#exempt vignette

[lexlawuk]

Success Story: No Time Limit (NTL) Applications

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[blackjackkent]

Owlbear Vignettes

At first, Buddy sticks very close to Hector in camp. Hector was the one who fed him first. Hector is kind, with a soft voice. Hector gives him scritches between the ears and murmurs blessings Buddy doesn't understand. Hector is not Mother, but Hector is safe.

The others take some getting used to.

-----

Karlach is not expecting it, the first night Buddy tries to sleep in the tent with them. She's half-asleep and at first only dimly aware of claws jabbing through her clothes, which meld unpleasantly with a dream of stinging sparks in the Hells. Her eyes flicker open - and then she jumps as she comes face to face with an owlbear beak. Buddy has nestled himself between her and Hector, curled into a floofed-up ball.

"Aw, hells. Hec--" she says sleepily.

"Mmph?" Hector answers. "Wha-- ack!" There's a sudden sputtering noise as he rolls over into a faceful of feathers.

"That."

She hears Hector laugh softly in the darkness. "Buddy, you can't sleep there." He nudges at the cub's flank; Buddy makes a soft noise of objection. "Come on, Bud."

Buddy gives a chirping whine but allows himself to be displaced so Hector can snuggle in against Karlach again. The cub considers the situation for a moment, then flops deliberately on Hector's other side, staring at Karlach the whole time as if daring her to say anything about it.

"I think I have competition," she tells Hector with a grin.

"You're way prettier than he is, don't worry," Hector mumbles into her shoulder.

-----

Gale makes a picture of a woman, but she has no smell. Buddy doesn't like that. It seems wrong.

Wyll emerges from his tent to the sound of Waterdhavian-accented oration at full volume.

"That is the goddess of magic, Buddy. That is Mystra herself!" Gale is lecturing the little beast, poking a finger into Buddy's face. "You cannot simply swipe a claw through her as if she were a mouse you'd caught unawares. That is a disrespect of the highest order and I would have thought you smart enough to know better."

Buddy listens attentively, his head cocked over to one side, occasionally chirping whenever Gale pauses for breath.

"I understand that you are an owlbear and therefore not privy to the mysteries of the Weave," the mage goes on. "But that does not exempt you from a certain level of basic decency towards the divine. I will thank you to remember this in future and improve your decorum."

Wyll grins, folding his arms as he watches this little display unfold. "Do you want to try it again with an animal speaking potion?"

Gale sighs. "No, no, never mind. He's just a beast after all, he can't really be expected to understand."

"I don't know," Wyll says mildly. "Perhaps he has the right of it. A protective instinct, if you will, given the target does want you to blow yourself up. I think he's not the only one in camp who would give her a swipe if they could."

"I'll thank you to keep your disrespect to yourself as well," Gale says dryly. His fingers flick through the air, conjuring a new, glowing image of his goddess.

Buddy swats a paw through her again at once.

-----

The githyanki is sharp like Mother's claws. She snaps when Buddy comes close, sniffs disdainfully when he scarfs down some of the camp supplies. He steers clear and watches her from a distance.

He understands how this works. She is one of the alphas. She must be brought a gift before she will accept him in the flock.

One night, Hector watches with bemusement as the cub, his whole expression screwed up with deep owlbear concentration, drags a large dead rabbit through the camp.

Catching Hector's gaze, he drops the rabbit and chirps softly, wandering in a slow circle around his prize. His feathers fluff up in a deliberate attempt to make himself look bigger, as if to steel himself for a great challenge. Then he grabs the rabbit again by the head, and in a single smooth motion, drags it into the tent where Lae'zel is currently sleeping.

There is a brief moment of silence, followed by a yell that echoes through the whole camp. Buddy, still poofed out in all directions, comes sailing through the tent flap, tumbling end over end and hitting the ground some distance away. The dead rabbit follows closely thereafter.

The next morning, Lae'zel acts as if nothing happens, but Hector does note with some surprise that she gives Buddy an absent pat on the head every time she walks past him. Later, she offers him a torn off scrap of the hunk of jerky she grabs for her evening meal.

"You're not holding his midnight visit against him, then?" Hector asks her.

"On the contrary," she says gravely. "The creature offered tribute to me as its jhe'stil, and showed bravery in doing so. It has earned the respect due a beast of combat."

"But you threw him out of the tent!"

She looks at him unblinkingly. "Yes."

Hector considers trying to understand this, and then decides not to bother.

-----

Shadowheart rarely comes close at first to either Buddy or Scratch. She is wary of them as beasts of the forest. Scratch says she is afraid of wolves. Buddy is NOT a wolf - but he is almost as big as one, so he thinks maybe it makes sense.

She often looks at him like she would like to pet him, though. A few times, she does drift near, and lays her hand gently between his ears on the soft feathers at the nape of his neck. And he sees a little smile tug at her lips - but then there is a flash of magic around her hand, and she winces or cries out in pain and draws away.

Many weeks on, deep in the Shadowlands, there is a great commotion one night - an explosion of light and crashing and roaring in the distance. Buddy watches with great interest, and some concern, as Hector returns to the camp with Karlach and Wyll, all of them covered in blood and slime. Shadowheart, equally battered, follows behind them at a distance, her eyes hollow and her face even paler than usual.

Buddy finds her in her tent later, staring at the wall in the darkness. He sits in the tent flap and chirps questioningly.

"No. Go away," she mutters. "I can't--"

She falls silent. He chirps again, scoots a little closer to her.

"It hurt so much..." she whispers. "All this time, all that pain... for a lie..."

She gives a sudden hoarse, humorless laugh. "There was never any wolf. D'you know that? There was never any wolf at all."

He gives a soft, whickering sort of noise and nudges his head cautiously against her hand. There is no flash of magic, no cry of pain. He does it again. Her fingers fist suddenly into his feathers, pulling him towards her.

He squawks, alarmed, then relaxes as she presses her face into the soft down of his back and sobs.

-----

Late one night, Astarion tracks a deer through the woods. They're difficulty prey, jumpy and skittish, but his steps are light, an almost inaudible tread. And they have quite a lot of blood in them. The hunger gnaws at his stomach and his red eyes gleam in the moonlight.

Just a little closer...

His boot knocks against an ill-placed stone, barely a rustle of sound but enough. The deer lifts its head and gives a keening cry, and bolts.

"Oh-- damn it," he mutters, straightening out of his crouched position. His fingers flex with undirected frustration and he leans heavily against a nearby tree. "Damn, damn, damn." What a feast that would have been... the local squirrel population has been decent, but deer is something else entirely. One of his favorites, second only to the kobolds and, of course, the one pure draught he got from Hector's throat...

His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of an animal squealing in abject pain, a ripping, tearing noise of wet meat - and then a soft chirp. He looks down, puzzled.

Buddy is sitting looking up at him with bright, wide eyes. His beak is coated in blood, and he bounces in an excited circle around Astarion's feet before guiding him through the foliage nearby. The deer sits sprawled on the mossy ground, its head bent at an odd angle.

"Huh." Astarion raises his eyebrows, examining the gory tableau. His stomach growls audibly at the glinting shine of wet blood at the deer's throat. "Not badly done. I didn't think I was in the market for a hunting partner, but perhaps we should work together more often."

Buddy wiggles all over with excitement and butts his head against Astarion's leg.

"Yes, yes, you're very cute. Now stay out of the way and let me drain this thing before you start looking tasty as well."

-------

"No!" Minsc bellows, looking down at the cub imperiously. "You will stand aside, beast; though your talons be very sharp and your beak to match, Minsc will bear each scratch before you shall lay one claw upon Boo!"

Buddy cowers back, his eyes very wide and all his feathers standing up, as the berserker towers over him. Boo sits atop Minsc's head and squeaks angrily down at the cub from his perch.

"Minsc!" Jaheira steps in between them, raising one hand before Minsc can speak again. "Calm yourself. I heard you all the way across the camp. What is the matter?"

"Minsc woke to find the little feather-beast eyeing Boo with the hungriest of eyes," Minsc says fiercely. "Does he think Boo a little snack to be feasted upon?!"

"No doubt," Jaheira says calmly, struggling not to smile; Minsc is obviously incensed, and yet there is something comical in seeing him stare down the little round ball of feathers with such ferocity. "For he is a beast of nature; why should he know otherwise?"

"Well, he shall not have him!"

"Peace." Jaheira crouches next to the owlbear, murmurs a spell under her breath; green light flares around her body. "Do you hear me, cub?" she murmurs.

Buddy goes very still; his feathers flatten out and he stares at her with wide eyes. "You... speak?" he whispers.

"With all the wisdom that nature gave me." She smiles, reaches out to scratch him under the chin. "You must leave the hamster alone. For he is Minsc's to protect, as you are Hector's."

The cub chirrups skeptically. "Rat. Tasty," he points out.

"There is no shortage of rats in the city," Jaheira says dryly. "We shall find you other meat. But you must promise to leave Boo in safety."

Buddy makes a soft grumbling noise. "All right. Promise," he mumbles.

Jaheira looks up at Minsc, her eyes glinting with amusement. "The bargain is made," she says soberly.

"Ah." Minsc brightens up at once and grins. "Good. Minsc did not want to kick such a little, cute butt, if there was any helping it."

Buddy trots along at Jaheira's side as she walks away; his sharp little eyes peer up at her excitedly. "You speak. New Mother?" he asks hopefully.

"Gods. No," Jaheira sputters. "I am no more your mother than I am Minsc's Wychlaran; where does everyone get these ideas?"

Buddy's ears turn down. "Just hoped."

She pauses, then smiles faintly. "I may not be your mother, cub, but I think you have a whole camp full of family. As creatures of the wilderness go, you have it made."

-----

Withers examines the cub closely as it creeps around the edge of the camp, watching him from the shadows. "I offer no threat to thee, little beast," the skeleton intones gravely. "Thou hast no need of secrecy."

Buddy chirps. Emerging from the shadows, he sits at Withers' feet, looking up at him.

Withers' expression does not shift. "Indeed," he murmurs. "A creature without mooring. Untethered and yet bound. A matter of luck... or of fate."

Buddy tips his head slowly to one side.

"Thou art a pillar, upon which is built the lever which shall move the world." The faintest hint of a smile twists the skeleton's lips. "And yet thou knowest it not. This is as it should be. By such truths does all remain in balance."

[doledition]

INTRO POST

~ Kiya Klori or Dlori~ primarily a dol and nsfw centric blog. as a result, 18+. i will not go hunting around other's blogs for indication of your age. be forewarned, as you may stumble upon dead dove content on this blog.

fanwriter and occasional collage maker. most of my writing as been focused on my own spin regarding degrees of lewdity NPC's, basing it off the confines of canon to build my personal interpretations and scenarios of the characters. as a result, many of my fics do not and will not stick closely to canon outside of analysis. if you come here for strict canonical writings of the characters you're at the wrong place.

i won't include a dni here since those don't do much. with that said though zionists/sanghi hindutva's should kill themselves, and same with transphobes and transmisogynists. get off my blog you pathetic pieces of shit.

not pro-ship or anti but secret third thing which is adult with reading and media comprehension who doesn't think people should be punished for liking "morally impure" media, nor do I think any media is exempt from criticism and analytical approach.

himejoshi and lover of all things wlw. all degrees of lewdity npc's discussed here will be women unless otherwise stated. interests outside of DOL include: -oniisama e, puella magi madoka magica, revolutionary girl utena, and similar anime - the silt verses and similar podcasts -poetry and literary fiction (feel free to send me recs) -sociology, hisory, and political theory -horror movies and lost media -RPGmaker , Visual Novels, and text based games (COYA and COG included) especially those with a horror bent. fond of roguelites as well

NAVIGATION:

To find my fics, search through the tag #writing or #klori's series. For ease of access, I will link my works here.

The Dancing Dolls (pc/pc, pc/sydney) Ouroboros (pc/ivory wraith, ivory wraith/initiate) Vignettes: I II III IV IX (kylar fic that takes place before meeting PC) Running: I II III (Bailey fic that takes place during her childhood in the orphanage, features Eden and mentions of my rendition of Jane.) Smoke (pc/pc, pc/kylar) The Painter: I (inserting my own NPCS into degrees of lewdity as random encounters. updated infrequently) Whitney and Affection (analysis on whitney's attachment and affection for the PC) DOL Li's and Their Thoughts on Skibbidi Toilet (what it says on the tin)

AO3 link (note: I only upload fics to AO3 when I've finished writing them, while tumblr gets uploaded on a more consistent schedule. I use the ao3 as a space to organise them.)

ABOUT MY PC'S:

Dahlia the Redeemed/Paranoid: a beautiful, saintly nun at the temple. a cold, self-righteous, unpredictable and vindictive orphan. a charming dancer at the brothel, a manipulative yet well-meaning thief who escaped prison, a saviour. who is dahlia?

Tags: #dahliathoughts, #dahlia, #dahlia the redeemed/paranoid

Soft-Launch Here

Hadia the Bride: a shy, quiet girl, never quite belonging to the orphanage yet never quite disappearing from it's hollows. nice, well-meaning, docile. a schemer with only anger and coldness in her heart, a failed escape, a lovely wife who dreams of guns and poisons and control. who is hadia?

Tags: #hadiathoughts, #hadia, #hadia the bride

Soft-Launch Here

Collages for Both

For more about them, search the #anons, #ask, #oc ask game, #oc vibe game tags.

If you like what I do and want to send a few bucks to a broke college student, here's my Kofi. However, you are under no obligation to send me money- everything I do I do for free. Donate only if able, and even then I'd prefer if it went to people who need it far more than I do.

[zehub]

12 c'est…le nombre de jours pleins par an durant lesquels les automobilistes pourront circuler dans la ZFE parisienne au volant d’un véhicule disposant d’une vignette Crit’Air 3.

C’est le nombre de jours pleins par an durant lesquels les automobilistes pourront circuler dans la ZFE parisienne au volant d’un véhicule disposant d’une vignette Crit’Air 3. Il leur faudra pour cela activer un « pass ZFE 24h ». Cette exemption est prévue à l’article 8 du projet d’arrêté de la Métropole du Grand-Paris, actuellement soumis à la consultation des parties prenantes, dont la Ville de Paris, et du grand public. Le reste du temps ces véhicules seront interdits dans ce périmètre du lundi au vendredi, de 8 heures à 20 heures, à partir du 1er janvier 2025. Pour le moment, en tout cas, car Patrick Ollier, président de la Métropole, envisage à terme d’augmenter le nombre de jours dérogatoires. D'autres métropoles ont mis en place cette exemption « petits rouleurs », comme Lyon pour les professionnels ou Montpellier pour les particuliers.

[usagirotten]

Movie Review: The Crow tries hard to be and is not

Cinematically speaking, the comic book character adaptation genre has been very complicated. Not everything is about superheroes saving the world. Having a good representation must be as close to the vignettes as possible, which, along with its story, is something that lives up to the expectations of the creators. Films like Sin City (2005) and 300 (2006) have been the best that have been presented to date. We see moving vignettes that, along with their plot, have taken this subgenre to a level that very few have been able to reach. The creation and first adaptation of the work done by James O. Barr in 1994 surprised everyone. The Crow was perhaps one of the most complicated films in the history of cinema. The sudden death of its protagonist Brandon Lee in the middle of everything made its director Alex Proyas use a different filming technique to finish it. The Crow is already a classic and cult film that perfectly represents O. Barr's material on film, surpassing or matching this was a difficult challenge that unfortunately did not have the best results. Four independent sequels and a television series were not enough to tell the story of this character. In 2024, it is director Rupert Sanders' turn to bring a new adaptation to the big screen and tell this supernatural love story.

What is The Crow 2024 about?

The love that Eric (Skarsgård) and Shelly (FKA twigs) have for each other is interrupted when they are brutally murdered and the demons of their past become present. When one of them has the opportunity to save his true love, Eric returns from the dead and takes merciless revenge on his murderers, crossing the barrier between the world of the living and the dead. For several years there were rumors of a reboot of this franchise, given what happened in its first adaptation to the cinema things were not easy at all, the studios as well as the directors did not have a clear idea of ​​how to do it without having the inevitable comparisons with its predecessor, the director Rupert Sanders and the scriptwriter Zach Baylin and Will Schneider were chosen by Lionsgate together with Sony Pictures to bring back this character telling and modernizing his controversial story. Here we can ask ourselves: was it necessary to make a new adaptation? How good or how bad is it to do it in these times? The answers to these questions have caused controversy among friends and strangers, while some say no, others are in favor and defend the final product, the truth is that these divided opinions have made this film not exempt from comparisons. You don't need to be a film expert to know that good films always have the same integrity that makes them a cult classic and the same goes for those that aren't. The Crow may seem to have a simple plot, a man who is murdered along with his girlfriend who is the love of his life, and returns from the dead to exact revenge, modernizing it includes having more scenes and sequences of even more explicit violence which makes it difficult to narrate something timeless that they want to forcefully modernize.

This work has many elements that don't work, including those recurring flashbacks loaded with symbolism about a childhood trauma that led the protagonist to a mental institution, and as viewers, we simply have to accept the fact that the love story that is the axis of everything is more important than its action simply because the film needs it and because the characters were created to tell it. In these times and giving a name to all this that is now known as a remake, it is much more likely that its correct name is a well-made reboot, but here even that is not taken into account, it desperately tries to adapt the original work using completely new methods, so far things are going fairly well, what it intends is to have its personality and style breaking with everything that came before and starting from scratch. Saying this sounds and reads very easy to do, the base material is already in cartoons and it only needs to be made up so that it seems like something new with its current problems and a moral discourse that tells us once again that love can do everything, even bringing a man back from the dead to take revenge on his murderers, what could be something that is compared to a gothic love with supernatural overtones must be treated as it should be if you want the results to be good and even more so to be to the liking and taste of the public. To understand this story even more, we must know that all this happens in a world where dark fantasy exists, where everything is possible from deep love to the most extraordinary things, every detail and everything is made to help the plot to be credible, to transport us to another place where we are made to believe that dreams and impossible things can happen, that the desire for revenge is as valid as love and that in the name of the latter anything that is done is justified. In this new adaptation, that previous dystopian world of dark gothic fantasy is replaced by a realistic atmosphere, this time the antagonists have also been modernized, they do not kill just for fun but have a fixed objective that is based on the actions and conduct of current mafia gangs, we understand from the first moment that Eric deeply loves his girlfriend Shelly and that he has to face his murderers, turning this into personal revenge in which his girlfriend will now play a very important role, a decision that is not entirely good. The result of all of the above is due to a series of difficult decisions that lead to this not fulfilling either what was promised or expectations, the question we now ask ourselves can be very divisive: is this a film that advocates a lot for nostalgia and relies on its predecessor to be in the taste of the new generations? The answer can be a resounding no, some things should no longer be re-adapted and modernized for such a weak generation that does not care about anything at all, but this is not the case, violence sells and it is believed to sell very well.

It is very difficult to continue to see the positive side of all this, anything that can be even slightly highlighted is accompanied by a but... this whole visual world that the film has would have been beautiful if they had also respected its timelessness and its dark and gothic tone, modernizing this environment and this line is one of its biggest flaws, at times what we see does not become depressing as it should be and it is not because we want it that way, it is because it is already established as an important part of its story, another of its flaws is the poor handling of CGI throughout the entire film, unfortunately, everything that should look spectacular and credible looks very poor and very clumsy. The pretentious violent scenes are very well done, with good choreography, good camera handling, good shots, and good work with the masks, and here too there is a but... it would have been much better if the filmmakers had committed themselves more and had prolonged the violent and explicit episodes more, and then we would justify a little better that this revenge took up more time in the film, which at times goes from love to supernatural to action and then to violence but then to love and then it does not have an effective narrative line that unites all this symmetrically instead of guessing whether it is or is not. Another flaw is undoubtedly its script, written by Zach Baylin, which never manages to have the necessary strength to make us, as an audience, believe that everything we see is strategically thought out to work, that this revenge becomes the central axis of everything, that everything happens and is resolved by chance and in favor of the same, that its poorly stated and even more so, terribly executed moral discourse tells us that true love must be avenged however it may be and against whomever it may be because love is love and everything else doesn't matter simply because it is love. We won't get them out of this bullshit. The structure of its characters is not the best either and it is another of its flaws, for example, the antagonist, villain, and bad guy of this movie, Roeg (Danny Huston) is not just a common human criminal oh no no no, he is a vile and powerful creature that according to his description has existed for a long time and can corrupt mortals and their souls, that is, a twisted version of the devil, the demon, Lucifer or something similar, unlike what we know and saw before this work goes completely to the supernatural side beyond resurrecting a dead protagonist to take revenge, it is rather a poorly made horror movie about devils, demons, monsters, and stolen souls, here evil is portrayed as a power that can very easily be turned into a weapon, transforming and stripping others of their goodness and this "Crow" spends most of its metaphysical development scenes in an intermediate space between the living and the dead or simply a purgatory. Despite all its errors and flaws, including of course the lack of originality in its imaginative compositions, the film has something, perhaps a good intention that should inoculate it against all those claims that say this is a remake to make money, it is not a film that cares about having a detailed and concrete cosmology that puts the motivations of the characters in a correct context and lets the film build a plot that goes beyond the bad guys killing the hero's girl and the hero returning to kill the bad guys, it pretends to be deep and fails and falls into absurd laughter. Proyas' version is infinitely better than what we see here, we see the clumsiness of his script that tries at every moment to be convincing, they probably thought that all this was going to end up being an example of a film in which style is a fundamental part of all its substance and that adopts that aesthetic with much more force to justify all the violence, which can be seen separately and absolutely nothing would happen. The cast is made up of Bill Skarsgård, FKA twigs, Danny Huston, Isabella Wei, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, and Jordan Bolger who do what they can with what they have, in the case of Skarsgård his performance feels like very apart from everything and everyone, an actor who has outgrown the character and who could give much more and be more authentic. The music composed by Volker Bertelmann has good moments and at times reminds us of what Graeme Revell did but in a more subtle and modern metallic tone, if anything it helped its predecessor, and being the 90s, the music was also something important, bands like The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera and Medicine are far above Joy Division, Traitrs, Cascadeur and Enya herself. In conclusion, The Crow 2024 is a failed reboot that tries hard to be and isn't, a clear example that there are things that shouldn't be touched simply because they are already classics and not for studios to try to make money, an opportunity that is more than wasted in wanting to modernize and attract new generations, a job that could have been somewhat better and the filler for some streaming platform but that didn't work. The Crow is now in theaters in our country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djSKp_pwmOA Read the full article

[bellascarousel]

Chapter 3 of Monarch's Own has been sent out to my newsletter subscribers and will be posted to AO3 tomorrow. If you're interested in getting access to fic chapters a day early (Fics for Kathony Weeks and if I ever do another Advent calendar will be exempt. I'll still send them out in the newsletter, I just can't can't guarantee that they'll be a day early) and seeing some "behind the curtain" stuff, go sign up. Your welcome gift for signing up is a two-scene vignette deleted from Ruined due to them derailing my plot and making the scenes not really fit, anymore. If you're interested, you can find the sign-up page here: https://isabellaleigh.aweb.page/p/d929321e-a7e2-4beb-a52a-b0c57cc42a2d

[kyanako5972]

NaNoWriMo Day 4

Title: No such accidents

Vignette word count: 383

Running total word count: 1714

Still doing the nameless narrative schtick, but the protagonist is Judith Diaton from "Behind Closed Doors". No idea about her lab partner, though. This story is inspired by a voice-controlled robot car that I had to make for an electrical engineering class back in 2019. A class that had only become mandatory for computer science majors starting with my batch.

I'll just put the whole thing here. I think the dialogue is better than my 2am brain dialogues that I omitted from my other posts, at least.

----

Elegia Hall is lined with very sophisticated asonarium absorption technology. Expensive, yes, but it's a huge necessity for a building that houses even more expensive computer hardware. Not that anyone could accidentally set off something with sonomancy, but the department didn't want to risk any deliberate attacks on their systems either.

The student let out a frustrated sigh when the op-amp fell off the table before she ducked down to pick it up. In just about any other building, she could utter a simple spell to lift it up. Small spells were typically exempt from the absorbers. But even that was too much of a risk in this department.

“Do you think we should use tones with the car?” her lab partner asked. The pesky voice-controlled car was driving them up the wall with its refusal to follow input.

“I don't know. Do you think you could land the same tone every time?” When her partner shrugged, she continued. “I don't think tone would be enough. We'll have to use very distinct patterns with it.”

“We tried using distinct patterns. It didn't work. Stubborn PCA.”

They exited the building from the third floor. (Only such a hilly school could have exits on four different floors.) After placing the robot car on the ground, they began their test.

“Slooooow...” she said, and the car rolled a short distance.

“Up up up!” her partner said, and this time the car covered more ground.

“Finally, those words actually work.”

“Ready for the turns?”

They brought the car back to the starting point.

“Make left!” The car moved a short distance before turning.

Finally, they were ready to try the last command. A sharp, high-pitched declaration of the final direction. The student crouched down and prepared the word.

“R- ai!” A skateboarder barreled past her, and she instinctively cast a barrier spell.

Too bad this didn't count as an accident. Even in the heat of the moment, she meant it as a defense. Too bad they were outside, or the absorbers would have caught her petty defense mechanisms. Too bad this mechanism fried the car's battery.

“I'm so sorry,” she told her partner. Her partner was clearly irritated, but the damage to the car wasn't too bad. At least they had the means to replace the components.

[smartmovetouk]

Title: A Comprehensive Guide to UK Spouse Visa Application from India

Introduction:

If you're planning to join your spouse in the United Kingdom, you'll need to apply for a UK Spouse Visa. The process may seem daunting, but with the right information and preparation, it can be a smooth and successful journey. This article serves as a comprehensive guide for applying for a UK Spouse Visa, outlining the key requirements, steps, and tips to maximize your chances of approval.

Step 1: Eligibility Criteria

Before starting the application process, it's crucial to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria. The main requirements for a UK Spouse Visa from India are:

1.       Age: Both you and your spouse must be at least 18 years old.

2.       Relationship Status: You must be legally married to your UK partner, or in a recognized civil partnership or marriage equivalent.

3.       Financial Requirements: Your UK partner must meet the financial threshold, demonstrating that they can financially support you without recourse to public funds.

4.       English Language Proficiency: You'll need to demonstrate your English language skills through an approved test, unless you are exempt.

5.       Accommodation: You must have a suitable place to live in the UK.

 Read: A Complete Guide to the Eligibility Requirement for UK Spouse Visa!

Step 2: Gathering Documents

1.       The UK Spouse Visa application requires a comprehensive set of documents to support your case. These typically include:

2.       Passport: A valid passport with at least one blank page.

3.       Photographs: Recent passport-sized photographs that meet the UKVI's specifications.

4.       Proof of Relationship: Marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate, or evidence of cohabitation.

5.       Financial Documents: Bank statements, payslips, or tax documents to prove your partner's income and savings.

6.       English Language Test Results: If applicable, provide your English language test results.

7.       Accommodation Proof: Tenancy agreement or property ownership documents.

8.       Other supporting documents: Additional evidence of your relationship, such as photographs together, communication logs, etc.

 Check Out: Financial requirement for UK spouse visa – updated 2023

Step 3: Online Application

Create an account on the UK Visas and Immigration website and complete the online application form. You'll need to pay the visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of this process.

Step 4: Biometrics and Supporting Documents Submission

Once you've completed the online application, you'll be prompted to schedule an appointment at a Visa Application Center (VAC) in India. During this appointment, you'll provide your biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) and submit the supporting documents.

Step 5: Visa Processing

The UK Spouse Visa processing time may vary, but it usually takes several weeks. During this time, the UKVI will review your application, conduct necessary checks, and make a decision.

Step 6: Decision and Next Steps

If your visa is approved, you'll receive a vignette sticker in your passport, which allows you to travel to the UK. Once in the UK, you'll need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within ten days of arrival.

Tips for a Successful Application:

1.       Begin Early: Start gathering the necessary documents and preparing your application well in advance.

2.       Seek Professional Advice: Consider consulting an immigration expert or solicitor to guide you through the process.

3.       Provide Clear and Genuine Evidence: Ensure all documents are genuine, well-organized, and clearly demonstrate your relationship and financial situation.

4.       Fulfill Financial Requirements: Make sure your partner meets the financial threshold and provides the necessary documents to prove it.

5.       Complete English Language Test: If required, take the English language test early to avoid delays.

 HERE are - 10 Tips for Making a Successful UK Spouse Visa Application 

Conclusion:

Applying for a UK Spouse Visa from India may appear overwhelming, but with careful planning and thorough documentation, it can be a smooth process. Remember to meet the eligibility criteria, gather all required documents, and be truthful throughout the application. Seek assistance from a UK Spouse visa Specialist when necessary, and most importantly, remain patient during the visa processing time. By following this guide, you'll increase your chances of reuniting with your loved one in the United Kingdom.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

As someone who likes Jade, I would like your opinion on this question: do you think Jade and Floyd like each other as brothers? Usually, identical twins have a rather close relationship. Yet, it seems that the Leech twins are far from that. They seem more like a boss and secretary with Jade giving advise and explaining things to Floyd with Floyd doing nothing but complain. For instance, Floyd openly insults mushrooms despite how much Jade likes them. In the BeanFest event, Jade was happy that they were on the same team, but Floyd couldn't care less about Jade's feelings. To be honest, as an identical twin myself, I'm surprised how they've remained together for so long. What are your thoughts?

I think that Jade and Floyd do like each other as siblings, but their generally good relationship does not exempt them from occasionally fighting, disagreeing, or having a laugh at the other’s expense. I don’t think it’s wise to take what is true of one’s experience/personal anecdote and expect others to also fall into that mold; it does not apply to all siblings.

There are many instances of the twins getting along (and I would say even moreso than when they don’t) or when they enable or help each other’s... questionable behavior. The most obvious example is probably that they work well together to carry out Azul’s dirty work (often with Floyd as the muscle and Jade as the negotiator and informant). Their approaches are very different (with Floyd preferring to dive in headfirst and be quick about getting what he wants, whereas Jade generally prefers taking it slow, planning things out, and waiting for the right time to strike. Jade is also shown to rely on force as a secondary measure rather than a first resort, whereas using force is Floyd’s first choice), and they disagree on the best methods for carrying out their tasks. However, this ultimately does not result in significant roadblocks to reaching their goals--they just have to go about their tasks separately or come to a compromise (as is the case with their Dorm Uniform vignettes).

Outside of doing Azul’s contract work, Jade and Floyd still appreciate each other and get along in other ways despite their differences. We can see ways that they resemble each other as well (particularly in how they think and how they act). For example, they both talk down to Jack (in Jack’s Labwear vignettes) and treat him like a pet dog they can keep. In Ortho’s Athletic Gear vignette, the twins work together to blackmail Idia into making “legs” for Ortho to properly run.

There are also instances where the twins just don’t see eye-to-eye, or when they cause trouble for the other. This is only natural, as they are individuals, not one and the same. Their interests greatly differ, and oftentimes Jade has to do extra work to make up for Floyd’s carelessness. I can see why some might take this to mean that they don’t get along, as Jade is usually more composed and telling Floyd what he mustn’t do, whereas Floyd typically brushes him off. We must, however, recall that Jade is very much an enabler. He lets Floyd get away with doing a lot of things or chooses to not intervene simply because it is entertaining to himself, and even has a number of voice lines which state he is happy when Floyd is happy/doing what he likes. Floyd brushing Jade off isn’t exclusive only to Jade; Floyd generally doesn’t like being told what to do (and displays rebelliousness to Azul and to NRC staff members too); his disobeying Jade is not an indicator that he dislikes Jade in particular. Floyd just hates having his freedom in general restrained or compromised (as it states in his official in-game profile).

I would not count insulting a sibling’s interests as an indicator that one dislikes that sibling; it’s common even for identical twins to share different interests and hobbies, and every person is entitled to their thoughts. Disliking an interest or a hobby doesn’t equate to disliking or insulting the person or the people who do like them. I would also be wary of any information that Jade gives regarding his feelings; it’s shown in Ghost Marriage that Jade is an expert at disguising his emotions (the Ghost Bride could not detect his lie, but COULD detect Azul’s lies), which makes me suspicious of anything he conveys about them (especially with how guarded he usually is with information about himself).

As for Floyd, his not caring for being on the same team as Jade can be chalked up to his usual fickle behavior. I don’t believe it’s anything personal towards Jade, but that Floyd is bored with the Beans Day event in general (especially seeing as he is a farmer again for two years in a row) and cares more about finding personal amusement in it than who his teammates are. Furthermore, he says that he and Jade are playing independent of each other and are intent on not getting in each other’s way. This isn’t because they dislike each other, but I think it’s because they know it will be too easy and predictable for them to “win” if they work together (as they are said to be menaces on the field when playing together in Magical Shift/Spelldrive, despite Jade being a poor flyer). Floyd even states early in the event that it wouldn’t be a challenge if he and Jade teamed up (and what he’s looking for is a real challenge). At the end of the day, I think both twins are concerned with entertaining themselves with the Beans Day event and are respecting each other’s wishes by playing on their own/with different people.

I think we also need to keep in mind that it is not JUST Floyd that is “mean” to Jade at times. There are plenty of examples of Jade being “mean” back to Floyd. Jade openly laughs at his brother when Floyd is beaten up by Riddle at their first year entrance ceremony rather than being concerned for him, and Jade isn’t above punishing Floyd for acting out if it inconveniences him (see: Trey Labwear vignettes; Jade has to approach Trey to ask for homegrown strawberries, as Floyd ended up eating the ones intended for use on a cake for an important client. Later in the vignettes, Jade reveals that he sent Floyd to stand in a long line to pick up an item to thank Trey as punishment for causing the trouble in the first place). They may get along, but they also have no qualms with “getting back” at their brother or making biting quips about them if the opportunity presents itself. ADDENDUM: In Floyd’s Beachwear vignettes, he confirms that he and Jade have such intense fights that it scared Azul when he first witnessed it. The twins most definitely have had nasty spats.

Jade and Floyd may never outright claim to “love” their brother, but they do express relief that they are glad they “chose” each other. (This gets into a popular fan theory about the twins being the only survivors of a large batch of Leech siblings, perhaps by working with the other.) At one point (I believe in the second Beans Day event), Silver says something along the lines of “You really love your brother” to Floyd, and Floyd responds with, “The way you say it sounds gross.” Note that Floyd never denies that he cares for Jade; he only comments that the way Silver says it is weird. This leads me to believe that both Jade and Floyd don’t express that they love each other in the same way that Silver, a very pure and wholesome boy, does.

The twins often feed into each other’s schemes and care about the other twin having their share of fun, but they also know when to be hands off and to stay out of the other’s way. This shows that they know each other and understand each other well, especially if you consider that Floyd is one of the few people that actually knows what Jade’s true intentions are (for example: calling him out for giving poisonous flowers to the Ghost Bride). The twins are also not afraid to make fun of each other when they fail, make mistakes, or get their comeuppance. That, in a sense, is how they show their “love”. They are “close”, but NOT in a traditional sense where they outright declare that they care for each other or avoid disagreement at all costs; they like each other enough, but don’t make it a point to be super involved or highly interested in what the other is up to because they have their own lives and perspectives. That is also a valid way of showing your “closeness” with a sibling; “closeness” does not always mean being attached at the hip or always being supportive of or agreeing with your sibling.

The last thing I want to point out is that their different personalities probably play into how they express themselves and their affection for their brother. Jade is very much a person that puts in airs, and he comes off as a socially well-adjusted person--but that’s all an act. Azul states that Jade is honestly scarier than Floyd because at least with Floyd he is upfront about his insanity, whereas Jade disguises it so you’ll never see it coming when it finally hits you. Again, Jade is very guarded and won’t give away the truth of his thoughts or his feelings so easily. He can play the part of a loving brother as much as he likes, but we also never see him be genuinely hurt by Floyd’s callousness, which leads me to think that what Jade loves most about Floyd IS Floyd’s unpredictability. After all, Jade dislikes being bored himself. In this sense, Jade doesn’t mind being compared to or seen with Floyd because Floyd is both entertainment and an easy distraction for him. If people are fixated on Floyd acting out, then they will never notice Jade driving the knife into their back until it’s too late.

Meanwhile, Floyd seems to be fiercely against being compared to his brother. Both in the second Beans Day event and in Floyd’s School Uniform vignette, his mood notably worsens when other characters bring up his brother in reference to him. Floyd points out to his teammates in Beans Day that he and Jade are different people, and shouldn’t always be expected to be with one another or to be the same. It’s more fun when they can each do their own thing, and Floyd also says (in his Beachwear vignettes) that if they were together all the time, then they’d probably hate each other. This is in line with how Floyd likes to act independently and do what he likes, regardless of what others think or expect of him. He appears to place great importance on differentiating himself from Jade, not being seen as the same as him.

Jade and Floyd’s dynamic is honestly one of the most well-written and nuanced sibling dynamics I’ve seen for a while. Most sibling depictions in media tend to gravitate too heavily to being one extreme (either the siblings are always hateful and at each other’s throats or they love each other to the point of self-sacrifice or are generally never seen without the other), so I appreciate that the Leech brothers manage to balance the two.

[spacecrone]

Sorry, Cassandra.

So, it's definite then

It's written in the stars, darlings

Everything must come to an end - Susanne Sundfør

I first learned about the climate crisis in 2008, as an undergrad at Hunter College, in a class called The History and Science of Climate Change. For the next decade I would struggle with how to process and act on the scientific paradigm shift climate change required: that human activity could disrupt the climate system and create a planetary ecosystem shift making Earth uninhabitable to human life. I became a climate justice activist and attempted to work directly on The Problem which was actually, as philosopher Timothy Morton writes, a hyperobject, something so systemic and enormous in size and scope as to be almost unintelligible to human awareness. I’ve cycled through probably every single response a person could have to this knowledge, despair, ecstasy, rage, hope. I’ve landed somewhere close to what I might call engaged bewilderment. For me, his particular locale has a soundtrack, and it’s Susanne Sundfør’s cinematic dance dystopia Ten Love Songs, an album that tells a story of love and loss in the Anthropocene. Sundfør is a sonic death doula for the Neoliberal project, with a uniquely Scandinavian version of bleak optimism. To truly grapple with this time of escalating transition, we need to really face what is, not what we hope or fear will be, but what is actually happening. A throbbing beat with shimmering synths around which to orient your dancing mortal envelope can’t hurt.

Susanne Sundfør’s Ten Love Songs was released a few days after Valentine’s Day in February of 2015, six months after I had been organizing Buddhists and meditators for the Peoples Climate March.  I was already a fan, having first heard her voice as part of her collaboration with dreamy synth-pop outfit m83 on the Oblivion soundtrack. Oblivion was visually striking but felt like a long music video. The soaring synths and Sundfør’s powerful voice drove the plot more than the acting, though I loved how Andrea Riseborough played the tragic character Vika, whose story could have been more central to the plot but was sidelined for a traditional Tom Cruise romantic centerpiece. But since the movie was almost proud of its style over investment in substance, the music stood out. The soundscapes were as expansive as the green-screened vistas of 2077  in the movie. It was just nostalgic enough while also feeling totally new, a paradox encapsulated in the name of m83’s similarly wistful and sweeping Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.  I am not exempt from taking comfort in style that signifies a previous era, and I am also not alone in it. It’s a huge industry, and while the MAGA-style yearning for a previous era is one manifestation, maybe there are ways to acknowledge culture as cyclical in a way that doesn’t sacrifice traditional knowledge to some imagined myth of perpetual progress.

When Ten Love Songs came out the following year, I listened to it on repeat for days.  Sundfør seemed to have absorbed the music-driven sci-fi into a concept album, with m83 providing her with a whole new panopoly of sounds at her disposal. Like Oblivion,  Ten Love Songs told the story of a future dystopia with high speed chases, nihilistic pleasure-seeking and operatic decadence against a backdrop of technocratic inequality. It mixed electro-pop with chamber music and I listened to it on a Greyhound ride to Atlantic City in the middle of snowy February. I hadn’t felt like this since high school, that a full album was a sort of soundtrack to my own life, which I could experience as cinematic in some way while the music was playing. This situated me in my own story, of studying climate change as an undergrad and graduating into a financial collapse, working as a personal assistant to an author writing about ecological collapse and ritual use of psychedelics, to joining a Buddhist community and organizing spiritual activists around climate justice. 

Ten Love Songs is a breakup album, with lyrics telling of endings and running out of time. But it didn’t read to me as an album about a single human romantic relationship coming to an end. It felt like a series of vignettes about the planet and its ecosphere breaking up with us, all of us. People. Some songs like Accelerate, one of the album’s singles, throb in an anthem to nihilistic numbness and speeding up into a catastrophe that feels inevitable. Fade Away is a bit lighter, tonally and lyrically, (and if you listen, please note the exquisitely perfect placement of what sounds like a toaster “ding!”), but is still about fading away, falling apart. The way the songs seem to drive a narrative of anthropocenic collapse built on science fiction film scores, the combination of orchestra and techno-pop, absolutely draws on Sundfør’s experience collaborating with m83 for the Oblivion soundtrack, which itself combined Anthony Gonzalez’s love for the adult-scripted teen dramas of his own 80’s adolescence. In Ten Love Songs, Sundfør takes what she learned from this collaboration and scores not a movie but a life experience of living through ecological collapse and all of the heartbreak and desire that erupts in a time when everything seems so close to the knife’s edge.

I am reminded of another Scandinavian dance album that was extremely danceable yet harbored within it a sense of foreboding. The Visitors, ABBA’s eighth studio album, was considered their venture into more mature and complex music. The two couples who comprised the band had divorced the year before it was released, and the entire atmosphere of the album is paranoid, gloomy, and tense. The cover shows the four musicians, on opposite sides of a dark room, ignoring each other. Each song is melancholy and strange in its own way, unique for a pop ensemble like Abba. One song in particular showcases their ability to use an archetype of narrative tragedy and prophesy to tell the story of regret. Cassandra is sung from the perspective of those who didn’t heed the woman cursed by Zeus to foretell the future but never be believed. 

I have always considered myself a pretty big Abba fan, something my high school choir instructor thought was riotously funny. I was born in the 80’s and nobody in my family liked disco, so I seemed like something of an anachronism. But pop music, especially synth-oriented pop, has always felt like a brain massage to me. It could get my inner motor moving when I felt utterly collapsed in resignation to the scary chaos of my early life. But I only discovered the song Cassandra in 2017, while giving The Visitors a full listen. It felt like I had never heard the song before, though, as a fan I must have. But something about 2015 made the song stand out more. It starts with piano, soft tambourine, and the ambient sound of a harbor. It has a coastal Mediterranean vibe, as some Abba songs do, foreshadowing Cassandra’s removal from her home city, an event she foretold but could not get anyone to believe. It’s a farewell song of regret, echoing the regret the members of Abba felt about their own breakups. 

We feel so full of promise at the dawn of a new relationship. Only after the split can we look back and say we saw the fissures in the bond. The signs were there. Why did we ignore them? This happens on an individual level but the Cassandra paradox is an archetype that climate scientists and journalists are very familiar with. This particular Abba song, and the Visitors album overall, uses this archetype to tell the story of a breakup in retrospect. With climate change, the warnings have been there, even before science discovered the rising carbon in the atmosphere. Indigenous peoples have been warning of ecological collapse since colonization began. Because of white supremacy and an unwavering belief in “progress,” perpetual economic and technological development and growth, warnings from any source but especially marginalized sources have been noise to those who benefit from that perpetual growth model and from white supremacy itself. Is there a way to undo the Cassandra curse and render warnings signal BEFORE some major event turns us all into the chorus from Abba’s song, singing “some of us wanted- but none of us could--  listen to words of warning?” Composer Pauline Oliveros called listening a radical act. It is especially so when we listen actively to the sounds and signals of those we would otherwise overlook.

When I look back at my life in the time that Sundfør’s Ten Love Songs and m83’s movie music seems nostalgic for, the late 1980’s in New Jersey,  I was a child with deeply dissociative and escapist tendencies, which helped me survive unresolved grief, loss, and chaos. I recognize my love for Abba’s hypnotic synth music as a surrendering to the precise and driving rhythm of an all-encompassing sound experience. I also see how my early life prepared me to be sensitized to the story climate science was telling when I finally discovered it in 2008. I had already grown up with Save the Whales assemblies and poster-making contests, with a heavy emphasis on cutting six-pack rings so that sea life would not be strangled to death. I knew what it was like to see something terrible happening all around you and to feel powerless to stop it, because of the way my parents seemed incapable of and unsupported in their acting out their own traumatic dysregulation. Wounds, unable to heal, sucking other people into the abyss. I escaped through reading science fiction, listening to music like Abba and Aphex Twin loud enough to rattle my bones. I wanted to overwhelm my own dysregulated nervous system. I dreamed of solitude on other planets, sweeping grey vistas, being the  protagonist of my own story where nothing ever hurt because ice ran through my veins and the fjords around me. My home planet was dying, and nobody could hear those of us screaming into the wind about it.

Ten Love Songs woke up that lost cosmic child who had banished herself to another solar system. Songs of decadence, songs of endings, songs of loss. Though that album was not overtly about climate change, Sundfør did talk about ecological collapse in interviews for her radically different follow-up album Music For People In Trouble. After the success of Ten Love Songs, Sundfør chose to travel to places that she said “might not be around much longer” in order to chronicle the loss of the biosphere for her new album. It is more expressly and urgently about the current global political moment, but the seeds for those themes were present and in my opinion much more potent in the poppier album. But maybe that’s the escapist in me.

The old forms that brought us to this point are in need of end-of-life care. Capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchal theocratic nationalism, neoliberalism, they all need death doulas. Escapism makes sense in response to traumatic stimulus, and for many of us it may have helped us survive difficult circumstances. But if we are to face what it means to be alive on this planet at this moment, we might be here to be present to and help facilitate and ease the process of putting these systems to rest. And maybe this work is not at odds with a dance party. The ability to be visionary about shared alternatives to these dying systems is not inherently escapist, when we are willing to take the steps together to live into those new stories. What would happen if cursed Cassandras, instead of pleading with existing power structures to heed warnings that sound like noise to them, turned to each other to restore the civic body through listening, through bearing witness to each others unacknowledged and thwarted grief over losses unacknowledged by those same systems of coercive power?

Engaged bewilderment means my version of hope, informed by Rebecca Solnit’s work on the topic, comes from the acceptance that things will happen that I could never have imagined possible. Climate change is happening and there are certain scientific certainties built into that trajectory. Some of it is written in the stars. But as with any dynamic system change, we do not know exactly how it will all shake out. These unknowns can be sources of fear and despair, but there is also the possibility for agency, choice and experimentation. The trajectory of my individual life was always going to end in death. Does that make it a failure? Or does it render each choice and engagement of movement towards the unknown an ecstatic act? As the old forms collapse, no need to apologize to the oracles. At this point they are dancing, and hope you’ll join.

[lexlawuk]

Exempt Vignette: Eligibility And How To Apply

UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) are currently offering individuals who are exempt from immigration control an “exempt vignette”. To ensure smooth entry into the UK, it is advised to obtain an exempt vignette prior to your travel, so long as you are eligible. Who Is Exempt From Immigration Control? Certain individuals may be exempt from immigration control in the UK. The specific categories of…

[hes-writer]

A Cheat II

Summary: Y/N and Harry are drifting apart, Y/N reminisces

Warnings: angst

Word count: 1.8k

———————————

Studio. He was at the studio wasn’t, he? Didn’t he say that he was at the gym, though? Y/N nibbled on her lip trying to form logical conclusions from the information she just gathered. Could he be cheating on her?

“Y/N, I just remembered that I have to do some work for the new album. I can’t go with you tonight”

Her thoughts blank out as she receives a text message from an unknown number. She opens the text,

“Attachment 1: Image”

What she saw silenced the inner turmoil she was debating over in her head but broke her fragile heart in two.

———————————————————

Y/N gasped with tears beginning to gloss over her eyes. The text message induced such a great shock in her tired, worn out body that she immediately collapsed on the hardwood floor below her; heels clattering loudly on the ground, resembling her heart furiously cracking. Her vision fogged causing the picture to become a blurry vignette of Harry in the sound booth, with a pair of headphones adorning his ears and a pair of lips smashed against his own. The woman’s hair cascaded down her slim waist, as to which Harry’s hands enclosed it. His hair was lengthy and was the occupation for her hands to tug lightly. Harry’s dimple showcased itself slightly, indicating the he was, indeed, enjoying this kiss. The control board prohibited the camera lens to pry further from the couples’ obviously intimate time alone. It was too real to be photoshopped, she knows because she’s not stupid. But there’s a certain part of her openly hoping that someone out there was just really really good at it to be able to adjust the reflections as perfectly as they did—if they did, for she could not imagine Harry purposely ruining their relationship just like that.

Of course, it couldn’t be Y/N’s because she hasn’t been there with him for a long time, so any hopes of it being an old picture of her and Harry are down the drain. He mumbled something along the lines of ‘professionalism’ and how there’s a potential that she could somehow, do something wrong while he was out of the room. She recalls that statement from when she had offered to stay late nights with him since they haven’t spent a lot of time together recently. He rejected that idea and let her down easy.

Sugar coating the whole thing, Y/N thinks now.

Regardless of his reasonings, maybe he didn’t want her there. Maybe her suggestion of herself being an ‘inspiration’ to him meant a nuisance and a burden to his work. After all, he wanted his second album to be something that he was proud of. Following the success of his debut, he didn’t want to let anybody down; especially not himself.

As she looked at the picture once again, her throat closed and dried up, constricting the passage way to keep her breathing. It was as if Harry was her lifeline and he just cut her off. Her dress was too scratchy to be comfortable, she could feel her mascara clumping on her eye lashes and forming black streaks down her cheeks, ruining the contour and highlight she had so pretentiously applied in hopes of impressing her boyfriend—can she still call him that?— and possibly igniting the fire they once had. The previous pain she felt from her heels was nothing compared to the betrayal Harry introduced to her. Her heart ached so much that every time she breathed deeply, it was scorching her to the core.

Her phone ‘dinged’ once again, buzzing in her clutched hand. Another message from the unknown number made Y/N furrow her brows and part red her lips in wonder.

“Heard they’ve been at if for a while. She works at the studio.”

That sentence alone sent chills down her spine. Y/N they’ve been distant for the past, maybe, 4 or so months. Maybe he started being unfaithful, then? Typical questions zoomed through her mind: how long has he been doing this? Who is she? Does he still love me? If it did start right when she felt his indifference towards her, it meant that he’d lied to her during their anniversary. The day of exemption from the rocky months they were having where he had forgotten their declaration to the start of a blossoming relationship—he would have lied then.

——————————

Y/N reminisces the day. She woke up in a cold bed; it wasn’t a surprise by that point, but she hoped that this day would’ve made him act differently. Her feet pattered on the floor to the bathroom where the light was turned off. She walked down the stairs with a bounce to her step. Maybe he was preparing breakfast for us! Y/N thought. Already smelling the fruity scent of the automatic air freshener, it wasn’t masked by any breakfast goodies that Harry could’ve been making. And as she turned down the corner, she finds the kitchen barren of any life forms. The dishes were still piled in the sink, but there was no Harry. The day was spent with Y/N reaching out for Harry through text, only to be met with delayed messages of “will be home late” Y/N tries to play it off as him surprising her for later. She smiles to herself at the thought of her sappy, romantic boyfriend.

Hours later, Y/N finds herself doing her psychology homework due in 3 weeks. Perhaps you could call her productive, or maybe just someone who’s trying to occupy their mind, especially since the clock hit 10:00 PM a few minutes ago, and it would now be too late to go out to eat. She sighs, scribbling the answer after reading the question on her laptop. Her eyes skim from the door to the clock on the wall, pen tapping excessively on her notepad. Y/N focuses on her homework once again, but was interrupted by the front door bursting open.

Hastily kicking off his shoes, Harry arrives with a bouquet of flowers, balloons that read ‘happy anniversary’, and a gift bag on his left hand. He held a medium-sized cake on his right. How he managed to open the door, Y/N would always wonder.

��Baby, I’m sorry. I was caught up in the studio until about 15 minutes ago, an—and I didn’t realize the time. I drove home as fast as I could,” Harry panted out loud. His eyes drifting to Y/N’s own, trying to get a feel of how and what she was feeling.

Y/N forgave him immediately, seeing that she was always forgiving and just wanted to spend whatever time she can with Harry without having argument over the little things. Harry had gotten her a Marc Jacobs perfume that evening; it smelled amazing. She hugged him tightly, fearing that he’d disappear once again. Y/N sniffled Harry’s neck, smelling perfume all over. She lets go of his embrace, taking a step back and asking him why he wafted like cheap perfume. He reasoned that the air from the shop must’ve sunk deep in his clothes when he was shopping for her gift.

He pulls away completely, but not before pecking her forehead lovingly.

“Have you eaten? I’m gonna go cook something for us to eat, yeah?” Harry mumbled against her hair. She nodded. His legs picked up speed, heading to the kitchen with cake in hand.

—————————

Y/N gasps as she realized how his lies jumbled up into a big mess. He’d just left the studio ‘15 minutes ago’ meant that he couldn’t have had time to buy her the perfume, especially since the mall closed at 9.

Well, maybe he bought it a day before.

Y/N changed into a shirt and pajamas, her feet covered in socks to keep her warm. She was nibbling on her lip profusely, walking back and forth from their bed to the dresser. What was she supposed to do now? Confront him? Act like she didn’t know? She’d never thought that she’d have to go through this again. Sprouting from bad relationships, Y/N told Harry that she can’t stand cheaters and liars–her exes being a prototype of a relationship that failed her over and over again. She found faith again with Harry, and so far, he had not done anything stupid until now.

She stared at the luminescent bottle on her dresser with spite. The bottle was mocking the hell out of her; how could she have been so stupid. Realizing that his words didn’t even make sense together should’ve been caught right away. She was blinded by love and was so desperate to feel his warmth again that she completely disregarded all common sense. Y/N tugged on her hair, stressed at the situation beforehand. Not only that, but she had yet to get her sleep before tomorrow’s class that she was in no way, in the mood for.

The front door opened from below, Y/N’s eyes widen as she couldn’t remember a time where he came home while she was awake. She panicked and ran to the bed, slipping on her knees because of her socks, and emitting a whimper from her lips when her knees thumped against the hardwood. She shuffled forward anyway, making it to the bed, flicking off the lights and shooting her head underneath the thick duvet.

Upon hearing such noise, Harry’s head snaps up to the direction of his bedroom, midway of taking off his shoes towards the side. He chucks his keys in the bowl beside the door before jogging up the stairs. He was met with darkness, but with a swift flick of the switch, he finds Y/N’s figure wiggling underneath the sheets. He chuckles lightly.

Silly girl, he thought.

“Hey”

The figure pauses, Y/N timidly pulls the cover over her head. Her eyes make eye contact with his.

“Why are you on my side?” Harry asks, accusingly.

Realizing that she was, indeed, on his side Y/N quickly shuffled to the other side, tangling the sheets against her legs.

“Sorry!”

“It’s fine, Y/N. I’m not gonna sleep here tonight anyways.”

“W-hat? Where are you going, H?” Y/N sits up from her position. Where could he be going now?

“I’m sleeping in the guest room. I think I need a change of scenery.”

He was about to turn in his heels, suddenly annoyed by her pestering.

“Wait! I think we need to talk,” Y/N stands swiftly, putting her palm against his shoulder to which Harry curves immediately. He retracts with great speed, almost as if her hand was poison. His eyes catch hers with loaded surprise.

Nonetheless, he sighs, saying, “Look, I’m tired. We’ll talk tomorrow,”

“But Harry, I th-,” She gets cut off by Harry’s booming voice.

“I said we’ll talk tomorrow, Y/N” He said sternly, Harry’s mind flashes to a memory of his actions and makes a decision quickly, “I have someone I want you to meet at work anyway.”

Part 3

k for real, part 3 she’s gonna confront his aSs

please give feedback and what y’all wanna see next

Taglist; @ynm1505 @boundtomyfate @kylaharvey54 @juicynylander @youraveragefandomgirl @rose-water17 @lovely-larents @love-is-my-phone @marielourot @iphone235 @peachyunx @famouszipperpeanutlawyer @tpwkwrites

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

2099 Alpha #1 Thoughts

This was a confusing set of teaser trailers.

This is partially a post covering the issue and a rant about the entire premise of the series.

Throughout this comic book (and F4 2099) one prevailing question kept crossing my mind.

 “Who is this even for?”

 It was a question that became louder when I looked at both the cover and the blurb at the back explaining how this project came to be about.

 Matthew Rosenberg, author of the most controversial and derided X-Men run in recent memory (so you know that bodes well), pointed out that 2019 was both the 80th anniversary of Marvel comics (even though most people would argue Marvel truly started in 1961 with F4 #1) and also 80 years away from the real life year 2099.

 The idea was dismissed but then Nick Spencer decided he liked it and after one thing led to another this event was born.

 This event being a ‘reimagining’ of the 2099 universe but with ‘a similar methodology’ to the original 1992 line (that is to say avoiding the ‘common traps’ of descendants of known characters*), with a mind towards how the future was perceived in 2019 vs. 1992.

 Right off the bat there are inherent problems with that entire premise.

 First of all the original 2099 line presented a version of the future that if anything is MORE relevant now than it was in 1992.

 Futurism in any era is never just one thing, but the futurism of 2019 is generally speaking understandably cynical and nihilistic. It’s a world which foresees a future where there isn’t even an illusion of freedom, where the gap between rich and poor has grown even wider than it already is with little-no feasible way to close it, where corporations run the show (more openly than they already do) and where environmental disaster is ravaging mankind if not having already wiped it out. This is to say nothing of a world where artificial intelligence and mechanisation will probably compromise a lot of people’s employment opportunities, and pose direct physical and mental dangers to human lives.

 That is the general ethos of how a lot of people and a lot of fiction reflects the future NOWDAYS. And that’s what the 2099 was doing in 1992! Not only was the line set in the future it was literally ahead of it’s time as the world we live in if anything has grown to reflect it more and more.

  Secondly when you are approaching the notion of making a futuristic version of Spider-Man and the Punisher in the year 2099 and applying the same ‘methodology’ as the LAST time someone tried to make a futuristic version of Spider-Man and the Punisher in the year 2099 the results at best are not going to be that different, rendering the exercise pointless. In fact in all likelihood you are going to be worse or at least derivative. Even if you are not the fact that the 2099 line resonated with people enough for it to continually pop up every so often for nearly 30 years means that your new take is unlikely to hold up to people’s nostalgia.

 And make no mistake, this is a project that exists for nostalgia. It doesn’t exist just for the sake of exploring a possible future for the Marvel universe, otherwise why revive a popular and famous Marvel brand to do it?

 And therein lies my fundamental question.

 If this project exists because people are already invested in 2099 then why reboot it and thus mitigate their emotional investment?

 Nostalgic 2099 fans don’t simply want to see any iteration of these characters. They want something at least mostly in line with the original 1992 iteration, which is why when Spidey 2099 was scheduled for a spin-off in 2014 the fandom spoke with one voice, they wanted Peter David back. And whilst the iteration of Miguel and 2099 as a whole he presented was not identical to the 1992 version(s) it was at least a helluva lot closer than 2009’s Timestorm (a pathetic attempt to essentially do Ultimate 2099) and wound up being more successful as a result.

 This is literally the exact mistake the Nu52 made in that it erased the iterations of the DC characters and DC universe people knew and loved and replaced it with new versions (‘coincidentally’ closer to the versions the DC higher ups knew and loved as kids). It alienated readers to the point where DC Rebirth practically reverse rebooted the Nu52, rendering the characters much closer to their pre-Nu52 counterparts, and in Superman’s case having the pre-Nu52 Superman literally replace his successor.

 With the 2099 event though the attempt at rebooting is even more wrongheaded considering that this isn’t even a lasting universe that might in theory develop new readers over time. It’s a string of connected one shots associated with a Spider-Man story arc. If there is any aftermath to this event at all it will be fairly minimal and at most follow Miguel O’Hara.

 And that brings up the other end of this event’s problems. This holds little appeal to (the already miniscule number of) potential newer fans.

 Consider how this event started. You are a newer fan reading Spencer’s ASM run. You pick up issue #25 and randomly this other Spider-Man looking guy you maybe recognize from some video games and the post-credits scene from Into the Spider-Verse shows up, looking half dead.

 For less than 20 pages across 3 issues you follow him stumbling about spouting nonsense before he delivers some weird line about possible futures (that you’ll only understand if you already know about the 2099 lines) and then he blows up.

 Okay, at best you get the idea. He is a Spider-Man from the future and the present day has erased his future, that’s bad.

 Then you pick this up and you maybe figure out that this Miguel character in this comic book is in fact the same guy, or a VERSION of the same guy you met back in ASM. That’s confusing. It’s confusing because you need to deduce that this issue is the newly rewritten timeline, making your investment in the preceding ASM issues kinda pointless. It might also be confusing because time travel stories tend to be confusing unless written with a lot of clarity.

 But say you just picked THIS up, maybe because you recognized Spidey 2099 on the cover (and god forbid you picked it up due to recognizing the classic 2099 characters).

 Spencer in this comic book doesn’t write a story. He writes a series of teaser vignettes strung together by the Watcher and Doom spouting a load of cryptic nonsense.

 Nothing is explained, nothing is clearly conveyed, the world building is quite frankly awful, you merely get an impression  of this future, you are not actually organically introduced to much of anything. In comparison the first few issues of Spider-Man 2099 already gave you a great idea of what this world of the future was like.

 It’s not just that the presentation is bad and thus likely to alienate newer readers (I was lost with it and I’m familiar with the older 2099 stuff to a degree) but it’s also frankly inferior to the 1992 rendition of the future.

 Perhaps the 1992 Marvel line wasn’t the single most original vision of the future ever conceived, but it at least combined older ideas together and presented a consistent vision. Perhaps the microcosm of the 1992’s vision of the future was the notion of the ravaged ruins of old New York being the foundations upon which new super sky scrapers were built, the rich literally living above the poor.

 But this issue never brings that up, it doesn’t bring up the narrative and literal foundations of the world this takes place in. My personal impression was that this 2099 doesn’t even incorporate such an idea.  It’s a microcosm of how off the rails this reboot is.

 Everything feels downright generic sans the city of traffic and the colony of Thor/Asgardian worshippers.

 Even those are derivative though. Transverse City rips off (a much better executed) idea from a 2007 episode of Doctor Who ‘Gridlock’ which is regarded as something of a modern classic by fans.  And the Thor worshippers was something that came directly from the original 1992 2099 line, but weirdly is being used to tease...Conan the Barbarian???????? Conan hasn’t got anything to do with Thor besides coming from a warrior background. It might as well be Silver Samurai!

 Perhaps the best microcosm of this issue’s failings at world building and presentation, can be found in the opening scene.

 In the scene Thor’s hammer is frequently relocated and seems to be maybe or maybe not moving on it’s own volition. That isn’t to say the story is building in mystery as to whether or not it is moving on it’s own. It’s just that poorly conveyed to the audience. I honestly have little idea what was happening in that scene sans the authorities going to war with Thor’s worshippers.

 The scene also contains a microcosm of this book being for nobody. In said scene a police officer gets their face revealed and is referred to as ‘Jake’. If you didn’t already realize it, this is Jake Gallows, Punisher 2099. He does nothing else in the course of the issue beyond get injured fight and tell his friend a confusing police story. Then the issue ends teasing him as Punisher 2099.

 Like I said nostalgic 2099 fans will be turned off by this on principle because it’s not the character you know and love (his costume will also be different too) but if you are a newer reader...what are you even supposed to make of this? He’s just a random cop, it might as well have been his cop buddy who was the Punisher. It was at best a lame first impression.

And that’s true of virtually EVERY character teased in this comic exempting maybe Ghost Rider 2099.

He at least got a little more personality, you got a little more insight into how he operates, but only as a normal guy not as anything associated with the classic Ghost Rider or the 2099 counterpart you know and love.

Miguel’s background was confusing as he seems to already have his powers but is chummy with his dickhead boss/Dad/archnemesis Tyler Stone and the brief flashbacks to his origin are both different to the original 2099 line and nonsensical.

Conan didn’t even appear to my recollection but he’s still teased.

And the F4 tease was laughable as it didn’t even feature the F4 but rather HERBIE and a newly imagined take on Venture, effectively the first super villain of the 2099 line.

When this event was announced I was sad that Peter David was uninvolved.

But now I see why.

They didn’t want him involved and this is frankly an insult to his and the other 2099 creators’ works.

Don’t read this.

*Gotta love that subtle shade thrown out at the MC2 universe, a universe which lasted longer than the original 2099 line and you know....was way better than this reimagining has been so far. Why does modern Marvel punch down on Spider-Girl.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

#1yrago John Scalzi wrote a science fiction story about the DMCA to help EFF's Right to Repair campaign

Every three years, the US Copyright Office asks America about the problems with Section 1201 of the DMCA, which bans breaking DRM even for legal reasons, and America gets to answer with requests for exemptions to this rule.

One of EFF's requests this year is a Right To Repair petition that would let mechanics fixing your car get around DRM to effect repairs. To help make the stakes clear, we asked Hugo nominee John Scalzi to write us a short vignette illustrating the problem. His response is brilliant and I was so proud to publish it!

We've got two more of these in the pipeline that I'll be publishing in the weeks to come. Thank you, John, for helping us make America safe for copyright law!

https://boingboing.net/2018/05/15/copyrighted-timing-belts.html

[flhomeshows]

Emmy-Award Winning Style Expert, Carson Kressley Brings Home Makeover Magic to the Fort Lauderdale Home Show!

The Fort Lauderdale Home Design and Remodeling Show returns Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-27, 2019 to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center. Headlining the show will be Carson Kressley, an Emmy-Award winning TV personality, style expert, fashion designer and New York Times best-selling author who became a breakout star for Bravo TV’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Recently, Kressley re-connected with his Queer Eye alum Thom Filicia, for the new fan favorite interior design show, Get A Room with Carson and Thom, which premiered on Bravo Networks last year. Kressley will present, “TV Makeover Magic” at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 26th and 3:00 p.m. on Monday, May 27th.

One-Stop Shop

With summer around the corner, the Fort Lauderdale Home Show provides the perfect, one-stop shop destination to find everything needed for the home, both inside and out. Select from thousands of products and services such as: fine art and décor; furniture; flooring; home automation and security; bathroom and kitchen remodeling products; hurricane shutters and impact windows; landscaping and artificial turf, patio furniture; jacuzzi and pools; and much more.

Design Inspiration and Advice

The Show also offers weekend feature areas and seminars that are included with show admission and designed to help owners learn design tips and improve quality of life at home. Interior Designers, Perla Lichi, Martha Antonini, Nicole White and Roberta Marcelino will each create a stylish room vignette and be on hand all weekend to offer home décor advice. While setting up (May 21-23), each designer will takeover the Home Show’s Instagram and give viewers a sneak peek of what goes into creating a room vignette. Follow @FLHomeShows for updates!

Lifestyle Learning

At the Home Improvement Stage enjoy daily lifestyle seminars that will include:

• How to Get the Designer Look for Less with Alena Capra, owner of Alena Capra Designs and national award-winning interior designer;

• Garden and STEAM Education seminars presented by Dr. John Pipoly, Kelli Whitney, Linda Briggs-Thompson and Dr. Greg Wheeler of Broward County Parks and Recreation Division; Broward County;

• Property Tax Savings Exemptions with Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser;

• Your Money and Your Mortgage: Insights and Solutions presented by Carolina F. Benzadon, CPFA, Financial Advisor, Senior Portfolio Advisor, NMLS #1435379 and Roy Mandke, Wealth Management Lending Officer with Bank of America NMLS: 982922;

• Surviving the Renovation Process with Nicole White, President and Principal Designer of Nicole White Designs Interiors;

• A Taste-Full Experience: Pairing Possibilities:  Introduction to food and wine pairings presented by Chef Tara Abrams of Crazy Uncle Mike’s and Stefano Campanini of Wine by the Bay. (Pre-registration is required);

• Top Ten Energy-Saving Tips For Homeowners presented by author Steve Gonzalez, C.G.C. Gonzalez will be giving away free copies of his book, Before You Hire A Contractor: A Construction Guidebook for Consumers;

• Kids Creative Critter Corner presented by Broward County Parks and Recreation along with a Family Day special activity on Sunday, May 26th.

For information and updates, visit www.homeshows.net and follow on social media for updates @FLHomeShows #FLHomeShows. Purchase tickets online by Thursday, May 23rd and SAVE $3.00. Admission: $10.00 adults; $1.00 children 11 and under, available online and at the Box Office.

The Fort Lauderdale Home Design and Remodeling Show May 24-27, 2019 (Memorial Day Weekend) The Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center 1950 Eisenhower Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 www.homeshows.net 305.667.9299 @FLHomeShows Instagram & Twitter; FloridaHomeShow on Facebook

May 24-27, 2019 (Memorial Day Weekend) Friday 4:00 – 9:30 p.m. Saturday 12:00 – 9:30 p.m. Sunday 12:00 – 9:30 p.m. Monday (Memorial Day) 12:00 – 7:30 p.m.

[grcinfralocation]

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