#Mark Elvin

[evilhorse]

The New Warriors #25

[starsallalight]

Open to ships

"Could you be happy here with me?"

[fintan-pyren]

do you have any ethnicity hcs for the people in kotlc

Almost all the elvin cities and landmarks (marked in red) are clustered around Northern Africa/South Asia/the Mediterranean. To me, this is evidence that elvin civilization started in that region, and continued there for quite some time.

We don't know the timeline for the discovery of light-leaping, but we know it's something that they haven't always had, so it would make sense if elvin civilization was primarily confined to one area for a long period of time.

Based on human myths, and when elf-like beings began appearing in stories elsewhere, I'd say that they only began living in residences away from their cities a little over a thousand years ago.

So it would make sense if the majority of elves resembled humans from around the region where we see their cities. Northern Africa, Southern Asia, the Mediterranean, etc.

(I think it would be interesting if there were a few pockets of elves who lived elsewhere though—perhaps there were some who were more like wood elves, who created homes out of trees instead of building cities that would last. This could fit with Fintan's love of plants.)

[synonymroll648]

WHERES MY BOY DRAWINGS AND BUTLER HEADCANONS *holds you at butler point* /j /not forcing /this this supposed to be silly /im not forcing you /im not an assholeplease

thanks for clarifying the tone on this one, because otherwise i wouldn’t have read this right. took my time cooking these up because i care about The Boy (for those who don’t know: an oc this person made that’s a stray cat fitz adopted). closeups (all right side up) and headcanons under the cut :)

headcanons that are indeed related to the drawings here, and then some! (disclaimer that i’ve never had a service cat before, but i have had a service dog, so there may be some major inaccuracies here, in which case please correct me for future reference)

butler may have been a scrawny stray when fitz first got him, but since he only eats things fitz bakes and fitz bakes all the time from stress, he’s a bit of a Thick Boy. and we love him for that

fitz learned how to bake cat treats through definitely legal searches for cat treat recipes, and help from the gnomes and sophie (she’s the only one that knows which gnomish veggies taste like what meats) substitutes for fish and stuff

they’re human/elvin grade treats ofc

butler is a pretty good name for not only his appearance but also his personality most of the time! butler loves fetching things for people, especially fitz. usually he gives people either things he loves or things he notices them pick up frequently

this includes fitz’s imparter (which now has bite marks around the corners), biana’s hairbrush, alden’s scrolls on occasion (fitz apologized profusely the first time it happened, alden just laughed it off. he now calls butler’s bite marks in his doomed papers “autographs”), and della’s jewelry (there was one time he accidentally got her earrings stuck to the magnets in his service vest - we’ll get back to that later - and kinda just jingled around everglen trying to find her. the gnomes found him first and couldn’t stop laughing. the rest is history)

butler is also known to sleep on any and all clothes fitz leaves folded out, and also try to drag said folded clothes to fitz on school mornings in an attempt to help out. it is not very successful. fitz has three lint rollers in his foxfire satchel, and two in whatever everyday cape he’s wearing. he’s recently started having the gnomes teach him how to mend the accidental tears butler’s attempts to be helpful leave

one time butler almost broke a bottle of raven lovelylocks by trying to jump down from fitz’s bathroom counter with the bottle in his jaws. fitz opened the door to see him about to jump and frantically made his way over to butler so butler wouldn’t grip it tighter and break the glass. first line of action afterward was to hail dex and check if lovelylocks as a brand used chemicals harmful to cats. he now leaves all products in his (closed) bathroom cabinets

the first time butler tried to bring mr. snuggles to fitz, fitz almost had a breakdown, because it looked like his new cat was trying to rip apart his emotional support stuffed animal. in reality our little man only had his claws out because he was trying to pull the covers mr. snuggles was tucked under, and his teeth were at snuggles’ throat because that was the narrowest point of contact butler was could find. in the moment fitz panicked super hard, and didn’t let him anywhere near mr. snuggles for days. he figured out what was really going on when he saw butler drag biana’s stuffed yeti lady sassyfur to the door by the arm later that week and drop it at her feet

now that fitz knows what butler’s deal is, he’s allowed near mr. snuggles, and is often seen curled around the stuffed dragon. especially when fitz isn’t home and butler doesn’t get to go with him

butler is surprisingly trainable! he’s incredibly food motivated, but also can be trained on affection alone. he’s all good as long as he gets to be clingy. fitz pretends to grumble about the constant attention all the time, but not so secretly loves having an excuse to smother someone in physical affection. even if that someone is a cat. butler is refreshingly less complicated than his friends and family

butler knows soooooo many tricks. bro can roll over and sit and lay and fetch and “butler, cmon, drop it” and spin and go for walks and shoulder rides on command. he can stand on his back legs too. he’s not quite athletic enough for backflips, though. fitz is planning on getting him on a training regimen working toward that soon

butler is super duper talkative. will shush on command most of the time, but he has his rebellious moments. mostly when fitz goes in the kitchen or when he’s by the door. will yowl for treats or a walk without hesitation. polite yowls though. meows increasingly loudly when he can’t get into something and wants someone to open it for him. mostly doors. everyone knows to just pick him up and move him somewhere else if he wants help in the kitchen though. no unearned treats for you, sir!

butler has an absurd amount of collars and leashes and toys because fitz is so the kind of guy to get gifts for his cat all the time. all his collars and leashes match - the one he’s wearing in the sketches is his plainest one, and also his first one. his name’s usually engraved on a heart but sometimes a star or paw. butler’s favorite toys are the feathers on strings that you tug around with a stick. he will get that thing if it fucking kills him or someone else. it’s fetch for diehards and goddamnit he will win (he’s just like fitz fr fr)

butler loves walks but doesn’t know his limits. one second he’ll be prancing along and the next he’s flopped out in the grass somewhere on everglen’s property giving a very sad, tired meow. that is when fitz picks him up, puts him over his shoulder, and goes back inside

butler gets on fitz’s shoulders at nearly every opportunity. this unfortunately has ruined a decent amount of capes, and left a lot of scratch marks along fitz’s back and right leg (there was one time butler used fitz’s bad leg and fitz nearly collapsed, and butler has since been trained to not touch fitz’s left knee). fitz loves the feeling of having a purring scarf that gives his cheek kisses too much to mind

speaking of purring! bro purrs so loud you can hear him across the room. that shit rumbles through your whole body. his favorite spot is fitz’s chest. sometimes he’ll need fitz’s chest before settling down, to which fitz calls him his little baker butler baking biscuits. most commonly occurs when fitz is stress-baking in the middle of the night, though that happens less with butler around

during a check-in with elwin, elwin noticed that fitz’s echoes (especially in his chest) seemed to be doing a lot better since he and butler had gotten into their little rhythm of things. he decided to have a check in at everglen next time so he could look at how fitz’s body reacted to butler purring on his chest and such in the face of his echoes acting up slightly, and found that his echoes’ effects were tamped down compared to usual

elwin was immediately like hey dude considering how easy this cat is to train, and how it’s helping you with your disabilities that you are not ready to call disabilities echoes, you should put him through service cat training. i know a guy. and so they did that

butler is quite serious when he’s got his vest on. goes from wandering goofy goober to steadfastly walking next to fitz, or politely meowing to get on fitz’s shoulders when it’s crowded or to get fitz’s attention when fitz is stressed out. he has a different number of polite meows for different requests. the last request is less of a request and more of a demand, though, since his job is to get fitz to relax. doesn’t meow otherwise

the moment the vest’s off he’s back to being super silly though. all the urges he was holding back to fetch things or beg for treats are let loose. behold, cat zoomie hell. unless fitz is just taking his vest off so butler is comfy falling asleep for the night, in which case butler is a nice quiet cuddle buddy

everyone loves butler but man does sophie love him possibly as much as fitz. part of it’s her being someone with major echoes, part of it’s her being his cognate, but the biggest part of it is that she misses marty ._.

oh yeah the magnets i mentioned earlier in his vest! that’s because i was too lazy to draw buckles i thought it’d be interesting for elvin service animal vests to use small magnets instead of buckles, considering how elves like to use magnets when it’s more convenient. specifically referring to the deleted scene where fitz explained how elvin rings are magnetic and no one gets piercings

[crescentpaws]

i think fintan’s main motivation(s) can be boiled down to:

- “the ends justify the means” — knows what he’s doing (the murdering people) is wrong but believes it’s for the greater good of the elvin world. if people get in his way he must eliminate them; it’s nothing personal it’s just the easiest and quickest way to remove obstacles (like what happened with cyrah… in that case the starstones/elysian being kept a secret was more important to him than her living)

- in the case that he DOES enjoy murdering people though, i think it would be because it gives him a sense of control, which is something he probably hasn’t experienced since the pyrokinesis ban. i think this would apply to all his other crimes too….. over-indulging in the self-expression he was previously denied due to the ban (and especially since suppressing an ability seems to be extremely difficult, and he was forced to do that for centuries, all the arson would probably feel cathartic) sort of a “fuck you, you can’t control me anymore” vibe. this is why he’s always up front taking part in all his big schemes instead of hiding in the shadows and making the other neverseen members do it. he needs to control everything. (plus in stellarlune sophie mentions that his emotions are likely to be all over the place, which stina says will only make them stronger and easier for her to read. and we know elemental abilities (pyrokinesis especially) are influenced by emotions, so of course the more his mind deteriorates the harder it will be for him to control his ability. he probably knows this, which is why he’s being so destructive all at once. he wants to feel a sense of control while he still can)

- similar to the previous point but not quite the same: he craves the power and respect he used to have as a councillor. he went from beloved world leader to Most Hated Guy On Earth ™ in one night, and i’m sure that wasn’t an easy transition. we know he’s tired of being treated like shit because of his ability, especially because he used to be so loved. he is going to do whatever it takes to make sure people still recognize him as a powerful figure. he is going to scream and bite and leave claw marks on everything he touches because he will not let this opportunity slip through his fingers again. he will not be cast away and forgotten!! not this time!!!!! prime example of “if i can’t be respected, then i will be feared”

and then there’s the good old fashioned revenge

[the-way-astray]

do you think sokeefe will be a lasting relationship, or will they break up, or secret third thing (they break up and get back together again over and over again)?

anon, i assume you're asking about the canon story. and without question, sokeefe will be in a lasting relationship in canon. i have no doubts there whatsoever. as i discussed in my rant, shannon has a gargantuan tendency to tell, not show, things when in comes to what she wants to communicate about her relationships to the audience. it's not at all subtle. and as i discussed in the rant, sokeefe falls prey to this the most. shannon jumps through all these crazy hoops to tell, not show, the audience how perfect sokeefe will be together. there are even more instances of this in the unlocked novella and stellarlune, but unfortunately i haven't gotten there yet. it's a very insecure way of writing and basically tells your audience you don't trust them to understand what you're trying to tell them from the interactions and dynamic alone.

now why is this relevant? well obviously, if shannon wants so bad for the audience to know that sokeefe will be great together, she isn't doing that for nothing. she clearly wants them together. i haven't discussed stellarlune's famous chapter 42 yet, but in this post, i talk about how that entire scene felt out-of-character for sokeefe. in essence: it's too perfect for their dynamic. almost as if shannon is so insecure about whether her readers will like sokeefe that she removes everything that makes them them in favor of making a impersonal, washed out scene that feels generic and bland. why does she do this? because any imperfections, any flaws, any personality that's unique to sophie and keefe and their dynamic could turn readers against them as a couple. so those have to be erased. and so in the end, all we have is the picture perfect romantic scene that feels way too easy and not at all earned. it reeks of insecurity, in my humble opinion.

all this is to say, shannon did some pretty desperate things to make sure fans understand that sokeefe are great together. she also villainized fitz in the process so that fans would know that sophie and fitz are not good together. and authors don't do these sorts of things unless they are sure they want these characters together forever.

however, fanon exists. and the idea of sophie and keefe breaking up and getting back together endlessly is so funny to me, i can't just not discuss it. the elves' indefinite lifespan allows for it. i think they would do it not because they're actually on and off, but because they want to purposefully spread rumors and gossip about themselves. or at least, keefe would. they want to mess with people's minds because it's funny and they're bored and old and everyone know who they are and there's nothing better to do.

they make a calendar and mark all their break-up dates and get-back-together dates in blue and red. they work out a whole algorithm for how much time to spend in each phase that's just long enough to get the public to think hey, maybe this time it's permanent, and then bam! never mind. they flipped to the other status again. the matchmaking office has nineteen different match-fail forms submitted by the same couple. sometimes, centuries go by between them. sometimes, mere weeks. the matchmakers go to the council and beg them to sign a law into action that puts a restriction on how many times you can divorce and remarry the same person, but the council turns them down because they can't piss off their local genetically modified celebrity couple because they defeated the neverseen and the public love them too much. sophie and keefe spend the rest of eternity (officially) breaking up and getting back together again and again and again and again. the elvin world accepts this as the new reality. it's a metaphor for change and growth in the lost cities.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Scars To Your Beautiful - Legolas Greenleaf X GN Reader

Title: Scars To Your Beautiful

Legolas Greenleaf X GN Reader

Additional Characters: Orcs (Mentioned)

Requested by @micheleamidalajedi!

WC: 927

Warnings: Reader's insecure about their scars, anxiety, nervousness, fighting mentioned, battles mentioned, insecurities, slight angst, and fluff

Rivendell was quiet at night. The light of the moon and stars shone brightly through a window into your room, illuminating it in a silvery glow. Your gaze shifted to Legolas, who sat beside you, fiddling with his arrows. Your eyes passed over his skin, pale and spotless. Smooth and soft. From his hands, to his neck, to his face. He was perfect. You were envious. Envious of your own soulmate. Oh, how you wished your skin was as blemish free as his. Yet, your scars marked your skin, as did the few freckles that dotted along you. But your scars... They were the real problem. You hated them. They reminded you that you were too slow. You weren't fast enough to move away from your opponent's blade.

Legolas seemed to have noticed your faraway look and how quiet you were being. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice soft and gentle as always. The softness made him seem even more ethereal. You loved him so much. You would do anything for him. You wanted nothing more than to kiss his cheek or run your fingers through his hair. Anything to feel close to him. "Nin mel?" He tried again, finally grabbing your attention from the bedsheets.

"Yes, Legolas." You finally answered, "I'm alright." You tried to convince him, but it didn't seem to work. 

"Where were you?" He asked as you scrunched up your nose in confusion.

"What do you mean, my love? I am right here."

Legolas shook his head, "No, nin lote," He sat down his arrows, fully facing you. His hand gently caressed your cheek as he stared into your eyes, "You were so far away. In the depths of your mind." He paused, his gaze intense, "What is the matter?" He reached his other hand out to hold yours and squeezed it reassuringly. You could only stare back at him helplessly. "What worries you so?"

"Oh, Legolas…" You mumbled softly, your eyes welling with tears. "I worry myself so." You answered. Legolas looked on at you confused but let you continue. "I feel... Imperfect. I have so many scars upon me to ever think I am beautiful." You confessed quietly, "My body looks like a monster... And yet, when I look at you, I find you most beautiful of all."

Legolas frowned, "You are beautiful." He insisted. "When I first met you, I thought you came from The Valar themselves." Slowly, Legolas reached out to you, his long fingers gently ghosting against the small scar on your shoulder. Your oldest scar, from fighting during the Battle of the Five Armies. You shuddered, his cool skin touching you. "You're more beautiful than any of them. More beautiful than me." He whispered, "More beautiful than anything you will ever see." His words were barely audible and yet, you heard every word. You felt yourself smile, his warmth seeping into you.

"Your scars," Legolas began, making your chest tighten anxiously. "Your scars just prove how brave and powerful you are. How strong you truly are." A small smile graced his lips, as his fingers trailed down your side, resting over the scar on your side over your soft Rivendell clothing. "They tell me and others that you are a courageous fighter. That you don't need others to protect you." You could only gape at him as he continued, "I am in awe of you." He finished, a blush spreading across his cheeks. He leaned forward and kissed your forehead, before pressing your foreheads together. You closed your eyes at the feeling of his warm breath against your skin, and smiled. "Please be kinder to yourself."

"I will try, my love." You breathed out, trying to reassure him, your heart swelled with so much love for the Elvin Prince in front of you. He always knew what to say, surprising you each time. His words seeped into you, warming you soul, and opening your mind.

Legolas gently took your hand in his, bringing it up to press a kiss to the scar on your upper arm. One you had gotten in a fight with a nasty orc. Setting your hand down, Legolas cupped your face and pulled you closer to his face. You melted into the kiss. When he broke away after a moment, you opened your eyes. You gazed into his blue eyes filled with concern and care. "Promise me you'll never forget this," He said, his thumb tracing the line of your scar, "This is what defines you, not who you are." He brought his hand to hold your cheek, "And these scars remind you that you aren't weak. This is a testament of your bravery and strength." You could hardly believe what he said. You were speechless. It was hard to believe the sweet, caring Prince sitting beside you would say such words. "Do not let yourself doubt yourself. Do not doubt how great you are. You deserve everything good in life." His tone was serious now, almost threatening, "You are beautiful."

You nodded slightly, unable to find the words to respond. "Now get some rest. We've got a busy day tomorrow." He smiled fondly, kissing your forehead once more. You nodded in agreement and slipped beneath the covers. Legolas tucked your sheets around your body and leaned in to give you a final kiss on the lips. "Goodnight, Y/N." He whispered, then blew out the bedside table’s candles,  and slid under the blanket next to you. You curled up next to him, resting your head on his chest, and sighed happily. 

[yiiyiiwrites]

The list | Pope x burnt out overachieving Kook (2)

More Pope x Burnt out, overachieving Kook and the cause of her burn out revealed. [First one here] and [moodboard] The boys trying to console Elwin after a horrible day back at school. (Not edited so might be some errors)

"I just feel like I'm sleepwalking, nothing I do seems to matter," she said, eyes locked with Pope's across the makeshift fire. The idle chat around her died away, the smoke session becoming so cold that she shivered after admitting how she feels.

Pope see's through it though, the crushing weight of her parents and the whole school ordeal that names her as the cheat. Those red letters scored into her back as she carried the label slapped upon her.

She picked herself up, dusting the dirt from her legs. Sigh leaving her lips, making up an excuse of needing another drink from the chateau.

“Elwin,” Pope called after her. The name of her favourite elvin warrior and character of the book that brought them together. She didn’t know if he’d called her the nickname out of familiarity (her username, Elwin11 and the identity she used to talk to Pope online) or to remind her of the strength she loved of the character. They both admitted that the stories and people in the books helped them escape from the everyday crap.

Following her up the stairs, Pope took her hand and clasped it between his. He smiled down at her, thumb tracing the small marks on her palm. Angry crescent shapes scored into her skin, the curl of her fingers relaxing before she can make a fist and add to the tally.

Pope found her honesty refreshing, never met someone so open about their feelings, that it makes him feel vulnerable himself. He finds himself offering a piece of his own as if trading his thoughts will mean she’ll share more. So he can understand her and help in anyway he can.

She rested her forehead against his shoulder, her deep shaky breath trembling through his frame too. “I wish the summer wasn’t over,” she said, her voice a scarce whisper.

Tomorrow morning she’d be miles from Pope. Donning her academy blazer and stuffy tie. Walking against the crowd instead of with it after her fall from the top.

“Why won’t you tell me their name?” Pope holds her at arms length, head dipping so that he can scan her face for any crumbling resolve and a bit more honesty. The one thing she wouldn’t admit was the name of the person that had set up.

She shook her head, arms wrapping around him as she clutched around his waist and pulled his chest to her cheek. “Don’t worry,” she mumbled, fingers twisting the back of his shirt in her grip.

Elwin retreated from him, the cool night breeze whipping through the space between them. Pope swept the stray strand of her hair out of her face, the complicated braid she’d learnt to do after they’d seen their favourite film, laid over her shoulder.

“Well whenever you’re ready, I’m here. How ever long it takes.”

*

On any other day, the sight of the Twinkie glistening in the sunlight would have drummed up some excitement. But in the wake of Elwin’s first day back at school, she traipsed down the neatly bricked stairs with all the energy she could muster. Her gaze down cast, the new shiny black shoes stained with the dust of another footprint.

It’s not until she slid into the back of the Twinkie that Pope caught the tear on her blazer, burgundy outer fabric curled over to reveal the striped lining beneath it. Her fingers playing with the pleated hem of her skirt as the Pogues tried to distract themselves from the bubbling rage rising in Pope’s gaze.

Kiara glanced between the two, Sarah shoving JJ’s head back to face the front before he could say something he’d regret. Elwin was thankful that they kept the conversation going, the chatter around her helped her not focus on the previous hours at school.

Elwin knew that the tightrope she’d been balancing on today would either break or she’d fall. She got good at falling, but she wouldn’t break so easily.

They pulled up at the chateau, John B’s gaze connecting with Pope’s in the mirror. He left the keys in, silent nod for Pope to use if he wanted to take Elwin anywhere else.

He nudged his knees against hers, leather sticking to the back of her warm thighs. Elwin peeled herself off the seat and ducked out of the door, gravel scuffing her shoes. She smoothed her skirt down, not looking back to check on Pope clambering out after her.

It took everything in her not to look at him, one glance and she knew she’d come undone. She wanted so badly to tell him about her day, but knew he’d get angry, wouldn’t understand.

Didn’t know that money even for her, someone with more than enough could not be enough to keep her safe. Her name alone no longer held weight, no high regard to protect her from the ones that tried so hard to knock her down.

And oh she’d been knocked off the column, not a few pegs.

“El-…” Pope tried to reach out, fingers ghosting her elbow as she dodged him.

They stood there, Elwin’s gaze on his shifting shadow on the ground. “I don’t,” she said pausing, “cant, not right now.” She shook her head, eyes squeezing as if trying to shake the tears away before they threatened to fall.

She heard the sigh, the mumble of his words flitting by as he walked past her.

Heat pricked her skin, jolt spreading across her chest in anger. “You’re mad at me?” She snapped, her hand circling his wrist.

Pope stopped, he slipped out of her grasp and pushed the door open to the chateau, thankful that Kiara and Sarah exited to give them some privacy.

Elwin entered before the door could shut, her eyes meeting John B and JJ’s on the sofa. She moved through the small area and to the kitchen where Pope leant against the table staring at the wall opposite in silent defiance.

Where she was normally open, Pope let his feelings fester and needed to sort through or overthink things before he could get them out. The stubborn streak she was used to, but today it seemed nothing was easy between them.

“Funny how you want to hang around with me and my friends all summer, but when it comes to anything about school, about those Kooks you can’t even talk to me.” Pope spat the word out, kooks the difference drawing a line between them.

“You said you’d wait,” she mumbled, arms wrapping around herself. “I don’t want…” part of her knowing she wouldn’t tell him or anyone. Pope knew it too. But a big part being she didn’t want him to get hurt seeking revenge.

Pope pushed away from the table, “how am I supposed to help you, when you won’t tell me who it is? What happened to you today?” His words came tumbling out without a filter, worry shaking in his voice. “Huh, who did this?” He flicked the torn piece of her blazer.

“Hey, woah!” John B cuts between them, arms stretching to create some space between the two of them. He didn’t miss Elwin’s stumbling feet and her back smacking the wall.

She couldn’t help the flinch, as if another rip appearing on her blazer. The reminder of a fist grabbing her lapel and shoving her against the school lockers.

Never been one for violence or backed into a corner for that matter. Can’t understand why she’s the target when she’s never done anything to harm anyone.

JJ rose from the sofa slowly as if not wanting to scare Elwin, his can of soda discarded on the floor. He’d seen it before, hell he’d done it a hundred times. Seen the way she’d closed herself off, letting her mind recycle the image of whatever happened to her today.

“Pope, why don’t you make some tea,” JJ said, his brows scrunching at his friend’s odd stares, but they slowly understood. Pope had kept a box of Elwin’s favourite tea, the specific blend she used when she helped them study and de-stress.

Guiding her to the sofa, JJ offered her a strained smile. He crouched in front of her where she sat, hands trembling in her lap and lashes glittering with tears. He glanced over his shoulder, John B talking to Pope as he watched the steam rise from the kettle.

The whistling kettle brought her back to the blurry surroundings, lump stuck in her throat. JJ noticing how small she’d become, slumped forward and curling into herself. Anything to take the attention away from herself.

“You’re okay,” JJ repeated a few times, knowing that she’d need someone to help her ground herself. To pull herself out of her head and focus on his words. The same words he’d tell himself over and over again.

“I don’t want to,” she mumbled as she finally looked at JJ. The peak of his hat tapping her forehead as she leant forward.

JJ shushed her, hands waving in the air. “You don’t have to do anything, that you don’t want okay?” The softness in the way he relayed the message made Elwin’s bottom lip quiver.

The bundle of nerves in her stomach tightening, she wondered if she should just confide in the boys. She welcomed the warm tea, hands enveloping the hot mug, a welcome distraction to the mixture of feelings going through her.

“We know something’s wrong,” Pope said, cushion dipping beside her as he sat down. “What ever it is, we can help,” he said smoothing his palm up and down her back.

“Promise you won’t do anything though.” Elwin said more to Pope than the other two boys. She sipped her tea ignoring the burn on her tongue, anything to distract her from the moment.

Elwin clutched the cup in her hands closer, warm tea sloshing over the edge. “It’s the same person that stole my essay, they were waiting for me after school. He…”

In unison the boys all blurted out, “he?”

The hand on Elwin’s back froze at the revelation. She nodded her head, continuing before they could get another word in. “He shoved me against the lockers and took my backpack. All my lesson notes gone,” she said as if the schoolwork going amiss was the most important thing instead of her getting hurt.

John b was trying to calm a raging pope who was pacing in front of them.

“Okay, okay,” pope said removing his cap flinging it to the sofa. “I’ve been going over and over this summer.” He waves his hand as he speaks, head bopping as if convincing himself to just say whatever’s on his mind.

“Dude just spit it out!” JJ snapped.

“So it’s like this. Ever since you told me about the whole essay stealing and getting done for cheating. I know you would never cheat for the record. I signed up for a tutoring gig during the summer but it fell through,” Pope paused, gaze flitting to each of them before continuing, his words are rushed and it’s hard for him to finally get it all out. “I just secured a job for after school tutoring at the academy, so if this guy is on the list…then I’m going to set this right.”

John B slapped his palm against Popes back offering him an encouraging smile and turned to Elwin. “Think we’re going to need a name,” he said raising a brow at her.

[muses-of-the-memory]

Happy 22nd Anniversary to Super Mario Sunshine

Today is the 22nd Anniversary to...

"Super Mario Sunshine! WAHOO!" Shouted Mario

This game marked the debut of Bowser Jr., Bowser’s son who framed Mario for the graffiti and pollution in Isle Delfino where Mario had to clean up with F.L.U.D.D., Professor Elvin Gadd’s Flash Liquid Ultra Dousing Device while rescuing Princess Peach, and on vacation too!

This game was my favorite Mario game to play on the Nintendo GameCube during my childhood.

So for today, I am making an open RP in Isle Delfino where Mario and company's vacation began.

Tagged by: @bluemajingirl, @hoshi-neko-hikari, @the-world-hopper, @spirits-of-nature16, @themultiverseheroines, @smashingveteransandnewcomers,

[nuclearnuts98]

elvis id pack / npt

NAMES (>_<) ┆ melvin/elvin, paisley, ke(l)vin, sivle, presley, peyton, isaac, mark, priscilla, lisa-marie, marvin, henry, timothy, bruiser, rex, etc. etc.

PRONOUNS (>_<) ┆ he, hx, rock, rock(abilly), king, god, guitar, music, tune, note, thief, music/thief, scam/mer, blue/suede, fools/gold, jail/house, etc. etc.

TITLES (>_<) ┆ (prn) who shits, the rocking one, (prn) who dies while on (prn)s porcelain throne, (prn) who cant write an original song, the king, the devil (in disguise), (prn) who steals lyrics, the cover artist, the shitter, etc. etc.

[austinswhitewolf]

One of the Last Morrigan Pt. 7

Every time I watch them arrive at Pykon, I laugh when Wil talks about following a creepy little kid. XD

When mountains came into view, you all stopped for a short rest. Crispin was looking through his telescope towards the mountains, talking about Safehold. Wil and you were standing next to each other against a tree. “Am I the only one who thinks staying the course is a bad idea?” “I think it is also. We need to figure something else out.” You speak softly, eyes glancing between Amberle and Crispin as they looked over at the two of you. 

“What do you mean?” Amberle asked with genuine confusion. “That Demon at the fort? It knew we were coming.” Wil stood taller as he spoke. “That’s impossible, ” Crispin responded in disbelief. 

“Allanon said the Dagda Mor had a spy at Arborlon.” When Wil spoke those words, your eyes shot to him.

“A changeling.” “We saw it die.” The two other women spoke, glancing at each other. You were glad you had missed that, you never wanted to come upon one ever. They were nasty Demons. “There could be another.” Wil stated softly. 

“He’s right. We need to find another way to the Wilderun.” Amberle stated with a nod. 

Crispin said there was no other way. That the mountains were impassable. At the next set of words your blood turned to ice. “There’s always Pykon.” Cephelo said, glancing at everyone. “It offers passage through the Rock Spur and into the Wilderun beyond.” Amberle asked about it, confused. “A fairy tale, Princess.” Crispin stated. 

“Pykon’s no fairy tale. My parents died in the dungeons of that stinking Elvin fortress.” Cephelo revealed. Crispin brought up the storm that was growing ever closer to you all. Cephelo responded about how you wanted to spend days walking around the mountain, but he wouldn’t. When he started to walk off, Amberle stopped him, telling him to take everyone there. And that if he tried anything Crispin would finish what he had started. 

When everyone moved to follow the rover, you slowly pushed off the tree. When Wil pushed off the tree, you smelled a coppery scent and your eyes saw the red mark he had left. “Wil, you’re bleeding.” You spoke up, grabbing his wrist gently, turning his hand over, seeing the cut on his palm was bleeding again. You tore off a piece of the cloak and wrapped it around his hand a bit tightly. He thanked you and slid his arm around the small of your back while guiding you forwards after the others. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The wind and snow had picked up as you all moved up the mountain. The path got thinner and thinner until it was just a small ledge against a sheer cliff face. Cephelo was leading the way. Wil was second while he helped you along right behind him. Crispin was behind you, ready to help if needed to you or Amberle who was right behind him. Eretria was following them with the scout taking up the rear. 

When Wil’s foot slipped for a moment, your heart dropped. He caught his footing and began to move forwards over the icy spot. Once over it, he reached back to help you over. When Cephelo stops and starts to argue with Crispin, you and Wil continue past him a few steps. He pulled the dagger from his boot and brought it up to a thickly snow covered part of the rock. Scraping the snow away, he sees some ruins carved into the rock. You both look up and see a huge statue. “Guys.” Wil calls out, they all look over and then up. Everyone started forwards again, coming around a corner and a large frozen stone fortress emerged through the blowing snow in the distance. 

“Nice-looking fairy tail, isn’t it?” Cephelo calls out to Crispin with a grin on his face then laughs shortly. 

Wil helps you along as everyone hurries to get to the fortress, wanting out of the cold blowing wind. The large doors open and once everyone is inside, they are pushed back closed.

Crispin lights two torches, handing one to Wil and keeping the other as they start to look around the entryway. 

“Looks abandoned.” Wil’s voice bounced off the walls. “Looks can be deceiving.” Crispin says as you all continue to turn and look around. 

Wil’s body stops moving and tenses up for a moment, your eyes moving to where he is looking and you see a little girl with blonde hair standing in a hallway. 

Once she starts to turn, you notice her ears are pointed. She then starts down the hallway away from you all without saying anything. You are one of the last to move after her. Wil glanced back, seeing you not moving so he stepped back to your side. “You okay?” “Yeah, let’s follow the creepy little girl who showed up silently. Nothing bad will happen to us.” You murmur quietly so only he can hear. “Anyone else have a problem with this plan?” Eretria spoke up, she was between you and the others in the group. Wil used your words as he responded for the both of you, and you nodded your head agreeing with him. “Following a creepy kid through an abandoned fortress? Not at all.” 

When you all round a corner into a slightly larger room, an elf was starting a fire. Once it flared to life, he turned around to face you, the little girl next to him. 

He welcomed you all, glad to have company after a long while of none. Apparently the little girl, ‘Mag’ had seen you coming up the mountain. Well that made it even more creepy. You backed up a step, this man just looked evil to you. His grin was making you uneasy. 

“Oh god.” You whispered when Crispin introduced himself with his title. “Not good.” “We heard this place might offer passage beyond the mountains.” Wil spoke up. You reached out, grasping the back of his jacket lightly in unease. You would not speak a word, to have this man’s attention on you, the thought made you sick. He could not know what you were. “Shit.” You once again hissed when Amberle spoke up about their mission. 

Hearing how the passage had collapsed in an avalanche two winters ago made your heart sink and clench at the same time. The thought of spending any more time here was making you nauseous. 

When she accepted his offer of staying until the storm passed, you moved closer against Wil’s back and closed your eyes. When the man showed you and the other two women to a room that had bathing pools in, Amberle offered to help you clean up if you wanted. With a nod, you both stepped into the room. 

She helped you undress and down into the water. It was only moments before she was in the water with you, neither minding the other’s nakedness. Amberle helped wash out your hair, the tangles sliding away and the shine coming back to it. You could feel the dirt and knots in your muscles soak away. Once you were cleaned up, she helped you back out of the water. After drying off and helping you dress again, she put a few small braids in your hair. “Thank you.” You said, giving her a small hug. She smiled happily and nodded. “Anything you need, if I can help, let me know.” When you turned to leave, you heard her step back into the water. Once you stepped outside, you saw Eretria walking towards you. “They are out in the entrance hall.” She spoke before stepping into the bathing room. As you got closer you could see the flickering of the torches they still had. 

Wil was up at the doors while Cephelo and Crispin were whispering to each other. He turned and moved down to the two men. “You know, if we found this place, so can the Demons. Maybe we should worry about that and not some Elvin janitor.” 

“This fortress is impenetrable.”

“Is it? We walked right in the front door. I’d feel better if one of us kept watch.” You moved over to Wil as the man came to announce dinner. Cephelo and Crispin followed after the man while you stood next to Wil. “Sure, I’ll take first watch. I don’t need dinner or anything.” 

“I’m staying here with you. I don’t like this place at all. I don’t feel safe here. Something feels really off.” When Wil sits down, you slowly sit down next to him. The two of you sit there in silence for a while before he pulled a shell out of his pocket. Leaning your head on his shoulder you ask him about it. When you learned that it was his moms, you wrapped your arm around his shoulder and gave him a hug. You pull back when you hear steps approaching. Mag has two plates, handing one to each of you before sitting down on the stairs with the two of you. Wil thanked her, setting the shell down on the step. You keep quiet and smell the food, not sure what it was. Wil, being the sweet being he was, started to talk to the girl. While they talked, you took a tiny bite to taste it. When it didn’t taste bad, you took a few slow bites. You set your plate down when Wil does and then listens to him tell the little girl about the ocean. 

Around the time she asks ‘for keeps’ you are starting to feel tired. Your energy was draining at an alarming rate. Your hand shot out to Wil’s knee as you turned your head to look over at him. Before you could even open your mouth to say anything you felt the world tilt and the cold stone of the steps against your back. Wil passed out moments after you. 

[evilhorse]

New Warriors #30

[kosmik-signals]

“Dolphy was never at his best in a context like the Coltrane Quartet where the bulk of the solo work was extended harmonic development over a relatively stable rhythmic line. Elvin Jones's use of polyrhythms never got far away from time-keeping. Doubling and augmenting times was something Dolphy had learned in the fraught days with Mingus and it is Mingus who really marks the end of the conventional rhythm section and introduces a degree of 'democracy' among all the separate voices of the jazz group.”                                                                                                                                 -Brian Morton, The Wire

(via Great Recordings: Eric Dolphy's Out To Lunch - The Wire)

[jpbjazz]

LÉGENDES DU JAZZ

BILLY HIGGINS, ‘’SMILING BILLY’’

“Billy Higgins’s talent will never be duplicated – not that any style can be – but his mark on jazz history is indelible. Billy Higgins represents four decades of total dedication to his chosen form of American music: jazz.”

- Cedar Walton

Né le 11 octobre 1936 à Los Angeles, en Californie, Billy Higgins était issu d’une famille de musiciens. Élevé dans le ghetto afro-américain de Watts, Higgins avait commencé à jouer de la batterie à l’âge de cinq ans sous l’influence d’un de ses amis batteurs. À l’âge de douze ans, Higgins avait travaillé avec des groupes de rhythm & blues, notamment avec des musiciens comme Amos Milburn et Bo Diddley. Au début de sa carrière, Higgins avait également collaboré avec les chanteurs et chanteuses Brook Benton, Jimmy Witherspoon et Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Surtout influencé par Kenny Clarke, Higgins avait aussi été marqué par Art Tatum et Charlie Parker. En octobre 2001, le chef d’orchestre John Riley du Vanguard Jazz Orchestra avait résumé ainsi les influences d’Higgins: “Billy dug the melodiousness of Max Roach and Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey’s groove, Elvin Jones’s comping, Ed Blackwell’s groove orchestration, and Roy Haynes’ individualist approach.” Higgins avait hérité de son surnom de ‘’Smiling Billy’’ en raison du plaisir communicatif qu’il avait de jouer de la batterie.

DÉBUTS DE CARRIÈRE

Higgins, qui s’était rapidement intéressé au jazz, avait commencé sa carrière en se produisant avec différents musiciens locaux comme Dexter Gordon, Carl Perkins, Leroy Vinnegar, Slim Gaillard, Teddy Edwards, Joe Castro et Walter Benton. À l’âge de quatorze ans, Higgins avait rencontré le trompettiste Don Cherry. En 1953, le duo était parti en tournée sur la Côte ouest avec les saxophonistes George Newman et James Clay dans le cadre du groupe  The Jazz Messiahs.

En 1957, Higgins s’était joint au quartet de Red Mitchell qui comprenait également la pianiste Lorraine Geller et le saxophoniste ténor James Clay. Higgins avait d’ailleurs fait ses débuts sur disque avec le groupe de Mitchell dans le cadre d’une collaboration avec les disques Contemporary de Lester Koenig. Higgins avait quitté le groupe de Mitchell peu après pour se joindre à la nouvelle formation d’Ornette Coleman, aux côtés de Don Cherry à la trompette, de Walter Norris au piano, et de Don Payne et de Charlie Haden à la contrebasse. Higgins, qui avait commencé à pratiquer avec Coleman en 1955, avait fait partie du groupe du saxophoniste sur une base permanente de 1958 à 1959, participant notamment à l’enregistrement des albums ‘’Something Else’’ (février-mars 1958), ‘’The Shape of Jazz to Come’’ et ‘’Change of the’’ Century’’, tous deux enregistrés en 1959. Higgins avait également participé aux concerts controversés du groupe au club Five Spot de New York en novembre 1959. Commentant la prestation du groupe, le critique Jon Thurber du Los Angeles Times avait qualifié le concert d’un des événements les plus légendaires de l’époque. Thurber avait ajouté: ‘’The event crowded the room with every available jazz musician and aficionado.”

Higgins s’étant vu interdire l’accès des clubs de New York à la suite d’une altercation avec la police,  Higgins s’était joint au quintet de Thelonious Monk. Il était par la suite allé jouer avec le groupe John Coltrane en 1960.

Le 21 décembre 1960, Higgins avait de nouveau retrouvé Coleman dans le cadre de l’enregistrement de l’album controversé ‘’Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation’’ mettant en vedette le double quartet de Coleman, composé de Coleman au saxophone alto, de Don Cherry à la trompette et au cornet, de Freddie Hubbard à la trompette, d’Eric Dolphy à la flûte, à la clarinette basse et au saxophone soprano, de Scott LaFaro et Charlie Haden à la contrebasse et de Higgins et Ed Blackwell à la batterie.

Devenu un des batteurs les plus en demande du monde du jazz, Higgins avait participé à plusieurs sessions pour les disques Blue Note dans les années 1960, principalement dans des contextes de hard bop. En 1962-63, Higgins s’était joint au groupe de Sonny Rollins avec qui il avait participé à une tournée en France. À la même époque, Higgins s’était également produit avec Donald Byrd, Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, Art Farmer, Jimmy Heath, Steve Lacy, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock et Lee Morgan.

Le jeu de Higgins à la batterie avait été particulièrement mis en évidence sur des enregistrements comme “Point of Departure’’ d’Andrew Hill, “Takin' Off’’ d’Herbie Hancock (qui comprenait le classique ‘’Watermelon Man’’), “Freedom Jazz Dance” d’Eddie Harris, ‘’Go !’’ de Dexter Gordon et “The Sidewinder’’ de Lee Morgan.

À partir de 1966, Higgins s’était produit régulièrement avec le pianiste Cedar Walton, avec il a enregistré plusieurs albums pour des compagnies de disques européennes jusqu'au milieu des années 1980.

DERNIÈRES ANNÉES

Après s’être fait désintoxiquer en 1971, Higgins avait formé le groupe Brass Company avec le  saxophoniste ténor Claude Bartee et le trompettiste Bill Hardman. Après s’être installé à Los Angeles en 1978, Higgins avait formé avec Walton et le le saxophoniste George Coleman le groupe Eastern Rebellion. À la fin des années 1970, Higgins avait également enregistré comme leader, faisant paraître des albums comme ‘’Soweto’’ (1979), ’’The Soldier’’ (1979) et ‘’Once More’’ (1980).

Dans les années 1980, Higgins avait également collaboré avec Pat Metheny et Slide Hampton. Tout en participant à des tournées internationales avec les Timeless All Stars et à des réunions avec Ornette Coleman et Don Cherry, Higgins avait eu un petit rôle dans le film de Bertrand Tavernier ‘’Round Midnight’’ aux côtés de Dexter Gordon en 1986. Il avait aussi fait partie du trio de Hank Jones. Toujours en 1986, Higgins avait fait partie du Quartet West de Charlie Haden, aux côtés d’Ernie Wax au saxophone et d’Alan Broadbent au piano. Après avoir connu certains problèmes de santé, Higgins avait été éventuellement remplacé par Larance Marable.

Très impliqué socialement, Higgins avait co-fondé en 1989 avec le poète Kamau Daáood le World Stage, un centre communautaire et culturel qui avait pour but de favoriser le développement de la musique, de la littérature et de l’art afro-américain. Le groupe, qui soutenait également la carrière de jeunes musiciens de jazz, organisait régulièrement des ateliers, des enregisrements et des concerts dans le quartier de Leimert Park à Los Angeles. Tous les lundis soirs, Higgins donnait des cours de batterie aux membres de la communauté. Higgins, qui s’intéressait particulièrement aux enfants, avait déclaré au cours d’une entrevue accordée au magazine LA Weekly en 1999:

"They should bus children in here so they can see all this, so they could be a part of it. Because the stuff that they feed kids now, they'll have a bunch of idiots in the next millennium as far as art and culture is concerned. I play at schools all the time, and I ask, 'Do you know who Art Tatum was?' 'Well, I guess not.' Some of them don't know who John Coltrane was, or Charlie Parker. It's our fault. Those who know never told them. They know who Elvis Presley was, and Tupac, or Scooby-Dooby Scoop Dogg--whatever. Anybody can emulate them, because it's easy, it has nothing to do with individualism. There's so much beautiful music in the world, and kids are getting robbed.’’

Également professeur, Higgins avait enseigné à la faculté de jazz de l’Université de Californie à Los Angeles (UCLA). Il avait aussi été très impliqué dans plusieurs activités en faveur de la conservation et de la promotion du jazz.

Toujours très en demande dans les sessions d’enregistrement, Higgins s’était produit sur une base régulière avec le saxophoniste Charles Lloyd de 1999 à 2001. Il dirigeait aussi ses propres groupes.

Atteint d’une maladie des reins, Higgins avait dû mettre sa carrière sur pause dans les années 1990, mais il avait repris sa carrière après avoir subi avec succès une greffe du foie en mars 1996, se produisant notamment avec Ornette Coleman, Charles Lloyd et Harold Land.

Billy Higgins est mort le 4 mai 2001 au Daniel Freeman Hospital d’Inglewoood, en Californie, des suites d’un cancer du foie. Il était âgé de soixante-quatre ans. Ont survécu à Higgins ses fils Ronald, William Jr., David et Benjamin, ses filles Ricky et Heidi, son frère Ronald, son gendre Joseph (Jody) Walker, son neveu Billy Thetford et sa fiancée Glo Harris. À l’époque, Higgins avait divorcé de sa première épouse Mauricina Altier Higgins.

Peu avant sa mort, Higgins avait joué le rôle d’un batteur de jazz dans le film ‘’Southlander’’ de Steve Hanft et Ross Harris.

Au moment de son décès, Higgins venait d’être hospitalisé pour une pneumonie et attendait une seconde greffe du foie. Dans son dernier numéro publié avant la mort de Higgins, la revue française Jazz Magazine avait lancé une campagne de souscription en faveur de Higgins, le batteur n’ayant pas des revenus suffisants pour couvrir ses frais médicaux. Deux ans avant sa mort, le saxophoniste Charles Lloyd avait témoigné de la santé fragile de Higgins en déclarant: ’’Billy Higgins a une santé précaire, et cette fragilité physique confère à son jeu une délicatesse unique. Jouer avec lui, c'est un peu comme jouer à la maison. Il y a une telle conjonction entre nous. Un seul regard suffit et le disque est enregistré.’’ Comparant Higgins à un maître zen, Lloyd avait ajouté: “everybody who plays with him gets that ecstatic high.” Rendant hommage à Higgins après sa mort, son collaborateur de longue date, le pianiste Cedar Walton, avait ajouté: “Billy Higgins’s talent will never be duplicated – not that any style can be – but his mark on jazz history is indelible. Billy Higgins represents four decades of total dedication to his chosen form of American music: jazz.”

Higgins avait livré sa dernière performance le 22 janvier 2001 dans le cadre d’un concert présenté au club Bones and Blues de Los Angeles. Le concert, qui mettait également en vedette les saxophonistes Charles Lloyd et Harold Land, avait pour but de soutenir la lutte d’Higgins contre le cancer du foie.

Reconnu pour son swing léger mais actif, son jeu subtil et raffiné et sa façon mélodique de jouer de la batterie, Billy Higgins avait collaboré avec les plus grands noms du jazz au cours de sa carrière, de Ornette Coleman à Don Cherry, en passant par Sonny Rollins, Cedar Walton, Herbie Hancock, Abudullah Ibrahim, Bheki Mseleku, Roy Hargrove, Pat Metheny, Charles Lloyd, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, John Scofield, Thelonious Monk, Scott LaFaro, Cecil Taylor, Charlie Haden, Hank Jones, Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, Grant Green, Joe Henderson, Art Farmer, Sam Jones, Dave Williams, Bob Berg, Monty Waters, Clifford Jordan, Ira Sullivan, Sun Ra, Milt Jackson, Jimmy Heath, Joshua Redman, John Coltrane, Eddie Harris, Steve Lacy, David Murray, Art Pepper, Mal Waldron, Jackie McLean et Lee Morgan. Higgins avait également collaboré avec le compositeur La Monte Young.

Higgins a participé à plus de 700 enregistrements au cours de sa carrière, ce qui en faisait un des batteurs les plus enregistrés de l’histoire du jazz. Qualifiant le jeu de Higgins, le critique Ted Panken du magazine Down Beat avait commenté: "To witness him--smiling broadly, eyes aglimmer, dancing with the drum set, navigating the flow with perfect touch, finding the apropos tone for every beat--was a majestic, seductive experience." De son côté, le chef d’orchestre Larry Riley avait précisé: “Billy was a facilitator, not a dominator. He would enhance the direction the music ‘wanted’ to go in rather than impose his own will on the composition. You can hear that Billy was a master at creating a good feeling in the rhythm section. Dynamically, he used the entire spectrum— but with great restraint. His comping and overall flow were very precise but very legato.”

Higgins, qui avait surtout appris son métier en utilisant une approche d’essais-erreurs, avait résumé ainsi sa méthode d’apprentissage:

“That’s where you learn. You learn to be in context with the music and interpret. You make your mistakes and you learn. Most of the drummers that are working are people who know how to make the other instruments get their sound. Kenny Clarke was a master at that. It sounds like he was doing very little, and he was, but what he implied made all the instruments get their sound. Philly Joe, Elvin—as strong as they played, they still bring out the essence of what the other musicians are playing. Roy Haynes, Max, Art Blakey—none of them played the same. You try to add your part, but the idea is to be part of the music and make it one. That’s the whole concept for me.” 

Décrivant la contribution d’Higgins à l’histoire du jazz, le contrebassiste Ron Carter avait ajouté: “Billy Higgins was the drummer of the 20th century who put the music back into the drums. He was fabulous. He always played the form, and he was aware not only of the soloists, but also of his rhythm section mates.” Saluant le professionnalisme et la grande préparation d’Higgins, Carter avait précisé: “He was always on time, with his equipment ready, and he contributed to the general outlook of the group no matter where [we were] or how many people were involved. He made the music feel good.” De son côté, le pianiste Cedar Walton avait commenté: “His style is well-documented, but to see Billy in person at his drums was the ultimate jazz experience.”

Billy Higgins avait été élu ‘’Jazz Master’’ par la National Endowment for the Arts en 1997. En 1988, Higgins avait également remporté un prix Grammy conjointement avec Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock et Wayne Shorter pour la composition “Call Sheet Blues” tirée de la bande sonore du film ‘’Round Midnight.’’ Par la suite, Higgins avait fait partie du Round Midnight Band avec le saxophoniste Dexter Gordon.

Le saxophoniste Charles Lloyd avait rendu un des meilleurs hommages qu’on pouvait rendre à Higgins lorsqu’il avait déclaré: "Jazz is the music of wonder and, and he's the personification of it.’’ Higgins s’était toujours considéré comme un peu privilégié d’avoir pu faire une carrière musicale. Comme il l’avait mentionné peu de temps avant sa mort: "I feel blessed to play music, and it's also an honor to play music. You've got a lot of people's feeling in your hands."

[bookwyrminspiration]

The way Sophie’s human parents were handled was actually awful. They had their memories wiped and their lives uprooted because the elves did not want them to know about the Elvin world. Sophie hardly put up a fight when this occurred, which is concerning, because she should feel protective of them as they are her parents and they raised her for many years. Is it ethical what was done to them? It sounds like a wishful thought experiment that a scientist would never be able to do because it is a violation of ethics. Sophie felt all of these things, yet she did not think to stop and help them. What does it say about her that she was so complacent in what happened to them? I could go on forever about this, but I need to know your thoughts.

I'd be happy to share my thoughts! I would say yes, it was awful and unethical and unfair to Sophie's human parents; it would not be sanctioned if it was officially presented for approval. However, I think turning this as a mark against Sophie would be incorrect and unfair to her.

Sophie was 12. And terrified. And exhausted. And trusting. Her parents are not her responsibility, and she did think to stop and help them. When Alden informed her of their plan for her parents (letting them think she died), she argued for what she thought was better for them and won. She suggested the memory wipe because she wanted to spare them the pain she was feeling at their loss. Whether or not that's the "better" option doesn't have a correct answer, but she pushed back for what she thinks the answer was. Is that complacency? She stays away now for their benefit, despite wanting them in her life. Is that not helping them?

Sophie, at that point in time, had no reason not to trust the people around her. She was confused, and overwhelmed, but she thought she was entering a better world where things would finally make sense, one run by good people with good people around her. She was 12 and new to this and trusted their judgement, wanted to defer to others because she had zero desire to be in charge. She wanted to be normal. I don't think we can draw the kinds of conclusions you seem to be implying about her from this, but that's just my opinion.

Yes, Sophie's human parents didn't deserve everything they've been put through--the erasure of who they were, the fake lives, being kidnapped, erased again, etc. They're normal, sweet people who just wanted to raise a family, and that desire was taken advantage of to serve others' purposes. No matter how kindly they proceed from here, how sensitive and empathetic they try to be, it does not make up for how they were taken advantage of, used without their consent. But I disagree with the way this seems to question Sophie's ties and feelings for her family.

That's how I see it at least. After all, these are just my thoughts and opinions on the matter! There's no one right way to see it, so thank you for the opportunity to talk about it!

[dan6085]

Top 20 greatest shot blockers of all time in NBA history, ranked by total blocks and including their career average blocks per game:

1. Hakeem Olajuwon - Total blocks: 3,830, Average per game: 2.6

2. Dikembe Mutombo - Total blocks: 3,289, Average per game: 2.8

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Total blocks: 3,189, Average per game: 2.6

4. Mark Eaton - Total blocks: 3,064, Average per game: 3.5

5. Tim Duncan - Total blocks: 3,020, Average per game: 2.2

6. Shaquille O'Neal - Total blocks: 2,732, Average per game: 2.3

7. David Robinson - Total blocks: 2,954, Average per game: 2.5

8. Patrick Ewing - Total blocks: 2,894, Average per game: 2.4

9. Tree Rollins - Total blocks: 2,542, Average per game: 2.2

10. Ben Wallace - Total blocks: 2,137, Average per game: 2.0

11. Marcus Camby - Total blocks: 2,331, Average per game: 2.0

12. Theo Ratliff - Total blocks: 1,968, Average per game: 2.4

13. Elvin Hayes - Total blocks: 1,771, Average per game: 1.7

14. Shawn Bradley - Total blocks: 2,119, Average per game: 2.5

15. Alonzo Mourning - Total blocks: 2,356, Average per game: 2.8

16. Artis Gilmore - Total blocks: 2,469, Average per game: 1.9

17. George Johnson - Total blocks: 2,082, Average per game: 2.1

18. Manute Bol - Total blocks: 2,086, Average per game: 3.3

19. Andrei Kirilenko - Total blocks: 2,253, Average per game: 2.0

20. Bill Russell - Total blocks: N/A, Average per game: N/A (blocks were not officially recorded during his career)

It's worth noting that these rankings are based on blocks per game average, but some players may have played fewer games and seasons than others, so their total block numbers may be lower.