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manuscriptsdontburn6 · 2 years

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Here are some thoughts on Lestat’s band! Playlist/song recs at the end.

TL/DR: Lestat could’ve been an early ‘70s glam rock star, and most of the music associated with him has connections to that era.

Descriptions of the band from the books:

“I could hear their whining electric guitars, their frantic singing. It was as good as the radio and stereo songs I heard, and it was more melodic than most. There was a romance to it in spite of its pounding drums. The electric piano sounded like a harpsichord.”

The Vampire Lestat, page 5

“Then came the piercing, twanging fury of the electrical guitar. The drums boomed into a marching cadence, and the grinding locomotive sound of the synthesizer crested, then broke into a bubbling caldron of noise in time with the march. It was time to begin the chant in the minor key, its puerile lyrics leaping over the accompaniment…”

The Vampire Lestat, page 537

I remember reading that Anne saw an Iron Maiden concert as research for writing The Vampire Lestat. She also cited Bon Jovi and the Doors as inspiration. I think in one of the @thecoveninarticulate podcasts, someone even talked about how TVL has a keyboardist but no bass player, which was a reference to the Doors. Also, the description of the keyboard sounding like a harpsichord is reminiscent of the Doors’s sound, which includes a lot of electric organ. So we’re not working with less commercial ‘80s goth music (which I like to think Armand and Daniel were into). TVL probably wouldn’t reach the insane level of commercial success that they do as an ‘80s goth band, as goth was very much confined to subcultural status at this time. The same goes for heavier/more underground metal subgenres. Over-the-top ‘80s rock and classic ‘60s rock are what we’re working with, based on the books.

The Doors are an interesting reference for TVL, since they’re out of the ‘80s time period. They experimented with lyrical and sonic darkness, and Jim Morrison is noted for the boundaries he pushed as a performer. They’re aesthetically associated with the underbelly of ‘60s L. A. Think Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood. Thus, Lestat’s music is meant to cut deeper than his ‘80s hair metal contemporaries, whose music was mostly just good fun.

I personally think it might have been appropriate for Lestat to emerge in the early-mid ‘70s as a sort of dark glam rock star, instead of in the ‘80s during the hair metal/goth era. Lestat’s experimentation with persona is VERY similar to what David Bowie did with Ziggy Stardust. Additionally, the band and singer sharing a name seems like a call back to o. g. Alice Cooper (no clue if Anne intended that or not, but it’s what I immediately thought of). This connects back to the Doors as well; Jim Morrison’s performance style formed the rock star archetype of the tragic figure battling internal demons, which glam rock dramatizes. The sound that woke Lestat up from his vampire nap (abrasive yet melodic and of course hard-rocking) had been developing for a long time before 1984. Plus, ‘70s glam rock was all about pushing the envelope on male gender presentation and sexuality. Marc Bolan (of T. Rex) and David Bowie both came out as bisexual during this time period, and male rock stars dressed more and more androgynously. It’s all very Lestat-core. I really have trouble believing he would have slept through Bowie, Bolan, Iggy, and Alice.

Whatever else we might have to say about AMC’s adaptation, I did enjoy that they played T. Rex during the scene where young Daniel and Louis (plus Armand) meet in the bar. It was perfect for a queer scene set in the ‘70s.

The Queen of the Damned movie from 2002 makes The Vampire Lestat into a nu-metal band. I’ve only seen clips of that movie on Youtube, and I felt like I got a good enough idea of what it’s like…but I have looked at the soundtrack. Its songs were written by Jonathan Davis of Korn and sung by the who’s-who of nu-metal, and ‘90s-2000s alt rock generally. Davis’s dark, sludgy sound seems a bit far from what the books describe and what Lestat’s own tastes probably would have been. Also, it’s important to note that some artists on the soundtrack have turned out to be egregiously horrible people, even by the standards of the very fucked up rock music world. We don’t need to give them attention by incorporating them into our worldbuilding.

That being said, there are a few elements of the overall Lestat nu metal vibe that I think work. Nu metal was a more commercialized version of goth and metal that was recognized more widely, which corresponds with TVL’s level of success in the books. I can also get behind the mall-goth aesthetic for band and their fans. Vampire kitsch, combined with real vampirism. It’s textbook camp. Also, songs about Lestat’s life are going to inevitably have disturbing lyrical content. Nu-metal explores this kind of subject matter more explicitly than many other subgenres.

A lot of the nu metal bands on the soundtrack took inspiration from the early ‘70s, evident in their androgyny, blurring of the line between persona and reality, and campiness. So, even in that intensely 2000s movie, the ‘70s influence remains.

Speaking of 2000s alt rock, I was of course excited to see Gerard Way dressed as Bela Lugosi on MCR’s most recent tour. Lestat also dressed as a stereotypical vampire, cape and all, for his (singular) show. Glam rock is an influence for MCR as well—Gerard Way talks about Bowie in interviews, etc. It’s awesome. That got me thinking—Lestat would have totally written intense and dramatic MCR-esque love songs for Louis.

I think it’s also worth mentioning the final scene of the 1994 adaptation. Lestat jumps into Daniel’s convertible with a leather jacket over his ruffled shirt, which is a look a LOT of androgynous rock stars wore. It’s giving Jimmy Page in a major way. Lestat switches the radio station to play “Sympathy for the Devil,” covered by Guns and Roses. The Stones were precursors to glam rock in their way. Guns and Roses came later but took a lot from early ‘70s glam as well. It’s safe to infer that Lestat’s already going into his rock star era at this point in the movie. This gives us an idea of his music taste and general attitude at this point in the narrative. He’s interested in the dark and glamorous aesthetic of rock music, as well as how its contemplations of evil intertwine with his.

We don’t know what AMC is going to do with Lestat’s rock star era yet. I’m interested to see what route they take.

Here are a few songs that fit with how I imagine TVL, based on all these considerations. It’s a bit of a strange combination because Lestat has been associated with different styles of music, but they all connect with glam rock one way or another. I’d love y’all’s thoughts as well, ofc!

Songs:

More—Sisters of Mercy

Andrew Eldritch, goth icon who denies his own gothness, decided to try being a straight-up rock star with the album Vision Thing, leaving behind the melancholic sound of the Sisters’ earlier work. This song has violin on it—perfect for Lestat. The lyrics are also in character for him: “I don’t know why you gotta be so undemanding/one thing I know/I want MORE,” “I need all the love that I can’t get to.”

Riders on the Storm—the Doors

Imagine it done by an ‘80s band. It works.

Ziggy Stardust—David Bowie

This is Bowie telling the story of his character Ziggy, like how Lestat talks about himself in his songs. Plus it’s very Lestat to describe yourself as having a “god-given ass.” Am I wrong? I’m not wrong.

Ballrooms of Mars—T. Rex

This is one of the best songs Marc Bolan ever wrote, in my opinion. Unlike most of his work, which is whimsical and nonsensical in the best way, the lyrics and descending chord progression create a more ominous and mournful atmosphere. The lyrics can easily be read as vampiric.

Runnin’ With the Devil—Van Halen

Tough Cookie would probably have an Eddie Van Halen-esque guitar tone, as TVL would want to sound very modern for their time period. Themes of, well, runnin’ with the devil. Confessing your own evilness to a rock audience.

Change in the House of Flies—Deftones

The one QOTD movie song I’m including. I think TVL’s songs would have a bit more dynamic variation than the Deftones, but the love/horror combo this song is about plays a big part in VC and in Lestat’s life. Plus, I can imagine it would be a good song to perform live, and, being glam-adjacent, that would be important for TVL.

Sympathy for the Devil—Guns and Roses

Good job, 1994 adaptation.

#manuscriptsdontburnoriginal #well that was. a lot more work #than i anticipated #the vampire lestat #anne rice #the vampire chronicles #glam rock #david bowie #lestat #gothgothgoth #is it ever too much for tumblr #i will need my own 50 year nap now #i hope this is coherent #manuscriptsdontburnanalyzesthings

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mollyhale · 1 year

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tagged by @bl33ditout ! thanks for tagging me!!

1. If you were to attend a costume party tonight, what or whom would you go as?

2002 avril lavigne!

2. What are your choice of toppings on a hamburger? And do you prefer gas or charcoal grilling?

okay so like it depends where im getting the burger or if it’s being made at home. but in general the toppings i get are cheese always, bacon, and fried or caramelized onions. i dont really like lettuce or tomatoes on my burger :/

and definitely charcoal grilling! i used to help my uncle grill when i was little so i have fond memories of it and the taste being better overall

3. You are chosen to have lunch with the President. The condition is you only get to ask one question. What do you ask?

was it your childhood dream to be the president

4. It’s your first day of vacation, what are you doing?

depends where im on vacation! usually hit up an art gallery or go swimming, those are my two priorities always

5. What is your concession stand must-have at the movies?

popcorn is a MUST point blank. sometimes i’ll steal m&m’s or twizzlers (strawberry only) from my friends but i need my popcorn

6. Which do you dislike most: pop-up ads or spam email?

pop-up ads because at least i can filter spam email

7. What do you think Captain Hook’s name was before he had a hook for a hand?

o captain my captain

8. Rock, paper, or scissors?

rock :)

9. How long was it from ‘the first date’ until the proposal of marriage? How long until the wedding?

see: FOR TWENTY-YEAR-OLDS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN LOVED

10. Which is worse, being in a place that is too loud, or too quiet?

mmmmmm probably too loud? because i feel like i could get a convo going if it was too quiet but there’s nothing to do about the loudness except leave (minus concerts ofc that’s a necessary loudness)

11. What is one quality that you really appreciate in a person?

loyalty and honesty. i’ve dealt with too many two-faced people im just tired

12. At the good old general store, what particular kind of candy would you expect to be in the big jar at the counter?

gumballs! or small individually wrapped candy canes

13. What is the most distinguishing landmark in your city?

imma keep it 100 when i first read this i thought it said disgusting and i was like ????? but tbh im not sure in either regard lol

14. Everyone hears discussions that they consider boring. What topic can put you to sleep quicker than any other?

math, science, politics but only kind of... pretty much if it’s some asshole pushing some crazy fox news agenda but like i’ll watch the news and read it that’s not an issue i just can’t put up with listening to someone spout propaganda like that

15. How many times did it take you to pass your drivers test?

once

16. If you had to have the same topping on your vanilla ice cream for the rest of your life, what topping would you choose?

gummy bears or oreo crumbles i think

17. What food item would need to be removed from the market altogether in order for you to live a healthier, longer life?

well considering i drink coke like it’s water probably that (but i’d sooner die), and probably just carbs in general - pasta, bread, etc

18. You are offered an envelope that you know contains $50. You are then told that you may either keep it or exchange it for another envelope that may contain $500 or may be empty. Do you keep the first envelope, or do you take your chances with the second?

as much as i am a gambler, i’d just take the fifty bc i could just go buy a box of pokemon cards and risk it all that way lol

19. If you had to choose, which would you give up: TV, or internet?

well that depends if streaming is considered tv or internet... so give up whichever doesnt include streaming i guess

20. Who is your dream girl or boy from movies/tv?

hmm my biggest tv crush was on gary oak from pokemon when i was a kid (or his VG counterpart blue) with dick grayson as a close second - but real actual human dream boy? maybe shawn hunter from boy meets world? *** AMMENDEMENT!!!! chuck bass how could i FORGET!!!!!!

21. Have you ever met a celebrity?

yes! mostly from buying m&g tickets to concerts but: sabrina carpenter, madison beer, maggie lindemann, al stewart, i met youtuber marriland at a prerelease tournament once which was wild ... i think that’s it?

22. What kind of lunch box did you have as a kid?

my school served us lunch family style so i didn’t need one

tagging: @flippinfins @mickeysjones @seancamerons @borntobewondering @jessyourstruly @glasstown-resident @slickmascara @caw4brandon and whomever else wants to !!!

#tag game #thanks for tagging <3 #another one lmao

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tlbodine · 3 years

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Asian Horror Cinema Roundup & Thoughts

So, when we set out on this particular film series quest, I had a few limitations to work with:

They had to be movies that we hadn’t already seen, which meant skipping some of the biggest and most influential titles (Ringu, The Grudge, Dark Water, etc etc.)

I wanted as diverse a selection as I could to mix up multiple countries and time periods

The movies all had to be things I could find streaming online, which cut about half of my initial selections out of the running

So, with that in mind, this is....definitely not the most thorough or representative list of films! I make no claims that these are the biggest, best, most important, or anything else. But here is everything we watched!

CHINA/HONG KONG Song at Midnight (1937) Dream Home (2010) Rigor Mortis (2013)

INDIA Bees Saal Baad (1962) Raaz (2002) Bhoot (2003) Kaal (2005) Hisss (2010) Pizza (2012)

JAPAN Kwaidan (1965) Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell (1968) Horrors of Malformed Men (1969) The Vampire Doll (1970) Belladonna of Sadness (1973) Blind Woman's Curse (1970) House (1977) Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) Battle Royale (2000) One Missed Call (2003) Uzumaki (2000) Cold Fish (2010) Tag (2015) One Cut of the Dead (2017)

KOREA The Uninvited (2003) A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) Hansel and Gretel (2007) Snowpiercer (2013) Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

THAILAND The Park (2003) Shutter (2004) Ladda Land (2011) Krasue: Inhuman Kiss (2019) The Medium (2021)

VIETNAM The Housemaid (2016)

Some overall thoughts:

Japan takes the cake for fucking weird. Which is not a shock to anyone, probably, but it’s very clear that Japan isn’t afraid to get bizarre, and has been doing some super weird shit from the very beginning.

India doesn’t seem to take itself very seriously in the horror film department, lol. Not all of the movies were Bollywood musicals, although a couple were. But even the non-musicals were all pretty silly.

Mainland China doesn’t really make horror movies these days as far as I know but Hong Kong sure does and the ones I’ve seen are all brutal. They don’t seem to mind pushing the envelope there one bit.

South Korea is the same. I have a deep fondness for Korean films, and I think I tend to enjoy them more than Japanese exports because they tend to be more grounded and often politically biting.

Our next batch of horror movies is going to be a catch-up with new releases since we’re a couple years behind at this point. The hashtag for those will be #horror-new-releases so keep an eye out for that in the upcoming weeks.

After we get caught up, I’m not sure what we watch next. We’ve discussed a few possible themes, including:

Remake vs original

Franchise installments

Individual director filmographies

Other foreign countries

Individual monster/mythology trends

There are so many movies out there, and putting them in themes makes it more fun! Change my mind!

#asian horror cinema #horror movies #horror movie roundup

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grim-on-the-darkside · 4 years

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George Lucas on Jedi teachings, Anakin, Love, attachments, The Jedi, the Sith, the Darkside, The Force, selfishness, Greed, selflessness, compassion and the 2 aspects of the Force [Cosmic and Living].

If he’d been trained earlier, he [Anakin] would have been fine.

The problem is not the Jedi’s teachings, the problem is that Anakin refused to take them to heart. The Dark side is objectively bad in the Star Wars universe, you must face it and train yourself away from it, “[The] only way to overcome the Dark side is through discipline. The Dark side is pleasure, biological and temporary and easy to achieve. The Light side is joy,everlasting and difficult to achieve. A great challenge. Must overcome laziness, give up quick pleasures, and overcome fear which leads to hate.“

~ George Lucas, The Clone Wars interview, 2010

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“No human can let go,” Lucas would say of [the Yoda-Anakin scene]. “It’s very hard. Ultimately, we do let go because it’s inevitable; you do die and you do lose your loved ones. But while you’re alive, you can’t be obsessed with holding on. As Yoda says in this one, ‘You must learn to let go of everything you’re afraid to let go of.’ Because holding on is in the same category and the precursor to greed. And that’s what a Sith is. A Sith is somebody that is absolutely obsessed with gaining more and more power - but for what? Nothing, except that it becomes an obsession to get more.”

“The Jedi are trained to let go. They’re trained from birth,” he continues, “They’re not supposed to form attachments. They can love people- in fact, they should love everybody. They should love their enemies; they should love the Sith. But they can’t form attachments. So what all these movies are about is: greed. Greed is a source of pain and suffering for everybody. And the ultimate state of greed is the desire to cheat death.”

~ George Lucas, The Making of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, page 213

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"The Darkside is always there, it is experienced daily by people. It's like a huge cancer, alive, festering - both a reminder of the moral state and, at the same time symptom and symbol of a very sick society"

~ George Lucas, "The Mythology of Star Wars", Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth DVD, 2001

"It's not that they can't see the Dark Side coming, it's just that the Dark Side begins to envelop everything. It's like walking into a fog. The Jedi's ability to see lessens as the Dark Side grows."

~ George Lucas, 2005

[This is why the Jedi in the Prequels weren’t able to detect Palpatine was the Sithlord. This also why Mace Windu says to Yoda in the Prequels "I think it is time we inform the senate that our ability to use the force has diminished." It should be noted that it was only their perception/detection/vision abilities that were diminished, not all of their powers.]

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"Everyone has the Dark side within, so there's a constant struggle to do the right thing. The good side is compassion and caring about other people, the Dark side is greed and self-centeredness."

~ George Lucas

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"People have a tendency to confuse it — everybody has the Force. Everybody. You have the good side and you have the bad side. And as Yoda says, if you choose the bad side, it’s easy because you don’t have to do anything. Maybe kill a few people, cheat, lie, steal. Lord it over everybody. But the good side is hard because you have to be compassionate. You have to give of yourself. Whereas the dark side is selfish."

~ George Lucas, 2019

https://naboonews.wordpress.com/2019/05/25/george-lucas-says-there-has-never-been-any-war-between-the-jedi-and-the-sith-in-his-canon/

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Asked about his interest in 'Good and Evil 'motiff.

"The universal question, Am I a good person. The Difference is about a compassionate person as opposed to a person consumed with self-interest, or a selfish person.

When you become greedy you do bad things to get stuff from other people. Once you get that stuff you become afraid.Once you become afraid that someone is going to take it from you than you start striking out at people. You get angry at things and you get worried and that puts you into a psychological mindset that turns you ultimately into an evil person, where you are doing horrible things to people, thinking that you're doing the right thing, but your doing it because you are afraid they are going to hurt you before you hurt them.

'The Force is just an amalgam [symbolism] of religions and their basic teachings. Killing people in the name of God is wrong, there's just no question about it. That's absolutely opposite of what al God and Shamanism and everyone has taught us. God is Love, not God is hate."

~ George Lucas Special Interview with Bill Bradley, American Voices, 2012

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"The film is ultimately about the Dark side and the Light side, and those sides are designed around compassion and greed. The issue of greed, of getting things and owning things and having things and not being able to let go of things, is the opposite of compassion - of not thinking of yourself all the time. These are the two sides - the good force and the bad force. They're the simplest parts of a complex cosmic construction."

~ George Lucas, Time interview (Bill Moyers) 03/05/99

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"The act of living generates a force field,an energy. That energy surrounds us; when we die, that energy joins with all the other energy. There is a giant mass of energy in the universe that has a good side and a bad side. We are part of the Force because we generate the power that makes the Force live. When we die, we become part of that Force, so we never really die; we continue as part of the Force."

~ George Lucas during a production meeting for The Empire Strikes Back

[It should be noted that when Darksiders die, they do not become part of the Force as they are the cause of imbalancing the Force. Balance in the Force is not a ratio of Dark to Light. People using the Darkside is what causes imbalance. [More on that in the future].

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"I wanted to have this mythological footing because I was basing the films on the idea that the Force has two sides, the good side, the evil side, and they both need to be there. Most religions are built on that, whether it's called yin and yang, God and the devil—everything is built on the push-pull tension created by two sides of the equation. Right from the very beginning, that was the key issue in 'Star Wars.'"

~ George Lucas, Times Magazine, 2002

[But not in the same person. Balance in the Force isn’t a ratio of Dark to Light, or about the about the Cosmic Force, only the Living Force. It’s about what’s in the hearts of men. You can’t destroy the Darkside, but you can destroy Darksiders. Darksiders are what cause imbalance. Lightsiders are incapable of causing imbalance they don’t try and defy the natural order of things [like living forever]. It’s not about a balance on a scale, it’s about the natural order of things. Lucas points this out directly in the following quote and video].

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[This is from a staff meeting on TCWs when they were working on the Mortis Arc]

"The core of the Force....you've got the Lightside and the Darkside, one is selfless, one is selfish, and you want to keep them in balance. What happens when you go to the Darkside, It goes out of balance."

"..What happens when you go to the dark side is it goes out of balance and you get really selfish and you forget about everybody ... because when you get selfish you get stuff, or you want stuff, and when you want stuff and you get stuff then you are afraid somebody is going to take it away from you ... once you become afraid that somebody's going to take it away from you or you're gonna lose it, then you start to become angry, especially if you're losing it, and that anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering."

~ George Lucas, 2010 video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiImoO5QkcA - [50 second mark]

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"The Force has two sides - [Light and Dark]. It is not an inherently malevolent or a benevolent thing. It has a bad side to it, involving hate and fear, and it has a good side, involving love, charity, fairness and hope."

~ George Lucas

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DR: The final Star Wars film is called Revenge of the Sith. Now most people know what a Jedi is, but won't have a clue what a Sith is. What is it? GL: The Sith are people who are very self-centred and selfish. There used to be many Sith, but because they were corrupted by power and ambition, they killed each other off, so now there are only two - a master and an apprentice. Sith rely on their passion to get things done. They use their raw emotion, their hatred, their anger, their bitterness - which is the dark side of the Force. The Force is what binds the galaxy together, and it has a good side and a bad side.

The Sith learned how to manipulate both sides of the Force, and then they fell into the trap of being corrupted by the dark side.

[This is why there has never been ‘Grey Jedi’ idiots in canon. It’s an impossible state of being. You can’t be good and evil, selfish and selfless, compassionate and greedy at the same time.]

The Jedi Knights are like marshals in the Wild West. It's their job to make sure everyone is protected, to bring peace. They are the enemy of the Sith, because the Sith want to dominate the galaxy, to control everything, and for a thousand years they have had a plot against the Jedi. So, in this movie, it is time for them to seek revenge against the Jedi for perceived injustices and to carry out that plot. "

~ George Lucas, Sci-Fi Online interview, 2005ish

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"One of the themes throughout the films is that the Sith Lords, when they started out thousands of years ago, embraced the Dark Side. They were greedy and self-centered and they all wanted to take over, so they killed each other."

~ George Lucas

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"George Lucas says there has never been any war between the Jedi and the Sith in his Star Wars Canon" - An excerpt from StarWars.com‘s oral history of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace:

Everybody said, “Oh, well, there was a war between the Jedi and the Sith.” Well, that never happened. That’s just made up by fans or somebody. What really happened is, the Sith ruled the universe for a while, 2000 years ago. Each Sith has an apprentice, but the problem was, each Sith Lord got to be powerful. And the Sith Lords would try to kill each other because they all wanted to be the most powerful. So in the end they killed each other off, and there wasn’t anything left.

"But anyway, there’s a whole matrix of backstory that has never really come out. It’s really just history that I gathered up along the way. It’s all based on backstories that I’d written setting up what the Jedi were, setting up what the Sith were, setting up what the Empire was, setting up what the Republic was, and how it all fit together I never really got a chance to explain the Whills part."

‘George Lucas’ vision of the galaxy’s ancient times is clearly different from the Expanded Universe. Many wars between Jedi and Sith in the Old Republic era were told in games, books and comics. The current Lucasfilm’s canon didn’t explore this era yet.'

https://naboonews.wordpress.com/2019/05/25/george-lucas-says-there-has-never-been-any-war-between-the-jedi-and-the-sith-in-his-canon/

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George Lucas on Revenge of the Sith

‘Just before the title reveal in San Diego, starwars.com had a chance to talk to George Lucas about the title and pose the question on the minds of many not in the know: just who are the Sith?’

“The Sith are the arch-enemies of the Jedi, George Lucas explained, and for a long time, they ruled the universe until the Jedi came a long and got rid of them. The Sith characters in the previous Star Wars films were Darth Vader and the other apprentices Darth Maul from Episode 1 and Count Dooku or Darth Tyrannus, from Episode 2, and the soon to-be released Episode 3. The evil master Sith in all of the films is Darth Sidious, who becomes Emperor of the Universe.”

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George Lucas on the bottom line of Star Wars.

"The secret, ultimately, which is the bottom line in Star Wars and the other movies us there are two kinds of people in the world, compassionate people and selfish people. The selfish people live on the Darkside. The compassionate people live on the Lightside.

"If you go to the side of the Light you will be happy because of compassion, helping other people, not thinking about yourself, thinking about others, that gives you a joy that you can't get any other way.

Being selfish, following your pleasures, always entertaining yourself with pleasure, and buying stuff and doing stuff, you're always going to be unhappy. You'll never get to the point. You'll get this little shot of pleasure but it goes away and than you're stuck where you were before and the more you do it, the worse it gets. You finally get everything you want and you're miserable because there's nothing at the end of that road.

Whereas if you are compassionate and you get to the end of the road you've helped so many people."

https://youtu.be/RElw0dhBsOI

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"This is obviously a very pivotal scene for Anakin because this is reuniting with his mother and his youth and at the same time dealing with his inability to let go of his emotions and allow himself to accept the inevitable. The fact that everything must change and that things come and go through his life and that he can't hold onto things which is a basic Jedi philosophy that he isn't willing to accept emotionally and the reason that is because he was raised by his mother rather than the Jedi. If he'd have been taken in his first year and started to study to be a Jedi, he wouldn't have this particular connection as strong as it is and he'd have been trained to love people but not to become attached to them. But he has become attached to his mother and he will become attached to Padme and these things are, for a Jedi, who needs to have a clear mind and not be influenced by threats to their attachments, a dangerous situation. And it feeds into fear of losing things, which feeds into greed, wanting to keep things, wanting to keep his possessions and things that he should be letting go of. His fear of losing her turns to anger at losing her, which ultimately turns to revenge in wiping out the village. The scene with the Tusken Raiders is the first scene that ultimately takes him on the road to the Dark Side. I mean he's been prepping for this, but that's the one where he's sort of doing something that is completely inappropriate."

~ George Lucas, DVD extras, 2005[?]

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"The scene in the garage here, we begin to see that what he's [Anakin] really upset about is the fact that he's not powerful enough. That if he had more power, he could've kept his mother. He could've saved her and she could've been in his life. That relationship could've stayed there if he'd have been just powerful enough. He's greedy in that he wants to keep his mother around, he's greedy in that he wants to become more powerful in order to control things in order to keep the things around that he wants. There's a lot of connections here with the beginning of him sliding into the Dark Side. And it also shows his jealousy and anger at Obi-Wan and blaming everyone else for his inability to be as powerful as he wants to be, which he hears that he will be, so here he sort of lays out his ambition and you'll see later on his ambition and his dialogue here is the same as Dooku's. He says "I will become more powerful than every Jedi." And you'll hear later on Dooku will say "I have become more powerful than any Jedi." So you're going start to see everybody saying the same thing. And Dooku is kind of the fallen Jedi who was converted to the Dark Side because the other Sith Lord didn't have time to start from scratch, and so we can see that that's where this is going to lead which is that it is possible for a Jedi to be converted. It is possible for a Jedi to want to become more powerful, and control things. Because of that, and because he was unwilling to let go of his mother, because he was so attached to her, he committed this terrible revenge on the Tusken Raiders."

-- George Lucas, DVD extras, 2005[?]

..................................................................................................................

"He turns into Darth Vader because he gets attached to things. He can't let goof his mother, he can't let go of his girlfriend. He can't let go of things.It makes him greedy. And when you are greedy, you are on the path to the Darkside, because you fear you're going to lose things, that you're not going to have the power you need."

~ George Lucas, Time Magazine, 2002

[To all those ‘Jedi are Bad’/Anakin fell to the Darkside because of the Jedi Council were so mean to him and not understanding him or letting him have a relationship idiots out there....]

..................................................................................................................

"It's fear of losing somebody he [Anakin] loves, which is the flipside of of greed. Greed, in terms of the Emperor, it is the greed for power, absolute power, over everything. With Anakin, really it's the power to save the one he loves, but is basically going against the Fates and what is natural."

~ George Lucas, Revenge of the Sith commentary.

You tell em George!

.................................................................................................................

"Anakin is the Chosen One, and even when Anakin becomes Darth Vader he is still the Chosen one. The Prophecy is that Anakin will bring balance to the force and destroy the Sith. He becomes Darth Vader. Darth Vader does become the hero. Darth Vader does destroy the Sith, meaning himself and the Emperor. He does it, because he is redeemed by his son.”

So the prophecy is true and by doing that he redeems himself and goes from being Darth Vader back to Anakin Skywalker.

Everybody thought of Darth Vader as this big evil guy, that he had no heart, that he was just evil. But in the end it's not that at all. Here's a guy who's lost everything."

George Lucas, The Making Of Revenge Of The Sith; 2005

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"It took a very long time, but Anakin finally fulfills the prophecy that he will destroy the Sith and brought balance to the Force." ~ George Lucas interview

.................................................................................................................

"Fathered by the force Anakin was the most powerful Jedi/Sith to ever live,his greatest weakness had always been his emotions to which Palpatine took advantage of." Anakin never reached his Light/Dark side potential, he was called the "Force Messiah"

~ George Lucas, 2010

..................................................................................................................

CHUNG: Well, what about the message there? What are you telling us?

"The message is you can't possess things. You can't hold on to them. You have to accept change. You have to accept the fact that things transition. And so, as you try to hold on to things or you become afraid of -- that you're going to lose things, then you begin to crave the power to control those things. And then, you start to become greedy and then you turn into a bad person."

~ George Lucas Interview, 1997

..................................................................................................................

"...Knowing that the film was made for a young audience, I was trying to say, in a simple way, that there is a God and that there is both a good side and a bad side. You have a choice between them, but the world works better if you're on the good side."

~ George Lucas

...................................................................................................................

“Friendships, honestly, trust, doing the right thing, living on the right side and avoiding the Dark side,” Lucas said. “Those are the things it was meant to do.” ~ Lucas on Star Wars and what its about, 2017 https://www.polygon.com/2017/4/13/15288998/george-lucas-star-wars-celebration

...................................................................................................................

"The Force itself is split into two sides: the living Force and a greater, cosmic Force. The living Force makes you sensitive to other living things,makes you intuitive, and allows you to read other people's minds, et cetera.But the greater Force has to do with destiny. In working with the Force, you can find your destiny and you can choose to either follow it, or not."

~ George Lucas

[Another example of the Expanded Universe never having been canon. It went against his vision of Star Wars. There were only two aspects of the Force, not four. ]

”The novels and comic books are other authors' interpretations of my creation. Sometimes, I tell them what they can and cant do, but I just don't have the time to read them. They're not my vision of what Star Wars is."

~ George Lucas 2004

......................................................................................................................

Speaking on the Jedi

"You're allowed to love people, you are not allowed to possess them."

~ George Lucas, 2010 - 2:45 mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiImoO5QkcA

[Jedi are not emotionless or vulcans. You can’t be compassionate without empathy and emotions.]

....................................................................................................................

"Jedi Knights aren't celibate - the thing that is forbidden is attachments -and possessive relationships."

~ George Lucas, BBC News, May 15, 2002

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#LucasIsTheCanon

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wingingitonwheels · 3 years

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Achievement

Not one single thing was ever achieved without intention. Jim Carrey (I know! Who’d have thought? 😆)

Before I get started on my 4 day download, I have to just admit to a crisis of confidence. It’s weird exposing your inner thoughts with people you know well, not at all and everyone in between. I’m nobody, just someone on an extended holiday, doing my thing. I’m not trying to be anything, but I hope that if you’ve kindly taken the time to read my regular mutterings, that they bring something positive to your day. I guess they must do or you wouldn’t read! It doesn’t matter why you read but that you do is great. I’m sure sometimes it’s dull, I’m not a journalist or writer, but I mostly enjoy sharing!

El Bolson - 6th February

Can you recall a time, a particular second, when something you’ve worked towards finally happens?

Two days ago on Friday 4th February, I summited a final climb 100 miles into that day’s ride towards Esquel, Andes proper as I liked to think of the ride, the road swung left and began to descend and then there they were. An avenue of copper and jade green barren mountains and a string of asphalt that went as far as the eye could see before melting into the distant landscape.

There’s only been a few times in my life when the same sensation came out of nothing and completely blew my mind…I used to be a pretty good athlete, now 15-20 years ago (wow, time flies!). As a result of mum dying, I took a pledge with myself to live as fulfilled a life as I could, both for myself and for my two babies at the time, George and Jess. I wanted to be a good role model as any parent did, and for me, I took solace and pain management in the form of running. I ran my first marathon since aged 18 in memory of her, and very quickly, I got quite good!

After just 2 years of having a go, applying structure, taking the plunge and heading down to the running track, I somehow decided that I’d try and qualify for the Olympics, as I’d closely admired a number of runners since being a wee thing. Zola Budd, Prefontane, Seb Coe, to be honest, the list was exhaustive. I wrote a letter to a stalwart of the sport, Frank Horwill and asked “In your view, what does it take to be an Olympic Marathoner?” To my surprise, I got a response by mail, as it was in the early 2000s, and on the envelope, he wrote “2004 Olympic qualifier”. The butterflies that rose in my tummy were like an impending eruption of Mount St. Helens. The thing was, this was 2002, and I had been thinking of 2008! He was 4 years too early! Admittedly, I was also 30 and a mum of 2, so time wasn’t really on my side, so I got my racing flats on and started dreaming.

My race times over all distances from 1500m to marathon dropped almost every time I ran. But most notably were the London Marathons. In 2001, as I ran down London Embankment with the Thames to my left, I remember hearing Big Ben chime midday, and thought, wow, that’s pretty cool! The next year, I vowed to get there before Big Ben struck 12 which meant running a sub-3 hour marathon. And so it was, 2 hours 53. I did it! However, as I ran down Embankment, willing my legs to push on, I looked right and who should come past me, but one of my heroes, Haile Gabreselese, the Ethiopian running god who has been a dream maker for so many. It didn’t feel real! To be fair, he made me look like I was waiting for a bus! But it provided my motivation for the next year, which was to beat Haile to the line. Now this would mean I’d have to now run sub 2:45. In the months that lead to 2003’s marathon, I met a British coach called Bud Buldaro. Bud knew a thing or two, and when I responded to his question, what time will you run, “sub 2:45” I replied, he had a little chuckle. At the time, my half-marathon was 1:21:51, recorded at the Berkhamsted Half marathon. He laughed as it’s generally known that in order to predict your marathon time from a half marathon, you double the half and add 10-15 minutes. I was pretty sure. I had to. I had to get to the line before Haile! (I have to add that I’m clearly not faster, but the elite women’s race starts 30 mins before the men’s). And so it was. I crossed the line before the elite men in a time of 2:43, stood on the podium with Paula Radcliffe and Michaela McCallum (who was 2nd Brit to my 3rd) and promptly threw up. I was also in a bit of a mess. I’m not going into details, but if you look up Joan Benoit Samuelson, you’ll understand. I had to rob a mother of some baby wipes during the race and find a space blanket. Say no more.

Then finally, the following year, 2004 was Olympic qualifying year. To travel to Athens, you had to be the first British woman to cross the line in a qualifying time of 2:37 or less. Game on. I left no stone unturned in training, a car crash nearly stopped my attempt. I’d heard some years earlier via a friend, that someone well known in the area I competed with, had publicly laughed and scoffed, saying there was no way I would qualify…that was just the additional motivation I needed. All I had to do was run at least 6 minutes quicker than my previous time. Everything in training and races in my build up said it was possible…at 16 miles, considering the previous year’s event, I took a dive into a portaloo. My bowels had a mind of their own. When I returned to the course, I thought that there were probably 10 ladies up the road, but resumed my pace, passing only one competitor shortly after. The rain was hammering down this time on Embankment, and I didn’t care. My Olympic dream may have been gone, but I was still going to try. And then it happened. 2:35:51. I crossed the line, threw up, and it was clear only then I was the 4th British woman and less than two minutes between us all. (Results) Tracey Morris would go. Qualification was just that. My Olympic dream at least for these Olympics was over. There has never been such a bitter sweet moment in my life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_London_Marathon

In 2006, I took a different path, not because I fell out with running, but a number of fateful situations took place, and from that year, I became a duathlete, a triathlete and eventually, a cyclist in 2009, stopping competition largely until 2016. At each event where I hit the podium representing Great Britain, I’d be sick after crossing the line. Sometimes I didn’t even finish the race before wretching; of particular hilarity was at the UK Half Ironman in 2007 at Wimbleball in Devon. A lovely couple in their 70s were sat minding their own business on a park bench and realising I was in podium position and about to finish, I started wretching as I ran past in my crop top and racing knickers. It wasn’t very pretty.

I mention this as these memories came to mind not long after I reached the Andes Avenue of Dreams. It wasn’t a race, but my goodness, how hard had I worked to make this happen and there, right there and then, the realisation. It was no longer a dream. I’d made it happen before I was too old, come Covid, job, ties, teeth, knees, health and hair loss. Here was why. And in that moment, I just felt sick 😆. But it’s ok. It wasn’t a race and it soon passed.

With that delight and too many days that have passed, I think I should do a bit of a diary of the days until today:

Wednesday 2 February - Perito Moreno - Rio Mayo - Los Tamariscos (the desert)

What’s this, no insane headwind? It was going to be a good day. There are actually border controls between the provinces, as it happens, but I’m of no interest to the police and they wave me through. If only Chile borders were the same…

Reached Rio Mayo in great time, but after what I thought was going to be ravioli (it was, but had half a cow on top - this was apparently Argentinian Salsa), I felt refreshed, but uninspired with yet another desert town, and pushed on, knowing 100km up the road, where I’d planned to stop the following night, there was a little parador. I didn’t know if they’d have a bed, but took a gamble.

230km for the day, I rocked up, they gave me a bed, and cooked me the best meal I’d had since arriving in the country. Pumpkin and curd cheese pie, cooked by Liliana and her family.

Whilst waiting for dinner being suspiciously guarded by the border collie with crazy eyes, Omar, another cyclist turned up with his ton of gear, and was told he’d be camping as I’d got the room first. I offered to share but he declined. Two single beds! Oh well! I won! He was cycling from San Juan to Ushuaia over two months. My first cyclist! And going south.

Thursday 3 February - Los Tamariscos - Gobernador Costa

Set off for the day full of determination, accompanied by Star Wars sound track. It seemed perfect as the wind took battle with me once again. After 3 hours and only half way into 132km ride, my resolve was weakening, and as the Kilometres ticked by, I soon realised that I’d have to start rationing my nutrition. With 20 miles to go, 3 sweets and not much drink left, I calculated that I could have 1 sweet at 18, 12 and 6 miles to go, and a sip of drink on 15, 10 and 5 miles to go. With 5 miles to go, my ability to fight the wind had diminished and I resorted to calculating that with 5 minute miles I was now riding (this is very slow on the flat), I’d be at my destination for the day in 25 minutes. So I planned to break this imaginary time trial and each mile that passed, I celebrated at the 20, 49, 63 seconds up on my fictitious target that I gained, until finally, I arrived under cloud, spots of rain beginning, at what looked like a slag heap. This was natural land formation but it was also god damn ugly. Fed up and tired, I found refuge in Palo’s cabinas. Basic yes! But Palo, for all his lack of English language, shared with great gusto, all the viento feroz I would suffer on the way to Esquel and then El Bolson. “This section: dangerous…everywhere, in your left shoulder. Here the cross winds, here, death.” It was both funny and scary.

Friday 4 February - Gobernador Costa - Esquel

Having watched the stiff Argentinian flag point eastwards the day I arrived in this god forsaken town, mercifully, when I woke up and set out, and the wind had turned 180 degrees and dropped significantly. But impending clouds of doom were sailing towards me and I felt sick with worry over the words of doom Palo had shared with me as I set off.

But alas…what was this? The bike gods were helping me to the mountains? Could luck be on my side? Could the desert and all its hostilities be slowly diminishing as the mountains claimed their territory? 12 days of desert had been as much experience as was needed for now.

The miles ticked by and I found my rhythm. Kilometre markers provided instruction: drink on numbers divisible by 5 and eat on zeros. It felt like the mountains were calling me to them.

The mountain corridor continued and the clouds headed elsewhere. What was that I smelt? Naturally growing vegetation in the form of trees beside a river? With the absence of life for what felt like eternity, the aroma of foliage was overwhelming, like smelling perfume when you’ve not smelt it for months. Magic!

And then it happened. The Andes. There. Right there. Where I am now!

Just as I thought things couldn’t get any better, I arrived in Esquel, and to my amazing Airbnb hosts, Lucia and her mother Grazia. In seven years of using the Airbnb site, I’d never felt so welcome! A washing machine, fully stocked fridge and so much chat! An hour later, I ripped off my kit, threw everything into the washing machine and watched three episodes of Ozark. The day was completed by what is apparently a common scene in rural Argentina: a neighbour serenading all his neighbours with traditional folk music of voice and guitar. Completely informal, and everyone applauded from their own gardens. This day had been my best so far, just two weeks in, and with at least 20 to go. Life is good!

Saturday 5 February - Esquel

I knew Esquel was worth a stop and having made up a day in the desert on the way, I opted to stay two nights. For the first time since arriving, I felt like I was in the throbbing heart of a beating country. I’d seen a little train on the way in and researched La Trochita before bed. I’d hoped to somehow get a ride on this little narrow gauge mountain train, largely as Dad was an avid steam train fanatic. I saw it as slightly tragic being the little brat that I was, but along with the little model trains he built to go on his loft size model railway, Dad also listened to steam engine albums. What child can think this is a good thing? All booking systems were down but I pushed my luck and rocked up at the train station, hoping to get a ride on Sunday. I wasn’t alone. 15 other hopeful tourists waited with baited breath as the staff counted empty seats on the carriages, and then one by one, called waiting passengers forward in order of name. As the last waiting passenger, I got a seat! The team just took my bike and stored it in their office and I was off! What had happened to me? How could I be so excited about a ride on a train, and even more alarmingly, slower than my bike? Somehow, being in the Andes made everything acceptable, and with my face completely outside the window and in the wake of the engine’s steam and grime, we were off on a little ride to nowhere which would take an hour each way. With the windows open, I considered that other than a bike, was there any better way to travel? Little La Trochita twisted and ground her way up to a settlement called Nuel Pan, her engine was turned and we descended back to Esquel. Magic! I learnt that this train was one of four remaining. They used to carry goods to the mountain villages, but eventually the road network improved along with the motor industry, and so began their demise. At one point in time, in their 100 year history, the trains used to carry their passengers to the mainline, which on a good day would take 20 hours. They each had little stoves in their carriages called Salamanders. The trains would go so slowly, the passengers could jump off and collect firewood to keep the flames burning whilst they heated water and cooked soup.

On the same journey, I met Suzy! An English speaking American living in Washington DC, and a cyclist, but here fulfilling her dream of being bi-lingual - this was her third year and she only considered herself to be intermediate! There is no hope for me. Now in her fifth year of retirement from a very prominent position of power in the fashion industry in New York, Suzy, a burst of sunlight and energy had become a Doula! Being only partly educated, I had no clue what this was, but it is someone who helps new mothers and their babies once they are back in their homes and adapting to their new lives together. Such a change! Suzy and I got on so well together, she joined me for my pre-booked tea at Nain Maggie’s Tea House in the small relic of Welsh migration to Patagonia that is Trevelin.

I don’t know what I was expecting, well to be honest I do know. I was expecting Usk in Patagonia! But with only a few Welsh signs and only one Welsh flag, it felt that the Welsh had long left Trevelin, but it was still quite quaint in a touristic way.

Whilst the cakes and cheese scone and copious tea from the enormous pot were delightful, the highlight of this particular excursion was Suzy. We chatted until the last bit of room underneath my diaphragm was taken by cake, and with the arrival of her taxi driver, it was time to go. A real friend and for longer than five minutes!

Two of the ladies who worked at the tea room had spotted my bike and were drawn in like magnets. Until then, my bike had blended in everywhere and gone largely unnoticed, but it turned out, these lovely Argentinian ladies, perhaps of Welsh descent, were also keen cyclist. They picked it up…and were astounded at the weight of M-powered, that well-known bike manufacturer from, er, nowhere 😆. I was tempted to let them have a go and the I woke up. A lift is enough, thank you Ladies, even if your cake was outstanding.

Having cycled to and from Trevelin, I’d been invited for beers with my hosts next door when I was ready. The day had been packed full, from buying new cycling mitts at 9 to arriving home at 6. This bike shop wasn’t so friendly. For them it was neither possible to clean and oil my chain or for me to borrow their cleaner and oil at a charge, but new gloves…

At 9pm, I made it next door for a quick cervesa and some company. Lucia and her 8 year old daughter Lucia (meaning light - I learnt some interesting names such as the lady called Solidad who was travelling in a camper with her partner between Ushuaia and Alaska - over SEVEN YEARS - meant solo, to be alone. Lucia said this was a terrible name and told me that in Argentina, Delores is also quite a popular name. But it means “of pain”! Who in their right mind would give their children these names?) was joined by her musician boyfriend, Julio. They taught me how to say naranja (naaa-rhaaan-hhhhhhhhhhha) and about living in Argentina, it’s politics, lack of social welfare and employment law, and corruption and poverty. I taught Lucia how to say Edinburgh. Lucia was surprised that I had found everyone to be so friendly except that my openness encouraged people to open up. I didn’t buy that but I had got the inside perspective of being Argentinian by someone working in local government.

With a long day ahead the next day, I offered for Lucia to come and stay should she make it to England. It’s all I’ve got. So the list of potential guests grew to 10.

I’ll have to leave it for now as I’ll never get on the road. But besides her gift of warmth and sharing, Lucia gave me another for the energy I will need on the road: Dulce De Leche. Heaven in a pot. Consumed with a giant Rice Krispie cake looking at a mountain yesterday and today on porridge. Living La Vida Loca. De Nada! 😘

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sanderssidesfanfiction · 3 years

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If There’s a Place I Could Be - Chapter Ninety Two

If There’s a Place I Could Be Tag

September 1st, 2002

Theo was laughing with Emile, talking about his girlfriend, and his girlfriend’s boyfriend, and how they were trying to figure out living arrangements for that whole situation. “That’s crazy, Theo,” Emile said, shaking his head. “I never pinned you as bisexual, let alone polyamorous.”

“Hey, some people are full of surprises!” Theo said. “I’m just glad you’re cool with it.”

“I mean, listen. It’s not for me personally, but if other people enjoy it, who am I to stop them?” Emile asked.

Theo nodded. “It just kinda sucks that I can only marry one of my partners, and that’s if she’s a she,” he said. “Only get tax benefits from one person.”

“Also only get to visit one person in the hospital, one person’s bank account, one person’s credit score...” Emile continued.

“I know,” Theo groaned. “Being flippant is my way to cope, Emile, don’t be a dick and bring up the worst-case scenarios.”

“Sorry,” Emile said sheepishly.

“‘S all good,” Theo said, and conversation moved on.

October 30th, 2003

“I know it’s not Wicked, but it was still a good show, wasn’t it?” Emile asked as the crowd got to its feet in the theatre.

“Huh?” Remy asked.

Emile rolled his eyes affectionately. “The Broadway musical? Its opening night was tonight. I know this isn’t Broadway, but they still put on a good show.”

“Yeah,” Remy agreed. “It was a good date night.”

Emile’s hand reached for Remy’s and Remy smiled at Emile as they walked out to the front of the theatre. “All the actors and actresses killed it up there,” Remy said.

“Agreed,” Emile laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone quite as good on stage as that...uh...Marco? Was that his name?”

Remy flipped open the leaflet with all the actors' names and made an affirmative noise. “Marco, yeah. He was the lead.”

“Yeah, he was good. Could probably do some professional stuff if he really wanted,” Emile said.

The two of them exited the theatre, still holding hands. They laughed at their favorite moments of the play, and continued to talk until they reached a rougher part of the city. They had to park a few blocks away from the theatre, and they weren’t in Fairview, but a town over. Emile got the distinct sense that they were being watched. Remy seemed to be getting the same feeling, looking around. “We should get out of here,” Remy muttered quietly under his breath.

No sooner had he said that then some drunk guys staggered out of an alleyway. “Hey!” the leader of them shouted. “Haven’t you boys heard? Fags aren’t welcome in this city!”

Emile squeezed Remy’s hand slightly as the two of them turned to face the three guys who were clearly drunk and looking for a fight. “Then why are you here?” Remy shot back to the guy.

“Remy? Might not be the best time,” Emile hissed.

The man growled. “Listen to your pal, Remy. My friends and I aren’t fags. We served.”

Emile prayed Remy would keep his mouth shut, but Remy retorted. “You know, gay guys enter the military, too. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ that whole deal? Yeah. Gay men serve. Probably more honorably than you, if there’s a war going on and you’re using ‘serve’ in the past tense.”

The man turned red and his buddies advanced on Emile and Remy. Remy moved in front of Emile. “Come now, boys. You can do more than intimidation, can’t you?”

One of them swung at Remy, hard, and Emile watched in horror as the world slowed down. Remy’s head collided with a fire hydrant, and he crumpled to the ground. “Oh my God, Remy?!” Emile exclaimed.

Remy didn’t respond, not even a groan. The three men looked surprised. “‘E’s not dead, is ‘e?” one of them asked uneasily.

“Better not stay and find out,” the first of them said. “You get off lucky this time, ya filthy queer.”

And with that, the three men ran off as much as one could run with excessive amounts of alcohol in their system. Emile knelt over Remy, scared to touch him. He pulled out his cellphone with shaky hands, calling an ambulance.

As the operator tried to soothe Emile’s nerves while the ambulance drove over, and Emile could hear the piercing wail of sirens. He couldn’t stop staring at Remy, who was bleeding from his head wound. Did head wounds bleed this much? Emile knew they bled a lot, but how much was too much?

The paramedics arrived and Emile fretted over what they were doing. He made to follow them into the ambulance, but one of them stopped him. “Sorry, we only allow family to come in the ambulance.”

Emile was frantic. “I am family! I’m his fiancé!”

“Unfortunately, fiancés don’t qualify as family,” the man said sympathetically. “You’ll have to meet us at the hospital.”

Emile ran his hands through his hair in frustration, but didn’t try to stop the paramedic as he ran to the front to drive the ambulance. Emile dashed the rest of the way to the car, tearing out of the parking lot and following the sound of the siren to get to the hospital.

Thankfully, they let Emile into Remy’s hospital room. Remy was still unconscious, and the nurse informed him that they were just waiting for an open room to do an MRI to see if anything had been damaged. Emile swallowed thickly. Brain damage. Remy could have brain damage. He tried not to laugh hysterically as the nurse left, or when she returned with another nurse to take Remy for a scan.

Emile waited for about twenty minutes, before Remy was rolled back into the room, slurring something unintelligible. “Your fiancé is here, Mister Picani,” the nurse said patiently. “Now please, stay in bed. The doctor saw no sign of permanent brain damage, but you still have a nasty concussion.”

“Emile!” Remy exclaimed, looking over at him and giving him a dopey smile. “You’re here!”

“Of course I’m here, Remy, I want to make sure you’re okay!” Emile laughed.

The nurse turned to Emile. “He woke up shortly before the MRI, and we had to sedate him to keep him calm. He may be a little loopy for the time being.”

“That’s okay,” Emile laughed, standing and walking over to hold Remy’s hand. “As long as he’s mostly okay and in one piece, I’m happy.”

The nurse gave him a curt nod and left them alone.

“Rem, don’t you ever instigate homophobes again,” Emile said sternly.

Remy groaned. “C’mon, Emile. Hardly the first time homophobes ‘ve taken a swing at me.”

“But it will be the last,” Emile said. “Understand? I cannot make you a frequent flyer at the hospital.”

Remy sighed. “Fine.” He did a slow blink, before giggling. “Mio amore, there was a nurse with a cute butt who cleaned the blood off my head. He also sedated me, though. That was kinda mean.”

“Apparently, you were freaking out before the MRI,” Emile said.

“Well...yeah. You weren’t there,” Remy said with a pout.

“They didn’t let me follow you,” Emile said. “The nurse didn’t even ask.”

Remy sighed. “I bet if we were married, they would’ve.”

Emile nodded. “I bet you’re right.”

They let silence envelope them for a minute. Emile felt his heart hurt. He wanted so badly for them to be married. But that still wasn’t a guarantee. The Massachusetts Supreme Court was taking its sweet time.

“Emile,” Remy said, capturing Emile’s attention. “Lie down with me.”

“Remy, I can’t—”

“Sure you can,” Remy said, scooching over on the bed. “Lie down with me.”

Emile sighed and laid down next to Remy.

“I’m okay. I have a concussion, but I’m okay. Understand?” Remy said. “Neither of us are super injured or super dying. It’s gonna be okay.”

“I hope so,” Emile said softly.

“I know so,” Remy said with all the definiteness of someone high as a kite on sedatives and painkillers. “You’re here. That means everything will be okay.”

Oh. That was...oddly sweet. “Thanks, Rem,” Emile said with a smile.

“Anytime, hot stuff,” Remy giggled. He wrapped an arm over Emile’s chest and hummed. “You’re warm,” he purred.

Emile laughed. “And you’re, apparently, a cat,” he chuckled, wrapping an arm around Remy.

Remy yawned. “The doctors aren’t going to let me sleep, are they?”

“I mean, they already know you have a concussion, so they might let you rest,” Emile said. “Truth be told, Rem, I don’t know.”

Remy grumbled. “My head still kinda hurts even with painkillers. I just wanna sleep it off.”

Emile lightly ran his fingers through Remy’s hair, and Remy leaned into the touch. “Try and sleep before they tell you that you can’t, then.”

Remy hummed. “Usually you’re a stickler for the rules, mio amore.”

“Usually you’re not in the hospital with a concussion and bound to whine about it, my love,” Emile said with a little grin.

“You just want me to stop whining?” Remy asked with a pout. “That’s so not romantic.”

“Well, I do also want you to rest up and heal well...” Emile said. “It’s just not my topmost priority.”

Remy stuck his tongue out at Emile and Emile stuck his out right back. “You mind if I call Mom and Dad?” Emile asked.

“No, go ahead,” Remy said, waving a hand. “I know you’re gonna want me to stay out of Sleep Easy and the home office, and you’re gonna wanna ask them about being my orderlies while you go to school.”

Emile sighed. “You are way too good at reading me, my love.”

Remy smiled dopily, “I should hope so, knowing you this long.”

Gently, Emile pushed up in the bed and left the room to make the call. He dialed the number and simultaneously hoped his parents would and wouldn’t pick up. “Hello?” his dad asked.

“Hey, Dad,” Emile managed to choke out.

“Emile? What’s going on that has you calling this late?”

“Well...uh...Remy landed himself in the hospital,” Emile said with a strangled laugh. “Moderate to severe concussion.”

“Oh my God,” his father breathed. “Is he okay?!”

“He’s awake now, thank God,” Emile said. “But I won’t be able to look after him when they release him from the hospital.”

“Your mother and I can come over and make sure he’s all right, Emile, don’t you worry about that,” his dad assured. “You need to make sure you keep passing your classes and that your fiancé is happy. Your mother and I are more than willing to be the bad guys in this situation if that means keeping him out of his damned office for a few days.”

Emile laughed. “Yeah, I don’t wanna be the one facing his wrath when he figures out that he won’t be able to work in the shop for at least two weeks,” he said. He sobered. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything from your lawyer friends in Massachusetts?”

“Not yet,” his dad sighed.

“They wouldn’t let me ride in the ambulance with Remy,” Emile admitted tearfully. “I was scared out of my wits, there was so much blood, he was unconscious and they just...wouldn’t let me ride with him. All because we weren’t married.” He spat the last word. “I swear, Dad, I wanted to strangle them then and there if they weren’t helping Remy.”

His dad blew out a breath. “I can’t imagine, Emile. I can’t imagine what that must have felt like. Nothing I can think of would do it justice.”

“I was terrified,” Emile said.

“You had every right to be,” his dad said. “That’s a terrifying thing. Now, without discounting that, I want to remind you that Remy is alive, and safe. Understand?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emile nodded. “I understand.”

“Good,” his dad said. “Because your future husband needs your support too, I’ll bet.”

“Once the pain meds wear off and he’s no longer high as a kite, yeah,” Emile said wryly. “That’s when I’ll ream him for pissing off the wrong homophobes.”

“What?!” his dad asked, incredulous. “Emile, you need to report that to the police. That’s a hate crime!”

“Lots of good that’ll do, Dad. These guys were homophobes and vets. The cops won’t care,” Emile spat.

“Did they start it?” his dad asked.

“They’ll argue we started it, but we were just holding hands while we walked out of the theatre,” Emile said.

“Then report it, Emile! That is a hate crime! Don’t take that standing down!” his dad snapped.

Emile blinked. “Is this a you being protective thing or is this a I’m a lawyer and no one is above the law thing?”

“Emile, I can get a lawyer for you, pro bono. All I have to do is call in the right favors. They’re the ones responsible for the hospital bills, they’ll have to pay for them. Report this.”

Sometimes, Emile forgot how scary his dad got when he decided to go into lawyer mode. He swallowed. “Okay, Dad. I will.”

“Good,” his dad said. “Give that husband of yours a hug from both me and your mother. We’ll drive over tomorrow.”

#if there's a place i could be #sanders sides fanfiction #remile #emile picani #ts sleep

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jaskiersvalley · 5 years

Text

TITLE: What You Need

AUTHOR/ARTIST: @jaskiersvalley

PROMPT DAY #: #8 Free Day

SUMMARY: Some curses cannot be avoided. But they can be morphed to lessen the impact. Jaskier may not agree on the ‘lessen’ part.

WORD COUNT (if applicable): ~1k

BOOKS/NETFLIX/2002 SHOW/VIDEO GAME: Netflix show

TRIGGERS/WARNINGS: None.

RATING: Teen and up.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Written as part of @geraskierweek. And a shout out to @mystic-majestic for organising this week. Thank you for all your hard work!

How Jaskier managed to piss off the most reclusive and eccentric of mages was definitely a talent. There was no other explanation for it. This time, his crime wasn’t even obvious. But then again, some found Jaskier’s mere existence to be an offence to the balance of the world.

The spell sent spiralling Jaskier’s way was a swirling, angry red. There was no stopping it, Geralt was too far away to be able to push Jaskier out of the way and he could only stare helplessly, a shout drawing attention. A blue counter-curse slammed into the red and fizzled into it, turning the whole thing into a purple cloak that enveloped Jaskier and sank into his skin. He collapsed under it and the mage left through a portal with a satisfied smirk.

While Jaskier groaned on the ground, Yennefer and Geralt rushed to his side. He sat up with a dramatic “urgh” and frowned when something flopped in his hair.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Geralt was glaring at Yennefer whose eyes were glued to the top of Jaskier’s head.

“I altered the curse. It was going to make him your mindless slave. I softened it so he’s what you need.”

Silently, they looked back to Jaskier who tried to peer at the top of his head.

“Why does it feel like I have dog ears?”

The curse was proving difficult to lift, Yennefer needed ingredients to brew a potion that would loosen its hold before she could even think about breaking it. In the meantime, they had a lot of fun trying to figure out what Geralt needed.

Mostly, Jaskier had the ears of a dog, floppy and brown. A happy, loyal companion who stuck by Geralt’s side at all times. Even when Geralt was a grumpy mess of confused emotions.

However, the wasn’t always the case. They were exhausted from their travels, the inn they stopped by took one look at them and they were turned away. No sane barkeep would offer a sorceress, a witcher and a...whatever Jaskier was, room. Not even for a night. What Geralt really needed was something to soften the impact of the group, make them less intimidating. Jaskier pushed to the front of the group and fixed the barkeeper with big, round eyes, his rabbit ears were flattened back and he clutched at his feathered cap. It was a truly pitiful look but it worked. They were given a room for two nights but no more.

Sleep was blissful. Especially when Yennefer cast her magic on the room so she had her own little partitioned off section while Geralt and Jaskier could take a bed each. Awkward didn’t even begin to sum it up when Geralt woke with morning wood while Jaskier looked particularly horse-like. Yennefer just cackled at their burning cheeks and told them to get on with things.

Not all changes were cute or funny. They still needed coin and there were still monsters to hunt. Geralt was battling a wyvern but it wasn’t going well. He needed something more to defeat the wilful bugger and it really wasn’t the time for Jaskier to start coughing, choking under a small flame erupted from his mouth. Pupils slitted like a dragon’s, Yennefer could have sworn she was hints of wings on his back as Jaskier waded in, a tongue of flame shot from his mouth, giving Geralt the break he needed to win.

It was entertaining, to an extent. The time Jaskier had cat ears and a tail, he purred the whole evening, curled in Geralt’s lap like a comfort blanket while Geralt’s fingers scratched absently behind his ears. But they still had a long while to travel. Why Yennefer couldn’t open a portal was beyond them but they didn’t argue. What she said went as a general rule of thumb. She didn’t miss the looks Geralt sent Jaskier though, filled with sadness and longing. It made her smirk, almost as if her plan was playing out as she had expected.

“I’m so sodding horny, I could make love to a cantaloupe,” Jaskier grumbled one evening while eating rabbit. He’d helped catch it, his regular dog like feature had turned sharper, like a wolf, for the hunt.

Opposite him, Geralt visibly flinched while Yennefer snorted. She had a feeling Geralt was soon to be of a similar opinion. The two idiots were usually much more touchy-feely, uncaring of who saw them. But not since the curse. Since Jaskier had the animalistic features. Geralt hadn’t touched him since then.

It server Yennefer right, her laughing and smugness reaped what she sowed. Waking up in the middle of the night, she heard Jaskier’s excited “hey Geralt!” And the rumbled “what?” which came too quickly, meaning Geralt hadn’t been sleeping. Again.

“Look! I’m me again!” That had Yennefer peering out of her tent. Sure enough, Jaskier was plain old human once more. “How?”

“The only thing I need is you as yourself,” Geralt replied.

In a few short seconds, Jaskier was barrelling into him, straddling his lap and kissing him with renewed relish. There were murmurs of “it’s been too long” and “I missed you” but Yennefer decided it was probably safer to retreat into her tent. And cast a sound dampening spell around it, especially when the clothes outside started coming off and the moans increased.

#geraskier #geralt #geralt of rivia #jaskier #yennefer of vengerberg #the witcher #geraskier week #tldr: jaskier gets cursed with animal features the suit geralt's needs

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multi-fandom-imagine · 4 years

Text

You Are The Reason || Ben Hargreeves ||

A/n: I’m doing it...im doing this idea. So with that being said...Spoilers for Season 2.

A/n2: So I decided to give the reader the ability of Healing with the sub-ability of Resurrection.

Warnings: Death/mentions of death, light smut/hinted at smut, small amount

Summary: You and Ben Hargreeve’s have been close ever since your parents reluctantly let Reginald help you better understand your powers though after the death of Ben and how Reginald treated you. Your parents took you away, it’s not until you received an invitation for a funeral that you see the boy who should be dead but thanks to practice of your powers you’re determined to take a shot at bring him back again....you just hope nothing will go wrong.

Song Inspiration for this fic: Calum Scott & Leona Lewis - You Are The Reason (Duet Version)

Summer: 2002

You did your best to ignore your parents hush whispers though it was hard not eavesdrop on what they were saying. They were talking about you again, about what you did.

/She brought the cat back to life...that’s not normal/

/She’s still our daughter...I’m not sending her away/

Wrapping your arms around yourself you tried to ignore them, so what if you brought your cat back! He was your best friend and it’s not like you meant too do it...all it took was some concentration and he was in your arms again. You didn’t care if your head hurt after words, nor did you care about your nose bleeding after the incident.

Wrapped up in your own thoughts you felt your body collide with another. Wincing you felt a pair of hands steady you. Looking up you spotted a boy your age. Though glancing away from him you knew your father was keeping his eyes on another person. A tall man with a beautiful blonde woman standing beside him along with six other children.

“Can we help you.” Your father nearly growled out, his hands landing protectively on your shoulders drawing you in close.

“I couldn’t help but over hear your predicament...perhaps I can be of help.” Tensing under the mans gaze you felt your father give your shoulders a nervous squeeze.

“Y/n...why don’t you..go ahead and play for a bit...” Glancing up at your father you noticed him tightened his hands into a fist.

“Okay daddy.” Biting your lip you rushed off noticing one of the kids following you.

“Um...I’m Ben.” Holding his hand out you let out a small laugh grasping it giving it a small shake.

“Y/n...wanna play with me?”

Giving one last glance back to Reginald Ben then back you a smile. “Okay!”Beaming at the boy you happily grabbed his hand pulling him towards the swing set.

“We’re gonna be best friends Ben...I know it.”

Fall: 2005.

Smiling you tossed your body on the bed as Ben peeled off his mask, sighing you watched the boy struggle to wrap his wrist.

“Come here idiot..let me help you.”

Dropping his shoulders Ben gave you a small scowl he sat next to you on his bed. “I don’t need you babying me all the time.”

“I’m not babying you Ben...I’m healing you...it’s part of my powers you know.” Lips twitching into a smile Ben just snorted as he held out his injured hand to you. Sighing you shook your head hovering your hand over his, watching the wound slowly close the boy kept his gaze on you.

“You’re amazing.”

Eye’s going wide, you felt warmth on your cheeks as you gave him a shy smile. “You’re pretty amazing yourself Ben.”

Smiling, Ben lent forward as he clumsily pressed his lips against yours.Keeping your eyes open you did your best to return the kiss though it took the door slamming open for you two to pull apart.

“Oh my god! I was right! DIEGO! YOU OWE ME TWENTY BUCKS! THEY TOTALLY KISSED.”

Watching Klaus run out of the room you let out a laugh before standing up you placed a kiss against his cheek.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Y-yea...I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Winter:2006

“TRY HARDER!”

You tried to ignore the man screaming at you but you were to focused on the body laying in front of you. Tears streaming down your cheeks your hands shaking as they hovered over the boy you cared so much about.

Why was this so hard? You brought you cat back?! Why wasn’t this working.

With your hands glowing blue you squeezed your eyes shut praying this would work. Fighting back the crushing feeling in your skull, ignoring the blood trickling out of your nose and the shouts of Reginald pushing you. You missed Klaus screaming at his father to stop and Vanya clutching a phone.

You ignored the slamming of a door, it was your fathers fimiliar voice that broke you from your trance. Blood streaming down your nose, over your lips then finally dripping on your shaking hands your broke down in your fathers arms.

“I couldn’t bring him back daddy! I couldn’t bring him back!” Sobbing you clutched your father’s shirt tightly. Standing up the man slowly backed away, clutching your head to his chest keeping you from seeing the body lying on the table.

“You’re sick...my daughter is not you toy...this....this is it...y/n is not stepping foot in the house again.” Glancing over at the rest of the children his shook his head then quickly left the home.

Spring:2007

You hated this feeling, you never felt so alone.It was strange, with Ben gone you felt a part of you was missing.

“I’m such a failure.” Wiping your eyes you slipped off your bed as you finished packing your things away. After what happened to Ben your father had cut all ties with the family. He wanted to stay far away from the Hargreeves and what better way was that then to move. It was easy thing to do and part of you was glad, you didn’t know if you could face Klaus and the others. Biting back more tears you turned your attention to the window noticing small pebbles hit it.

Opening it up your eyes went wide spotting Klaus, quickly helping the boy in you were surprised by the smile on his face.

“Y/n! I have great news Ben!”

Cutting off you turned your back to him. “Is dead and it’s my fault.”

Klaus sighed stepping close to you, the boy placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “It’s not your fault y/n and I know that Ben wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.”

Sniffling you shook your head. “You don’t know that.”

“I do because-.”

“Y/n! You ready?!”

“Almost dad! I’ll be right down.”

Frowning Klaus shook his head. “Ready for what?”

“I’m moving...goodbye Klaus....can you...can you tell everyone I’m sorry and if you can speak to Ben...tell...that I...never mind...”

“Wait y/n! you can’t move! Ben...he doesn’t.”

“Stop saying his name Klaus! just stop!.” Tears were now sliding down your face, you didn’t care how much of a mess you looked like. “Leave me alone...goodbye Klaus.”Biting your lip you picked your last box as you walked out the door.

Stepping forward Ben wanted to scream to you the he was still here! He wished that you could see him, he hated seeing that look on your face. Swallowing thickly Klaus stood by his brother painful watching Ben’s heartbroken look.

“I’m sorry Ben...I.”

“It’s fine Klaus....lets just go home.”

Spring:2019

You were surprised that you got an invitation to Reginald Hargreeves funeral, though you were more surprised at yourself for even going to the damn thing.

Smoothing out the black dress you wore then let your hand hover over the door. About to back away it seemed that fate had other plans since the door swung open.

“Klaus!”

“Y/n” laughing you pulled the man in for a hug, he was the only Hargreeves you Kept in contact with, it made things easier when he talked to you about Ben.

Scowling Ben pushed off the couch though his eyes went wide. “When did you get so beautiful.” He’s always knew you were cute but if he wasn’t dead the young man knew you would be taking his breath away.

Looking at the two of you, it was really the first time in a long time that he’s seen that look on Ben’s face. Puffing out his chest he felt a small idea form in his head. “Y/n. Ben say’s hi oh and he thinks you look beautiful.”

“Klaus.”Ben let out a small hiss, really wishing that he could knock his brother up side his head.

Feeling the warmth in your cheeks you cleared out your throat wishing you could see Ben again. You knew it took a lot of energies for the talks you two shared and half the time it was Klaus that had to finish for you two but it felt nice knowing that he was here right now. “He does?...well hi Ben and well thank you...now I wish I could see you so I could pay you a complement too.

Eyes going wide for a moment a large grin formed on Klaus’s face, pushing up from the seat he then grabbed your wrist tugging you up the stairs to his old room.

��Klaus?! Where are we going!”

“Just humor for a minute please y/n?”

Sighing you shook you head stepping into Klaus’s old room.

Glancing around the room your shoulders slumped missing the fact that Ben was sitting on Klaus’s bed.

“I need you to close your eyes for me.”

“Klaus.”

“Y/n...just trust me okay.”

Biting your lip your lip you then closed your eyes as he gently grabbed your hand. “Now I need you to picture Ben...but he’s like us...corporeal.”

Squeezing your eyes tightly shut you felt a smile form on your face. A few tears sliding down your cheeks as you did your best to imagine Ben. First as the boy who took your first kiss then as the man he might have became.

Clutching your hand Klaus took a deep breath in. Klaus was as a blue aura envelop yours and his hand.Hoping that this would work he sent a small pulse of his power, it mixing with yours sending a small jolt of pain to both your finger tips.

“What the fuck Klaus.”

“Did it work?”

“Did what work?! I swear if this is another stupid prank that you and Ben?”

Trailing off your eyes went wide as the quickly moved to where Ben was sitting.

“Ben?”

Standing up Ben stepped closer to you, scared this might be some joke. “ You can see me?”

Nodding your head you bit back a sob as you went to wrap your arms around him. You weren’t expecting much. In reality you were still thinking that you’d fall right through him but what you were touching....he felt real. While his body may have been cold and you could feel his heart beat, you were still holding him.

“I missed you.” Whispering into his chest Ben clung to you like you were his last life line.

“I missed you too y/n” Thumb gliding across your cheek he dropped his hand from Klaus’s loud voice.

“Are you kidding! I mean I can’t believe it worked and really this is adorable you two but why can’t I touch you...okay that came out wrong.”

Shaking your head you gave Klaus a smile followed by a hug before you shoved him out the door.

“Thank you...thank you so much but I would really like some alone time with Ben.”

“Are you going too! He’s still a ghost y/n! You can’t fuck a ghost!”

Clutching the door you gave him the best smile you could. “Doesn’t me I won’t try!” Slamming the door in his face you turned your attention back to Ben he let his hand cup your cheek.

“Can I...can I kiss you.”

Smiling you pressed your chest against his body, this was going to be interesting. “I’m hoping you’ll do more than that.”

Kissing you deeply,Ben moved his hands to your hips before he helped you to the bed. This was going to be an interesting night.

Closing his eyes Klaus continued to bang his head against the door, he did not enjoy the fact that he had to listen to your cries of pleasure as his ghost brother fucked you. Taking a swig of his drink he sighed closing his eyes.

“At least someone is getting it.”

Wrinkling his nose he then pushed himself up before taking on last sip of the alcohol he then pushed the door open.

“First of all gross, second how in the hell is that possible and third...really on my bed.”

Rolling your eyes you scrambled to put back on the black dress. “It’s sex Klaus, which I’m sure you have plenty of, second he feel’s feel to me see.” Turning to Ben you gave him a smile before giving his cheek a small smack.

“Owe.”

“Third...well it’s your fault for even bringing us in here.” Glancing over at Ben you were about to leave before you placed your hand on Klaus’s shoulder. “I have an idea!.”

Grinning you quickly rushed down the steps with both of the boy’s trailing after you.

“Idea! what the hell are you talking about?!”

“Think about it Klaus...if we can make Ben solid...I think I can bring him back.”

“That’s a awful idea” “That’s a great idea!”

Ben turned to glare at Klaus, of course he would agree to this. “Y/n...I’m not going to have you risk yourself for me...not again.” Stepping close to you Ben then grabbed your hand gently.

Sighing you shook your head then gave him a small smile. “Ben...I know what I’m doing. I’m getting better at it so please let me do this.”

Frowning Ben then sighed then took his head as he gave your hand a squeeze, while part of liked that he could touch you. He still wanted to take you out in public, to be normal. “Fine...I doubt that i’d be able to talk you of of it.”

“Perfect...lets do this before everyone arrives...”

Klaus snorted shaking as he grabbed a few item’s that you might need. “The funeral isn’t until tomorrow so I’m sure you’ll be fine...I mean what can go wrong.”

“Okay!..this bad...this is really bad but I...I mean at least nothing went wrong right.”

Narrowing his eyes Ben cradled you against his chest waiting for the ambulance to arrive. “Went wrong? are you out of your mind! She’s unconscious Klaus! what if she dies.” he snapped glancing down at you again spotting the blood tricking out of your nose.

Klaus was about to reply until the door swung open as everyone came through the door.

“Ben!” Ignoring Allison's shocked voice the young man quickly rushed out the door spotting the ambulance arriving.

“I don’t have time for this. Mind filling them in Klaus.”

With know one being able to reply, everyone's attention quickly turned to look at Klaus.

“Soo...uh hi everyone...as you can clearly see Ben is alive again.”

Luther narrowed his eyes for a moment. “What the hell Klaus...do you mind explaining this.”

“I didn’t do anything...y/n is the one to thank.” Grabbing some liquor off a shelf he took a large swig. “She used her resurrection shit...brought him back and then she passed out...probably slipped into a coma...but hey she’s to dead at least.”

Vanyan shook her head then grabbed her coat. “We have to go see if she’s okay...and Ben shouldn’t be alone.”

Deigo nodded his head as he followed his sister’s out the door. “They’re right.”

“Oh fun!”

Watching your unconscious form on the bed, Ben grabbed your hand gently giving it a small squeeze. “This is all my fault....I shouldn’t have agreed.” sighing he brought your hands to his lips. “I just missed you so much y/n...I love you and I just...wanted to be.”

Slowly opening your eyes, you glanced over at Ben letting out a chuckle. “Why are you....so worried you big baby....I love you too.”

“Y/n...wait you do...you love me too?”

Laughing you sat up then winced rubbing your head then sighed as you glanced around the hospital room.

“So I passed out.”

“Yes.”

“Well at least I’m not dead.” Chuckling you then swallowed thickly as the other siblings slipped into the room though you were more shocked to see Five standing in the doorway.

��Five?”

“Hello y/n...”

Summer: 1960

Wincing, you sat up glancing around the area. Stand up you heard a shout come for Ben as the man rushed over to you.

“Thank god you’re okay.”

“I can say the same for you.” Letting out a sigh of relief your fingers brushed Ben’s cheek though the man pulled you in for a hug.

Though pulling back from Ben’s embrace you let out a nervous laugh taking in your surroundings.

“So...where the fuck are we?”

“I think when’s a better question my dear y/n.”

Sauntering up to the pair, Klaus gave his brother and friend a smile though the man was nearly knocked over when you tugged him in for a hug.

“Klaus! thank god you’re here with us.”Smiling at the two you then grasped Ben’s hand.

“Well...how about we go find out..ya?”

#ben hargreeves #benjamin hargreeves #The Umbrella Academy #the umbrella academy season 2 #ben hargreeves x reader #one shot #one shots

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aparecium-hq · 4 years

Photo

Name: Julian Wood Birthday (Age): July 10, 2002 (25) Gender (Pronouns): Male (He/Him) Blood Status: Pureblood Hogwarts House: Gryffindor Occupation: App-stronomer for Wix Wonders Tech Faceclaim: Brenton Thwaites

Character Teaser

It was not a fascination with muggles that spurred Julian on to kill his father’s dream of the perfect chaser trio, but the simple fact that muggles have progressed far beyond the magical world’s wildest dreams. After graduation, he applied to muggle university as a physics major, taking advantage of the Madley Industries prototypes to fit in—only to come back to a magical world steeped into muggle technology. Nowadays he uses his knowledge of muggle physics and magical astronomy to make videos on the world wide wix web (with mixed reviews from the students that watch them and the parents hovering over their shoulders) and program astronomy apps for Wix Wonders Tech (with eager arithmancers on his side). With all of the progress in the last decade, Julian is sure that it’s within his lifetime to reach his goal: to be the first wix to go to space.

Feelings on Magical Integration

There’s so much that the muggle world has discovered, especially considering that their tools for study of astronomy have far outpaced what wixen are dealing with. In spite of the magical world separating themselves from the muggle, the muggle world was still just as fascinated with the skies above. Julian was incredibly limited in what he could use to continue his study upon his return to the magical world, and he knows what muggles are capable of. If they can get to the moon on their own, maybe a little bit of magic can help them get to Mars.

Biography

If Oliver Wood could have seven children, he would—instead he had to live with only three. Julian Wood spent more time on a broomstick than his own two legs and became the default captain of Little League Quidditch. His younger brothers looked up to him and the whole family, save for his stepmother Daphne Greengrass, dreamt of being legends. With the three of them, they could be an unstoppable chaser team. Four years later the Wood brothers were all playing for Gryffindor, their chemistry on the pitch unmatched.

That is until Julian decided to take Muggle Studies.

It was an easy class, he had been told, just enough to get the marks he needed to play for Gryffindor. Why it was an easy class was another story: there were a handful of muggleborns there for the same reason, but not quite the same apathy as those who had grown up in the wizarding world. Julian was eventually pulled into the inside jokes that Muggle Studies was a joke… not because all of it was useless to anyone with a wand, but because muggles have far surpassed what the class was making them out to believe.

His muggleborn friends told him the cold hard facts that were somehow left out of the wizarding curriculum. Muggles not only had bigger telescopes, but they had so many ways to study the stars. So much more existed beyond what they learned in class. Galaxies. Black holes. Dark matter. Hell, muggles knew what Pluto looked like. All Julian could glean were the mysterious buzzwords they tossed around—but one thing that fascinated him the most was that muggles have been exploring space in the last seventy years. There were races about who orbited space first or who got to the moon first, which no book in their library seemed to cover.

Daphne had always been supportive of the Wood brothers’ dreams on the pitch, but she had always advised—or perhaps even hinted at—the possibility that there was an alternative. For the first time, Julian took his studies seriously for a reason that wasn’t meeting the minimum to play in the next match, unsure of why he cared so much now to make sure that he didn’t close the door something different than what he had been destined to be.

Especially since his new obsession seemed to collide in very messy ways with his current one, and he couldn’t find a way to reconcile them. Sure, wixen could design brooms to go higher and faster, but Julian had tried and there was always a limit. He wasn’t sure what subject would be able to push the boundaries, but he passed his Astronomy OWL with an Outstanding. That same year, the Madley Principles of Magic and Technology published their discoveries.

Julian had no doubt that he still loved flying. He still loved Quidditch and he still loved his family. But he turned down the captaincy to catch up on Arithmancy, forcing doors open that weren’t there before. Upon graduation, he spurned the Quidditch recruiters that came to visit, instead set on a ludicrous idea inspired by some light reading from Muggle Studies.

Daisy Hookum’s My Life As A Muggle pushed the envelope for its time, and even Julian had doubts about abandoning everything he knew for something he doesn’t even know would come to fruition. Even his muggleborn friends felt that he was being a little extreme for someone who had grown up in a sheltered magical world, considering that most of them didn’t go back to a world they no longer really belonged in.

But Laura Madley, in her infinite wisdom, thought it was a wonderful experiment; it would be a true test of their work if a wix could use their technology outside of the magical bounds. Julian was provided with the first model of the wizarding smart phone (though at the time the only thing he could do was call Madley Industries for assistance on arithmancy shortcuts he could use on a muggle computer) along with a small stipend and falsified transcripts to attend university.

In the muggle world, astronomy was part of the physics department. Julian soon realized that he was incredibly behind in his coursework even if Transfiguration and Charms prepared him a little for classical mechanics; at the end of the day, he was a wizard and he literally didn’t know how to do math. (Let’s be real, they’re not teaching calculus at Hogwarts.) He swallowed his pride and it turns out, the true meaning of physics was the friends you made along the way, while all of you suffer through all-nighters over pizza then getting trashed at the bar after finals. Still, it was difficult—and a little miserable, really—to keep about 98% of his life secret from the people he had bonded with, so there was a relief when he finished his degree and returned to the wizarding world on a more permanent basis.

Not without consequence, obviously. Julian’s brothers had all given him the cold shoulder, despite the fact that Julian was around for every holiday. He was a disappointment to his father, but at least Daphne braved going to the muggle world to celebrate his second graduation with him. His pureblood friends weren’t eager to have coffee believing that Julian was long lost to the muggle world. He had lost touch with many of his muggleborn friends from Hogwarts, and some were skeptical of (or perhaps even offendedby) his immersion because Julian got to live a life that had perhaps been taken away from them by the virtue of the fact that they were magical and stayed that way.

He had been fortunate that upon his return, the magical world caught the tech craze—and while the world wide wix web flourished within the fingertips of every witch, wizard, and wix, Julian was well aware that his access to information was still limited without the connection to the muggle web.

This also meant that it was up to him to make sure that the magical world had its eyes opened to the possibilities. Inspired by his university professors, he started a video channel that explained the muggle research and discovery within the framework of the astrology that everyone was required to take as a class at Hogwarts. His videos are rather popular with students, though there are more conservative wixen who have sent howlers about his content—to which Julian had to learn to reply back that there were other channels of entertainment for them to follow, if they were so bothered by what he was doing. Even if he did think it was hypocritical of them to use a piece of tech that has non-magical roots, only to criticize something that explained how it all worked.

Chaser or not, Julian was still a Wood through and through. The Wood family motto was all we do is win, and even without his father or his brothers, he would find a way. If not a first-place trophy, then he would be the first in something else. He helped pioneer the muggle immersion program through Madley Industries and became the first pureblood to graduate from muggle university. The first physics graduate to work for a wizarding company, Wix Wonders Tech, where he worked on a wizarding version of the muggle apps that already existed to track the stars and planets.

Yes, it was very lonely at the top. The despondency he felt as the only wix surrounded by muggles was difficult to shake, now that he had all of this knowledge and experience that very few understood. But still, it was experience that formed the truest trophy to be earned on the figurative mantlepiece in Julian’s head: he was going to be the first wix in space.

Connections

Lily Potter: Lily is one of the few wix that tests Julian’s apps, even if Julian himself isn’t comfortable with astrology. He knows that this is one of the markets he’s going to appeal to anyway.

Dominique Weasley: Although they both have very different reasons for being in support of magical integration, Julian appreciates that there’s someone there who feels just as strongly as he does about it. Little do they acknowledge that both of their reasons are a little selfish.

Vale Longbottom: Julian often goes to Vale for help while developing his apps, especially considering Vale’s experience with muggle and magical accessibility tools; however, Julian’s eagerness for more tends to drown out Vale’s suggestions for usefulness.

Julian is played by Pat.

#character bio #julian wood #taken #oc #pureblood #gryffindor #integrationist

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lucy-sky · 6 years

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Cats, Roofs and Stolen Kisses (Pero Maholovic x Reader)

Dear @silvusha!!! I’m wishing you the happiest Birthday!!! I’m a shitty friend who learnt about it too late to send any cards, but hope you enjoy this drabble.

You requested prompt “wait, no, don’t take kissing away from me.” from this list with Pero Maholovic (Welcome to Collinwood, 2002).

I must say, the story kinda developed a life of itself and turned out a bit longer than I expected. Hope it’s okay though. (Sorry for any possible mistakes, I’m writing it at work... I will maybe reread and correct it later tonight)

No warnings, just pure fluff and a bit of making out :) Art by me (picture #4 was made by me in St. Petersburg)

It was a lovely morning. A little chilly, but for some reason you could already feel some spring vibes as you looked at the rays of sunshine through the opened window. Smiling, you sat on the windowsill, dangling your feet and letting them slightly touch the roof. What you loved the most about this flat is that you had an easy access to the rooftop. Just one step out of your window - and here you go. Although the landlord warned you not to do this - the roof was quite uneven and rather slippery. But you couldn’t resist. You just didn’t approach the steep edges. Nothing was better than sitting like that on the rooftop with a warm mug of tea or coffee enjoying a peaceful morning.

But you were not the only person with the access to the roof through your window. There was one more lucky guy, and his sleepy head with messy hair, a pair of curious green eyes and a cigarette in his mouth just leaned out of the window to the left of yours.

- Uhhh…- he muttered, before spotting you. - Oh hey! Morning, sunshine! - He took a drag of his cigarette and gave you a wide grin.

- Morning, Pero, - you replied with a sigh. Actually you found your neighbor quite cute, just a little bit annoying at times.

- Isn’t it romantic to meet sunrise together on a rooftop on this day? - Pero smirked.

- Ew, that’s the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard!

It seemed like he wanted to say something in reply, but his face suddenly frowned a bit.

- Wait, isn’t that… your cat?.. - he asked, pointing on your right.

***

Since your first week on a new place, your cat named Sam started to develop a weird love-hate relationship with Pero. He hissed at him and could easily scrape or bite him, but nevertheless he adored sneaking into Pero’s flat. One of these days you were busy unpacking all your stuff when you heard someone knocking on your door. You opened to see Pero with your cat under his arm.

- Oh gosh, where did you find him? - You were really surprised. - Come here, Sam.

- Sam? That’s a weird name for a cat… - Pero handed the cat to you and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. - This fluffy bastard actually got into my flat through the window…

- Well… guess he’s just exploring the territory, - you shrugged. - And by the way, he's not a bastard! Thanks so much for bringing him back though.

- Maybe… Maybe I deserved a little kiss for that, huh? - He smiled at you mischievously and you rolled your eyes.

- No way. I’ve heard the rumors that you’re mixed up in some criminal stuff, Pero Maholovic, - you said, narrowing your eyes.

- Me?! - Pero raised his eyebrows as if he was shocked. - Oh come on! Just look at me, I’m pure as an angel! Can’t you see it in my honest eyes?

He gave you his most innocent look and you burst out laughing.

- Not really. But try again and I might think about your suggestion, - you teased.

- Oh I will, - Pero replied with a wink. - Be sure of that.

You actually liked this little flirty game you two were playing. He was charming after all and you secretly enjoyed his advances. Sam still wasn’t very excited about him, clearly thinking he has more rights on Pero’s flat than its actual owner, so most of their interactions ended up with the scrapes on Pero’s hands and a couple of swear words muttered in Serbian.

***

You turned your head to where Pero pointed and gasped. Sam has walking along the very edge of the roof. Then he sat down and started to lick his fur.

- Oh hell, Pero! What if he falls down?

- Hey, don’t worry... He’s a cat after all... Cats walk on the roof and all is fine...

- I still have to get him out of there, - you said firmly, getting out of the window.

- Come here, Sammy... - You called out quietly, making a couple of careful steps towards the cat. Damn, the roof was really steep!.. You were never afraid of heights before but right now you didn’t feel comfortable at all.

- Wait.

Pero’s hand lay on your shoulder.

- It’s dangerous, you know! Stay there, I’ll get him, okay?

- Okay, - you nodded. - Thanks.

Reaching the edge of the roof, Pero started walking carefully, trying to poise and not to stumble.

- Here, kitty kitty... C’mere you fluffy bastard... - He muttered, reaching his hands to the cat.

- Gotcha! - He finally managed to grab Sam in his arms, but the next moment the cat, who totally wasn’t happy about the fact his morning walk was so brutally interrupted, hissed and his paw hit Pero’s face, leaving a scrape on his cheek.

- Ah! - Pero winced, his foot slipped, and... he fell.

- Pero!!! - You screamed in horror, rushing towards the place where he just stood, already expecting to see a bloodbath, but...

- I’m okay!.. I’m okay...

Carefully you glanced over the edge of the roof. Pero looked up at you from your downstairs neighbor’s balcony. He was still holding the terrified cat against his chest. You thought you’ve never been that relieved in your entire life.

- Oh God, I almost got a heart attack - you breathed out.

- Hey, what the hell’s going on here?? - You heard an angry voice from the downstairs flat. - What the fuck are you doing on my balcony, Maholovic?!

- Sorry! - Pero shouted back. - It’s um... Cat-rescuing business here!..

***

A half an hour later Pero was standing in your kitchen in front of you, as you carefully pressed a cotton tampon with sanitizer to the scrape on his cheek.

- Aahh! - Pero winced again. - You know what, y/n? Now I think I totally deserved a kiss! I mean I could die after all!

- Stay still please, - you placed your hand on his other cheek, making him turn his head slightly so that you could examine the wound. - Does it hurt?

- Yep.

Drawing your face closer to his you gently blew on his scrape as your fingers brushed softly against his other cheek.

- Better?

What happened next was really fast. Just one second and your lips were suddenly captured by his. You let out a squeak as you really didn’t expect such a turn of events. Your first intention was to push him away, but something just didn’t let you do it. Probably the softness of his lips in contrast with his sudden boldness. You felt his hands on your waist pulling you a little bit closer and instead of slapping or pushing him your hand betrayed you, fingers sliding to the side of his neck caressing his skin. Pero hummed contently into your mouth and you shivered at the sensation of his warm tongue parting your lips. You surrendered, allowing him deepen the kiss. Your cheeks flushed as the tips of your tongues touched, causing a sweet vibe running through you. Melting into these sensations you let your fingers gently scratch the nape of his neck and he made a purring sound as your lips parted just to meet again.

Your brain started working again only when you realized his hands went a bit too far down from your waist to your buttcheeks, so you finally pushed him away softly.

- Hey... easy... - you mumbled, your face still so close to his your noses slightly touched.

- Wait, no, don’t take kissing away from me! - He protested in a pleading tone. - I’m in pain and need my cure!..

- You’re way too dramatic, - you smirked, but still left one last chaste kiss on his upper lip. - Here. I think you’ll survive.

- Fine, I’m better anyways, - he winked. Mischievous sparkles played in his bright green eyes as he smiled at you.

- Hey, fluffball, - Pero nodded at Sam who watched you from the windowsill. - Thanks for helping me steal this kiss, man!

- Oh god, that was an evil plot! - You laughed. - And I thought you guys didn’t like each other...

- He’s not that bad. Maybe just a bit jealous, - Pero chuckled. - So... See ya around, I guess?

- Wait, Pero.

He gave you a questioned look.

- You know, it’s my Birthday today. I’m planning to go to the pub tonight, meeting a couple of old friends... It’s not even a party, we’re just gonna have a drink or two, you know. And... I’d really love you to join us.

Your cheeks blushed a little as you said it.

- Me? - Pero’s expression was suddenly surprised and shy, not a trace of his usual cheeky look. - But I... Don’t even have a decent present for you...

- Oh that’s fine! - You assured. - I realize this is a very spontaneous invitation. So, will you come?

- Sure, - he nodded with a warm smile. - I’m in.

***

You and Pero arrived back home after midnight. It was a nice evening in a warm company and you were very pleased. Pero seemed to get along with your friends as well, so there were no awkward moments.

- Hey, um... - Pero said as you reached your flat. - I didn’t know about your Birthday, but I got you a little something for Valentine’s Day... Cheesy, but I think you’re gonna love it. Here, - the handed you an envelope.

- Oh. Thanks, - you smiled. - Good night, Pero.

He cupped your cheek and you raised on your tiptoes to kiss his lips.

- Good night. Happy Birthday.

At your place you turned on the light, took off your boots and coat, sat on the sofa with your legs crossed and opened the envelope. You looked at the card and grinned stupidly. There were two cats sitting on a rooftop. Probably the most perfect card you’ve ever received.

***

Thank you for reading! It was fun to write :)

#welcome to collinwood #sam rockwell #pero maholovic #pero maholovic x reader #drabble #requests #fanfiction #fluff #lucy tries to write

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bangtanxfics-blog · 6 years

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A Long Time Coming | PT 2.

Word Count: 2002.

Genre: Fluff, romance, a tiny bit of comedy.

Summary: Y/N comes back home after spending her life savings on a trip around the world after her college graduation, in hopes of finding her calling in life. But she doesn’t expect her best friend’s little brother to be back from touring the world with his band. And she certainly doesn’t expect him to be so devastatingly handsome.

Opening up my eyes, the morning sun was slipping through the curtains of my window, making me squint the colored orbs once again to try and adjust to the newfound light to the best of my ability. The smell of breakfast being cooked downstairs made my belly grumble as I exited my bedroom to make my way towards the bathroom at the end of the hall that I shared with my parents. I was definitely home.

Smiling after finishing my routine of personal hygiene, I made my way downstairs, skipping down the steps, more than ready to taste my mother’s cooking once more since last night we had ended up ordering pizza because we were too busy catching up to bother with things like making dinner. And now I was enveloping my dad in a hug as I joined them in the kitchen and we all said our hellos before taking a seat by the island in the middle of the room, waiting patiently for the delicious-smelling food that my mother eventually placed in front of us, encouraging us to dig in as soon as she sat down with us.

“Your cooking is still as amazing as I remembered.” I complimented with my mouth half full, definitely not my most delicate moment in life, but I didn't care as long as I was being fed in this way.

“You've only been gone for six months, baby.” she told me with a soft chuckle slipping from between her lips, making my dad and I follow right after because honestly, we were just elated to be together again.

I've always been really close to both of my parents, despite all of us having made our mistakes and having our regrets, it was never something out of the ordinary and we always managed to work through it as a family. I couldn't possibly feel luckier than having such an amazing support system.

“What are your plans for the day?” my mother asks, but from the underlying tone in his voice I can tell she's curious to know when I'll start looking for a job. And honestly, so am I. These days I've been so unpredictable it's crazy.

“Not much, I’m still so jet lagged, I'm probably just gonna catch up on sleep and call Joosun to see what she's up to, she's going to kill me if I don't.” I say sincerely, to which she nods and offers me a sincere smile.

“Do you think you could go to the supermarket later and stock up on groceries while your dad and I are at work? I’ll make a list of the things we need and you can take my card to pay for it.”

“Sure, and it's okay, mom. I can pay for groceries. It's the least I can do since you're letting me stay here while I find a job.” To find a job you need to look for one first, I remind myself in a scolding manner, but my mom is far too sweet for her own well being.

“This is your home too, and it will be for as long as you need it.” she says, and I see my dad nodding in agreement before he's extending a hand out to hold my own. But still, I feel the need to get back on my own two feet and end this permanent vacation thing that's beginning to take a toll on me.

I need to be in a place in my life where I feel proud of myself, something that gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment, and as much as I love my bed, staying in to sleep my days away isn't going to give me that. And it's with that state of mind that I leave the house later that day.

On my way to the store, I buy a newspaper from a stand in the street and I shove it in my large tote bag, continuing my stroll down the busy streets of Busan during rush hour. I pressed the coat closer to my chest, trying desperately to keep myself warm when I saw the sign outside the supermarket approaching right around the corner, making my feet walk faster so I could make it to the comfort of the inside warmth thanks to the heating system.

Immediately I feel at home, having been to this store since I was a child, I knew every corner of it and thankfully everything was in its rightful place. Nothing had changed much since my absence, I noticed that. And it was comforting in a way, knowing that there's a place out there that remains the same when I'm gone, waiting for me to come back home no matter what.

I collect a cart and begin to fill it up with the things my mother put in the list she'd handed to me before kissing my forehead and leaving for work. I don't know what kind of beast she's planning on feeding with all of this food, but I'm not complaining because I know I'll benefit from it either way. My parents own a catering business, needless to say, they're both amazing cooks.

I reach the snacks aisle, and suddenly I'm faced yet again with one of the most difficult choices of my life. I'm far too indecisive, and there's too many options, and my mom was extremely vague when she told me to get ‘whatever snacks I wanted’. So I'm just standing there, reading all the labels and putting a few things into my cart before a loud voice in thick Busan dialect startles me.

“Yah, kid! You're so annoying! Stop complaining about being hungry and sleepy, you're starting to sound like Yoongi-hyung!” he says, and although his words are harsh (honestly, Busan people always sound like they're ready to pick up a fight whenever they go into full satoori mode), his tone is humorous, so it's obvious that they're close and not being serious at all.

“I’m sorry, hyung. It was just such a long flight.” the other voice says, way more neutral than the first one, but hints of a satoori accent were dropped here and there which told me he was from here too.

I decide to stop paying attention to them and resume my snack-picking task, so that's exactly what I do, putting some Oreos inside the cart and then a few other bags of chips and things of the sort. But just as I’m turning around to leave, one of the two boys behind me speaks up.

“Noona?” he says, the tone of his voice sweet like honey, making me turn to see if he's indeed speaking to me, and I'm met with a pair of big doe eyes, dark as night, shiny as hell, and a handsome chiseled face to match.

I know exactly who he is. “Jungkook-ah?” I question even though I know it's him. Like I said, everyone knows who he is. And I'd known he'd turned into a handsome young man from all the pictures I saw pretty much everywhere, but seeing him from up close was so different.

It was truly intimidating. He was so damn tall, his shoulders were broad and his arms were clearly toned and I could tell even from the oversized black sweatshirt he was wearing. He looked nothing like 15-year-old Jungkookie who left Busan to become an idol, and yet he looked exactly the same. The ambiguity was polarizing and it gave me breathing problems as he continued to stare for a moment or two.

“Yeah, it's me.” he bows twice and I think he might break his back but he's definitely a gentleman, an aura of self assurance surrounding him and yet he doesn't seem any less shy or childish as he did all those years before. “It's been such a long time, Noona. How have you been?” he asks.

“I've been good, I've just returned from Europe, actually. So I'm trying to settle back into the city.”

“Oh, Europe? That's amazing!” he says, bunny smile on full display and I realize that one thing hasn't changed at all. He still smiles the same, and it's still adorable. “So you became an actress like you wanted to?” Jungkook questions, and I'm surprised he even remembers my silly high school dreams, but I have to shake my head.

“Not really, I spent all my savings on that trip to take a break after college. I was traveling for six months and now I think I'm going to try to teach drama at schools or something of the sort.” I say, and I'm sure he's going to pity me. He probably won't be rude because he's known me for a long time, but he's going to be sympathetic, because clearly he's made it meanwhile I'm still stuck in the same place. Or maybe fame has turned him into an asshole and he will be rude, who knows?

“That’s great! You'd be a great teacher, you have a lot of patience if I remember correctly. I mean, you put up with pre-teen me, so I’d say you’ll do just fine.” he says, and it shocks me to see how genuinely interested he seems. I don't see a single trace of him being dishonest or condescending, instead, he bows once again and I feel good about myself. I don't feel like a complete loser as he looks down at me with that bunny smile of his and I appreciate that.

Suddenly someone clears their throat and I'm faced with a gorgeous smile, plump lips, beautiful cheeks and soft-looking blue hair. I know who he is and yet, just like with Jungkook, seeing him in person is far more nerve rocking. I know all about all the amazing things they are doing around the world to represent Korea in the best of ways, and to see him here casually grocery shopping in Busan is a little mind boggling.

“Are you not going to introduce us?” Jimin says looking up to Jungkook who chuckles and pushes his hands into the front pockets of his sweatpants.

“Jimin-hyung, this is y/n-noona, she was my neighbor when we were growing up. She's good friends with my hyung.” he explains and I agree silently, smiling and bowing slightly before the blue haired angel does the same. God, why are these boys so handsome? It's unfair.

“Actually, I'm still your neighbor for now. I'll move out as soon as I get that job I mentioned, but yeah. I'm still next door.” I tell him, to which he nods with a smile, his eyes roaming around my face and settling on mine for a second too long before he speaks up again.

“I'll see you around then. We have a two month break.” he announces and it's then when I notice the slight bags under his eyes, showing just how tired he probably was after such a long and tasking tour. Those boys truly gave their all to their job, it was admirable.

“I'll see you around, Jungkook-ah.” I say, holding onto my cart once again and watching him bow to me twice, being followed by his friend.

“Say hi to your parents from me, Noona.” he spoke, and with that, we walked on our separate ways.

I don't know why, but there was a permanent smile etched onto my face the whole walk home. He really had a way to uplift people, it was a gift, and it was probably why he had so many fans who admired him deeply.

Either way, I felt happy and self assured. Maybe I really wasn't that much of a failure. I was still young and had plenty of time to figure my life out. Yes, that's it. I decided to stop stressing about it and just go with the flow. So when I got back home, I put all the groceries away and sat on the couch, newspaper in hand and ready to browse through the Job Advertisements section.

#jungkook fanfic #jungkook imagine #jungkook fanfiction #jeon jungkook #bts fanfic #[ a long time coming ]

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theparaminds · 5 years

Photo

Have you ever awoken from a dream only to feel as though reality is weak in comparison to your own mind’s landscape? Maybe you realized that living and feeling like a dream is the goal to it all. That’s what, overall, Instupendo understands and holds close, that dreams are an extension, and an improvement, upon reality. And with his music, he opens the door to our fleeting mental dimensions.

His production doesn’t depend on making you cry or over think. Instead, it only pushes you to feel less, while becoming a state of higher being. All starting in the ears, the sonics numb the fingers and toes while disintegrating anxiety, replacing it with nirvana. Through Instupendo’s music, every breath feels as fresh as an August morning void of care or concern.

In the few minutes his songs exist, a new world is built. It is one of the freedom and honesty that cannot exist within reality, but only in our mind’s eye. We are taken deeper into the depths of our creation and individuality. In truth, Instupendo is a guide to a universe beautiful and pure, one untouched by the fear and uncertainty omnipresent daily, in times desperate for artistic relief.

Our first question as always, how’s your day going and how have you been?:

My day’s going pretty smoothly. I’m currently nursing an iced coffee at my kitchen table with some candles lit. Besides that, I can finally step out without a coat for the first time in months so you could say I’m doing alright.

To really kick things off at the beginning, in your eyes, what was the moment where you got your first inkling towards music and art in general, and how did you realize it was something you wanted to pursue?

I was surrounded by all kinds of music growing up, everything from my sisters’ 2002s RnB CDs to Björk to Etta James. I first really started to develop my own taste in music in middle school, when I was getting into bass music. As a 12-year-old it was exciting to hear sounds that were like something out of a video game. I realized pretty quickly that I had access to all the tools my favorite artists had, and I immediately jumped into making terrible electronic music. Music as a career was a thought that didn’t come until I was halfway through high school and it was becoming an actual possibility for me. I’m still trying to figure out what “music as a career” means though.

At that time, and as you were growing up, what did the art and sound mean to you and how did it shape your adolescence and development as an individual?

Creating music gave me a place to experiment and excel in a way that felt fun and productive, it was an escape from the mundane parts of adolescence. It actually helped me to survive high school, both because it was a nice way to kick back at a time when I didn’t entirely fit in, but also because I was able to get school credit for writing and putting out my last two releases.

As well through that period of discovery and development, who was your single greatest hero in life and what about them made you look up to who they are?

From 12-15, it could have been Skream, Phonat, KOAN Sound, any of those guys. The whole bass community was embracing the rapidly advancing world of music tech, and it was so inspiring to me to hear so many artists make music, unlike anything I’d ever heard before. They’re not as influential on my music as some others these days, but they were definitely beacons of light for a younger me.

How would you compare the challenges you were facing artistically back in those earlier days compared to yourself now as an older, more mature, and more established artist? Or are they similar and constant in your artistic life?

Most of the challenges I was facing early on had to do with my lack of technical understanding of electronic music clashing with my desire to make everything from scratch. I still have that problem sometimes, but I’m more versed in how music technology works now. One of the biggest changes I made over the past year was switching from FL Studio to Ableton, which felt necessary since I was moving towards a different style of production and live performance. Artistically though, I’ve never really had many setbacks, pretty much everything I do can be done from a bedroom.

And as another comparison, what would you say the biggest difference is between that original artistic vision to the one you hold today? What is the message you’re attempting to put forth with the new sounds you’re creating as opposed to those of yesterday?

I think the biggest shift my creative vision has gone through over time is the shift towards intention. Now that I’ve been around a bit longer and heard some more music than 13 years old me, I have more context for where my music belongs in the general stratosphere of sound. The instrumental music I was making prior to this release probably came off as pretty aimless, but I’ve always tried to tell stories of a gentle yet complex life with my music… adding the vocal layer helped reveal a different facet to these stories.

It goes without saying that the release of Cinderella today is very different due to the addition of vocals from yourself. How did you come to the point of comfort with this side of yourself and how do you feel it adds to the story you’re hoping to tell?

I never really decided, “okay, time to sing”, it was just something that I kind of walked into. Experimenting with vocal processing over the course of nearly a year eventually landed me on both a point of comfort with my voice and a direction for my music I was happy with. Ultimately, I found that I had something to say that I couldn’t accomplish purely through instrumentals. I want my music to reach people like me.

With the song itself, what drew you towards the concept of a Cinderella and what does it reflect within your life and what you’ve felt while creating and writing it?

‘Cinderella’ is about the feeling of being “a princess” around someone -- that you’re both protected and respected -- like nothing else in the whole world. I’m still pretty new to these feelings, but I wanted to write something that tried described this.

As you continue down the more lyrical path, where do you believe more of your lyrical inspiration will come from? Do you see yourself as one who uses past experience or more so personal feelings and anxieties to create the words you do?

At the moment, inspiration comes from both past and current experiences, and the feelings that result from them. It’s easier to tell a story that I know by heart.

If you could take one film and completely strip it of all its music and then replace it with some that you create either for it or insert what you have already made, what film would you choose and why do you believe your style matches and resonates with it?

I don’t know how closely the film resonates with my style, but I would have loved to compose the soundtrack for “Your Name”. The sentiment conveyed in that movie dances right on the fine line of not taking itself seriously and seriously melancholy, which is right where I want my music to fall. I love films with tender orchestral soundtracks, but I often wonder what they’d sound like if they were backed with softer electronic scoring? Maybe one day I can make it happen.

Looking forward into this year, what are the most important goals for you to hit and what plans do you have in terms of your creative output? Or are you someone who more so goes with the flow?

I’m generally the kind that just floats with the currents, but I do have goals. Since this project is a big step for me, I’m trying to see how far I can get it out there. Aside from that I’m really just trying to write music with my friends, and make new friends. Music is most enjoyable for me when I’m working with artists who are pushing the envelope.

And beyond the future itself, what do you hope that the Instupendo legacy and core message continues to be? What is it that you hope to be remembered and known for beyond your own time?

Above all, I want my music to be something that people will look back at with soft-hearted thoughts, something that can be shared with the next generation of listeners. What people associate my music with though? That’s up to them. I just hope it’s something gentle and sweet.

Do you have anyone to shout out? The floor is yours...

My work ethic recently has been hugely inspired by chef Jiro Ono, I hope to one day have complete control over my focus the same way he does. So shout out to him I guess.

LISTEN TO ‘CINDERELLA’

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Listen on Spotify and Soundcloud

Words and Interview by Guy Mizrahi

Photos by Michael Tian

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valeriequinonez1 · 6 years

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Sensibilities and Intuitions of the Master Designer; an Interview with Cecil Balmond, part 2

[Images courtesy of Balmond Studio]

Last summer, BUILD met with engineer-architect-artist, Cecil Balmond at his London Studio to discuss his most recent projects and the thinking behind his experimental design process. Prior to opening Balmond Studio, his career spanned 40-plus years at Ove Arup & Partners where he worked on pioneering projects with renowned architects all over the globe. Balmond discussed the notion of architecture in a dynamic environment, the designer’s intuition, and his most recent projects. For part 1 of the conversation, hop over to ARCADE Magazine, Issue 36.1, available in print and on their website.

Tell us about your previous role as Deputy Chairman at Arup, where you led thousands of engineers and architects. There were seven of us on the board of directors at Arup and I was head of building business globally with around 6,000 people under my supervision. When I joined, Arup was a company of about 5,000 people and when I left it was 11,000 people. The job was a huge bureaucratic task in one way, but on the other hand, I was the only director who had an active design group. My design group ranged from 25 to 60 people and we handled about 30 jobs per year. I would choose two or three of these projects and I’d personally lead the design.

It was at this time that I began setting up the Arup architectural practices in Beijing, Shanghai, and Turkey, as well as the sector architectures such as ARUP Sport and Arup Health. Arup Sport was a great success and we hired expert architects to lead the projects, like Richard Rogers and Norman Foster.

How would you characterize the spirit at Arup? Arup was a special organization because really it was led by Ove Arup at the beginning, who was a philosopher and a mathematician more so than an engineer. He was a man of the world with open ideas. That way of being really filtered down to certain people, like myself and others, who, if I’m honest, believed in design, and not necessarily engineering or architecture. Design was a much wider thing to us. Architecture had its own expert skill zone, and when it comes to the real grit of architecture, the specifications, window schedules, and the engineering, there is a horrendous, humungous amount of calculating to be done. But those are the mechanical parts of it. A great engineer is simply wonderful to watch at work because they’re intuitive, and I don’t just mean structural engineers, but environmental engineers, lighting engineers, etc. They’re dealing with intangibles almost, and yet they have an intuition that influences the building in a very holistic way. This method of working significantly contributed to my thinking that there are no limits in design.

Was there a particular moment or project that encouraged you to formalize your practice as an engineer-architect-artist? No, it’s like a lot of things in life, you drift. It’s a question of being an opportunist. Occasions occur where your instinct is primed to take advantage of key opportunities. If you are a creative person, you are pushing, not knowing what you are pushing at and then something comes up and you just jump, you take it, and I think my career has been a series of those jumps.

There was a cathartic moment at about age 35 when I was smoking outside my office and decided when I went back in I could never do the same thing again. It was that decisive, I just knew. But I didn’t know what was next. So, I went back in and threw out all my learning and started learning again. I went through a personal mentorship for the next five years. I studied at night, going back to the original treaties of mathematics, going back to the three forbidding books and six postulates of the Greek mathematician Euclid. I went back to the very first precepts set by the Greeks, like the philosophy of the point above a line, above a plane, the line being drawn through thepoint, above the plane, being parallel, and so on. The books written about those postulates engaged my mind totally. It provided me with a mobile sense of geometry. Those postulates soon led to the idea of proportion.

The next step took five to ten years and it involved believing in a mobile sense of geometry, where forms are constantly in motion and architecture is only a snapshot in time. This led to a proportional sense of space and ultimately an episodic treatment of design. This sequence was dependent on releasing my hand and thinking more freely. It required that I start thinking differently about design, that buildings don’t stop at the four corners, and that they don’t necessarily have to have a floor, a roof, and sides. It was a personal odyssey of unlearning and it is key to the work I’m doing today.

Is there a common way that you approach each design project? The way I work is generally scale-less as an idea. I tend to start with a metaphor or a feeling, something really vague. Then comes a sketch of something in space, some notion of space, or more accurately the notion of the intersection of space between it, it’s interiority, and the relation of the context of where it is. Just purely conceptually and it’s nothing to see yet. It might just be a few lines or a blotch. Then comes the idea of what is it. Is it art, engineering, or an architecture piece? Then comes the functionality, then comes the choice of scale. Once you choose scale, the material locks in. If it’s very small its thread or wire. If its humongous, its steel or trusses. Then comes configuration of scale. Last of all would be structure — actual structure as it means to an architect today. The actual skeleton, the actual thing is the last thing. If you start with that at all, you’ve lost the building. You’ve lost the spirit, you’ve lost what the building can do. At the end of my book Informal, there is a very interesting table of the hierarchy of decision making that goes through my mind.

You note that challenging assumptions is critical to your work. What is a recent example where challenging an assumption made a significant difference to the outcome of the project? Toyo Ito and I designed the 2002 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion together and we decided to start with a box. Upon looking at a map of London’s Hyde Park, where the Pavilion is located each year, we realized that the park is a collection of crisscrossing lines. Then came the idea that this pavilion is the gathering of lines. We started playing around with algorithms and the type of geometries similar to the movement of a ball around a billiard table until we hit upon a geometry that came back on itself and completed the box. This exercise allowed us to break the boundaries of the envelope and challenge the notion of the box. Even though it was a 50-foot by 50-foot structure, the viewers inside had no idea that they were in a box. Spatially, it was much bigger than the bounding box of its geometry.

Tell us about your discovery of aperiodic tile invented by the mathematician Robert Ammann. 20 years ago, I felt that architects and the graphic arts had no idea what mathematics does, so I started researching numbers. I quickly realized that the prime numbers have powerful sequences that are unpredictable. They look like a kind of music when I interpret them, and they’ve held my interest for years. The geometry of these tiles is based on the prime numbers and this is what makes them aperiodic in that their assembly results in a new pattern each time — they never repeat. Daniel Libeskind and I applied the tile to the V&A Spiral which is the proposal for an extension to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Your QXQ project addresses the need for prefabricated, modular housing. In your experience, what are the hurdles of implementing prefabricated, modular housing on a mass scale? It’s the biggest challenge in the industry and no one’s cracked it — not even Arup. Years ago, they went in with a huge contractor here in the U.K. who does housing and they spent a lot of money researching prefab design. The result ended up looking like every other prefab. And that’s the problem, because in the end, for mass production, you need corners and right angles, and once you have corners and right angles, to save money you close the surface and then you’ve got a box. You can go and cut corners and triangles out and make it look interesting, but it’s still a box. You haven’t cracked the sense of living.

In order to be successful, prefabrication shouldn’t start with conventional ideas. It would be great to think that prefab housing could inject a new idea of living in such prescribed spaces. No one has been successful at this yet and I tried a bit with the QXQ project. So many boxes have already been done and I don’t want to do another box. What can I add to it apart from cuteness and your sensibility of design? I was interested in refuge housing and wanted to investigate low technology, using my ideas to make things less expensive. I wanted to try to use architecture in adaptable ways using cheap materials but highly sophisticated design techniques to make an interesting statement while being functional. My design started with a dodecahedron and sliced off parts. This allows stacking in any direction and, interestingly, it created the idea of a colony of tightly fit modules rather than a collection of prefabricated homes. All the sudden, you’re into biomorphic design and while the architecture and structure are straight-forward, the services become challenging. Where do the ventilation, water, and sewer systems fit? We haven’t quite cracked it yet. We’re building two units as a test, but we really need to build 12 of them to check our assumptions, and we need to be building hundreds of units to be commercially viable. There are a number of interested clients from all over the world and a particular army was interested in 40,000 units. That’s the kind of scale we need to make the concept great, but we need to get the first one right.

Rem Koolhaas cites that, “through your work, engineering can now enter a more experimental and emotional territory.” Are academic engineering programs following your lead? I know certain architecture and engineering programs have taken my books as curriculum. The Scandinavians were the first to take up Informal, then some universities in the States and in England started using the book. I think it’s impacted young architects more than the engineering community as I suspect that the engineers may be enticed by the work but are afraid to pick up the book because the thinking is so radically different.

How has a non-linear approach to design affected the other areas of your life? I started organizing parts of my practice at Arup in a non-linear basis and it was very successful. Rather than applying top-down thinking, I began using an informal, emergent thinking. As an example, I deliberately don’t file my books, so I go searching my library and randomly pick a book, and then open up to the middle of the book and I read. That immediately kicks me into something I never even thought of. In the early ‘90s I became convinced that the world was non-linear. We simply fight it to be linear in order to understand it. But actually, it was not understandable in the first place.

You’ve had a synergistic relationship with artist Anish Kapoor, including your collaborations on the 2003 Marsyas exhibit at the Tate Modern, the Temenos sculpture in north England, and the Arcelormittal Orbit built for the 2012 summer Olympics. Tell me a bit about the balance you two have found working together. Anish and I came together originally for the Marsyas exhibit at the Tate Modern. It’s not so much the mechanics of the form making with Anish, it’s more about the discussions we have of what does it mean. I think that’s the driving spur between us. The mechanics of how you make the form is part of whoever’s skill set it falls under. So, if the items involve big spans, I’m doing it. If it’s an issue of color and surface, he’s doing it. Creative tensions about what is good or not arise, but it’s precisely these discussions that lead to the power of the form. It’s about a visceral reading of the form and how it moves you physically.

In any of these designs, you’ve got non-linear architectures and engineering forms, but it seems like you’re typically able to use a standard kit-of-parts like steel channels and I-beams. Do you feel that the materials and parts ever limit the form factor? No, because I always take the materials as a given out of pragmatism rather than thinking that I’m going to invent a new material or form. This isn’t to say that you compromise what you’re doing, but you need to rationalize how you’ll build a design and in that comes certain decisions to make about the material.

Do you have any structural inventions that you’re particularly proud of? The roof of the Arnhem Centraal project in the Netherlands includes a giant column that’s approximately 100-feet wide. It twists in space to support the roof and ground floor planes and it’s one of my best inventions. I thought the design would be prohibitively expensive, but it wasn’t.

from Civil Engineering http://blog.buildllc.com/2018/06/interview-cecil-balmond-part-2/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

#interior design

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wineanddinosaur · 4 years

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Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser on the Evolution of the Family Winery

A business can’t simply rely on its heritage and history to succeed. It must have high-quality products, services, and ideas. For Sokol Blosser, one of the oldest and longest-running wineries in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, all of these qualities have fueled the family business for the last half-century.

Sokol Blosser began producing what would later become acclaimed Pinot Noir wines from the Dundee Hills and Eola-Amity Hills AVAs in 1971. Launched by wife and husband Susan Sokol and Bill Blosser (who had married in 1966 after both graduating from Stanford University), the winery produced its first vintage in 1977. It quickly began winning awards and set standards in the industry.

In 2008, after 37 years running the business together, Bill and Susan passed the reins on to two of their three children, Alex and Alison. Alex Sokol Blosser is the head winemaker, while Alison is CEO. The brother and sister share the title of co-president, and truly feel they are second-generation stewards of the brand — and land.

Sustainability has been a key driver for the Sokol Blosser siblings. Their winery has numerous certifications, including being salmon-safe and USDA organically farmed. Its underground barrel cellar became the first-ever LEED-certified winery building in 2002 in the U.S. In 2015, Sokol Blosser achieved B Corp status, which continues to guide the family’s commitment to the environment.

With Alex and Alison at the helm, Sokol Blosser winery has continued to produce award-winning Pinot Noir, and has added a variety of colder-climate whites, as well as a range of sparkling wines. In 2020, Sokol Blosser introduced a new brand, Evolution boxed wine. Its 2019 vintages of Evolution Lucky No. 9 White and Evolution Pinot Noir, in 1.5-liter box format, are a first for the family brand.

“If you’d asked me 12 months ago if we’d ever put wine in a box, I’d say, ‘hell, no,’ Alison Sokol Blosser says. But if you asked her today if she’d do it again? The answer is in upcoming launches in 2021: Evolution Chardonnay, as well as Evolution Big Time Red. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she refers to Sokol Blosser’s boxed wine offerings in pairs: “The Evolution [Lucky No. 9] White will have the [Big Time Red] pair, and the Pinot Noir will have the Chardonnay pair,” she says.

Below, Alison and Alex share with VinePair what drives the siblings to create compelling wines, how they’ve survived and evolved in a global pandemic, and what the future holds for the Sokol Blosser legacy.

1. What’s the best part of your job?

Alex: The best part of my job is harvest. I love harvest. When you’re a winemaker, you so rarely are able to focus on making wine. So much of the rest of my year, I’m working on spreadsheets, planning, looking at vineyards — there are many aspects to winemaking that’s not making wine. It’s the toughest part of the year, but it’s the time I can really just do the one thing I love.

Alison: What gives me the most joy is when I hear from customers who have had an amazing experience with our wine. Whether it’s someone celebrating a milestone and a bottle of our wine was on the table, or a wine club member serving in the military in Europe who wanted to get wine to share with others stationed there. [That wine club member] then sent a picture of all these guys in their military uniforms drinking Sokol Blosser. We were part of their lives in an intimate way without being there. We were on the table and part of those memories.

2. What’s a setback you faced in your career, and how did you get past it?

Alison: For me, the biggest setback was almost a year ago — March 17 [2020] — and having to lay off about a third of our staff. There was so much uncertainty and fear. It was a very humbling and hard moment to have to lay off people we care about. Thankfully, we’ve been able to bring back most of them. The silver lining is that all of those challenges set us up for better success for the next 50 years.

Alex: It was when our mom fired me. She didn’t fire me because I was a schmuck. This was in the mid ‘90s. The winery wasn’t 100 percent family owned; we owned 51 percent of it. The other partners said [they] couldn’t have more than two Sokol Blossers working full-time. Our mom hired me as cellar master, and then the next day had to fire me. That was a shock.

3. What’s the biggest challenge you or your business have faced since Covid, and how did you address it?

Alison: The challenge of laying everyone off was precipitated by losing 50 percent of our sales — losing all of our on-premise business, cruise and airline business — overnight. We had to preserve the business to be able to come through on the other side.

Alex: Our vineyard crew continues to get older. We knew at some point we’d have to switch to mechanical harvesting, even for our higher-end Pinot Noir. It’s a quarter-of-a-million-dollar investment, and the technology is amazing. Mechanical harvesting is the future.

4. What’s a significant shift your business has made in the last six months that you had never considered before?

Alison: If you’d asked me 12 months ago if we’d ever put wine in a box, I’d say, ‘hell, no.’ But we did it and did it quickly. We green lit that project April 1 and shipped in July. We also had a lot of pivots on the consumer sales side, [and] virtual events we had never done before. Now Alex and I are Zooming into consumers’ homes, doing virtual tastings for people, leading them through a tasting. That’s been fun, and now we have tasting kits with 50-milliliter wines. And we had a flash sale. We thought it would be cool for our 50th anniversary to sell one of our Pinots today for the same price as one of the first: our 1977 Pinot, we sold for $6.75 a bottle. I think we sold 970 cases in two hours. We thought we’d sell 300 cases. It was fun.

Alex: We were going to spend a lot of money throwing a lot of parties. The celebration of an anniversary is the celebration of all the shared memories we have. We can’t throw parties for distributors, sales reps, customers … so $6.75 a bottle is what we can do.

5. What opportunities are there for up-and-coming talent in your industry?

Alex: We need strong backs in the winery for every harvest. This was the first harvest in 10 to 15 years we didn’t have international workers. We may be up against that in 2021. Let people know we need harvest interns. Apply now. Long hours. Cold beer.

Alison: Normally, I’d say we have a shortage of hospitality folks who want to work in the tasting room, but that’s closed now. We anticipate we’ll open early summer, and when that happens, we think there will be a shortage of great candidates. Everyone will be hiring. That’s an amazing opportunity [for them].

6. What’s next for Sokol Blosser?

Alison: What’s most immediately next is we’ll be expanding the box wine. Longer term, Sokol Blosser is naturally limited by what we can produce on our land. We have to continually push the envelope on quality. With Evolution, we have more flexibility and want to grow that brand. The consumer is willing to be adventurous and try something new. It’s up to us to figure out what that something is. It’s going to always be quality.

Alex: And we’re looking at potentially buying another vineyard or winery. That’s an opportunity over the next coming years.

Alison: We’re fully planted out. Expansion means to expand somewhere else. Our parents bought in the Dundee Hills when it was affordable. We got priced out of our own neighborhood.

The article Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser on the Evolution of the Family Winery appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/alex-alison-sokol-blosser-winery/

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