hands on the counter stretching his back. The cracks resounded around the space, hanging in the air. Without looking up he greeted her, “Pepper.” His voice rung dry and hoarse reminding her of many times in the past he would wake up hung-over, voice aching from the abuse. She caught his eyes and noticed a glassy quality caged in by the raw redness encircling them. His clothes rumpled even further as he walked toward her. “This actually isn’t the best time, Pep. As much as I enjoy your beautiful presence in my not so humble abode.”

Pepper was aware of everything that was happening and her breath went off kilter when she thought about Tony rushing off to fight those people. To fight their friends.  Whenever things got crazy Pepper needed to plan and make sure everything was organized. The whole thing had been ridiculous and knew that if she had been there she would have straightened everything out in a matter of minutes. At least that’s what she liked to tell herself but it was moot because she hadn’t been there and she couldn’t fix this. No, this was something only her Tony could do.

She understood he was exhausted and couldn’t possibly understand everything that had happened but she needed to know, selfishly, so she could sleep better. She had to make sure everyone was okay. To make sure he was going to be okay. Being practical Pepper also needed to confirm about the damage to the buildings and any civilians. She knew protocol had him call ahead to make sure the area was evacuated but there could have been stragglers. It was important to assess if there needed to be a charity started or how much clean up was needed. They had worked on that together, the aftermath protocol. After seeing the damage left in the wake of these fights they made sure that the buildings had enough funds to repair themselves and make sure to try and look after the people. This whole thing left her feeling carved out. Although she knew now he could never give up on being Iron Man, that it was apart of him, it didn’t make it any easier to see his back walk out the door, uncertain if he would come back. Her and Tony weren’t together in the traditional sense but that was just because she felt like she wasn’t good for him in that time. She was just enabling his bad decisions in the past but she still loved him with all her heart. He just had to focus on himself for a while and not her. Being Iron Man was apart of that no matter how scared she was for him.

Tony walked across the room to her, his body overlapping his shadow on the floor the closer he came. He stopped half way and glanced to the side. Pepper’s gaze didn’t leave his face but she knew he was looking at the various shaped bottles stacked on the counter, all inconsistent levels of fullness. Tony sighed, continued to her, and melted into the couch. She asked him again to fill her in on everything after a moment of quiet. Then in a voice null of emotion he began recounting the proceedings of the weekend not stopping to draw breath. “… then I wasn’t there to stop her and she just flew across the air. I swear I could feel the breath leave my body.”

“Who, Tony?” So far she knew all the players in the game but was unfamiliar with this one.

“Spidergirl. Pep, I was helpless and I just had to leave her with Happy. You know what he is like and she is just so damn young.” He grabbed her hand tightly as he continued on and on. His voice was shaking now and when he told Pepper what happened to Rhodey they both wept. Their friend of many years was dear to them both and Pepper could see the guilt in Tony’s eyes as he spoke of what their friend had gone through. How they were in Germany longer than expected so Rhodey could have surgeries and how Tony was there by his side the whole way. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call you. I just couldn’t bring myself to speak it out loud.”

Tony had already figured out how to help him but Pepper needed to see him for herself. Worn out from reciting everything Pepper brought him over to his room. She tucked him in and watched his chest rise and fall, already asleep. A glass of water and a note to call her rested on the nightstand as she left the room; she turned off the light behind her. In the darkness Pepper couldn’t discern the man from the shadows that followed him constantly.

“Friday, can you notify me when Tony is awake? I’m going to check on Rhodey.” She stepped into the elevator and remembered something from before. “Could you also send me any files on Spidergirl, please?”

“Sent now Boss.” She smiled to herself and went down to see her old friend. He looked small sleeping on the bed but when she took his hand in hers and squeezed she was reminded of his great strength. Pepper knew he would come out on top of this. He was too stubborn not to.

Rob had informed Selena that the girl was sitting there looking pale, which held no concrete information and seemed not serious enough to call up to her office. The elevators opened and she stepped out, immediately spotting the girl who was slouched forward on one of the couches. She rested on the edge of the cushions like she was afraid to sit fully on it, which was ridiculous because they were comfortable. Pepper had picked them out herself. The girl’s face was turned away from her so all she could see was her hair. The curls, which when Pepper had seen her before had tighter ringlets were now frayed and pointing every direction. The girl’s hands were clenched at her sides, settled on the couch. Pepper’s heels clicked on the tile as she smoothed down the front of her white dress. Peyton didn’t glance up as Pepper approached her so she sat down.

“Hey Peyton. Are you okay?” She waited for a moment and when no reply came continued on. “It’s Pepper. Pepper Potts. Not sure if you remember me but we ran into each other on the elevator.” The sounds of people walking around them filled in the silence when still she didn’t speak. The girl looked over at her and smiled in a way that her lips wobbled in an attempt at turning upward before falling back down. That expression made Pepper’s hand itch to reach out and smooth across her cheeks.

“Of course I remember you Miss Potts. I, uh, hope it’s okay that I’m here early. I mean I didn’t tell Mr. Stark that I was coming but I had extra time and I didn’t want to go all the way home so I thought I would just hang out. There’s extra homework I can do down here. I won’t be in anyone’s way but I totally understand if this is for like business personal only or something.” Her words drifted off towards the end and she looked toward Pepper face on.

“Oh, sweetie.” She raised her hand in reaction to the sight before her and to get a better look when Peyton flinched back. Her hand hung in the air, violent intention seeping into an otherwise innocuous gesture. Peyton faced away from her muttering an apology. Stunned Pepper sat there for a second, trying to think of how best to go about the situation. “Will you tell me what happened?” The girl continued to sit there, torso contorted away from Pepper. The girl’s back was rising and falling rapidly. “Is there anyone you want me to call? Anything at all and I will do it. No questions asked.” After a minute of silence she turned toward Pepper again and shook her head.

The girl’s cheek was a mess. Plain and simple. It looked as though someone had painted black and purple over it. Her lip had dried blood smeared over it, which emphasized the puffy and swollen parts of her cheek. This was more than just pale. Pepper tentatively put a hand her shoulder trying not to notice the slight flinch. “Let’s go get someone to check that out okay?” She guided Peyton up and together they started the trek to the Medbay. Pepper kept talking not comfortable with just the music playing. “… and Tony isn’t actually in at the moment but he was supposed to be back in soon. I had a meeting with him this morning. Well, he was over an hour late so he missed the meeting but he got briefed on what he missed. Ah, here we are.”

The glass doors slide open and the white doctor’s jacket was visible from behind the desk. Dr. Casab was still there for the day, which Pepper was grateful for, and was rummaging around in a filling cabinet trying to find some paperwork. She glanced up and saw the two of them standing there, zeroing in on the state of Peyton’s face.

“Peyton, I thought I told you I didn’t want to see you again for another month, at least!” Claudia spoke with obvious sarcasm and a smile but it was lost on Peyton who stepped back into Pepper’s arm around her shoulder. The girl’s head turned downward to avoid eye contact as Claudia and Pepper gave each other a look.

“Would you mind looking at Peyton over and anything else that’s bothering her?” Her friend went right into doctor mode and ushered her into the room leaving Pepper in the waiting room for the moment. Sitting down she dialed Tony’s number. He picked up on the second tone.

“Buon pomeriggio, bellissima angelo. I am so lucky you finally descended from the heavens to join me on earth?” He laughed at his own joke, which never failed to make her smile.

“Hello Anthony.” Her voice full of mirth turned serious. “I have Peyton here with me.”

“What is it Pep? She must be early. Just put her on my floor and tell her not to break anything. She breaks it she buys it.”


“No. It’s, she’s hurt Tony. I’m sure it looks worse than it is. But she’s pretty shaken up.” He remained silent for a second and she thought he hadn’t heard her. “Tony? I can handle it here. Just come whenever you’re free but I just wanted to tell …”

“No, I’m on my way right now. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Actually make that fifteen if I have my way.” The line went dead before she could respond. The image of Peyton’s bruised face swam around in her mind. The feeling of her flinching from Pepper made her hand tingle. What had happened?

The file and all that it held seemed inexplicably connected to this incident. Pepper was sitting in the waiting room. Her thoughts focused on what had happened to Peyton. Surely it had something to do with what was in that folder. What Pepper had read all about. It had been massive and took her a whole night to get through. The bulk weighed not just physically on her, as it had been much to comprehend. The same child that muttered apology after apology, who could barely say something without rewording her sentence was a hero. She guessed she really shouldn’t be surprised, it seemed like everyone in her life turned out to be either a hero or some super villain but this one had thrown her for a loop.

Having read the file she had an uncomfortable amount of information on one, Peyton Parker. It had contained her grades and notes from teachers to the guardians of the bright girl. It had the dates of her parent’s deaths and the exact day Peyton had went to live with her aunt and uncle. There were intimate details of the tragic death of her uncle. Pepper knew that the girl had been there when he died, had witnessed it. The file even had transcripts from therapy sessions afterward but that had felt like such an invasion of privacy and she skipped those. She wasn’t even sure if Tony knew everything that she had found.

Her heart broke for the girl thinking about it. She had sat back in her chair, staring at the paintings on her wall. With all her heart she wanted to be angry with Tony, to go find him and yell her lungs out at him for recruiting this young person to take with him to Germany. Then she remembered the way he had cried, his shoulders shaking slightly as she held him in her arms. The girl obviously adored Tony and from the file it was evident she had been in a bit of a slump. She had quit band and never tried out for tennis even though she signed up. While her grades didn’t dip the teachers commented on a lack of enthusiasm. Maybe this relationship between the two would help each in their own way. Pepper prayed that it would.

She looked up to hurried footsteps echoing down the hallways before Tony strode toward her. His face pinched with worry as he rubbed his left elbow. “Hey Pep. I came as soon as I could. Where’s the kid? Is she okay?” She placed a hand on his elbow to stop him from going directly into the room. “What happened?”

“Claudia is with her now, Tony. I wasn’t sure what to do and she wouldn’t tell either of us what happened. But it looks like someone hit her on the face. Not to mention she’s been skittish since I found her in the lobby. Just be gentle with her, okay?” His eyes wandered from the room the kid was in to her at the question. His eyes narrowed in determination.

“Of course Pepper. Thank you for getting me.” He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek before hurrying into the room. Pepper stood there, staring at the room for a second before moving closer to the doorway, not wanting to leave yet. She had to make sure Peyton was going to be okay. Both her physical and mental self. She watched as Tony entered the room, loudly announcing his presence while getting the rundown from the doctor. He cracked a joke with her before she left the room. Claudia gave Pepper a small smile before joining her on the wall. The two women stared at the man they had known for more years either of them would like to admit.

Peering into the room through the window blind slates Pepper could just make out the strained lines on Peyton’s face and could just see the ridged set of the girl’s spine as she sat on the examination bench. Tony was trying to make light of being in the hospital room, his mouth gaping as he looked around. Something he said must have triggered the girl because her eyes welled up with tears before she grabbed onto to Tony, giving him the tightest embrace. Her hands bunched in the fabric of Tony’s shirt causing pleats to form on his back. Pepper could see the girls shoulders shaking as Tony ran his hands up and down her back. How this brave girl could go from taking down Ant-Man shocker her. She could imagine him whispering comforts to the girl and hoped he would know what to say.

“That girl loves him so much,” Claudia said. “And somehow I think that she has wormed her way into his heart as well.” They smiled, slightly bittersweet at the image of those two broken people in the other room.

“Claudia. I was wondering how did you know Peyton’s name before I introduced her?” Her friend gave a response skirting around the question and in doing so peaked Pepper’s curiosity. So Claudia did know who Peyton was. That didn’t bode well.

“Anyway Pepper. I love that white dress. I’ve been so busy lately, we need to have a girl’s night out okay?” Pepper nodded and Claudia left. Her back was pressed uncomfortably against the wall as she watched Tony talk to the girl.

Pepper was first introduced to the shy and under confident teenager before she had even met her in real life. Tony had gone on and on about how smart she was and Pepper was impressed when he had shown her some of the notes she had taken but she worried. At first she was worried that Tony would become bored with the girl who obviously idolized him. She had kept tabs on them and had watched as Tony changed before her eyes. Changed was a harsh word. The characteristics he was displaying he always had. He was still the same man she loved but in getting to know the kid he had grown into the man she always knew he was. In the end it didn’t matter that he was Iron Man and she was Spidergirl. They shared something outside of that; it was obvious to Pepper looking at them. She turned around and left the floor, confident that Peyton would be okay. Yes, somehow these two had found each other in the whole world and Pepper was glad for it. Glad that Peyton had a mentor to guide her through all the impossible things she might face and glad that they had both found someone to care.

Thank you!

Chapter Seventeen

[easythingstodrawtutorials]

How to Draw a Superhero - Easy Things to Draw

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How to Draw a Superhero - Easy Things to Draw

How to Draw a Superhero – Easy Things to Draw

In this drawing lesson, I go over how to draw a generic superhero. I give general examples of real life superheroes. its I try and go through it step by step. I try to put my thought on the drawing down into words. Check out the Video!

Also, don’t forget to check another tutorial 4 Tips on Finding Your Drawing Style – Easy Things to Draw

Hello and welcome to another tutorial of easy things to draw, today I want to teach you how to draw superheroes, when it comes to drawing superheroes there is an unlimited amount of focus that you can take. In general with the superheroes we tend to incorporate certain positive attributes in them, with so many franchises of this theme, there is no surprise that they continue being a source of entertainment.

But before we start with the tutorial a little more information about superheroes

A superhero is a fictional character because his characteristics exceed those of the classic hero, usually with superhuman powers, though not necessarily, and connected with science fiction. Generated in the late 1930s in the American comic book industry, have enjoyed a multitude of adaptations to other media, especially cinema.

    some characteristics of them are:

*The origin:

-Are those of nonhuman origin, these could be extraterrestrials, mythological gods, demigods, fictional races away from humanity, robots, ghosts, demons, etc. Some examples of these superheroes may be Superman, Thor, the Inhumans, the Vision, and Ghost Rider.

– The natural origin an example of that is the mutants in which can be found Wolverine,Magneto.

-There are those who become through scientific experiments, the origin of the superhero may be an accidental consequence of an experiment, for example, Spider-Man, Flash, Hulk or Fantastic 4. You can also include experiments with a deliberately sought purpose (such as Captain America).

-Obtaining advanced technology or mystical artifacts, such as the Green Lantern ring, the Iron Man armor or the adamantium from which Wolverine’s claws and skeleton are made.

-There are also those who become superheroes after a trauma. There are those superheroes whose families were killed. They usually lack superpowers, but they have sophisticated weapons, tools, and skills that allow them to do justice, such as Batman, The Punisher, Daredevil, etc.

*These have one or more special abilities among which we can find: superhuman strength, telepathy, a technology well ahead of their time, mystical powers, knowledge of martial or scientific arts, athletic skills or great intelligence.

  *These superheroes tend to fight to defend the innocent either in crimes, catastrophes, alien invasions or any other threat they encounter.

  *They usually have a perfect anatomy and also follow the canons close to the Greco-Latin, although they can follow other aesthetics.

  * They tend to have a secret identity (double identity or alter ego); they have a “civil” identity, pretending to be an ordinary person and another under which they act as superheroes, such as Clark Kent (Superman) or Peter Parker (Spider-Man), although there are exceptions like The Fantastic Four.

* They usually have a uniform, usually very tight (to wear under civilian clothing) and flashy colors, which usually hides their secret identity and identifying him as a superhero.

* Finally, they have a gallery of villains, characters with characteristics similar to them, but with motivations and methods that are generally opposed. Stories about superheroes almost always involve to some degree a hero conflict with a villain or group of villains.

Now from here, we will use the traditional superheroes as a base, we will review the positions of anatomical action poses and perspective drawing. You may have noticed that a superhero is much bigger than a normal person, if you’re measuring an average human it should give you six to seven heads in height, but the average of a superhero it can be seven to eight heads.Another thing you might notice about Comic-books heroes is the way they end up looking like a walking anatomy charts drawn with every visible muscle against his spandex suit, One thing you should note is that the muscle tends to work in pairs, so when one muscle flexes the other muscle is relaxed one example is the bicep and the triceps, when the bicep is flexed the is triceps relaxed and vice-versa.

  Now I’m going to name the muscles that make up our superhero, I’ve said in other tutorials that you don’t need to know the names of memory, but it helps to know the shapes they have since it makes your character look more realistic. At the front we can find the:

Sternocleidomastoid, Pectoralis major, Trapezius, Deltoid, Triceps, Biceps, Abdominal wall, Latissimus dorsi, Oblique, Brachioradialis, Quadriceps, and the Gastrocnemius, now let’s see the back view, we have the Deltoid, Trapezius, Triceps,  Biceps, Latissimus dorsi, Gluteus medius, Gluteus maximus, Biceps femoris, Gastrocnemius, Extensors, and the Scapulae.

  We are going to be seeing the basics about anatomy so let’s start with the drawings in stages, there are two options with which you can choose this depends on what you prefer, you can start in your sketch drawing quite light where you can hardly see it or another option, if you cannot stand the eraser, is to draw quite loaded on the paper and then put another layer of paper on top and that way you can see the skeleton work underneath, considering that we are drawing superheroes.

We’re gonna want to get really comfortable by drawing the body in motion, there’s no need to panic about figure drawing, all we have to do is start creating a gesture line, this line will follow the directional movement of the body, usually following the curve of the spine, creates the gesture line of your overall pose depending on whether it is doing either jumping, flying, running, etc.

next step is to indicate at which point of the line, the rib cage (normally represented by a circle) and the pelvis (represented by a box) are going to be. If you have trouble estimating in which part of the spine is going to fall, try drawing on pictures of  people in motion, just trace the gesture lines of the spine, pelvis, and rib cage, doing this repeatedly is going to help conceptualize these points fall and where to create angles in relation to each other, when this is ready, we move to the shoulders, you can use a short and almost horizontal line to mark where it falls.

I say almost horizontal because I think making shoulders uneven creates a more dynamic posture and prevents your character from looking like the high school yearbook photo also, this makes one part of the torso a little bit crunched while the other side is outstretched, we all know that there is nothing more badass than tough guys displaying bad posture .

  We continue with our glorious stick view, we can now indicate the limbs with more lines, this way we can approximate length, angles, and position of the arms and the legs,  again,  if you have problems use real-life photos as a visual assistant, mark the joints and where the limbs will end, this will save you from messy proportions later, it’s not so difficult.

At this point, we have to establish a general thickness of the limbs, to make it easier, think in 3D and pretend that the limbs are cylinders, refer back to the muscle charts that I gave you, as they say, 90% of drawing is seen and the hardest part about making this easy is training your brain to find the simple shapes and forms which make up the complicated human anatomy, take it slow and don’t expect to nail it on the first try.

Now let’s start to review some basic things about the face, to start giving the best of you to draw a basic outline of the head after this you have to divide it into thirds, do not think too much about how you want to do them, these will become: the hairline, the brow line, the line under the nose and the bottom of the chin.

This gives you a vertical ballpark between the distances of the facial features and helps your drawings look more human. Your hairline is where the vertical plane of your forehead begins to curve into the top of your head, also when I’m creating my hairline my strategy is to think about the hair firstly as one large mass and then pull out some directional lines in the flow, I want to show it that the large-shapes is made of smaller hairs connecting to the skull.

  I want to say a few things about perspective, when you’re drawing action poses you might find yourself wanting to progress past aggression on images and opposes where limbs are actually coming out towards the viewer, to do this we have to create perspective on a two-dimensional surface that mimics the way that we see the real world around us, because, think about it, we in fact see things in two dimensions our brain just trains us to organize things based on visual cues, one of these cues is that things appear larger when they’re closer to us and consequently things if you’re smaller when they’re further away.

We can mimic this concept and drawing through foreshortening or drive something to appear shorter to make it looks like it’s projecting towards the viewer, look at one cylinder, the closer one surface of the cylinder gets to us the shorter the object appears overall,  remember when I asked you before to think of limbs as cylinders,  that was the reason why, another cue that helps us organize our two-dimensional vision of reality is to overlap, overlapping is easier to learn with simple shapes.

Now to give you an example, we will use Toki, she sees two shapes in order, for Toki to be able to tell which shapes are closer to her one of the objects would have to overlap the other showing that they are in two separate planes. The human body works the same way because the human body is made up of simple shapes and them we apply overlapping to the form and anatomy.

Another example, could be, that first we have an arm without any overlap everything is in the same plane and in the second arm we have that the deltoid is slightly overlapping on the bicep showing us that it is closer to us, Same with the biceps and forearm, in the next example, we have the elbow and forearm closer and are slightly overlapping on the bicep, which shows that the bicep is further away from us. The more you know about the placements of the body or limbs, the easier it will be to overlapping them.

Once you’ve practiced these tips, it’s time for you to put a costume on your superhero, you can be as creative as you want with this, adding masks, cloak, colors that pop up or something darker if you want, That’s all up to you and also have to see what things combine better with your superhero…

Remember that it is very important that you repeat these steps and practice at least a little, this will help you to improve. And that’s it, we’ve already completed our tutorial on how to draw superheroes, remember that this is just the basics and the most common type that exists, but there are many other ways you can create them, I really hope this will help you out and we’ll see you in another tutorial on how to draw easy things where I’ll teach you how to draw step by step…

These tutorials are made for beginners drawings as for those who are already more experienced, it never hurts to know new things or to review them, also for those who have seen my videos know that I am not only interested in helping them to draw, but I am also interested in giving advice on things that could happen as artists, See you later in another tutorial and always stay creative, bye.

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Also, don’t forget to check another tutorial 4 Tips on Finding Your Drawing Style – Easy Things to Draw

[viscomjess]

Evaluation

Level 4 – Visual Thinking Evaluation

My main motivation within my research was to communicate that ballet involved more than just dance to engage with and attract my target audience. As stated in the brief, ballet is a collection of world class composers, conductors, writers, dancers, artists, technicians, craftsmen and administrators. I aimed to connect what goes into ballet with the interests and hobbies of my target audience, which were also stated in the brief as plays, gigs and exhibitions. I wanted to explore this further by making mind-maps and mood boards of these interests (inspired by Anna Pegg’s workshop), where I have included club nights, museums, music and more to get to know my consumer. To further this research into my audience, I made an online survey which helped me gather information on opinions of ballet from a young adult audience (aged 20-30) which was very useful, as it helped me think about how ballet could be improved in the eyes of the consumer, and therefore what key elements I needed to explore further. For example, the idea that ballet is an art form was an idea that I investigated within my initial ideas. I then went on to figure out what themes I could communicate through posters that communicate how ballet is not just dance – it’s creativity, it’s strength, it’s power.  

My project has developed from a range of ideas that involved photography and typography, to an idea that involved digital collage and hand written type. Initially, whilst thinking of ways to communicate how ballet is more than just a dance, I roughly experimented with a handmade collage of objects cut-out from an Argos catalogue. This consisted of images related to art and music in particular, in the shape of a ballet pose, in an attempt to attract the interests and hobbies of my target audience. However, to broaden my range of ideas, I instead began to think of more abstract ideas (e.g. a dancer stepping out of a frame to show how ballet surpasses expectations and exits reality) where I sketched out rough plans and experimented digitally with images and text. However, these ideas did not communicate clear themes as the brief had asked – so, I experimented with the definitions of ballet – being ‘art’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘passion’ – which were words collected from my online survey results, where I asked my audience to describe ballet in three words. However, after experimenting with this idea using both primary and secondary photography with font styles and compositions and presenting them at a group critique session, it was suggested that I did not discard the collage ideas and that I further investigated them instead. My small cut-out collage made from an Argos book was then developed into a digital collage made of high quality images (found on googleimages.com) related to art and music. This was further developed into two other themed collages of strength and power. During my project, I have also faced challenges which required changing an idea or editing a visual. For instance, after printing out posters for the interim crit. session, I realised that the quality was not good enough for an A2 size. I checked back on my original files and noticed that on two of the posters, the resolution was less than 300dpi, so I had to go backwards and remake the collages with higher resolution. Although this didn’t take too long, it still set me back and I have learnt to make sure I double check my file settings when working.

In comparison to my previous unit, I think that my time management has improved a lot, due to the amount of initial research and ideas that I explored the start of the project. During the project I worked on my sketchbook and blog more regularly, however, I did not blog daily – if I did, I would have had a larger amount of research and analysis within my project. This is probably what I will need to improve on for the next unit.

I acted on all the feedback that was suggested to me in the group/individual crit. sessions as well as the interim crit., (whether I decided to keep the changes or not) which enabled me to further my own ideas and make key improvements that perhaps I didn’t think of. I think that it’s important to gather an outside point of view to make sure I am communicating clearly and attracting my audience successfully within my designs. For instance, one key piece of feedback that I responded to was how the blue coloured silhouette behind my busy collages was too bold, taking away the attention on the collage. To solve this, I continuously decreased the opacity of this image to make my design more successful.

One main area of my design process that needs more practice is the use of After Effects and animation making. I approached this element to the project with a lack of confidence after finding the workshop sessions difficult – it’s a software that I have never used before, let alone a form of design that I had never tried. I ended up making two different animations of my ‘creativity’ adshel poster which involved simple transitions. I was happy with these, however I feel that with more knowledge on the software, I could have spent more time in creating a more complex animation rather than sorting out issues with sizing and saving. Nonetheless, I think that the simple transitions worked well in terms of legibility and clarity.

I have learnt a lot from this unit, including skills such as learning how to use After Effects to create a simple animation, as well as theoretical knowledge about how to get to know the target audience/consumer. I have also reminded myself that I shouldn’t discard an initial idea straight away, but instead revisit it and push it even further.

On reflection, to improve my final outcomes, I would perhaps add small print to give my audience more information on Royal Opera House, such as a website link, or I could have added an element related to social media, like a hashtag, in order to further relate to my target audience as well as consumer demands in societal shifts.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed this unit as it has allowed me to work on elements of visual communication that I enjoy most - persuasive advertisement and knowledge of the consumer. 

[rennyji]

June 4th tweets...onwards...

June 4th tweets...onwards...

Can’t emphasize this enough...I don’t know the alleged group of kids, the girl, or any of the other orchestrators...that being said, if it’s not directly from me, probably not true. To state the obvious, how do you know as much as you do, about your best friend?-

-Through interacting with them directly. Who else would know things better than the two people involved? I think the stalkerish kids of the past or orchestrators figured out that I just wanted to study IN “college.” I mean there’s my stalked habits, my writings. -

-I think I’m pretty clear. I think some wanted to pose a hindrance to studying. Don’t quote me on this, but I think I was broadcasted as not liking noise. Why? To get the randomly hateful following to make noise. Always from afar, and never understood the reason for the spite.-

-Probably the reasoning behind getting me to hear sounds in the house. A group of kids empowered, perpetuated by established individuals of a school. Then the continual teaming up against me as a school, a city, a country...the massive game is a hate crime...

moving on...-

- for a while, you think all of this is one angry girl...but why? how is she mind controlling or getting people across places to do her bidding? I mean the no studying, tons of noise, wanting you to cry, all girls not talking to you, boys and girls making out in front of you...-

- this whole thing about friends,...why am I in need of friends? sounds like something an angry girl would say... i mean if someone's my friend, cool, but if not, i'm not on any initiative to make the world my friend, as this program/"situation" puts out... because the orchestrators attract attention, i gotta tell people things like the obvious (about my take on friendship, relationships, etc) amidst rumors...-

- and another thing...be it the girl, kids, the school- is it because i complained about you that you're having me write away my life for 11+ years? Satisfied? I mean all of this seems much. When the party school got involved, a man with the last name "Berg", said, so that I can-

- hear, "oh we went the wrong direction. we were helping them?!  but you can't talk to him about it, cuz one of the school VP's forbade you from speaking to faculty at the school about your "situation." This was a professor speaking. So was there a girl? Kids? Are the professors-

- going crazy and acting on your suspicions of kids? Was there a girl/kids? Are the professors actually talking to these kids, making the kid's situation worse, and realizing they have to legitimize their actions of inadvertently furthering the kids agenda of ruining me?-

- i mean WTF?! why are these people against me and screwing with the people of a person's world? I MEAN YOUR ENTIRE WORLD! Regarding the professors, I would sit in their faculty area and study. Never caused any problem. Why are they talking 2strange kids?! If the have the nerve-

- of saying, so you can hear, that they went the wrong direction, why can't they listen to your request of making things "natural?" or back to the way things were, before these kids?!

next thing...

-I wonder...would anyone be jealous or envious of my position in all this? If that’s the case, ur not being told the whole story. The orchestrators don’t tell you what they do to me out of fearing the crowds. -

-I’m pretty sure a filtered version of my writing-in favor of the orchestrators-is what’s being passed around. Back with my 2012 twitter and now, I never could understand why anyone would feel anything negative, as a reaction. Regarding money and opportunity in this, in 2012, -

-for the school and the upstate city of Albany teaming up on one side against me and then causing chaos on the day of final exams in 2012, I was going to sue them for my tuition money. -

-When being u, u think of the people in the apartment area or the surrounding city, u figure, despite instruction following, they don’t know any better,and on some unknown premise, they think they’re “helping” by never talking 2 u. So how can you be mad at an entire city then?-

-You then think, to confront this, you gotta hold the source accountable, for misleading all these links in the chain. Despite the world turning Upside down, my beef/squabble/whatever, is with the ones in charge for screwing me and putting this sin on everyone’s heads. -

-This too, I wrote in my hacked and possibly relayed police complaint. -

-I remember, coming back from the party school, I started submitting my tale through a series of character limited crime tips, kind of like my series of backward tweets. -

-As I’d write in the crime tips in my old house, traffic on my street would increase with suspicious looking youth, as it coincided. Years later, I remember when I was at my allergist, I told a saint of an Irish woman of a nurse a tale about emails I sent a girl. -

-No offense to them,  but I think they were talking to someone over what I told her. Not even she could tell me what was actually happening. Good people do this too. It overloads the brain, and everything you figure. becomes fair game.-

-That’s just it, it’s a game. You think it’s fun. America is all about fun, not compassion. Life in general is not like, say India,especially now. Here life continues, people wear masks, get vaccinated. There life came to a pause and people die left and right.-

-You as a people take part in this nonsense, cuz in one or more regards, ur life is perfect, otherwise why not see the whole thing as bull sh*t?-

-For the second chance at a college with a new major, I told my parents Id take a loan, & they volunteered a private apartment and delivery of food, so that I could study in peace. 50 grand & making everything natural was my goal or what I sought from the, then, orchestrators,-

-to overcome my wasted school tuition loan. Admission into a solid business school was what I requested. It never amazes me, that despite me explicitly saying what I’m after and experiencing, you continue this illegal activity. -

-After 11 years, perhaps the orchestrators realize 50 grand and restoration to natural, was pretty reasonable. Now it will be much more, for placing someone else’s interests over a student’s mental, physical, and academic well being.-

-The money and opportunity I’m seeking? From lawsuits and easy to win. Opportunities? I’ll start domestic and international businesses. -

-Wait till they tell you everything. I think the word for someone, who just does, whatever another says, in slang, is “tool.” Are you a “tool?” Leader or follower? How are you living/showing that? I think some of you enjoy the power over another individual.-

-Some of you like having me in the wrong. It could be due to whatever bias. But for your overall happiness and satisfaction and mine, you got something to say to me, be direct.-

-Doing something from afar or concealing ur true misplaced negativity, elevates me, because in comparison, you have no b*lls. You know how Ive been living for 11+ years? Assuming the worst. -

-I feel, in this case: 

 “Pessimism is the road to take, in order to obtain the fruits of optimism, in one’s reality. 

 I assume, I’m relayed in any/all shape or form all day/everyday, that everyone’s in the know about just about-

-everything. I say “just about,” because I don’t think the orchestrators tell you about my run in with the police, or what they had done to me during my time away from work. Compliance? You practice it for 11+ years. But, be sure I’m grinding the axe.-

-No surprises, no disappointments in the end, due to the aforementioned pessimistic route.. Just actions to take. You know what the sounds do when I write sh*t like this... they play a “oh really I can take it sound...” we’ll see. -

-You screwing with me like this, regarding the people of the world, it indicates you intend to conceal the truth. Like I keep saying, in me understanding this, one of us between the orchestrators and me, is guaranteed to be ruined.-

-If you, the orchestrator or follower, feel any thing negative toward me, why would you want to elevate me, in any regard? Interactions with me should be direct. I’m all ears, and otherwise ready, with 11+ years and mankind’s betrayal fueling me. -

-I may not be as strong as before, but I go into things, having lost it all, nothing to gain, and With 100% of me. With what I believed to be the FBI leaving me to rot, the local police not helping, my school not helping, the school’s VP and Conflict Resolution not helping, -

-and me not being consulted about this cr*p about people acting oddly, I used to carry a baseball bat in my car, if any of these instruction following idiots took things too far. My father, in denying anything’s going on, hid it, years ago.-

-You come at me with cr*p, it will be reciprocated, win, lose, big, small, whatever...a shove, a kick, end of day, is a shove and a kick...so long as I get a scratch in, I can rest peacefully. -

-Now if that bothers any of you, does it even make sense for you to be bothered when ur taking the initiative to bother someone, who wants you to take no extra effort, and leave things natural and possibly even a little MYOB: mind ur own business?-

-In hindsight, seeing these idiot skinny little freshman at this party school, thinking they’re doing something for you and you should worship them for it, when they’re actually turning things upside down for the orchestrators: It compounds: they’re kids, old people, -

-they’re idiots, they’re stupid, don’t know any better, being manipulated...then they follow the random instructions, some even mocking you like they have power over you...you wait till they go that extra mile against you and beat the cr*p out of them.. -

-But it never came 2 that. I mean u can only push a person so far..u talk, write, 11 years, illegal things happen, the law doesn’t protect u, u find ur on ur own, &thinking, grow a pair &come at me. In the end who’s fault will it be? Mine? 4 being abused &lied to for 11 years?-

-In every endeavor, from having to walk barefoot when the police came, to what was done to me while away from work, February to May...I was compliant throughout everything...in the end pointless. No mistakes on my part.-

Moving on from irritation,-

-This whole thing, 11+ years and all? For a while, I kept thinking, all of this is the girl network of a girl I “knew of.” -

-What Im calling the “girl network” is a network of women friends spreading &sharing things thru cell phones &texts &maybe even word of mouth, (If shes not involved in anyway, its not fair 2her, 2give her spotlight,when all of thisNonsense should not have been publicly relayed.)-

-Then this “1day magic” or results!- never really did make sense. But the interesting thing is, it would seem the orchestrators talk 2a group that has their own intentions &doesn’t know me. I feel like everyone is acting like this girl, in her indirect means, from long ago.-

-Was “not being direct with me” broadcasted as the “way to go with me? It’s like everything from one time period just continued for all ages. One group, whoever they are, brings in their cr*p, to “legitimize what I did not want, by making everyone else do it.” -

-I’m all about being direct, and natural. And then, there’s the school. Trying to legitimize what transpired at their school, with the instilling of instructions beyond the city of their school, and into my hometown of Yonkers. -

-They brought this nonsense to the country of my background in India. WRT Indian women, while women as a whole do not talk to me at this moment in time because the orchestrators tell them, (and while I’m open to all women and men )for friendships and whatever , -

some Indian women passing by,seemed angry when I was talking 2my friend, Nicole, or playing cards withHer. Thru this indirect anger, am I supposed 2understand this? Do any of u realize, this is all against myWill &what I know is thru my own brain processing &remembering things?-

-The orchestrators, this program, "this situation" perpetuates nonsense of the past, by having me talk about things over and over, through screwing with the natural setting of my environment, where people are susceptible to following the orchestrator's instructions...-

-If theyre broadcasting me as dropDeadGorgeous, I accept what Im today &what Im not. Stick with(w/) the present, what u learn from a direct interaction w/me, being direct w/me, -

-being natural w/me (coming 2 think or act based on what u experience upon seeing me, &/or from whats directly from me.)

On a separate note/section-food for thought: -

The orchestrators, or these kids, or possibly a girl from long ago-I dunno...I don’t understand this hold you have over all these people. How do you get someone to do something because you want them to?-

-I may be in the mind cr*p, buts it’s the people of my world who do something because someone wants them to. When I give insight upon doing something that’s right for you, right for your life, without caring about what others-

-think, or about cultures and traditions, you won’t adhere to it or take it seriously. You probably pass over it as “nice sounding.” Someone says to make a face or something, you do it. I mean it’s like asking someone to bend over and you doing it. -

-Why? But clearly all of you, are you, and I’m singled out as me.

and now, normal tweets: -

I feel law enforcement should place compassion over the their indulgence of authority over others...

Lamb gyros with tzatziki sauce from local Greek restaurant or a Greek rack of lamb...epic...

Sodastream is a great way to make your own soda. It’s healthy and tasty and sugar free. You just add these strawberry like ,blackberry like, watermelon like , pineapple like,  etc. flavors...a good water substitute...

i saw a girl propose to a guy on facebook...i cannot imagine a girl even asking a guy out, let alone, proposing...such is real life vs. the media...

Being an American should be a privileged label requiring compassion and the Golden Rule. You’re not just anyone, you are an American. Rise to the occasion, rather than indulging and being plugged into the Matrix of your world. Expand ur mind, gain insight. -

-These people involved in this should be ashamed to call themselves Americans. Would you allow this on ur kid or loved on?

Wipex Fitness Equipment Wipes from Amazon - easy way to wipe down sweat from exercise machines in your home, that you finished using...

Heard of calm app, headspace app? try yoga international dot com or art of living courses...

The party school hacking my police complaint & telling students involved &students theyre talking to,that theyre in the complaint, increases the random vendetta of these kids, & gives them an incentive to mess up &control ur world..serious mishandling bySchool acting asPolice...

- now the professors, kids, or whoever the orchestrators are, are trying to save their a*ses from the content of the complaints, by legitimizing their past actions, through having the world take part, and making things about making a point with hacking people, computers, etc.

[sweetandspicyanimation]

Principles Project, Own Time: Researching The Principles

In our previous lessons we were shown tutorials from Alan Becker of the principles that were relevant at the time. We didn’t cover all of them so I decided to look into them myself.

The whole video was very informative with lots  of helpful information and advice that I’ll definitely  be using and relying upon the next time I animate.

My notes: 

1. Squash and Stretch

Objects will get longer and flatter to emphasize their speed momentum weight and mass classic example is bouncing ball more - softer less- stiff Keep volume of object consistent- must be same overall volume. flatter - wider stretch-narrow

2. Anticipation

Preparing for the action-= makes action more realistic and builds energy w/o it the energy would come from no where and makes the action look weak and unnatural- flour sack exercise

You can have multiple levels

For example you can have a pre-anticipation then your anticipation, followed by a pre-action and then finally arriving at  your action. a good example of this is when a baseball player is winding up to pitch the ball. this is often exaggerated in cartoons to a ridiculous degree.

3. Staging

The presentation of an idea very broad as applies to many areas acting timing camera angle and position setting need to be in full control of where the viewer is looking

far away is good for big actions whilst close ups are good for expressions the main action should be at the center of the screen or in one of the 3rd so that its within the focal point if they are facing off to the side there should be more empty space in the direction they are facing , unless someone is sneaking up behind them

let one action finish before starting a new one and leave text on the screen long enough for it to be read 3 times

Camera angles can help a lot to convey a certain message

4. Straight Ahead and Pose To Pose

Straight Ahead- you draw the first drawing then the second drawing, 3rd drawing so on- animating as you go

Pose to Pose- you draw the beginning and end of each main pose and go back later to fill in the inbetweens

Pose to Pose is generally better for most actions- have the most control you work backwards and get to know what your working with easier

With Straight Ahead the character may change its volume ad appearance

Also with Pose to Pose you can catch problems earlier on without having to redo multiple frames

Straight Ahead technique is good for unpredictable animation such as fire and explosions. the laws of physics are unpredictable so you can really be loose with it because you don't really know what will happen.

Pose to Pose vocabulary keys extremes breakdowns make the keys first and perfect them, how do you want the extremes to connect? add the breakdowns then work on inbetweens

5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action

Aka drag Follow Through describes how different parts of the figure/object continue to move after the object itself has stopped moving. Overlapping Action is the offset of the main body and its other parts drag- delaying the movement of body parts in relation to the main body.

These principles add a great deal of realism to the character. less drag-heavy mass more drag- light mass

With arm movement it goes elbow. forearm, hand

Overlapping Action breaks down an animation and makes it more interesting

6. Slow In and Slow Out

Everything builds speed slowly and slows down slowly.

For 2-D animation you draw your key frames. then a single inbetween then inbetweens between those

BUT you would not add it to a bouncing ball as its coming down, only as it comes back up and you wouldn't add it to a bullet coming from a gun but you would add it to the gun because it would come up due to whiplash

Frames in animation should be evenly spaced with frames closer together at the beginning and end of the action. Farther apart in the middle

7. Arcs

Most living things move in a circular path (arc)

When actions are fast you can add an arc in the form of a sphere take the beginning and end pose and add an arc in between. fill it in the same colour as the object, maybe slightly transparent/ fragmented towards the end of the action

8. Secondary Action

Gestures that support the main action (arm swing in a walk cycle)

The secondary action should not distract form the primary but should not go unnoticed. staging plays an important role here

9. Timing

The personality anD nature of an animation is greatly affected by the number of frames inserted between each main action.

The more frames you have the slower the action so less frames = faster action

Working on twos makes slow actions look smoother and makes fast actions more lively. it also cuts work time in half and doesn't take as long as ones

10. Exaggeration

Every action, pose and expression can be taken to the next level to further convey its message to the viewer. -Exaggeration doesn't mean more distorted, just more convincing! a good technique is to punch exaggeration to the point where its overboard and then wind it back until your satisfied with the new level

11. Solid Drawing

Makes sure that what your animating is in 3-D space with volume weight and balance when making a rough pass of a character use 3-D shapes to construct it's form not 2-D ones.

Be mindful of overlap and avoid symmetry.

Avoid twinning!- don’t let both sides of the body do the same thing. lean it to one side or put weight on one or the other

12. Appeal

Animated characters have to have an appealing aspect of their design that makes them nice to look at. this doesn't mean they have to be 'attractive'or beautiful as they could be interesting as well

Guide to creating appealing characters - Variety of shapes - Play with proportions- Blow up what is important to  character - Keep it simple- don’t over complicate it. draw for animation not illustration.

I certainly learnt a lot through watching this video. Exaggeration seems interesting to play with and Straight Ahead was enlightening for me as with past walk cycles I’d been using Pose to Pose. Now I know Straight Ahead is an easier technique.

[earthwayma]

Benefits of Kettlebell Training

The American Council on Exercise (ACE

Kettlebell training is accessible and practical for all. From the elite athlete looking for an edge, to the sedentary person looking to discover fitness for the first time. All can benefit. Read on for the top 10 benefits of Kettlebell training.

" The reason for the surge in kettlebell training is that it gets back to basic training that requires functional, whole body fitness… a great way to get a whole body workout in a relatively short period of time. “

-    The American Council on Exercise (ACE)

1. Serious cardio without the boredom of the hamster wheel (treadmill)

2. Functional strength without the monotony of isolated reps

3. Flexibility without long poses

4. Fun and varied, never boring

5. One compact, portable device

6. It’s safe — for any age, shape or size

7. Combines “cardio” and “strength” training

As one of the best kettlebell coaches once said, “life doesn’t respect the difference.” Try sprinting to catch a train while carrying a heavy package or pushing a stroller, did all that “cardio” training you did in “step class” or on the recumbent bike really help that much?

8. The solution for busy people

Busy people want the biggest bang for the buck. Kettlebells can be the solution to trying to squeeze cardio, strength AND flexibility training in an already overbooked schedule. Because of the intensive nature, the workout duration must be kept short. Best of all, they are so small and portable, training can take place in your bedroom.

9. Greater fat loss

Fat gets the ol’ one-two-three punch. First, there is the extremely high metabolic cost of throwing the weight around. Second, it’s a strength training workout creating dense muscle mass, which burns calories from fat stores all day long while increasing your resting metabolism. Finally, combine that with the fat burning effects of human growth hormone that is stimulated by these kinds of whole-body, complex movements. There is no better way to burn fat. This is why sprinters have ripped muscles and marathon runners have a skinny look.

10. Very different from dumbbells and barbells

Anyone who has picked up a kettlebell has felt the difference. The off centered weight of a KB recruits more stabilizer muscles and works the targeted muscles through a wider range of motion. It’s because of the off-center design of the KB. Isolation exercises such as those done with dumbbells and barbells do not hit those stabilizing muscles to the same degree.

It’s challenging,” said Pavel Tsatsouline, a kettlebell trainer and former instructor for the Russian special forces who helped introduce kettlebells to the United States. “It challenges the heart, the muscles, everything. You get a workout quickly. But you have to work. You can’t sit and watch CNN and do kettlebells. It feels very liberating. I think people are tired of sitting around like gerbils on machines.

11. Strengthens every muscle from head-to-toe

Kettlebell training consists of whole-body movement exercises. It’s well-known that compound, whole body movements typical of kettlebell exercises are superior to machines that isolate muscles for improving muscle tone, body composition, and strength. Further, kettlebells strengthen the tendons and ligaments, making the joints tougher and less-susceptible to injury.

12. It’s not bodybuilding

Don’t confuse kettlebells with conventional weight training or bodybuilding. Kettlebell training focuses on (a) movements, not muscles, (b) whole-body, functional training, (c) strength as a function of mobility, and (d) cardio and strength combined.

13. It’s enjoyable

Let’s face it, most exercise is boring. Kettlebell training is quick and enjoyable, which is one of the reasons you’ll stick with it. And, you’re only doing it twice a week—so you don’t have a chance to get bored.

14. Saves money

Gym memberships and personal trainers or quality in-home equipment are usually very expensive. But with a single kettlebell, you can have everything you need to create a healthy, fit and toned body for the rest of your life. They are nearly indestructible and relatively inexpensive.

15. It’s fun!

KB exercises and movements are simple, fun, unique and you can combine it with other exercise modalities. You can make it as fun as you want it to be. No more reason to be in a sweaty gym. Bring your kettlebell to a park and have the workout of your life. Save on gym membership fees and do your training where you love it the most.

16. Build a lean, muscular physique

Men see that coveted wedge shape emerge as the training creates broad shoulders, defines abdominals, builds up their arms and pares down their waists. It’s a lean look, more like Bruce Lee than Arnold.

17. Women won’t bulk up!

Women get the svelte, lean, firm shape that enhances the best of the female body. Think Sarah Connor in The Terminator, or Madonna — but in a fraction of the time those women spent chiseling out their bodies!

18. Easy to learn

Movements are simple and you can start using them right away. No matter how old or out-of-shape you are, everyone can do it and should be doing it.

19. Extremely versatile

KB’s can help you lose weight, build muscle, enhance sport performance or maintain fitness level, as well as improve quality of life as you age. All with one simple tool.

20. Serious cardio

KB training will make you re-think what your max heart rate is! KBl training is perfect for the advantages popular with HIIT (high intensity interval training) as opposed to long-slow cardio. It is the most effective overall fitness regimen available.

There’s a competitive reason behind the appearance of kettlebells at the back doors and tent flaps of military personnel. When Russian and US special Forces started competing against each other after the Soviet Union broke up, the Americans made a disturbing discovery.

Today, half the Secret Service is snatching kettelbells and a set sometimes travels with the president’s detail on Air Force One.

21. Greater cardio benefits

Repetitive KB ballistic drills challenge more muscles — practically the entire body — for a total-body cardiovascular adaptation.

22. Cardio without killing your joints

The ballistic, but non impact nature of KB work is the key. Instead, KB exercises actually strengthen your joints.

23. Simplify your life

You don’t have to think about which exercise requires what size weight. You don’t have to figure out which days you do cardio and which days you do strength training because KBs combine cardio and strength training. You don’t need to worry about upper body and then lower body exercises. It’s all in one. What could be easier? One kettlebell, two times a week, several drills. You have enough to think about with work, children and running a household; let your workout be uncomplicated.

24. In the privacy of your home

You exercise when you want, when you have time. You workout, shower and change in the privacy of your own home. Plus, your entire home gym can be put away in a closet

25. Develop functional strength

Even if you are not an athlete, KB training uses fundamental movement patterns making everyday activities easier and injury less likely. You will stand taller, carry packages easier, climb stairs with less effort and have more energy. Kettlebell training offers the most functional training possible, because the parts of the body must work as a unit.

26. Builds mobility

Stretching practitioners often develop high levels of muscular flexibility, but without developing joint stability or muscular strength. That is a prescription for injury! KB training provides all three: mobility, stability, and strength. A big part of this is the design of a KB with it’s off-centered weight.

27. Never boring

They say if you get bored with KBs, you have no imagination. You can endlessly combine the basic drills to have a different workout each time. It’s amazing how many exercises you can come up with from a simple piece of iron just by changing your grip.

28. Develop core strength

Kettlebells require you to engage the core in almost every lift. KB’s have a reputation for strengthening backs and abs like nothing else before.

29. More cost effective than machines

Don’t worry, guys. You wont’ outgrow them. All you need is one kettlebell. As the weight gets too light you could get a heavier bell, but even better, you can change the way you work with the one you have. Just holding the KB differently makes it harder! You’ll learn to continually increase the challenge to your muscles by manipulating the leverage, weight distribution, timing, etc.

30. Unify your body

The solution to thinking of your body as a collection of “muscle groups” to be “isolated”. Every lift with the kettlebell engages the entire body. The kettlebell movement is never a single joint movement. Every swing, lift, or press engages many joints and muscle groups forcing the body to always work as a unified whole.

31. More coordination

Since the brain knows movements and not “muscles” you become more coordinated with KB use. KB exercises train your body to work as a unit. This is also why athletes look different than bodybuilders.

32. Increase mental focus

You can’t just pick it up and mindlessly muscle it up and throw it around. It’s the thinking persons workout. At each moment the lifter must be focused on the movement. The result is improved coordination and mental focus.

33. Train anywhere

You can train in your bedroom. Or take it to the park. In your backyard or while traveling. You don’t need a lot of space. When you are done stick the kettlebell under your bed or in your closet.

34. It really works!

Everyone from top athletes to soccer moms is joining the kettlebell revolution for one reason: KB training works. If you’re like many others, you have a basement full of machines, equipment and DVDs collecting dust. All things you tried and that didn’t get results, either because they didn’t work or because they didn’t work fast enough to keep you interested. KBs are different. The results keep you going.

35. Simplify your exercise

Just four basic exercises (the swing, clean, press and snatch and their variations in endless combinations) can be used two or three times per week to keep you lean, strong and functional for the rest of your life.

36. Gentle rehabilitation

Those who are older and wiser benefit by healing their pain, gaining strength and energy and functionality of their body that they once lost. Exceptional core strengthening effects and easily modified drills tone and strengthen as mobility is restored. KB training is so simple and flexible that it merges well with physical therapy routines.

37. Cures low back pain

I cured my low back pain with KB’s. Many others have too. The glutes and all the hip muscles are strongly emphasized my KB training. Not only do they get much stronger, they wake up and start participating in your movement. Mechanically, if you’re not firing your glutes when you lift or extend your hip, you are compensating by overusing your lower back muscles. The low back muscles were NOT intended to do the job of your glutes, one of the largest muscles in your body. In other words, your body learns a more correct, much more powerful movement pattern that helps everything you do — and your low back stops complaining (pain).

38. Fix up ‘trashed’ shoulders

Kettlebells are famous for curing bad shoulders, rehabilitating the three things a shoulder needs: mobility, stability, and strength. Just like they cured my bad back, athletes and martial artists with years of punishment to their shoulders are finding a renewed life with KB training. Their shoulders come back better than new.

39. Better posture— the real thing

KB’s strengthen the entire posterior chain that is key not only to athletic performance, but for simply standing up straight and effortlessly.

40. Heal aches and pains

Talk to kettlebellers and you’ll hear stories of shoulder and knee joints getting better, chronic lower back pain disappearing, stiffness relieved, and mobility increased. KB exercises reveal misalignments, compensations and weaknesses in the body and proceed to fix them. As the body returns to the aligned state, musculoskeletal pain is relieved.

41. Strengthens joints

Repetitive ballistic loading of the KB swing and other quick lifts appears to be highly beneficial to your joints. In Supertraining, Dr. Mel Siff states, “Joints subjected to heavy impact are relatively free of osteoarthritis in old age and those subjected to much lower loading experience a greater incidence of osteoarthritis . . .” Strong muscles with weak joints is like having a Ferrari engine in a Volkswagen – it’s just no good!

Stuck in a rut?

“Bust out of it in a big way with a kettlebell workout. This old-school piece of equipment is a throwback to the dawn of strength training; many of you may not be familiar with it. After a brief introduction to its physique -building values, we feel confident you’ll soon give kettlebell-style training a try.” – Joe Weider, Editor of Muscle & Fitness Magazine

42. Develop dynamic resilience

The acceleration/deceleration of moving the KB strengthens the connective tissues (tendons, ligaments, cartilage) and increases mobility, strength and flexibility reducing the possibility of injury. You want tendon and ligament strength along with your muscular strength. The dynamic movements of KB training build more resiliency with less impact than even less dynamic activities like jogging.

43. Better bracing for spinal stability

The RKC system teaches proper bracing of the abdominal cavity. Instead of sucking in your stomach, like some tell you to do to protect your back, you will learn to ‘brace’ your mid-section as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach. This internal pressure created by your breath and abdominal wall supports your back, makes you stronger. Again, your body learns a better movement pattern. In other words, you will naturally move and do things around the house in a way that protects your back and mid-section. This bracing is also why the KB swing is also a good ab or ‘core’ workout.

44. Low tech, back-to-basics

When we went into space, the astronauts realized that they couldn’t write with a pen in no-gravity outer space. NASA spent a million dollars to develop a pen that would write upside down, without gravity. What did the Russians do? They used a pencil.

Likewise, the Russians noticed that those farmers who frequently handled those old agriculture weights were tough as nails. Those kettlebells sure weren’t fancy or high-tech — they just worked. That’s why the old Soviet military and athletics emphasized kettlebells. Scientists didn’t develop them, rather, they are still trying to figure out WHY they work so well.

45. Learn to absorb force more efficiently

For combat athletes and anyone else that likes it tough, the ballistic shock of KBs teaches you how to absorb shock efficiently which is critical for sports such as: wrestling, MMA, football, and Hockey. It is equally important for all of us. Impact happens when we least expect it. Be prepared for life’s little surprises.

46. Develop incredible power

Perform the Olympic explosive lifts like the clean, jerk or snatch if you know how. But you can get almost the same benefits using KBs — with greater safety and simplicity.

47. Builds strength/endurance

Often times it is not how strong you are when you are fresh but how strong you remain once you become winded and have expended a lot of energy that determines the outcome. In a martial arts or fighting context, “enduring strength” is a very important skill. Maximal strength is very important as well, but the well rounded fighter must be prepared to deliver multiple strikes in combinations. This requires tremendous strength/endurance. Kettlebell high repetition snatches, for example, develops a strong work capacity and anaerobic threshold.

48. Develops strength at the extremes of your range of motion

Exercising this way creates the ability to better stabilize your joints, improves flexibility and enhances mobility. Because KB lifts require full-body integration, it is a much better tool for the martial artist than doing high repetition isolation movements with a barbell or dumbbell.

49. Correct imbalances

Kettlebell training will quickly reveal the weaknesses and weak spots of your body. There is no escape! Since most kettlebell exercises are performed with a single limb, you cannot help but get both sides of your body equally functional. This is especially true because of the structure of the kettlebell, an off-center weight.

50. Improve your recovery

Recovery is a critical facet of athletic training, but training to failure once a week is inefficient and results in debilitating soreness. KB drills facilitate active recovery and provide exceptional conditioning.

51. No more cardio

Remember, you will NEVER have to do another day of CARDIO in your life!

Training with dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls (and anything else you can come up with) offer great benefits as well. However, kettlebells are different. They look different. They feel different. The benefits of kettlebell training are a bit different as well.

The many benefits of kettlebell training waiting for anyone ready to use them. For anyone willing to try something different (not new, just different) the implications for developing phenomenal fitness are undeniable. The old-time strongmen knew this. The Soviets swore by them. Their benefits have been proven in research and experience of elite athletes.

Just get started. Results will soon follow and then there will be no turning back. You will be hooked.

Original article posted at http://www.riversidekettlebells.com/2009/03/top-10-benefits-of-kettlebell-training.html

[marcusssanderson]

5 Best TED Talks That Will Transform Your Thinking, Part I

TED Talks are Miracle Grow for the body, mind and soul! They are cutting edge philosophy, psychology, science and insight, among many other wonderful “ideas worth sharing.” The very first TED Talks were posted online in July, 2006 and continue to serve as a phenomenal resource for seekers like us who are striving to make ourselves and this world a better place.

  I never run out of curiosity, or the need to grow into someone I like more than the day before. As a teenager, I had two choices. I could cave and let hard situations and obstacles drive the essence of me deep into the ground, where not even a flicker of light existed. The alternative was to start asking questions, to seek understanding and greater insight, and to let myself learn from events that might otherwise keep me in dark places.

  I searched for answers in books on spirituality, religion, relationships, psychology and all other things self-help. I attended seminars, twelve-step groups, webinars, and creative circles to untangle the beliefs I learned early—beliefs and philosophies that no longer served me. Eventually I discovered TED Talks, which continue to disclose the answers I seek. Whether you’re new to TED or an avid fan, the following best TED Talks are a must-watch and worth repeating. I had a difficult time narrowing down my favorites, so these five are the first batch, with more to follow.

  Best TED Talks That Will Transform Your Thinking

1.) Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do

  TED Description: Tony Robbins discusses the “invisible forces” that motivate everyone’s actions — and high-fives Al Gore in the front row.

One of the first six TED Talks posted online July, 2006, Tony Robbins’s talk is worth watching again today. Tony reveals his thirty-year obsession about what makes the difference in the quality of people’s lives. He is quick to point out how many of us have figured out the achievement part of life, but very few of us have learned how to become fulfilled and impactful to the world around us.

“I look at life and say there’s two master lessons. One is: there’s the science of achievement, which almost everyone here has mastered amazingly. How do you take the invisible and make it visible. How do you make your dreams happen? Your business, your contribution to society, money—whatever, your body, your family.

The other lesson that is rarely mastered is the art of fulfillment. Because science is easy, right? We know the rules, you write the code and you get the results. Once you know the game, you just up the ante, don’t you? But when it comes to fulfillment — that’s an art. The reason is, it’s about appreciation and contribution. You can only feel so much by yourself.”

Growing up feeling lost with a sense of never really belonging, I made an early decision to master achievement. I made the best grades, won the contests, got great jobs and blew the company records off the wall. I had everything I ever wanted, so why wasn’t I happy? I hadn’t yet tapped into the second key: fulfillment. We have to nurture the desires of our souls in a way that spills out and touches the people around us in a significant way. If you’re not there yet, don’t sweat it. You’re still gathering lessons so keep searching.

2.) Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability

TED Description: Brené Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.

  Are you one of the more than twenty-three million viewers who’ve seen this TED talk? Have you had the pleasure of watching Brene Brown demonstrate why it’s so powerful to be vulnerable, and what some might confuse with being “weak?” As Brene Brown dug into her research and focused on connection, she realized how many of us actually feel disconnected, and what’s worse, we are ashamed of that, adding to our overall bad feelings.

“And shame is really easily understood as the fear of disconnection: Is there something about me that, if other people know it or see it, that I won’t be worthy of connection? The things I can tell you about it: It’s universal; we all have it. The only people who don’t experience shame have no capacity for human empathy or connection.

No one wants to talk about it, and the less you talk about it, the more you have it. What underpinned this shame, this ‘I’m not good enough,’ — which, we all know that feeling: ‘I’m not blank enough. I’m not thin enough, rich enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, promoted enough.’ The thing that underpinned this was excruciating vulnerability. This idea of, in order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen, really seen.”

Oh did this ever touch a nerve in me the first time I listened! I understand shame and feeling inferior. My solution? To act confident and to accomplish great things! But that didn’t solve anything and in fact, it only buried my real problem which made it that much harder years later to excavate my soul and tell myself it’s okay to have the need to belong and feel connected.

We weren’t meant to live life separate from everyone else, and we certainly weren’t born unworthy and fearful. Please watch this (again) as Brene shares the key differences between those of us who battle a grave sense of unworthiness and shame, and those who don’t. As a bonus, she manages to convey this soulful topic with laugh-out-loud humor. Watch!

3.) Amy Cuddy: Your body language shapes who you are

  TED Description: Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

  What I love about TED Talks is that many of them seem like good common sense but they are backed by science. It’s the best of both worlds! Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist who overcame a debilitating car accident that caused her identity and worthiness to plummet. Her research is focused on nonverbal body language, but not so much what we observe in others, but what our brains conclude from our own nonverbal cues, including our thoughts and posture.

“So when we think of nonverbals, we think of how we judge others, how they judge us and what the outcomes are. We tend to forget, though, the other audience that’s influenced by our nonverbals, and that’s ourselves. We are also influenced by our nonverbals, our thoughts and our feelings and our physiology.

…When I tell people about this, that our bodies change our minds and our minds can change our behavior, and our behavior can change our outcomes, they say to me, ‘It feels fake.’ Right? So I said, fake it till you make it. … She comes back to me months later, and I realized that she had not just faked it till she made it, she had actually faked it till she became it.”

One of the many ways I’ve rebuilt my psyche from a troubled past is by using positive affirmations and visualization. In fact, the first few mantras I learned as a teenager in twelve-step recovery was, “ Fake it till you make it,” and, “Take the actions first, and let the feelings follow.” When our internal software is critically flawed, we can keep limping along with broken beliefs or we can take an active role in re-programming our internal language. But this TED talk goes well beyond basic affirmations.

Amy offers an engaging talk and demonstrates scientifically how a confident person shows up in the world, versus someone less confident. She offers a proven technique which only takes two minutes a day to literally change your hormone levels and boost your esteem. You will present an improved version of “you” to the world, yes, but most importantly … to YOURSELF. Our sub-conscious believes what we tell it and I think yours is telling you to watch this TED talk (again) right now!

4.) Andrew Solomon: How the worst moments in our lives make us who we are

  TED Description: Writer Andrew Solomon has spent his career telling stories of the hardships of others. Now he turns inward, bringing us into a childhood of adversity, while also spinning tales of the courageous people he’s met in the years since. In a moving, heartfelt and at times downright funny talk, Solomon gives a powerful call to action to forge meaning from our biggest struggles.

Andrew Solomon’s TED Talk made me feel like I was listening to a gentle giant—gentle in nature and giant in reach. His message of compassion, shifted perspective and gratitude boldly amplifies a message so desperately needed in a world filled with daily tragedy and injustice. His talk brings up a heated topic widely disagreed upon in our society. This serves to only further demonstrate the purpose of his talk and offers us an even greater challenge. While we may not understand or always agree with our neighbors, we can all strive for more empathy for one another.

“As a student of adversity, I’ve been struck over the years by how some people with major challenges seem to draw strength from them, and I’ve heard the popular wisdom that that has to do with finding meaning. And for a long time, I thought the meaning was out there, some great truth waiting to be found. But over time, I’ve come to feel that the truth is irrelevant. We call it finding meaning, but we might better call it forging meaning.”

This TED talk could aptly be named, “Finding the Gift,” the title of my own book and a topic that is near and dear to my heart. We all face adversity, but it’s how we use that adversity that really defines us. Do we let it destroy us? Do we believe the lies it told us? Or do we choose instead to see the opportunity for growth within it?

I found the use of “forge” to be curious so I looked up its definition: make or shape (a metal object) by heating it in a fire or furnace and beating or hammering it (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary). Woah! How better to describe taking the tough stuff in life through a painful transition process, to ultimately mold it into something more desirable?

Gifts are often gift-wrapped in obstacles, so leave no gift unopened. It may not be obvious at first glance, but if we keep looking, chances are good that with enough time and perspective, we can find reasons to be grateful in all things. Andrew demonstrated that well. Even when I can’t find the gift, I choose to believe it’s there anyway—in some way being the lesser of two evils, in teaching me something I need to know, or simply in shaping my character to handle challenges down the road.

Adversity makes me more relatable to my fellows and can serve as a point of connection and hope. We can’t change what’s happened to us, but we can change how we think and feel about it, and how we use it for good. Watch and be inspired to transform your biggest struggles too.

  5.) Steve Jobs: How to live before you die

  TED Description: At his Stanford University commencement speech, Steve Jobs, CEO and co-founder of Apple and Pixar, urges us to pursue our dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks — including death itself.

Seriously? I don’t even know where to begin on this one, much less decide which quotes to bring out. I’d prefer to just give you the entire transcript, it’s that good! Steve Jobs tells three stories about his life to illustrate three key lessons: connecting the dots, love and loss, and what we can learn from accepting that death is unavoidable.

Steve Jobs had the courage to find a career he loved, rather than simply follow suit with what everyone else was doing. We learn how this college drop-out discovered what he was passionate about pursuing. He never settled for anything less and encourages others to keep looking if they haven’t found it yet. Steve Jobs trusted his gut and arguably accomplished far more in his life following his heart, than had he stuck to a prescribed, one-size-fits-all path.

“And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on … None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me…. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward, when I was in college, but it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something— your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever—because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path. And that will make all the difference.”

Personally, I did not consider what I loved or what my talents were when choosing my career path. I grew up feeling invisible and we were extremely poor, so making money was my main objective. Achieving external validation and recognition was a close second. One was to fill my bank account and the other was supposed to fill the deficit inside my soul. Unfortunately, I learned that neither accomplishment made me happy or fulfilled.

For so many years, I was playing it safe instead of finding the courage to pursue my authentic, yet unknown calling. My heart aches for anyone else who feels trapped in their present circumstances—certain there must be more to life, but not knowing what that might be and afraid to make a change.

Just as Steve Jobs getting fired from Apple led him to the most creative years of his life, my twelve year, award-winning sales career ending due to injury led me to the place where I can now make the most impact while loving every minute of my “work.” Chase your heart first and let the paycheck follow. That’s easier said than done so if you did it the other way around, like I did, just know it is never, ever too late to change course and do what you really love.

I also subscribe to Steve’s last point: letting death shape how we approach life. I have a weird habit of studying obituaries looking for people who really lived. If we think with the end in mind, what would we do differently now? What do you want said about you when you’re gone? Writing what we want read at our memorial service is the ultimate goal-setting session.

Steve Jobs asked himself every day for thirty-three years, “If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?” He shared how understanding his mortality helped him fearlessly make big life decisions. Again, I could have chosen many more life-transforming quotes from these fifteen minutes so watch this talk to get them all!

    Please enjoy these classic TED talks and stay tuned for part two! Until then, cheers to you finding the gift!

The post 5 Best TED Talks That Will Transform Your Thinking, Part I appeared first on Everyday Power Blog.

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Hyperallergic: A Ribald World of One’s Own: The Watercolors of Gladys Nilsson

Gladys Nilsson, “Léger Faire” (1986-1987), watercolor on paper, diptych, both 60 x 40 inches (all images courtesy Garth Greenan Gallery, New York)

Ronald Sukenik, author of Up (1968) and Out: A Novel (1973), told me that you became a writer when you reach that moment in your writing when you faced embarrassment and kept on going.

This was more than thirty years ago and I am probably misremembering our only conversation, but the impression I was left with that day was that in order to be a writer you had to go past all the things that might cause you to stop, with embarrassment being one of them. Gladys Nilsson cycled past that and many other barriers long ago, but it seems the art world has not been ready to deal with it for the past twenty-five years. Maybe now it is.

In her exhibition Gladys Nilsson: the 1980s at Garth Greenan Gallery (January 12–February 18, 2017), the artist shows twelve watercolors measuring 40 by 60 inches, done between 1984 and ’87, most of which have never been seen before. There are also two small watercolors measuring less than six by six inches. By electing to work in these divergent scales, Nilsson continually finds ways to test herself, to find out whether she can extend what she has already achieved in the medium of watercolor, which is nothing short of amazing.

The largest work in the show, “Léger Faire” (1986-87), is a diptych, with each sheet measuring 60 x 40 inches. It belongs in a museum. As the punning title suggests, the watercolor is Nilsson’s re-imagining of Fernand Léger, specifically his paintings of construction workers, such as the series of twelve he completed around 1950. Léger, who was a member of the communist party, wanted to celebrate the rebuilding of France after World War II by laborers. With its echo of “laissez-fair,” Nilsson’s title suggests that she is celebrating the opposite, free market capitalism, though I don’t think that is actually the case.

Gladys Nilsson, “Squeeze Play” (1987), watercolor on paper, 40 1/2 x 60 inches

In each sheet of Nilsson’s diptych, bevies of carpenters (varying from oversized to diminutive) are working on a house frame. All the carpenters in the left panel are men, while all the ones in the right panel are women. The verticals and diagonals formed by the house frame serve to section off the watercolor, effectively establishing discrete zones of different shapes and sizes. The four largest figures occupy the largest zone, and those gathered on different beams just above and below them are considerably smaller, as if they are further way. The scale shift evokes perspective and space.

There are clusters of figures in each sheet, forming little groups within the overall group, like what happens at a party. The men are bald and many of them have huge conical crotches, as if they are wearing codpieces under their pants. In this and other details, it is clear that Nilsson has drawn on a multitude of traditions to make work that is identifiably hers. In her sectioning off of the surface — in order to establish an environment for her figures — Nilsson’s formal sense of composition derives from Synthetic Cubism and Suprematism, which is to say she is a master of establishing a dynamic, flattened background-space in which to set her figures.

Gladys Nilsson, “By the Pier” (1987), watercolor on paper, 40 x 60 inches

Look at all the different things she does in “Leger Faire.” What about the way the color of the largest figures’ clothes and skin are mirrored by their counterparts? Look at the man and woman in their respective triangles, which are formed by the beams of the house frame’s pitched roof: Their poses complement each other, and you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to guess what that look they are giving each other is conveying. Once you notice the various links — through color, for example — you begin to look for the differences. This is Nilsson’s genius. She knows how to keep the viewer looking in ways that are both pleasurable and challenging. Her mastery of watercolor is unrivaled. She can go from mottled shapes to evenly colored areas and make it all seem so easy.

Years ago, when Frank Stella famously said, “What you see is what you see,” he was making it simple for the mainstream art establishment. All they needed to do was recognize the brand label. Good taste and the right amount of money was enough to obtain a wall-size trophy, or what Thomas Nozkowski called the “800 pound gorilla in the room” Not only was Stella’s statement a misreading of Jasper Johns’ “flags” and “targets,” but it was a blanket denial of something as messy as meaning, as anarchic as humor, as mortifying as humans interacting with their bodies (scratching their dugs, for example), and as disquieting as ripe sexuality, all of which you are apt to find some aspect of in a Nilsson work.

Gladys Nilsson, “Red Wall” (1987), watercolor on paper, 5 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches

It is Nilsson’s attention to awkward and unconscious things that people do to themselves while out in public that makes her work fascinating to look at. Why has that figure in “Red Wall” (1987) reached under her armpit? Is it to scratch her back? She’s looking at her four fingers poking out from behind her arm, as if they belong to someone else. Maybe they do. What about the woman in “Vested Interest” (1987), who, while walking, has reached down behind her left leg to scratch the inside of her thigh? Is she doing this because she thinks no one will notice? Each of the other large figures in ��Vested Interest” seem to be going through a similar moment of adjustment and momentary shame. Their expressions are distinct, comic, and revealing. Meanwhile, what about the smaller figures in the work? What are they up to? What are all those little men in hats thinking about?

Gladys Nilsson, “Vested Interest” (1987), watercolor on paper, 40 x 60 inches

In Nilsson’s imaginative domain, there are least two worlds based on size, as if she has combined the main panel of an altarpiece with its predella. During the Renaissance, the main panel was usually a static view of an individual or group, while the predella beneath it was full of narrative depictions. Nilsson brings large and small together. She has so much affection for human foibles and goofiness that everyone pictured in her work gives you something to consider. It’s the kind of attention that we associate with Pieter Breughel’s genre scenes crammed with hearty peasants. To her credit, Nilsson has brought that satiric, sympathetic possibility forward to the present. In doing so, she reminds us that nothing is exhausted if someone can come along and make it fresh again.

Gladys Nilsson: the 1980s continues at Garth Greenan Gallery (545 West 20th Street, Chelsea, Manhattan) through February 18.

The post A Ribald World of One’s Own: The Watercolors of Gladys Nilsson appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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