#That little bell can hold so much significance to so many aspects of these character's lives.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Jingles a little bell in front of you to convince you to do tasks.

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[joealwyndaily]

Man About Town interview with Joe Alwyn

Fresh off the back of a star turn in Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet, we catch up with British superstar Joe Alwyn about getting into an evil mindset, playing the long-game in his career, and his upcoming role in Steven Knight’s A Christmas Carol.

words by Francesco Loy Bell

It’s an unnerving experience, having to ask an actor to fill you in on the ending of the film you’re supposed to be interviewing them about, but it’s a testament to Joe Alwyn’s charm and down-to-earth manner that he duly obliges, happily relaying the final ten minutes of Kasi Lemmons’ Harriet with an infectious enthusiasm only someone with genuine passion for a project could muster. I had been most of the way through Lemmons’ bold new offering, centred around American historical icon and slave-turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman, when the fire alarm sounded, resulting in a hoard of shell-shocked journalists being quickly ushered out of the building, only to be told that we would not be able to watch the last 25 minutes of the film. Fast-forward 24 hours, and I can’t help but pause to reflect on the surreality of sitting across from the films horrifying antagonist as he casually explains his fate to me over coffee. More on that later, however. 

Despite being the only actor in his immediate family, it’s fair to say Alwyn inherited some of the requisite DNA to pursue a career in film, his father, a documentary-maker and his mother, a therapist. Alwyn sees both as formative, instilling him with the “curiosity for looking into people’s lives, observing, and listening to stories” that had possessed him from an early age. “I always liked going to the cinema,” he explains, “sitting in big dark rooms, watching stories. It was kind of a way to disappear.” Though he cannot pinpoint the exact ‘light bulb’ moment in which he decided to become a professional actor, he does attribute seeing Ben Whishaw as Hamlet at the Old Vic when he was 12 or 13 as foundational, and “one of those moments that stick with you, where I thought: ‘I would really like to do that’.” That feeling soon blossomed, Alwyn taking numerous shows to the Edinburgh Fringe while at school and university, shows he can now jokingly admit “should not have been seen by anyone!”

Drama school naturally beckoned, the then-graduate enrolling himself into The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, an experience he looks back on fondly, his eyes lighting up as he recalls some of the more eccentric aspects of his time there. “A lot of rolling around on the floor, a lot of tight black clothing. And lots of trees, I was a brilliant tree,” he laughs, before informing me, in sudden deadpan: “you’re also looking at a llama.”

Alwyn probably wouldn’t have expected such a swift re-entry into the dynamic absurdity of drama school so soon after leaving, but then he probably wouldn’t have expected to be working with director Yorgos Lanthimos only a couple of years later either. Having shot his first job — Ang Lee’s reverse-engineered war film Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk — just after he graduated in 2015, Alwyn was sent the script of a then still in development The Favourite soon afterwards. “It felt like a special script. I mean, at that point, I hadn’t read that many scripts. I still was” — he catches himself, as his eyes widen in momentary wonder — “well, I still am new to this. But yeah, it was just... such a good script. I knew of Yorgos; I knew of his films. And those two things kind of narrowed together: this twisted take on a genre that can be quite conventional and stuffy, and his very unique, singular mind. It was exciting.”

A skype session with Lanthimos soon followed (“we talked about everything probably apart from The Favourite” Alwyn laughs), and the rest is history, the actor landing the role of Samuel Masham, a young baron in the court of Olivia Colman’s Queen Ann. Though his turn in the film is punctuated by exaggerated physicality — the court dancing scene with Rachel Weisz a particularly memorable example — Alwyn tells me that it was only when he got on set that Lanthimos’ true, bonkers vision began to come to life. 

“I didn’t know that it was going to become one of those moments,” he says of the dance scene and others like it. “Because in the script it just said ‘they dance’, or, ‘he chases her’.” He can’t help but smile when speaking about Lanthimos: “He is hilarious. And confusing. He doesn’t really say anything to you about conventional direction; there was no discussion of period, or etiquette, or character, or history — which I think we’d expected to a degree, just because of the nature of the film. We had two weeks of ridiculous exercises and rehearsals, where I’d be playing Olivia’s part, and Olivia would be playing Nick [Hoult]’s part, and you’d sing the lines, and you’re chasing each other, and... you don’t know what you’re doing, or why you’re doing it. And Yorgos doesn’t say anything. And then he’d get on set, and just kind of say ‘Mmm... louder, faster, quieter’.”

The profound respect Alwyn holds for Lanthimos is tangible — he responds “Yorgos again” in a flash when I ask him who he’d love to work with — and he largely credits the director’s vision for the success the film has since garnered. “He made it weird and wacky and bawdy and irreverent, and it’s just not what you’re used to seeing,” he gushes. One particular on-set tale gives some insight into the energetic nature of Lanthimos’ sets, Alwyn recollecting a close-shave experience during a flirtatious forest scene with Emma Stone which resulted in the actress being taken to hospital. “The woods scene; the rugby tackling scene. We — or I — got maybe a little too carried away in the rugby aspect of it, and Emma took a fall... which was completely my fault. She knocked herself on the root of a tree and hurt her head; the paramedics came, she had to go to hospital, and we had to stop filming for the day.” The sheer panic still momentary lingers on Alwyn’s face as he recounts the story: “She’d just won an Oscar [...] I was cowering in the corner thinking I’d just killed Emma Stone.”

Alwyn’s latest project, Harriet, is a stark departure from The Favourite, the actor trading in Masham’s comic fluidity for the chilling rigidity of Gideon Brodess, the vengeful and sickeningly violent son of Harriet’s owner. As aforementioned, it is difficult to reconcile the man sitting opposite me sipping his coffee with the evil he portrays on screen, and I’m curious as to Alwyn’s process for getting into such a poisonous mindset. “It’s tricky, because what he stands for is abhorrent, and obviously unrelatable,” he explains. “What him and his family did, and the idea of slavery, is repulsive. But I suppose with those kinds of characters you try to find some kind of humanity within them — which suits the time they were living in — to hold onto. And in Gideon’s case, it’s probably some kind of deep, repressed, buried feelings of love. Maybe love for Harriet? I don’t think he necessarily has a language for it, or even understands what it is. But he’s deeply tangled and confused inside. And you try and connect with those sides of him. But, in terms of who they are and what they stand for... it’s hard to find a way in. It’s near impossible.”

Alwyn gives a brutal performance in the film, deftly showcasing Gideon’s skin-crawling internal struggle between racist disgust, and Lima Syndrome-style  lust of Harriet, and his antagonistic villainy is the perfect foil to fellow Brit Cynthia Erivo’s stunning performance as the eponymous emancipator, Alwyn extolling her “formidable” work ethic and on-screen generosity as hugely motivational in his preparation. The story of Harriet Tubman, though well known, is perhaps not as staple a piece of knowledge in the American psyche as her actions demand, and Alwyn hopes that the film will help to give her the wider historical credit she deserves, both in the States and beyond. “Growing up in the UK,” he explains, “I didn’t know who she was, really. I’d seen her name; I’d seen the older iconic images of her. But I didn’t know her story. You hope that films like this will make it more accessible, and bring people in to learn about her and the story of what she did, what she achieved.”

As the politics of division take hold around the world, there has been an intensified focus on the debate surrounding story-telling, and the potential impact or consequence a story can have in the current climate; Todd Phillips’ Joker, for example, has faced significant criticism for potentially giving encouragement to white terrorism and racism. In this vein, the telling of stories like Tubman’s seems more necessary than ever, and this is not lost on Alwyn. “If you go on Twitter and read down on the news, there’s endless stories of division and racism, bigotry, families being torn apart at the borders. Without putting too much on it, if there was someone who represents a fight in the face of that, Harriet Tubman seems to shine pretty strong. And you’d hope that someone like her would become a part of a global curriculum at school.” Alwyn is hopeful that giving figures like Tubman their due historical credit — at least in terms of film — will universalise her all-too-recent struggle, and help unite people in the face of societal partition.

Alwyn’s next project will see him return to London, albeit a dark, Dickensian version of the city, as he takes on the role of Bob Cratchit — Ebenezer Scrooge’s much-abused clerk — in Steven Knight’s upcoming rendition of A Christmas Carol. Though he cannot give too much away, he promises the miniseries will be much darker and truer to Dickens’ sordid portrayal of London than previous versions. “It’s very much more in that kind of gritty, darker, slightly twisted world,” he explains. “It’s not as sanitised, perhaps, as most other versions are [...] it really goes into Scrooge’s own pain and why he is the way he is in quite an unpleasant way. And definitely in a way that hasn’t been seen before.”

Alwyn speaks with a soft, magnetic enthusiasm that almost makes me forget that this is indeed an interview, and I am disappointed to look down at my dictaphone and discover that our allotted time slot is drawing to a close. Characteristically, however, he laughs off any time constraint, and I am afforded some final questions. At 28 years old, the actor is arguably slightly older than some of the other industry ‘up-and-comers’ one might bracket him alongside, and I ask whether he thinks the hyper-visibility of fame elicited by social media is in part to blame for an increasing tendency to link the validity of success with being in your early 20s. Alwyn, despite having an instagram page and being in a relationship with one of the biggest musicians in the world, is notably more private than many others in his position, and he quotes a piece of advice given to him by Ang Lee on set of Billy Lynn in his response.

“It’s not a sprint,” he decides, after some deliberation. “Everyone has different ways of going. I’m still at an early stage in my career. I left Central in 2015, the first film I was in came out at the end of 2016. It doesn’t feel too long ago. I don’t think there is any right way to do it, but [...] I do think it’s an interesting point about social media and the idea of instant visibility, an instant attainment... it’s a dangerous thing to play into. And something that would be dangerous to get hooked on because I don’t think it’s real. You know, social media is [a facade]. And if you buy into that being a reality — or that’s what you go after — it’s not healthy.”

I am struck by how refreshing Alwyn’s attitude to fame is, though by the end of our conversation, I am hardly surprised. This is someone for whom the work is clearly a far superior motivational factor than fame or recognition, and this passion for his craft is evident in every project he touches. Ang Lee was right, it is a marathon rather than a sprint, but Joe Alwyn certainly seems ahead of the curve as he enters what promises to be a vastly exciting new chapter in his career. I, for one, can’t wait to see what he does next.

[schmergo]

I just saw the most interesting production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast last week at a small professional theatre in Northern Virginia called Creative Cauldron. I don’t usually write about shows that my friends won’t get to see (this one has closed), but this one was such an exciting little surprise that I have to put this out there.

This theatre is a black box. The other show I’ve seen there only had five actors and they seemed to fill up the space. How on earth, I wondered, could they put on a big spectacle show like Beauty and the Beast?

Ultimately, I left the theatre not entirely convinced that the show worked in such a tight space, yet its strongest elements were so powerful, creative, and memorable that they made the clumsy bits of staging feel less significant.

I don’t want to get into what I feel the shortcomings were because people involved in the production might read this, but I will say that not all aspects of characterization, staging, and costume/prop design were fitting for the small space, where details and sight lines are key. The production was definitely strongest when it kept things more minimal and abstract. I was delighted by the last verse of a “Be Our Guest” that ended not with a giant kick line but black light and choreographed movement with white gloves. Household objects’ clever costumes were less bulky and limited movement less than most productions, which made for a highly energetic ensemble. Lighting alone effectively conveyed a forest, and a children’s ensemble played objects ranging from Maurice’s invention to wolves. I loved the versatility of the set’s design, consisting of many bookcases that can be slid aside to reveal passages, occasionally blocked by wrought-iron glass-covered gates with a rose motif.

These gates played a role in one of the best scenes of the musical, in which the Beast discovers Maurice in his castle. Instead of immediately entering the scene, he presses his twisted face against the glass gates, bathed in red light, skulking from panel to panel and reappearing each time with the suddenness of a horror movie jump scare. I haven’t been so scared of the Beast since I was a toddler.

That brings me to the best thing about the show, the reason I would have gladly paid over twice the admission price to see it despite its inconsistency: the two title roles. I’m not exaggerating when I say this Belle and Beast are my favorites I’ve seen in any live production of Beauty and the Beast (of which I’ve seen many). I’d seen both actors in smaller roles in larger productions before- Eleanor Todd (Belle) as an ensemble member in Camelot at STC, Wyn Delano (Beast) as a very memorable Steward in Ford’s Theatre’s Into the Woods, and it was awesome to see them shine in the spotlight here.

Todd made Belle feel more real and present than I’ve ever seen before with an intimate portrayal that perfectly fit the small space. She didn’t use a cutesy “princess voice.” She was sensitive, smart, thoughtful, decisive, refreshingly modern and surprisingly funny. Each subtle expression of her eye or twitch of the corner of her mouth reflected the thoughts Belle was too polite to express (I loved watching her internally screaming while Gaston sang about how many children they’d have, awkwardly clutching her watering can like a talisman to ward him off). She acted her way through her ballads in a way that made them feel fresh and new- and wow, what a voice, clear and warm and totally worthy of a princess. Her Belle is so likable that you feel like she’s your best friend confiding in you, and it’s easy to see why the Beast fell in love with her so easily.

I can’t say enough about Delano’s portrayal of the Beast or the design of his costume, and really, the two go hand in hand. That’s a character that I’ve always loved and yet I usually feel let down when I see Beauty and the Beast onstage because the elaborate prosthetics make it tricky to show much expression. No matter how high the budget, they never look quite right. Seeing a production image of Delano in character is what prompted me to buy a ticket. Rather than wearing a mask, elaborate makeup, or a giant muscle suit, his Beast wears two streaks of black paint below his eyes, furry gloves with long scary claws, and a long cloak. The rest is up to Delano himself. He contorts his face and hunches his shoulders, roars and growls. His own long hair serves him well as both a Beast and a Prince, and his expressive eyes do a huge amount of the characterization for him. He’s extraordinary.

As I mentioned before, his Beast is terrifying at the beginning, and his deep voice and abrupt movements were so scary that I kept flinching at his outbursts. He paces, storms, recoils, leaps from furniture, yet he’s also intensely anxious and self-conscious and it’s easy to see how these traits motivate his behavior. I didn’t think he’d be able to do the sweet and romantic side of the Beast as well, but he did, adorably and goofily awkward. He holds Belle during their dance like he’s afraid he’s going to break her. There’s something of the little boy in his Beast, which works especially well because this production cast a member of the children’s ensemble as the young prince in the prologue. “Gosh,” you think. “The Enchantress cursed a little boy. He went through puberty in a monster’s body. No wonder he’s so messed up.”

The young actor who played the Prince in the prologue also helped the Beast transform into a human, washing his face and removing his claws and cloak, while Delano did the work of showing his bone structure shifting and changing. It was a beautiful moment to see his younger self’s almost tearful expression while setting his older self free. I’ve seen that scene done with dazzling special effects but never with the same emotion. Delano barely looks any different after the transformation but the way he carries himself is almost unrecognizable.

He’s just as powerful a singer as an actor. When he sang his sad reprise of “If I Can’t Love Her” near the end of the show, he sat on the steps right next to me and the intensity of his singing moved me to tears. I may or may not have been in his spotlight. If I was, the audience got to see me stare at him and ugly cry.

I also want to give a special shout out to the children’s ensemble, especially the little girl who played the Enchanted Rose, here a wordless confidante who wistfully reacts to the Beast’s ranting and singing. “I don’t like this any more than you do,” her eyes seem to say as she drops petals. Full disclosure: this actress went to the drama camp that I worked at three years ago, and I recognized her at once because she was a memorable performer even then. I’m super proud of her!

Seeing this show made me look at some of my favorite Disney characters and songs in a whole new light. If you ever see Eleanor Todd or Wyn Delano cast in a major role in the future, GO SEE IT!

[teganberry]

The Disney Princess Dilemma

Kingdom Hearts 3 has been a game filled with massive highs and devastating emotional lows. And while the game is both a critical and financial success for Square Enix, the opinions of dedicated fans have been rather divided. Overall the game is an amazing piece of entertainment, but there is one aspect of the narrative that most fans seem to agree is the game’s biggest flaw, the rather weak portrayal of it’s female characters, in particular Kairi.

Now before I dive in any deeper I want to make a few things clear. Kairi is one of my favourite characters in the Kingdom Hearts series, and has been since I first got into the series well over 15 years ago. As such this post is intended as a character study and discussion, not an excuses to bash on Kairi’s character or Nomura’s ability as a writer. I adore Kairi and I’ve got far too much respect for Nomura as a creative to so thoughtlessly throw hate around. Secondly, while I will be referring to certain character’s as being “Princes” and “Princesses”, shipping has got nothing to do with this, they are simply Disney character archetypes I want to explore. There is no hidden agenda here, just an honest discussion. Alrighty, this is going to be a long one, let’s jump in!

As it stands we have no idea what the future plot of the Kingdom Hearts series holds, the only person who does know is Nomura. Perhaps everything we’ve seen so far is all part of a bigger master plan that will one day blow all our collective minds away. But until then when it comes to the problem surrounding Kairi’s portrayal in Kingdom Hearts 3, the best way we can find the answers for where things potentially went wrong is to look back.

Since I completed the game and begun to see many of the complaints surrounding Nomura’s writing of Kairi, I begun to wonder how had it all come to this. A lot of people have concluded the main issue is that Nomura just doesn’t like Kairi anymore and he no longer knows what to do with her. Personally I don’t think that’s the case. If Nomura really was tired of her and she wasn’t working into his long term plans then he would have written her out of the plot a long time ago. But he didn’t. Kairi has continued to make significant appearances in a majority of the titles in the series. She has been front and centre in the promotional material for Kingdom Hearts 3, a great deal of the the game’s opening was focused on her, (even more so than Aqua which really surprised me), and the ending of the game seemingly sets Kairi right at the heart of whatever is about to come next in Sora’s journey. So then what went wrong? If Nomura doesn’t hate Kairi and isn’t bored with her then why was she relegated once again to the role of the damsel in distress? Well I believe it all comes back to her original role in the Kingdom Hearts series, Kairi is Square Enix’s Disney Princess.

One thing we have to keep in mind whenever you consider the development of a Kingdom Hearts game is that Disney is always at the heart of development process. Not just in the creation of the Disney worlds, but in how the original characters are designed, how they act, and how the overall story progresses. Kingdom Hearts is this weirdly impossible mix of JRPG and Disney storytelling that somehow works to create an utterly amazing greater whole. As such each character by design, especially in the case of the original Kingdom Hearts, can be seen as fitting into a number of well known Disney archetypes.

Most classic Disney films have three main character types the plot centres around, the Prince/Hero, the Villain, and the Princess. As the first game in the series, the developers wanted to make sure every aspect of the game was filled with that beloved Disney Magic. We see that Sora, Riku and Kairi were all purposefully written to embody these three classic archetypes. Sora is the daring Prince, he’s our hero and the one we know will save the day no matter what. Likewise Riku comes to embody the role of the Villain, as we constantly see him attempt to get in Sora’s way and undermine his journey. Now before any RIku fans jump down my throat, Riku obviously isn’t the true villain of the game as he also embodies that age old JRPG role of the rival to Sora’s hero. So we always knew Riku would be redeemed by the game’s end, but that doesn’t change the fact that for a time Riku was one of the bad guys. That of course means Kairi is the Princess, but not just any princess, she is purposefully written to embody the traits of a classic Disney Princess.

In Kingdom Hearts lore the original seven Princess of Hearts were comprised of Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Jasmine, Belle, Alice and Kairi. The Disney Princess are all very recognisable, and considering they are now the 7th highest grossing media franchise of all time (I’m not kidding! They make more money then the entire Harry Potter/Wizarding World franchise), it makes sense to see them grouped together in Kingdom Hearts. In comparison, at the time Kairi was a brand new character that the player knew very little about, and had never been associated with the Princesses before. So in order for her inclusion as a Princess of Heart in the narrative to work, Nomura needed to develop her character in such a way that the player would see and accept her as essentially a new Disney Princess. The best way to accomplish this then, with perhaps the exception of Alice in Wonderland, was to have Kairi’s role in the game unfold in a similar manner to what we often see occur in the other Princesses’ films, the often helpless Princess being captured or tormented by the villain, then eventually saved by the Prince. That’s why every time we see Kairi’s lifeless body throughout the entire game we can’t help thinking of Sleepy Beauty, because that’s exactly what Nomura want’s us to see. The game directly draws on the plot of Sleeping Beauty, Kairi embodies the sleeping Aurora, Sora is Prince Phillip charging forth with enchanted sword in hand, while Riku is being manipulated by the central villain of Sleepy Beauty herself, Malificent. Nomura’s narrative cements the subliminal suggestions in our minds and archives his goal, Kairi becomes a new kind of Disney Princess.

The narrative of having Kairi saved by Sora worked quite well in the original Kingdom Hearts, because the overall intention of that game was to create an experience reminiscent of the classic Disney films everyone grew up on. And while she was relegated to the role of damsel in destress for a large portion of the story, Kairi does get her moment to shine and show us that there’s more to being a princess than simply waiting to be rescued. Kairi represents the inner strength that balances out Sora and Riku’s outward power. Its a theme that has come to be associated with her character throughout all the main entries in the series.

So what was next for Kairi? Well as it turns out more of the same it seems. Kairi unfortunately finds herself being kidnapped by the villains once again in Kingdom Hearts 2, likely due to Nomura again wanting to make it clear that Kairi is the Princess of this story. But first lets take a look at the development of Kairi’s design over the course of the series. While initially being presented as a rather normal teenage girl in the first game, during the development of Kingdom Hearts 2 there was a conscious push to make Kairi even more Princess like than she had been in previous games. Her hair is longer, she wears a pretty pink dress now rather than shorts and tank tops, and her overall appearance is much more elegant and mature. In a cast interview with Kairi’s then english voice actress, Hayden Panettiere, it’s mentioned that she was often asked to raise her voice a few octaves to make Kairi sound more like a Princess. Kairi’s physical Princess evolution is pushed even further in Kingdom Hearts 3 when she is given a new battle dress and a hair cut that is somewhat reminiscent of Snow White. While this new outfit does appear hardier then her previous design, unlike her fellow Guardians Kairi does not wear any form of gloves or gauntlets to protect her hands, instead only wearing a few bracelets. Comparing her Kingdom Hearts 3 outfit to that of Sora and Riku’s does bring into question it’s overall practicality, but she is a Princess and the design makes that very clear visually.

For the sake of character development and future plot progression it makes sense to bring Kairi’s role as a Princess of Heart to the forefront, as it would soon come to play an even greater part in Kingdom Hearts lore. Having been born with a heart of pure light makes Kairi very unlike any other character in the series. But it seems in order to press upon the player that yes indeed Kairi is a Princess, In Kingdom Hearts 2 Nomura fell back on the old Princess needing to be saved by the Prince plot device in order to drive that home. Thankfully though things are changed up a bit this time around. Kairi is sick of waiting around, and whenever she gets the chance to strike out on her own to find her friends, both before and after being kidnapped, she does so without hesitation. She’s even given a Keyblade and is finally able to fight for herself this time! Hurray! Overall it isn’t great that Nomura chose to make Kairi the old school Disney damsel in distress again, but despite this we do see determination and growth in her character. Perhaps not as much as we see in Sora and Riku, but there is development none the less and by the end most fans were excited to see how she would continue to grow as a character in future instalments.

For a good while it did seem that Nomura was hinting at Kairi taking on a much bigger role in the highly anticipated Kingdom Hearts 3. It was revealed in Dream Drop Distance that Yen Sid intended for her to be trained as a Keyblade Wielder, ensuring she would become one of the Guardians of Light and take part in the second Keyblade War. And as I mentioned previously, Kairi was quite often front and centre in most of Kingdom Hearts 3’s marketing material. Her line “This time, I’ll protect you” was constantly used throughout said marketing for the game. It all looked promising for Kairi! But then we all know what happened.

Now before we jump into Kingdom Hearts 3 itself let’s take a step back to the years following the release of Kingdom Hearts 2, and consider what was happening over at Disney Animation at the time. After nearly a decade of creating films that were mostly considered not up to scratch, Disney decided to go back to their most tried and true formula for creating successful animated films, adapting fairytales, specifically Princess movies. While this was the most sensible choice to make, Disney were also keenly aware that their older brand of Disney Princess film would likely no longer appeal to a modern audience. Today young girls want to look up to brave, strong and charismatic heroines who aren’t afraid to carve out their own path in life. Watching a movie about a Princess waiting to be saved just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. So Disney adapted and ever since then we’ve been introduced to an all new kind of Disney Princess, Tiana, Rapunzel, Elsa, Anna and Moana, Princesses who are the hero of their own stories.

This is what audiences have come to expect of the Princesses, to stand proudly on their own two feet, no longer being relegated to position the damsel in distress. So when it was announced that Tangled and Frozen would be brand new worlds in Kingdom Hearts 3 it set an exception in the minds of fans. Here we had two beloved Disney films that feature strong and brave Princesses as the central characters. It only makes sense then that we should expect the same strength to flow through to the wonderful ladies of Kingdom Hearts. But that didn’t happen. Instead nothing really changed for any of them, and instead of pushing Kairi to grow into the modern Princess we all want her to be, Nomura held her back.

Now the question we need to ask here is why? Why did Nomura choose to not follow the new Disney trend when he has stuck so closely to their lead in the past? I suppose the only person who can truly answer that question is the man himself. But lets try and think about this logically, as I can see two likely reasons why this occurred. The first is the fact that overall Square Enix and many other gaming companies still don’t do a great job when it comes to writing realistic and truly relatable female characters. Not to say there are none, but it is still a prevalent problem none the less. Case and point Lunafreya from Final Fantasy XV. The fact that in order to get a true understanding of Lunafreya as a character and her true feelings, we’re going to have to read a novel that acts as an alternate happy ending to the original game says a lot. But I’m getting off topic here! The track record for the development of female characters in games isn’t great, that’s not an excuse and game companies really need to start doing better, but it is a possible explanation for why the plot of Kingdom Hearts 3 unfolded the way it did.

The second and more likely reason to have Kairi play the Princess in distress to Sora’s hero once again was probably due to time constraints. AAA video game production is a massive undertaking with very strict deadlines. As a result developers are often forced to sacrifice interesting story elements and mechanics in order to make sure that a game is able to reach said deadlines in a solid and workable condition. Final Fantasy XV is again an excellent example of this and what can go wrong. In the time since the game’s release it has more or less been confirmed that due to the incredibly strained production of the game a vast majority of story content was cut out, and the game was left in a rather obvious unfinished state narrative wise. We know that the engine swap during the development of Kingdom Hearts 3 from the Luminous to the Unreal engine had a big impact on the game’s development time, and pushed it’s final release date back significantly. So it goes without saying that things would have been cut in order to make up for lost time. The fact Nomura has confirmed that we will be receiving DLC fleshing out Xion’s role in Kingdom Hearts 3 more or less confirms this. At the end of the day Square Enix is a business and sometimes sacrifices need to be made in order to ensure a product can be developed properly and efficiently.

There is every possibility that Nomura had planned a number of different ways for Kairi to develop and grow as a protagonist in Kingdom Hearts 3 before her tragic death occurred, perhaps even fighting back as much as she could before being captured. But the problem lies in just how many loose ends needed to be tied up in the game with the limited development time they had. So much attention need to be paid to as many characters as possible to wrap everything up that you run the risk of the game becoming bloated, or things feeling rushed and unfinished. I’m not saying it was the right choice to cut out Kairi’s potential character growth, but we can see why it was easier for Nomura to fall back on having her be easily kidnapped again to move that part of the plot forward as quickly as possible so the momentum didn’t slow down. She is a Princess after all, right? Well no, that reasoning isn’t an excuse anymore, audiences expect far more from the Princesses and its time for Square Enix to follow Disney’s lead.

So what can be done? If the reason Kairi is being held back is due to her role as a Princess then can it be fixed? The simple answer is yes, it can. Disney have already clearly laid out what they now expect of female heroines and Princesses in their films. With the less than positive critical response to the development of the female protagonists in Kingdom Hearts 3, Square would be crazy not to jump at the chance to give fans what we want to see. Nomura clearly understood what it meant for a character to be a Disney Princess during the development of Kingdom Hearts 1, and I’m sure he’s very aware that audience expectations have changed. What needs to be done now is for Square to take that step forward alongside Disney and allow Kairi move on from her role as a Classic Princess and finally grow into a Modern Disney Princess, not simply fall back on old writing habits out of convenience. By voicing our opinions in an honest and constructive manner on social media platforms such as Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram ect. Square Enix and Nomura will hear us. We need only tell them that not only do we want to see more from Kairi, but that we want her to stand proudly as one of the new Princesses of Heart alongside Elsa, Anna and Rapunzel, a positive embodiment of the new bread of Disney Hero.

[ducktracy]

67. i’ve got to sing a torch song (1933)

release date: september 23rd, 1933

series: merrie melodies

director: tom palmer

starring: sara berner (greta garbo/zasu pitts/mae west)

tom palmer’s second and final effort at warner bros. this fares better than the disastrous buddy’s day out, but only slightly. i also forgot to mention, looney tunes and merrie melodies have both adopted new theme songs. looney tunes’ 1933-1934 theme song is currently untitled, but it would be used all the way until “porky signature” replaced it for the 1936-1937 season (albeit a faster, more up tempo version of the song). merry melodies adopts “i think you’re ducky”, which would be replaced by “merrily we roll along” in 1936 and stay that way until 1967. back to the synopsis: celebrities and personalities are abound as everyone tunes into the radio station to overhear their wacky antics.

a little light of creativity is finally shown with the opening sequence, various shots of people tuning into their radio sets with bated breath. what follows next is a sequence of gags, all revolving around the same radio show: an exercise program, the announcer dictating “one, two, one two, breathe deeply, one, two”. a family is shown bending at the waist, a man tightening his wife’s girdle, a father rocking his quadruplets, a man pulling tickets from a machine, and even a caricature of benito mussolini riding a mechanical horse in his bedroom. bernard shaw is also shown boxing at a globe. the animation and delivery suffers like it did in buddy’s day out. everyone is wobbly and janky and feels unstable, insecure—a reflection of tom palmer’s insecurity and indecisiveness as a director.

a caricature of ed wynn rides a horse on a stick, pulling a whistle on his trademark firemen’s cap and waving a bell. he yells into a microphone, “when you hear the gong, it’ll be 8:00 whether you like it or not! clocks in a clock shop come to life and grunt “you’re tellin’ us!” tom palmer utilizes a lot of fades. fade between each scene. face between the clock faces and the clocks actually having anthropomorphized faces. there’s nothing to break up the monotony, and likewise things feel like they blend together and become predictable.

now, this did give me a good laugh (and not at palmer’s expense), so good on him. cros bingsby bing crosby is in his bathtub, singing into a microphone treading the waters. fade to a gaggle of gals gathered around a radio, listening to their favorite crooner. another woman cradles her radio and kisses it affectionately. back to bing, who had previously been shown covered in bubbles. he turns on the shower head and rinses himself off, and we’re greeted with a rather disappointing bing crosby caricature. he looks too normal and indistinct, too smooth. a good descriptor would be mannequin-esque. thankfully, the future holds many an entertaining bing crosby caricature for us to ogle at.

another clever trick that is standard at the same time. we see two pairs of legs tap dancing, a mystery as to who they belong to. pan up to reveal caricatures of james cagney and joan blondell with their hands in their shoes. the animation is awkward and floaty as ever when cagney playfully punches blondell, who merely glides away. it’s a lack of spacing. there’s no spacing in the animation, no accents, no impacts, nothing. as a result, everything glides and feels loose and wobbly.

back to ed wynn, who’s shooting a pistol and yelling “hello, 8:00!” elsewhere, we turn to ben bernie conducting an orchestra, which turns out to be a record player. not much to say on these gags, they feel very straightforward and present.

palmer’s view fails to come forth once more as we get a shot of a bunch of little globes floating in space and spinning. it’s supposed to symbolize that everyone around the globe is tuned in, not just us locals in america, but instead it reads as jarring and confusing.

i also suppose i was pretty foolish to think that now that harman and ising were gone, the casual racism of the 30s would be put on the back burner—especially foolish since i’ve seen many shorts that are equally unsavory, if not moreso than the ones made by harman and ising. we have ethnic stereotypes nonstop. cut to china, where a man is pulling a cart labeled “shanghai police”, all of the police asleep. the phonograph they’re listening to disturbs their slumber, and they tie it in a knot and go back to sleep. elsewhere, we fall back to the “african cannibal” stereotype, a blackface caricature of a cannibal listening to a cooking show whilst mixing up a big pot of comedy duo bert wheeler and robert woolsey. the gag is trite and uninspired, little imagination present. cut to the arctic, where an inuit man is ice fishing. he reels in a big catch—a whale, diving away as the whale eats the iceberg he’s sitting on. the whale salvages the radio and dances to some tunes. once more, the animation is alien and off putting, and the voice of the man screaming seems merely pasted on instead of a deliberate choice.

animation of a harem dancer is especially poor, without a basic understanding of anatomy. her limbs seem rubbery and almost broken. though it is the era of rubber hose, it’s clear that wasn’t what they were going for. the sultan observing her is just as unimpressed, turning the station to listen to minstrel show amos ‘n andy.

after some redundant attempts at some gags, we finally launch into our title song “i’ve got to sing a torch song”, sung by loose caricatures of the boswell sisters. the harmonies are lovely as always and a joy to listen to. probably the most bearable part of the cartoon.

other characters chime in, including a man robbing a safe with a torch, and two men playing a jigsaw puzzle in a hole (signs labeled MEN AT WORK).

more caricatures sing the song, such as greta garbo, zasu pitts, and mae west. once again, the animation is lost and confused, caricatures underwhelming, and any chances of a laugh dropped. what’s also confusing is that zasu pitts is clearly in another setting: photo limit prevents me from showing so, but the curtain behind her (she’s the one in the middle) is a totally different color. yet in the shot above, they’re all on the same stage. palmer’s view is muddled in his own lack of confidence. there’s also a random cutaway to a jimmy durante statue of liberty, likely a last minute attempt to throw in a celebrity.

finally, back to ed wynn and the tired 8:00 gags. he shoots a cannon, which launches himself into the air and straight through his own ceiling, where his wife and children (all dawning firemen hats) all cry “SOOOOO?”, a catchphrase of wynn’s as he laughs awkwardly. iris out.

though this cartoon was, well, bad, it fared slightly better by buddy’s day out, but not by much. tom palmer’s lack of cohesion, clarity, and confidence reflect into almost every aspect of the cartoon. the animation is vague. the story is vague. the caricatures are vague. it’s all vague. i’m really disappointed about the caricatures, they feel way too toned down and normal, not at all funny. being born in 2001, i’m not going to know who people born in 1900 are or what they look like (well, i mean i will, but the point is i don’t recognize every caricature i see. i spend a lot of time researching and frantically digging through the web as i type each review), but i can still appreciate them and laugh if they’re drawn, look, and act funny, and here there’s none of that. i do feel bad for tom palmer, though. being plucked from disney as an animator and put into a director’s position at a competing studio would definitely be shocking, especially with no prior directing experience. so i’m glad that he did what he did, managing to pull through, somehow. i wouldn’t recommend this cartoon: it isn’t even funny enough to hate watch. it just bears little significance overall. but, as always, i provide a link just in case!

link!

[pixie-skull]

AU Disney Heroines # 1: Feelings at First Pride Parades

MINOR UPDATE ON JUNE 22ND, ADDED GIFS AND NOT GOING TO ALWAYS. XD ALSO ITALIZED IS ADDED.

Before I go, yes I am going to attempt to make this open to anyone, but this creator wants more LGBTQ+ AUs, so this one just if you and x character went and the character's thoughts. Please share your thoughts if this good or not in my ask box? :D Here are the rules too.

Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs): Snow would a bit overwhelmed, but hold your hand or shoulder the whole time, yet be excited about the floats commenting on the outfits and colors. Funny enough she brought the Seven dwarfs too, so she had a group to go to encase, it was her first Pride. (yet yes bring friends, going alone is a lot and @myhollie1911 thought of you when writing Snow’s part, plus Aurora)

Cinderella (Cinderella): Cindy would have made you and her cute patches and other tiny things and hide it from her step-mother because she would worry they be torn apart.

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty): Inspired by the splattered of her gown (you told about her it), she asked her aunts (I headcanon the Faries as a polyamorous relationship and her aunt like figures XP ) to make her Pride outfit have a similar effect and loves to show off to you shyly.

Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit): Outside people somewhat flirting to her, you two had a blast. You even saw her mood boost at the asexual* float and she buys herself an ace flag, which she wore as a cape.  (*=Many headcanon Jessica Rabbit as ace)

Ariel (The Little Mermaid): Ariel asks you and even strangers what the flags used mean and how to apply to them, but everyone can tell in a good place, not in a “you are just your sexuality and/or gender”. Funny enough she goes on a ramble on what her underwater kingdom events similar to Pride are like. Her sisters even came to support her. :D (Again can not stress how important it is to not go to alone, you be overwhelmed, but if want to, all the power to you. :D)

Belle (Beauty and the Beast): Belle is excited about the historical aspects and compares how far the LGBTQ+ Community got. You encourage her to see other parts of the parade too, but it is so adorable how she reads all these plaques, gather zines, and listen to a guest speaker. The friends from the castle and Lefou with his boyfriend had so much fun. 

Jasmine (Aladdin): Jasmine trusts you to show you around and if does have questions, is both comfortable and excited to be the one to ask. You find it so cute when the animal floats come how she telling she wants all the cats shown.

Pocahontas (Pocahontas): Similar to Snow White is quite at first, but unlike her, Pocahontas excited to see be part of the events, like she would rush to impulsively to floats where people brought their pets and ask if can pet them. She does stay quite though, however it is because she loves seeing the color of the flags in the wind.

Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame): As a performer and enjoys to be part of the show and finds as many activities to do. She is even happy to see Jolly and Hugo being a cute dogs couple. So much when won a raffle for open mic she speaks about how in her experience religion has been supportive of the LGBTQ+ Community, after all, “Aren’t we Children of God”.

Megara (Heracles): Meg may seem distant about the idea, but she teases “like Ancient Greece, anything Gay Pride-related tends to be for the men”. However, she goes and has fun, even warms up to being more vocal in her pride. ( @sailorzelda94)

Mulan (Mulan): You are shocked Mulan never gone to Pride, but at other peer events always show interest in the Parades. Her friends' joke she should be a Drag King and named Ping, but drag is something she has mixed feelings. However, you both go and her friends all have fun and even though have significant others or girlfriends*, the men want to show support for their fellow war buddies. (*=Mulan II)

Jane Porter (Tarzan): Jane always seems too busy if helping her father’s study, her own work/art, or a combo. Finally being free you take her and she is dazed in awe and wonder the whole time. She jokes “is it called Pride for like a jungle there so much life here”. She does not do anything too dress-up for the event, but you know she comfortable with who she is, and everyone once in a while you kiss her to show much she means to you.

Kida (Atlantis: The Lost Empire): Kida so excited and even wears what looks like a 70′s biker and you can not help love how enthusiastic for the bikers. She does not fulfill the stereotypical image of someone in such attire, but she just loves the community aspect of Pride events. Even asks you questions of how she can introduce it to her family/kingdom.

Audrey (Atlantis: The Lost Empire): Audrey goes in a causal “butch” outfit and her demi jacket is adorned with all the cute little LGBTQ+ buttons you get her and she finds, but at Pride, she sees so many, she jokes she buys a second demi jacket and only for pride, only she goes does that.

Helga (Atlantis: The Lost Empire): Very quiet about it, but has a tiny smirk the whole time as she waves her rainbow flag when floats go by. She does sometimes act a bit aggressive when someone by accident hits on you, she punched an old man in the upper jaw. (thought of @mccoppinscrapyard)

Nani (Lilo and Stich): Nani has a lot of fun and even feels she kinda loosen up, even though Lilo and Stich are both acting up a few times, you help relax them, so she can have a day to herself. She does tease “now I understand why Lilo does not like loud noises, it is a lot here, even for me” * and you hug her, with the other two hugging her to calm her down. Stich even acts as a good makeshift guide dog. (*=I and many headcanon Lilo as on the autism spectrum.)

Tiana (The Princess and the Frog): Tiana does not mind the parade, but kinda wished she had a booth where she can sell food and cool beverages on this hot day. Luckily though again she has fun and brought Lottie and her significant other, so a makeshift double date. You do enjoy Lottie helps make the event more fun.

Charlotte or Lottie (The Princess and the Frog): As stated before, having a blast and loves the double date. She can not get enough of the scene and “sings” to the songs playing, even if clearly not remembering the words. She is aware of pink triangles history, but she a pink princess, she has to get all the pink. Luckily she even spoiled you, Tiana, and Tiana’s significant other.

Rapunzel (Tangled): Rapunzel was so shy in leaving her “tower” or room, but you reassured her you be there and no one going to judge because it is a fun place of community and celebration. She ends up going, but of course, being the artist she is, she painted both her (with help of the mirror) and your face in the colors of your respected flag. Even after Pride she wanted to go and joked “what if I got a super short haircut and dye it?” and you smiled, which she took as a yes, but kissed you unexpectedly, and you held her in your arms.

Merida (Brave): Funny enough she wanted to see the following then leave; The Bear Float, Dykes on Bikes, and find something to get her parents. Luckily she enjoyed more and more, but you could tell she wants you to remember those top things, and luckily she got them and more. Merida, not the most public affectionate person, but tiny moments like holding your hand you enjoyed.

Anna (Frozen): Unlike Merida, Anna is an affectionate bunny rabbit, plus wanted to see as much she could and even brought her camera and took plenty of photos. Her sister and friends were thankful you keep her anchored because of her hype.

Elsa (Frozen): Elsa was shy because she still feels freshly out and not sure if she wants people to prejudge her for something she can not help but be. Luckily she warmed up (ha ha puns) and even danced on the way home with Anna, both saying how much they appreciate having the other in their life.

Moana (Moana): Moana and her friend Maui had fun at mainly the floats, with him letting her sit on his shoulders. Even when eating the two have fun interactions with strangers, one both enjoyed to hand-wrestle with and dubbed him as “Mr. Shiny”.

---

So how was that? :D I am actually glad to do something for Pride Month, so I hope to this for the other fandoms and their AUs, yet in the meantime, please share what you think, suggestions for other AUs, feedback on this, and HAPPY PRIDE! =D P.s. I am not sure if I keep all listed, so please be aware some AUs I struggle to think up stuff.

[himeryuukinka]

[ LFRP ] Ane - ( Balmung, Crystal DC )

❝ there is a muchness about you. I wonder... what I must do to have such muchness in myself..? ❞

🔓-- A lock icon denotes the presence of an additional something significant to be discovered only via roleplay. The more locks there are, the harder it will be to learn! Build a relationship with her to discover these secrets she keeps to herself. 

This LFRP post is specifically for her geomancer verse. Check over here for access to the LFRP post for her canon verse. I can play both/either on Balmung/Crystal as necessary!

❀ General Information ––– -

Name: “Ane.” 🔓 🔓 🔓 Epithet: Of the Weeping Waters. Gender: Cisgender female. Age: 28. Race: Au Ra (Raen.) Birthplace: Yama, Othard. 🔓 Current Residence: The Itomori Shrine, Doma. Relationship Status: Single. Sexual Orientation: Demisexual. Occupation: Yaman geomancer.

❀ Physical Appearance ––– -

Hair: Incredibly long. Straightened with a hot metal comb. Typically worn loose with some hair elegantly looped and bound just above her shoulders, framing her face. Seldom changes style. Looks to be all warm black. 🔓🔓 Eyes: Warm grey. Clouded by cataracts. Somber. Height: 4 fm 8 im. Distinguishing Marks: Rounded, soft scales reminiscent of a koi’s. Geomantic circles tattoo’d on her palms, the bottoms of her feet, and upper back. 🔓 🔓 🔓 Common Accessories: Ornately patterned silver bands in the front two strands of her hair. Brass bangles around her wrists and ankles decorated with suzu bells that remain curiously silent even when shaken. 🔓 

❀ Personality & Tidbits ––– -

A solemn young geomancer hailing from the seaside village of Yama. Her sad and serious air lend her presence a degree of mystery, and her lifelong practice of tempering her emotions makes it harder still to know how she actually feels. Having dedicated all her years to her people’s form of geomancy, Ane thinks herself ill-suited for anything else, and so her entire sense of identity has become tangled up in the magicks that she wields. She believes that she exists for the sole purpose of using geomancy to help the people around her, leading the young woman to quickly throw herself headlong into danger without a moment’s hesitation so long as it is for the sake of someone else. 

Talents: Yaman geomancy. Weaknesses: Physical/close quarters combat. Unable to use offensive magicks entirely. Kindness directed at her. Virtues: Dutiful. Genuine. Tender-hearted. Gentle. Curious. Thoughtful. Meticulous. Flaws: Naive. Perfectionist. Reckless. Overextending. Emotionally clumsy. Silently self-destructive. Has difficulty detecting sarcasm and understanding certain idioms and forms of humor. Spiritual Views: Reverence for the Dawn Father. Respect and recognition for the kami. Hobbies: Cooking, though really only skilled in Far Eastern cuisines. Ikebana. Tending to the shrine’s grounds. Fears: Isolation. Being forgotten. Dying before she can train new geomancers. Temperament: Melancholic. Alignment: Neutral Good.

❀ Yaman Geomancy ––– - 🔓/🔓🔓

I thought this topic could use its own brief section as her clan’s form of geomancy is not the same as the geomancy seen widespread in the Far East, as well as having some very specific elements tailored to her personal use of it. Those characters who are well-learned geomancers have the potential to recognize her as specifically from Yama so long as we discuss it ahead of time, and those who are familiar with geomancy or nature-based magicks may be able to reason out what she uses but not where she is from -- or why her geomancy differs from the more common forms. As with everything, I am happy and willing to discuss IC arcane knowledge, but do please run it by me ahead of time. Her clan was very secretive concerning its branch of geomancy, and while not at all closed to visits from the outside world, this art is absolutely not common knowledge! Please take this information as OOC reference for how this magic works rather than IC knowledge! Thank you!

Magic Family: Geomancy. Tools: Sacred paper talismans. Arcane ink carried in blessed brass pots. Brushes. A single heavy, enchanted bell inspired by bianzhong. Rounded stones of various sizes and weights. Strengths: Magic cancelling through elemental balancing. Barriers. Weaknesses: No way to counter physical weapons or unarmed physical strikes. Lengthy barrier preparation. Entirely a supportive and defensive art. General Overview: An ancient branch of geomancy thought dead by many. Rather than drawing only from the elements of wind, water, and earth, Yaman geomancy draws also from fire. It has never been intended as an offensive art and cannot be conjured as a weapon in battle. Instead, it revolves entirely around elemental balancing -- aether of one element is met with an equal force and amount of its opposing element, effectively cancelling out harmful magicks entirely. A delicate art with a lot of room for error, it requires years upon years of practice to master as it requires a great deal of concentration; those sensitive to aether may display a natural gift for it, as they can more easily sense how much oomph to give a particular counterspell. Failing to meet an elemental force with a sufficient counterforce can result in the spell connecting without real issue (too little) or wounding the geomancer in the process with an unstable aetheric burst (too much.) Though, like its Doman and Hingan counterparts, Yaman geomancy still relies heavily on comparable channeling methods -- that is, the combined use of an enchanted bell and glyphs to summon a specific element or combination of elements. It is more reliant on physical totems, though, and so Yaman geomancers would carry paper talismans upon which to write what they required in combat. Ane’s Geomancy: Where hers differs is how she channels it, but I prefer to keep the specific details for roleplay discovery! 🔓🔓

❀ Traits ––– -

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious / Spirited

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

❀ Additional information ––– –

Smoking Habit: Never. Drugs: No. Alcohol: Very rarely. Surprisingly good at holding her liquor.

❀ Hooks ––– -

Region-specific connections. Asterisks (*) for options open only through discussion with me beforehand.

❀ The Village of Yama* - The once-proud seat to an ancient form of geomancy now all but lost to the world in the wake of its destruction at the hands of the Empire. Villagers who Ane may have known prior to the deaths of most everyone on the Shore of the Blue Lily are a welcome connection. There is potential for other survivors apart from Ane and the small group of children she managed to save, though know that all other geomancers perished in the attack, whether by their own lack of experience or their remaining behind to cover the retreat of those who tried to escape, and so any Yaman geomancer characters would be strictly past connections only. 🔓 ❀ Doma, a Wartorn Nation - Doma is the nation that most often saw secret services rendered by Yama’s geomancers, and Ane continues to honor that as the village’s sole arcane successor. She spent much of her formative years traveling the length and breadth of Yanxia to better understand its people and their plight with the Empire, and so there is plenty of opportunity for Doman characters to either recognize her personally (had they met while they were both younger) or to have a suspicion about her duty as a geomancer. Doman characters have lots of avenues open to them, considering she has lived among them since the ruination of Yama!  ❀ The Island Nation of Hingashi - Similar to Doma, Ane sometimes travels to Kugane when necessary. While not a place she frequents, the potential is there -- but do not be surprised if she initially regards Hingan geomancers with distance and dislike. She does not take kindly to charlatans using her beloved art to take advantage of the desperate, and there’s no shortage of such people in the port city to fuel her suspicions.

General roleplay connections. Asterisks (*) for options open only through discussion with me beforehand.

❀ A Hidden World of Geomancy* - Other geomancers, particularly those native to the continent of Othard, would likely have intimate knowledge of Yama and its people, and Ane would be more likely to trust them implicitly with certain facts than with those outside this arcane circle. I like to think of geomancy as having something like a support and information network unique to its practitioners; geomancer connections have the potential to know things about Ane that others would not! 🔓 ❀ Those looking for stationary arcane wards. - Not too unlike the magicks employed by the scholars of Nym, Yaman geomancy involves the enchantment and careful placement of keystones around a structure or area to shield it from attack or approach. If your character is in need of long-term wards for their home or business, Ane will oblige. ❀ Those seeking someone to accompany them with mobile wards. - Far trickier and taxing to employ than stationary wards but certainly not impossible. Ane wishes to help as many people as possible, and so if you’ve a character looking for some extra protection on an adventure or dangerous foray into the unknown, she’s not one to turn down a request for aid. ❀ Those in need of elemental protection. - Perhaps Ane’s greatest skill. She’s more than willing to help keep people safe by way of her clan’s geomancy; those venturing forth into an intensely aspected dungeon or region could certainly benefit from her magicks! ❀ Generally, those looking to fight for those too weak or beaten down to fight for themselves. - Often branded as a goody-goody by her guardian, Ane is quick to help those in need -- and often without a thought for the effect it could have on her. She will mesh easily with characters of similar values and morality and struggle with those who do not. But that being said... ❀ Enemies and rivals who might challenge her beliefs or give her trouble are absolutely welcome. - Conflict has excellent potential to build characterization, and I am all about that! So if you play a more evil or chaotic-aligned character, please don’t be be afraid to come push her buttons. ❀ And of course, friendships. - I’m always down for great platonic relationships, especially those that grow into familial affection. ❀ Thought of something not listed here? - Drop me a line so we can talk about it! While typically centered in the Far East, I already know of ways and reasons she would be in Eorzea -- so if your character does not frequent any of the places she spends most of her time, we can easily fix that!

❀ OOC Information ––– -

Genres: I am not particularly genre picky; I gravitate most towards those scenarios that may result in interesting, long-term character development -- and hopefully for both/all parties! I am a sucker for angst with purpose, though I do also love fluff and slice of life scenarios. So long as the scene doesn’t run out of steam or feel strained/stressed, I am a happy bean. Playstyle: I am... not very skilled when it comes to in-game roleplay. I prefer to connect one on one or in very small groups (no more than five people) so I can put my all into making certain my replies are timely, tidy, and... well, good. I prefer to write on something like tumblr or Discord, but I can do my best to make in-game work! Length: I’m someone who leans most towards a paragraph at the absolute minimum, but I can produce pages if we’re roleplaying on tumblr or Discord. Server: Balmung for roleplay/visiting with in-game friends, though my PvE main is over on Ultros. Both characters are available under the name Ane Borel. Timezone: CST. Availability: In-game: most of the time, so long as you give me a ping and ask if I can hop on! Discord: Much of the same! Please do be aware, though, that this is subject to change as I’m interviewing for some jobs and my schedule won’t be so free in the future. I’ll update this post when necessary. Contact Information: Obviously you can contact me here! This is a sideblog to my main over at @sunlitpeony, where you can also message me, and then I can give my Discord out upon request/interest.

{ banner art by: the-xaotician }

[travelguideworldtour-blog]

Venice Travel Guide – Tips for Visiting Venice

Venice Travel Guide

Best Things to do in Venice

St. Mark’s Basilica

Readily the most renowned and famous building in Venice, St. Mark’s Basilica is really just a brand new slice of architecture which has endured the test of time since its invention in 1092 also is still perhaps one of the main religious properties in Northern Italy. Every component of the church is brilliant — By the intricate detail, sculptures, along with the art of front facade, into the attractively painted frescos and Byzantine pieces of art inside of this domed ceiling. Located from the Piazza San Marco, this basilica is readily reachable from the grand canal and also has been among those funniest surviving cases of Italian architecture.

  St. Mark’s Square

Whilst St. Mark’s Basilica is by far probably the most well-known building in Venice, St Mark’s Square is by far probably the most well-known piazza.

On the canal, opposite the island of San Giorgio Maggiore this square holds tremendous significance in Venice and is now really a spectacular place to go to. Surrounding the Piazza can be a run of intricate buildings with arched paths that framework it perfectly.

Additional several significant buildings can be found in the square including St Mark’s Campanile, St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Torre dell’Orologio. This square, in fact, is the best spot to begin your trip of Venice and tick off a number of its impressive sights.

  Doges Palace

One among the most Celebrated Structures in Venice Irrespective of the Basilica and Campanile, Doges Palace Additionally sits at St. Mark’s Square but Overlooks on the Expansive canal. This elaborate palace is only magnificent and its own front facade comes with a gorgeous arched design made from white rock with a streak of diamond patterns in the walls.

Indoors, the palace is at least as impressive and there’s a collection of exceptionally adorned rooms which most have initial elements, artwork, and art. Tours of this palace are all available and it’s suggested to invest some time seeing both the interior and exterior inside more detail to truly catch a part of the real heritage of Venice.

  Ponte di Rialto

Among those bridges which period the striking Grand Canal, the Ponte di Rialto is definitely the most well-known and most iconic.

Found the San Marco and San Polo areas of Venice bridge is also an equally essential pedestrian thoroughfare, however, also a popular tourist attraction. Originally a wooden bridge, the culmination stood for centuries before it collapsed into 1524.

After this episode, an elaborate rock bridge has been built that still stands today. The design and detail of this bridge are only amazing and its own particular symmetry certainly frames the grand canal. Additional there are also set shops in the bridge which sell a range of products from memorabilia to jewelry.

Canale Grande

Venice has hundreds of canals which join the several islands which compose the city — the biggest which could be the Canale Grande. This enormous canal is a lot more similar to a river and it moves in 1 side of Venice into one snake and other throughout the middle at a sizable S flex form.

Over 170 buildings dating from as early as the 13th century line the banks of this canal and it’s functioned as a very important waterway from town for centuries. Just four bridges length that the expansive canal as broadly speaking tourists and people traveling over the canal, never on it. Look at walking across segments of this tube, admiring the buildings which line this, and watching the busy water traffic of Venice.

  Bridge of Sighs

Even though merely a tiny bridge at the relative plot of Venice, the Bridge of Sighs is still perhaps probably one of the very viewed structures on the planet and is a significant historical landmark. Passing on the Rio di Palazzo, the bridge joins the Prigioni Nuove into Doge’s Palace.

Legend has itas offenders were shot from the Palace across the bridge, so they’d throw after last glance at Venice and sigh; believing their own impending punishment and imprisonment. Whilst seeing St. Mark’s Square, it’s an absolute necessity to glance that this legendary bridge too.

  San Marco Campanile

  Whilst the tallest building in Venice, the Campanile is really actually just a towering construction that stands in a gigantic 98.6damn high.

The construction that stands today, is, in fact, a renovation as the first dropped in 1902. Originally created from the 9th century, the campanile was utilized like a watchtower. All through time, the tower was damaged by fire, earthquakes and maybe lightning.

Made from a straightforward redbrick style and layout and style, the key shaft is very straightforward, however, also the bell home and pinnacle have a plethora of designs and stonework, and also the very best include a gold statue of the Angel Gabriel.

Admire the tower by the Piazza di San Marco, but additionally, consider the elevator to the most effective for the very greatest panoramic views of Venice.

  Torcello Island

If you’re interested in finding a calm escape, then Torcello island offers only that and is not as busy than the principal locations of Venice.

Located on the far east of the most important portion of Venice, Torcello is nestled from Burano and can be approximately 45 minutes away from Venice using a standard ferry.

Walkthrough the primary street of Torcello and respect the gorgeous canal before you arrive at the Church of Santa Maria Assunta that includes a wonderful design. Additional there’s a passionate museum which exhibits the foundation of this series of islands, and also an assortment of restaurants and shops.

  Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta

Located from the Cannaregio region of Venice, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta is Really a Nice structure That’s also known since I Gesuiti.

Front facade of this Church includes several rock columns, intricately sculptured figurines of religious characters, and a slew of complicated detail — A massive bronze doorway functions as the major entry.

Constructed in 1729, that really can be amongst many newer churches in Venice however it’s still very important and the inner comprises quite a few notable artworks like the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence from Titian. What’s more, art, frescos and stone detail cover the ceiling of this church along with some gorgeous motif art lines the walls and columns.

  Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute

Most likely the very renowned church at Venice, the Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute stays on the alternative aspect of the grand canal into St. Marks and sticks out from the surrounding structure.

Having a Baroque layout, this church has been performed in 1687 and can be called a little basilica of this Roman Catholic Church. Taking center stage over the Grand Canal, the surface is decorated with four statues of the apostles along with also the principal terrace towers above the skyline.

The inner provides an impression of fantastic distance and also the interior layout allows light to float into. Even though maybe perhaps not decorated to exactly the same level as the several some other churches in Italy, this basilica includes an excellent deal of charm and can be really satisfying on the eye-catching.

  Murano

Murano is just another of those islands inside the Venice area — This space of property is actually composed of several tiny islands attached together by way of a series of bridges and canals (just like Venice). Murano has an excellent charm and it is frequently much less busy as the principal regions of Venice.

This superb island town has lots of sights including the Basilica dei Santa Maria, the Campo Santo Stefano, and also the Palazzo Da Mula. What’s more, Murano is well known for the glassblowing off and also you also may see live presentations at the respective factories which can be shown here.

  Lido

If you’re trying to find an area of comfort and also to escape from most of the tourists, then the Lido is where to proceed. This distinct island produces a barrier between Venice and the Adriatic Sea and comes with a very long stretch of beautiful beach to enjoy.

Home to approximately 20,000 population, the Lido also features a plethora of residential places, restaurants, stores, and hotels. With a far calmer, laid back and relaxed setting to fundamental Venice, Lido can be actually really just a legitimate escape and gives a stark contrast to the crowded roads and waterways surrounding the expansive canal.

    Best Time To Go Venice

Peak summer is humid and hot and could be beautifully decadent, therefore exciting avoided from late June through August. Spring (April to early June) and autumn (September to October) are ideal times to see, together with mild temperatures and fewer tourists. While cold temperatures can be icy, wet, also in danger of acqua alta (flood ), December and January will be the ideal months to observe that the city during its quietest–including xmas and New Year, people are in the absolute minimum, also while most shops and restaurants are shut, you should have the canals to float. The city can also be very busy throughout Carnival (a few weeks in February or March), which drops during rainy season. August is possibly the hardest time for you to go to Venice since it’s muggy and busy with tourists, in addition to enough full time when lots of locals take their very own vacations.

  Transportation in Venice

Venice has an adequate network of Exotic public transportation: by vaporetti (water buses), that ply the Grand Canal, loop around the most important city shuttle from the Hawaiian islands, to traghetti, people gondolas that cross the Grand Canal at routine things. Single Vaporetto tickets cost 8.60, therefore think about travel card from $ 23 for twenty-four hours. One traghetto crossing costs $2.30 and can be paid in cash to the gondolier. Water taxis are extremely expensive, starting at approximately $60 for a ride even a few minutes. A waterbus from the airport costs $15.50.

Weather at Venice

January is the coldest month, with average temperatures of 3°C. July and August are the latest, having a mean temperature of 23 °C, but on account of the humidity, so it typically feels much sexier.

Money Saving Tips in Venice

Don’t eat at Piazza San Marco – This really can be the location having tourist, thus which makes it far higher priced. Avoid ingestion only at any cost, regardless of how enticing that the cafe slopes may possibly be.

Pack a picnic – Small niches are plentiful around the metropolis, therefore filled with a few fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, cheese, and wine, and revel in a delicious meal in a fraction of the price that it is to really go out.

Walk and get lost – Venice is really amazing you could spend some time wandering throughout the city visiting the older construction, churches, musicians, and, on top of that, obtain somewhat of people watching it. The island is so small, and thus do not worry, so you can not get that particular lost.

Discount bus tickets – If you’re staying for an extended time period, look at investing in a discount card to your own bus, or even vaperatto, services. It is possible to potentially save 25 percent on a seven-day overlook going right through VeniceConnected.com.

Get the Venezia Unica Pass – If you’re planning to do plenty of holiday season, this pass can provide you discounts on the most effective museums, tours, and attractions. It’s expensive to save money in comparison to buying tickets. Now you get on the internet and select what you wish to see beforehand. The cost varies based upon what you wish to determine.

  Venice Travel Guide – Tips for Visiting Venice

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If You’re Stressed About College and Crumbling Under Pressure Clap Your Hands

We as human beings tend to over complicate things simply because that is the psychology of how we work. We overthink, overanalyze until we come to a satisfied knot that has been wrapped around our brain and is going to take a very long time to untie. You, me and probably everyone who is reading this right now has done this for a variety of situations, but I’m going to help you (if you’re lucky), avoid that knot. So, if you happen to be someone who is applying to college or the parent of someone applying to college, please keep reading. If you’re not, well that’s up for you to decide.

One of the most important aspects of decision making within the process is the college admissions essay. It is dreaded by many and often seems like it demands something extraordinary, out of the blue, never before scene EXCLUSIVE behind the scenes content. Please do not go that far. Admissions officers want to know about your life just so that they can make a generalization about the kind of person you are within the 3-5 minutes that they are actually scrolling through your essay. I don’t want to waste your time or drastically exceed the limit of 750 words because apparently you will be penalized for that in college so let’s jump right into it.

Keep it simple. Your essay should not be your autobiography. It should be page 97 which talks about a time in your life that was worth remembering or a story that you’ve told to strangers to make yourself seem cool. Make sure that it has a greater purpose, perhaps demonstrating a lesson that was learned or showing your traits of good character, responsibility, or quick thinking, etc.  A story with no purpose isn’t as funny to these officers. They will feel like they wasted their time and throw your essay aside next to all the other burnouts.You have heard this a million times but SHOW, do not TELL. This is not a resume where you can just simply list all your credentials. There’s a separate section for that.

Anything and everything can be a text. According to Maxwell at least. He explains that we are exposed to a variety of literature and capture and consume different emotions when we analyze and think critically about them (Melzer, Coxwell). When writing your college essay, think about the audience you want to target, and most importantly, the mood that you’re trying to set within your essay. Those officers are going to walk away feeling something about your essay, if it’s potent enough, so be potent. With the amount of flexibility that you have, you can truly write about anything and in a general sense apply to one of the essay prompts. They do this on purpose to give you a large canvas to paint on, otherwise they would be hearing the same dreadful story over and over.

When actually choosing a topic, if it seems a bit insignificant, but it’s something that changed your life and you think about it almost everyday, WRITE ABOUT IT. Often, we may feel the need to struggle for a topic if we didn’t have something of “big matter” occur as opposed to “little matter occur.” The importance should be placed on how much IMPACT it had on you and your life. Even if you feel like you sound “stupid” WRITE ABOUT IT. Little things can often make big differences in people’s lives and you just have to show the admissions how this “little insignificant thing” changed you. Paul Rudnick’s humorous display of a college essay shows that even sarcasm can get you far in life (Rudnick). It ends on an unexpected turn which gives insight into the type of candidate Rudnick would be. The most important thing here is the technical insignificance of the entire situation (which happened to be Rudnick's conservation with a sarcastic bell boy, or shall I say, man). It changed his life to the extent that he thought about it enough for it to inspire him to write a delectable essay.

Be honest. Just be as honest as you can. Honesty really does give some insight into who you are, even if you think you sound insane or boring. In order to actually avoid sounding insane or boring please pick a trusted buddy to read it and make an opinion. When you’re honest you can avoid trying too hard and sounding arrogant. If you are truly one of these things, well they will know.

Now, I might have sounded a bit over dramatic with the “honesty” thing but you can be funny. Make sure your humor is not VERY likely going to offend someone (because sometimes, it’s inevitable). Your humor should come naturally if you’re being honest. For example,

Remember to be engaging. Be extra. If that makes a little bit more sense. Did you ever open up a Youtube video and discover that it was clickbait? Utilize the same technique. It is actually quite a difficult thing to do, if you are writing a college essay. But if you find yourself in a position where you could relate it to your topic, maybe the admissions officer might do a little bit more than skim your essay.

Some of you reading this may not have access to certain resources that will give you a step by step guide on how to write a college essay. James Warren, in his article The Rhetoric of the College Applications Essays,” mentions that some of these students hold a significant advantage within the process. If you are one of the kids on the other side of the fence, your situation is uncontrollable, however remember that no one can truly teach you how to write a college essay (Warren). Simple clues is all that is available and how you perceive those is up to you. If you do not have these resources, make sure to make it evident  to the officers that you were able to accomplish the same thing without the help of those resources. They will take this into consideration and make their decision accordingly so.

All in all just remember put yourself into this college essay. You’ll come across thousands of “perfect” essays and you’ll see that their execution have nothing in similar, the only thing they did was think outside of box while simultaneously bouncing it off of their personality. So take a deep breath. Be yourself and don’t forget the MOST IMPORTANT thing. Just start writing.

Works Cited

Melzer, Dan, and Deborah Coxwell-Teague. Everything's a Text: Readings for Composition.

Pearson Longman, 2011.

Rudnick, Paul. “College-Application Essay.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 2017,

www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/college-application-essay.

Warren, James. The Rhetoric of College Application Essays: Removing Obstacles for Low