Sunday, November 5th 2023

And front the outside it looks like you’re trying live on~

Because I feel like inflicting this on as many people as possible: This was my weekend.

I went to a wedding this weekend, and as a summary of what I'm about to tell you, at one point I turned to my mother and said, "I love you, and because I want to continue loving you, if I ever decide to get married, I am eloping."

This was a Nightmare Before Christmas-themed wedding at a beach house in Corolla put together almost entirely by the bride's mother. Wedding was set for 1:30pm on Sunday, with the bridal party arriving at the beach house on Saturday to set up and rehearse. Starting Saturday morning:

Mom and I were several hours later getting on the road than we initially wanted because Mom had to finish sewing her bridesmaid's dress

We arrived to find we couldn't get up the driveway because someone (who later turned out to be the father of the groom) couldn't be arsed to pull his car all the way into the circular driveway and nobody could get past him

 Beach house is three stories high and the front door is on the second floor

 The main living spaces (kitchen, living room, balcony, etc.) are on the third floor

Wedding was also being held on the balcony on the third floor

We arrived in the middle of the maid of honor and the Strapping Young Men staying at the house hauling the chairs rented for the wedding from the porch to the third floor

 Rehearsal dinner was supposed to be at 6:30pm

 We did not get started on time

House rapidly filled up with a bazillion people

I knew five of them (not counting my mother) and liked three of them so you can imagine what my anxiety was doing

 Pretty much everyone except the groom, the small children, and me had alcohol

 WE ATE FIRST

"Rehearsal" turned out to just be all of us standing there while the pastor read off the order of service

Everyone not staying at the house left and the rest of us got pressed into service to start setting up for the wedding

It's about 9pm at this point

Mother of the bride is snapping about how she's doing all this herself and everyone that's let her down so far

Father of the groom comes up with a bottle of beer in his hand and starts loudly announcing about a political topic that reveals to me I am probably the only liberal in this house

At this point I manage to escape and go to bed

Sunday is supposed to start at 7am

I go upstairs to find the mother of the bride shunting things around in the kitchen and the setup mostly complete

Someone says there are going to be 65 people at this wedding

 Me, internally, "Bunny, how the fuck do you think you're going to fit 65 people in this living room?!"

I politely ask what I can do to help

MotB informs me she needs my mother to move her car so she can go get the chicken from the Publix

She says this very quietly

I realize that MotB is one of those people who gets quieter and quieter the angrier she is and I am McFreaking Terrified™️

I go downstairs and wake up my mother

Mom comes back in from moving the car and goes back to sleep

I go back upstairs in the hopes that someone sane will be there to give orders and start helping the Maid of Honor with the charcuterie board

Bride has requested MoH recreate that picture floating around the internet of a charcuterie board shaped like a skeleton so I am recruited to wrap a plastic skull in proscuitto

It is 8:30am and this is the calmest it is going to be all day

Once the charcuterie board is together I go out onto the balcony to help the groom set up the wedding arch, which is three pieces of PVC pipe hammered together

We are going to attach the lattice studded with pumpkins to this arch when MotB shoves a box out the door and informs us the arch is supposed to be draped with fabric

Groom and father of the groom and I have to take the entire arch apart and put it back together with the fabric

It's probably worth mentioning at this point that a) we are doing all of this with the bride and groom's two-year-old developmentally-delayed not-yet-fully-walking son crawling around underfoot and b) the groom only has one leg.

I go downstairs to wake my mother up and change into the outfit I am planning to wear

I come back upstairs to set up my little corner of the balcony where I will be playing my flute

I go back inside to find out where the bride's phone is so that I can play the music she wants recordings of played

MotB is slamming things around in the kitchen

MotB had informed my mother and me (i.e. ranted at us) the night before of All The Trouble She Had getting the bride's dress, groom's suit, and their son's suit back from the cleaners and how she had to literally chase them down all over the region before managing to get them just that morning

This is important to what comes next.

Me: *opens my mouth to ask where the bride's phone is and if she has the music queued up* MotB: *in a near-whisper* "[Groom]'s suit didn't come back from the cleaners. And he has no clean clothes."

Look

I had already chatted with the groom and confirmed that we weighed the same

but he's about a foot taller than I am even if I have a foot on him (<-- this is a terrible, tasteless pun and I'm not sorry for it)

so it's not like I can loan him a shirt or anything

Groom and father of the groom end up going on an emergency shopping run to buy him Something To Get Married In

Groom apparently has a meltdown for which he will later apologize profusely and repeatedly (general attitude: "I THINK that's a bit justified!")

Guests and those members of the wedding party smart enough to stay elsewhere begin arriving

Now we get to the family shenanigans so buckle up 'cause this gets good

(Comment from friend when I told this story the first time: “Gets good? Good Lord.”)

MotB and Father of the Bride are divorced and FotB was not around much while Bride was growing up

Everybody, including FotB, expected Bride would want her godfather (MotB's brother) to walk her down the aisle

Bride's attitude was "HELL no it's MY wedding and I love my uncle [Godfather] but I want my dad to walk me down the aisle"

MotB is not happy about this but it is one of three things Bride has insisted on and she's been pushing her to make decisions so she concedes but has been grumpy about it for weeks

Groom's parents are also divorced but FotG has remarried

Groom does not refer to FotG's new wife as "stepmother", just "mother", so both Birth Mom and Stepmom are being referred to as "Mother of the Groom"

BM is pissed about this and makes several loud remarks about "Excuse me, I'm the Mother of the Groom, the real Mother of the Groom" every chance she gets

(It's probably worth mentioning here that referring to both as "Mother of the Groom" is a concession to BM and not SM)

BM also makes quite a number of snide remarks about SM and FotG periodically throughout the afternoon/evening - SM tries to avoid her but BM seeks her out specifically to be a bitch

(At one point BM makes an unkind remark about FotG's shirt and demands to know "where he got that ugly thing" and SM has the pleasure of looking at her and saying "You bought that for him, twenty years ago!")

MotG mentions later that her brother (not Bride's godfather, her other brother - apparently) has been married three times and all his ex-wives are at this wedding, but apparently the three of them just got drunk and laughed and had a good time together

Other than Groom's parents and stepmother, literally every other person at this wedding seems to be for Bride

Wedding FINALLY starts about twenty minutes late

Groom is wearing brown shirt, darker brown pants, and a string tie and looks like he's a hat and tin star away from having a Halloween costume as a Wild West Sheriff sorted out

Bride has requested a recording of an Ed Sheeran song (”Visiting Hours”, for those wondering) as a "prelude" that comes AFTER the preacher's opening remarks because someone doesn't understand the meaning of the word "prelude"

I am supposed to play the Imperial March from Star Wars on my flute as Groom escorts the Mothers to their seats - Groom starts escorting them in during the Ed Sheeran song

I am not upset about this because this is the song for this wedding I am least confident of being able to play

I am supposed to play "You'll Be In My Heart" on my flute as bridesmaid/MoH/flower girl/"ring bearer" (Bride & Groom's son, whose walker is decorated with leaves and a Jack Skellington doll and who is not actually carrying the rings - FotB has them) come in

Someone tells my mom "the music's started! Go in!" before I can pause the recording

I am still feeling bad about this because those two songs are LITERALLY the only two things Groom specifically requested for this wedding

I am at least able to play “A Thousand Years” as performed by the Piano Guys on the phone when Bride comes out so there’s that going for us

Bride & Groom are supposed to recite the words from the finale/reprise at the end of Nightmare Before Christmas after the opening remarks while I play

Both of them have forgotten the words

Time comes for vows to be recited

Pastor tells everyone Bride & Groom have written their own vows

Groom delivers his in a choked-up, very sincere, heartfelt voice

Bride announces that she's "winging it" and has no idea what to say

Thankfully manages (with some prompting) to say SOMETHING

Remainder of wedding goes off without complications (thankfully)

Bride wants "The Monster Mash" played while she and Groom come into reception

Which is being held in living room directly off balcony where wedding was held

Groom has not left living room because he is trying to corral son

At least a third of the guests leave as soon as the wedding is over

Musicians hired for reception come through with keyboard to get set up in the middle of everything

Both of them give me the fakest, most poisonous smiles imaginable as they pass me because they had wanted to be hired to play for the wedding too and MotB told them they'd already asked me

(For those wondering: No, I did not get paid for this, it was my gift to the couple)

Bride eventually gives up on the idea of a formal entrance and just yells for everyone to go eat

Small child (one of Bride's cousins) has been planning to sing "My Heart Will Go On" during the reception at some point

Small child comes up to me before wedding to ask me to give him the words

Wedding musicians are contracted for three sets of ten songs

Wedding musicians play extremely abbreviated versions of these songs (as in one verse + chorus of any given song) and go straight into the next set, so what you would think would be three 40-minute sessions with breaks in between essentially turns out to be about 30 minutes of continuous music

Wedding musicians also let Small Child sing half the songs

MotB comes out to tell them it's time for the toast

Musicians pack their stuff and leave

Toast is happening now (30-45 minutes into reception) because BM has to leave

Toast does not actually happen

Bride and Groom are photographed feeding each other traditional First Piece of (Cup)Cake

BM leaves and everyone immediately sighs in relief

Small Child drags microphone and stereo inside and shouts for everyone's attention so he can sing

Small Child does actually have a very good voice and everyone applauds

Small Child proceeds to spend the rest of the reception demanding everyone's attention while he sings (mostly Justin Bieber songs)

I spend most of the rest of the afternoon hiding on the balcony with the flower girl

Or trying to

Eventually everyone comes back out for further pictures

I spend half the time hiding in a corner trying to stay out of the pictures and the rest trying to distract Bride and Groom's toddler so he doesn't crawl into the pictures

The last of the people not staying at the beach house finally leave at around 5pm

Half the people staying at the beach house immediately go to their rooms to take naps

The other half go to find places to watch the moonrise

(I have pictures of the moon over the ocean btw and the view almost made it worth it)

I go back to the house and am immediately recruited to help break down tables and chairs because MotB has to return them by midnight

Bride and Groom (along with three of their friends) are in the hot tub

Toddler is crawling around underfoot

SM trips over Toddler and almost slams into a column trying not to fall, then sits on the floor to gather him in a hug because he starts crying (both of them were more surprised than hurt)

I pick Toddler up to keep him out of the way

Toddler (who is not yet fully verbal) indicates he wants to go outside

I take Toddler onto balcony

Toddler indicates he wants to go back inside

Toddler gets increasingly distressed while I try to figure out what he wants

Bride and Groom come upstairs at this point

I inform them that I think what Toddler wants is to go to bed

Bride takes Toddler to put him down

Toddler is apparently asleep before his head hits the pillow

Score one for the preschool teacher

I manage to make my own escape about twenty minutes later and collapse into bed

Thankfully, Monday morning was substantially less chaotic, mostly because MotB actually got a few hours of sleep (I...forgot to mention somewhere in there that MotB never went to bed at all between 6am on Saturday and at least 11pm on Sunday), but also because MotB and Bride left (temporarily) fairly early because Bride had an outpatient procedure scheduled for that morning, and Mom and I managed to get everything packed and get out the door before they got back...

And then I had to drive home because Mom was tired and had an upset stomach. (I didn't mind the driving part so much, honestly.)

very personal rant to follow, proceed at your own risk!!!

i agreed to be in one of my friend's weddings forever ago. this has been one of those like 2 1/2 year engagements bc she wanted everything about the wedding to be PERFECT. honestly i was really shocked that she asked me to be a bridesmaid bc she has an absurd amount of cousins, and of course i said yes bc we've been friends for years and work together now. i guess i should also add i was the first of my friends to get married, so i have never been a bridesmaid!

i hate to say this, but i regretted it almost immediately. the bride has such awful anxiety and has been really particular about the LOOK of everything for the wedding (like we received a 10 slide immaculately-done presentation/look book). she has been all "oh i just want everything to be chill and laid back" but ALSO i have now personally spent at least $1k on this wedding and will certainly spend more before it's all over.

we went on a bachelorette weekend trip that i spent probably $350 for my portion of the airbnb, plus food and gas and the activities that we did while there, and it ended up adding up to almost $650 by the end. i had to order a dress that cost $190 (yes you read that correctly) PLUS taxes & shipping PLUS getting it hemmed.....i have now spent almost $300 on a dress i will wear once in someone else's wedding. and then i chipped in to help with the shower today plus got her a gift and YOU GUYS.......the wedding is still two months away, and i am just so ready for it to be over bc monetarily...i'm tapped out.

fast forward to today & i'm standing amongst the other bridesmaids, and tbh we were commiserating about how much those damn dresses cost, and the moh was like "at least i like the color of mine," so then we're looking at our orders and...................disaster struck. i ordered the wrong fucking color. we're all supposed to have different colors, but there were two shades of "rose" and i ordered the wrong one.

so anyways. we all agreed not to tell the bride until wedding day because there is literally NOTHING we can do about it atp, but i feel so fucking sick over it! like even if i straight up pulled another $300 out of thin air to buy a new one (no exchanges since it's custom-made!!!!!!!), it wouldn't be here in time for the wedding, which is in 7 weeks.

i straight up do NOT fuck stuff up like this, like i am always so careful and keep my shit together. and now i feel like a complete idiot! and my anxiety is eating me alive over it! so i needed to vent about it i guess!

TIME TO UPLOAD MORE THINGS~~~~~~~~ because I’ve been on a roll with posting my drawings lately

I was practicing with the Tender Trio during my long break, and it was real good. For a long while before I even went on that break, I was enamoured by a user’s art for a TTTE/Land of the Lustrous crossover and thought it was a really good idea! In fact, it’s been so good at getting my creative juices flowing that I kinda want to keep going with it. I’ve fallen in love with this concept hard, and there’s just no stopping now. So while I go through my likes, I’m going to upload what I have been making so far for my new Thomas au, to empty out everything before I pack off for a different social media thing. Apologies, but for as much as things have picked up, other things from here have hurt me one too many times and I’m not forgetting what kind of damage that wrought to my overall health, so...it’s safer for me to head somewhere else. I have a couple of places in mind that shouldn’t be too hard for you guys to visit though. Will keep posted for the links. (UPDATE: Deviantart the good ol boi, and possibly Gaiaonline and a general free image hosting site buT WITH COMMENTS :D I might also consider FF.net or AO3 too!)

But for now, I am SUPER HAPPY with how my boys turned out! So fine. I said I’d get James’ nose right, didn’t I? And Rosie too, I’m so happy to draw one of the girls! BUT OH NO...I didn’t colour in her other glove. Ugh well I might edit this post later for the fix, but I just want to get the commentary out of the way. Some parts of the poses on the main four I wish turned out better, but the basic form is there and I got the mood I wanted in it. AND THE HAIR. I AM SO GLAD THE HAIR TURNED OUT RIGHT. IT WAS TOUGH BUT IT TURNED OUT THE RIGHT WAY. I REALLY LOVE DOING HAIR LIKE THIS AAHHHHHHH 

it can go so wrong sometimes with ink, it’s very hard to do without the right control. so the fact that the gloss turned out even a little in the direction I wanted is a total victory for me! Maybe I might try to make Henry’s hair a little deeper green, as there’s a plot reason for that.

And I am really sorry if anyone was expecting me to go further with my canon renditions, but I think I just got too ambitious with the costume designs! They got elaborate and I’ve always enjoyed being meticulous with details and accuracy, which I liked...but then it got hard to manage and recreate for other pieces, so it was kind of like I shot myself in the foot but was too happy about it to notice the wound. Whoops. Drawin trains is harddddd 

I will finish up those pieces so they’re not going to be left incomplete, and I did get Duck and Diesel underway(!), so those pieces will be made sometime soon too. Moving forward, there’s just gonna be a lot of train gems in black suits, but I’ve still planned unique designs for them all anyway. It won’t look too samey. It is going to be really fun! I have writing too! It almost feels like I’m making railway series stories, but with HnK it is wild

Gordon and James are just...*chef’s kiss* I have so many ideas for these two and they are looking so hawtie rn, they definitely came out as the best gem renditions so far. I’m so proud of myself for designing the leg pattern on James, that’s another plot related thing but it’s so on brand for him! In this au, their names (from left to right in the front) are BlueDiamond - mohs 10, Red Zircon - mohs 9.5 (and if you notice, the black I added for his hair is supposed to be Painite, which is why he’s not at a 10), Verdelite - mohs 7.5 (but he’s going to be fixed up with another type that bumps his mohs up BUT I CAN’T SAY YET rhrhhhh), PinkTourmaline - mohs 7. Now who’s in the back? There’s a couple you might be able to guess, but the other one won’t be familiar. Who’s who?

well I just want to save the surprises for later. Expect more to come soon!

You're always checking on other people and leaving nice comments so i wanna do the reverse. How are you doing wren? I hope the party was fun and that you're taking it easy today <333

Ohh haha, ok I had to look how to add a read more on mobile.

But descriptions of alcohol related things and getting sick under the cut, and anxiety. But basically here's a rundown of my night. It's long. But headache does feel better thank you anon :)

So yeah the Bachelorette party, 11 girls and I only know the bride and my bestie.

I do not drink. I'm not a party animal. In fact I've never been to a bar before this. I don't mind other people enjoying this but I just don't. Glad they have fun!

Anyway, my anxiety is already high about this party so I wasn't feeling the best. Omg bars or clubs are SO LOUD! Idk how the workers don't have hearing damage! It actually gave me the headache really easily. It was very overwhelming.

My bestie who was drinking got me onto the dance floor with my water cup lol. @/kiaxet it took a little bit but I did dance a little! First time dancing (my ex religion did not allow dancing). Well more so my feet were planted but there was a little movement lol. Baby steps.

I kept my bestie hydrated with water throughout the night but I can't say I really enjoyed it. I'd have left at the first opportunity if I could have. I imagine dancing is much more fun when you're drunk XD. Also I got drinks spilled on me yuck.

Maid of Honor went HARD! Too hard. The majority of us came back after midnight but MoH stayed out til bar close. Bestie and I are sharing a bed and MoH is in the second bed in our room. Did I mention I have a fear of vomiting?

Bestie sobers up and is exhausted. MoH gets back and is really messed up. Keeps complaining that her arm is broken (it wasn't I checked). Bestie is getting annoyed because MoH is LOUD. I get MoH some water and she takes her meds and we convince her to try and sleep despite her saying her arm hurts. It's like 3:30 or 4 am at this point.

At 5:30 am MoH is at the foot our bed (?) And puking. Not sure why. Also she is butt ass naked. Also not sure why again. She definitely had pj pants on when she went to bed.

I plug my ears and shut my eyes and bestie takes care of MoH bless her. But bestie is ticked. MoH crawls back into bed. We get another hour of sleep before every one else gets up downstairs at like 7 am. So probably running on like 3 hours at best.

MoH does not remember puking. I hope she didn't puke on my stuff I'm too afraid to check.

I felt a little sick when MoH got sick but I'm feeling better now. Bestie wants to try and dip early today; we are supposed to go to a water park. Technically this lasts until Sunday.

I'm happy for people who have fun with clubbing, but I just am not built for it lol.

It was an experience for sure.

Thank you so much for checking up on me! That is so sweet! Looking forward to going home though. I'll get to pass the possum crossing sign farm again :)

A White Future, Volume 2 Episode: Ion, Sync, & Florian Translation Part 6

Prev | Next

Last episode on Dragon Ball Z Shiro no Ashita, we got to watch as Sync had a breakdown in a little shed that Van was keeping him in. Now, we get to see Ion’s response to hearing that his original has passed away, as well as how Anise first met him.

Fair warning, Ion’s thoughts are surprisingly dark. 

* * *

Ion opened his eyes, forcibly pulled out of a shallow sleep.

This was not a pleasant awakening. But this was always how he woke up after being tuned by a fon machine.

Ahmed had explained to Ion that this would be the last time they did this. The original Ion was barely ever conscious anymore and he would soon be replacing him.

“You can get up now.” Ahmed's assistant helped Ion to his feet.

“Thank you,” Ion replied. Ion then heard footsteps rushing into the facility. Most likely, it was one of the Oracle Knight soldiers. Ion heard them speak from the other side of the door.

“I am here on an errand for Grand Maestro Mohs.”

“Ah, please wait there.” Ahmed slipped out the door so the soldier would not be able to see what was going on in the room. When he returned, he had a letter in his hand.

“How could he tell me this way? I suppose it must be Yulia’s will,” Ahmed muttered to himself as he walked back over to Ion.

“Fon Master Ion, I have just received news that the original Fon Master Ion has passed away,” Ahmed informed him.

“Is that true…? I’m so sorry for your loss.” Ion gently lowered his eyes.

“From this moment on, you truly are Fon Master Ion. It feels strange to congratulate you, but…” Ahmed hesitated before bowing his head and continuing, “I must leave you now. We will never see each other again after this.”

“Why won’t we ever meet again?” Ion sat on his bed, looking dazed. “I wanted you to keep teaching me things.”

“This was Mohs’ idea. I’m probably going to be sent to live in a remote monastery somewhere. Not just me, but everyone who knew the late Fon Master will be replaced in the next few days. This is how things are supposed to happen. So, please, don’t worry about anything,” Ahmed explained, his expression falling at how they would have to act like none of their time together had ever happened.

“I am very thankful that you were able to endure the short amount of time we were crammed in here without a single look of disgust on your face. With all due respect, I've never seen a replica like you…” Ahmed choked on his words. “If I could, I would serve you as you are.”

“Thank you, Ahmed. I’m glad to hear you say that. If I live long enough, I will call you back when the time is right.” Although Ion smiled, he didn’t really feel attached to Ahmed, he simply wanted to express his gratitude. If everything was planned out, not only for Ahmed, but also for the everyday people, for time, and for his duties as a Fon Master, then there was nothing that he could do about it.

He would serve the moment to the best of his ability, and when the appointed time came, he would simply end his life. There is no room for any particular feelings.

Ion doubted that he could live up to the expectations of those who created him, nor did he think that one day he would get used to being a Fon Master and forget that he was a replica. For a replacement lives as a replacement and never feels inferior or superior.

Ion got up to return to his private room. ‘Here we go. I am Ion, the Fon Master who recovered from his illness.’

The smaller the knot between the two strands, the better.

Ion wondered if there would be a third string, but then quickly concluded that it had nothing to do with him.

* * *

“N-Nice to meet you. I’m Ionion sergeant Anise Tatlin!” said the girl, leaning forward in salute, perhaps because of her obvious nervousness. She’d just entered Ion’s office.

“This is Anise, she’s going to be your new Fon Master Guardian, replacing Arietta,” Rayold said. He, too, was a young man who had been recently assigned to the new Fon Master by Mohs.

“I look forward to working with you, Sergeant Tatlin.” Ion smiled and the girl's expression softened in response.

“Please, just call me Anise, Fon Master!” Anise chirped, burying the tips of her index fingers in her cheeks. Mohs, who was standing at her side, clears his throat.

“I'll do my best.” Anise instantly bowed her head and decided that was all the greeting that was needed.

‘I'm not doing so well with Mohs breathing down my neck...’ Anise sighed as quietly as she could so no one would notice it. ‘I'm glad that I'm going to get a little pay raise by replacing Arrietta as Ion’s Fon Master Guardian, but I'll still have to…keep an eye on Ion, and that means I'll be under constant surveillance, too, right?’

More than a decade ago, when Anise’s good-natured parents were struggling with a huge amount of debt, Mohs took over for them. Since then, the Tatlin family has been just another one of Mohs’ assets.

‘My mama and papa are working for free, and now I'm Mohs’ contact, too...’ Anise thought as she stole a glance at Ion’s face.

‘This is my first time seeing him up close...but he doesn't seem like a bad person.’

“What are you grinning about?” Mohs interrupted Anise’s thoughts.

Seeing Mohs’ sour expression, Anise returned to her senses and shrugged her shoulders.

Once she’d left Ion and walked through the fonic circle into the hallway, Anise let out a sigh of relief. But at that moment, her name was called in a sharp tone.

"Anise!"

Anise nearly jumped. It was Arietta.

“What is it, Arietta…what do you want?” she replied curtly.

Arietta gripped Anise's arm and started shaking it.

“Give back my Ion! Come on, give me back my Ion!”

“Are you stupid? I didn't steal him!”

“Then why am I not his Fon Master Guardian anymore!?”

“I...”

Anise lost her temper at this point.

“I've told you already, I don't know! It's our job. It's not something I can decide. You know that, too!”

Arietta's big eyes filled with tears in an instant.

“Uuh... They wouldn't let me into his room because he was sick. And now that he's better again, I can't be with him anymore... That's mean!”

‘It's so that Mohs can keep him under surveillance,’ Anise almost said, but she restrained herself.

“Ion doesn't like you, Anise. Ion is my Ion!”

Anise let out a wordless shout of frustration. “You’re such a pain, are you sure your name isn’t ‘Gloomietta’?”

Arietta blanched when Anise teased her.

“Anise, that's mean! I'm not gloomy! I'll never forgive you!”

“Let me go, that hurts!”

Anise tried to rip Arietta’s small hand off, but the other girl was stubborn and held on. As they were struggling, a lone Oracle Knight appeared.

“Hey, you’re making a scene. You’re being too loud,” Anise said, assuming the Oracle Knight had come to mediate between the two of them.

Instead of that, the soldier turned to Arietta and said, “Third Division Commander, I have a message from Chief Director Van. It is past your scheduled time and you are to come immediately.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Arietta practically threw Anise’s arm and ran off.

“What’s with her?” Anise rubbed her tingling arm, cheeks puffing out. “Ouch.”

‘Why was she called by Commandant Van? Did Mohs toss her out and make her his problem?’

“…I have to go back soon,” Anise muttered to herself.

She wondered just what kind of person Ion was, that Arietta was so enthralled with him. “Arietta likes monsters, so even if Ion doesn’t look it, maybe he has a wild side to him…no, that can’t be true.”

Anise thought about the calm face of the Fon Master, who didn’t seem to have an ounce of malice in him, and stepped back onto the fonic circle.

"You are worth something..." ( luke to ion oof )

"I know I'm worth something to you, Luke. And Tear. And all of our friends."

"But I feel like my worth outside of our friend circle extends only about as far as my ability to read the Score." He knew it was probably not what Luke wanted to hear. It had been a quiet moment between the two replicas, and Ion wasn't entirely certain of what had prompted the line of thought. He'd just been talking. Normally he would have kept those thoughts to himself. He was supposed to suppress his feelings a lot of the time. But with Luke? It was a bit easier to open up.

His hand shifted from resting atop his lap to being beneath his chin. A soft sigh followed, and he allowed his eyes to close. How did he even put it into words?

"You remember how you thought Mohs was the one in charge of the Order? You honestly weren't too far off. I may be the Fon Master, but sometimes it feels like that's just in name only. I only have worth to Mohs as long as I can read the Score. I don't think he's ever really cared all that much about me as a person," he confessed. Tritheim was different, but only by a little bit. Anise was his Fon Master guardian, so he did have worth to her both as a friend and as a boss. She would be out of a job if he didn't exist, after all. But she did care about him as a person too.

The God-Generals and Van? They used him about as much as everybody else seemed to. Peony respected him, but Ion still needed to read the Score for him and the rest of Malkuth's citizens. He wasn't certain of how much value he had to King Ingobert beyond reading the Score, but he knew where he stood with Natalia. She cared about him.

"I'm sorry... I know this probably isn't how you wanted this conversation to go," he said. "I probably shouldn't even be talking about it. But it just feels like I'm needed more for what I can do for people instead of for who I am."

I want you to judge this mr conlag

While I don’t have much for my alien language the most consistent thing I have is that the apostrophe is meant to be a separation of syllables and sounds. The name “Mos’ha” is supposed to MOHS-hah instead of MOHS-shah, getting rid of the shh sound. Similarly the surname Mavuli’im goes “mah-voo-lee-EEM.” Just to prove I’m not adding random characters for the sake of looking like a weird ET language 😌

I am fine with this usage of the apostrophe

Saltless Jews outwardly unfaithful to Noble Abraham who killed Jesus, wh... Saltless Jews outwardly unfaithful to Noble Abraham who killed Jesus, what do you expect from them today? https://youtu.be/VKgK1CBiOMM Could anyone build the covenant of the Jews with Abraham? Remember this man of dead letters Church Father Origen couldn't. They are Tares getting bundled up in Israel for the Final Burning expected soon after the attack of Israel on Iran, the Fake circumcised sons of Isaac. Watch my other videos, and my seminars are totally FREE, which will also set you FREE. End Time Gospel. Israel is supposed to attack Iran by 14/11/2023. Then, the JUDGEMENT Atomic War. https://youtu.be/odMABgAf5kQ PREDICTIONS. I am a retired university lecturer in Metallurgy hailing from Punjab, India where the Second Coming of Christ = Satguru Jesus in the name of Christ = Satguru Nanak Dev Ji took place in 1469 among the most greedy and Satanic people of the Khatri tribe. Through five more Lights, He Preached the Gospel to perfection for over 150 years still the Darkness could not be comprehended. Thus, in Four More Lights, the Royal Kings came to protect Sikhism and promoted the rule of righteousness. The greediest Kings and Emperors of Darkness still carried on with their Sat+++++anic activities as Mullahs in the Mosques. The New Testament has good information on what is going on. In fact, Matt 13v24-30 is getting fulfilled and the Tares, the Jews, Muslims, etc. outwardly are getting bundled up in Israel for the Final Burning through Atomic Bombs.   Now, these University Theologians are dead in letters of the holy Books totally incapable of understanding the Parable puzzles that only you learn through “intuition” by His grace only that the illiterate Shepherds and farmers were able to do as God is inside them and taught them which the greedy Temple (Winepress coining the moral laws) Priests (Husbandmen) loving Mammon more than God could not understand. That is why Jesus didn’t throw Pearls before swine in Jerusalem as the two men in the Genersate were doing and ended up locked up in the silence of the graveyard so that no one should listen to them as the Oxford University Professors of Theology are doing to me. Cutting the matter short, the Atomic War is expected to take place soon after 14/11/2023. This is how I have calculated it:- Israel was established on 14/05/1948. Add to it 70 years of full protection. On 14/05/2018, Israel was 70 years old and Donald Trump declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel and moved his Embassy to Jerusalem. Now, there were Five years of grace of heart in the name of Christ Jesus which ended on 14/05/2023 and Israel declared that the whole Jerusalem belongs to Israel. This has boiled up the situation and the Mohammedan Hamas, Fateh, etc. have reacted against this announcement. The sons of the most high Satan Al-Djmar Al-Aksa, super bastard religious fanatic devils – John 8v44 – Jews and Muslims outwardly have become the staunch enemies of each other. Neither the Jews nor the Hamas and the Fatah can build their covenants with Abraham of the Semitic Race. St. Paul has stressed many things such as a Jew is one who is “inwardly – spiritual” never born and never died and not outwardly or the tribal self Juda, Levi, Benjamin, etc. that are born and will die led by the their blind guides, the Rabbis. In India, three Satanic Lalas Lala M.K. Gandhi, a Bania, Lala Tara Singh, a Malhotra Khatri and Lala Mohd. Ali Jinnah, a Babla Bhatia did the same sectarian riots with full collusion of the British hypocrites. So, here are my calculations:- Israel was established on 14/05/1948 + 70 years of the Full Protection till 14/05/2018 when Donald Trump declared that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel. Then, the Five are the temptations of heart well known in India; they are KAAM =immorality, KARODHH = Anger, LOBHH = greed, MOH = worldly attractions and finally HANKAAR = Proud of the Book knowledge. This grace of our Supernatural Father Elohim = Allah = Parbrahm, etc. takes us to 14/05/2023. People who are going to perish are the creation of Yahweh governed by the Seven Candled Menorah. So, let us give Six months of grace to Yahweh and that would take us to 14/11/2023. The next Seventh Month is of the Middle Candle of Menorah called “Shams”, Sun, the primary Source of Light. So, the Seventh Month is in the hand of Elohim, who is the overall Father of Creation as the supernatural “soul” is all living things. King David said, “My lord Yahweh said to the Lord of Sabbath, the Middle Candle of the Menorah Shams as Jesus too declared that He is the Lord of Sabbath”. Only He knows which Day of the Month, the Atomic War would take place. Thus, men taught by men the dead Scriptures in the Universities and Colleges producing licenced Dog-Collared Priests cannot know God without the holy spirit, which is common sense called SURTI in Hindi but the illiterate Shepherds and Farmers have common sense and they know God. That is why the Good News of the Birth of Yahshua, the First Born of

hello 🧐 why is this girl in the thing 🧐🧐 like 🧐🧐

Auralite 23

So here’s our first crystal, Auralite 23. I bought one a week or so ago, at a trusted rock shop (they sell *just* rocks and jewelry). Yes I am going to go back and address this with them, but I suspect they are selling it as Auralite, because that’s the popular name given to it. We all know that popular names sell well.

This is my stone. Now, Auralite is supposed to be similar to Super-7, being a stone made up of several types of stones. And I mean, look at this stone. There’s certainly something else in it besides the obvious Amethyst. On a glance, that looks like Rutile, but the reddish hue puts me in mind of Hematite, which loves to take up space in Quartz. The current ‘write up’ for Auralite-23 says that this stone can have up to 23 minerals in it, including Magnetite, Gold, Silver, and a stone called Gialite/Gilalite. Let’s come back to that one in a moment, shall we?

Auralite-23 is purported to be from this singular mine/locality of Canada, around Thunder Bay, specifically. That’s great! Love to know where my rocks are from!

However, that Gialite/Gilalite I mentioned a moment ago? Is NOT found in Canada. At all. Feel free to look up Gilalite on Mindat.org, and you’ll see there’s only 4 countries where this stone is found and 2 of the localities are here in the SOUTHWEST of the USA - Arizona and Nevada. Also, Gilalite is a small, neon green puffball of a mineral, with a Mohs hardness of 2. Quartz and most of its family is up around 5.5-7. (I’ll cover Quartz as a singular, as well as a family in a later post). What I’m getting at is that sure, maybe this grade of Amethyst (not worth much) sells better under this fancy name, and a purported 20 odd minerals included, but that at least this mineral does not belong! Well, not from the Thunder Bay locality. I’ve checked on the localities for Amethyst, and I can find it in the same general area of Arizona as Gilalite. So be *very* careful of what locality Auralite-23 might be from.

So yeah, the two stones are basically ‘neighbors’ in Arizona and Nevada, but they don’t appear to be close enough (to me!) to have found together (Gilalite included Amethyst).

I cannot speak to it’s metaphysical abilities, as I haven’t worked with it directly yet. Honestly I have so many stones that working with individuals is time consuming, because they won’t work on a linear time scale. Yes I’ll write about that later as well.

I just finished being MOH for my best friend of 15 years and honestly? It was a nightmare and I SO sympathize with your post. The bride decided less than a month before her bachelorette that she wanted to change everything, regardless of the fact that I was following the party plan that SHE made (because she wanted it a certain way and I didn't mind her making the plan). To top it off, she wasn't even the one to tell me! She had her SISTER IN LAW tell me over FACEBOOK MESSENGER. And then, after the party, I messaged one of the bridesmaid that I still needed her share of the money and she refused to pay, saying that she had given me cash and that I must have lost it. Keep in mind that I am the most type-A person you could meet and I wasn't even drinking. There's no way I would lose the amount of money she was supposed to give me. Also, one of the party guests didn't even show! So I ended up paying for three very expensive shares of the bachelorette and I was miserable all night long because I hated the other bridesmaids and the party we ended up having made me VERY uncomfortable for multiple reasons. For the bridal shower, I felt so off my game. I love party planning and I'm a very organized person, but the family was in charge of hosting the party and they decided to have everyone plan as a group effort. We all know group projects are a terrible idea, but apparently they didn't get that memo. It was a hot mess and I think the bride enjoyed herself but I most certainly did not. I don't think I've ever felt so belittled than I did when I interacted with the other bridesmaids and the bride never communicated anything with me. It was so rough. Anyway, all this to say, I hope your experience being MOH is most unlike mine. I hope it shapes up soon and that you can find so much joy in it!!! I'm sending lots of love your way in hopes that it makes the frustrations just a little bit easier.

Oh man wow that sounds awful!! At least the bride in my scenario has been so wonderful and would immediately step in to help with my situation but I don’t want to cause her more stress. The bridesmaids are all just very entitled. It’s very annoying. But the bride is wonderful, so at least I have her!

What is Tungsten Jewelry?

What Is Tungsten Jewelry? And What Is Tungsten Carbide Jewelry?

Tungsten, also known as wolfram, refers to the chemical element, the metal itself. On the periodic table, tungsten is numbered 74 and is known for its hardness, durability, high melting point, high density and is somewhat rare. It is dark gray in color and known for being very difficult to work with. Tungsten is very brittle and not very malleable, making it hard to form into rings or other jewelry designs. As a result, it is often compounded into alloys. Tungsten carbide jewelry is created from an alloy of 80% elemental Tungsten and 20% Carbon alloyed with other metals. Tungsten is exceptionally strong, hypoallergenic, highly scratch-resistant, and tarnish-resistant with a substantial feel in weight.

Tungsten Carbide Jewelry Vs Tungsten Jewelry

The biggest and most important difference between them is that tungsten refers to the individual metal, whereas tungsten carbide is an alloy of tungsten and predominantly carbon, although nickel and titanium are among the other metals that might be used. Some websites and jewelers will use the two interchangeably. In general, Tungsten jewelry is just tungsten carbide jewelry.

Tungsten Jewelry Pros and Cons

Advantages Of Tungsten Jewelry

Tungsten carbide is the most scratch-resistant metal known to man.

Tungsten carbide jewelry is affordable and has a nice weight to it, similar to gold and platinum.

Tungsten rings are quick and easy to remove from your finger in case of a medical emergency — easier than gold.

Tungsten does not bend out of shape due to its hardness, so in an accident, the ring will not become deformed and injure your finger further.

People with allergies to gold jewelry can wear tungsten jewelry because it is naturally hypoallergenic.

Tungsten wedding bands come in a natural gunmetal grey color, but they can be plated in black, white, or even gold colors.

Disadvantages Of Tungsten Jewelry

Just like a diamond, tungsten is very scratch resistant and will not bend out of shape, but it will break if enough shock or pressure is applied to it.

Reputable jewelers and manufacturers will offer a lifetime warranty that covers this by providing a replacement ring in case of accidental breakage.

Due to their hardness, tungsten rings cannot be resized.

Reputable jewelers and manufacturers should provide a lifetime sizing policy to provide for ring size exchanges when your finger size changes.

Tungsten carbide is not easily turned back into cash. Gold is traded on the world’s commodities markets and is very liquid. This means anyone can change gold into cash or gold is just like cash.

Tungsten is not traded and easily valued, so if you want to pawn it someday, that will be difficult.

Tungsten RingsWhat Is A Tungsten Ring？

Tungsten carbide rings are made from the chemical compound tungsten and carbon atoms. Tungsten rings have become a popular ring of choice because of their hardness. It is much harder than diamonds and solid gold rings. It also is 10 times less likely to scratch than any other ring.

Mens Wedding Bands

Black Tungsten Wedding Rings For Men

Tungsten Wedding Bands come in many different colors and styles. Some unique styles include; comfort fit rings, two-toned rings, channel set Diamond Tungsten Bands. They also can be found in three different finishes; satin, matted or brushed finish.

Among them, Black is an excellent color choice for a Men’s Wedding Band. Black Tungsten Carbide results from Tungsten Carbides’ extreme hardness, which is the perfect base metal for physical vapor deposition.

This is the special process from which the exterior of the ring can be permanently changed. This creates a rich, luxurious Black color.

Black Tungsten rings are bold and symbolize strength, courage, and conviction. Black Wedding Bands, along with any other type of Wedding Bands symbolizes a married couple’s commitment to each other a strong bond, and everlasting love for each other.

Tungsten Rings Price And Value

How Much Do Tungsten Carbide Rings Cost?

For retailers or individual consumers, most quality tungsten rings are priced at over $50 dollars — if you are looking for a ring that is priced under $50 dollars then stainless steel or titanium bands may be a better option.

How Much Is A Tungsten Carbide Ring Worth?

Different price of the tungsten ring value introduction

Tungsten Rings Price (Dollars)Suitable Crowd/Application ScenesTungsten Rings Quality$5WholesalerThe best China jewelry manufacturer will provide you with tungsten rings of high quality and low price within your budget.$20 — $30for a daily outfit/for daily useMost of the tungsten rings are made with jewelry grade tungsten (not industrial grade), so, you got no problem with the tungsten rings. The rings will not tarnish or blacken your fingers.$50-$60As a gift or an important ceremony giftThe seller provides a lifetime warranty for size exchange and any. If your tungsten ring is broken( the chance is slim, but it could happen) or the wrong size, you can get a free replacement. You just can contact the seller at any time.$190-$600As a wedding bandVery unique and exclusive design; Better craftsmanship; 45-day Customer Satisfaction Money-back Guarantee; Lifetime Ring Replacement Warranty; Lifetime Ring Sizing Warranty.Different prices of the tungsten ring value introduction

Why Do Tungsten Rings Vary in Price?

Main Difference Between Cheap and Expensive Tungsten Rings

Cheap tungsten rings made with Cobalt ( Industrial Grade)-Bad; Expensive Tungsten rings Made with Nickel ( Jewelry Grade)-Good

Cheaper tungsten rings made with cobalt, cobalt is a cheaper filler some ring factories use that to make tungsten rings. So, the tungsten is not jewelry grade, only reaches the industrial grade. Cheaper tungsten rings with cobalt( industrial grade) will tarnish. It will make your finger gray or black. Expensive Tungsten rings Made with Nickel( jewelry grade) Jewelry grade tungsten will NEVER tarnish or haze. So you can enjoy your rings for a long time The tungsten rings with cobalt or nickles may look the same you saw at a ring store or online. But, industrial tungsten rings would take on a dark cast and might have discolored in places after 3–6 months. Industrial tungsten is awesome for other applications, but for fashion jewelry? It isn’t a good choice. Jewelry-grade tungsten carbide rings with nickel will retain their original look and luster for a long time. Nickel might irritate your skin, but the amount of nickel in tungsten alloy is less than 1%. This means that unless you have a severe allergy to it, you wouldn’t even know that it was in there. Cobalt is the only aspect that makes it tarnish. You need something that is jewelry grade, not industrial grade. Jewelry-grade tungsten will NEVER tarnish or haze. Tungsten HAS to be an alloy, as it is far too brittle by itself. Find one with no cobalt, and you should enjoy the piece forever.

The Cost of Selling Tungsten Rings

As far as I know, 80% of tungsten rings on the market are manufactured in China. The tungsten carbide rings manufactured in the USA would cost more than rings made in China, in other words, manufacturing costs are much higher in the USA. They sell for a higher price due to the cost, such a store location, advertising cost, and other costs.

Short Time Warranty/Guarantee VS Lifetime Warranty

Suppose that you purchase a cheaper tungsten ring, but your ring breaks( the chance is slim, but could happen), the time could be a month or a year, or the plating wears off( it could happen), or any bad things that may happen, even you get the best quality of the ring. Can you return the ring? Is there someone you can call for help? Is there some warranty or guarantee? But, if you buy an expensive tungsten ring, you will get a lifetime warranty, you can replace a new one if you break it or your finger grows bigger. You have the right to replace a new tungsten ring for free.

Conclusion: The true value of a tungsten ring depends on how you use it or depends on what kind of services you want to get.

How to Tell if a Ring is a Real Tungsten?

Density Identification Method-Judge from Weight

Today Churinga will tell you some great ways to test the ring. Tungsten is a dense metal and its density is much higher than titanium, stainless steel, or other alloy rings. The very texture when wearing, also in heaving metal feeling. The weight of men’s tungsten bands is about 14g-22g. But, if you feel your tungsten ring is quite lightweight, it might be a fake tungsten ring. We used 3 same-size rings made with different metals. Here are the results.

The first one is made of stainless steel. The weight is: 4.78g

The second one is made of alloy. It is the biggest. The weight is 6.71

The third one is made of jewelry grade-tungsten. The weight is 17.24g

As you can see, rings made of tungsten carbide are much heavier than rings made of other metals. This is a very great way.

Judge from Hardness

The hardness of tungsten is between 8 and 9M( This is the international Mohs hardness standard), close to Natural diamonds( it is10 M).3 times harder than gold, 4 times harder than titanium, and 5 times harder than stainless steel.

Because of their hardness, so the tungsten rings are hardly be scratched. Only the diamond can scratch the tungsten.

Judge from Appearance

In this part, I am going to teach you how to buy a real tungsten ring by its appearance. The real tungsten carbide ring is cold silver in color. ( like a mirror, the effect of the polished surface) But after the polishing process, the tungsten ring has amazing luster and gloss, which shines as a natural diamond does. Moreover, the real tungsten ring is very smooth and flawless.

If the ring surface is a little bit dim or dark, it must not be a real tungsten ring.

Judge by Time

A real tungsten ring will not tarnish or fade and it maintains as polished as new for a long time. (The polish of a real tungsten ring is supposed to last 30 years or more, if you start to notice scratches on it then it is likely not tungsten carbide.)

Why? The tungsten carbide ring is very resistant to wear and corrosion. Daily wearing will not produce oxidation, fading, or skin allergy. If your tungsten rings blacken your finger, you probably get a fake tungsten ring or you might get a tungsten ring made with cobalt.

GradeFsss （μm）O (%) does not exceedWC101.01～1.400.15WC141.41~1.800.10WC181.81~2.400.10WC242.41~3.000.08WC303.01~4.000.08WC404.01~5.000.08WC505.01~7.000.05WC707.01~10.000.05WC10010.01~14.000.05WC14014.01~20.000.05WC20020.01~26.000.05The particle size of tungsten carbide powder

How To Clean Tungsten Rings?

To clean tungsten carbide jewelry, use a solution of warm water and detergent-free soap with a soft cloth. When not worn, store your tungsten pieces in soft cloth bags or the original box to protect them from the elements of daily exposure.

Omg what do you have an FAQ I feel like theres so much I don't know about you You're engaged? V exciting! How old are you? Also wedding inspo pics?? I love seeing other people's wedding plans lol

I am not interesting enough for a faq lmao

Yes! Been engaged sorta since I was 18 but for reals on my 19th bday. I’m 23 now!

Lol so I have this Pinterest board I gave my best friend (rip (holy shit it just hit me she literally can’t be my moh anymore. (Like I mean I knew obviously but like it hit again :/)) anyways it’s just thrown about ideas and I was really struggling between a peach (no pun I just like the color 😩😩😩) theme and a blue theme but we eventually settled on blue bc my hair is blue/teal and my ring is blue so we just kinda worked around it. Also the dress I ended up picking is closest to the simple silk one but with a punged back lol I just liked how the other lacy ones looked (and I did try similar ones on to feel fancy)

Anyways covid happened and I didn’t get married lol I cried a little on my supposed wedding day and then sat around in my wedding dress Friends style that whole day. Ngl I’m a little discouraged to go through with most of the plans next year becuase Idk my best friend won’t be there and that sucks and I doubt everything will be okay by next spring for me to continue with a garden style wedding so I kinda just wanna elope and get it over with tbh anyways sorry for that heavyish shit lol

W: SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 80 (with a sum up)

[ Recorder begins. ]

Jon: I suppose this is it. There’s nothing else I can do then. Everyone’s out of the office-- save for. Well. The other, Sasha. It’s just. Me. 

[ Long pause, Jon swallows dryly. ]

Jon: I think the goodbyes were as good as they were going to get. I. Moh. Kirk. Martin-- Tim. Melanie. Madi--. I. What the hell. But this isn’t even about me, it shouldn’t truly be.  [ Clenching the hard plastic around the recorder is heard. ] Jon: It’s about Sasha. 

[ Another tape recorder is heard going off. ]

Sasha (RECORDING): It’s just a scratch, Jon. I’ll be fine. Can we begin?

Jon:  Was there anything I could have done? Could I have.. If I had.

Sasha (RECORDING): I thought it was pronounced “Kah-lee-o-pee?”

[ Jons voice gets heavy, his breath is ragged. ]

Jon: This was in her desk. Well hidden, but if I had been more thorough I. 

[ Long pause. ]

Jon: Was there anything in my power I could have done to save you. Sasha. 

Sasha (RECORDING): Hello? I see you. Show yourself. 

[ Tape noises. ]

Not!Sasha, mimicking old Sasha(RECORDING): H... helllo. I. see you. I see you. 

Jon, vindictively: And now I see you. 

[ Recording ends. ]

[ Recording begins. ]

Jon, whispered:  It is remarkably easy to buy an axe in Central London. Harder to sneak it into Artefact Storage, but not impossible. I don’t know if destroying this is going to kill that thing… but I am damn sure it’s going to hurt.

[ Noise of axe hitting & splintering wood, and the grunts of the archivist as strange music starts to build and intensify. ]

Jon: Hollow. Just cobwebs and dust. 

[ Familiar eerie laughter. ] 

Micheal: That.. was very stupid, Archivist. 

Jon: What do you want?

Michael: There’s no other way out of this room you know.

Jon: What?

Michael: You don’t have time to escape before they get here. 

Jon: I. No-- I. The. The... The “Not Sasha?” No--No. But the table..

Michael: Was binding it, quite effectively. 

Jon: Oh. Oh no. 

[ In the background, the archivist is worriedly muttering ‘No’ over and over. ]

Not!Sasha, heavily distorted and distant: Jooooooohn.....

[ Strange sounds, almost like something roaring open as Michaels laugh echoes.]

Jon, terrified: Please. God I-- No.. no.. Shit!

[ Recording ends. ]

(SPOILERS)SUMMARY: This runs into episode 80! Essentially Jon is going to be hunted down by this giant monster and disappear for a bit. Tunein to find out what happens! We’re entering the end of season 2!

"ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" (2019) Review

"ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" (2019) Review When I had first learned that producer-director Quentin Tarantino had plans to make a movie about "Old Hollywood", I assumed that it would be set during the early 20th century - at least sometime between the 1920s and the 1940s. I had no idea that the movie would be set near the end of the 1960s.

The reason behind my initial assumption was that I have never considered the 1960s decade to be a part of . . . "Old Hollywood". For me, that era in film history had ended by the late 1950s. I eventually learned that a good number of movie stars - Rock Hudson being one of them - had retained contracts with the industries movie studios even during the Sixties. Even those who had transferred from movie to television productions. Then . . . I heard that the movie would be about the LaBianca-Tate Murders from August 1969. Familiar with the level of violence featured in past Tarantino movies, I was pretty determined to avoid this movie. I am used to the violence featured in the director's past movies. But I really could not see myself sitting in a movie theater and watching a re-creation of the murder of actress Sharon Tate, Hollywood hairdresser Jay Sebring and a few other friends at the hands of Charles Manson's Family. I had seen the 1976 movie, "HELTER SKELTER" when I was a kid. Once was enough and that was only a two-part television movie. But when I had eventually learned that "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" was a revisionist movie like his 2009 film, "INGLORIOUS BASTERDS", I decided to give it a chance. "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" covered a six month period near the end of the 1960s - from February to August 1969. To be honest, the movie is divided into two time periods. Two-thirds of the movie is set during a 36-hour period in early Februrary 1969. The last third of the film is set during the afternoon and evening hours of August 8-9, 1969. The movie is about the experiences of two men - Hollywood television actor Rick Dalton and his friend/stunt man/chauffeur Cliff Booth. Following the cancellation of his television series, "Bounty Law", Rick had been making guest appearances in various television shows as villains. Casting agent Marvin Schwarz warns Rick that the longer he continues appearing in television episodes as the villain, his career will eventually die and no one will remember him from "Bounty Law". The agent suggests that Rick consider going to Europe to star in an Italian western or two. And Cliff find his career as a Hollywood stuntman over due to rumors that he may have killed his wife and an altercation with Bruce Lee on the set of "THE GREEN HORNET". Only his job as Rick's chauffeur/handyman has allowed Cliff to earn any cash, thanks to the actor's alcoholism and collection of DUIs that led to the removal his driver's license. Rick has also acquired new neighbors - Polish-born director Roman Polanski and his actress wife Sharon Tate - both with Hollywood careers that seemed to be on the upswing. The couple had just began leasing the home of music producer Terry Melcher. Rick has dreams of befriending them as a means to revive his career. Meanwhile, he contemplates accepting Marvin's suggestion, while he begins work on his current job - a guest appearance as another villain in the pilot episode of the TV western called "LANCER". As for Cliff, he becomes acquainted with a beautiful hitchhiker named Pussycat. She turns out to be a member of the Manson Family, who are staying at Spahn Ranch, where he and Rick used to film "Bounty Law". Cliff's encounter with the ranch's owner, the blind and aging George Spahn and members of the Manson Family foreshadows a later encounter on that infamous night, six months later. While contemplating his career, I noticed all of the four movies made by Quentin Tarantino in the past ten years were period pieces. All of them . . . from "INGLORIOUS BASTERDS" to this current film, "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD". I would never consider the other three films as nostalgic, but a part of me cannot help but wonder if I could say the same about this latest one. The pacing for "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" struck me as a lot more detailed, relaxed and reflective than any of his previous movies. It almost seemed as if Tarantino was paying some kind of loving tribute to the end of the old Hollywood studio system. For me, this seemed like both a good thing and a bad one. Tarantino always had a reputation for scenes that featured long stretches of dialogue or detailed action sequences. And yes, the pacing in his films - with the exception of scenes featuring action or revelations of previous mysteries - can be a tad slow upon first viewing. But "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" marked the first time I can recall such a small amount of violence or action. Tarantino seemed more evoking a sense of the past than in any other of his period films. For "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD", it was a good thing for the film managed to permeate the end of the 1960s in Los Angeles and the Hollywood Studio system thanks to Tarantino's direction, Barbara Ling's superb production designs, Arianne Phillips' costume designs and the art direction led by Richard L. Johnson. On the other hand, Tarantino's in-depth peek into Los Angeles 1969 also had a negative impact . . . a minor one, if I must be honest. This slow exploration also included a look into actress Sharon Tate's life . . . at least in the first two-thirds of the film. Basically, the movie reflected a peek into the daily life of the actress - attending a party at Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion, visiting a bookstore in the Westwood Village, and watching her latest film ("THE WRECKING CREW") at the theater. I realize that Tarantino was trying to pay some kind of homage to Tate, but I found this . . . homage rather dragged the film's pacing. There were two other aspects of "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" that I found troubling. One brief scene early in the film featured an appearance by Charles Manson at the Polanski-Tate home, searching for music producer Terry Melcher, who owned it. In real life, Manson had visited the house on several occasions, searching for the music producer. These visits had led to the Tate-LaBianca murders. But the movie only featured one visit by Manson and it happened early in the film . . . six months before the night of August 8-9. I believe this is where Tarantino's narrative structure for the film had failed. I belief the film's second act, which is set during that very night, should have began at least a few days or a week or two earlier, allowing one or two more visits by Manson to 10050 Cielo Drive and setting up his plan to send some of his followers to kill its inhabitants. And there was Cliff's infamous fight with Bruce Lee that outraged a good number of critics and moviegoers and led them to accuse Tarantino of disrespct toward the actor/martial artist and racism. Many took umbrage at Tarantino's portrayal of Lee as a braggadocio who needed to be taken down by a white man in a fight - namely Cliff. If I must honest, I felt the same. I still do . . . somewhat. I recently discovered that one of the production companies backing the film is Bona Film Group, a Chinese organization controlled by Yu Dong and Jeffrey Chan. As producers and co-financiers of the film, why did Bona Film Group fail to protest against the Booth-Lee encounter? Did the company's executives have a personal grudge against the late martial artist? Was this lack of protest due to some unpopularity of Lee in mainland China? Or did the production company simply not cared? One minor nitpick . . . actor Mike Moh's hairstyle for Lee was a bit too long for that 1966 or 1967 flashback. Personally, I think Tarantino should have never added that scene in the first place. It was not that relevant to the film's overall narrative. Or he could have easily allowed Cliff to have a fight with a fictional character, instead of Lee . . . anything to avoid the unnecessary controversy that followed. Despite these flaws, I really enjoyed "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD". As I had stated earlier, I really enjoyed the film's atmospheric setting of the Hollywood community at the end of the 1960s. The movie also did an excellent job in conveying Tarantino's talent for creating a narrative structure for his films. The director allowed moviegoers a peak into a Hollywood industry that was in the process of change from the old studio system to the industry's American New Wave era between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s. This transistion was conveyed in the film not only marked by Rick Dalton's anxiety over his foundering career, but also capped by the Manson Family's attack upon Cielo Drive. However, Rick was not the only one anxious about his future. Cliff Booth faced professional oblivion following Rick's marriage to an Italian actress in the film's second half. Despite their close relationship, Rick made it obvious that he could not afford to keep Cliff in his employ. The night of August 8-9 was supposed to be his last night in Rick's employ. What is also interesting about this film is that like "THE HATEFUL EIGHT", it ended on an ambiguous note. Was Rick's career ever salvaged? Also, many have forgotten that on the following evening, Charles Manson himself led a second attack upon Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in Los Angeles' Los Feliz neighborhood. Did the revisionist ending of "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" prevent these murders? I wonder. The movie also featured many sequences that I found very enjoyable to watch. They also help set up and maintain the film's narrative. These scenes included Marvin Schwarz's frank assessment of Rick's career, Polanski and Tate's appearance at a Playboy Mansion party, Rick's delightful interactions with an eight year-old actress named Trudi Fraser on the "LANCER" set that helped him turn in a memorable performance, Rick's breakdown in a trailer after flubbing his lines, and Cliff's meeting with Pussycat. But there were two scenes that really stood out for me. One of those scenes were Cliff's encounter with the Manson family at Spahn's Ranch seemed like Tarantino's take on what happened between "the family" and a stuntman named Donald Shea in late August 1969. I thought Tarantino did a superb job with this scene. It was well-paced, filled with a great deal of tension. I can say the same about the movie's last sequence that featured the Manson Family's attack upon Cielo Drive during the night of August 8-9. This is where Tarantino' use of historical revision came into play. The director-writer used Rick's constant complaints about "hippies", his celebrity as a former television star and Cliff's previous encounter with the Manson Family to re-direct the latter's attack from the Polanski-Tate household to the Dalton household. And what unfolded was chaotic, occasionally funny and yes, very scary. It truly was a well shot and well-acted sequence. "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" featured a good deal of cameos - probably a lot more than any previous Tarantino film (I could be wrong, since I have not seen all of his films). Making solid cameos were Damian Lewis, Michael Madsen, Timothy Olyphant (as actor James Stacy), Luke Perry (as actor Wayne Maunder), Damon Herriman (as Charles Manson), Ramón Franco, Lena Durnham, Rumer Willis, Martin Kove, Clu Galagher, Rebecca Gayheart, Brenda Vaccaro, Scoot McNairy, Clifton Collins, Jr., James Remar, and Toni Basil. The movie also featured some very memorable supporting performances - especially from the likes of Al Pacino, who delightfully portrayed casting agent Marvin Schwarz; an entertaining Kurt Russell who not only portrayed stunt gaffer Randy Miller, but also served as the film's narrator; Zoë Bell, who was equally entertaining as Randy's stunt gaffer wife Janet; Mike Moh, who gave a colorful performance as Bruce Lee; Lorenza Izzo, as Rick's wife Francesca Capucci; a rather frightening Dakota Fanning as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, Manson family member; Maya Hawke as "Flower Child"; Nicholas Hammond as actor-director Sam Wanamaker; Rafał Zawierucha as Roman Polanski; Julia Butters as the delightful child actor Trudi Fraser; a very charming Emile Hirsch as Jay Sebring; the always entertaining Bruce Dern as George Spahn; and Margaret Qualley, who was very memorable as Manson Family member "Pussycat". I will be the first admit that Tarantino made little use of Sharon Tate in this film. It was quite clear that her presence really served as a catalyst for Tarantino's story and possibly a muse. But I cannot deny that Margot Robbie gave a very charming and ellubient performance as the late actress. Brad Pitt, on the other hand, gave a very subtle yet memorable performance as former stuntman Cliff Booth, whose career had seen better days. This was due to the mysterious circumstances behind the death of Cliff's wife. Many believe he may have killed her and got away with the crime. And Pitt managed to reflect this ambiguity in his performance and in his eyes. There were times when it seemed there was a bit of a "cool superhero" element in the character that at times, made it a bit difficult for me to relate to him. But thanks to Pitt's natural screen persona and a very subtle performance, I was able to do so in the end. If I had to choose the most complex character in the entire movie, it would have to be former television star Rick Dalton. And I cannot deny that Leonardo DiCaprio did an exceptional job of conveying this character to the movie screen. Thanks to DiCaprio's performance and Tarantino, Rick is such a conumdrum. One could label him as one of those actors from the late 1950s and early 1960s, who became television stars and later tried to make the transition to film. I have read many comments that Rick has a conservative outlook on his tastes and acting skills that will forever limit him from becoming a star in Hollywood's New Age in films. This is very apparent in Rick's pompadour hairstyle in the film's first half, his occasional rants against hippies and his reluctant to adapt to the new Hollywood. And yet . . . Rick eventually concedes to Schwarz's suggestion that he try Italian westerns, he changes his hairstyle and wardrobe to reflect the fashions of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and he seeks to make social connections with Polanski and Tate to further his career. Rick is also an alcoholic and might be bipolar. DiCaprio did an excellent job in conveying Rick's emotional state that reflect these traits. "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" is not my favorite Quentin Tarantino film, it has became my favorite film of 2019. I do not think it has a chance of winning any of the big prizes during the awards season of 2019-2020. I have a deep suspicion that the media and the Hollywood community is not as enamoured of it as I am. Which is okay . . . to each his or her own. But damn it, the movie was superb. I have heard rumors that Tarantino plans to retire from filmmaking. Personally, I think this is a mistake on his part. Perhaps he wants to end his career on a high note. And "ONCE UPON A TIME . . . IN HOLLYWOOD" is certainly a reflection of it, thanks to Tarantino's direction, his screenplay, the movie's production values and especially the cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. But I hope that Tarantino continues to make movies.