#the article is great but the full book has so much more room to delve into this stuff | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tfw-no-tennis · 4 years

Text

hxh movie....2!

ruth and i watched the second hxh movie and that certainly was a movie

the title is already cracking me up lmao ‘the last mission’ THATS SO DRAMATIC.

the first like 3 scenes feel totally disconnected like theyre from different movies vnjskdfnsdkflk

‘many decades ago’ vbhjdsfbajsdf that phrasing is hilarious somehow

damn young netero just killed jeb bush

ah look its our movie villains, starting their villain stuff

so i guess this is set around where we are in the series now - like, somewhere in this beginning part of the chimera ant arc where gon and killua are hanging w/kite. which is kinda funny bc they dont explain AT ALL how and why gon and killua are in this city suddenly hvbajdsfjskdjan

killua skateboarding makes me smile :’) love it

IS THAT ZUSHI??????? AHHHHHHH MY BOY!!!!!!!!!! BABY BOY!!!!!!!!!!! LOOK AT HIMMMM HES A LIL BUFF 7 YR OLD NOW OUGHHHH HES GROWN SO MUCH...POWERFUL BABY....IM SO PROUD

omg wing and bisky are here too!!! nen fam

im so proud of zushi being a floor master omg....i love how the side characters progress and grow offscreen, separate of the protags, kinda like seeing pokkle again (rip tho, i think)

LEORIOOOOO MY MAN!!!!!!! he really showed up for like 3 seconds then gets KOd and dumped in a sewer....STOP DOING MY MAN SO DIRTY GIVE HIM SCREENTIME..

ohhh so we’re doing anime die hard. kinda like the first macadamia movie

that lady rlly just stabbed herself huh.

these antags look like theyre from naruto. main antag dude looks like about 7 different anime guys fused

oh man netero got dunked on immediately Ls. gotta take him out so the protags can do the fighting

gon and killua are so good. and also in love. epic 12 yr old romance

KURAPIKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lookin sharp in a suit. also just looking depressed as hell in general. KURAPIKA ARE YOU...GOOD....ARE YOU STAYING HYDRATED??? TAKING UR VITAMINS?? I DONT THINK YOU ARE.

also i still cant believe kp is working for neon still...it rlly feels like they just gave up on life and just figured that staying there was fine or w/e

now the 3 protags are goin full die hard thru the tower...WHERE is leorio i cant believe they rlly threw my mans in a sewer like that smh

these guys r rlly called ‘the shadow’ thats so edgy

also i watched this like a few hours ago but im a dumb bitch so im reading thru the wiki article for the movie to remind me what happened, and apparently The Shadow(tm) was the black ops division of the hunter association, and they were later rekkt once they started w/the On...i so didnt get that while actually watching the movie vhdakjfhbskdfn thanks hunterpedia for explaining that one to me

wooowww so the HA rlly just committed massive, morally reprehensible war crimes and then just sealed it all in a book or st and moved on. yikes id be mad too, generic anime dude villain

so these three rlly just resurrected a dude by going into the desert and saying ‘hey we r emo can you give us some power and maybe anime jeb bush’ and that Worked

now kurapika is fighting the dude in the control room and gon&killua are fighting Big Dude WHO BEAT UP ZUSHI!!!!!!!!! get his ass boys

LEORIOOOOOO MMY MAN IS BACK FROM HIS SEWER ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!! ILY SIRRRRR

and then he immediately gets yoinked by hisoka, who is for some reason in this movie. i feel like they were like oh yeah hisoka is like, the 5th main character/antagonistic force of the story so i guess he should be here. its hilarious tho bc he spends 90% of his already limited screentime in this movie just playing w/his playing cards and smirking. bastard man you just gooo awayyyyy

seeing beans again omggggg green dude u r great

also who the FUCK is that smarmy looking blonde at the HA HQ...i hate him already based on 1) his atrocious pattern-clashing fashion sense, and 2) his smarmy aura. he looks like hes never thought a thought in his life. ruth says he might be buddies w/ging which makes me hate him even more

gon and killua....r dating. ty

when gon and the bad guy start fighting in the elevator shaft and killua just kinda watches hvbajddfhbsjf hes like ‘oh the narrative demands that gon fights solo for a bit so i guess ill stay here’ lmao

but then he saves gon with his physics-heavy electromagnet elevator clamp plan....smart baby

then after they defeat the guy they just start chatting lol i love them

ohhh shit the guy exploded, thats fucked up

poor gon :( more trauma for the poor kid

meanwhile kurapika fights an evil clone of themself. wow

tbh kurapika could totally one-up these guys by being like ‘well ok at least you have each other, im the VERY LAST kurta’

its strange to see kurapika fighting w/the sticks instead of the chains tbh

WHO THREW THAT KNIFE AT THE GUY IT HAS TO BE LEORIO HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

LEORIO AND KURAPIKA REUNION HHHHH THEYYYYY

they are married tyvm

kurapika is soooo not doin well like...please get some rest

kurapika referring to their ‘new friends’ hmmmm thats probably an actual canon reference since this doesnt get brought up again in the movie. probs referring to w/e kp is doing in canon at this point

LEORIO USING NEN LMAOOO hes like pshhhh that was easy but internally hes like owww....sir ily sm

damn kurapika rlly stabbed that guy w/a stick huh. rip dude

ohhh shit its those drug capsule things

KURAPIKA RLLY TOOK A BULLET FOR LEORIO HUH. I HATE IT HEREEEEEE

leorio best dude

wow so kp has to make an On covenant OR DIE...yeah i think theyll choose the die option

squad reunion :’) even tho kp is like, dying

gon is such a good boy :( ily baby

leorio and kurapika are str8 up married ty

final battle timeee

love how at this point in the story gon only has one attack so he has no choice but to keep doing that same attack (well, the 3 variations) over and over til st happens lmao

lmao gon and kurapika are rlly on the opposite ends of the ‘On’ scale here w/kp willing to die rather than accept using On, and gon seeking out On for POWER and also VENGEANCE

the themes of gon’s righteous anger on behalf of others continues...

the boys are rlly getting tossed around a lot this movie geez

hh boy gon is now...PURPLE-BLUE

oooh killua convincing the lady to chill out was cool - tho ngl i didnt realize she was still alive

now netero can go ham. i wonder if he’ll finish the fight or if gon will

uh oh gon is Extra Feral now

gon: IM EVIL NOW

killua: NOT ON MY FUCKING WATCH

oughhh they love each other so much bro. fuck this

gon banging his head on the ground and then killua jumping in between him and the ground....true love bro

gon snapped out of it WITH THE POWER OF LOVE!!!!!!!!!! im emo and gay. thanks

love how even when netero was younger he was still like, an old guy lmao

and then the next day theyre all just back in heavans arena hbvhdahdfbjsakf who cares that the building just got hijacked? whatevs

kurapika smiling a little and melody then smiling knowingly....melody is like Bitch I Know Youre In Love

still kurapika seems like. not Right. pls get some therepy

im glad zushi got to fight that guy like he was supposed to....and w/the nen fam cheering him on :’)

THOUGHTS

its wild how they didnt really delve into the whole ‘war crimes’ thing w/the hunter association lmao. idk if this movie is canon so that might be why....they just brushed over the fact that the HA was like, running concentration camps and murdering entire groups of people. wild

this movie was fun!! it felt more like hxh than the last movie, which v much felt like a generic anime movie. this one felt more in character. it did fall into typical anime movie tropes sometimes but the characters felt more like themselves here, espec w/the point of the story this seems to be set at

like gons anger and all that - while it obvs comes from a place of love and kindness, he can get carried away sometimes...i feel like we’re gonna rlly delve into the negative impact of this in the CA arc and i am both so ready and not ready at all

this movie was hella gay which i appreciate. love the gays

all in all this was fun!! i wish there were more hxh movies lmao i love anime movies. well at least theres the musical LMAOOO im gonna watch that soon

#the watching continues #i havent posted a lot of my other recaps bc theyre p incomplete lmao #im workin on it tho #not that anybody cares lmao. thats ok tho im posting these for my own reference #hxh #lj watches hxh

4 notes · View notes

zerocitycheats-blog · 5 years

Text

Zero City Guides

Zero City Guide is a guide for hot new game. The estimating is additionally up there with the best worth. That is for business applications used to market and sell however. In the event that you need an application that will really do something,â then you'll most likely need one of the Android application creators controlled by PhoneGap with the goal that you can get to the camera. For that, either Appery.io or BuildFire will be great decisions. In any case, on the off chance that you're going that course, at that point why not do only somewhat more learning and make something yourself in PhoneGap? Nor does it have an incredible rundown of customer base that Mobile Roadie appreciates. TheAppBuilder is a business-driven application building instrument, estimated at what might be compared to $1.70 per client, every month. Mass limits are accessible for huge groups, and demoes are accessible upon solicitation. The instrument utilizes a CMS (content administration framework) that looks similar to WordPress, making it simple to distribute substance to your application. Some valuable highlights like message pop-up help and client produced substance will help with promoting. In spite of the fact that it lacks a portion of the further developed highlights seen on different manufacturers, for example, in-application buys or booking structures. You will before long have a huge amount of things in your stock and too couple of survivors to utilize them all. Watch out for all new rigging and make a point to prepare the best choices consistently in light of the fact that the contrasts between things are observable. In the event that you would prefer truly not to peruse through several things and monitor the rewards offered, you can generally tap a survivor in the game, at that point tap the class they're utilizing in their present job (so in the event that they're in the Dining Hall, tap Cook) and select the "Prepare best apparatus" choice from the menu: There is no genuine need to store a huge amount of things either, particularly the low level ones. Be that as it may, fuss not. On the off chance that you're in a similar problem as us, at that point you're in karma. In this article, we will demonstrate to you a few manners by which you can profit for buying each one of those overhauls. Whenever you end up stuck in light of the fact that you're not making enough Cash, think about the accompanying tips: You will have a hard time believing what number of individuals do without the fundamental story of numerous games to verify a positive creation of assets. Be that as it may, while in different games, this system is sound, it's not the situation in Zero City. Of note are the last two as they are the most significant menus in the game. The world guide is the place you will go to battle zombies in crusade missions, just as to strike different players to take their cash and increment your position in PvP leaderboards. Then, the market is the place you will buy new rooms and set them in your asylum. A few rooms are independent ventures while others are extensions of existing chambers. When you initially land at your base, the spot is demolished. As most rooms can be converged up to 3 rooms wide, expect this for the most essential ones and begin reworking rooms on your inert time. As you take in more tenants and the different creation rooms in your safe house ends up populated, you will before long need to routinely tap on these rooms to acquire the Cash, nourishment, or different things that every one produces. Except if you leased the zombie right hand to keep an eye on a wide range of accumulations for you in any case on the off chance that you are on the web or off the game, physically tapping on each room is a vital piece of creation and ought to be done now and then to guarantee consistent development and improvement of your asylum. The quality (star rating) of the new asylum part is affected by the star nature of the guardians: so two 2-star guardians will most likely never bring forth a 3-star kid. The higher the quantity of stars the guardians have, the higher the odds for a comparably featured survivor to be conceived. I am not 100% secure with this, however I feel that the aptitudes that the guardians have likewise impact the abilities the youngster will acquire. So if the guardians are exceptionally talented in Combat, so will be the youngster. That is only a model. There are numerous wrist trinkets which give distinctive buff. On the left half of the game screen, tap case/stock/box catch - > here you can check every one of the apparatuses, things. Tap on any apparatus and read its detail. When you make sense of its buff, prepare it to an ideal occupant. You can create weapons in the weapon workshop room. Weapons, for example, skirmish, synthetic, and extended can be made utilizing the materials. You need reagent and the materials. How to get materials? In the wake of gathering a specific number of reports, you will get an exceptional container. From this container, you may show signs of improvement gears. Train the inhabitants to expand their class properties. High trait implies more advantage and they will probably convey high-position gears. Peruse the occupants manage above for more subtleties. For More Updates, Game News, Game Guides, New Game Releases, And ALERTS - Like Us On Facebook - MrGuider, Follow Us On Twitter - @techhuntr. Look at - Top New Android Games Today. To get the materials, you should disassemble the things. In the event that there is a thing that you are not utilizing or have in excess, you can destroy it for the material. Go to the inventory(tap the container catch on the left half of the screen) - > tap the rigging - > break separated. Contingent upon the rigging quality, you get materials - uncommon, extraordinary, epic, unbelievable, and so forth. You can win field chips by playing the field mode. Go to field menu(tap the guide) - > store - > here you can spend the chips for better riggings. It's quite simple! The motivation behind why you ought to consistently do that is a direct result of how the game is constructed: you will in all respects once in a while wind up expecting to move an individual from a situation to another. The main special case here is with the warriors: when you are preparing a few survivors, it is shrewd to move different survivors into the sleeping enclosure so as to offer a superior guard of your haven. You should practice your Fighters further increasingly dependent on the job they'll have in fight, however we'll talk about progressively about this beneath. Regardless of whether you chance upon a full length advertisement that traverses 30 seconds, it will at present be much quicker than really sitting tight for your group to completely recoup. This finishes our Zero City: Zombie Shelter Survival novice's guide. There are still a lot of stuff to delve into and we may return to give another manual for this game. Until further notice, we trust that we have adequately furnished you with all that you have to know to all the more effectively build up your safe house and win more Cash for every one of those structure and redesigning needs. With these structures, you can begin delivering nourishment and cash (the game's essential assets first and foremost), just as train your contenders, and furthermore have your occupants multiply and bear posterity. Look at our guide on profiting in Zero Cityâ if, similar to us, you keep running into a divider where you need huge amounts of cash to continue assembling and don't have a clue where to get it. Zero City has a worked in quicken highlight, which enables you to skirt the most recent 10 minutes of any structure venture. The plot in this game, while basic and clichă©, is all we requirement for setting as the principle intrigue of Zero City originates from the interactivity. In the event that you need to become familiar with the story, we propose perusing our survey on this great game. To make a long story short, the past officer of the base died in battle, and now you're responsible for driving the rest of the survivors on an excursion to locate another haven. In any case, previously, moving into your new home, you need to clean house. Utilizing the Keymapping Tool, you can make an upgraded control plot that will spare you numerous snaps, and improve your capability when dealing with your safe house. In our game, we added various alternate routes to accelerate our menu route. We have keys for opening the market, conveying the region map, checking our stock, and for opening the missions screen. Moreover, we likewise have numbers one-through-seven, which will enable us to get to any zone in the guide utilizing our console. While we have just opened the initial two zones, we'll have the option to get to the rest as we keep beating levels. We quickly discussed this before: specialization is key in the game in the event that you need everything running easily. You can practice your survivors via preparing them always to build up the aptitudes required for the occupations you need them to do in the Shelter. Things are simple and direct here, and you ought to consistently have maximized survivors for the accompanying jobs: - A number of fighters equal to the maximum number you can have in the barracks (so if the barracks can hold 4, then max out 4 fighters in their combat skill). Make it a habit as well to click on the storage icon just below the missions icon and proceed to the warehouse to open the chest you earn every time you beat a stage in the campaign. There is no benefit in keeping it idle and receiving equipment and resources from the chest at the soonest can help you progress faster in the game. On top of all the action and adventure you will be immersing yourself into as you battle through mobs after mobs of undead in the story campaign, a huge chunk of your time and effort will go into managing the dwellers that live in your shelter and likewise managing the shelter itself. During the first part of the game, you'll receive new recruits knocking on your doorstep at numerous points. These events are scripted and aren't caused by any of your actions; they're simply a way to get you started on your way towards becoming a powerful commander. To recruit new characters, you must first upgrade your Command Center to level 3 to unlock the Living Room. For example, if you use two 3-star inhabitants as parents, the resulting baby will have a chance of being born with four stars.

#Zero City Guides #Zero City #Zero City cheats #Zero City guide cryptocoins #cryptocoin #Zero City free

1 note · View note

kiruuuuu · 6 years

Text

YES

I’m honestly amazed whenever anyone reads the tags, but thank you so much @bibblesofthemanforest for complying to my request about sending in a request 💕 @spacecreatorart, you did the same, so thank you as well 💗💗 This is for the both of you, I hope you enjoy!! (Rating E, explicit/Bandit is so stupidly in love, ~5.7k words)

Bandit likes Montagne’s room.

It’s the on the comfortable side of tidy, not compulsively neat like Doc’s nor as barren as Pulse’s, more lived-in and welcoming without too many things strewn about. It’s not busy to look at, few decorations but all of them personal or specifically chosen, some photos of family, some of colleagues in GIGN, a few newspaper articles. Montagne collects small trinkets which ultimately don’t serve a practical purpose but are either beautifully crafted or possess an intricate mechanism: a puzzle box, a construction made of nothing but cogs, all movable simultaneously, an ancient kaleidoscope. He’s a fan of codes as well, even has a secret compartment built into one of the drawers in his desk but nothing interesting or blackmail-worthy in it – Bandit checked it as soon as he was left alone in his room for the first time.

The atmosphere is quiet. Thinking about it, it’s probably the calming effect the room in its entirety has on Bandit, the furniture and all the personal items exuding a strange tranquillity so unlike anywhere else in the base. Probably anywhere else full stop. He likes just existing here, an oasis of peace amid his otherwise eventful life where he can do whatever he wants, where lazing is allowed and nothing expected of him. It’s a little like being on holiday – his only obligation is to enjoy his time, everything else is voluntary and every activity viable. Even if it’s ultimately useless, like encoding short messages with the help of one of the many books Montagne has collected on the topic and then depositing them in the secret compartment before burning the original. He doesn’t think Montagne uses it, ever, so a morbid part of him imagines himself dying on the job and leaving the sheets of paper behind as a gift.

Here’s something else Montagne doesn’t know: it’s remarkably easy to break into his room. Bandit usually manages in less than ten seconds, sometimes just to check whether it really is that easy, sometimes to drink his coffee alone while doing some paperwork, sometimes to just curl up on the couch and think of nothing for a bit. His own room is the exact opposite of a safe haven, it’s a temple of doubt and its gods are fear and anger. He probably conditioned himself to feel uncomfortable in it, associates it with loneliness and the aftermath of arguments he laughed off though parts of it cut deep. This one… these four walls he associates with nothing but comfort.

A small click makes him jerk awake out of a light doze – he’s been playing around on his phone while outstretched on the sofa and decided to snooze a little but didn’t expect Montagne to return, just like his lover quite clearly didn’t expect him to be here, judging by his astonished expression. He sits up and pretends to be wide awake even though he feels like he slept for hours, mouth wet on one side where he drooled on a pillow and him squinting into the bright light which Montagne, ever considerate, turns off in favour of his desk and bedside lamps. “Hey”, he mumbles and sounds almost drunk, “why you here already?”

Montagne graces him with a fond smile which grows when Bandit wipes his mouth. “How did you get in?”

“Squeezed through the window.” Both of them look over to the window right above the desk, the windowsill adorned with a small handful of ornate figurines bent from various metals and untouched. “Anyway, why are you back this early? Short dinner?”

“It’s half ten”, his lover tells him gently and oh shit, that means Bandit did sleep for hours. Great, so later he won’t be able to, might even wake Montagne up in the middle of the night and he doesn’t want to do that, doesn’t want to be a burden. He frowns but Montagne walks over after having taken off his shoes, emptied his pockets of wallet, phone and keys, ready for cuddling but for now, all he does is tower over him and stroke his cheek until Bandit’s scowl fades. “Did someone let you in?”

“I’m not a fucking pet”, Bandit grumbles and rubs his cheek against Montagne’s palm appreciatively.

“So no one did? You broke in?” He sits down and allows Bandit to climb on top of him, rumpling his clothes in the process. They’re unusually fancy, courtesy of the special dinner he attended this evening – old friends were in the vicinity and so he and Doc invited them out. He smells good, fresh and manly and though Bandit likes the scent, he wants him to wash it off as soon as possible, mark him with his own smell somehow in case anyone gets funny ideas. His clothes make him look even more respectable and build a stark contrast to Bandit’s sweatpants and ill-fitting t-shirt but Montagne doesn’t seem to mind, embraces him regardless and even lets Bandit start to unbutton his subtly patterned dress shirt.

“Basically, yeah”, he admits while revealing more and more of Montagne’s sculpted chest, the dark hairs, the hard muscles underneath the pale skin.

“Did you miss me that much?”

His hands still. It’s meant as a joke, he knows this, and yet the words hit home. Because the only thing better at calming the storm raging inside him than Montagne’s room is Montagne himself. It’s not bad enough that he’s unable to complete daily tasks without him but he does indeed notice a prolonged absence, feels it keenly when they’re not sleeping next to each other. He’s gotten used to him. And he doesn’t even mind. “Yeah”, he replies quietly, “I guess I did.”

A silence follows. When he’s scraped together enough courage to lift his gaze, Montagne is looking at him with such helpless adoration that he immediately has to fight rising embarrassment about having laid himself open like this. Before he can backpedal, however, Montagne pulls him closer and effortlessly gets up, simply carries him to the bed and lies down on his back, Bandit still straddling him. “You’re so sweet. I miss you too, Dom, and I always look forward to seeing you.”

Okay, they’re delving dangerously far into uncomfortable territory now, Bandit trying not to let the words get to him (but they always do, like a plant he stretches towards the warmth they bring) and finishes his job in silence, pretending not to notice the way Montagne beams up at him as he pushes his shirt open and digs his fingertips into scorching skin, drags them down Montagne’s broad chest. A hand comes to rest on his cheek again for a moment, travels a bit and curls around the back of his head to nudge him towards his lover, making him bend down and lock lips with him. The pleasant smell together with the large body between his legs is making him light-headed, the soft lips moving against his own doing their part as well and so he doesn’t notice the hands on his thighs at first. When he finally does, they’re kneading his flesh, thumbs dangerously close to his crotch.

The message is clear and the blood rushing to the lower half of his body leaves him even dizzier – when Montagne isn’t in the mood, he carefully avoids sending the wrong signals so there’s no ambiguity. Normally, he prefers going to sleep directly after having been out late which is why Bandit didn’t expect anything yet he easily adapts to this change of pace by turning their kiss sloppy, licks over Montagne’s lower lip and sucks on it, purrs when the hands glide further back and massage his ass. Pleased about this new development, he deepens the kiss and begins grinding down against Montagne, reciprocating the smile he feels pulling at Montagne’s mouth. They’re on the same page and it’s tangible how much they both enjoy the lazy swirling of tongues, the friction of their lower halves, the simplicity of each other’s company.

After a while, long after Bandit can feel Montagne’s own erection alongside his, after their hands have roamed over skin, Bandit breaks the kiss and sits up, breathing hard. He’s adapting to Montagne’s slow pace over time, learning to cherish the small things like making Montagne’s shaft jump against his by brushing over one of his nipples, repeating the motion, rubbing over it, becoming more and more insistent over the course of minutes and relishing the moans when he finally pinches it properly. Still, there’s a limit and he’s about to reach it.

“Do you do this often?”, Montagne asks, voice thick with lust already, while Bandit unbuckles his belt impatiently, eager to do whatever it is he’s allowed today. He hopes he can blow him, it’s his absolute favourite way of getting Montagne off because for once, he doesn’t need to go slow simply because his lover takes forever like that anyway – he usually ends up with an aching jaw and a sore throat for which Montagne apologises endlessly since he doesn’t believe Bandit when he reassures him it’s worth it. “Come here, I mean. I somehow don’t believe that today was the first time you did.”

If it’d been the first time, he would’ve been more careful, Montagne is right. He delays answering for a bit by struggling with the trousers until Montagne takes pity on him and lifts his hips (and it’s such a turn on that he can do this even with Bandit’s weight on him) so Bandit can push the offending piece of clothing over them and down to his knees, where Montagne begins peeling them off himself. “Yeah. I do it sometimes. No one looks for me here and it’s quiet.” It’s only half the truth and he feels guilty about the adoration it earns because he knows Montagne is already content with this but would be overflowing with happiness if he knew the full reason. Bandit likes seeing him happy. After a small pause, he reluctantly adds: “It makes me think of you. And it calms me down.”

He’s not looking at him but can picture Montagne’s reverent expression anyway, has seen it numerous times before and is always filled with a certain sense of pride when he causes it – that, and a tingling, warm feeling. The mountain underneath him comes alive, sits up and captures him in a tight hold, lips finding their way to the sensitive place right below Bandit’s ear and he hears himself gasp in return. “Dom”, they whisper against his skin and send a shiver down his spine, “I want you. All of you.”

Oh God. It’s finally happening.

Shakily, he responds with a strangled yes, tries not to freak out too much and does so regardless. He’s been looking forward to this for weeks, ever since they kissed the second time, even more after Montagne first touched him. Part of it is the base desire, the simple attraction drawing him towards this man, but another part is the wish to be as close to him as possible, be allowed to share this experience with him and if that doesn’t sound like the romanticised view of a blushing virgin, then what else does? Immediately, an overwhelming desire thrums through him and he barely manages to murmur: “Whatever you do, don’t touch my dick or I’ll come straightaway.”

An amused huff against his neck later, Montagne takes the lead.

Bandit has daydreamed about this moment extensively and narrowed it down to a few likely and a few preferred scenarios – he’s prepared to guide Montagne along, help him with crass words and instructions which both shock and arouse him, just like he’s ready to take control himself. More than ready. In most of his fantasies, he overpowers the taller man, makes him writhe in ecstasy as Bandit bounces on him, impales himself on his large cock over and over, though in others Montagne finally snaps, loses his patience and fucks him into next week because he just can’t help himself anymore. He pictured a spur-of-the-moment quickie, a drawn out session in which Montagne sadistically balances him on the edge for most of it, and none of it comes even close. Despite spending entirely too much time imagining this moment, he doesn’t expect what actually happens at all.

Because Montagne seduces him.

There’s no other way of putting it, he slowly takes him apart with loving words and affectionate gestures and Bandit has never felt this powerless in his life before. Montagne knows all his weakspots and makes ample use of this knowledge – he has Bandit squirming in his lap before he’s even taken his shirt off. All of his movements are fluid, a perfect string of kisses and strokes, lulling Bandit in the longer it goes on. His words are equally as smooth, pure honey running down Bandit’s skin and pooling low in his belly, an endless stream of compliments which are far from meaningless because Bandit knows he means them, believes them from the bottom of his heart and so instead of empty, they’re so filled to the brim with devotion and admiration that he has no idea how to react.

Hands glide over his ribs while Montagne tells him how happy he is, how much he’s enjoying it all, and Bandit’s thoughts are trapped in molasses, slowed down by the sweetness poured over him that he decides to just not think at all. Never once does he try to wrestle control from Montagne since he’s never seemed more confident in bed, never more alluring. He’s putty in his astonishingly capable hands and not at all surprised when he suddenly finds himself on his back, his upper body naked and being showered in butterfly kisses. He moves under the affectionate ministrations, almost writhes when a tongue dips into his navel, he arches his back and cards a hand through dark hair – he doesn’t even have the presence of mind for anything more than that.

Soft moans fall from his lips, interrupted only by short but deep kisses; he’s never been this aroused in his life and yet he’s lacking the usual sense of urgency which accompanies his lust, probably because he’s too busy basking in all the wonderful things Montagne’s mouth and hands are doing to him. It’s an incredible turn-on to realise just how well acquainted Montagne is with his body, to feel first hand how attentive he can be especially since the idea of just leaning back and letting someone else do what they want with him is foreign. He supposes Montagne possesses vastly more experience in this regard, knows how to treat someone in a relationship and how to satisfy them in a very different way than Bandit does.

After a perceived eternity, his sweatpants are discarded as well, followed by his underwear and it’s an odd sensation to feel this vulnerable in front of someone. Montagne kisses and even sucks on the insides of his thighs, leaves light red marks next to the black ink weaving its way around his leg and by now, the lust is almost unbearable. Montagne complied with his request, hasn’t touched his crotch anywhere, is ignoring the painfully hard shaft very enthusiastically reacting to literally everything he does, jumping and oozing precum onto Bandit’s belly. His hands are shaking and his knees are weak with how much he wants this, so when Montagne undresses fully and conjures up a bottle of lube, Bandit is almost ready to beg.

The foreplay so far left him out of breath and worryingly dizzy but it seems Montagne isn’t nearly done. He leans over the small puddle into which Bandit has transformed over time and licks into his mouth while touching a slick finger to his hole, making it quiver in anticipation. Bandit, unchanged, is unable to take the initiative and instead suffers quietly, mewls against Montagne’s tongue and feels sparks of pleasure whenever the digit moves, presses slightly, threatens to invade him. It’s effective though, he relaxes after a while and inhales sharply when he’s being breached. There’s a pause and he opens his eyes, doesn’t remember when he closed them, only to find Montagne smiling down at him. He’s beautiful and so perfect it fucking hurts to look at him, he’s sharp and intense and sees all the way inside Bandit, unravels him effortlessly.

He can’t take it. He averts his gaze, even turns around with some difficulty which makes it better because now he can hide his face in the same pillow which muffles his moans when Montagne crooks his finger tentatively and rubs over his prostate. Bandit is so mindlessly horny that the simple touch lets him see stars and so he eagerly pushes against the digit to repeat the sensation. Montagne is still leaning over him, heavy erection resting on one of Bandit’s asscheeks, and still he’s leaving kisses all over his shoulders, nibbles at his ear or sucks on the side of his neck. He’s a reassuring weight against Bandit’s back, hot and solid and he wishes they could do it like this, have Montagne drive into him with abandon while the sheets swallow all the embarrassing noises he’ll undoubtedly make but he already knows it’s not going to happen.

For the moment, he enjoys the brief respite from Montagne’s intensity, makes use of the opportunity to let loose a bit and tightens around the finger, lifts his hips and sighs in relief when Montagne gets the hint and adds a second one. The stretch is tangible but far from uncomfortable, thus Bandit begins grinding against the two, feels the thick shaft rub over his skin in the process and he’s going to go insane. This will be the end of him. A dramatic arch of his back is the perfect position for him to fuck himself on Montagne’s fingers and have his dick glide over Bandit’s ass, therefore he very carefully repeats his motions at the exact same angle and height. The friction is amazing, the feel of the digits moving deep inside addictive and Montagne is still peppering him with kisses which by now have turned hungry, wet lips trailing up to his earlobe and teeth cautiously biting at it.

“I want you so much”, the solid weight on top of him whispers and Bandit almost sobs in pleasure, in desire, in desperation, “you’re wonderful. I can’t get enough of you.” He shifts the one hand which keeps him upright and takes one of Bandit’s, squeezes when he interlaces their fingers and no, how did Bandit think simply turning away would allow him to escape this intimacy, it’s still Montagne after all, everything he does resonates in Bandit’s heart, steals the words off his tongue and drives blood into his cheeks. What they’re doing should be sinful, Montagne pushes a third finger in and wrenches a loud groan from Bandit who only speeds up his motions, moans each time fingertips drag over his special spot – and yet it’s not, it doesn’t feel wrong or dirty. It feels divine.

Eventually, Montagne stops him, sits up and makes Bandit feel the loss of him keenly, miss the hand on his, the stretch, the hot flesh against his ass, the teeth on his shoulder. And then, there it is, a soft plea embodying all that he’s afraid of: “Turn around.” Bandit does. As much as he doesn’t want to, there’s no choice.

They look at each other and Montagne is a mirror to Bandit’s expression – flushed, wholly lost in the moment, wanton, yet oddly peaceful. Bandit thought he’d never fully understand why Montagne thinks about sex the way he does.

He was wrong.

“You’re all I ever wanted”, Montagne tells him and it’s clear he’s not joking. Bandit’s lower lip starts trembling. He looks away again, scrambles to regain his composure, put it back together from the fragments into which it just shattered and largely fails. “Are you ready?”

He nods straightaway, replies with a yes on which his voice breaks and gasps when Montagne simply presses their lips together for the moment. The kiss helps, grounds him and calms the staccato of his heart that when his lover withdraws again, they both manage a tentative smile. He plucks the bottle out of Montagne’s hand and squeezes some of the viscous liquid into his palm – normally he’d crack a joke now or say something exceedingly filthy but he doesn’t feel the urge to say anything right now, it doesn’t seem appropriate. He simply admires Montagne’s body for a moment, drinks in the long limbs and toned muscles, the strong upper body and dark fuzz covering it. When he wraps his hand around his cock, Montagne groans and strokes over Bandit’s arms, loath to interrupt his displays of affection for even just a second. His erection is silky to the touch, as hot as the rest of him and rock hard. Montagne is probably as desperate to start as he is.

Bandit lets his hand slide up and down a few times more than necessary, loves the weight of the shaft in his palm but realises the next step is worth stopping for. Expectantly, he lies back down and lovingly gazes up at Montagne who looks down at him with a similar look before scooting closer, and then suddenly his tip is nestled against Bandit and he can’t breathe. The skin on skin contact is electrifying already, so viciously anticipated that he finds it impossible to relax into it, his body taut and pulsing with lust but this is counter-productive, he needs to relax. As if he can sense it, Montagne takes his time, puts Bandit’s legs around his waist, pets his chest and kisses him once more, all the while his head keeps pressing slightly against Bandit’s ring of muscle, gingerly asking for entry which eventually is granted and enforced by Bandit drawing him in, tensing his legs and dragging the body between them closer.

Montagne slips inside and he’s big, there’s a faint burn which only heightens Bandit’s pleasure, but more importantly than that: they’ve become one. Both of them look down to the place where they’re connected, Bandit chewing on his lip while trying to breathe normally, not clamp down and hinder any movement. Very slowly, Montagne pushes deeper, making a space for himself inside Bandit and the slide feels neverending – he’s thick and long, a challenge but extremely satisfying nonetheless. Bandit helps as much as he can but is mostly overwhelmed by the incredible sensation, Montagne is piping hot and the fact that there’s no layer separating them only increases the heady feeling. When he’s fully buried inside, his lover draws a deep breath and admits quietly: “I was worried it wouldn’t fit.”

They laugh softly, the tension dissipated for the moment, and grin at each other again, somehow closer than before. Bandit revels in the feeling of being filled completely, puts his hands on Montagne’s dimpling cheeks and drags him down for another kiss. “I’m so glad we’re doing this.”

Montagne nods. “Me too.”

When he starts moving, it’s back to the barrage of indescribable sensations Bandit experienced earlier, the kind which leaves him speech- and breathless, messes with his head and refuses to let him move for fear of it all disappearing. He feels Montagne push back inside and moans in disbelief – it feels so fucking good he might be able to come just from this, without his dripping erection ever having been touched. Even this part, which is meant to be carnal and unrestrained, somehow ends up sweet and intense at Montagne’s hands, as if he could turn everything he touches into pure elation.

He just lies there and takes it, gladly accepts his fate and moans throatily each time the head brushes over his prostate, which happens a lot. The thrusts are neither particularly hard nor fast but they push him into the mattress regardless, force more and more noises out of his mouth and steadily work towards reducing him to a shuddering mess. Montagne keeps his pace mercilessly, never once speeds up, no matter how hard Bandit pulls or pushes, causing him to start meeting the thrusts to get the most enjoyment out of them. He reaches so deep inside that Bandit is almost scared to allow him deeper but does so anyway, trusts him fully. Now that he’s got Montagne here, between his legs, inside, he’s a little lost on what to do because he knows begging won’t change anything, neither will dirty talk and he has no urge to gain the upper hand either. Instead, he decides to just be content with the ebb and flow of shocking pleasure and soft lips on his own.

This time, the kiss is almost lazy yet still more than just an afterthought, Montagne wants to be even closer to him than they already are and Bandit can’t take it. He feels so good, loves every part of it so much that he’s close to panicking, unsure of what to do with all these emotions suddenly welling up in him – the connection they share is profound, full of meaning and mutual understanding and it’s in that moment that Montagne says: “Look at me.”

And Bandit does. He looks up, defenceless, and returns Montagne’s gaze, feels every inch of him withdraw and slide back in, feels his hips move between his legs, feels his hand on his chin and fingers caressing his jaw, feels his own heart grow at all of these wonderful ministrations. “Keep looking at me”, Montagne demands quietly, asks for the impossible, “we’re going to come at the same time, alright?”

He just nods – any other answer is not an option – and realises with sudden clarity just how aroused he is. Being face to face with the object of his desire is only making things worse, leaves him squirming and panting, even more so when he realises that Montagne normally takes so much longer to come but right now seems to be heavily affected himself. It’s fantastic for the both of them, a thoroughly mind-blowing experience and they’ve only been at it for a few minutes.

No, Bandit corrects himself, it’s not just the penetration itself, it’s everything which made him this desperate, he usually doesn’t spend this much time on everything else, but Montagne worshipped his body, showered him in affection and Bandit even accepted it, didn’t feel odd or undeserving, just… happy. Blissful about the fact that Montagne likes him so much he does all this without even being asked to, that he likes him so much he’s making love to him right now because that’s exactly what he’s doing – again, there’s no other word for it. He overpowered Bandit with all his love and now strips him bare, leaving only the essence of his being and he still loves him for it, Bandit can see it in his dark eyes.

They’re both moaning quietly in between kisses, relishing the friction between their legs, the monumental pleasure building and building towards yet another moment they’ll share. Bandit is clinging to the taller man by now, keeping up their eye contact and noticing every change in Montagne’s expression, the way he gasps when Bandit tenses around him, how he smiles when Bandit hums into a kiss, him growing more and more disbelieving with each thrust. He’s visibly enjoying himself, tells Bandit now and then how good he feels, how stunning he looks, how happy he makes him and it’s nothing like anything Bandit normally does but it feels like filling a hole which made him trip over and over throughout the years, a hole he tried to fill with a variety of things none of which were good enough, they all came loose, tripped him even more, and now – now it’ll fade. Slowly. But it will.

He notices the signs that Montagne is getting close, the increase in volume, his motions becoming irregular, and so Bandit finally does what he’s been wanting to this entire time: snakes one of his hands between their bodies and grips his own glistening erection tightly, gasps at the contact and begins dragging himself onto Montagne’s shaft with his legs. As soon as his lover notices, he ceases all movement, allows Bandit to take over and they’re still looking at each other, continue to do so as Bandit digs his heels into the mattress and drives himself onto the hard dick, despair colouring his actions as he frantically chases his release yet is too focused on his hips to build up a steady rhythm with his hand, ends up half-assing both, moans in frustration and Montagne looks at him like he hung the stars.

“I’m so close”, he says and how can he be when Bandit is doing such a terrible job at satisfying them both, he’s throwing his head back and slams his hips against Montagne’s, curses and falters when his free hand is grabbed again and held tightly by Montagne and now they’re kissing, even more he has to concentrate on, though if he’s honest most of his focus is on the marvellous cock inside him and then his fist tightens around his sopping wet dick and Montagne starts moving again, bottoms out with every long, slow, deep stroke and Bandit’s gone.

A high-pitched moan is what kicks it off, a reaction to the realisation that he’s just been pushed over the edge and though it hasn’t started fully yet, he knows there’s no going back now. His hand flies over his shaft and he tenses up his entire body, stays still as Montagne mercilessly keeps thrusting, keeps hitting his prostate with worrying accuracy, and allows him to push his orgasm out of him. When the contractions begin, the wonderful, magnificent trembling which spreads through his entirety, his eyes roll back into his head and he feels his erection pulse between his fingers, become a veritable fountain of come which it spews generously all over Bandit’s torso – but it’s even better because Montagne is also climaxing, cock throbbing and mouth letting out the most delicious of noises. They seek each other out, find comfort in the intensity of each other, ride their orgasm out at the same time while Montagne spills deep inside Bandit, their foreheads leaning against each other, their breath mingling.

They’re both shuddering now, twitching with how extreme it is, they’re out of breath and elated and basking in their shared pleasure, Bandit drawing out his orgasm with practised movements and Montagne canting his hips, fully sheathed still. Coming down is hesitant, Montagne initiates it by brushing his nose over Bandit’s, prompting an exhausted smile which he reciprocates and suddenly they’re grinning at each other like idiots while still feeling the aftershocks. Bandit’s blood is still rushing loudly in his ears and his heartbeat far from calm but none of it can disturb the peace spreading somewhere inside him, the feeling of being appreciated, of being cherished. He relaxes more and more over time, stretches out on the bed and winces slightly when Montagne withdraws – he really is quite large but feels amazing so Bandit would never consider complaining.

Usually, this is the part where either Bandit or his partner gets up, cleans up, has a smoke or goes for a shower. He, however, is so boneless that he’s not going anywhere right now and judging by the fact that Montagne simply lies down next to him and caresses his side, his thighs and his face, he isn’t either. It’s similar to the way he insisted on eye contact, makes it all that little bit more personal, more special. More intimate. Even so, Bandit is wholly overwhelmed for the moment, trying to get his breathing under control and not throw himself on top of Montagne immediately because he’s full of semen and has the sneaking suspicion his lover wouldn’t appreciate sperm all over his chest hair. Instead, he stares at the ceiling, slightly stupefied by how much he adored literally every aspect of what just happened and wondering whether he’s been doing it wrong his entire life.

“I liked that”, Montagne tells him as if it wasn’t absolutely obvious, “thank you.” Before Bandit can even think of making a sarcastic reply, a thumb wanders to his mouth, traces his lips and stills when he kisses it, sucks on the tip of it and bites lightly, all without taking his eyes off Montagne whose gaze grows considerably warmer. “You’re so incredibly erotic, Dom, do you even know that?”

He smirks and reaches out to push some of Montagne’s sweaty locks back. “I might have an idea. You came much faster than usual”, he teases.

“It’s because I didn’t expect you to feel this good. You’re amazing.”

And oh. Oh look. Bandit’s plan to embarrass his lover for once backfired horribly since now it’s him blushing yet again and trying to hide his face but as usual, Montagne just locks lips with him and kisses the urge to become defensive away.

The rest of the evening is calm, they shower together and Bandit almost dozes off while Montagne gently massages his scalp with shampoo, but his favourite part is when he’s being wrapped in one of the oversized towels of which Montagne is so fond and basically hugged dry, twists and turns in Montagne’s embrace while they both giggle and in the end he’s being slung over the tall man’s shoulder and carried to bed without being able to struggle from inside his towel burrito. Once they’re snuggling under the blanket, he asks about Montagne’s evening and his friends, about Doc, about parts of his past and it’s not even disheartening to hear about the life Montagne led before they knew each other, not when he’s safely encased in his strong arms and with his breath in Bandit’s hair.

He’s not tired yet so he’ll probably wait until Montagne is asleep to get back up and read something on his sofa, but there’s one last sentence with which all his illusions about not being in over his head are shattered: “I’ll give you a key tomorrow morning.”

It’s simple enough but the profound joy spreading at the words makes him realise.

Fuck, he thinks. I’m so fucking doomed.

#rainbow six siege #montagne #bandit #montagne/bandit #fanfic #protection mountain #god same bandit #and thus the journey of pillow princess bandit begins #I'm seriously unable to write plain smut and have to turn it sappy apparently

96 notes · View notes

corruptedspacecore · 6 years

Photo

I'm gonna need a bigger shelf!

Over time, I’ve been slowly building up a collection of Titanic books. A few of them I’ve had for a long time. Once in a while, something about other ships or other subjects altogether would creep in, mainly science. Recently, I acquired a bunch of new books, expanding my “library” to 40 books and adding some new subjects as well as ships to the mix. Here’s my library so far:

From left to right, top to bottom shelf:

Inside the Titanic - Hugh Brewster & Ken Marschall A big, great book featuring cutaway paintings of Titanic, showing what was inside.

Titanic: The Ship Magnificent: Volume 1 - Bruce Beveridge A thick volume covering the construction and engineering of Titanic, such as engines, funnels, ventilation and heating, generators, boilers, the shipyard, hull and steelwork, and so on.

Titanic: The Ship Magnificent: Volume 2 - Bruce Beveridge A volume covering the fitting out stage of construction and Titanic’s interior design, going over many of the rooms and design elements. Both volumes are filled with hundreds of photos and plans.

Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy - Jack Eaton & Charles Haas (signed by Jack and Charles) A sizeable book detailing the life of the Titanic from construction to sinking and many of the details surrounding it.

Titanic: An Illustrated History - Don Lynch & Ken Marschall A nice coffee table book with lots of paintings illustrating Titanic’s voyage and sinking.

Exploring the Deep: The Titanic Expeditions - James Cameron A book detailing Cameron’s many dives to the wreck of Titanic, featuring tons of photos, renderings, accounts, and some extra goodies.

Ken Marschall's Art of the Titanic - Rick Archbold & Ken Marschall Another book featuring many of Ken’s Titanic paintings and his history and process for painting them. It also includes some of his other liner paintings.

Titanic in Photographs - Dan Klistorner & Steve Hall A good coffee table book of large reprints of many famous Titanic photos, detailing her journey from shipyard to sailing.

Report Into the Loss of the SS Titanic: A Centennial Reappraisal - Samuel Halpern A more technical volume going over the conclusions of the inquiries into Titanic’s sinking and many of the details and accounts.

On a Sea of Glass: The Life and Loss of the RMS Titanic - Tad Fitch, J. Kent Layton, & Bill Wormstedt (signed by Tad) A detailed and compelling read about Titanic’s life from her sea trials to her final plunge, with a number of interesting appendices, information, accounts, and photos.

RMS Titanic: A Modelmaker's Manual - Peter Davies-Garner A wonderful book to have for the Titanic modeler, if you can find it. IT’s chock full of detailed drawings and plans of many elements of the Titanic, including hull line plans and a profile view, as well as its text and photos documenting the construction of a huge scale model of the Titanic.

RMS Titanic: Owner's Workshop Manual - David Hutchings & Richard de Kerbrech A fun little book in the style of those car manuals you often see, with plans and diagrams and photos covering many aspects of Titanic.

Eyewitness: Titanic - Simon Adams A very simple and short book for the child or young person just getting into the Titanic. A favorite from when I was little, but not much to it.

882 1/2 Amazing Answers to your Questions about the Titanic - Hugh Brewster & Laurie Coulter A fun read for interesting little tidbits and facts about Titanic and pop culture surrounding it.

Draw the Titanic - Andrew Staiano & Jason Pederson A guide for drawing Titanic and related subjects.

Titanic: Triumph to Tragedy A magazine-type publication full of general information and a number of errors, but probably a decent read if you’re short on time and want to know a bit more about Titanic.

National Geographic: April 2012 An issue of National Geographic with an article for the Titanic centennial, featuring some wreck photos and a sinking simulation poster and some words from Cameron about his explorations.

Ocean Liners of the Past: Olympic & Titanic A book from the 70s featuring reprints of material from earlier period pieces about the Olympic Class Liners. It includes a bunch of great, high-quality drawings and plans of things like the engine and boiler rooms and other engineering elements, and lots of great information about the engineering of those ships.

On Board the Titanic - Shelley Tanaka & Ken Marschall A short little paperback for any child who wants to learn the basics of Titanic’s story, with some paintings by Ken.

Story of the Wreck of the Titanic This is my oldest book, an original printed in 1912, acquired for only $15. It’s full of first-hand, unfiltered accounts from the survivors and news of the time about the Titanic disaster and aftermath.

A Night to Remember - Walter Lord Written in the 50s, this exciting and compelling novel utilized what at the time was the best information available about Titanic’s sinking. Lord manages to use pure facts and accounts - nothing fictionalized and no fake characters - with a gripping writing style to tell Titanic’s story from the collision to the Carpathia. It’s still considered one of the best books about Titanic, and the move made from it one of the best films about Titanic.

RMS Olympic - Brian Hawley A small book telling the story of Titanic’s sister ship, Olympic, with tons of rare photos.

M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work A giant book of prints of Escher’s best work. I won it at an art show in high school.

Beau Voyage: Life Aboard the Last Great Ships - John Malcolm Brinnin A big book full of many photos of ships from the early to mid 20th century, the age of the last classic ocean liners.

Queen Mary - James Steele A wonderful and large book all about the Queen Mary in her heyday and beyond, full of period photos of how she looked pre and post Long Beach, and a set of deck plans.

Lost Liners - Robert Ballard & Ken Marschall A coffee table book about the sinkings and wrecks of several famous ocean liners, including the Titanic. Ken’s amazing artwork is again displayed, including detailed paintings of Titanic’s wreck.

The Story of the Unsinkable Titanic - Michael Wilkinson & Robert Hamilton A very general book about Titanic’s story with the usual photos and material, but still good for the person just getting into the subject.

Robert Ballard's Lusitania - Robert Ballard An amazing, must-have book for anybody interested in the Lusitania, the other great ocean liner disaster. The book tells the story of Lusitasnia’s final voyages and sinking, and details Ballard’s explorations of the wreck. It includes inromation and tons of photos of the ship’s interiors as well as the wreck, and Ken Marschall’s incredible paintings depicting the sailing, sinking, and wreck of Lusitania.

Hindenburg: An Illustrated History - Rick Archbold & Ken Marschall Another must-have, this book tells the story of the German (Nazi) airship Hindenburg, starting with the airships that came before her, the final voyage, and her fiery end. It includes more amazing paintings by Ken, with some of them being cutaway views showing the inner workings and layout of the Hindenburg.

Comet - Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan A detailed tome about the science and nature of comets.

Cosmos - Carl Sagan Like the related TV series, Cosmos delves into the history and nature of the universe, from galaxies and planets to relativity and Mars, and the human journey to discover more about the universe we find ourselves in, and our deep questions about it.

Anatomy of the Ship Hood - John Roberts A technical book about the British battlecruiser Hood, it features many, many super-detailed drawings, plans, and disagrams of the structure and workings of the Hood, including deck plans, hull plans, line plans, detailed structural views, and views and plans of many elements of the ship’s structure. If you plan on modeling the HMS Hood, this book is a must-have.

The Battleship Yamato - Janusz Skulski This one is of the exact same nature as the Hood book, only with the Imperial Japanese battleship Yamato. Al lthe ultra-detailed plans you’ll ever need to know the structure of Japan’s most imposing battleship and technological WWII marvel.

Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World - Bill Nye (signed by Bill) Bill Nye’s ideas and plans for how we can use science and engineering to help and solve many of the world’s problems, including climate change. I picked up my signed copy at an event in Philadelphia where I got to see him speak.

The Origin of Species - Charles Darwin The classic book laying out Darwin’s theory of evolution. Evolutionary theory has come a long, long way since this book was written, but it’s still a must-own for anybody interested in science or evolution.

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark - Carl Sagan A wonderful and eye-opening book about science and skepticism, and how we can use those tools to cut through the nonsense and horrors and burning questions and fears of the world to improve the world and our own lives. Sagan discusses many things from a skeptical, scientific perspective, including UFOs, magic, religion, astrology and other new-age ideas and more.

The Klingon Dictionary - Marc Okrand Pretty self-explanatory. Want to know what a word is in Klingon: This book should help. Or Google, but a book is good, too.

The Martian - Andy Weir If you thought the movie was good, the book is better. Weird brings his intense attention to detail and science to tell a compelling and plausible story about an astronaut trapped on Mars. It’s full of science and humor, so what could be better?

Raise the Titanic - Clive Cussler A fun, action-packed thriller from the master of adventure novels, Cussler tells the story of a mission to raise the wreck of Titanic in a Cold War arms race that culminates in a showdown on the rotted decks of Titanic. Written before the wreck was found, it takes some liberties, but it’s a thoroughly fun read.

Contact - Carl Sagan A novel about an alien signal received by humanity with instructions to build a machine to send a group of humans to another part of space, and all the hardships and drama that come with such an event. It was, of course, made into a movie starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey.

That’s my library so far. I hope to expand on it in the future. You can never have enough Titanic books, or any books for that matter.

#personal #books #titanic #rms titanic #the titanic

90 notes · View notes

20thcentutygeek · 3 years

Text

How 'Ted Lasso' helped me take a look at myself

Heads up there are a few spoilers for Ted Lasso season two in this blog.

The TV show Ted Lasso is an oddity. The concept isn’t something I should be interested in, and on paper it shouldn’t work. I’m not a fan of football in the slightest, and it being based on a series of comedy commercials, history tells us it should have become a series of shallow jokes about a fish out of water. It should have failed with the first season. However, it has become a phenomenon, and rightfully so. In a world divided, confused, and scared for the future comes a show that is willing to wear its heart on its sleeve and be a positive force.

That’s not to say it’s devoid of conflict or that its saccharine in its chirpy happiness. What makes Ted Lasso special is its honesty. Often when that term is used for a TV show, it’s a hard hitting drama about the worst life has to offer. While I appreciate those shows are important, showing a glimpse of how some people are forced to live, I do believe the incessant grimness has been a contributing factor in the global emotional and psychological decline. Oddly contributing to further despair, without providing suggestions for a solution.

I will acknowledge that Ted Lasso is about a football club and people that earn millions of pounds. However, it doesn’t dwell on rich people problems, or diminish the people that aren’t in the same tax bracket. The football and the money are barely a consideration or a factor in the show. Yes, they inform elements and the framing but at its heart its about people from very different backgrounds working together to raise each other up, and every week it raises me up to.

The show has covered a number of topics and themes, and I think there are great articles to be written about the portrayal of women in business, the complexity of relationships, grieving and creating a positive working environment. What I want to focus on is how it has broken down and helped me address my own toxic masculinity.

As I reach 40, I have taken a look back at my life and, like everyone else, there are things I know I could have done better at or dealt with differently. One of those things is my own relationship with my emotions and mental health. I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s and my fictional role models were action stars and superheroes who dealt in actions rather words. Greif was an opportunity for revenge and lashing out. If a wrong was identified in the world it was an opportunity to blow stuff up. There was no room for emotions. John Rambo starts by exploring his PTSD and trauma to then being dropped back into war for entertainment. Not great therapy, and the way to work through those pesky trauma nightmares was to kill more baddies.

In the 90s, during my teen years, I was swamped by Lad Culture. Get drunk and be loud, with a side of obnoxious. It was an extension of the 80s yuppie culture, work hard, play harder. I was pretty good at that. Over the years I became more worldly, and I like to think more balanced. I have had some hard lessons about how to manage and work with people. I have tried to be better and be a positive influence on people I know and work with.

I grew up with prejudices that I have addressed, and I’m embarrassed I ever held them, but somethings are harder to work on than others. My understanding and acceptance of the wider world, and the wonderful array of people that live In it, has always been tempered by how I have perceived myself and what I feel.

I have trouble with my weight and will often work ridiculous hours to get work done. I take on too much and when I get frustrated, I let it build up into anger. Then when things don’t work out, or I have too many plates spinning I get annoyed at myself for not being able to keep everything moving. This then results in the behaviour that contributes to my weight issues. It becomes a cycle. I know this, and have done for years, but to admit it, to let others know that I know this, would be the biggest failure. To admit that I can’t do any more, or that I have hit my limit when I know that others are under pressure as well is, as far as I have seen it, a sign of weakness, and so I carry on. Not wanting people to think less of me. I’m a man and I should be able to shoulder this burden. Just grab another snickers and knuckle down harder. During the pandemic this behaviour has been worse than ever.

But that may all be in the past.

Ted Lasso season two has made me stop and take a step back. Football clubs are often portrayed as hives of competition and alpha males. Ted Lasso has taken a different tact and shown how this team supports each other. In this season three elements have made me take stock.

Jamie Tart dealing with the pressure to succeed from his Father and supporters has been fascinating to watch. The internalisation of the fear of failure and the constant push for you to the be the sole winner of a team game struck home. The moment he punched out his Dad was stunning. A full stop moment. Yes, it was frustration spilling out, but it was not for him, it was for him as part of the team. A moment to say, ‘no more’ and I am part of this team, and they are there for me. The fact the punch was followed by a hug from Roy Kent was perfect. We often work as a team, in life and in work. within in that team we have responsibilities, but we are not responsible for the whole team. Be good at what you are good at and help the others to do the same and positive results are a lot more likely.

Let’s talk about Roy Kent. He should be the worst offender, but they have under-cut this perfectly and created a new modern role model. The curmudgeonly Roy has a life and reputation built on aggression and machismo. However, his arc has led him to become a great example of the ability and need to adapt and try new things, especially as we move from one stage of life to the next. His desire to change, adapt and learn for the people he loves is an inspiration. They are the people we need to be better for the most. I now stop an ask WWRFD: What Would Roy Fucking Do?

The most important is Ted and his anxiety attacks. His relationship with Dr Fieldstone has also made me question some of my own habits and what may have caused them. I’m not going to delve into my life story here (you can wait for the book J), but Ted discussing how the suicide of his father has shaped his approach to life and the emotional impact this has had, when he is forced to have to give up on things, stopped me in my tracks. The question I asked was, who am I trying to impress? What am I getting from the hours given up and why am I doing this? The waking up at 4am with anxiety isn’t a sign I care about my work, it’s a sign my work is damaging me. This isn’t something that I am going to address overnight, but these questions have started a chain reaction that has allowed me to stop and say, ‘Yes, I am struggling, and I need to take a breath’. What comes next I still need to figure out, but I know that I do need to figure it out.

Everyone behind Ted Lasso should be proud. Not only are they creating a funny show with heart, but they are also creating role models that show young (and some not so young) men, that being a man isn’t about being stoic, bearing the burden and keeping going. It’s not macho to just keep going and wash down the negativity. Being a man is about being a part of the world, being who you are, but knowing that we can all be better and being willing to explore ways of achieving that. It doesn’t mean the world and life will be easier, but it does mean that we don’t have to do it alone.

I’m heading into middle age, and I am scared of it. I am scared I won’t be able to keep up. I am scared that things are getting on top of me. I am scared that I won’t be relevant anymore. Ted Lasso came at the right time and has helped put some things in perspective for me. It’s fine to be sacred of these things, the world can be fucking scary, but its not helpful to keep those fears to myself. WWRFD? he’d begrudgingly talk to Keely, and they would work it out together, whether it’s easy or hard.

I’m about to be 40 and its time to make some changes.

#Pop Culture #comedy #tv #Reviews

1 note · View note

darkspellmaster · 6 years

Text

Dumbledore, Grindlewald, David Yates, JK Rowling and the issue with the use of words. Part 1

(To save people from the issue of reading this on Mobile I’ll break it up.)

So recently, I found an article on the Mary Sue that really got to me on a personal level as a writer. Again normally, I don’t go off on rants like this, and for good reason as people tend to twist things and don’t actually use their reading comprehension to understand what I’m trying to say. But in this case I really can’t keep my mouth shut on this. So, in the event of flames coming at me, I’ll say this much I’m covered in that lovely fire proofing foam and if you must disagree do so respectfully, thanks.

So let’s start at the beginning of this whole thing. Back all the way in January, The Mary Sue put out an Article by writer Princess Weekes, which covered a story about Director David Yates talking about the movie, and specifically Dumbledore. (You can read the article Here https://www.themarysue.com/dumbledores-sexuality-vague/ ) The article by Ms. Weekes covers another article that came out dealing with an interview by Mr. Yates for Entertainment weekly. (which you can find here http://ew.com/movies/2018/01/31/fantastic-beasts-dumbledore-gay/ )

In the EW article, clearly taken from an interview and the full transcript of the question not reveled (great work there guys way to leave us wondering just what you asked to get this response from him), Yate’s states

“According to The Crimes of Grindelwald director David Yates, this year’s sequel, at least, will not directly reference Dumbledore’s sexuality.

“Not explicitly,” Yates replied when asked if the film makes it clear that Dumbledore is gay. “But I think all the fans are aware of that. He had a very intense relationship with Grindelwald when they were young men. They fell in love with each other’s ideas, and ideology and each other.”

He goes on to add

“Yates then added a bit more about what Dumbledore is like in the new film: “He’s a maverick and a rebel and he’s an inspiring teacher at Hogwarts. He’s witty and has a bit of edge. He’s not this elder statesman. He’s a really kinetic guy. And opposite Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, they make an incredible pairing.”

Then this is followed up by a comment about something Rowling said,

“All of this isn’t to say that Dumbledore’s sexuality won’t eventually be addressed in the three additional Fantastic Beasts sequels planned after Crimes. In fact, screenwriter and Harry Potter creator Rowling has previously hinted that it will be at some point. “I can’t tell you everything I would like to say because this is obviously a five-part story so there’s lots to unpack in that relationship,” Rowling said at a press conference two years ago. “You will see Dumbledore as a younger man and quite a troubled man — he wasn’t always the sage…We’ll see him at that formative period of his life. As far as his sexuality is concerned … watch this space.”

The article of Ms. Weekes was then followed up by another article by Dan Van Winkle (which you can read here https://www.themarysue.com/jk-rowling-no-interest-in-dumblethoughts/ ) who seems to be of two minds of the matter, and seems to be equating things to his owe experiences, which is fine, but honestly this is different than his friend in college.

In the article Mr. Van Winkle references another article from the Mary sue by Charline Jao (Seen here https://www.themarysue.com/fantastic-beasts-casting-calls/ ) which talks about the crew looking for certain ages for people playing the roles of a younger version of Newt, Leta, Sebatian, Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

This article by Mr. Van Winkle was then followed up once more by yet another article on the Mary Sue by Kaila Hale –Stern (Seen here https://www.themarysue.com/dumbledore-lgbt-sexuality-fantastic-beasts/ ) about the issues with fans regarding this whole situation.

After reading these three pieces plus the connected original article and the one that was previously published all the way back in 2017, I have to somewhat rub my temples in awe of how people really don’t use reading comprehension and are vastly forgetful of huge facts when convenient to not paint the whole picture of the situation.

So let’s break this all down as best we can to clear things up, hopefully, and maybe get some people to understand exactly what Mr. Yates, Mrs. Rowling, and the crew of Fantastic Beasts are really up to here in regard to the situation with Dumbledore and Grindelwald and the future series of these films.

Allow me to first say I’m going to break this into 4 major sections.

Time period in Cannon

Dumbledore’s history

Newt’s story

Authors Mystery and the Hero’s journey

So let’s start with Yate’s EW comment which kick started this whole issue. In the comment Yate’s says that there isn’t going to be anything Explicate in regard to showing that Dumbledore is gay. Now before anyone pulls out the pitchforks allow me to explain why this is actually correct in this case, and that making his relationship and showing he’s gay would be a bad idea for the film makers.

The term he said was “Not Explicitly,” and the word Explicit means….

“stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.”

Why is this important because it connects heavily to all three sections that I’m going to cover here. Being Explicit at the time for Dumbledore would have caused more trouble than it was worth, given that the relationship, or the one sided relationship, had long since passed.

There are two very serious reasons why Dumbledore isn’t being shown as expressly openly gay at this date and time. While the Wizarding World is, by and large, governed by it’s own laws as we’ve seen, it’s clear that a lot have been adapted from the Muggle community. Down to the fact that they too seem to have respect for the Queen and see her as their ruler as they are British subjects of the crown (which begs the question of if they pay taxes and all that, but that’s delving too deep into things here).

Now what I’m getting at here is the lesser of the important reasons, namely because I don’t have any proof of this in regard to the book. However, it’s still something that is rather unique during the time period this is set in and I’m sure that Rowling is, and was at the time of her writing the script, aware of.

During 1861 a law from England was enacted where in various acts of sexual activity with a young girl was prohibited (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Law_Amendment_Act_1885 ). This was on top of another bill the Offenses Against the person act of 1861, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offences_Against_the_Person_Act_1861 ), and then on to that the Labouchere Amendment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labouchere_Amendment ). The last act was eventually what landed Oscar Wilde in jail. This Amendment was designed to help with the Victorian moral of demonizing homosexuality.

“ Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or is a party to the commission of, or procures, or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with an other male person, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and being convicted thereof, shall be liable at the discretion of the Court to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding two years, with or without hard labour.

Furthermore, the section included a vague clause which allowed for the prosecution of anyone who played "party to the commission of" gross indecency. This clause, poet Symonds noticed, served essentially as a conspiracy charge, allowing for a broader pool of convictions.”

This law lead to several prosecutions due to it’s vagueness and even to at least a few suicides from those that were arrested under this law.

The issue here is that, given the way the Wizards look at things and that a good portion of them are not in the modern world, nor were they at the time when Dumbledore and Grindelwald were teens, it’s not that huge of a leap to assume that a similar law had been enacted by the wizarding community. I mean just look at the history of laws we do know about including House Elves and pure blood and the whole court system.

If, and again I stress the word if, such a law exists in England at the time of this movie –and it did in the normal Muggle world –then Albus would be automatically arrested for the act of gross indeceny and carted off to trial. This very law wasn’t off the books until 1967 in the UK and even later in Scotland, Ireland and Wales! Albus would have been in a world of trouble during 1927 for this…

Speaking of the time period, that’s the second part of this comment on the time period cannon that all three of the above articles seem to miss addressing.

So Fantastic Beasts starts off in 1927. During this period we know that Grindelwald was active and a known fugitive, as per the first movie indicating. We know that both England and the US are looking for him during the period of the second movie, and we know that anyone associated with Grindelwald could be placed in jail for assisting in his crimes.

We also know, thanks to the very first book, that Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald in 1945 during the Second world War. Now how does this tie into Yate’s comments. Given that the group that comes to see Dumbledore are questioning him about Newt’s activity and his connection to him, it’s not that hard to think that they have reason to suspect that Dumbledore may be involved with Scamander, who is wanted for questioning regarding events of the US and having creatures that could be seen as dangerous with him.

We can then, rightly, assume that the first movie, much like the first HP book, was set up. Here we have Newt, we get a mention of Dumbledore, and overall we even get a Voldermort like disquise reveal of the character of Grindelwald. Given that the heavier aspects of the story, that of the fight between Grindelwald and Dumbledore won’t be happening for another two decades, it would be better for Dumbledore to keep his mouth shut on the matter of his connections to Grindelwald. Not only because of their previous relationship and how that would look in regard to him being complicit to or actively helping Grindelwald, but also that leads them to connect the dots to his sister’s death.

This I think is why we’re not getting explicit story telling here in regard to their relationship. Dumbledore is very much the character we saw in the first book at this stage, a mystery, and to anyone who had not read the books and this was the first time learning of him, having him be that character again fits in with Newt’s journey, which is what this story is really about.

On top of that you have the added fact that in this time, we know that Grindelwald, unlike Voldemort, is actively looking for the other Hallows (which is why we see the signs in the title) and he already has the first, the wand, in his possession. We know that Dumbledore will not get this item until his battle with him in 1945, so we have a full 2 decades to go before any major changes happen between these two.

So while it makes sense in the modern audience, who already knows about their relationship to have confirmation of feelings or tension, that people would want to see that tension explode on the screen. But this isn’t Dumbledore’s story, just as Harry Potter wasn’t about him either. To showcase that tension this early in a five series film would be honestly breaking the tension that will probably happen in movies 3, 4, 5. This is where the period comes into play as well.

No one at this time, outside of Dumbledore and Grindelwald and Albus’s brother Aberforth knows about what happened with their sister, and because of that, in this period. It wouldn’t make sense for Dumbledore, both out of fear of possibly being arrested for being homosexual, and, more likely, having direct ties to Grindelwald and being arrested for that, would even hint at ANY sort of relationship with him.

See Part two for the next aspect.

#fantastic beasts: the crimes of grindelwald #fantastic beasts 2 #fantastic beasts sequel #albus dumbledore #gellert grindelwald #newt scamander #aberforth dumbledore #david yates #JK Rowling #jkr #discourse #the mary sue #entertainment weekly

5 notes · View notes

noromannet-blog · 4 years

Text

How To Be a YouTuber and not die trying

If a few decades ago teenagers idolized pop icons, sports references or famous actors, today the biggest piece of cake for the popularity of the 21st century is taken by YouTubers. If you are thinking of becoming one of them, we tell you everything you need. " Mama, I Want To Be Youtuber", it is a phrase that should not be heard in many homes just some of the world today. And it is that millions of videos and countless key names of the so-called YouTuber culture are played daily worldwide on tablets and mobile devices of children and adolescents. But have you ever wondered how these mainstream figures of the audiovisual culture have gotten there that manage to hook millions of people with their videos about gaming, fashion, humor, advice or simply, telling their daily life in front of a camera, They achieve a stratospheric volume of visits monthly, fill theaters with their shows and even publish books that are a complete bestseller? As in everything in this life, there is no infallible formula, but there are a series of minimum steps that you must complete to start your adventure as a Youtuber. In the beginning, you will have to be achieving visits and subscribers in a gradual way and without despair, betting on the constancy and some fun, fresh and original contents that have your own stamp. Analyzing the most popular cases, what you should be clear about is that to be a YouTuber, monetize your content and reach a decent base of quality followers over time, it is not enough to upload dry videos. Talent, technical knowledge, a little spark and the ability to address your target are some of the essential qualities that we will talk about next. What do I need to become a YouTuber?

A good camera and knowledge of editing: Do not start an adventure on YouTube without technical knowledge or the result could be poor, poorly valued and cause for mockery by users who follow you. It is important that you have a decent camera and notions of audiovisual editing - or delegate this task to a person skilled in this topic - since a YouTube video requires visual ingredients that hook the audience like effects, filters, stickers or fades. Today there are numerous free storytelling and visual storytelling tools at your disposal. A space to record: You may want to make yourself a gamer, travel YouTuber or simply, your plan is to make daily - daily videos recounting experiences and everyday adventures - but it is important that you prepare the recording space, look for good lighting conditions and make it disappear off the screen all the aspects that hinder the quality of the video - a messy room, a bad framing or poor lighting give a shabby and lackluster result. What topic do you want to discuss? : Improvisation is good in some creative areas, but if you want to be a YouTuber you must plan thoroughly the contents you want to deal with, circumscribe yourself to one or several specific areas and try to succeed with them, connecting with your audience. To study and practice! : Take time to investigate and deepen the chosen theme. You can not be a good gamer if you do not know the latest news of video games that reach the market, or YouTuber fashion if you do not delve into the latest trends. If you have decided to be a didactic YouTuber and talk about politics, television series, movies, feminism, history or literature, you must transform the knowledge previously acquired and worked into an entertaining speech that brings value to your audience. It is highly recommended to use YouTube as a user rather than as a creator to better understand its operation. X-ray to your audience: Who are you talking to? It is not the same to make telephone jokes or experiments for twelve-year-old kids than to analyze the last season of the Game of Thrones for adults or to have a channel oriented to culinary recipes, childcare or to carry out crafts or DIY actions. Age, demographics and socio-cultural characteristics, aesthetic tastes and the main hobbies of your audience are very important guidelines that you must determine in advance. Define your character: On the characteristics of your target depends the construction of a tone and a language - what in literature would be considered the author's voice - aimed at achieving closeness and connection with that target audience. To succeed, it is important that you manage to make yourself, building a character that suits you - no matter how natural you are, you will not be the same person as in your private life, but a cultural product that seeks to commercialize by offering interesting content.

Design your header and your logo: As a company, you must have a striking corporate image that becomes a constant throughout your videos. Who knows, maybe in the future it will be printed on t-shirts and other merchandise. Have a calendar of contents: Like any famous blogger or content marketing platform of a company, it is very important that you mark the days and times of your publications since when these go viral your followers will wait for that moment to consume your content. You can start betting on uploading two videos on a weekly basis and on alternate days - Monday and Wednesday, for example. Plan your next three or four videos in advance so you don't run out of ideas. Proof + originality: Do not violate the planned calendar, resort to brainstorming and other creative techniques to plan your next appearances on YouTube and above all, bet on originality -there are some themes more manicured than others-, without copying the editing style or the way of talking about other platform icons and attracting attention with explicit, fresh and attractive titles for the audience. Listen to your community: It is very important that you interact with your followers, listen to their complaints, suggestions, and proposals about your content, and request their participation and feedback through calls to action at the end of the video - what do you think of Your last purchase ?, Have you lived an experience similar to yours ?, What is the most fun that has happened to you in a family meal? -. As in restaurants, the customer is always right. Use Youtube Analytics to measure your success: Learn about this tool at the following link. With it, you can monitor the performance of the channel and videos using metrics and updated reports. There is a huge amount of data available distributed in different reports, such as the time of viewing, traffic sources or demographic data, which will help you constantly improve. Position your videos for SEO: Include keywords in the titles and descriptions of your videos to help them be found before the rest. In this article, we provide you with a complete guide to optimize this aspect and gain considerably in a number of visits thanks to good positioning. Use the Google Keyword Planner to find the most appropriate keywords, next to the YouTube search engine. Spread your videos through other social channels: Especially during the initial phase of launching your channel, promotion through all possible marketing tools is essential. Create a strong Social Media strategy, generate hype in networks before uploading a video and complete your content with a blog or newsletter. Search for partners and monetize your content: Once you have achieved a considerable fan base you can look for sponsors and brands that send you free products to test -as in the case of video games, food brands, drones, technology, toys, etc- or that publicize -without passing you, since purely narrative or didactic content should always have a much higher proportion than commercials-, subscribe to an affiliate program or, the most recurring option, monetize your content through the YouTube Partners Program, With four basic steps: Enable monetization on your channel Link the channel to a Google Ads account Check the criteria for videos and ad formats Monetize videos with ads Enjoy the experience! : Being a YouTuber can become a great experience to show the world your worth, your charm, your courage, your humorous gifts, your taste for fashion, your skills with video games, your ability to analyze series or books, explain theories or do May your experiences be valuable and useful to other people. Read the full article

#News #TRENDING #Youtube

0 notes

unt2017 · 4 years

Text

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis Genre: Fantasy Image:“Chronicles of Narnia” [image]. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11129.The_Chronicles_of_Narnia

First, I have to admit I have not read all the books in this series. In fact, I wasn’t sure what the correct order of the books are. The book I started using has all seven books in one volume and according to it the order is as follows: The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair and finally The Last Battle. However, if someone were to Google the order of the books, most might come across the fact that the publication order is not the same as the one in the book volume I used. According to Goodreads.com, the publication order is as follows: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, and The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia Publication Order, 2019). So, because of this debate, I wasn’t sure if it mattered where I started. I realized that what I thought I knew or remembered about what I had read in years past was very little, so I decided to read again and I started with the story everyone has either read or knows enough to be able to talk about with any sense of interest: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. The aspects of the story I want to follow up on are: tension, setting, and pacing. The more I think about it the more I believe it makes sense to flesh out these parts of the story because they would be the most interesting.

Evaluation

According to Tunnell, Jacobs, Young & Bryan (2016): “Fiction without tension is bland. Tension makes the reader want to read on to see how the conflict is resolved and what happens to the people involved in the problem” (19). In the case of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, the main characters Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan stumble on a world that cannot be readily explained other than a child’s wild imagination (or so adults like to believe) and they end up in a world that is run by a villain named The White Witch. She uses Edmund to try and further her plan of getting rid of Aslan, one of the many protagonists and heroes of this series. However, she underestimates the power of family and friends. The proof of this shows itself in the following:

Edmund shook hands with each of the others and said to each of them in turn, “I’m sorry,” and everyone said “That’s all right”. And everyone wanted very hard to say something which would make it quite clear that they were all friends with him again ---something ordinary and natural—and of course no one could think of anything in the world to say (174).

Everyone knows that dealing with family can be beyond difficult. They make you angry, sad, happy, and everything in between, but what others also know is that family forgives family. This particular quote proves how true that is and that tension of any kind can make for a good story. Tension either makes the story blow up like a fire cracker with pretty colors or fizzle out faster than the bubbles on a soft drink and that can be the catalyst that either makes the reader continue to read or they put the book down and do not pick it back up.

Another aspect that determines whether or not a reader continues reading a particular book is the pacing. According to Tunnell et al., (2016): “Pacing is how quickly or slowly a story moves” (18). In the case of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, the pacing switches back and forth between fast and slow. For example, in chapter fifteen one of the first quote on the page is as follows: “Now! Follow me all and we will set about what remains of this war! It will not take us long to crush the human vermin and the traitors now that the great Fool, the great Cat, lies dead” (182). To me, this shows that the pace and action will soon pick up from here. I know that every book has its high and low points, but the low points seem to dictate whether or not the reader makes it to the best parts of the story. A reader can find the characters interesting. They can feel every emotion for main characters, but without solid pacing of the story, it is difficult to want to keep up because caring for the characters is only part of the experience.

The final aspect I want to focus on is the setting. The reason for this being I like reading stories that take me outside of the real world and the regular time sphere. I enjoy being able to lose hours in a book then when I come back it feels like I’ve gone on a mini vacation. According to Tunnell et al., (2016): “The setting is where and when the book takes place. …The place can be as vast as a planet or as small as one room. The time may be in the past, the present, or the future, or it may be an unspecified in imaginary worlds” (18). To this end, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe doesn’t seem to have a specified time period, but Narnia is an imaginary world that seems so well written that if they didn’t have talking animals, I would believe it was of our world and our time. However, I am glad that it isn’t of our world because I find stories similar to now a bit boring. Sure, I don’t mind stories having elements of reality in them, but that’s not why I read the genres I do. I read them to escape real life not get bogged down in it while reading. Speaking of the reasons why I read, the questions from the Williamson (n.d) article had me thinking. The following questions are the ones I want to delve deeper into: How much does the text agree with your views of the world, and what you consider right or wrong? How well does it address things you care about and consider important to the world? Finally, how well did you enjoy the text as entertainment or work of art? (Williamson, n.d).

Response

Whenever I am reading, these questions don’t really come to mind because I usually read for enjoyment and try not to get too bogged down. However, in the case of how much does the text agree with the views I have of the world and what I consider right or wrong and how well does it address things you care about and consider important to the world, I am not sure I have a good answer for that. Very rarely could one answer be the same or similar for two different questions. It has been said that the Chronicles of Narnia has Christianity undertones to it and that for example, Aslan might be the character that is supposed to represent Christ. Being a Christian myself I could see how this might be based off just reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. In fact, according to the following article from CBN/ Movieguide Magazine (2019) the author says that Lewis had explained things using the following quote:

…Read the earlier book in this series called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and you will find the full story of how he was killed by the White Witch and came to life again. When you have read that, I think you will probably see that there is a deeper meaning behind it. The whole Narnian story is about Christ. That is to say, I asked myself ‘Supposing that there really was a world like Narnia and supposing it had (like our world) gone wrong and supposing Christ wanted to go into that world and save it (as He did ours), what might have happened?’ The stories are my answers (Movieguide, 2019).

Whether or not C.S Lewis said this or not could be up for debate, but I could see it being true based on what I read from the book. A quote from the book may further this line of thinking. Lewis (1982) wrote the following: “He knows the Deep Magic better than that. He knows that unless I have blood as the Law says, all Narnia will be overturned and perish in fire and water” (176). The best way to help readers understand why this is important is to go to the book that is part of the Christian faith: The Bible. Genesis 6:17 states: “And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die” (KJV online, 2019). That tells the parallel of the water, but what about the fire? Revelation 8:7 states: “…The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” (KJV online, 2019). Now granted I understand that these verses are parts of a bigger aspect of the Bible so these verses to many might not seem as much; however, I can’t help but feel they further my connection that Lewis wrote The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe as part of a way to help others understand certain things about the Bible. The children in the book represent human nature and the values and lessons we receive by learning how to navigate the world and the mistakes we make while doing so. The book also talks about how important forgiveness is when a wrong has been committed. I would like to add that I find this lesson important because we all need it. No one is perfect. That is why Lucy, Susan, and Peter forgiving Edmund for his betrayal of them and being happy to see him again is important. It reminds me that humans need to be kind to one another or the world would go up in flames faster than we can stop it.

Conclusion

Overall, I enjoyed reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. It made me feel like a child again and let me use my imagination in a way I haven’t done in a while. I see why C.S Lewis is a popular author, and I like the fact that he uses his faith to reach others in a way they understand. I really want to see how the rest of the stories compare and fit in with the overall picture. I believe this was the one book I did not regret reading to review (out of the ones on the list that I had marked to read at some point in time). The characters were real, powerful, but not overwhelming in such a way that overshadowed the point. Narnia, as a place, lets me escape the real world for a while, and I always like books that take me on a mini vacation. So, do me a favor if you will, let everyone know I give The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe a 10 out of 10 and recommend it highly.

References:

“Chronicles of Narnia Publication Order Series” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/series/49073-chronicles-of-narnia

“The Deeper Truth Behind ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’”. (2019). Retrieved from https://www1.cbn.com/books/deeper-truth-behind-chronicles-narnia

“Genesis 6:17” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Genesis-Chapter-6/#17

Lewis, C.S. (1982). Chronicles of Narnia. New York: HarperCollins

“Revelation 8:7” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Revelation-Chapter-8/

Tunnell M.O., Jacobs, J.S., Young T.A. & Bryan, G. (2016). What is a good book? in Children’s Literature Briefly, (pp. 15-23.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Williamson, O.M. (n.d). “Reader Response”. Retrieved from http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl0310link/readerresponse.htm

0 notes

mfmagazine · 5 years

Photo

Gina La Piana

Article by Lauren Weigle

Photo by Steve Kay Photography

Gina La Piana is definitely a fierce force of nature. Armed with a gorgeous singing voice, a sultry image, and an amazing acting ability, this woman knows how to work the entertainment circuit. Making appearances on popular shows like Bones, Everybody Hates Chris, The Mentalist, and many others; her main passion is her craft as an actress. Although she loves to sing and has success with it, acting is where her heart truly lies… This is why we’ve taken the time to sit down with her and delve a little deeper into what Gina is truly all about… who she is, where she wants to go with her career, and what she really wants in life.

So, acting and singing. I want to hear about both. How about we start with the singing? Can you tell me a little bit about yourself as an artist?

I consider myself an edgy voice for women, as well as a storyteller. My tendency is to write my music as a journal. I’m most inspired when I’m in relationships, good or bad. I’ve written most of my successful pieces from painful experiences. There was one relationship that is most predominant, which I call the ‘Gray Period’. That’s when I wrote my most popular material. A lot of women can relate to and connect with my "agony' so to speak. (She laughs.) But, that's kind of a universal theme. I get thank you notes from people around the world saying they connected to the themes and messages in the music. It makes me realize just how much “art imitates life” and how we truly want the same things. To be understood, loved, and cherished. I’ve only done original work. I’ve never been a cover song artist. I don’t know how to be. So, a show like American Idol could have never been a platform for me because it’s important to sing what’s in my heart and what sprung from my truth - the good, bad, and the ugly.

Okay, so you thrive on being original. What would you say is your signature aesthetic when it comes to your own music?

I am a divine dichotomy of sorts, in that what I do in the US market tends to be more edgy, pop rock, geared towards films and television, while what I do overseas as "Gina Martina" is darker, sexy electronic dance music. I’ve been called the Jenna Jameson of electronica! (She happily exclaims.) They are all roles for me really, getting to play different characters, and aspects of my personality set to beats.

Well, you’ve been a part of several movie soundtracks. Would you like to talk about some of your contributions in that area?

I love the collaboration involved when working on a soundtrack. I love working in a room full of people where we’re all working towards the same visual-auditory goals. I am a very visual person, so it’s exciting to see a piece of film in front of me, visualizing the story and literally seeing and feeling the music that is poured into the film. It’s moving art. It always comes back to storytelling for me. It’s by far some of my favorite work and I look forward to doing a lot more in the future! I am such a huge fan of guys like Danny Elfman, and Hans Zimmer. What a gift these guys have! To someday be able to work in the same room with them would be a life altering experience for me.

Oh, I’m sure! With just singing or acting as well? Do you prefer acting to singing or are the two pretty equal?

To be completely honest with myself, I’d love to do more acting. Music pays the bills, but my dream is to do series television. In an ideal world, I would meld both of these facets. And maybe run the whole shebang, Sandra Bullock style.

Aside from your life as a performer, what else do you enjoy?

Eating good food, reading a great book, making love, fun with friends, investing in stock, supporting in the Bella Sera Organization, and travel, travel, travel!!! I am also what you call a spa whore…I love to spa!

Do you have much spare time to let loose and indulge in these things… like your Spa fetish?

I have quite a bit of time to myself; it’s how I set my life up. I created and built my own music company so I can let other people do the heavy lifting and I can take the credit, which allows me the space and time to enjoy my life much more.

Let’s talk about your character on Days of Our Lives. How did you first land your role on the soap series?

I went in like any other normal casting. I was hired originally by the lovely Fran Bascom, working at separate times in two smaller characters, (a flight attendant named Daphne and a Nurse called Rosy), whom they found memorable. They eventually brought me in as a more substantial recurring character. Yes, I played three characters in total while on Days of Our Lives.

Wow. So multiple personalities. (I joke.) What else?

I have both good and bad things to say about working on a soap opera. The good: it’s akin to boot camp for actors. You have to learn so much dialogue so quickly. Every day you have pages and pages of text to memorize and you must be spot on! They will not accept anything less. It is like doing theatre on television if that makes sense. You can make far bigger choices than you could normally in either regular TV or film outside of comedy. The bad: I have never worked a job where women were more downright catty and mean.

Wow, that’s horrible. I guess even soap operas have those catty co-workers.

Yeah, I literally was written off my show because a few of the girls I was working with made me miserable. I couldn’t continue to subject myself to that much negative energy. No amount of money on Earth is worth the stress to me, and I sincerely mean that.

Well, soap operas have been such classic constants throughout television history. What are your thoughts on the recent cancellations of the long-running soaps All My Children and One Life to Live?

In my opinion, I think it’s time to move on, because we are living in a different time in history than the era they debuted in. I mean no disrespect, but these shows have been around since way before I was a gleam in my Father's eye, and we have since progressed in our outlook of entertainment. Viewers are much more sophisticated and looking for more cohesive story lines.

I got ya. Okay, I’m going to take my cue from you and move on as well. (I laugh.) Since your days as Gabby Ortiz and even before then, you’ve made appearances on so many popular television shows. Any memorable ones that stick out in your mind?

Hands down, my favorite experience was on Studio 60. I got to combine my 3 strengths. I scored the episode, sang 2 of my original songs on stage, and acted opposite Matthew Perry, and all the while working for the brilliant and gifted Aaron Sorkin. Not to mention, I was directed by the ingenious Tommy Schlamme. That job just couldn’t have gotten any better!

Okay, tell me about your most recent project Audrey. What’s the story?

Audrey is a very unique and very funny female-driven comedy. Taking place in real-time, the story takes us through a little over an hour and a half of a young woman's day as she waits and waits and waits in a restaurant for Gene, her date, to arrive for their critical third date. As the clock ticks away and Gene is nowhere to be found, 34-year-old Audrey is swept up into a journey through her life as her insecurities and inner demons comically wreak havoc on her. Forced to face her deepest fears by circumstance — both real and unreal —Audrey finds the strength and courage she never imagined she had.

I understand you produced the film? What made you cross over from actress to producer?

I realized things were changing in the film industry. More and more celebrities are taking on Television roles, which leaves less work for newer or up and coming actors. I felt I needed to create more vehicles for myself if I want to work in this business. I like to be in control of my career and not just sit around waiting for the next audition to come. I wanted to create more vehicles and opportunities to show my strengths. Hence, I'm playing the quirky impassioned best friend to "Audrey".

What first drew you to the project?

A friend whom I deeply respect and admired brought the project to me. He was very excited about it, so I came on board.

Well, that’s simple enough. Any other projects coming up that we should know about?

I’m producing and starring in a film that I wrote called Brit and Brazil. It’s an independent drama-comedy feature that will give me the opportunity to play a grittier character who turns things around in her life. I’m most inspired by these types of stories, the underdog, who eventually triumphs and succeeds. I’m also producing two artists signed to Warner Bros., ages 13 and 15. The albums couldn’t be more different - One is a rock-electronic record and the other is in the urban-hip hop genre. I like to keep it crazy, the nuttier the better in my opinion. Colorful is key!

0 notes

sempiternalsandpitturtle · 5 years

Text

The key aspects of writing a brief for your website content

As much as I hate to admit it, I’d be lost without good content briefing. In fact, if this article about briefs wasn’t so well briefed, it wouldn’t have a chance of ranking, meaning you probably wouldn’t be reading it.

This is no chicken and egg conundrum: The brief has to come first.

Not only does the brief have to come first, it also has to be on point – and this is what we’re going to cover today. Read on to find answers to the questions:

What is a content brief?

What must you include in a content brief for writers, designers and video producers?

Why are briefs important?

Let’s go – I’ll try to keep this brief.

These 10 tips will help you get most out of your content writer, whether that’s an employee, a freelancer or an agency writer. https://t.co/tU6yZLnc4R

— Castleford Media (@castlefordmedia) July 3, 2019

What is a content brief?

A content brief lays out the whos, whats, whens, whys and hows for a piece of content. This could be anything from a blog article or ebook to an infographic or webinar. When done correctly, a brief should be a set of instructions a producer can follow to create an asset that exactly meets your marketing goals.

Who writes content briefs?

We’ve written before about the role of content strategists. These data-driven individuals are perfectly placed to turn insights gleaned from their close relationship with your website content into actionable briefs for producers to execute.

In other words, the person writing content briefs in your organisation needs to be someone with a complete grasp of your marketing goals, combined with a fluent understanding of the role content can play in meeting them.

Top tip: Whoever ends up as the brief boss in your company, we advise they create a template for these documents. Many of the vital details producers need will often remain broadly similar from piece to piece, so having a template (which you can tweak as necessary) will be a real time-saver.

Not all heroes wear capes. Here we pull the mask from the mysterious #content strategist to show just what they can do for your business. https://t.co/aqsSeq3XPf pic.twitter.com/4f9JixGkGg

— Castleford Media (@castlefordmedia) March 17, 2019

What to include in a content brief

Every content brief you produce should incorporate:

1. The target audience

This article would read very differently if it was aimed at older CEOs as opposed to hip, young marketers (stop blushing). Not only might I need to explain more about digital marketing to provide context, but turns of phrase such as ‘on point’ would be less appropriate.

See what I’m getting at? Your producer needs to know exactly who will view their content if they’re to nail tone, style and subject matter.

So, where do you get the information on your target audience? Two words: User personas. These are essential documents your strategist should compile containing details such as:

Age

Location

Income

Interests and education

Values and beliefs

Common pain points

Ideally, you’ll use this information to create specific personas for each campaign. For example, if you’re a real estate company you may be specifically targeting first-time buyers, or families wishing to upgrade. You need to include this audience information in your brief.

User personas may sound like an unnecessary process, but they are the key to good quality content. Don’t believe me? Check out our reasons why. https://t.co/HLd89bVlvj pic.twitter.com/G2NEuyczlo

— Castleford Media (@castlefordmedia) January 18, 2019

2. The content’s goal(s)

Whether you’re briefing up a whitepaper on generating ROI from SMART technology, or a custom graphic showing how curtain materials impact lighting in a room, every single piece of content you create should fulfil a specific mission.

This is another area where your strategy team plays a key role. They should already be analysing all aspects of your website content to establish:

What content has performed well in the past.

What hasn’t.

What gaps currently exist in your content.

What types of content would best achieve this.

The content marketing funnel is a good way to set goals for individual pieces:

1. The top: This is where you have content aimed at thought leadership. You won’t namedrop individual products or services, and your Call To Action (CTA) might encourage people to simply read more about a subject on your blog page.

Top-of-funnel content is great for raising brand awareness, positioning yourself as thought leaders in your industry and answering common audience queries. Note: With the right SEO tactics, thought leadership content can be great for boosting your organic search rankings.

2. The middle: Production aimed at mid-funnel objectives will retain some thought leadership elements, but is for searchers who’ve gone passed basic questions. Now, they want more information on solutions to a pain point.

The idea here is to guide prospects towards the bottom of the funnel, without scaring them off with a hard sell. You can start to introduce your offering, perhaps as the best among a group of alternatives, but aim to keep an educational tone.

A mid-funnel CTA might be downloading a higher value asset, for example an eBook, that will entrench your knowledgeable status further in their minds.

3. The bottom: This is where the magic (hopefully) happens. Following careful nurturing, your leads should by now recognise your brand as an authority in a given area, and you can present them with an offering that will meet their needs.

A CTA with bottom-funnel goals could be a link to a specific product landing page or booking a meeting with a sales representative.

For your producer, knowing where in the funnel a piece is supposed to sit will help them find the right tone, and will also guide their research. For example, should they be reading up on product specs for a bottom-funnel piece, or delving into reputable sources to use in thought leadership?

Finally, the brief should also allow them to choose a suitable CTA to drive desirable reader actions.

A content planner keeps your #content aligned with your commercial goals, ensures blogs are published in time, and allows for transparency. It's an essential tool. Here are our best tips and tricks for creating a really effective blog content calendar: https://t.co/1ZtHu9Z0jz

— Castleford Media (@castlefordmedia) June 19, 2019

3. Deadlines

The other element that all content briefs must contain is a deadline.

This is particularly important for time-sensitive pieces – for example, content aimed at supporting a product launch – but applies to every asset you create.

The reason is simple: You want your marketing campaign to stay on track, right?

Specifics to include for a content writer’s brief

A content writer’s brief should include all the above, and:

1. Word count allocations

While this may feel like an editorial decision, it’s vital you set word count allocations at a strategic level.

This is because word counts can impact SEO. One of the criteria Google’s algorithm uses to rank written content is how informative it is – the more information you provide to your readers the better. The idea is to be as comprehensive as possible. Of course, this is generally easier to achieve if you give your writers more words to play with.

However, don’t take this to mean:

That longer is always better – Your content also needs to be full of value takeaways and well written. Rambling, unfocussed articles that lack purpose won’t do you any favours in Google’s eyes.

That you can never write shorter copy – It really depends on the competing content. If you’re up against an article that’s sitting on 1,800 words, and you only plan to write 600, you’ll likely struggle to beat it. However, if your content is really unique then this isn’t as important.

Wondering where to begin in calculating appropriate word counts? MarketMuse can give you topic specific suggestions to help you outrank your competitors.

2. Necessary collateral

If your writer requires particular collateral to complete their work, this needs to go in the brief.

Common examples include:

Contact information for internal external experts writers might reach out to for quotes or insights.

Access to reports or statistics they will use for writing.

Custom images created by the graphics team to exemplify points in the article.

Do not push work into your production system if you’re yet to finalise this sort of collateral in the brief – you’ll only have yourself to blame when it causes bottlenecks down the track!

Keywords are like Sean Bean - no matter how many times people try to kill them off, they just won’t die. Here’s why they’re still crucial to your #SEO #strategy https://t.co/jbEF82XriL pic.twitter.com/3WEzeWHH0B

— Castleford Media (@castlefordmedia) April 11, 2019

Specifics to include in a design brief

Ideally, you’ll already have a company style guide that your designers follow religiously. However, it’s still important to properly brief each piece of content your in-house team creates.

The vital elements are:

1. Image specifications:

The most important details here are the size and resolution of the image. If you’re creating something to use as a website banner, the specs will be radically different to a small thumbnail that you might include as part of a clickable CTA.

2. Any deviations from brand guidelines

Your brand guidelines should include precise requirements in terms of fonts, colours and logos that your designers will use in the vast majority of their content.

However, if you want a particular piece to diverge from these in anyway, this info has to go into your design brief, otherwise your team will go on autopilot!

You can also instruct your designers here on the specific tone you want a given piece to convey, and what mood you aim to inspire in viewers.

The term ‘brand style guide’ is bandied around a lot in #marketing circles, but what do they contain, and why does your company need one? https://t.co/yFxVohBM8Z pic.twitter.com/k5X5m9JHCZ

— Castleford Media (@castlefordmedia) March 8, 2019

3. Specifics to include in a video brief

In 2019, you need to be using video marketing. Why? Because it works. In fact, according to a 2018 survey from Brightcove, 53% of respondents reported engaging with a brand after viewing one of its videos on social media.

What’s more. 83% of marketers last year told Demand Metric that they thought this medium is going to become more important in future.

However, you’re only going to see ROI on your video content if you brief it correctly in the first place. Here’s how Spielberg would do it:

1. Length

The videographer’s equivalent of a word count, the length will dictate how much detail the content can go into.

So, what’s the perfect duration? According to Wistia, videos up to two minutes long get a lot of engagement, but if you get more towards the three minute mark, you’re likely to experience a drop off in attention spans.

However long you decide to make it, just make sure that information is in the brief.

2. Participants

If you want the video to contain interviews with experts, product managers or members of the public, you need to tell your producers who these people are and how to contact them.

For content requiring a narrator, define any stylistic requirements – i.e. do you need a particular accent if your customers are based overseas? Similarly, are you going to seek someone to read a script in a foreign language, or provide subtitles?

3. Location

If it’s important to the target audience or video’s purpose, specify where the shoot should take place.

Think about the message you’ll send – B2B companies will likely want to highlight professionalism by shooting in an office environment, while B2Cs may wish to show off their fun side by going somewhere a little off the wall.

from http://bit.ly/2lEd0Qh

#content marketing

0 notes

gsmatthews95 · 6 years

Text

Oz: a recap

The time has come. It has been ten months in waiting but it had to come. It is with a slight twinge of sadness but an overpowering sense of excitement and happiness that I am leaving Australia on my way to Singapore. Which is actually pretty ideal because I have a nice long 9 hour layover. There are very few occasions I would describe a 9 hour layover as "ideal" but this is one of them. Such a cool city. So much to do and see. And, apparently, it isn't even too big. So I'm hoping I should be able to DO/COMPLETE Singapore in a nice six hour stint, tick it off my list, add another pin to the map and tell everyone about how I've now basically completed Asia. Sick eh?. A wee bit more background before I delve into the meat of this potentially juicy post which I think I will compare to a fat fillet steak by comparison to the rest of my posts that I would say are more like coles BBQ sausages, 24 for $8... good value but not much substance. A good reference I reckon. So I'm currently on my flight. It is maybe 9am Aussie time and I am awake, not that tired, with very little to do in this flight as I went for the lost budget option (still pretty expenny). You have to pay 11 bucks for films, Ye right. Go do one scoot airlines. Urgh, absolute scandal for a 7 hour flight. No worries however. Gives me ample time to write an absolute Goliath of a blog post. Okay seriously guys stop cheering. It's distracting me and my brain flow you have to pay for food and entertainment. Not good. However, the there are two upsides to this flight with nothing to do, firstly it allows me to blog blog blog and the other upside of this prehistoric flight comfort is that it gives me a chance to register to Stephen Hawkins "a brief history of time", what a bangin audiobook. Well bloody confusing but I feel cleverer listening to it. Although in the last nine months I have forgotten the vast, vast majority of it. All the better it's like a new book. I'm now not that excited however about my connecting flight to Berlin. 14 hours. 13 hours of no films, just sleep, urgh lame. I may find some more wee audiobooks. I'll tell you what, I may get the game Of thrones ones. They'd be immense, especially as I'm now a proper game of thrones loser (read loser as legend/fanatic).

This is what I mean, I have so much time to ramble this piece is gonna drag. Oo I have an idea. As I didn't have this blog for the majority of the trip should I go back and wrote posts for them? Hmmmm, that does kinda defeat the point of the blog though. I don't think I'll do that. the other nagging question is whether I carry on the blog for the next 3 months as I galavant around Europe. I think I should. You're welcome guys. I love you all too. Also sick that I'm using my British passport to its full extent before we F off out of Europe as part of brexit. Wooo freedom of movement. Cosmopolitan ideals, something we should probs all strive for as much as possible. However, I do think we probs made the right decision leaving the EU as most people who have spoken to me about it will know. This post is not about my political views however. Otherwise it would not be called holidaying. Maybe something like #Jezza4PM would be a better name for it if I were to become a political blogger slash activist. But I digress.

So as many of you may have gauged from speaking to me, reading this blog or merely by observing my Facebook presence. I have had an immense time. Even though my article about the ups and downs of travelling may have seemed a bit depressing, I can safely say the last ten months, yes that ten months, a long time, have been smashing. I am currently conflicted, in poor stylistic technique I have embarked upon this post without a plan. And now I am at a crossroads. Do I continue chronologically or thematically? I think I will stay true to convincing writing styles and go thematically. Let's push the boat out he he. Ok ok ok so I'll start with my hostels. I believe I do want to talk about them a little bit first. To start, I have been in lots. Off the top of my head in Sydney alone I was in 7 separate hostels. Many for a week as I was forced to move because of the price increase, my bed being sold, being chucked out etc. But 3 main ones. Firstly, hump. What to say about this place. A mad house, a good outside smoking area, a room that stays open all night and a lot of sound people who I've seen since leaving Sydney too. One jack gawthorpe, I've seen in four separate places (who's stalking who...). My month or so there was heavy. There was always something going on, I have very fond memories. Secondly, dury house. As described by James, my friend who I took there one night: "that was literally a crack den". Yes James, but it was our crack den. With the roof that never closed and the never ending session, there was always something going on, whether it be 11am on a Sunday morning or 4am on a Friday night. And again some belter people, who again I've seen down the east coast. Thirdly, finally, and ultimately we had the palms. What a place. What a time. November-December 2017. The palms glory days. Clean hostel, nice kitchen, comfy beds, sound people, like a giant sharehouse it had the intimate feel that you knew everyone but was big enough to still be lots of fun. The palms massive made my first xmas away from home so fun and so comforting. Never forget. Loved everyone there, except dan obvs, I hate dan. Everyone else though, I love you. And the hostel. I'll give a quick shout out to bev and micks in Melbourne. Small, intimate, cosy and friendly. Not that exciting or fun but enjoyable for my three weeks. Plus it was the cheapest place around. However, barossa backpackers. Dirty, smelly, small, tiny kitchen, leaky fridges, small room, had to pay for wifi and in the middle of nowhere. Pretty crap hostel tbh. But as I was there for some time, working with and living with everyone. I had an unreal time. Even working in a potato factory. So much fun cause you're constantly with you're mates and chilling, I won't forget those few months in barossa. The hostels down the east coast were nice. Big and nice but with my motivation waiting and the fact that I was staying at each place for a few days I didn't really form much of a bond with many of them. The hostel is key to your experience. Regardless how long you are in a place for but especially if it's for the long term. And overall I think I did well with a only a few mistakes.

Work. Ok so work never went quite as I'd hoped before I came out to Australia. Maybe I was naive, maybe I just wasn't made for call centres. My one regret actually was not going in to construction in Sydney, making lots of money, doing easy work and finishing at 3:30 each day. I then could have done it all over oz as I'd have had experience and wouldn't have had to do some of my crap jobs. We live and learn, one of my bigger regrets I'd say. No hassle though, all has worked out well and I haven't been too low on money. But yes call centres and cold calling, not the job for me. Neither as it turns out is face to face fundraising. What I have learnt though is that there is no worse job than those and I now have sympathy for those doing it, I have the knowledge that I will never work in a job like that again and it has now given me a great appreciation of any job that isn't that. Which was one reason I think I enjoyed the potatoes so much. Mainly because it was so easy and so much less depressing than my other jobs. Everyone constantly complained, I just smiled and said it could be worse. People said the job would break me. It never did. Smashing job, smashing people, smashing time. The worst of all these jobs though was the charity fundraising, I knew it would be but I just wanted 2-3 weeks work and it paid well. I lasted 1 week. Never again. The best job. Easy. Grape picking and wine making. It was so sick. I got a lot of hours, lots of free wine and food and learnt to make wine in the sun. Dream job. I even have a wine named after me, I'm gonna get a case delivered home of the 2018 vintage GSM lol. But that's enough about work after all it is a work holiday visa.

This part will be harder to split up do I discuss specific experiences? Or parts of the journey. Oo I have an idea. Animals. I have devoted a few pieces to various animals but I haven't spoken about all of them. There are two that I will leave out though as they deserve their own piece. Australia, famous for its diverse and unique wildlife and I think I've done well in seeing a lot of it. And I got selfies with lots of them. Firstly I have fed and patted wild kangaroos and wallabies. So cute, they love carrots btw, not apples so much. One of the wallabies even had a tiny Joey in its pouch. Too much for my heart. They're great I loved em both. Then came the quokka. As many of you may have seen by my Valentine's Day post devoted to this one. They are like giant rodents. Although they're not giant, and they're actually cute. I dunno how to describe them actually just look at my photo, well adorable. I will now move on to the dangerous segment of the list of animals, cause, as we all know, that's what oz is most famous for. Firstly, the red back spider, v venomous. Hannah (friend not sister) almost died as she entered his layer/graveyard and only just escaped with her life. I have also seen three wild snakes, woohoo. That was a real target. The python in the kitchen and the two cuties slithering across the path in Lichfield national park and the twelve (4) apostles. Now. The personal favourite. The crocs. There have been lots of crocs, none completely in the wild without a tour guide sadly, but the jumping crocs were wild and were damn sick. I even have a croc tooth necklace (sorry axel, Brutus and dominator). The one animal conspicuous by its absence I haven't seen though, sadly, a shark. Waaaaa I should have gone shark cage diving, ah it was too expensive anyway. I think I'll carry on with my sea critters vibe now for a few more. Next was the manta. MANTA MANTA MANTA. I saw lots in Indonesia but another at whitsundays. So big, graceful and noble. I love them, as everyone does, they're god personified in an animal I reckon. I would like to be a manta ray. Next up dolphins. Not many and both times I saw them from a cliff. Not overly exciting mainly because I have been spoilt in the past both in cornwall And in the SAN blas when they swam with our boat, so very nice. My final sea dweller. Whales. Lots of humpbacks as I said in my Fraser Island piece. They are awesome, so big and majestic and loving. I would also like to be a whale. Sue me. I saw lots of camels too, they're funny I like camels teehee and dingos, they're so cute, not scary. I would like to chat to a dingo and befriend him. I love dingos. I think however, my proudest find and subsequent selfie was with the koalas. We found 8 on magnetic island. One barely 8 foot away. Perfect for a selfie. And I snapped it yay. They're such chillers too, I love koalas. I love animals actually. I also miss Rolland, I love you too Rolland!!!

So as to stop myself writing another dissertation I may make this the final para. And I'm going to try and be concise. My favourite moments. I won't describe them much but merely mention them. There's a variety of reasons why a moment could have been so great. Maybe where I was, what I was doing, who I was with. Who knows? Maybe I just felt at peace and the world felt right for a moment. Deep. And I'm not talking about every moment I sat down with a full box of goon. Ok ok seriously. The hump boat party. Both 1 and 2. Unreal, a boat party in the Sydney harbour, beers, mates, opera house, swimming, tunes, I won't ever forget those two days. My first moment seeing the extent of the blue mountains at the end of the garden of the nbb Jill and Richard had so kindly rented for us. A little ten minute walk and you were on the edge of the crator with the blue trees stretching out, I reckon I spent a couple of hours just sat there over the three days, peaceful. Sash, pretty much every sash, but one in particular when I'm pretty sure everyone I knew in Sydney was there. It was sunny and we boogied. I was having so much fun several separate people came and asked me if I sold drugs cause I was so deliriously happy. Oo also the sash it rained that was unreal, dancing in the rain with the boys, never forget. Two more from Sydney. The beach party, amazing. One of the best, if not the best day of my life. Music and goon on the beach, swimming as the sun set over the harbour bridge, so wicked. And finally xmas day. Singing for the Aussie prime minister with a broken voice having lost it the night before was something I will NEVER ever forget especially as I have the video of it all ahahahaha. We move on to mine and Hannis road trip. My first thought. The pinnacles. The pinnacles were sick, so random just a load of pointy rocks in the ground. I doubt two people have ever been so excited in one place. So funny. Also actually hannah, all of our carpool karaokes. They made your company bearable. Completing the 8km hike in kalbari was also a good moment as it was 30+ degrees and we had about two litres of water between us, stupid English. But we did it, I'm proud. Finally hanni, 100% when we chilled with Roos in morriset park for hours after Jill and richard basically laughed us down for going, v funny. A good afternoon. Days of our lives festival. Awesome, what a send off from Sydney. Dury house you did yourselves and me proud, cheers for convincing me to go xoxoxo. The whole outback trip was awesome, if I picked a few moments though... I reckon the first proper big fire was a great moment, and sorting out the car light that we couldn't turn off meaning we didn't have to take the fuse out every time we stopped the car, sheer happiness. Also getting in to alice springs. This may seem weird but I cannot explain how touchy everyone was, we needed food, civilisation, electricity, a shower and some goon. We got all of the above and spirits were restored. Also the natural springs were amazing. So beautiful, completely free and refreshing. Darwin, croc diving, easy, it was unreal. Spotting the koalas on magnetic island obvs was memorable. I want to pick some moments from Fraser but it was all so fun. If I had to pick a few though, I'd say the horse racing on the second night united everyone, we were all so into it and the crumbed sausage obvs haha. I have missed things out but when I look back on oz these are the things I feel stand out as specific moments but like I've said before travelling isn't just about the moments (sorry Alina) but the whole experience, what you feel and who you meet.

What a holiday. I am content with my time in oz. if I came back I'd change things but I'm happy just the way they went. It's been sick. Stay posted I have one more oz piece before we move to EUROPE yahoooooooo. This piece has literally killed at least two hours of my flight maybe even three. I have been very engrossed aha. But back to mr hawking for me. G.

0 notes