#reality is forming mirrors and such. One of the Sky Library's authors through and through... But also. He creates flowers

[blackvahana]

Honestly, and I know this is because I came up against what I'd called the Gatekeeper before of Lev, the under-all(most)-masks inner consciousness body of his though we all theoretically have one, where his emotions and conscious mind are just manifestations and translations of an internal sleeping lake.. Yeah, no, it was another mask. Anyway. The topic

Honestly... Im thinking about my connection to dogs briefly. Saw a post and have seen posts lately from therians talking about how their animal part or more animal self interacts with reality, for example talking about how they're a dog in the playful puppy way or as a guard dog or whathaveyou. Not a therian to be clear, it's a different thing, but doghood is always a mask of wolfhood for me, it's the "I have become, through forces that made this into an animal-and-master situation, something forced to be palatable"... It's generally complicated, there's elements of "the mother wolf becomes a dog so her children recognise her, she's older than their species but they only know their own species, so she puts on the dog body to play with them", there's elements of "I was forced into this form, taught that I have to yip and bow instead of growling and showing teeth", and so on and so forth. Not really the point, it's too complicated to summarise why I'm a wolf and why that gets represented and expressed as a dog - especially because ultimately wolf is a representation and expression of something else in turn

Point is when Lev stares right through the dog me because he knows I'm putting on a mask he just sees myself staring, cryptid-ass liminal shit lmfao. Actually. Not sure what the connecting logic is between the Gatekeepers thing and this. Probably just Lev encouraging my own to go play with his

Fascinating as fuck honestly finally seeing the Gatekeeper of Lev's crumble into being yet another mask. I've been waiting for that for a while now lmfao. It's probably partly to do with the fact that Lev said earlier he wanted to help me wake up more parts of myself that are sleeping, parts beyond the conscious minds... Man I am so fuckin tired

[cloudyyoonji]

Study Love.

Summary: After a long day at university, you’re left stressed. But Jungkook is always there to save you from your stresses.

Jeon Jungkook and Reader (Y/N).

Genre: Fluffy.

Word Count: 1363 words.

Authors Note: Hello guys! Here’s another JK imagine to ease your troubles!

Edit: to anyone who has seen this post, originally it was an angst uni imagine. But I was unhappy with the writing so I decided to change it and make it a fluffy uni destress imagine, as Im sure it relates to a lot of people’s stresses right now. Again Thankyou for the support and enjoy!

_____________________________________

University, the best years of your life some say. Yet, university had easily worked its way into being the most stressful part of your life. You were really beginning to doubt if your degree was even worth it anymore.

But of course, he’s there.

Jeon Jungkook, Your boyfriend of 5 years. He’s been there all the way through it. Though the application process all the way to the studying for your final exams that were in a few weeks.

Studying was tough, but you were almost at the end. And it would be so worth it.

You sigh, signing your name amongst the thousands of others on the lined paper. Exam season unfortunately meant a jam-packed library.

Sitting down at a small desk in the corner, you pull out the books from your bag. A light wind generated from your rapid flipping of pages tousles your hair, your eyes scanning over the blank pages for a sign of your cursive handwriting.

Expecting the few lines of a summary, youre instead met with the small, neat handwriting of your boyfriend.

You roll your eyes at the note, a smile gracing your lips. These were special moments you cherished.

You were both so busy that small, precious notes were the only way you two could comunicate in the day.

Closing the book, you reach for the small stash of palm cards in your planner but instead.

“Fighting!”

You can’t help but laugh at Yoongi’s messy scrawl.

Had everyone written you a note of motivation?

Taehyung, than Seokjin, Hoseok, Namjoon and even Jimin, all seven of the boys reminded you to stay on top of your studies, and remember to take a break when you needed it most.

Sighing happily, you began your summary on your essay.

These boys knew just what you needed today.

How long you actually studied, you had no idea. But the ringing of what signaled the end of a hard day of studying made you race to your car, desperate to get home.

Today, the beautiful evening pink sky made you feel somewhat better about your study, but made you even more excited to get home.

*****

Shoving the keys into the door, your mind is pounding with the positive words of the notes and with the sligh headache of long term study. You remind yourself to bring you glasses with you tomorrow.

“Hey!”

His silky voice is music to your ears, your preoccupied mind melting away in an instant, but the sight of your planner clutched in your hand is enough to arise the bittersweet reality of today. You still needed to study.

Sighing slightly at the work ahead, you walk into the kitchen, dropping your bag onto the tiled floor beneath you.

You’re met with the gaze of your boyfriend, who stands in the kitchen, coffee in hand. His eyes are glazed with worry as they scan your face.

You smile brightly, assuring him that you were just tired. He mirrors your smile, satisfied that you were okay.

Putting your planner down, you hummed in procrastination, Jungkook raising his eyebrows at you. He knew your procrastination habits were bad.

“Let me guess, you’re not going to do that.”

“Nope.”

He laughed at you, “So what are you going to do?”

You smiled, a perfect plan for tonight forming in your mind.

“I’m going to go have a shower.”

The warm water washes away your troubles, settling yourself on the couch wrapped in the comfort of your favourite blanket to further relax yourself. The random movie playing on the television doesn’t quite have all your attention as you wait for him. But the moment he walks in, you feel yourself relax a bit more. He sits down next to you, estranging no words as he moves to get comfortable.

As moments pass, your studying mind eases just by his presence.

“Y/N.”

Your eyes shift from the tv in front of you to your boyfriend.

But his eyes are already trained on you. Your heart pounds at just the site of him.

“Hi.”

You smile at the simple words. “Hi.”

Laying his head on your shoulder, you hear him sigh in content.

This was rare, the two of you being at home together, uninterrupted. One or all of the boys were normally over after they finished practice. And sometimes you weren’t home until late hours in the night, staying up at the local library drilling the countless words sequence into your head.

“You know how that I’m so proud of you right?” He asks, pulling you a little closer to him.

Nodding, you take in his rare scent and presence.

“Then you’ll believe me when I say you’ve been overworking yourself?”

Sighing, you nod again. It’s true. The exams, now less than a week away, we’re being to replace your boyfriend. The desk now your bed, and the words formed by your pen replaced the texts from phone.

But somehow, you still couldn’t get your head around this essay, and it was stressing you out.

“You’ve been so busy getting ready for the next comeback and you’re always so tired or busy… I didn’t want to bother you with a meaningless essay.” You tell him. It was the truth after all.

Amongst all the positivity in your life, this was one you couldn’t really control. And you wanted to be able to do it yourself.

This time it’s his turn to sigh. He shakes his head at your words.

“Jagi. Seriously, I don’t care if you wake me at 3 in the morning to tell me you’re having a problem studying. I can help. I want to help. These exams are hard, and I want to help as much as I can. You know that I love you unconditionally, and you know I hate seeing you under so much stress? So please, let me help you somehow. ”

His words hit you right in the heart, you’re eyes avoiding him in guilt. You’re speechless at his sincere words. It had not even occurred to you to ask him for help while you two were at home like this. You were so determined to just spend time with him that you... you procrastinated a lot, than made up for lost time at the library.

But Jungkook has his own plans to help you de stress today.

Taking your hand, he pulls you up from your comfortable spot on the couch and guides you to your shared bedroom. Gesturing for you to lie down, as he climbs into his side of the bed. You obey his gesture, climbing into your own side, and pulling the covers over yourself.

“What are you -“ he cuts you off with a finger to your lips.

“Cuddling.”

His lame reply makes you smile, rolling your eyes a little at his goofy smile. The essay completely gone from your mind.

He pulls you close, intertwining your limbs to ensure there was no gap between you both, your head pushed into his chest.

A soft smile graces your features as you pull back to take a look at him, your noses now touching. He laughs at the gesture, making you shyly pull back a bit more. But your shyness only makes him laugh more, instead, he opts for a different approach to your shy nature - closing the gap between you both.

His lips are soft on yours, the kiss being slow but full of passion. Every brush of lips against lips sends shivers down your spine. The quick swiping of his thumb on your cheekbone and the silent shaky breaths calming the raging storm in your mind, the memories of today completely melted away by this moment.

He was worth it all.

His touch, his kiss, his breath. It is worth all the short amount of time you’re weren’t studying.

You smile into the kiss, Jungkooks touch sending ripples of shivers down your body. When the kiss is broken, you both are left completely breathless.

“I love you. So much.” Your breath, your eyes flicking up to meet his warm brown ones.

He smiles, chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath.

“And I love you more.”

[carlanews]

26/07/2021

Ex oriente lux (2018), en pofundidad, en el número de agosto 2021 de Monthy Photography, revista surcoreana mensual de fotografía y arte publicando desde agosto de 1966.

Ex oriente lux (2018), in depth, at the August 2021 issue of Monthy Photography, South Korean Photography Art monthly magazine publishing from August of 1966.

Entrevista en inglés / Interview in English:

You started <Ex Oriente Lux> when you were investigating the theoretical legacy of some French Occultists. Could you explain ‘the theoretical legacy of some French Occultists’?

I am deeply interested in everything that has to do with the unknown, understood as that which cannot be reached through the cognitive capacities, nor can it be domesticated, controlled or dominated. The French philosopher Simone Weil understands the supernatural as the love for the natural. Based on this, I suppose that this fascination I have for the supernatural, or what goes beyond the ordinary reality, stems from a deep love for nature and for reality itself, as it is. Likewise, through my work, I try to question the ‘mandatory reality’ or what belongs to the consensus reality, what is imposed, pre-established and assumed. As a result, I have always been interested in alternative narratives that defy rational logic.

France, and specifically Paris, is an authentic Masonic labyrinth that hides, behind its architecture and urban organization, a lot of knowledge linked to the occult and esoteric sciences. This is to say, all that unofficial knowledge that has accompanied Western history, although had remain in the shadows. France has been the place of confluence of many thinkers who have been located outside mainstream thinking. Thus, instigated by these motivations, I applied for an artist’s residency at the Cité des Arts de Paris, not only to visit libraries or museums, where I could inform myself about these subjects that interest me greatly but also to walk its streets to be impregned of this hidden wisdom that conceives the existence of issues that challenge the Western hegemonic logic.

Particurlarly, I was interested in studying the controversial figure of the French occultist Alexandre Saint-Yves d'Alveydre (1842 - 1909) and his theories about "Agartha", a secret underground kingdom established at the beginning of the Kali Yuga (Iron Age), according to the Vedic tradition in the 3200 B.C, approximately. This place is more advanced technologically and spiritually than our world and the system of government is what he calls the “Synarchy”. According to him, when our world will adopt the Synarchy system, Agartha will be revealed to us. Saint-Yves also mastered the art of releasing his astral body, and like this, he could visit Agartha by himself.

There are several previous versions of Agartha, or about a similar place, like Pauwels and Bergier version, Ernest Renan or the French freethinker, Louis Jacolliot (1837 - 1890) who created the Agartha myth. There is also an obvious resemblance to the novel by Bulwer Lytton “The Coming Race” (1871) or to “Ghostland, or Researches into the Mysteries of Occultism” (1876) published under the auspices of Emma Hardinge Britten, medium and founding member of the Theosophical Society. As well, the concept of a secret kingdom where wise people live and work existed since the eighteenth century within the Freemasonry of the Strict Observance, with what they call "Unknown Superiors".

These theories about the existence of Agartha supported by Saint-Yves d'Alveydre are related with the ideas affirming the existence of a hole at the North Pole and the hollow Earth hypothesis, fervently defended, among others, by John Cleves Symmes (1780-1829). They are also linked with topics from popular cultures, such as lost races, conspiracy theories, the Holy Grail, UFOs, the Apocalypse and others. As Ekkehard Hieronimus advised: "What is happening in the lower layers of society is certainly much more powerful and effective than what happens in intellectual circles".

I referred to your previous interview to know about <Ex Oriente Lux> It would be great if you explain more details and easier about <Ex Oriente Lux>

As you already know, this project started during an artist residency in Paris. I went there to study in-depth about some authors related to Esoteric and Hermetic Sciences, but also to be closer to the French Occultism tradition that reverberates everywhere in this city. Once there, nevertheless, I found myself totally overwhelmed by the complexity of this matter and, as its name already advises, by its hermeticism and secrecy. But as with every project I do, my first purposes end up always being modified as the reality itself brings new events that I need to adapt to.

For all mentioned above, “Ex oriente lux” is still open, it conforms the first part of an unfinished project. The title refers to the Latin phrase “Ex oriente lux, ex occidente dux” (light comes from the East, power from the West) alluding to the meaning of travelling to the East as a symbolic ascension to the light and wisdom source. The East as a symbol of the occult and otherworldly.

Thus, this first approach to this endless subject is through the most basic and well-known principle of the hermetic sciences -"as above, so below"- collected in the Emerald Tablet by Hermes Trismegistus. This means that as it is “outside” (for instance, the Cosmos) it is “inside” (the Earth). Therefore, there is a correspondence between what we see, and what we can’t see; what is far away and what is close; and so on. As a result of these ideas, the first part of this work is an installation composed by pictures of different types of stones and marbles taken at the Louvre Museum in Paris (a venue with powerful masonic symbolism and full of hidden codes). It depicts a sort of mirror of the cosmos in order to highlight the historic connection between freemasonry and stoneworkers - guardians of secret legacies transmitted through encrypted messages carved in the stones -. So, this photo-installation is formed by pieces of hypothetical planets and landscapes resulting from a sort of Big-Bang explosion, recalling the similarity these stones have with incredible otherworldly imaginary landscapes. These images are printed on transparent plexiglass and cut in different geometrical shapes. Moreover, the installation is completed with smoke, small mirrors and lights that form beams of light in the space.

The second part of “Ex oriente lux” is also based on the Law of Analogy but this time I focused on the ideas related to that what happens in the stars is directly connected with what happens on the planet and our lives. Starts rule the plane of formation of the material world, called the “astral plane”. This plane - another dimension - works as the motor and it connects the abstract - the world of the ideas - with the matter itself and the physical world. So, according to the occult sciences, it is the necessary intermediary for all transformations or movements to happen, this is, the engine of life. In this way, the moon and the sun, which in alchemy have a remarkable meaning as well as being the maximum symbol of divinity in theosophical esotericism, are aligned and reflected on Earth. They are basic elements of our everyday life and they depict the realm of reality. Specially, in the world of outwards appearances we live, not only for being more and more virtual, but even before Internet or AI, it was already a pre-establishedsociety living in a kind of organised scenery.

If I understood about <Ex Oriente Lux>, do you hope to show your interest and language that the important relationship between moon and sun in Occult science?

Both, the sun and the moon, as well as the rest of the stars in the universe, are crucial elements for all forms of esoterism, mysticism or alternative narratives that, for instance, don’t derive from Christianity. The most ancient cultures, the pagan traditions, considered them as objects of worship since they were a source of answers of all that we cannot control or understand.

Could you let me know the process to photograph suns and moons?

I photographed them with 35mm and 8mm film. Only the analogue film can organically catch those lights, since the burnt in analogue film is not necessarily a loss of information as it is in digital photography. Those inherent elements of film that are often treated as mistakes: overexposure, bleaching of the frame, lens flare or ending fading, I deem them to be something precious because these ‘errors’ are, in fact, faithful to reality. Film, as the sun and the moon, has its own life and it’s an alchemy process and it’s precisely this what I find interesting.

Besides, having been born facing the Atlantic Ocean, I have always had the opportunity to enjoy the whole daily journey of the sun, which is always very present in my hometown since it transforms the colours and lights of all that is around. This spontaneous attraction led me to photograph the sun in all its different ways, also because, it is never the same thing. I always felt that being able to enjoy it, it’s one of the biggest privileges I could have… Despite it is sometimes considered as a cliché of beauty, or its features tend to be exaggerated. For me, it a simply quotidian event embodying spectacular radical alterity.

Each photo work’s color (or sky and sun’s color) is different. (black & white, purple, red and so on). Is there special reason?

Regarding the alchemical character of film, I am interested in the transformation it implicates, which is uncontrollable and whose nature is unshowable. When you work with film it exists this relationship with alchemy and magic. Film evokes what it is beyond the rational self, as well as the immanent transcendence that the medium itself already holds. It triggers a kind of mystical experience or poetics. It is a journey to an unknown place, far removed from the actual world, to which analogue photography transports us and it cannot be replaced or reproduced by any other means. I allow myself to be free in the use of colours as a sort of celebration of the miracle of the photochemical and its uniqueness. This is to recreate the illusory and alchemical character of film as well as the blindness and mystery of the medium. There is not an unfailing desire to master the medium, but to appreciate its particular beauty, leaving room for the surprise of what is not preestablished or premeditated. Beauty is in that which is out of control, unfathomable, side-lined, that which is considered useless or unimportant. Beauty is in everyday life.

As you focus on the mysticism / Occult, What did you pay attention for <Ex Oriente Lux>?

When I started this project, I had a lot of curiosity about the occult sciences as was already mentioned. During my research, I learned about concepts such as the "astral plane" or the "law of analogy" but also, I approached an unknown universe for me. All those experiences were translated visually, in a reality-language related to the intimate, the spiritual and the most basic and direct experience of the world itself.

Do you have any message to people or What do you want the audience to feel?

More than messages, I would like my work to be received just as an aesthetic experience that brings new languages and approaches to reality. It’s rather about transmitting openness, to underscore the fact that things are never in just one way, but they can be in infinitely different ways; and about the enjoyment derived from experiencing them, instead of closing ourselves to the otherness. It’s about going beyond the compartmentalised and watertight thinking through which we often see reality. In my work, there is a desire to know what it’s beyond the specific, pragmatic and utilitarian world in which we normally are immersed. It speaks about breaking barriers and borders, about the necessity of being in contact with different types of cosmovision, what links it directly to travel, but it speaks also about other kinds of journeys, more intimates. This is, to softly touch what is very meaningful for us but never ends up taking a specific form, nevertheless. In my work, there is always something that remains unfinished and unclosed; something that can’t be grasped nor categorised. Therefore, my work is located in this liminal and bewildering area which is related to our internal labyrinth in which I decide to get lost and even surrender to that emotional experience; in order to reach a collective unconscious. It is an emotional mechanism that is profoundly human. My work is a permanent search that never ends up dwelling a definitive shape. An endless seek whose purpose never finds an answer. It’s about got steeped by the world and delving into our inner labyrinths. In this sense, it has an oceanic feeling. This is to say, there is a strong inclination to adventure besides the necessity of isolation. These are contradictory concepts, but it is precisely this confusion and indeterminacy that governs my work; a strong necessity to connect to the world but also of seclusion. My work is also about aspirations that never are accomplished. It has to do with temporality and imperfection; a sort of work-in-progress.

It’s funny that sometime after finishing this project about “suns” and “moons”, I discovered that in my astral map, the sun is located in the 12th house which is related to all the ideas mentioned above. Knowing this all this made some more sense to me. The 12th house has to do with the idea of labyrinth, it is the house of the incessant seeks that steadily sails through the uncertainty (…)

You made stone works with photo works. What does the stone work mean in <Ex Oriente Lux>? I just wonder why you work in stone as well?

Actually, it is plexiglass imitating stones. But they are transparent and light stones, like if they were trying to escape from the gravity that stone implicates. This approach to the factual character materials bring is always present in my practice because I consider my photography work not only as a succession of images. Rather, they conclude or find their ultimate meaning on a determined space and position, as well as time. Size, place and material are important issues I bear in mind when creating my projects. These aspects provide new meanings but also create a kind of “aura” due to the total experience we have when experiencing the work…

what was the most difficulties when you work for <Ex Oriente Lux>? Or Do you have any unforgettable story during work?

It was quite a challenging project. First, it was hard to decode all those so cryptic texts written by Alexandre Saint Yves. They are really dense and complex. They’re full of references related, for example, to Kabbalah, even more hermetic to me, or other subjects linked to occult sciences. Secondly, another difficulty was how to visually materialise all those ideas, languages and mental images I was immersed in. This is, what to photograph now?

Also, I decided to become a member of the Rosicrucian Order, but it was not that easy and it required a lot of dedication and continuity so, after a conversation with someone related to freemasonry, I had the feeling that if try to enter in that world, this is to really try to “understand” Kabbalah, etc, my life would probably change forever. New beliefs and information would completely take my life in a different direction. I am an extremely sensitive person, for the good and the bad, so I realised that I was not, at all, prepared for all that, at least in that specific moment of my life. Maybe one day in the future. In any case, this project opened my eyes to new realities and, somehow, it has already changed my view of the world.

It would be great if you explain 2~4 photo works that you hope to mention to subscribers.

This photo was taken during a Solar Eclipse in my hometown, Nigrán (Spain). It was probably the most incredible eclipse I’ve ever seen. I went to a place I love on a mountain called Monteferro with my friend Cristina, where there is an amazing view. It’s not rare that when we both meet; special things happen around. Just a few seconds before the sun started to be covered by the moon, a cloak of clouds coming from the horizon covered the sea very quickly. Suddenly, we could only see a dense layer of clouds as if we were in a high peak but actually, we were not that far from the sea. The light changed becoming slightly darker but not only that, but the whole atmosphere changed in a few minutes. It was breathtaking, we were in a totally different landscape. I had never seen the clouds moving so fast as if they were spirits coming towards us. After some minutes of the total eclipse, the clouds started to move away and everything becomes the same it was; a sunny, bright and clear summer day. I took the picture when the clouds were going back to the horizon, because before I was so amazed that I could not even react.

These two pictures usually are shown in two lightboxes that work as a diptych. They were taken very early in the morning, when the sun was rising, near the Mont Blanc Mountain (France), with a Super 8 camera using the one-frame shoot mood. This moment was after a strong snowstorm. The atmosphere was full of fog which worked as a sort of a diffuser for the sunlight. It was really amazing.

[emeraldxmonarch]

Amori Aetherium (pt. 19.1)

(Hey guys! And finally, here is the first part of the dreaded High Lord meeting! I decided to split it into three chapters because there’s going to be a lot going on, and it wouldn’t be fair to just shove it into one rushed chapter. This way, I can hash out different details and plot points for later on. It’ll make more sense as the chapters progress! Hopefully you guys enjoy it, and a huge thank you to the amazingly talented @voice-addicted for all of her wonderful help. Literally I cannot say it enough how much of a blessing this girl is.

Enjoy~!

Tag list (If anyone wants to be tagged, lemme know): @acourtofrosesandbooks

-SxW)

~Previous Chapter~                                                               ~Next Chapter~

Here it was.

The minute she opened her eyes, she could feel the anxiety in her bones.

Today was the day of the meeting.

She slowly sat up and looked out the window, the sun barely beginning to peek over the Sidra.

With a deep breath, she looked around the room before slowly getting up and making her way into the bathroom.

Shedding her clothes, she finally let herself take a good look at the damage across her back, not having the nerve to do so before.

Two long thin scars stretched down her back, the wound having finally recently healed with her getting her strength back. The bruises have long since healed, as well as the smaller cuts that had lingered before.

She was dangerously edging into a mindset that she was purposefully shoving away every second.

With a deep breath, she quickly threw herself into a tub of cold water.

                                                        ~

She shivered as she dried herself off, goosebumps raised against her pale skin as she wrapped the towel tightly around herself, her hair tied into a messy bun on top her head. Her mind was fixed on the meeting that was barely even hours away. What would happen if the meeting was about what had happened?

But how would they know?

She frowned softly and sighed.

What would she even do if one of the High Lords said something to her?

She would probably freeze up on the spot.

She hated how easily she still froze up if someone of authority spoke to her...

Side effects of working in Hewn City she guessed...

Her mind ended up wandering to Idelisa again... since she shared the story, she found herself thinking of her friend more and more. Idelisa had obviously come from another court, with her silver hair and green eyes. She was a beauty trapped in a Court of Nightmares. They had become fast friends, even after she learned her true name... They clung to each other and kept each other’s hopes up when it felt like things had become hopeless...

Which is why it stung so badly when she had suddenly disappeared.

There was no note, or forewarning that she was leaving.

Despite her pain, she prayed every day that she had somehow escaped.

Somehow made it out... instead of the horrible alternative.

She shook her head and sighed, unable to really focus on one matter at a time. she was turning into a complete scatterbrain.

A knock on the door made her jolt back into reality.

“One second!” Throwing on her previously worn clothes, she quickly went to answer the door.

Opening it, she saw Feyre standing in the door with a soft grin, holding a gown in her hand.

“So, I got you something for the meeting.”

                                                                ~

Amara stared at herself in the mirror, shock lining her features as she took in her dress.

A deep blue gown, the v-neck cut showing off her ample chest, with the sheer sleeves and train of the gown looking as though they were dotted in pieces of stars themselves.

The dress in itself was simple, but the small, silverline details along the bodice and train made it special. Vines of silver had subtly wound around her waist right where the train began and right along where the cut of the dress met her skin.

Feyre had let her hair down, and it curled around her face and chest, melding with the color of the dress almost perfectly as she just look herself in.

There was no way this was her.

There was no way she could look so beautiful.

“Now, one last touch” Feyre had slipped a clip into her hair, right along the side, and it was a small, crystalline rose, that shone with the light.

It immediately reminded her of starlight.

“Feyre I can’t take something like this...”

“Too bad. It fits perfectly. I won’t take no for an answer” Amara pouted at her, feeling guilty because what she wore... what she looked like... she couldn’t even dream of looking this beautiful... she brushed her fingertips over the clip, mesmerized by the smooth yet chilled glass.

“Rhys, before we were together, used to crown me at every single meeting we went to. Every single one. And he still does... This is no crown... but it definitely fits, don’t you think?” 

Amara threw her arms around her in a tight hug.

Feyre jumped a bit before smiling and hugging her back, “Well, head on downstairs and wait with the others. Apparently Rhys is still getting my own dress ready,” Amara nods softly, and goes towards the door.

“Feyre?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sure whatever dress Rhysand gets ready... You’ll look absolutely beautiful in it..” Before Feyre could respond, she quickly went out the door and headed downstairs.

Even Feyre couldn’t deny the soft blush lining her cheeks.

                                                       ~

Amara’s face was burning.

She felt so embarrassed saying that, but couldn’t deny the fact that she wanted to say it.

When she got downstairs, Mor, Cassian and Azriel were already sitting on the couch.

Cassian noticed her first and beckoned her over.

It took most of her self control not to gawk at them.

Mor was sitting in the center, wearing a deep red dress that clung to her figure, and fell into a train behind her. A deep cut along the neck and sides accentuated her curves and the color only further complimented her flaxen skin. Silver bracelets lined both of her wrists and clinked with each movement, her long fingers adorned with silver bands and gemstones.

“Here we thought Amren was the hoarder, not you Mor.” Cassian snorted and laid back.

He and Azriel were both clad in Illyrian leathers. Their towering forms only further emphasized by the tight cloth, each red and blue siphon shone in a low but terrifying light. Their wings were tucked behind them to sit comfortably on the couch but it did nothing to dwarf their sheer size.

They both looked every bit as terrifying as the rumors portrayed, making her heart skip a beat, as unbidded images flashed through her mind faster than she could comprehend.

“Amren IS a hoarder. I simply know how to dress damn well.” She playfully flipped her hair and even Azriel gave a soft chuckle.

“Amara, you look beautiful,” Mor smiled at her kindly as Amara sat down slowly in front of them, her eyes still wide as she took them all in.

And her brilliant response?

“Woah.”

Mor blinked at her and Cassian raised an eyebrow.

“Woah?” He mimicked.

A blush quickly lined her face again as she waved to the three of them, “You all look amazing! ... and terrifying but that’s just me...” She whispered the last part but it seemed like Azriel heard her, and gave a small but slightly smug grin in return.

Mor giggled softly while Cassian smirked, both of them shaking their heads at her.

“Amara?” A more serious tone.

“Yes?”

Cassian looked at her seriously, “Stay close to us. We aren’t saying that anyone is going to outright attack you, but we need to take precautions if something does happen.”

She couldn’t help but blurt it out, “Do you think it will?”

“There’s a chance.” Azriel spoke up this time, not sugarcoating the possibility.

Amara’s head was reeling, the possibility of a fight now looming over her like a dark cloud.

Would they be able to sense the bond? Sense that it hasn’t been officiated yet?

Would they know that she was the girl named after a dark queen that had enslaved them all?

Would they try to harm her, just out of spite for the name that belonged to the hell that reigned over them for almost half a century?

Her thoughts were a whirlwind of storms and thunder and bright flashes of images that only fed her anxiety.

She would gladly let them kill her if it meant keeping those who gave her a home safe.

She would gladly bear the brunt of insanity, bear the brunt of the spell that pushed down the ancient magic of the mating bond so they could live.

She owed each of them her life.

She would do it gladly.

Footsteps broke her out of her torrent stream of thought however, and she was awestruck when she looked up.

Feyre and Rhysand had finally come downstairs, and looked like the Night personified.

Feyre’s dress, Amara swore, was woven from the very Night sky itself. Hints of violet was woven through the nearly pitch black dress. Small jewels decorated the bodice and train that glimmered like the stars in Velaris. No jewelry rested on her breast or wrist, but a crown woven of moonlight rested on her brow. A twist of vines and strands that wove through the center gem of a crystalline stone that seemed to change colors every time the light hit it only accentuated her own role as High Lady of the Night Court.

Rhysand was no less devastating with a tunic that seemed to weave violet and indigo together in a background of black, with silver lining the lapel, buttons and cuffs, matching him with his High Lady.

Together, they emanated everything this Court truly stood for.

And she felt so lucky to be able to see it in person.

“Are we ready?” Rhys nodded to them, as they all stood in front of him, a somber look donning their faces and Cassian turned to Amara.

“Well... let’s not keep them waiting any longer, shall we?”

Without another word, Rhys winnowed them all to the Day Court.

                                                     ~

The Day Court still took her breath away.

Rhys had winnowed them directly outside the library where the meeting was supposed to be held.

The interior shone with golds and blues and hints of orange through the walls and curtains.

Amara couldn’t help but just stare up and around her surroundings, trying to take in every detail.

But before she could, Mor gently laid a hand on her shoulder with a smile.

“Shall we head in then?” She nodded, and followed her inside.

And promptly had her breath taken away by the beauty of the library.

Books lined every single inch of the walls, and went higher than her eyes could even see. The gold theme was shared in here as well through the pillars and staircases that led whoever came in up and up and up. The stairs glittered as if they were lined with gold in each step, the floors shining marble.

The area where the meeting was going to be held was at the center of the library, where if you looked up, you would see a spiral of books just rising higher and higher in hues of bright gold and white.

“Wow...”

“I’m glad to see that you like it” A voice sounded off from behind her and made her nearly jump out of her skin.

Quickly turning, she saw the High Lord of Day give her a languid grin, as he nodded to Rhys, who stood close behind her.

She quickly bowed low to Helion, who waved her off, “No need for that. Let’s take a seat. The meeting is about to start”

Helion walked off ahead, his body language seemingly relaxed but the ripple of muscles in his shoulder showed the tension.

Rhys gently put a hand on the small of her back, “Come on, I want us seated when the rest of the High Lords come in.”

Amara followed him to the long table, and went towards the vacant seat between Azriel and Mor. But before she could sit down, Rhys leaned down and softly whispered in her ear,

“You really do look beautiful.”

Amara’s face felt like it was on fire as Rhys smiled at her slyly before taking a seat next to Feyre.

She slowly sat down and took in her surroundings, feeling her heart pound in her chest. Her hands trembled in her lap, as sudden noise made her whip her head towards the door.

They were here.  

                                                          ~

First Thesan walked in, his sun kissed skin glowing with the touch of dawn at his brow. His tunic was tightly fitted across his broad chest but flowed out near his legs. His hair had a subtle shine, as well as his eyes, both the color of the earth. His entire being had a soft, warm glow that truly accentuating that he was the High Lord of Dawn. Rhys walked up to him and shook his hand, and Thesan gave a respectful nod of his head to the rest of the Inner Circle.

A winged male stood behind him, but his wings... were not like Rhys’ or Cassian’s... they were more akin to angel wings... and Amara couldn’t keep the childish admiration off her face.

The male caught her eye, and after a quick glance, gave her a small but kind smile, making her quickly bow her head to him.

“Welcome, Thesan.” Helion gave him a nod from his seat at the table, before gesturing for him to sit as well.

“Hello to you as well, Helion. It seems as if the one to call the meeting has yet to still arrive” There was slight annoyance in his voice as Helion barked out a laugh.

“Beron was never one to arrive on time.”

Amara watches the exchange, as Mor watches the door almost eagerly so. Rhys and Feyre quietly holding their own conversation in the back.

“Nervous?” A soft voice to her right made her jolt. Azriel watched her with an unreadable expression.

“...Is it that obvious?” Her voice matched his.

“Your arms are trembling” She tensed and lightly gripped them.

“I just...”

“It’ll be alright.” His voice was sure, as he gave her a soft smile, showing a kinder side to her. While it did little to quell her nerves, she appreciated the effort.

“Thank you Azriel...” She gave her own smile back...

And nearly shrieked when Mor squealed and jumped out of her seat.

“Viviane finally! It took you long enough!” Mor launched herself at the female who just walked into the room.

She was a beauty, Amara had to admit.

As tall as Mor, but almost the opposite. Her skin was as pale as snow, and her hair glistened just as brightly. She wore a deep blue dress that hugged her figure, the long sleeves cuffed with fur as well as the train. Gemstones glittered on the body like scattered snowflakes as a fur shawl rested on her delicate shoulders.

Both women clung to each other and spoke too quickly for Amara to even catch. But a man next to her made her stiffen slightly as she realized who they were.

Kallias, the High Lord of Winter stood next to his Lady. His skin looked like smooth frost, as his hair was pushed back from his face. His eyes were a deep, glacier blue, as though they were made from pieces of shattered ice themselves. His outfit stuck out in the otherwise warm court, being a fitted tunic and pants with fur lining the collars and cuffs, the thickness of the material doing little to hide his fit body underneath.

Kallias nodded to High Lords at the table before grinning wryly at his wife, “Can we go take a seat, Viv? Or would you rather keep squealing in the doorway and deafening everyone within a fifty mile radius?”

Vivienne gave him a vulgar gesture that made Amara bite back a giggle.

“How are you, Feyre?” Vivienne smiled as she sat across from the High Lady. Feyre gave her a grin, “I’m fine, Viv. How’s everything with you?”

They launched into a conversation when Vivienne’s eyes fixed on her, “Oh, hello. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Vivienne.” She smiled kindly as Amara tensed up and bowed her head.

“It’s an honor my Lady...” Vivienne only giggled before shaking her head.

“Please, call me Vivienne. And you are?”

“This is Amara. She’s the newest member of the Inner Court” Mor answered smoothly, and Amara’s heart pounded in anticipation as Vivienne took her in.

“Well, Amara. It’s lovely to meet you” Amara managed to nod softly with a polite smile, murmuring her own agreement as her eyes were drawn to the door once again.

This time, it was the High Lord of Summer who walked in, with a female at his side.

Dark brown skin against white robes that flowed across his body like water. His white hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck as a long necklace rested on his chest, a deep blue stone dangling from the chain. He shook Rhys’ and Feyre’s hand, giving them a small but kind smile as he took his seat, giving a small greeting to the other High Lords.

The female was similar in features to him, with dark sun kissed skin and moonlit hair. Her dress clung to her chest and flowed out at her legs. Despite the simple dress, she wore it with class.

The conversation was all going over Amara’s head, feeling a haze settle over her as she tried to keep calm with the High Lords that began to quickly filter in.

Only two High Lords remained.

The crueler High Lords remained.

And her heart pounded roughly in her chest.  

                                                                   ~

Both Feyre and Rhys could feel her anxiety spiking through the bond and had to push down the urge to try and soothe her nerves.

Right now... more than ever, they had to keep up that facade.

That mask that made her less than what she was.

Even if they had no name for it, no words for it.

Even if they didn’t even know what to call her, other than “Amara”.

It was becoming clearer that she was slowly becoming more dear than just the servant girl they saved.

Even if they didn’t want to admit it to themselves.

                                                                   ~

Amara’s gaze was fixed to the table, a solid item in the turmoil around her.

Something to steady herself, to help her focus on her breathing as she readied herself for what was coming.

That’s when she felt Mor stiffen next to her.

Her eyes were drawn to the door.

The High Lord of Spring, in all of his glory walked in.

His green tunic stood out against the golden pants, soft gold emblems were blazoned on his cuffs and collar, his flaxen hair loose around his shoulders. His eyes, the color of fresh grass, were somehow even colder than Kallias’s... and it made goosebumps rise across her skin.

The atmosphere became tense, as he strode to the table. Murmurs of greetings floated through the air, with Thesan being the first to greet him.

Tamlin’s eyes met Feyre’s and after a few terse seconds, they both nodded as a greeting, with Rhysand following a heartbeat later.

She bowed her head deeply when she felt his eyes glance over hers, terrified of what he might say.

“So where is the host of this meeting?” Tamlin’s voice was relaxed almost. As he glanced around the room.

Helion looked up from a stack of papers and grinned slyly, “He’s playing your role of fashionably late, Tamlin.”

A sharp glance followed by a dry frown was the only response the Lord of Day got.

“Speak of the devil and he shall arrive...” Kallias murmured as all eyes shifted to the door.

And finally, in walked the High Lord of Autumn, the host of this dreaded meeting.

Beron’s eyes were scrunched in what looked to be anger. Brown haired and narrow faced, he emanated everything awful.

It was no wonder he and Keir got along so well.

Amara could feel Mor grow even tenser next to her, and this time...

She gently took her hand under the table.

She could feel the slight jolt of surprise, before she gently gripped her hand back.

Beron’s cold eyes ran over the room, before walking over to his seat.

“Let’s get this meeting started, shall we?”

And so it began.

[faces-of-7th-art]

#ΒernardoBertolucci.Portrait,Thessaloniki 1996. #Hasselblad500 C/M Carl Zeiss Tessar T* 120mm macro f/4 Agfapan 400 

Bernardo Bertolucci (Italian: [berˈnardo bertoˈluttʃi]; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay), The Sheltering Sky, Little Buddha, Stealing Beauty and The Dreamers. In recognition of his work, he was presented with the inaugural Honorary Palme d'Or Award at the opening ceremony of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. From 1979 until his death in 2018, he was married to screenwriter Clare Peploe.

Bertolucci initially wished to become a poet like his father. With this goal in mind, he attended the Faculty of Modern Literature of the University of Rome from 1958 to 1961, where his film career as an assistant director to Pasolini began.[8] Shortly after, Bertolucci left the University without graduating. In 1962, at the age of 22, he directed his first feature film, produced by Tonino Cervi with a screenplay by Pasolini, called La commare secca (1962). The film is a murder mystery, following a prostitute's homicide. Bertolucci uses flashbacks to piece together the crime and the person who committed it. The film which shortly followed was his acclaimed Before the Revolution (Prima della rivoluzione, 1964).

The boom of Italian cinema, which gave Bertolucci his start, slowed in the 1970s as directors were forced to co-produce their films with several of the American, Swedish, French, and German companies and actors due to the effects of the global economic recession on the Italian film industry.

Bertolucci caused controversy in 1972 with the film Last Tango in Paris, starring Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, Jean-Pierre Léaud and Massimo Girotti. The film presents Brando's character, Paul, as he copes with his wife’s suicide by emotionally and physically dominating a young woman, Jeane (Schneider). The depictions of Schneider, then 19 years old, were regarded as exploitative. In one scene, Paul anally rapes Jeane using butter as a lubricant. The use of butter was not in the script; Bertolucci and Brando had discussed it, but they did not tell Schneider. She said in 2007 that she had cried "real tears" during the scene and had felt humiliated and "a little raped". In 2013 Bertolucci said that he had withheld the information from Schneider to generate a real "reaction of frustration and rage". Brando alleged that Bertolucci had wanted the characters to have real sex, but Brando and Schneider both said it was simulated.[9] In 2016 Bertolucci released a statement where he clarified that Schneider had known of the violence to be depicted in the scene, but had not been told about the use of butter.

Following the scandal surrounding the film's release, Schneider became a drug addict and suicidal. She later became a women's rights advocate, in particular fighting for more female film directors, more respect for female actors and better representation of women in film and media. Criminal proceedings were brought against Bertolucci in Italy for the rape scene; the film was sequestered by the censorship commission and all copies were ordered destroyed. An Italian court revoked Bertolucci's civil rights for five years and gave him a four-month suspended prison sentence. In 1978 the Appeals Court of Bologna ordered three copies of the film to be preserved in the national film library with the stipulation that they could not be viewed, until Bertolucci was later able to re-submit it for general distribution with no cuts.

Bertolucci increased his fame with his next few films, from 1900 (1976), an epic depiction of the struggles of farmers in Emilia-Romagna from the beginning of the 20th century up to World War II with an international cast (Robert De Niro, Gérard Depardieu, Donald Sutherland, Sterling Hayden, Burt Lancaster, Dominique Sanda) to La Luna, set in Rome and in Emilia-Romagna, in which Bertolucci deals with the thorny issue of drugs and incest, and finally La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo (1981), with Ugo Tognazzi. Bertolucci appeared on the Radio Four programme Front Row on April 29, 2013, where he chose La Dolce Vita, a film directed by Federico Fellini, for the "Cultural Exchange".

During the making of Last Tango in Paris, Bertolucci toyed with the idea of adapting Dashiell Hammett's book Red Harvest into a feature film. That material had formed the basis for Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, which in turn was the basis for Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (Per un pugno di dollari). Countless others have used its premise since. The reason for this was his wanting to branch out into other forms of cinema. Bertolucci wrote two screenplays.[citation needed] The first draft was written almost entirely as a political film, from which emerged a story inspired by socialist syndicalism of the late 1920s in America. The second draft was more faithful to Hammett's original story and changed the setting to 1934. Actors considered for the role of The Continental Op were Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood and Jack Nicholson. In Rome, Bertolucci and Warren Beatty talked in great detail about the film, and in 1982 Bertolucci left Europe for Los Angeles, where he was to shoot Red Harvest, but five years went by and the film was never made.

In 1987, Bertolucci directed the epic The Last Emperor, a biographical film telling the life story of Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the last Emperor of China. The film was independently produced by British producer Jeremy Thomas, who Bertolucci worked with almost exclusively from then on. The film was independently financed and three years in the making. Bertolucci won the Academy Award for Best Director. Bertolucci co-wrote the film with Mark Peploe. The Last Emperor uses Puyi's life as a mirror that reflects China's passage from feudalismthrough revolution to its current state.

At the 60th Academy Awards, The Last Emperor won all nine Oscars for which it was nominated: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Music, Original Score and Best Sound.

The Last Emperor was the first feature film ever authorized by the government of the People's Republic of China to film in the Forbidden City. Bertolucci had proposed the film to the Chinese government as one of two possible projects. The other film was La Condition Humaine by André Malraux. The Chinese government preferred The Last Emperor, and made no restrictions on the content. The Last Emperor became the first western film made in China and about the country to be produced with full Chinese government cooperation since 1949.

After The Last Emperor, and Little Buddha, the director went back to Italy to film, as well as to his old themes with varying results from both critics and the public. He filmed Stealing Beauty in 1996,[20] then The Dreamers in 2003, which describes the political passions and sexual revolutions of two siblings in Paris in 1968.

In 2007, he received the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival for his life's work, and in 2011 he also received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

In 2012, his final film, Me and You was screened out of competition at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and was released early in 2013 in the UK. The film is an adaptation of Niccolò Ammaniti's young-adult's book Io e te (You and Me). The screenplay for the movie was written by Bertolucci himself, Umberto Contarello and Niccolò Ammaniti.[25] Bertolucci originally intended to shoot the film in 3D but later changed his mind about this, calling the idea "vulgarly commercial".

In April 2018, in an interview with the Italian edition of Vanity Fair, Bertolucci announced that he is preparing a new film. He stated, "The theme will be love, lets call it that. In reality, the theme is communication and therefore also lack of communication. The favorite subject of Michelangelo Antonioni and the condition I found myself facing when I moved on from my films of the sixties to a larger cinema ready to meet a larger audience."

Bertolucci was an atheist.

Bertolucci's films are often very political. He is a professed Marxist and, like Luchino Visconti, who similarly employed many foreign artists during the late 1960s, Bertolucci uses his films to express his political views; hence they are often autobiographical as well as highly controversial. His political films were preceded by others re-evaluating history. The Conformist (1970) criticised Fascist ideology, touched upon the relationship between nationhood and nationalism, as well as issues of popular taste and collective memory, all amid an international plot by Benito Mussolini to assassinate a politically active leftist professor of philosophy in Paris. 1900 also analyses the struggle of Left and Right.

On 27 September 2009, Bertolucci was one of the signers of the appeal to the Swiss government to release Roman Polanski, who was being held while waiting to be extradited to the United States