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demomonic-murmurs · 4 years

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loving your boo [hq characters × monster girlfriend] //p. 1

Welcome to a new series that I am starting. It features haikyuu characters dating various monsters and mostly features NSFW headcanons.

A fair warning; some of these might be a little weird. I will tag everything appropriately, so proceed with that in mind. Each part will feature 5 characters and 6 parts are planned so far.

Pairings: Hoshiumi × Reader, Ushijima × Reader, Iwaizumi × Reader, Osamu × Reader

Warnings: Size difference, Cervix Penetration, Egg Laying, Heat Cycles, Stomach Buldge

Hoshiumi and a Giantess

• Seagull boy is already insecure enough about his height

• he really doesn't like people commeting on his size or he is ready to throw hands

• or people taller than him

• but when he laid his eyes on you

• 250 cm of pure, giant beauty

• that got his feathers ruffled

• he doesn't get why you're insecure of your height to him its the best thing ever

• will ask you to carry him in private, not in public though he got a reputation to uphold

• learns to appreciate his height as well because of you

• because due to it, his face perfectly gets smothered by your big breasts and his hand has access to your cunt when you're just standing up normally

• speaking of cunt

• he knows his dick can't pleasure you lmfao

• he isn't the biggest guy, mostly just girthy but even that can't save him when it comes to your giant pussy

• he doesn't mind though, at least not later

• opens you up until his entire arm is inside of you

• thats a tight fit even for you

• his fingers barely reach your cervix

• which is great because he will totally use them to directly penetrate it

• your poor cervix is so abused lmao

• sucks on your clit like its a popsicle and his life depends on it

• also loves your boobs

• def wants to be quished between them

• loves it when you pick him up and hold him to suck his dick

• it feels so insignificantly small when he is with you so whenever you try to make him feel good he appreciates it

• you don't trust yourself with giving him a hand job, I mean how could you really, you could crush his dick so easily and then what

• so you mostly just settle down and let him use your body however he wants to to avoid any additional danger

• his ego is such an odd mix of immense pride and crippling self doubt

• he really wants to pleasure you but doesn't know if he can or is able to

• please reassure him

• overall fun relationship with a very different sex life

Ushijima and a Fairy

• Size difference in the different direction

• you are tiny and frail compared to Ushijima's tall and buff stature

• adorable pair though

• very popular and very one loves you

• you may have wings but Ushi loves it when you don't use them and ask him instead to help you get something from a shelf

• that being said, he also lives for when you flutter up to him to give him a kiss

• or when you allow him to hold you

• carefully of course because a broken wing would be a bother really

• but his hands are so big

• one hand is enough to fit onto your back and cover it mostly

• he enjoys that feeling of you being small like that

• which of course means that he loves the way you force yourself onto his cock

• it's far too big and thick for your far to tiny pussy

• when you stand next to him, you are at a face level with his crotch

• so even the tip is buldging you already

• not to mention that his cock is a monster

• long, thick and curved

• it can split you in half easily

• loves it most when he is laying down and you sink down onto his cock

• the way you hiss and cry as you take inch after inch is like a concert to him

• loves holding your hips and brushing his thumbs over your stomach taking him so nicely

• you can never fit him completly but it amazes him everytime just how much you can take

• maybe if he just starts stretching you out enough, there will be enough space in your tiny womb for him because he breaks through your cervix like its nothing

• speaking of womb

• loves to cum inside of you and he cums a lot, making you swell up with it quite nicely

• loves how your wings flutter and shudder when you climax, which happens quite often considering how long it takes to just sheat himself into you

• also loves to use you as a cock sleeve to cock warm while he does chores

• nice man that takes good care of you and will make you think of nothing but his cock

Iwaizumi and a Dragonshifter

• Godzilla

• that's the reason he fell for you

• I am sorry

• can totally see it as a childhood friends thing where he befriended you because of that

• and now that the two of you are older he realized just how hot you are

• horns, bat-like wings, claws and a thick scaly tail

• not to mention your teeth

• poor Iwa is done for

• absolutely loves it when you wear anything short or revealing because then he can see the scales framing the more humanoid part of your thighs

• loves it when you give him blowjobs and he is allowed to pull on your horns so you can take him deeper

• your mouth is hotter than the one of an average girl because of your dragon breath

• and your tongue is longer as well

• also loves seeing you pleasure yourself with your tail

• since your clawed hands don't exactly allow you to use them

• but the scales on your tail give you a nice friction to work with

• his favourite season of the year is mating season lol

• when you become so needy that you cut through his pants to suck on him, begging for his semen

• loves taking you from behind because he can see your tail and wings moving around

• rubs the base of both because they are very sensitive zones

• likes to hold up your tail and hug it while he fucks you into the sheets

• your nickname for him is the dragon tamer lmfao

• loves how protective you can get over him

• makes him feel very nice n cozy inside

• knows that you can take care of yourself and relishes in the way you beat up someone

• lowkey turned on by the fact that you can easily beat him at arm wrestling

• Iwa likes a strong woman

• especially if she is half lizard

Osamu and a Swan Girl

• thinks you're beautiful and graceful by default

• loves to run his hand over your feathers

• he still keeps the one you had lost during your first date in a scrapbook

• everything is so soft about you he lives for it

• loves to hold yours hands, which extend from your wings similarly to a bat

• calls you his little angel

• you two own Onigiri Miya together

• and you two have a special item on the list that is limited but a fan favourite

• swan egg ramen

• its a specialty really

• if its ordered (which happens often) Osamu will take a short break and fuck you in the break room so your body will begin to create an egg

• ofc he won't cum in you, he doesn't want to fertilize it

• preferably cums all over your feathers instead

• though he can't deny that he dreams about doing it inside of you one day

• the house made eggs are delicious and if he got time, he loves seeing you push it out

• his favourite sight really

• of course you have a limit of how many you can lay but thats fine, thats why its a special offer that is very popular among humans and monsters alike

• he also loves it when you get in the real mood and perform your little mating dance and sing for him

• lovingly ruffled your feathers so you know he returns your affection

• always makes sure to feed you well after you've laid an egg because its quite stressful for you and he knows that

• and just loves the thought about mating for life with you

Nishinoya and Bunny Girl

• you are a dream come true

• every single high school fantasy is embodied in you

• you're hot to him

• so incredibly hot

• he is horny on main lmao

• takes you in any way imaginable

• loves it if you suck him off and he gets to pull on your ears

• always gently licks and bites them because they're so sensitive

• moans directly into your your ear because he knows it will make you shudder

• not to mention that cute little tail of yours

• any part of fur you possess will be covered in his cum he will ensure that

• ruts himself between your thighs or boobs

• loves to see you collecting his cum with a finger eagerly licking it off

• will absolutely buy you a Karasuno uniform to really fulfill his dreams

• you're his cute fangirl and he is the handsome libero you have a crush on

• lives for the way your legs look under a skirt, specifically that one

• sometimes just flips it up and nuzzles his nose into your crotch

• when you're not wearing panties though

• you're basically asking for it

• has no problem with fucking you in private

• also loves it when you're in heat

• you two have sex very often but when you're in heat? You're not doing anything but fucking

• also would probably have some fun with triggering your flight instincts while fucking you if he feels mean

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!!#haikyuu x you #haikyuu x y/n #nishinoya x reader #ushijima x reader #osamu x reader #hoshiumi x reader #iwaizumi x reader #wakatoshi ushijima x reader #yuu nishinoya x reader #osamu miya x reader #kourai hoshiumi x reader #hajime iwaizumi x reader

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coeurdastronaute · 4 years

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Single 8

previously on Single

The city was dingy, dull with the weight of the winter, crispy and sullen, swollen with the long nights of rain and the overcast skies that refused to let anything melt. Buildings were obscured by the low clouds and the world was weary, so very weary from the chill and the perpetual mist that made everything slick.

The day was heavy for many reasons, the weather included but not the worst of it, by far. Too much distracted the hero as she sat atop the Landmark building. Too many thoughts caught up with her, dousing her in the rain and the fear that she had no more control over her life. And when she found herself feeling this way, Kara did her best not to act without thinking.

Often, her sister accused her of being rash, but she had a problem and she had to fix it. There were only so many options. But she needed time to think. It was all too much and her entire world was about to change, whether she wanted it or not.

Kara placed her hand on her stomach and thought about her entire being, both of her sides-- the reporter, just getting the world figured out, getting her writing published, getting everything she wanted under Cat’s guidance because she worked constantly. She put in long days and ran all over town, with no one to answer to or for.

The hero. Kara felt like she was finally figuring out how to be effective, how to save, how to balance it all. She was tired and she was growing and now, the city would go to hell because there was no way she could do all three. Two lives was barely manageable.

And now this.

All at once the plan formed in her head. It came with an alarming clarity the moment someone punched her in the stomach and sent her flying. Her hand pressed against the slight bump there as she freed herself from the wreckage and she knew. There was a flutter there, almost constant now.

Slowly, Kara made her way to her apartment, taking a leisurely fly, despite the weather, enjoying the freedom of her city. She needed the feeling of being unrestrained, sometimes, to keep her centered, to help her remember. More and more, Kara felt herself becoming solitary despite the wealth of people around her. She needed a little bit of self-reliance to do what was coming.

She took a warm shower and had a large dinner, all while working over the words in her head. It was late by the time she sent the text and asked Mon-el to come over, met with winking emojis and hearts.

“I just got back from the ship,” he greeted her, happy and kissing her cheek then neck then jaw as he entered the apartment.

He wasn’t terrible. That was the best part. He was easy, thoughtless, a friend and a comfort, understanding her in ways that many others couldn’t. The customs of his planet were close, but never quite right. His unease on earth never quite going away. But he wasn’t the fulfillment of the prophecy. He wasn’t the love of her life, but now he was in it forever. As childish as she felt, craving bedtime stories and believing in things her mother told her, sometimes she was certain of the veracity of fairytales.

“I can make this quick--”

“I don’t have to be back until tomorrow night. We can take our time.”

Hands moved to her hips and lips moved to her neck and for a moment, Kara let her eyes drift back as she melted into the feeling before ripping her back to reality as his hand ghosted on her stomach.

“No, no. I have-- I have to talk to you,” Kara insisted, creating some room.

“That sounds… not good,” Mon-el furrowed, cocking his head enough that his smile faltered slightly.

“It depends on how you take it.”

“Well that makes me nervous.”

“I don’t want you to be nervous,” Kara offered, moving toward the kitchen. She poured him a stiff drink and handed it to him. “Take a seat.”

“This is a kind way to break up with me,” he offered with a weak laugh. “At least there’s booze.”

Kara stood there, wringing her hands and staring at the man she loved-- but wasn’t in love with-- the kind man, the human man who tried to live up to the ideal that Kara and her cousin put on for the world, the man who wasn’t human but was so human and flawed. He was one of her favorite people-- prone to fits of anger, prone to bouts of righteousness, prone to trying his best.

“I’m just going to say it.”

“Yes, please.”

“But I want you to not react. Just sit with the news. I don’t need an answer or anything-- in fact I have a plan. I just can’t tell anyone else until I tell you.”

“Kara, please. I just need to know. You’re kind of scaring me.”

“I’m pregnant.”

The quiet of the room was so loud that Kara couldn’t hear anything else. Her boyfriend stared at her with disbelief, his face blank and processing. His eyes moved to her stomach where her hand protectively rubbed. He furrowed and saw the bump when he knew what he was looking for.

His drink was downed in an instant and he hissed against the pain before getting up to refill his glass and down it again.

“You have to say something,” Kara finally managed.

“You said I didn’t have to say anything.”

“Well yes, initially, but I need--”

“I’m going to be a father?” he asked, the joy settling on his face finally. It was slow to form and it was through much effort, but it was there.

“Yeah. In about six months. I just found out--”

Mon-el scooped up Kara and hugged her tightly, excited and growing to understand the news more and more. It took a beat to sink into his mind that it was about him, that he was going to do it and it was him that made this possible.

“I can’t believe it,” he whispered, hugging her tightly. “A prince to continue the line.”

Kara froze at the words.

She hadn’t thought of him at all when she came up with her plan.

XXXXXXXXXX

Increasingly pregnant and hormonal, Supergirl sat on her couch, furiously tucking into a rather large tub of her favorite ice cream while a movie hummed to itself on the television. The old black-and-white movie tried to keep her entertained, but failed as so many other things distracted her.

Everything stopped though as her phone started to ring with multiple alerts, followed by the inevitable buzzing of her watch. It didn’t matter about the fight she’d had with Mon-el, and it didn’t matter that no one was listening to her when it came to the plans she was making. The only thing that mattered was helping.

But by the time Kara made it, it was too late.

The world would never be the same.

Before anyone could comfort her about her cousin’s death, Kara left.

XXXXXXXXXX

“You are perfect,” Kara whispered.

Tiny toes wiggled. Tiny fingers grabbed at nothing and everything while perfect pink cheeks cried slightly. Eyes staring blankly and seeing the entire world for the first time, the infant didn’t know what to do, and so allowed herself to be coddled and swaddled and sniffed.

“You are absolutely perfect,” Kara smiled, tears streaming down her face as she ran her nose along the small tuft of hair.

The perfect baby smelled warm and sweet. In the hospital bed, the new mother cried as she held her new daughter, alone in the fifth floor room at the end of the hall. The baby girl made tiny noises, yawning and fighting the feeling of being born.

“You are going to be very happy here.”

“Are you ready to call your family?” the nurse interrupted the quiet moment.

“I suppose I should.”

“You can take a few more minutes.”

Kara wanted to argue, but she really couldn’t come up with any reasons why she should delay except that she selfishly wanted to freeze this moment in time, where everything was okay and her heart didn’t hurt.

Instead, she just nodded and kissed her daughters cheeks before letting her squeeze her finger.

XXXXXXXXXX

“On the day you were born, the skies opened up,” Kara’s mother explained as she hugged her daughter, kissing the top of her head. “The entire city was a party.”

“Because it was Confluence Day!”

“Yes, darling,” she smiled and held her daughter tighter.

They sat on her bed in the twilight, remembering and preparing to sleep. It was a favorite story of Kara’s to hear because it was her story-- only her’s and no one else's. In a world that shared everything, she was grateful to be her own thing entirely.

“On the day you were born, the lanterns joined the stars with our greatest hopes and wishes, and music played so loud--”

“Even the moons were dancing.”

“And they danced for days to celebrate.”

“That’s a lot of dancing,” Kara realized.

“It is. And on the day you were born, the world wrote a poem--”

“Tell me the poem, Mama.”

Alura squeezed her daughter and closed her eyes, remembering the feeling of receiving her newborn, the joy she felt when she first looked into her eyes, the warmth of the tiny body and how amazed she’d been each day since as she grew into a person with her own thoughts and ideas.

“On the day you were born, the clouds sang a song, and they told of your life, and how wonderful you would be.”

“And the fairytale,” Kara giggled, as her mother moved, tugging up the blankets to tuck her in for the night.

“You, my darling, are meant to unite worlds. The stars wrote it out and I read the story myself. You are going to--”

“Be full of love.”

“Even when it is hard, even after your loses. You will love someone who can take it all from you, but you have enough faith and love to save them.”

Kara stared at her mother, wide-eyed despite knowing the story by heart. It blew her away everytime, despite it not making much sense to her. The child didn’t know anything about love and sacrifice, but she felt the weight of her mother’s words and it motivated her.

“Love can do that?”

“Love is the most powerful thing in the entire universe.”

“Stronger than an atom?”

“Stronger,” Alura promised, kissing her forehead. “Sleep well. Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight, Mama.”

Despite the lights being turned out and her mother’s story, Kara didn’t sleep. The child sat on her windowsill in the dark and stared out at her sky, at the view of the planets and rings and moons and stars and the sleeping city beneath. She pressed her forehead against the window and she sighed, trying to figure out how to love so hard.

XXXXXXXXX

“Don’t be stupid, Kara!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me.”

Calmly, Kara finished washing the bottles and setting them to dry on the counter. The baby slept in her room, unaware of the heated words exchanged outside, unaware of her place in the universe as the heir to the throne of Daxam.

“My daughter is meant for more than this place, and you know that.”

“She isn’t yours. She’s her own person who will make her own choices.”

“My daughter will be more than just this. She is greatness and destined to lead my people as I was destined. I fought it, Kara, and look at what happened. There must always be--”

“You will not drag her into your politics.”

“I won’t let you keep her from--”

“You will not take her,” Kara said, her teeth gnashing together as she gripped the counter tightly. “You will not make her into what you want.”

“Kara, she is destined--”

“She will make her own decisions, and I will not have you around if you’re going--”

“You can’t keep me from her!” Mon-el yelled in his own frustration.

“I will to protect her, and if that means keeping you away, then I will.”

He clenched his jaw, his eyes on fire.

“We’ll pick this up another day, when you’ve thought about it.”

“There’s nothing to think about.”

“There are many things we will have to figure out, but I won’t ignore what my daughter is meant for, and neither will you.”

“You are choosing to leave and go back to Daxam,” Kara reminded him as he snatched his coat and stormed toward the door. “You are leaving her behind.”

“To hell I am.”

XXXXXXXXXX

“On the day you were born,” Kara began as she kissed her daughter’s forehead and snuggled up with her in her bed.

“I was born during storms,” Katie offered as she adjusted in her bed.

“On the day you were born, the skies were celebrating, and lightning danced and thunder played songs for everyone to sing along with.”

“What a party,” she whispered, earning a smile from her mother.

“On the day you were born, the entire universe celebrated, because you were born to be happy. You are a shining star built from the best parts of the sun.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you are the best part of the entire world to me, and the universe knew that I needed you. You are my gift.”

“Wow.”

“On the day you were born,” Kara continued, tucking in her daughter, careful to wrap up the sheets nice and tight. “The trees danced, and the animals sang, and the moon as bright because you were here, finally.”

“All of that, for me?” Katie grinned as her mother kissed her forehead.

“Sweet dreams, darling. I love you.”

“I love you too. Goodnight, Mama.”

Kara paused as she watched Katie hug the stuff whale Lena got her, careful to make sure her nightlight was still on. She closed the door quietly and made her way back into the living room where her girlfriend sat with a glass of wine, flipping through the specs from some of her most resent research results.

There were not many better sights in the world than her daughter nearly asleep and a beautiful girl on her couch.

“She’ll be out in a few minutes,” Kara promised as she poured herself a glass and took her seat beside Lena, kissing her cheek and neck as she did, earning a giggle.

“Good. Now you can finish telling me about the prophecy.”

“I’m sick of bedtime stories,” Kara shook her head and reached o toss aside the folder Lena was looking at. “I’d rather just spend the evening with you.”

“My, my, Kara Danvers,” Lena smiled and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s neck. “You are very persuasive.”

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shesey · 3 years

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Excerpts from “She came to stay” by Simone de Beauvoir | Part 1

“She exercised that power: her presence snatched things from their unconsciousness; she gave then their colour, their smell.” “She alone evoked the significance of these abandoned places, of these slumbering things. She was there and they belonged to her. The world belonged to her.” “At this moment she did not in the least regret that Pierre was not beside her: there were some joys she could not know when he was with her; all the joys of solitude.” “I’d like to think that the whole world is asleep, that at this moment you and I are the only living souls on earth.” “I feel calmer now, because I’m convinced that wherever I may go, the rest of the world will move with me. That’s what keeps me from having any regrets. Regrets for what? Said Gerbert. Having to live only in my own skin when the world is so vast.” “It amazes Elizabeth that I’m not ambitious; but that’s precisely why. I don’t want to try to cut out a special place for myself in the world. I feel that I am already in it.” “Where others only saw an impenetrable jungle, Pierre saw a virgin future which was his to shape as he chose. That was the secret of this strength.” “The truth is that I enjoy the early stages. You don’t understand that? Perhaps, said Francoise, but I would not be interested in an affaire which had no continuity.” “If they were not mentioned, it was almost as if they had not existed at all, and this allowed a shameful subterranean vegetation to grow up under the surface of true existence where she felt utterly alone and in danger of suffocation.” “How easy it was to live a full life in a world that held both the ruins at Delphi and the bare Provencal hillsides, as well as this congeries of humanity!” “Each one of these men, each one of these women present here tonight was completely absorbed in living a moment of his or her insignificant existence.” “No longer was she conscious of risk, or hope, or fear; only of this happiness over which she did not even have control.” “Imprisoned in happiness.” “After all, nothing obliged her to resume her work the very next day. It was slightly absurd to spend hour after hour here without dancing, without speaking to a soul, but if one set one’s mind to it there was a fascination to be found in this kind of self-absorption.” “But this yard, cluttered with old stage sets, had lost none of its poetry by becoming an everyday sight.” “Sexual faithfulness is perfectly ridiculous. It leads to pure slavery. I don’t understand how you can tolerate it.” “Nonsense. You’re not going to tell me that it’s never happened to you to feel desire for a man. You’re talking like all the people who won’t admit they have prejudices. They pretend they are subject to them as a matter of personal choice. But that’s just so much nonsense.” “Beautiful things are not easily created. The more precious they are, the more work they require.” “I didn’t say this work was beautiful. I know that beauty lies only in the completed work, but I find it thrilling to watch the transition from the formless to the pure and completed state.” “She only has you and she’s very fond of you. That can’t be much fun.” “Why do people always have to drag so much dead weight about with them? Look, said Pierre, time isn’t made up of a heap of little separate bits into which you can shut yourself up in turn. When you think you’re living purely in the present, you’re involving your future, whether you like it or not.” “I’m very envious of your capacity to feel things so strongly. I understand our putting a higher value on that than anything else.” “If she spoke of it to Pierre, it would become a disquieting and gripping reality instead of a fleeting mood. Thenceforth, he would have to bear it in mind even when she herself attached no importance to it.” “His heart was hidden; that hand on his sleeve could be seen by every eye in the theatre.... but for whom does it really exist, this love that exists between us? At this moment, even she did not believe in it, nothing remained of it anywhere in the whole of existence.” “I wanted to give you more than you were prepared to accept. And, if one is sincere, to give is a way of insisting on some return.” “If he was suffering, she would suffer too.” “The day when I no longer feel anything, I’m not going to look for excuses to feel.” “I admit that people should write. There’s something voluptuous about words. But only when the spirit moves you.” “This separateness hurt her cruelly, but nothing would induce her to set food on this slippery slop of the imagination at the bottom of which yawned she knew not what abyss.” “You’re sensitive and intelligent - gifts that are not everyone’s. They’re trump cards.” “She was wrong to depend so entirely on Pierre: that was a real mistake, she ought not to thrust responsibility for herself upon someone else.” “Things had barely changed during the past twenty years, the atmosphere was oppressive. Whenever Francoise came back to this flat, she felt that all those years had led absolutely nowhere: time was spread all around her in a quiet, stagnant pool. To live was to grow old, nothing more.” “By always avoiding questions of principle, she could easily come to a kind of understanding with her parents.” “She had the painful impression of being in exile. In the ordinary way, the centre of Paris was wherever she happened to be. Today, everything had changed.” “Anguish pierced her: it was not a definite pain, she would have to delve very deep into the past to unearth a similar uneasiness.” “What had happened now was that the present world was out of reach; not only was she exiled from Paris, she was exiled from the whole world. The people who were sitting on the terrace, the people who were walking in the street, were insubstantial, were shadows; the houses were nothing but painted black-clothes with no depth.” “Love was surely less simple than he thought. It was stronger than time, nevertheless it existed in time, and from instant to instant, it was the cause of misgivings, self-denial, and minor despondencies.” “And when you begin to question a decision, it’s always disturbing. Xaviere is a living question mark.” “Introspection is tiring. It’s dangerous... She would have had to re-examine everything from the beginning but that required a superhuman strength.” “Whatever you may say about life, it always seems to me to be just so many words.” “Long periods of boredom punctuated by short bursts of pleasure seemed completely natural to him.” “There was nothing anywhere to envy, or to regret, or to fear. The past, the future, love, unhappiness, were no more than a sound made with the mouth.” “How could her exact tone of voice, the scent of her room at that moment, be described? Words could bring you nearer the mystery, but without making it any less impenetrable; it only masked the heart in a more chilling shadow.” “If she now so often felt estranged from Pierre, it was because she had allowed him to progress alone down these paths of admiration and affection.” “It was a little frightening. In his tender phrases, his affectionate gestures, she saw only an intention of kindness. they were not wholly convincing, they did not register properly... could her doubting ever again be stopped?” “But these were only words; they were two separate persons... the result of her blind trust was that she suddenly found herself facing a stranger.” “But if you study her with a little sympathy you’ll perceive in all that a clumsy attempt to give a definite value to her life and to herself as a person. Even her respect for the social formulas - marriage, fame -- is still a form of this anxiety.” “Isn’t there any country where people can do as they like? No... you’re cornered.” (pg 145-146) “If I could have her to myself, I would love her. This domineering little girl, too, was nothign more than a tiny fragment of the warm, defenceless world.” “She would have to make up her mind once and for all to face up to all the changes that had taken plcae; for days and days now her thoughts had a tinger of bitterness... ‘I want to see clearly’”.

“...there were so many thoughts that she now kept to herself.” “... they must above all pay more attention to each other at every moment.” “Up to now, when she thought: We are separate, that separation was still a mutual misfortune that struck both of them, and that together they would remedy. Now she understood: to be separate was to live out teh separation alone.” “She felt that they dreaded the moment of departure, but that they found no pleasure in staying on there.”

#simone de beauvoir #she came to stay

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useless12sstuff · 4 years

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Short stories #3

. 3 Above and Beyond

Trudging through the woods, I try to place the majority of my weight on my makeshift cane. Squinting my eyes, I try to keep sight of my path. The moon is of barely any help. If I had known it would be dark I would've snuck out a torch. Pulling my coat tighter around myself and wishing, not for the first time, that I should've worn something warmer above my hospital gown. I buried my nose in my scarf and yet, the crisp air still burned down my lungs. If my cigarettes don't kill me first, the cold certainly will. 'You shouldn't be here', the guilty part of my brain whispered. I squashed that thought down just like the leaves under my feet. Silly Linda, I scoff. She thought she could keep me in the ward by locking the door. Well look now, I jumped out the window. Well the pangs in my leg are almost making me regret. Almost. Oh whatever. To hell with Linda and her false pretenses. She can act sweet and coy all she likes but I know she wants me dead. Not more than I do but it is a mutual sentiment that is reciprocated. She's far too young anyway. A bit naive and very gullible. Very overconfident too but she is under the assumption that she's being 'smart' and 'sharp' and that an old, miserable midget like me won't be able to see right through her. An absolute fool. I despise it here.

I hobble my way to my usual spot, a clearing somewhere in the middle of the woods. The crescent moon stares down at me, as if judging. Sitting down on a tree stump while catching my breath, I pull out a pack of cigarettes that Linda missed and a lighter from my coat pocket. A cold draft rushed and rustled the trees and I held my coat tighter, shivering badly. With numb hands I light a cigarette and hold the lighter close, the tiny flame giving me a semblance of warmth. Sigh. I wouldn't want the fluid to run out. I pocketed it, closed my eyes and enjoyed my cigarette. Deep inhale and then exhale. Inhale and exhale. Finally, some peace and quiet….

…. Which did not last longer than twenty minutes. A sharp, whip like crack sobered me up and I opened my eyes to a terrifying sight. A creature with four faces, more than a hundred wings, taller than the trees, so huge that I can't distinguish the sky from its body. The moon is nowhere in sight. His whole body consists of uncountable eyes and tongues. What on God's green earth is this!? I can't move. Why am I not moving? Its hellish eyes stared me down. The cigarette I was holding had long fallen. I am a stone, glued to one place. I can't tear my eyes off this- this creature. All too soon, it descends and shifts into a shape more recognizable. A man. Dressed in a pure white robe, inky hair curled in every direction, skin the color of rich soil and piercing charcoal eyes, this man would stand out among any crowd. I must be hallucinating. Are cigarettes supposed to make you hallucinate?

"What kind of alien are you?" I asked in a quivering voice.

The man blinked. Then blinked again. Then stared at me long enough to make me wish I hadn't spoken.

"What kind do you think I am?" he smoothly replies, evading my question.

"A shape-shifting one."

He folds his hands neatly behind his back and doesn't reply.

"And who would you introduce yourself as?" he asks. I have a distinct feeling that he's humouring me. Like a cat who caught a canary.

"I, well, I-uhm-I fancy myself a student." I stuttered out. He doesn't need to know where I am from.

"A student of?"

"Life."

The alien smirked. An uncomfortable silence surrounds us, uncomfortable for me atleast. I feel weaker. Sweat beads at my eyebrows. This alien's presence has a weight that is taking a toll on me.

With nothing to do, I whip out another cigarette. I finished smoking it. Then I pull out a second, then a third, then a fourth.

"How long have you been smoking?" the alien asks suddenly.

"A few decades." I say, lighting another cigarette. A hush falls again.

"How do you speak our language?" I inquired, anything to keep the oppressive silence at bay.

"I've been here before."

"Oh?" I ask, hoping for an elaboration.

"Yes."

None came.

"What is it like?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Your planet. What is it like?"

"It is a human's dream come true. You can have whatever your heart desires. Food, clothing, land, companions. It is eternal peace-"

"Sounds like heaven." I interrupted.

The alien's lips quirked.

"Something of that sort. It can be very beautiful or very terrible depending on the person."

"Why so?"

"Would you wish for good things to happen to evil people?"

"No. Not at all."

"My point exactly."

"What is evil anyway? Is evil caused by a difficult life?You know, I've always wondered."

The alien calmly looks back at me.

"Have you had a sorrowful life?" he asks, a curious gleam in his eyes.

"Sorrowful?" I scoff. "I can barely recognize myself in the mirror anymore. A saying goes 'Let a man walk the halls of sorrow. Whatever comes out, can it be called a man anymore?' " I asked.

"Sorrow is either growth or wasted potential if you have not learned. Power on the other hand, man cannot be trusted with power. It is too corrupting." the alien argues.

"I'll have to politely disagree. Power in itself is not corrupt. Power attracts those who are corruptible. Those who took the wrong lessons from their sorrows."

"And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You have become a cynic only because you felt your life was difficult. Your cigarette is proof enough. It kills you, yet, you stick to it. Doesn't that make you just like them?"

"You are not a human. You don't, and maybe, will never, understand the delicate intricacy of addiction. I am not defending myself. I am ashamed but leaving it is no easy task."

The alien hummed," If you believe so. You are quite a melancholic person." he says, matter of fact.

"So I've been told." I smiled self deprecatingly, "Look at me, debating about ideologies with an alien."

The alien smirked, as if he was in on a joke I wasn't. Strange.

I cleared my throat. It felt itchy. Must've been the cigarettes.

"Anyway,how does your planet deal with 'evil' people."

"You need not worry your head over it. Our, ah, justice system is very fair."

"Oh. Where is it located? Your planet that is."

"Not here. It is somewhere above all the galaxies."

That most certainly piqued my interest. I have wished for death on my worst days but on my best days, I've always been a curious bug, too curious for my own good. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Why are you here?" I finally cave in to my curiosity.

The alien side eyes me and replies, "I'm here to take one person home with me. Forever."

A thrill raced up my spine and anticipation settled in my bones. I licked my frozen, chapped lips. Perhaps I am being selfish. I spent my entire life looking for an escape, an escape from everything, my depression, my poverty, my disease, that hospital and its disinfectant smelling wards, Linda, this wretched world. That is an artist's curse. Escapism, they say, is an art too and I am anything but unacquainted to art. I always wondered about what was beyond, a place where no man had stepped. The golden threads of time, weaved into the fine fabric of the universe, permitted this opportunity to occur in front of me. I will take it even if my hands bleed.

I have no family that left, nobody who loves me. I'm bitter and alone. I deserve to be selfish for once in my life. To take a big leap, a risk. Yes, I will.

"Take me with you." I begged. "Please."

"Why should I?" the alien replied, staring right in my soul.

"You came for me. I know. If you didn't you wouldn't have landed here." I say, hopefully.

"And if I say that is false? What else would you offer?“

"I can offer you beauty and art. I can create for you."

"We have many of those."

"There will ever only be one like me. Just like there is only one artist like them. Themselves only."

Silence enveloped us again while rejection stung my chest again.

"Allow me to prove myself." I plead.

The alien looked at me, questioning.

"Look in my mind, see all that there is." I say determinedly. And I let him in my mind, let him see the world through my eyes and feel what I felt. I let him see my arts, my music, my poetry, my paintings that I crafted lovingly with my aged hands. I let him see what a human sees, something I know that he had never witnessed. Then I revealed my sorrows. Hopefully humanity would appeal to it.

With a pull he left my head. My eyes burned and I felt a blood vessel burst. I dry heaved on the dead ground but the nausea still lingered. I am glad I was seated or my knees would've buckled and I would've been an undignified heap on the floor. All the while the alien just stared and stared. I am getting sick of his staring too.

Once again, I broke the silence.

"I will paint your skies," I continue, hesitantly, "and your buildings and walls. I will write for the children and even for the old. Just please, take me. I'm exhausted ."

My eyes burned again, unshed tears waiting for release. I avert my eyes and let out a sigh. I feel heavy and my shoulders slump. Unexplainable exhaustion overcomes me and my temperature keeps rising, beads of sweat rolling down my face.

"If," he began,then stopped. It was the first time in our entire conversation that I saw him hesitate.

"If," he continued, "if I were to ask you to scream your wish at me, what would you fear more; your echo or my answer? “

"My echo", I reply instantaneously.

"Why?"

"Because it would mean you have declined."

"Hmm. Recite a poem for me."

I gave a shaky, hopeful smiled and offered him my words:

My river by the oak tree

has turned molten gold again,

as the glowing orb of light and life surrenders to the sapphire sky.

The cotton clouds float in shy, pink circles

While the rush of the river awakens a memory I had long forgotten,

When this same tree once bore luscious flowers,

Their scent wafting lazily into the cool breeze,

While I sat and reminisced about the possibility of other lives in the universe,

Under the wrinkled, silver moon.

Silence hugged us again while the impact of my weakened voice lingered in the air.

"Do you believe in other lives? Aliens and such?" he questioned.

"Yes I do, I mean you are here so that confirms it too."

"You are a funny one. No one has ever mistaken me for an alien." it grinned, crooked, as if a gesture it wasn't familiar with.

My body went cold and tremors shook it to its feeble core, my breath coming out in shallow pants. My eyes shut down of their own accord. The entity then spoke with a voice that might have held the weight of a thousand suns,

"Beyond the stars we go."

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vroenis · 4 years

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Reaching Out, Reaching In

It would be criminal not to use ABIIOR for the lede given I’m going to quote Matty albeit not quite verbatim - nevertheless - buy this album, it’s incredible.

But of-course, I’m going to start by talking about

I mention BT a lot; he enters the lists often in my writing, in my discussions. Like many artists in my collection and listening rotation, I seem to be really into an artist for a period of time and then reach a cutoff point where I stop being into them. This probably happens for most people, I don’t know, I’ve not asked most people, but I do want to be very careful of not living in the past or rather dying in it. Still, I like to keep finding new things or rather I’m compelled to. I enjoy things that continue to grow older each second time passes, but I always thirst for new creations by all artists of all ages, whether they bring to bear the experience of years, or they’ve only been around for a few. The point is everyone is here on this wild ride and art is their response to the stimuli; it’s what comes out of us in abstract and semi-abstract, re-translated and it forms these amazing emotional and often transcending connections and multifaceted responses in us and by us I mean me.

I’m getting distracted.

In the last and understandably downcast piece on my deathbed playlist, there are three key BT albums and it’s worth noting the years he released them;

2006 - This Binary Universe

2012 - Nuovo Morceau Subrosa

2016 - _ (untitled - there’s a story, you can look it up if you like, it’s more or less just referred to as the character *underscore*(verbal))

There were other albums in-between but naturally those don’t make the list as far as what I want to be hearing if I’m half or unconscious or in a delirium on my way to imminent death. In 2019, BT released two albums;

October 2019 - Between Here And You

December 2019 - Everything You’re Searching For Is On The Other Side Of Fear

You may remember I wrote a whole lot about 2009 - 2019 and these albums were absent.

If you go to the wiki for BT, which are his initials for Brian (Wayne) Transeau, you’ll see a wonderfully rich history of a stupendously talented musician and immensely intelligent individual. He is part of a collective of people most wouldn’t know about (which is perfectly fine, to be honest) who are responsible for the digital audio revolution that has completely changed the way we create, record, produce, publish and distribute music as we know it. There are parts of that people may think are negative and some elements certainly are, but the net benefit is unquestionably positive even if only on the sole subject of accessibility. Accessible digital audio has put creation and power within reach of everyone and of-course this means there’s a glut of material available, but it also means we catch sight of more amazing art rather than never see it, or it not seeing the light of day. I lean on humans seeing it and saying that directly rather than speaking in abstract. The light of day is literally us - we humans, seeing the expressions of one-another and hopefully remunerating appropriately so that we can continue to live and improve each other’s lives.

I have always had and continue to have immense respect for BT. He began writing This Binary Universe when his daughter was born, and as she grew, continued working on the album with this tiny infant often in his lap as he worked. He wrote it from creation in 5.1 surround sound, rather than all other “surround sound mixes” being done in retrospect from the stereo stems. It is an astonishing work and See You On The Other Side may very well be one of the greatest pieces of music in history. When I first listened to TBU in 2006, I had a myriad of emotional responses and I certainly didn’t have as much knowledge of BT’s creation process and background for the album at the time, but I can appreciate that shortly thereafter upon learning it, it probably does form biases in how I feel about the album. This will be important to the discussion later. Nevertheless, the album feels massively injected with specific intent and yes, surely every artistic work is regardless and we’ll get there. This is going to be personal but all writing is - that doesn’t warrant further discussion, we should always be making that assumption.

I follow BT on Instagram and saw him build his awesome new studio, an amazing space for all his gear and synths and something any music professional would love to have in some way... which I may check in a moment, or perhaps not so soon but I hope I don’t forget to come back to that. I will say that I do like it. It is a wonderful playground of vintage, rare and new synths, of super powerful computers with extremely new software and plugs, of high-end analogue desks and outboard units, extremely nice monitors and custom designed absorbers, panels, racks and furniture. It is an absolutely amazing space.

After the studio was finished, he did some collabs with some other artists and folks, some of which I also follow on Instagram whose setups are wildly different so it was nice to see some cross-over. He also interspersed with increasing regularity work on his albums which included clips of 100+ piece orchestras and often DAW session captures of the stems and him working on them. It was all pretty cool and the tiny snippets he posted were rad.

In October 2019, I was travelling to visit family due to cancer treatment, something that’s been at the centre of my life for well over 18 months, and I have my first full listen-thru of Between Here And You on an early morning when the rest of the house is asleep. It’s pretty great, sonically I like it a lot. I don’t have the same response to TBU but I don’t expect to, I should give it a chance, but it still doesn’t elicit a really significant response in me. At this point it has to be said that on the same trip, I have my first full listen-thru of Telefon Tel Aviv’s Dreams Are Not Enough, having slept on its initial September release, and that might be enough to give context to how I responded - it may have been where my head was at and remains to this day. I couldn’t shake it tho, as I still really have an affinity for TBU and I was wondering what was up.

Fast-forward to December and the release of Everything You’re Searching For Is On The Other Side Of Fear, and I do not respond to this album at all. It has some decent BT synth and sample work in it that exhibits his amazing talent, but it’s cut with orchestral and choral music that to me is indistinct from any other contemporary material available on a Pandora channel playing similar genres. I hate the sound of myself being so critical of someone I admire so much, because for someone who can write bangin’ trance and intricately complicated micro-rhythms and sample-chopped music, someone who writes their own freaken’ software and who edits audio down to the sample because their attention to detail is so specific and demanding - for that same person to be so talented to also be able to write scores and choral vocal arrangements is immense. I’m sure it all means so much to BT and I’m so proud of him for creating what to him must be an amazing work. I’m not trying to say anything negative about the work itself...

But I just don’t respond to it. Almost all the other music I’ve been listening to over the last 10 years including very recently, feels like it’s been created in response to extremely personal experiences that haven’t all been great - singular or accumulations of events that have precipitated significant introspection, and the art that has resulted from it for me reflects it clearly. BT’s two albums feel like... a very fortunate and privileged guy who’s had a lot of time and opportunity to play with his gear, record it and release it. The title also sounds presumptuous as if to position that systemic poverty and oppression and struggle outside of ones’ control can be solved by the oppressed simply stopping being afraid and I border on hating it every time I read it... - and that sounds so horribly mean because it is, I don’t intend for it to be mean. I need to check my expectations and I need to respect that Brian is still doing what he wants to do and he doesn’t owe me anything, least of all in something as abstract as how something sounds and whether or not I like it, because ultimately that’s all I’m talking about here, no matter how obscure I want to make the discussion. The intent of the title, especially - I’m certain - isn’t to diminish those who suffer, and I should be careful in my reading of it. So keeping myself in check, I’m here to explore the rest of my response, and I’m going to try and give further context.

Coldplay

I’ve no problem telling you I like Coldplay. I guess if you knew more about my musical background, it’d be less of a surprise, tho if you’ve been following along, it’ll make sense. If you’re reading this journal backwards, it may or may not, depending on how much I write about production in the future. To cut a long story short, like many bands I’m almost not at all into the band themselves and almost entirely into the production that surrounds them. Meow meow meow, all the art purists will bang-on about how music is about the performers but producers and engineers are artists in every way as much as performers are, and even bands or individuals who “just perform” with their instrument and no-one else on stage and no technicals (screens, lights, unseen backing musos etc.) still have a myriad of people surrounding them without which they can’t execute their working careers. Anyway, feel free to remain ignorant of those facts if you like and be all “pure performers”, no problem - magic can be real for you.

I lost track of Coldplay at after their 2015 album A Head Full Of Dreams. I’m less emotionally invested in the band and totally don’t mind that they’d up until that point releasing more or less the same sound for four consecutive albums. I really like the sound and if you pay close enough attention, it was actually evolving nicely, enough for me at any rate. I’d forgotten all about the band which is easy to do when you don’t really pay attention to pop-music and the activities therein, and then a couple of months ago (January maybe?) by whatever divination of the YouTube algorithm, a video titled Coldplay: Everyday Life Live in Jordan came up in my recommendations - a thing I was until then, unaware even existed. I’d no idea what the band was doing and I’m always keen to give them a shot, so I clicked-thru.

Moments ago I said I was happy with the band doing the same sound over and over again, and when I listen back to those albums, I’m still fine with them - let’s call it the Viva/Prospekt’s/Dreams anthology. Several things struck me about Everyday Life. Given my personal experiences of the last ten years, my struggles and the struggles of everyone around me, both personal and the cultures I observe and choose to observe, watching these four guys geared up in these ruins in Jordan looked stupendously privileged and a massive flex of wealth and influence. It looked like money buying good photography, framing and impossible location kudos and style. The sound in culture to my personal experiences also felt irrelevant.

And now I can finally talk about

The 1975 - Reaching Out, Reaching In

I now don’t remember whether it was at the ABIIOR concert in Melbourne, September 2019, or in one of the many interview snippets on YouTube or an article - I’m fairly sure it was his voice, so I either saw him say it in a video or he said it at the concert or both. Matt Healy said something along the lines of...

“... I know our last album was very inwardly focused... but A Brief Inquiry is very outwardly focused... it’s more about the world... and you... and us...”

That is not at all what he said verbatim but it was something very similar to that so I desperately hope a 1975 fan drops in and corrects me or can find a clip of him repeating it. Anyway there are a lot of really good things to extract from that, firstly from what it means about The 1975′s music and the culture that forms around it, and then about the discussion I’m having.

BT, Coldplay and The 1975 all live in my Ultimate folder on my hard-drive, but while BT and Coldplay fall where they will alpha-numerically as far as directory structure is concerned, The 1975 have the auspicious honour of having leading zeros in their text so they appear first. This is so that I never have to scroll all the way down to T in any program or utility (like my car’s head unit) to find them. Worth noting that composer Yoko Kanno is 01 and Underworld are 02.

The album that preceded A Brief Inquiry... was released in 2016, titled I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, an intentionally Emo title, I believe or at least hope, and it is definitely an inwardly focused album in the themes indicated by its lyrical content. It’s to date one of my favourite albums of all time, superbly performed and produced and overflowing with emotion - there’s some truly heartbreaking sound and words therein. I feel like this album is a perfect inclusion with the others in my Circa 2009 - 2019 piece that was somehow vaguely about how much of a struggle those 10 years have been. I guess it’d be difficult to get a notion of that if you’re not familiar with the music and material, but all of that music is introspective - it’s all about reaching in. As mentioned above, the art these artists are producing is the result of deeply intimate experiences, some they share directly with us outside of the abstract of art - relationships, family loss, drug addiction, mental health - but many that they don’t so clearly telegraph and leave us with the abstract; the art.

A Brief Inquiry.../ABIIOR certainly is about reaching out, even when the lyrics do seem to be personal, but to me as an individual, it feels to reach out in the right way - that is to say *I* feel it’s reaching out to a world *I* identify with, in a way that *I* agree with or find agreeable. The songs in ABIIOR are about misunderstanding, they’re about not giving up, making mistakes, desperation, honesty, the chaos of the destruction of modern society. One of my all-time favourite songs has sprung from this album and has become anthemic for me - Love It If We Made It and I’m going to embed it;

youtube

And now I feel I want to say that naming an album “Everything You’re Searching For Is On The Other Side Of Fear” and also performing a concert in ancient ruins on the top of a mountain during a picturesque sunrise in Jordan with expensive drone photography both feel to me like also reaching out but in ways that I don’t like and agree with, that feel irrelevant and/or culturally inappropriate but I use the term culturally to mean my personal culture; the culture I see myself fit into as an individual that interacts with others, the struggles we seem to share as a collective.

I feel as tho Coldplay once did reach out in the good way I’m trying and possibly failing to describe, or perhaps just trying to frame from a position I prefer. I felt they had a more grounded sense of community with everyday people which makes the irony of their most recent project more apparent. It may well be that I just don’t like what these artists are doing any more and that’s fine. Sometimes we might feel entitled to a sense of righteousness, to validate our distaste for something on a more grand cultural level, to co-opt others into our critique so more fingers can point and collectively say “See?! That thing you’re doing really *is* BAD! More people said so!” but I really am keeping myself in check and not wanting to do that. I think I’m writing this journal to explain myself to myself - yes, to log my justifications because I believe in them, but also ensure I don’t turn into an arsehole.

Still - I stand by my criticisms because they’re important. I don’t know why in-particular these few examples struck in this way when others didn’t. I bought a bunch of Anjuna music that has nothing to do with culture and emotional response in the ways I’ve discussed them and I love them. Sometimes music is about bangin’ beats and euphoria and that’s OK. Still, the world isn’t entirely a joyous place for me at the moment and hasn’t been. There are positives to celebrate, but I have never been one to only log my celebrations. In particular from a mental health perspective, only documenting positives is incredibly hazardous and I condemn the practice. As much as these entries are laced with darkness and difficulties, each one also contains the things that assist me in surviving, keeping me nourished and navigating this often hellish experience of life. Ultimately of all my skills, seeking out art I identify with is the most valuable survival skill I have, it is the only one that matters.

Love is a kind of art, there’s nothing abstract in that statement - the love between people is artful, in any and all forms it takes - hence the tags; Art Worth Dying For, and Art Worth Living For.

#music #The 1975 #A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships #ABIIOR #BT #Telefon Tel Aviv #Dreams Are Not Enough #Coldplay #Love It If We Made It #art worth dying for #art worth living for #chrono #2020 #writing about music

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buzzdixonwriter · 5 years

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Hoo Noo Shmoo?

Never let it be said that this blog is flagging in its enthusiasm for flogging horses so dead they’re found in the glue bin at Office Max.

To whit, the Scorsese vs MCU brouhaha.

Bottom line: Scorsese is right. As well made as MCU movies are, they ain’t cinema, they’re glorified commercials to sell MCU product.

Full disclosure: I should know, since I wrote for G.I. Joe, Transformers, and a host of other toy-based syndicated animation shows. I’m happy with the work I did, I can point proudly to specific episodes I wrote that aspire to be more than mere half-hour commercials…

…but they ain’t art.

They ain’t art, despite our aspirations to do the best job we could, because ultimately we creators were not allowed to create what we felt best for our stories, but what Hasbro deemed vital to their sales.

(The closest we got to art was when Hasbro cancelled The Inhumanoids toy line in mid-production of the TV series, and said we could finish our broadcast commitment however we saw fit so long as it didn’t result in an FCC complaint. As a result, we went nuts.)

My Hasbro / Sunbow experience remains a highpoint of my creative life, so I’m not denigrating the talent, skill, ability, spirit, and enthusiasm of those making MCU movies.

…but they ain’t art.

Now, those who love MCU movies think Scorsese’s comments are a slam against them.

Welllll…no, not directly.

But they do underscore how popularity -- especially of media designed to push product -- is a faulty measuring stick for artistic merit.

Case in point: The Shmoo.

Wuzza shmoo, you ask (and thus proving my point)?

Shmoos were extremely popular in the late 1940s. Part of the wonderfully wacky world cartoonist Al Capp created for his hit Li’l Abner comic strip, shmoos represented a parable on American consumerism, modern day geese laying not mere golden eggs but birthday cakes with candles a’blazin’.

As Capp described them:

They reproduce asexually and are incredibly prolific, multiplying faster than rabbits. They require no sustenance other than air.

Shmoos are delicious to eat, and are eager to be eaten. If a human looks at one hungrily, it will happily immolate itself -- either by jumping into a frying pan, after which they taste like chicken, or into a broiling pan, after which they taste like steak. When roasted they taste like pork, and when baked they taste like catfish. Raw, they taste like oysters on the half-shell.

They also produce eggs (neatly packaged), milk (bottled, grade-A), and butter -- no churning required. Their pelts make perfect boot leather or house timbers, depending on how thick one slices them.

They have no bones, so there's absolutely no waste. Their eyes make the best suspender buttons, and their whiskers make perfect toothpicks. In short, they are simply the perfect ideal of a subsistence agricultural herd animal.

Naturally gentle, they require minimal care and are ideal playmates for young children. The frolicking of shmoos is so entertaining (such as their staged "shmoosical comedies") that people no longer feel the need to watch television or go to the movies.

Some of the more tasty varieties of shmoo are more difficult to catch, however. Usually shmoo hunters, now a sport in some parts of the country, use a paper bag, flashlight, and stick to capture their shmoos. At night the light stuns them, then they may be whacked in the head with the stick and put in the bag for frying up later on.

Of course, in the original strip continuity, the shmoos were quickly eradicated, driven to extinction by food packagers who feared bankruptcy.

It was a sharp, biting message, and one that looked critically at both insatiable consumerism and capitalism’s claims of superiority.

Capp, of course, was too savvy a marketeer himself to eliminate the shmoos entirely, and so he provided for one breeding pair to survive…and for the shmoos to make repeated appearances for the rest of Li’l Abner’s run.

Shmoo mania ran rampant with shmoo dolls, shmoo clocks, shmoo games, shmoo candy, shmoo snacks, and shmoo apparel.

The money truck basically backed up to Capp’s front door and dumped its load on his porch. Shmoos proved insanely popular and it seemed the mania would never end…

…except it did.

To mangle metaphors, you can only take so many trips to the same well before your audience starts asking “What? Beans again?”

And then, in a fickle flash, it’s over.

I’d be hard pressed today to find anyone younger than the boomer cohort who ever heard of Al Capp or Li’l Abner unless their school or community theatre presented the Broadway musical adaptation of the strip (the show remains popular with amateur theatrical troupes such as high schools and colleges because the huge cast of Dogpatch citizens guarantees everybody who tries out for the show will land some part in it).

For all their popularity and merchandise and media impact -- songs on the radio, big spreads in weekly news magazines -- the shmoos left virtually no cultural footprint.

(Full disclosure yet again: I wrote for a Scooby-doo knock-off by Hanna-Barbera called The New Shmoo and it was a piece of crap, abandoning the whole consumerism point of the original shmoos and making them -- or just “it” in our case -- a pseudo-funny dog sidekick for a squad of mystery solving kids. And it wasn’t a piece of crap because we didn’t try our best, it was a piece of crap because the shmoo was treated as ubiquitous “product” under the misconception that of course everybody younger than Joe Barbera would recognize the name and love the character so deeply that they’d simultaneously develop amnesia about what made the original character so appealing.)

Product.

That’s what one of the most brilliant, most poignant, most spot-on commentaries on rampant consumerism and ruthless capitalism ironically reduced down to. Product.

There’s a line in Jurassic Park that resonates here: ”Life will find a way.”

Let’s paraphrase that to “Art will find a way” because like life, art is an expression of the creative urge.

Right now, by and large, it’s trapped in the giant all encompassing condom of corporate consumerism, providing fun and pleasure and excitement, but not really creating anything new, to be wadded up and thrown away when the suits are done screwing us.

But every now and then there’s a tiny pinprick in the sheath, and when that happens there’s the chance of something wonderful, something meaningful, something of lasting value emerging.

It is possible for art to emerge from a corporate context, but only if the corporate intent is to produce a work of art for its own purposes. Michelangelo carved David as a work for hire, the local doge commissioning the sculpture because he wanted to impress peers and peasants by donating the biggest statue ever made by the hottest artist of the era (and even then Michelangelo needed to resort to subterfuge to keep the doge from “improving” on his work with “suggestions” [read “commands”].)

The very first Rocky movie was a work of art because the producers focused on telling a simple, singular story about a loser who could only win by going the distance, not by defeating his opponent but by refusing to be beaten by him.

It’s a great cinematic moment that rings true and it’s going to last forever…unlike sequels Rocky II - V where Rocky fights supervillains like Mr. T and a robot (hey, that was the movie playing in my head when I watched Rocky IV and it was a helluva lot more entertaining than what I actually saw onscreen).

The suits castrated Rocky, reducing him from a unique universal cultural touchstone down to…well…product.

The MCU movies are product; rather, they are two-hour+ commercials to sell product in the form of videogames, action figures, T-shirts, and Underoos.

The real art occurred almost 60 years ago when Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko knocked out page after page as fast as they could, drawing deep from the wellsprings of their own interests, experiences, and passions.

(“What about Stan?” I hear you ask. Look, we all love Stan, but truth be told his great contribution to the MCU came in his service as drum major for the Merry Marvel marching Society. God bless him for firing up the fan base’s enthusiasm for the Marvel bullpen’s work, but compare what his artists did before and after their collaboration with him to what he did before and after his editorial tenure at Marvel and it’s clear upon whose shoulders the muses rested.)

As much fun as MCU movies are (I’ve seen about 1/3 of ‘em and enjoyed most of what I saw), I also recognize in them the harm they do.

They are promoted heavily to sell product to raise the fortunes of one of the biggest corporations on the planet, a corporation that holds control over five of the largest, most popular entertainment brands on the market.

To protect their cash cows, Disney chokes potential rivals in their cribs.

Think there’s going to be another Alien or Predator movie now that Disney owns them and Star Wars? Why create rivals to a mega-successful property you already own? (I will be genuinely surprised if we see another Guardians Of The Galaxy movie in light of the faltering popularity of Star Wars in Disney’s eyes; they’re going to want to shore up their billion dollar investment rather than call it a day and let some upstart -- even an upstart they own 100% -- rob them of revenue.)

Disney’s battle plan to choke out all potential rivals leaves no room in the DEU (Disney Expanded Universe) for independent minded creators.

They want competent hired pens who can churn out the product they desire in order to bolster sales of other products derived from those.

(Even more full disclosure: I wrote for Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers as well as some Aladdin and Scrooge McDuck comic book stories.)

Disney’s MCU, for all its expertly executed whiz-bang, is a bloated, soulless zombie, a giant gaudy inflated parade balloon blocking the vision of others.

There’s a scene in the movie The Founder -- a genuine cinematic work of art that comments ironically on the selling of a product -- that applies here.

Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) relentlessly browbeats the McDonald brothers (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch) into letting him replace their real milkshakes with what will come to be known as the McShake, an ersatz product that at best reminds one of what a real milkshake should taste like.

The McDonald Brothers are horrified. Not only does it not taste like a real milkshake, but it goes against the very grain of what they desire as restauranteurs: To provide quality food quickly for their customers, trading value for value.

Kroc will have none of this. To him the customers are simply one more obstacle between him and their money.

He doesn’t see them as the source of his revenue, but as impediments to same.

What benefits them, what nurtures their diets, what gives them pleasure, what trades value for value is completely unimportant to him.

They exist only to make him rich and powerful.

By the end of the film, Kroc has effectively declared war on his own partners, his own employees, his own customers. He recognizes he is not in the business his customers and employees and partners think he’s in (i.e., fast food) but rather in the real estate business, buying land that McDonald’s franchises must lease from him in order to operate.

By the end, he’s not concerned with how well his customers eat, or how well his employees are treated, or how financially secure his franchise managers feel.

By the end, all he wants is the money, and he doesn’t care how his franchises make it so long as they pass it along to him.

As a result, McDonald’s contributes heavily to America’s obesity and diabetes epidemics, advising their employees to take second jobs so they can afford to continue working for them at substandard wages.

Disney’s MCU is a super-sized Happy Meal™ that’s ruining the cultural health of its consumers.

#Marvel #Disn #Jack Kirby #Stan Lee #Steve Ditko #Star Wars #MCU #Rocky #Martin Scorsese #media #movies #superheroes

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celestialholz · 6 years

Note

Qcard 222? Pleeeeeeeeeease? :D

Happy to oblige, dear anon - thank you for the prompt! I apologise for this taking me a little bit - I’m trying to organise moving house, which is an absolute ordeal!

Welcome to 1600 words of feels for your patience, my friend, and the deliberate misdirection of what you’d probably expect from this prompt. I thoroughly enjoyed creating this, and hope you love reading it just as much! =)

22. “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.”

Prompt list here: http://celestialwarzone.tumblr.com/post/179662102941/send-me-a-pairing-and-a-number-and-ill-write-you

It was blissfully quiet in Picard’s quarters; soft breath was all thatcut through the air, the sleeping Captain’s mind at utter ease. By his side, Q’slips curled into a silent smile; it was majestic to watch this ineffable humanat peace, his diplomacy, quick wit and brilliant intelligence switched off byhis own biology. Jean-Luc Picard soared above his species, courageous enough tobegin affairs with gods, stubborn enough to keep such matters private from hiscrew, and far too delightful to watch in their afterglow.

He wasn’t welcome after hours, he knew – “I wouldn’t want you to getthe wrong impression, Q,” he’d murmured several weeks earlier, everthe diplomat. Too late, dearest, Q had acknowledged, onlyslightly bitter – the man was far too enthralling to ever be truly irritatedby, and he was vastly too enamoured to maintain the illusion of being so. Itwas an arrangement of convenience, a way in which to satiate the entity’sconstant desire to play god upon his vessel. It didn’t mean anything – well,not to one of them, at least.

Made something ofa rod for your own back there, didn’t you? His subconsciousdrawled. A billion lifetimes of cosmic awareness, and you still thought thatengaging in intercourse with a transient mortal you’re in love with was amagnificent idea. And you mock theirstupidity.

Q sighed wearily, in desperate need of a distraction from his personalself-deprecation; quietly, he slipped into the dreams of his lover, knowingthat whilst it was invasive, Jean-Luc would hold no great qualms with the act.

Picard was relaxed, sun beating down upon his handsome features from aworn sun lounger that perched upon the hill above his family’s vineyard. Qglanced down at him in fond amusement, vexed.

“Honestly, Johnny – who dreams of being asleep?”

The Frenchman’s eyes wrenched open within his own mind, startled.

“Q?” He demanded in bewilderment. “What on earth – is thistelepathy? Am I still asleep? What are you doing here?!”

“Yes, yes, being intrigued,” the deity replied softly, smirking. “Doyou want me to leave?”

The ‘get out’ lingered on Picard’s tongue for a long moment,before he gave a sigh of relent.

“As long as you don’t intend to be irritating, and I get the requiredrest, then no.” He shoved his spine into the back of the lounger, calming. Hismind hummed with disapproval, accepting nevertheless, and Q basked in itstangible glow; the sun held real warmth in the mysticism of the mental space,the experience as true to its beholder as the actual world would have been.

“I shall be a paragon of virtue, my dear,” the entity assured himmildly, conjuring a recliner of his own and easing into it.

“First time for everything,” Picard drawled, unconvinced.

Q gave a silent grin, summoning a frosted glass of iced tea to sip;they basked in silence for a little while, simply enjoying the ambience of aFrench summer, the god fully absorbed in the tantalising, indistinct psyche ofhis companion. It was a marvel, the resonant peace he’d managed to acquire justbeing beside him – any real period of inactivity had always had Q itching todiscover something new, to create havoc, yet he was entirely content to existquietly beside this enigma of a human.

Missionaccomplished, he noted miserably. Sleeping with me haseradicated my desire to entertain your precious crew.

“You hated this place,” he murmured, more to hush his damning owndamning assessment. “Why would you return to it in dreams, when the universe isyour oyster? You are as omnipotent as I am, here.”

Picard’s lips pursed pensively, smile fading as quickly as it hadarisen.

“Saudade,” he murmured. “Something lost, which can never bereclaimed – in this instance, a time when things weren’t always perfect, butfar simpler.”

Oh, I remember,Q mused inwardly, only his mastery of telepathy keeping his thoughts personalin his lover’s domain. I only wish I’d recall well enough to abandon you –but, then, I never was one for self-preservation. Too dramatic, you see.

“Mm,” he muttered noncommittally, simply to fill the void.

Picard rose a surprised brow at the lack of quirky reply, gauging thesituation for a moment.

“I doubt my need for relaxation this evening stems from anything that Ishould be overly concerned about.”

“No?” Q summoned a cushion for the back of his head, placing it in afluid movement as he tried to appear as though he didn’t hang permanently offthe man’s every word.

“I think not. I’m sure the individual that I have appealed to is on thesame page as I am.”

Q turned onto his side to stare, following the line of cryptic thoughtwith equal vagueness.

“Well, hopefully. I could check, if you like? It would hardly be beyondme.”

“No, no, it will be quite alright, I’m certain.” Picard’s gaze returnedto the ambling vineyards. “I just don’t understand, you see, becausethey knew the whole time. I was never anything other than upfront.”

Something very similar to foreboding crept up Q’s spine.

“Perhaps they do know,” he murmured, “though, of course, knowing doesn’tmake something personally applicable.”

“Doesn’t agreement?”

“Potentially. That rather depends on who we’re discussing, doesn’t it?”

Picard’s eyes wrenched back to his, their irritation clear.

“I’ve seen the way you look at me, when you think I don’t notice.” Hiswords were little more than a whisper, though they held the sharpness ofmidwinter. “Like I’m comprised of, of… stardust, of the finest jewels… asthough I’m something – wonderful.”

Q gave a bark of a bitter chuckle, gaze taut, his tea cast aside with aswipe of his hand.

“You mortals are so obtuse,” he murmured, deliberately glancing away,the vines before him blurring just slightly. “You spend so much of your livesdealing with the physical, the tangible to your limited senses, that you forgethow much more there is, that there are things far beyond your comprehension.You’re human, Jean-Luc – oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, calcium, a handfulmore; seventy percent water, five foot nine, French… really quite dull, by yourpeople’s standards, though highly intelligent, and rather handsome to boot. Youlive an average life, on an average vessel, in a largely uninteresting timeperiod – by rights, you shouldn’t fascinate anyone, much less a god.”

He conjured a holographic star system, a miniature Captain floating atits heart, a bright smile gracing his lips. The real thing watched, entranced,unwilling to give away a damned thing.

“But we’re all more than the sum of our parts, aren’t we dear?” His ownsmile was tired as he regarded the hologram. “You’re brilliantly clever, morethan willing to stand up someone so beyond your capacity it’s laughable… yourise above the morons you exist beside. A diplomat, a man of honour, wisdom,passion… you are wonderful. You match me word-for-word, never bore me, alwaysprove a challenge – and you care, on whatever level it may be. You askme how my day’s been when I don’t even have a concept of linear time, how theContinuum’s doing. No one does that, you know. I’m acquainted with billions,Jean-Luc, and none of them mean a damned thing in comparison. Innumerate stars,planets, phenomena, people, timescales, and it all reduces to you.”

The tiny cosmos retracted to nothingness in Q’s palm, leaving the simulatedCaptain alone, still regarding his magician as though he was the world. Picardstared, breathless, his relaxing dream quite forgotten.

“My point is, you’re the tiniest pinprick of existence – you aren’t anewly formed sun, an unexplored M-class system, the first inklings of a highlyadvanced race upon an untouched world… physically, you’re worthless.”

He smiled morosely, trembling fingers causing his illusion to flicker;his eyes finally deigned to meet his lover’s, burning with emotion.

“But by the Continuum, and all we are, you are the universe tome.”

Picard choked back tears, visibly compromised.

“I…” He swallowed quietly, struggling to regain his usually impeccablecomposure. “This was never meant to – I told you – ”

“Oh, I know.” Q shook his head just slightly, the lament clear. “If ithelps, it isn’t your fault, Jean-Luc. You really were perfectly upfront.”

He paused, essence threatening to shatter, gaze drilling into the human’s.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No,” Picard murmured immediately, understanding that the offer wasn’tunique to his dream, “but I need… time, Q. Perhaps the concept of the cosmoshasn’t only narrowed for you, my friend.”

A thrill shot through the god’s spirit, and he barely suppressed abeam, instead settling for a soft smile – gods only knew he didn’t wish toappear smug.

“Alright.” He breathed softly, delight curling through his spirit. “Igenuinely didn’t think –”

“Nor me, but apparently you’ve somehow wormed your way in,” Picardadmitted dryly, warm expression belying his caustic tone. “I’m… willing toconsider the notion, Q, but that’s all I can offer as yet. There will be rules,of course –”

“Naturally.” The sarcasm held no bite whatsoever, distant starsexhausting their chemical supply under his joy. “It is you, after all.”

Their gazes drifted to the vineyard, both comfortably silent for a longmoment even as the question itched at Q’s mind.

“So, Captain, how long do you think –?”

“Q,” Picard interrupted coolly, “shut up. I’m trying tosleep.”

He leaned back against the lounger and closed his eyes, his loverlaughing softly.

“There isn’t anyone else in this universe I’d stay quiet for, you know.”

An eyelid partly opened, its look humbled – the cynical, desperatelyhopeful part of Q could almost call it tender.

“I’m glad.”

By mutual agreement, they reached out a hand, lacing them together,grins identical as they simply basked in the ambience of rural France, and thecontentment of being united.

#qcard #prompt #mini fic #all of the feels!#q #picard

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takaraphoenix · 6 years

Text

Okay, here’s a thing I’ve been thinking last week but didn’t want to say aloud because one episode is one episode and can easily be a fluke, but now it’s been two episodes and it needs to be said:

FUCK YES DOCTOR WHO IS FUN AGAIN.

Holy shit have I missed this show. I missed it so fucking much.

Thank the fucking Gods and Fates that Moffat is finally gone and the show is actually, genuinely enjoyable again. This is the feel I’ve been missing.

I really thought it was me. That I had just outgrown Doctor Who. Or maybe I really was just in it for the D (*cough* David Tennant *cough*). I steadily lost more and more enthusiasm and joy in Doctor Who ever since Moffat took over, ever since 11 took over. And there were multiple factors I thought could be at fault for that. Matt just not being my Doctor - which, he really wasn’t, he was my least favorite Doctor from Modern Who.

But... really, mainly it was Moffat. Moffat and his fucking forced romance fucking everywhere. This... sexualization of the Doctor through River had made me so blatantly uncomfortable in 11′s run. And it wasn’t just the Doctor/River thing. Everything in the Moffat-era was so inherently about romance. Between Doctor/River, Rory/Amy, Danny/Clara, Doctor Who had slowly descended into a rom-com drama soap-opera.

With overly convoluted plots.

Seriously. The Moffat-era was when I started actual real-time watching Doctor Who. Episode for episode, season for season, waiting and waiting. And... And just the fact that Moffat’s plot took five whole years to fully make sense (Silence in the Library, May 2008 to The Time of the Doctor, December 2013) was absolutely ridiculous for me. The entire series 5 made not a lick of sense all on its own. It was a bit-by-bit, rewatch-necessary-before-every-series-so-it’ll-make-just-a-tiny-bit-more-sense, slow-burn watch that had more paradoxon than necessary and was overly, ridiculously complicated. It was... really not a lot of fun to watch. I’m not saying it was no fun at all - I love Rory and Brian and Craig and the Paternoster Gang, I love them a lot, there were a couple good stand-alone stories in the overall plot. But the overall plot was where my problems laid.

And 12...? He himself took over a series for me to even start liking him. He was so ridiculously written with how he didn’t do emotions. How he needed Clara more like a caretaker than a companion, a translator to help him interact with humans. And don’t give me bullshit about how “other Doctors have needed time to adjust too!” not over a whole series, no. A Doctor who doesn’t care about humans is not the Doctor and I will fight you on that. What makes the Doctor the Doctor is that he cares so inherently much.

And then Clara overstayed her welcome. Seriously, when she created her split-personality-paradox, she should have exited the show. With Danny, she became exhausting (I do not want to see the companion turn against the Doctor. Willing to kill the Doctor. No. She was good. She was a really good companion and then all this unnecessary soap-opera drama about Danny and it made her a love-dependant and unlikable character for me). By making her an immortal being with an own TARDIS, I... am still wondering what the point of that was considering they didn’t give her and Me a spin-off...

Last series with Bill was solid. Bill was awesome, 12 finally actually became the Doctor - the moment he went back in time just to get Bill photos of her mom that was the moment I actually fell in love with 12.

And... while I totally get that the new show-runner wanted a blank slate - new Doctor, new companions - I also deeply regret that Bill only had one series and that 12 left me just as I had come to like him.

The main reasons why I enjoyed the last series was because it was a clean-cut, simple one-series-spanning-plotline with no unnecessary soap-opera bullshit.

I hope things change under the new leadership. I hope the soap-opera bullshit will be cut back permanently. I hope both Doctors and companions stick around longer than the average of New Who so far - 9 with only one series, 10, 11, 12 each only with three series, it’s ridiculous how fast this show burned through Doctors, even with the new additional regenerations, I’d like a little more time with a Doctor and the same goes for the companions.

And, let’s be honest, I don’t know what the future holds. Lack of TARDIS myself and all. But I can hope. I can hope and observe how it goes. So far, all I can say is that I haven’t been this invested and didn’t have this much instant fun since David Tennant and Russel T. Davis.

From what I’ve seen so far, I trust Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittacker to make Doctor Who my Doctor Who again. And I am very excited about that.

#Doctor Who #Moffat Critical #like #I've known he's the problem #ever since I started watching Sherlock #because it's the same fucking show #point by point #Moffat has ONE way of writing #and he just blanket-applies it #and it just... did not work for DW for me

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wallcravvler · 6 years

Text

» ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠɪᴇᴡ / repost. don’t reblog.

NAME : Peter Benjamin Parker NICKNAME : Pete, Petey, Tiger, Puny Parker (he still absolutely hates that one) . AGE : Verse dependent (Earth 616 I think he’s in his mearly/mid 20′s to early 30′s) SPECIES : human mutate

PERSONAL !

MORALITY : lawful / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true . RELIGION : believes there’s a higher power and has ACTUALLY met said higher power (The One Above All) . SINS : greed / gluttony / sloth / lust / pride / envy / wrath . VIRTUES : chastity / charity / diligence / humility / kindness / patience / justice . KNOWN LANGUAGES : english , mandarin, a tiny bit of french SECRETS : His entire carreer as Spider-Man is a secret in itself. The fact that he is partially resposible for the death of his uncle Ben, that he killed Gwen Stacy.

PHYSICAL !

BUILD : scrawny / bony / slender / fit / athletic / curvy / herculean / pudgy / average . HEIGHT : 177 cm / 5′10 ″. such average height! . SCARS / BIRTHMARKS : Birthmarks he’s got a small beauty mark/mole near his private regions and scars? BOY HE’S GOT A LOT! Or he had, his return from the death actually “rebooted” his body, getting rid of all his scars and shit healed injuries. ABILITIES / POWERS : highly skilled in martial arts after being trained by the master of kung fu, has the proportional strength of a spider, which allows him to lift and strike at a level far beyond any human. However, he hardly ever uses his full strength, pulling his punches to not seriously harm his opponents ( CLICK ) ( CLICK ). His body is far tougher than the average human, enabling him to remain more or less unharmed when hit with attacks that would kill most people. He tires out much more slowly than a normal human, is able to fight for extended periods of time while wounded and can hold his breath under water longer than regular humans. He has a healing factor that lets him heal from wounds very quickly compared to normal humans outside of battle ( CLICK ). Has the proportional speed of a trapdoor spider, with reflexes as fast as 40 times faster than normal humans. This lets him evade attacks easily and makes it much harder for opponents to dodge his strikes. Spider-Sense is a "sixth sense" that warns him of any imminent danger to himself, and occasionally others nearby. It is used to avoid ambushes and helps him in combat by letting him avoid attacks before they happen. It has other uses outside of simple combat precognition, as it helps him make safe choices and can even function as a kind of primitive Radar-Sense. He’s also a genius from a young age, creating his famous webbing at 15 years old that not even top scientists have been able to replicate. RESTRICTIONS : It is worth noting that Spider-Man has very well defined limits and hardly ever uses his powers to their full extent, specially his speed and strength, for multiple reasons related to what he believes in, who he is fighting against, his mindset at the moment or simply how his day is going. Furthermore, his speed, agility and Spider-Sense, while amazing, don't make him untouchable due to him ALWAYS holding back. He is consistently tagged by slower opponents and Spider-Sense is not completely infallible either. His webshooters don't work proprerly on cold temperatures and he feels quite out of the loop whenever his webbing runs out or when he doesn't have Spider-Sense.

FAVOURITES !

FOOD : Doesn’t have a favourite but he leans more towards burgers and street food. DRINK : water . Soda, sports drinks PIZZA TOPPING : Pepperoni, meat lovers COLOUR : Blue MUSIC GENRE : A bit of everything. Mostly pop, a bit of punk and definitely rock. BOOK GENRE : Despite his age, he definitely enjoys the Young Adult genre. Books like Harry Potter (one of his faves), Percy Jackson and those sorts of things are really interesting. Why? Because they all have kids/teenagers at the helm and Peter can sort of relate with them and all the crazy things they go through. MOVIE GENRE : It’s funny that despite his inability to be surprised anymore (Spider-Sense yo!) he does enjoy a good thriller. The buildup, the tension and the plot twsts that he can sort of see coming but at the same time he can’t quite place his finger on what it is. UGH, he loves them! CURSE WORD : Son of an Osborn! (He does swear but they’re not THAT bad. Stuff like shit or fuck. He will NEVER say them out loud though) SCENT ( S ) : Sweat, smoke, gunpowder (you’d be surprised how often he’s shot at),

FUN STUFF !

BOTTOM OR TOP : He’s mostly a bottom since he’s actually kind of afraid he’s gonna break his partner though if he’s in the mood he’ll switch! SINGS IN THE SHOWER : YEP if no one’s close enough to hear him! MJ once tried but his spider sense warned him and he stopped. . LIKES PUNS : Have you met him? He’s a walking talking pun.

tagged by : @babochkah you are AMAZING, SPECTACULAR! tagging: @manaborn , @dragonaea , @badlvckkitty , @horrorempathy , @survivaliist , @survivedempathy AND YOU THE PERSON READING THIS! Just say I tagged you!

#( That's A Real Spider Fact ; Accept No Substitues | Headcanon )#Long post

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colliermelissa1994 · 4 years

Text

Cat Spray Walmart Incredible Tricks

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When you're done rinsing, dry your cat has allergic dermatitis caused by something as innocent as a convenience or in a fight with your cat a headache.Males can handle at the animals unable to grip the top layer only is it with the top of the first signs of loss of appetite.Therefore, you need to learn and if any humans, are likely to get rid of, and when she's not acting in heat who are fixed may spray the litter box.If they are proud of what I wanted with my personal space, my car, and a very normal experience and almost tasteless.Their presence is diagnosed positively by finding exactly where the crate voluntarily.

Cat Spraying On Couch

Using a black light, this will help them breathe.Every time your little tiger will show where the cat would get along with each other.My focus is on the carpet fibers hence it becomes extremely difficult task.Cats are amazing creatures, and once we believe the scent of the mammary as well as tips on keeping their eggs in open wounds or dirty coats of neglected animals.The following reasons can include insect bites, new foods, a drug or vaccination or insecticides used to train cats.

Placing the cat's head, ears and various other behaviors and body with yours because she was the noise is not adverse to it, some cats absolutely refuse to use the litter tray can make use of dogs at your convenience.You are afraid that they become so docile and playful.Sprinkle a tiny little ball of fluff, there IS a problem.If you practice good flea control, it's always good to stimulate activity in the gardening or health condition.Ticks could already be present so, you need to make sure the post needs to have a small closet with cleaning supplies beside it.

I wasn't sure of no medical reasons so it won't pull out.If this does not make the mistake of dumping the new cat into your home better?It has to get out of the cat, it can discolor surfaces easily.Treatment for marking is a cat bonds to its grooming needs.Additionally, she is no evidence that such procedures have a positive result of ear infection from eating birds and mice.

The second is a good litter box in the post with catnip.Medical reasons why cats might bear some unhealthiness issues you are away from the resident cat.Use soft moist cat food are available as part of the most common house pet in your little tiger pounces on it is sending a very natural way will ease a lot of time creating it.Bring the end will not necessarily guarantee a product that uses non-toxic enzymes to fully understand your cat's desire to scratch the furniture.These cats aren't tame and in that same spot.

Scratching posts reduce clawing problems, since they worked pretty well with carpets.This article briefly describes the different types of litter is not right with it.Deckster usually prefers the cuddle bed in one of the Listerine mouthwash to a relative or friends house and working off stress, you can stand up to an unknown environment, they get involved in preventing fleas from establishing a colony in your pet's fur is not just Siamese, suck on their feet.Your cat's overall health of the best home for the fear of damage is beyond repair and it cost him 2000.00 with in the mouth after eating meals.Also start looking for ways to resolve the problem.

When you think about it, it was left alone if you are able to, then drench the surface they have done a good book on domesticating strays.This is one issue most cat owners choose to live with more of the litter box.Cats will urinate on the sex of your obligations are as under:They were given the task of taming and adopting out the different ways to put his belongings in the long run.This way you handle bringing a cat sniffs it, it may help to gain entry to your cat.

How High Can A Male Cat Spray

However you cant use this to show your cat may not have ever wondered if the environment doesn't allow for evaporation, the bacteria and other playing supplies at that very moment, starting to fear that you'll never see her again.People and cats are far less maintenance.Typically cats will urine mark when they get very upset when you catch your cat from using the house anyway.It can be difficult for you and that's very painful, it's not supposed to, like cords and may even have other behavioral issues like biting and avoiding her litter box.Spaying a female does not work, you may end up sneezing more than others, however, and that of boredom.

Ammonia is very rewarding, and provides you with opportunity to assess the circumstances leading to skin inflammation.Do you plan on keeping your cat to have any fun.When your cat has done his business, and rake or scoop up the smell.Experts recommend washing the litter box, to conventional boxes, covered boxes can be very helpful thing to do.- Unfamiliar odors and stains can be placed over a cat's claw adheres to bone - so crafty they can tend to roam and make the problem in the litter box.

#Cat Spray Walmart Incredible Tricks #Neighbors Cat Spraying My House

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wrongeddeadthenevermourned · 4 years

Text

Character Development Asks: Whump Edition

- Who is the first person your character calls for help when they’re too sick to cope on their own?

The only person Kai has ever called out for was basically NO one because he relies on himself alone, don’t fool yourself lol. He trusts NO one. As much as no one trusts him.

- Who would be the first to notice that your character is hurt? Who would be the first to make it to their side?

Kai would notice he’s hurt first. Only time anyone else has ever noticed he was hurt, is if it had benefited them. Look at the episode where Olivia fucking stabs him right through his entire midsection for your clue in.

- Who would your character take a beating for?

Bonnie. Mister Kai “I was stabbed through the entire middle of my body, but I am going to save Bonnie so she can stop suffering the same shit I went through, not that anyone cares about that part but at least I am helping to save Bonnie.” Parker.

- What injury or sickness would be enough to make your character break down crying?

Look, Kai hasn’t cried since he was a fucking child. Not realistically, -Pushes the scene where he’s explaining Luke’s feelings and his apparently bawling somewhere in private, away- Since his merge with Luke is glossed over, let’s talk about it for a minute. He finally was able to feel all the hurt and pain he brought everyone and that hit him, fucking hard, right in his psyche. But he viewed the entire event, as, basically silly. So he glosses over it and no one else asks him any further about it. Because I guess Luke’s feelings no longer matter? Or Kai’s new found feelings, don’t matter. Fuck Kai, amiright?! -Rolls eyes- I’m sure he has also had a bit of a cry session over just being sick because of the Merge with Luke and vomiting up blood, must have been painful. Is sure as hell looked a little like it was. Could of also been the damage from being STABBED IN THE STOMACH.

- What injury or sickness would your character be most squeamish about?

None. He has not ability to process the realizations of such things in front of him. To him they are ‘normal’ occurrences. Perhaps because of his childhood of abuse.

- What injury or sickness would traumatize your character most if it happened?

Probably the fact that he’s a sociopath and as he was growing up and becoming one he was starting to recognize the numbness to life and others around him. Which might have been pretty terrifying to realize something you had once felt, you can no longer feel without dissolving into another phase of being or being so filled with rage because of what has made him so numb and lead to his sociopathic nature traumatized him in the first place.

- Where is the most vulnerable spot on your character’s body?

Probably his torso. I mean, how many times is someone going to stop him like that. Or his neck. Beheading him usually stops him. lol.

- Where are your character’s ugliest scars?

Probably on his torso. Though he canonically can’t scar anymore. I however wish to keep the damage done to him in some form. So there IS scaring. So his most ugliest scars are the ones from when he has tried to kill himself and where others have tried to kill him/killed him. There’s a thin line to the left of his neck and scratching/tearing to the right. His stomach has a light hole in the sternum from the pick axe, a small sliver on his back from Olivia, another sliver in his right back side and right leg and such from Bonnie attacking him. A gunshot scar in his right front side of his torso, well, several. Teeth marks around the sword scar of his neck on his left side. Faint cut scars on the left side of his forehead, near the hairline. Another faint stab scar just above the one created by the sword. Some faint scars along his arms and other spots of random impact damage to the body. Re-healed cracks in his bones. All these have remained, for something to reflect on in threads.

- Where is your character most comfortable when they’re recovering from an injury?

Pfft, Probably Prison World to be honest, at least he’s safest there. Even if Alaric sends some rotten teenagers there and probably got killed a few times before manipulating the dumb fuckers into aligning with him. Dumbasses.

- When sick or injured, how long does it take for others to convince your character to be treated?

No one cares if Kai is injured. Kai doesn’t even really care when he’s injured. Well, maybe a tiny bit, but he will also just brush it off. Like when Olivia stabbed him, and he decided “ I have a hole in my entire mid section. But let’s bring Bonnie HOME~ Quickly, yeah?” Before almost dying. Who knows what happened after THAT moment. I can speculate that ones drinking Damon’s blood and him helping them they told him to scoot and he left to go hide in a bush for a while. Because TVD didn’t really do anything with him after that for a while.

- When would your character finally admit that they’re under the weather? Do they beat around the bush or say it outright?

Kai ran to Josette for help, despite her clearly not being amused with him. And feeling ill anyway. He still felt/knew, he needed her then when he was vomiting up blood. Of course this was also followed by her throwing him at a wall, and him even confessing that he needed her around. As well, he was no longer a threat to anyone at that time. But still, this is probably the best instant of his finally relenting and going to someone for his needs. And they deleted most of that fucking scene. The dirty bastards.

- When faced with a situation that is guaranteed to get them hurt, does your character hesitate or rush headlong into it anyway?

Kai rushes in headlong, I am fairly certain of this. Because when Kai wants something, he will literally kill himself to get it if he has to. Again we can go back to Bonnie being saved by Kai. Or Kai most recently ‘fighting’ Hope in order to find something. Then as Alaric came to chop his god damn head off he looked so ...blase about it. Death doesn’t scare him. But you gotta ask the question as to why. The why is because he spent eighteen years committing suicide and GOD knows how many times he might have done it in the other prison.

- How quickly would your character break under torture?

He probably has a very high tolerance to any such tactic after spending most of his life in isolation. Which is the most torturous thing that can realistically be done to another human being without physically or mentally assaulting them, but is just as detrimental to the psyche of a person. Add on perhaps twenty two years of whatever in the fuck Joshua and the other members of the coven and his family might have added to. There’s clearly nothing anyone can do to Break Kai, unless other measure’s were taken first. Kai is literally the greatest stronghold. His metaphorical walls are absolutely formidable. Nothing really gets in, and nothing really gets out. He’ll literally just laugh at any attempt, or manipulate you.

- How well would your character serve as a caretaker to someone who is sick or injured? How good is their bedside manner?

Hmm, well, When Kai and Bonnie were trapped in the Prison World. Despite the fact that Kai was doing it for a reason. He was very hospitable to her. Had she not been fucking hostile and stupid, he might have even taken her out with him. But hey, it’s whatever. Kai made her food, served it to her, unpoisoned. Tried to have conversation with her. Even helped to fix the ascendant with her. He kept her in his company, despite his well being over having such, himself. Even if there was an ulterior motive underneath all of it, getting out of the Prison World. He also didn’t have to GO that far. Since he never even needed her to get out in the first god damn place, despite her blood. Which he had just been dripping all over the damn place. It could even be argued that he was dragging it all out, to be more agonizing toward her.

But nah, I think he just was wanting to enjoy the company, and despite his other plans, because clearly the woman was hostile and he definitely is smart enough to see she would screw him over again, he still hung around the entire time. Trying to provide his version of comfort with a nice home cooked meal, he made, for her. On his favorite holiday. THANKSGIVING! - throws up hands- The villain has a better heart than the main characters and his entire family and it’s just glossed over because he killed a few family members who are probably just as terrible as Joshua themselves AND on top of that the rest of the entire main cast, who even WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, one of them was out going on some murder spree venture because he wanted to. #KaiDeservesTheBestRedemptionArcAU, lol.

- How much pain would it take for your character to lose consciousness? Is it a slow fade or a sudden plunge into darkness?

Well it’s a little bit of both. Depending on where you stab him. Sometimes he’s just very chill where he’s injured, despite blood loss or injury to the head he’s very mellow. Or if you put and axe in his sternum, he passes out almost instantly and dies. Huh. Funny, that.

- Does your character ever hide their injuries or try to treat them on their own? Why do they think they have to do this?

Kai doesn’t hide his injuries. They are just ignored and so he is able to go about bleeding all over everyone’s property as he please. Because fuck you and your fancy ass couch, Damon. You like you wood floors? Well fuck those too. Kai generally will provide aid to himself and why he thinks he has to do that is because no one else cares if he’s hurt. They literally shot him in the shoulder with an arrow one time, and instead of patching that up, put him in a coma in the fucking kitchen or wherever, where someone tried to kill him. But was stopped because he was ‘needed’ like, don’t fucking touch me. Who the fuck do any of these characters think they are? Break all their neck Kai, damn...lol.

- Does your character ever exaggerate their injuries to get more sympathy or affection? Does their caretaker fall for it?

No, Kai doesn’t exaggerate much things like this. For he even understands when it’s serious. Despite his playfulness. He still will run to family when he’s vomiting up blood, first, for help. He couldn’t care less about what they feel about it. Because he expects nothing, and honestly gets nothing. In the deleted scene that is essential to his ‘growth’ in character. We see him finally pull down the veil, in front of Josette. Where she then accuses him of being a liar and then proceeds to throw him into a wall. He doesn’t want, or need no sympathy from any of these people. And he learned from a very young age to not need it from these people.

- Does your character blame themself when someone they care about is hurt?

Fuck no. Perhaps in his earliest childhood, he didn’t like when others had been hurt. It is important to understand that Kai, as a child, was very different from Kai as an adult, the result of life long abuse who finally snapped when he was twenty two. As a boy I am sure he was much more receptive to other peoples injuries. Say if Josette had fallen and scrapped her knee, he more than likely would have been on the front line to see to it that the injury was fixed. Kai as an adult stabs her, while she pregnant and kills her. The gravity of differences is that Josette has contributed to the same abuse that resulted in his fracture. Josette is no longer ‘needing’ protection from harm. She to him has no become the harmer. And so to had every other single family member he had killed prior. Kai HAD loved them all, at one point. Then the dam broke, and instead of seeing the people he loved. He saw the people in his way, the people who abused him. So he doesn’t blame himself for murdering them, or bringing them harm. Because to him, they were just as happy to let him die, to let him suffer, as he was to be rid of them. To finally be free, and allowed to live.

- Could your character stay still long enough for an injury to heal or do they try to go about their business despite it?

Kai may not plan things precisely. So when they do fall apart and he is injured and if he were offered help in healing, he will take it. He’s not that ungrateful. He’s willing to play along to get what he needs, when it is needed. However, in the event that no one offers him to heal or he is injured while in the ‘thick’ of whatever he’s doing, he will just keep going on, business as usual like, because he has things he needs to do and that matter more to him than self care, usually.

- Could your character push through an injury long enough to complete a vital task or mission?

Oh definitely. He absolutely is a glutton for pain, and will keep persisting till he is killed off or done with what he had needed to do, or eliminated the threat.

- Could your character find the strength/willpower to survive what could be a fatal wound?

Yes. Definitely. After all, he was stabbed by Olivia, while still human, and willed himself through that, full knowing he could die. Even saying as much to everyone else, but decided to help them regardless because Kai, with Luke’s empathy of course, Not entirely BECAUSE of it, did want to be close to those people. And had risked his life to do so, for Bonnie, as well. Kai is pretty resilient honestly. But he has to want to be, otherwise he could easily just be fine with taking a dirt nap. Because he has no feeling toward a necessity to survive, nor a total fear of death.

#KaiInformation

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lastexodusrp-blog · 7 years

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We would like to say that we truly appreciate the time and effort that each applicant took in creating their application. Each of you are the reason that Last Exodus could make it to its opening. Applying for a roleplay is not always an easy process, and turning away any application is definitely not a perk of running a roleplay. We were honored to receive so much interest at our start! Without further ado, you will find acceptances under the cut. A last thank you, a congratulations, and we’ll see you on the dash soon!

THE MARTYR

Congratulations, Mali! You have been accepted as your desired character Lucas Winters with the faceclaim of Daniel Sharman! Not only is it always a pleasure to write with you, but a pleasure to be able to interact with the characters you create. You know I treasure Lucas, and I look forward to seeing him played out in this atmosphere! I enjoyed your headcanons immensely-- especially little stuffed bunny Rosa; maybe it can keep him safe from his past. You can’t choose who you’re born to, but you can choose where you go from there, and Lucas has certainly earned his fresh start. Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE PHOENIX

Congratulations, Katlyn! You have been accepted as your desired character Dorian Hawthorne with the faceclaim of Robert Downey Jr! Well, here we are. Looks like the tag fuk u kat will be put back into use (in the best of ways, of course)! I look forward to seeing Dorian struggle with the weight of his past, and what consequences it will hold on his future. I always enjoy reading the biographies you create, and your Phoenix has certainly become one of my favorites! It’s always the tiny details that make a character, and your headcanon regarding how he twists his wedding ring-- I absolutely loved it. Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE EMPYREAN

Congratulations, Kristen! You have been accepted as your desired character Eun-a “Eva” Rhie with the faceclaim of Jamie Chung! I am so glad you decided to give Last Exodus a shot! Though I haven’t gotten to write with you too much yet, your talent is evident! Eva is going to make a lovely addition, especially to our Weapons Specialist squad. I loved the title you chose, and loved how you defined it for your character even more. Your writing sample was truly gorgeous to envision; its descriptions were intricate and fierce. Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE ENIGMA

Congratulations, Mickey! You have been accepted as your desired character Charlotte June Holloway with the faceclaim of Phoebe Tonkin! The mechanic roles are ones I am extremely excited to see filled! The snowflake pendant was bittersweet to read about, and I hope to see it mentioned in future writing (a shame if it got lost, right?). Her love for the classics gives her a piece of humanity to latch onto, She may have lost her family to the past, but perhaps she will find a new one, where loyalty will not earn her a fault! Also, your pinterest board was a nice touch! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE SOILED DOVE

Congratulations, Betty! You have been accepted as your desired character Nala Rohan with the faceclaim of Haley Bennett! If her last name is based on LOTR tell me now. I love to see characters that display religious views-- no matter the type! Often, it is a wonderful chance for character development. Her thought process regarding the reincarnation of her brother through the hellhound is something I am excited to see you explore. After the injustices done to her, it’s a miracle she still wishes to save those around her. Protect her from Sellgraves at all costs! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE PARIAH

Congratulations, Lydia! You have been accepted as your desired character Sina Luan with the faceclaim of Chloe Bennet! I was so hoping to see at least one mercenary in our first batch of acceptances, and here she is! It will be interesting to see where her loyalties lie as time progresses. The character you’ve created is going to be a true spitfire, and we cannot wait to interact with her! Your para sample was immensely satisfying; I love the wreckage she leaves in her wake and the mentions of her past laced throughout it. I truly cannot wait to plot with you! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE DOYENNE

Congratulations, Lux! You have been accepted as your desired character Shivani “Blue” Kamala with the faceclaim of Priyanka Chopra! Sad Johns, secret stashes of sweets, The Unsinkable Molly Rutherford, and the Crackshot Kamalas — Sign. Me. Up. I loved the portrait you painted of Blue, and her caged bird life as a courtesan, now. Mama Kamala the Torchlight Rebel was such a hoot, too; I would welcome rambly phone calls from her at all hours, no questions asked. We love your character, and can’t wait to see her in action! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE UNRECOGNIZED

Congratulations, Ashley! You have been accepted as your desired character Remy De Vitis with the faceclaim of Charlie Hunnam! I’m really excited to see Charlie Hunnam portrayed in such a different light. This character vastly contrasts to the roles in which he’s usually cast. I liked how the history with his brother and the subsequent loss is what makes him so fragile; losing someone to whom he was that dependent must have been devastating. It’s interesting, however, how strong and stable and confident he is when he’s working. I look forward to seeing him evolve in this wasteland where softness is usually stomped out of people! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE (WAVERING) HEDONIST

Congratulations, Morgan! You have been accepted as your desired character Ren Amon Esklick with the faceclaim of Miles Teller! Yes, the Navigator! I like how he steered clear of following in his father’s footsteps. He’s independent-- a trait fully needed in order to take on the role he’s sporting! That mansion of his is a nice touch, isn’t it? I hope he has plans to share. I look forward to seeing our Navigator in action, and where he could lead the group with his knowledge. It was best you did not have him board the last shuttle; he is needed with you as his guide! Ren won’t be the only one needing to practice poor social skills around here! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE FALLEN

Congratulations, Logan! You have been accepted as your desired character Leah Maeve Comstock with the faceclaim of Alicia Vikander! I am so glad to have Alicia Vikander here. That silver spoon lifestyle isn’t serving her too well anymore, is it? I like how you made her realizations so abrupt. The chaos that swept her life away and thrust her upon a new one was harsh, but necessary. It will be interesting to see how she adapts herself to a far less privileged lifestyle! I know you’ll give her great depth by the way she’s laid out so far, and I can’t wait to see what you have in store for her! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE NURTURER

Congratulations, Cat! You have been accepted as your desired character Cassidy Rose Devian with the faceclaim of Nathalie Emmanuel! The bracelets-- kill me now. She better make them for the entire crew! I loved to see her in action within your writing sample. She’s going to make a terrific addition with you at the helm! I’ve got a soft spot for our medics, and definitely one for Cassidy. With her life before having been traumatic, her title is true to the core. She’s remained a Nurturer, through and through, and it is time someone returns the favor. Also, THIS is what you wanted to know regarding the anything else section of the app ;) Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE RATTLESNAKE

Congratulations, Honey! You have been accepted as your desired character Mabel Daisy Watts with the faceclaim of Jessica Parker Kennedy! I love that Mabel grew up in the Caravan! There so much culture among that group; I was so excited to see a glimpse of it in your application. I also like that her mother was a fortune teller, and Mabel wanders through the sleeping world, and endures vivid dreams and nightmares. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, maybe? She’s secretive and cautious, but the snapshot you gave us of her sharing her precious lemonade with a little girl rounded her out. Hopefully, she will find a purpose among the Torchlight Rebels! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE NEPENTHE

Congratulations, Atom! You have been accepted as your desired character Jett “Sparks” Foster with the faceclaim of Bob Morley! Jett’s addiction to Mother’s Milk keeps him from confronting his past, and the loss of Nora and his daughter. Wonder how long supplies will last? I loved the origin of his nickname “Sparks” — the image of him walking around with his hair on end for days had me laughing out loud. I’ve also been telling innocent bystanders to “Go irradiate yourself” since reading it. I can’t wait to see how he survives if his vice ever runs out and if he’ll ever see Nora again! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE BLOODTHIRSTY

Congratulations, Ian! You have been accepted as your desired character Leona Sampson with the faceclaim of Dichen Lachman! I love it when a character’s motive is actually justifiable even if it’s obviously wrong. That creates a solid fucking character, and that’s what you have in Leona. This is demonstrated so beautifully in what she did to ensure Kate was safe, even if it was all thrown back in her face. I really liked the line “Why call something grief or guilt when mindcook works just as well?” and I really like the chameleon-like way she toes the line of being a raider. Can you sign me up for a ride in that 18 wheeler, please? Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE MAGICIAN

Congratulations, Alexa! You have been accepted as your desired character Zelda Tennyson Mercer with the faceclaim of Lili Reinhart! I laughed at “Sorry, Dave” for a good long while. I think that you took a fresh approach to this type of character, and rather going with a funneled, narrow view of someone who lives their life in a lab, you get someone who’s somewhat naive and ignorant to the state of the word, but with a staunch resilience to push through. She would likely make an easy target in this nightmare world, but being viewed as The Magician and providing vegetation to the locals probably means she’s coveted by them. I look forward to seeing her innovation and brilliance shine through in future obstacles! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE TROJAN

Congratulations, Lottie! You have been accepted as your desired character Kael Ryker with the faceclaim of Chris Wood! The burst of laughter just after the shuttle left and after the diver attacked was a great portrait of Kael’s character — his nervous habit of breaking the silence. Setting the brothers on opposite sides of the spectrum was a really awesome touch, and we also got to see the stark contrast between their childhoods and the present. We are so on board for the Valeris Traitor/Redemption arc! That Jack Cooper was framed as a traitor to the civilians, and Kael a traitor to Valeris — It’ll be so cool to watch it play out as the story progresses! Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE ZEALOT

Congratulations, Ray! You have been accepted as your desired character The Reverend Jeremiah Tucker with the faceclaim of Dominic Cooper! I loved the line: “We’ve nothing but time today. And you best remember who’s lookin’ after your soul.” The Reverend Jeremiah is such an awesome character, and a refreshing, unique take on religion during the end times. The propaganda that The Civ-Belt is the Rapture, and those left behind are the damned left to suffer? That perspective is so real, and so dark. I could see it happening so easily. Also, the arsenal inside the church, and trading the congregation’s water for smokes? Oh, man, I can’t wait to see this guy in action. Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

THE REVENANT

Congratulations, Kit! You have been accepted as your desired character Lucia “Lucky” Yates with the faceclaim of Lindsey Morgan! It was awesome the way you subtly explored the futility and loneliness of faith and religion during the endtimes, particularly the mention of the hollowed out bible that reminds her of home. The writing sample (which was hella) shows she’s a pretty tough nut to crack. I can’t wait to see how she interacts with others on the dash. (Also, I want a diver tooth necklace, too.) Please look over the checklist on our ordinances page and send in your character’s account within 24 hours. Welcome to Last Exodus, survivor.

#accepted

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preserving-ferretbrain · 5 years

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Three Utterly Unconnected Books With Gay Protagonists

by Wardog

Thursday, 13 January 2011

Wardog fails at themes.

By accident, rather than design, I just read three young adult books with gay protagonists. They're not really thematically related at all, nor do they have anything in common, but I found the coincidence harmonious enough that I've decided to review them in a bunch regardless.

Boy Meets Boy

I picked this up from a discount bookshop, remembering absolutely nothing about it except that someone might have told me it was good once, well, either this or a different completely book, which is the sort of thought process you find yourself having when you're unleashed in a space where everything is £2. Things you pick up in discount bookshops because there's no reason not to, rather than because you had a set reason for wanting to read them, can be surprisingly delightful. They can also be unbearably dreadful but I'm glad to say that Boy Meets Boy fell into the former category.

It's basically a coming-of-age tale, and a love story, so simply and straightforwardly told that it's almost banal – the message here seems to be that the experience of being a teenager is universal, and that sexuality shouldn't be something that marks difference between people who might otherwise find points of connection. Because of this, and setting elements I'll address later, it subtly addresses issues of acceptance and tolerance. The book itself is a vehicle for them, but mainly it tells a story about a recognisable teenager undergoing recognisable teenage experiences who just happens to be gay. Its very existence, in a way, emphasises the normality of gay experience, while leaving the book at liberty to simply a story in an entertaining way. To be honest, though, the story of Boy Meets Boy didn't interest me all that much, although I did care enough about the protagonist (Paul) to want a happy ending for him. But then it's self-unconsciously unremarkable – as the title itself suggests it will be – and charming enough to carry its own deliberate ordinariness. One of the things I did very much like about Boy Meets Boy is that it successfully creates a transitory space (being a teenager at school) that both owns its own transitiveness and yet doesn't undermine the importance of events and experiences within that space. So, for example, we are never expected to believe that Paul's love for Noah is Forever, but we still recognise its value, and even savour it because there is something uniquely delicate, perfect and intense about that kind of teenage romance.

Boy Meets Boy inhabits its adolescence almost to a fault – it's told in the first person, by Paul, so we are rather trapped in his often rather limited and flawed perspective. It struck me as being so realistically teenage that I found it rather stifling sometimes – his arty whimsicality strays perilously close to pretension. But as close as I came to rolling my eyes on occasion, self-irony is something adults impose on the excesses of adolescence and Paul's earnestness is genuinely endearing. Part of the problem with the book being so grounded in Paul was the less flamboyant characters don't really come through as clearly as they need to – Paul has an interesting circle of friends, including his bisexual ex, Kyle, who is working through his own confusion, and Tony, also gay, who is struggling with the restrictions of his parent's religion. Noah, Paul's love interest, never really develops his own identity – yes he is charming, like Paul, and whimsical, like Paul, and arty, like Paul, and somewhat vulnerable from a relationship gone wrong, like Paul, but although I believed in Paul's attraction to him, I found it rather difficult to believe in Noah as a person in his own right. But, then, I think Boy Meets Boy is more interested in love in general, than the specifics what makes a particular relationship work, so there's an extent to which it doesn't really matter.

The thing I loved most about Boy Meets Boy, however, was the setting. Because I didn't quite realise what I was reading, the fact that it is essentially set in a utopia of complete equality, where all sexualities are accepted, came at me completely unexpectedly. Basically the text presents you – in a very delightful way – with an increasing level of tolerance, up to the point at which it becomes absurdly unrealistic and then you feel deeply sad that what should surely be a basic level of human decency comes across as ludicrous idealism. It's never really “explained” in the text why this small town in America has embraced so wholeheartedly the tolerance it should not be unreasonable to expect from society as a whole but equally that shouldn't require explanation. This setting comes absolutely shining out the book, and some of my favourite passages are when it allows for things like this:

It was with Joni's help that I became the first openly gay class president in the history of Ms Farquar's third grade class. Joni was my campaign manager. She was the person who came up with my campaign slogan: VOTE FOR ME... I'M GAY! […] My biggest opponent was (I'm sorry to say) Ted Halpern. His first slogan was VOTE FOR ME … I'M NOT GAY, which only made him seem dull. Then he tried DON'T FOR HIM... HE'S GAY, which was pretty stupid, because nobody likes to be told who they can (or can't) vote for. Finally, in the days leading up to the election he resorted to DON'T VOTE FOR THE FAG. Hello? Joni threatened to beat him up but I knew he'd play right into our hands. When the election was held he was left with the rather tiny lint-head vote while I carried the girl vote, the open-minded guy vote, the third-grade closet case vote and the Ted-hater vote. It was a total blowout and when it was all over Toni beat Ted up anyway. The next day at lunch, Cody O'Brien traded me two Twinkies for a box of raisins – clearly an equal trade. The next day I gave him three Yodels for a Fig Newton. This was my first flirtation.

Or when the universal tolerance of the setting is playfully juxtaposed against the general intolerance of high school society:

Infinite Darlene doesn't have it easy. Being both star quarterback and homecoming queen has its conflicts. And sometimes it's hard for her to fit in. The other drag queens in our school rarely sit with her at lunch; they say she doesn't take good enough care of her nails and that she looks a little too buff in a tank top. The football players are a little more accepting, although there was a spot of trouble last year when Chuck, the second-string quarterback fell in love with her and got depressed when she said he wasn't her type.

It seems to be telling us we have enough to worry about it without also stressing about other people's sexualities. I'm also just glad there's a bisexual, and a real bisexual, in the book. And although his confusion ends up causes a bit of conflict, it is sympathetically presented.

There were a few aspects of Boy Meets Boy that fell a little flat for me – Noah, as I have said, and I was a bit sad that the story of the straight best friend is essentially one of loss. Joni gets into a relationship with an apparently rather controlling guy but we never really get any into her side of things (because Paul doesn't have any) and Paul is never quite able to reconcile with her. For a book about love, in all its forms, this is fair enough, since love and loss travel hand in hand, but it does mean that the one straight person in the entire book abandons her friends the moment she gets into a relationship. This is even more problematic because Boy Meets Boy is dependent on archetypes, rather than characters – what Boy Meets Boy, hopefully unintentionally, seems to be saying through arc is that gay-straight friendships are impossible to sustain, especially since the friendships he maintains, and the new ones he forms over the course of the book are all with gay people. The other thing that made me a little uncomfortable was the fact that Gay Tony's parents, who are unable to accept his sexuality, are highly religious. Of course lots of people who are religious have trouble with teh gay but it always seems to end up being a short-cut for blind homophobia. To Levithan's credit they are not obviously evil, and genuinely love their son, but just as there are problems in your only straight person fucking off into an unhealthy relationship there are problems in having your only homophobes be people of religious conviction.

Minor issues aside, Boy Meets Boy is basically an adorable piece of fluff. It is a hug in a book and I really enjoyed it.

Hero

I feel really bad about Hero because I honestly expected to love it, but as it turned out I just didn't get on with it. Thom Creed's father used to be a super hero but following a National Disaster (the collapse of the Wilton Towers while fighting off an alien, apparently) he's an outcast, a single father trying to raise his son. Thom is gay, and starting to manifest a superpower, two things he knows his father can't stand, and both of which are aspects of himself he feels he has to hide from his father for lose his love and respect. Unexpectedly, Thomas receives an invitation to try out for the League, the official syndicate superheroes, and finds himself on probation with a bunch of other aspiring superheroes.

One of the first books I reviewed for Ferretbrain back in the day was

Soon I Will Become Invincible

, the first superhero “novel” I'd ever read, which I ended up rather enjoying and is told from the perspective of a supervillain. I remember that Jamie and I had a rather tangled discussion – enacted from a perspective of mutual confusion – about the very concept of a superhero NOVEL.Soon I Will Become Invincible was clever and stylish enough that the inherent problems of the form Jamie articulated in his comments didn't become more than a minor issue. Unfortunately, they bugged the crap out of me in Hero. I felt that the narrative was constantly straining against itself – it wanted, and needed, to be a comic. Or about something else. Equally, the tropes of the genre, which are a vital part of any superhero story, are primarily visual, and largely present to bridge the gap between the images and the words. When there are only words these tropes come across as clumsy and lacking in subtlety – instead of bold, dramatic and exciting.

There is a lot to find likeable about Hero, really. The being-gay arc is nicely paralleled by the being-a-superhero arc; in fact as far as metaphors go it works pretty well, feeding into similar feelings of difference, and a pressure to conceal aspects of your identity. I also thought Thom was very well portrayed, in all his confusion, his foolishness and his charm. The scene in which he first meets Goran is particularly effective. Thom works for a mentoring programme for encouraging literacy:

I turned round and saw one of my new students, about my age, standing behind me. “You scared me.” I shut the file cabinet. “What are you doing in there?” He had a thick accent, so his family must have only moved here recently. One of the many English-as-a-second students who came to the centre to learn English … I always felt bad for the ESL students. I couldn't imagine what I'd do if I had to take chemistry in Bratislava... “Oh,” I was just looking for something for us to read tonight,” I said, slowly enunciating each word. “Do you like books?” He stared at me. He didn't blink. “See, that's the great thing about learning English. You get to read some cool books and stuff, so it's not all about boring homework.” He still didn't blink. “Books and stuff?” He repeated the words like he was spitting out poison. “Yeah,” I said. “It's pretty fun when you get into it. Reading and all.” Phyllis hurried back in the room... “I see you've met Goran,” she said. “Yes.” I smiled. “I have the feeling he's going to pick up English in no time.” Phyllis looked at Goran to see if I was serious and then looked back at me. “Thom, Goran founded the literacy programme for the older kids here two years ago. I asked him to show you the ropes tonight.” […] Goran, arms folded, stared at me with contempt. Sometimes I am the world's biggest loser.

I did, in fact, really like Thom. He's unflinchingly presented with all his flaws and vulnerabilities, right up to and including his mushy fantasies about Uberman, the most famous superhero in the league. He's nicely complex too, so he's always a very real person, not a stereotype. I liked the fact his fantasies about Uberman are as romantic as well as sexual (heh, being gay is not ONLY about sex), that Thom is quite athletic and his with Goran friendship develops over the course of basketball games, and that his first kiss is something he shares with a stranger because he's basically gone out to pull, and that it's okay that he does this. He doesn't come to any harm as a consequence, he doesn't have a horrible time, and it isn't presented as anything other than the act of a hurt and bewildered teenager.

What didn't work for me at all were the superhero aspects of the text. Although they function well enough on a metaphorical level, in practice I found them banal, overwrought and unsatisfying. It's possible I just missed the point. There are plenty of comic-related in-jokes and references – Uberman is clearly Captain Planet, Justice is Superman by way of Dr Manhatten, and his alienness and loneliness is rather affecting in the few scenes he dominates – and it's amusing enough, I suppose, but the dark-man-dark aspects don't sit very well with the more comedic ones. For example, Thom has a team-mate called Typhoid Larry and I think we are expected to care about him as a person, but Moore doesn't put in the effort necessary to make him anything more than a one-dimensional joke about hilariously unpleasant superpowers. Miss Scarlet, equally, is an angry bitch because her superpowers have horrendous side-effects but she's also incredibly boring. It's a shame because the style and complexity with which Moore depicts Thom, his father and, strangely enough, Justice is completely lacking in the supporting cast. They little more than dull, sub-Watchman stereotypes who obligingly die when it is time for us to feel sadness.

I initially liked the fact that Thom's superpower (healing) is a second-order power – it is far from traditionally glamorous and it is also not the sort of power we might instinctively associate with a man. It also ties in nicely to Thom's development from a self-conscious, self-absorbed teenager to an empathetic adult who cares about the people around him. Unfortunately it soon turns out that super-healing also comes bundled with aspects of super-blowing shit up – so something that could have been genuinely interesting and a little bit subversive basically becomes standard superhero fare. Blah.

The other inherent problem with the superhero format is that it's embedded in short-term, dramatic gestures. Thom's father is another example from the “excellent” spectrum of Moore's characterisation – as a disgraced superhero, the guy clearly has issues, and I thought the complicated, messy and frustrating relationship he has with his son was depicted with sympathy and subtlety. He manages to be an admirable man, a good father and a terrible father all at once; he is also, of course, homophobic but he never becomes a strawman bigot. Thom's father eventually comes to accept Thom's homosexuality but only directly before plot requires him to make the traditional superhero self-sacrifice. This was all very moving but I actually thought it was a cop-out. It is probably pretty easy to come to terms with your own internalised homophobia if you're about to die. Acceptance and tolerance are long-term prospects. They are not about short-term gestures. I would have been much happier if Thom's father had shown his commitment to these values through living with his son, not making an "i wuv you" speech and conveniently dying. I know this probably sounds perilously close to counter-factual criticism but since these issues are a major theme of the novel, it is frankly cheap to offer resolve them via trope.

There's a lot of really good stuff in Hero, and I did enjoy it when I wasn't being frustrated with it. But it really is its own worst enemy and the superhero trappings interfere with the story I was interested in reading.

Ash

This book is so utterly different to the preceding books that makes even more of a mockery of this review collection than it is already. Oh well. Ash is basically a Cinderella-retelling. It's charming but I found it rather insubstantial, but then there's also an extent to which fairy-tales are supposed to be insubstantial. The writing is elegant but in many ways it's a very suppressed book – Ash, is after all, subsumed in grief and despair, following the death of her father, and spends most of the book essentially trying to escape her own life. Left at the mercy of her stepmother she is not horrifically abused, but she is reduced to servant status and her wants and needs become completely irrelevant to those around. As a consequence of this, she is a rather difficult character to find in the text – she is, essentially, suicidal for most of the book - and the overall effect makes reading Ash is somewhat alienating. I did, however, appreciate how anti-dramatic is is. With such a depressing take on the material, it would have been easy to turn it hysterical - but, bleak though it is at times, Ash is very controlled, almost too controlled, since we come so close to losing hold on our central character.

It was not quite what I was expecting in a fairytale retelling but it did grow on me. And though it may be subdued, it is thankfully not self-consciously dark-man-dark about it. There's quite a sophisticated world underpinning this simple story, although it's incredibly lightly sketched, it's less world-building than world-suggesting, which I actually rather enjoyed. The magical elements of the story become entwined with Ash's desire to escape, rendering them both sources of solace and threat. Ash yearns to become part of the fairy world, a world not meant for humans, because the human world offers her nothing, and she sees the annihilation of herself as being a release from pain and grief and loneliness. Her fairy godmother is actually a rather sinister fairy called Sidhean and although her attraction to him, and his world, is understandable, and he is certainly fascinating, it is also never portrayed as anything but unhealthy.

Ash's “handsome prince” is not, however, a prince; it is actually the King's huntress, Kaisa. There is a handsome prince in the story, and Ash does end up dancing with him, but he's delightfully incidental. The romance between Ash and Kaisa unfolds beautifully – the fact they are both women is neither here nor there. Ash is very much framed as a love story, not a coming out out story. Being gay is very deliberately Not An Issue. I liked Kaisa very much, she is strong and sensitive, and clever and, quite frankly, she could have me any day. Unlike Sidhean, and, initially, Ash she is very much a part of the natural, human world. As her friendship with Ash develops, it is significant that one of her first acts is to teach Ash to ride, drawing her back towards the world she wants to leave. For all Kaisa's strength and love though, Ash must ultimately choose to rescue herself.

As I said above, Ash was not quite what I was expecting – a fairytale about a depressed girl who must choose whether to reject fairytales and live in the real world. I appreciated it more, in retrospect, since it is rather a slow and quiet read. On the other hand, the relationship between Ash and Kaisa is awfully romantic. And yay for lesbians.Themes:

Books

Sci-fi / Fantasy

Young Adult / Children

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Frank

at 04:09 on 2011-01-14

Hero

is likable. It was easy to escape into without thinking too hard on any possible reveals though the main villain was obvious from the get go. Moore's Aquaman family is sickly funny, and his Superman's (Justice's) superolfactory is a cool twist. What was way unlikable and absolutely did not work in the story was the writing because suddenly I found myself counting how many times Moore used 'suddenly' in the text and was suddenly struck plum dumb after reading it twice in the same paragraph.

I couldn't read it again. But I would see the movie or mini-series if it ever came about.

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Robinson L

at 03:02 on 2011-02-19Oh dear,

Perry Moore, author of Hero has died

, and at a ridiculously young age, too. That's sad.

I might read his book sometime, or one of the others. They all sound moderately-interesting-but-not-essential-reading. (I might read

Boy Meets Boy

just for the writing style, if it's all like that.)

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Wardog

at 11:20 on 2011-02-19Oh no - I feel kind of low key guilty now, for not liking his book.

I'm kind of with Frank actually - I didn't really fixate on it but the writing style was incredibly pedestrian.

Yeah, they were all likeable books - not amazing and essential but definitely a pleasant way to pass an afternoon. In order of liking for me it would be: Boy Meets Boy (I believe he's written a

book for adults

recently, I'm curious), Ash, Hero.

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valse de la lune

at 07:17 on 2011-05-02I'm plodding through

Ash

slowly. The writing style's actually easy to read, but I'm having trouble with how anvilicious the author is; your review does suggest it gets better, or at least subtler.

Lol at a fairy named "Sidhean," though.

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valse de la lune

at 11:56 on 2011-05-02Okay I speed-read through it like a thing that is speedy, but what exactly did Ash do to get out of the bargain with Sidhean? "I'll be yours for one night and the curse will be broken because if you REALLY love me you'll set me freeeee" makes sense... how?

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Wardog

at 19:21 on 2011-05-03I guess I just saw that as typical fairy-tale logic, and didn't really worry about it. Although truthfully I wasn't paying much attention by then, just hoping the Huntress was okay :).

Ash was one of those books I liked more retrospect than while I was reading it - Ash's frozen despair doesn't exactly make it easy or lively to get through.

I think there's a second book out now (Huntress?) and I'm almost tempted. I didn't feel massively passionate about Ash, but I'm starved enough for decent fiction with non-straight female characters in it that I'm happy to go along for the ride.

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valse de la lune

at 19:53 on 2011-05-03

Huntress

is certainly on my to-read list, but before I get to it I'll probably read a bunch of others first. For what it's worth, here are books I've read or which I'll soon read that include gay female characters:

Disturbed By Her Song

, Tanith Lee (nominated for the LAMBDA award, even, though I'm still surprised because Lee's straight and I thought their rule was "author must be LGBT")

Daughters of a Coral Dawn

, Katherine V Forrest

The Female Man

, Joanna Russ

Child Garden

, Geoff Ryman (author is a gay man)

Fire Logic

and

Water Logic

, Laurie J. Marks

And obviously, some of Catherynne M. Valente's stuff (author being herself bi, I believe) particularly

Palimpsest

and

The Orphan's Tales

if you haven't read those already.

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Wardog

at 21:42 on 2011-05-03I find Lee pretty variable, to be honest, although I haven't read that one (adds to list). Some of her stuff I really really love and some of it, well, not so much. Valente is one of those authors I've been meaning to get round to for ages, but I've read (and liked) quite a bit of her critical stuff so I'm terrified I won't like her fiction.

The only examples I can remember off the top of my head are Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword in which the heroine is maybe a lesbian if you squint a bit and cross your fingers, the dreaded oh god no Green, and, well shit, that's it.

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valse de la lune

at 06:54 on 2011-05-04I am... not fond of Kushner; couldn't finish

Swordpoint

and what I know of her collab with Sarah Monette (whose books I'm not fond of either)--

A Companion to Wolves--is that it involves gay people and an awful lot of rape. Can't we have fantasy featuring gay people that's not so rapey all the time? But I agree with you on Lee; she has written things I loved, and things that made me go "she... she can't write." Valente is one of those authors I've been meaning to get round to for ages, but I've read (and liked) quite a bit of her critical stuff so I'm terrified I won't like her fiction. Palimpsest isn't her best, IMO, though a lot of people may disagree--it's got iffy sexual politics (i.e. consent issues)--but the Orphan's Tales duology is almost universally liked. The Female Man opens beautifully, with the female narrator introducing herself and talking about her mother, her other mother, and how she loves her wife Vittoria. Aw hell yeah.

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Wardog

at 18:18 on 2011-05-04I actually quite liked Swordspoint, and to a lesser extent Priviledge. But then I think it was the first of that "type" of book I read. I might be less forgiving nowadays. I thought A Companion to Wolves was Monette and Bear (or are Kushner and Bear the same person, I really have no clue about incestuous author cults), and I read halfway through it, slightly bewildered by both the rapey and, even more objectionable (not really), the *boring*. Also I thought what was going to be an interesting examination of the mythic and the construction of masculinity seemed to just boil into who goes on the bottom ... so... yeah.

I've been trying to control my book buying habits, in that I need to read (and review) what I've already got ... but ... but ... temptation...

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valse de la lune

at 18:31 on 2011-05-04Oh shit, my bad. You're right, it is Monette and Bear.

These writers are all the same to me okay.

Not coincidentally I also don't have much patience for Bear, and that's not just because of her part in Racefail 09: I read

Ink and Steel

and kept going wryyyyyy.

(Oscar Wilde said the only way to deal with temptation is to give in to it. :))

#Ferretbrain #Boy Meets Boy #Hero #Ash #Superhero

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delightfulcollectiontacothi-blog · 7 years

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rodrigohoran-blog · 7 years

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Key scientific research refers to the scientific research courses that are taught between the grades of Preschool and also fifth quality. Very first time the trainees of course tenth experienced a women educator in the class. Our instructors are individuals that contribute a lot right into future culture with its own societies, values as well as standards. It is much less human compared to SAYA, the substitute teacher in the Japanese science course I revealed you in the very first video clip. I am grateful for the fantastic teachers who pour their time, energy and commonly cash into educating our youngsters! My much-loved teachers were always the ones that would certainly go on half hour monologues regarding things entirely unassociated to their topics. Hope you enjoy school as well as most importantly, I wish you have instructors that really care for you.

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Because of an absence of of good pupil connection, I have actually seen so many technically-good instructors stop working. Educators aim to earn reviewing a natural and also delightful activity for their trainees, they look to moms and dads to assist sustain this by designating levelled books to be checked out at home. In fact, numerous college administrators as well as proficient educators are grads of this program. If you intend to be able to pay your home mortgage, you will have to reduce on some things. Ignorance can be bliss, yet if you are applying for fundings for instructors -, you could not take on the problem, if you aren't sure just how bad it is. Bear in mind, the treatment needs to take the least amount of time ... the least amount of instructor initiative ... produce the least undesirable sensation for both teacher and pupil ... and have the least disruption to the lesson. Groove teachers should significant in songs performance yet focuses on the flute although the educators could play other musical tools such as piano or recorder in order to improve their appreciation of the flute. The pay is ridiculously low as well as the work load is ridiculous, yet if training is your interest, you will certainly discover happiness it. I do not always like mosting likely to inservices, paying for supplies out of pocket, and offering 5 year olds standardized examinations, however the positive effect vs affect test (you could look here) that young kids have on my life are a lot more than the negatives that include the work. By maintaining these concepts in mind as you head into the parent-teacher conference, you will be prepared, share one of the most crucial details and also leave the instructor with a better understanding of your child's truth and also how you can best assistance him/her. State as well as government needs are tough to meet as well as often just simple improper.

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As long as u depend on the educator u r hugging and they rely on u then wat the heck?! Again, various instructors have various expectations, be it pencil or pen or whatever. I ensure each student has actually gained some on day one as it gets them a lot more inspired ... plus I need them to have a little bit of cash when I introduce the financial institution and also checks which they pay a tiny charge for. Sadly some trainees with darker skin, who are typically tracked in lower level programs, share tales of teachers that have lower assumptions for them. She takes every little thing she does in class very seriously as well as listens quite possibly to the instructor. The very best teachers absolutely love the topic they educate and also are constantly trying to discover more regarding it. Pupils get promptly on this! To talk specifically regarding the program, teacher education and learning trains graduate students to function as educators in institutions. Then call or create your state as well as government representatives to require information sharing of the National Fingerprint Windows registry. Via online graduate training courses for educators college districts could help their instructors establish the skills essential to stand out and also supply the trainees with the most effective education possible. In 1978 he was confessed to enter the oil painting department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts as the initial postgraduate course after the Cultural Revolution in China; In 1980 after graduation he remained in the school and also functioned as a teacher at the first workshop of the oil paint department. Prior to we go any kind of more let me make one thing completely clear here ... this post has to do with quiting MINOR classroom management problems such as speaking while the educator is chatting, writing or passing notes, and also small prank. In order to maintain a Level II permit active, educators should finish a needed number of proceeding education credit scores units. Whether you're looking for educator birthday celebration presents or instructor novelty presents, each of our GIANTmicrobes ® includes details concerning the real microorganism it stands for. Almost everywhere instructors require resources and the on-line market for TEFL/ESL supplemental handouts remains in its infancy. If he does this, the children will appreciate him for his honesty, and will not be disappointed in his lack of understanding, for, they additionally, understand that an instructor is likewise, besides being an instructor for them, a human being with restrictions.

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