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fizzigigsimmer · 5 months

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Fargo s5 Episode 8: Manipulation and Codependency.

I am UNWELL after this last episode. I have so many thoughts. What it says on the tin, this is just me processing my reaction to the latest episode so if you are not caught up, spoilers will be found within.

Let’s start with the lady of the hour. Miss Dot. Miss Dorthy Lyon 👏🏾 Put some respect on her name. This character is endlessly fascinating to me. She’s incredibly complex. Almost over powered in one sense, but also incredibly fragile. We’re seeing now in clearer detail what an accomplished manipulator Dot is. She’s not just a fighter. She’s not just hiding and masking her trauma. She is actively playing the people around her and moving them around a board in her mind. The same way Roy does. The same way anyone in a position of power does, honestly.

Roy and Loraine and people in general, we seek control over others out of a place of insecurity, in order to make ourselves feel safe in our little worlds. Survivors of abuse are particularly good at this, and it’s something I am so glad to see the narrative touching on. The media likes to paint victims with cinderella syndrome. They are often childlike innocent caricatures who are endlessly kind and pure in the face of unjustified cruelty, purely so that audiences will emotionally attach to them quickly and feel whatever amount of fear and revulsion the creator wants for the antagonist. But the reality for real people who suffer domestic violence and other forms of abuse is that they’re just people. They have the same potential for good and bad and selfishness, they developed unhealthy coping mechanisms and they learn to play the game just like everyone else. And when you live your life in fear, you have more incentive than most to get good fast at controlling your surroundings.

We see another example of this in Karen this episode. Roy’s current wife is no stranger to her husband’s violent temper and is very aware of the danger he represents. When he’s humiliated in spectacular fashion and likely to lose his election, there’s this palpable tension in the air as the family rides home. We know heads are going to roll, and from the look on Karen’s face so does she. When she first opened her mouth I was so scared for her. lol I wanted to reach through the screen and shake her, like “shut up! That man will kill you.” At first I thought she was being hopelessly naive, saying exactly all the wrong things to try and comfort Roy that were only pressing on the wound. BUT THEN! Then we watch her turn it on Dot. She calls her a curse, playing into Roy’s belief that there are scales to be balanced in order to make the world right again, and pointing out that all of this only happened when Dot came back. She basically says, Dot’s the reason you have bad luck not me. Go hurt her and not me. And then he does. It’s brilliant.

I was on the edge of my seat watching Dot desperately try and hang onto her world. Everything from her name down to who gets to remind Wayne to take his Lactaide medication, using anything and everything at her disposal to do it. When Roy isnt impressed by being reminded he married a child around his own son’s age - oh please, she had hair and her period so she wasn’t a child - she switches tactics quick as a whip and leans hard on Roy’s family man ideals. She relentlessly forces him to confront the contradictions in his actions by reminding him he is destroying a family. Finally, when that fails too she delivers a violent threat. You will do as I ask, or I’m going to hurt you. The writing here was so masterful. They are opposites. We’re rooting for her, and yet, they mirror each other. Dot has been using manipulation tactics she learned at the hands of her abusers to carefully curate a place where she feels safe, and now that it’s all crumbling around her she’s finally starting to see it for herself.

Her scene with Gator was particularly poignant. Because when he comes in, he’s subdued and we get the feeling that he’s there (whether he’s going to admit it or not) purely because he wants to see her. Her, the big sister who used to comfort him while he watched his father abuse his mother. Who then replaced his mother and became his father’s wife while his own mother seemingly abandoned him. The way she plays him in this scene is so heartbreaking to watch but also incredibly insightful. She knows why he’s here: because deep down he wanted to see her. She dances back and forth between playing on their buried bond ( “I didn’t tell the FBI anything” implying, she wouldn’t tell them anything that would hurt him) and plucking on his insecurities (you’re sloppy, you’re weak, you’re a fuck up and your daddy doesn’t love you).

But the biggest card that Dot tries to play is Linda. She tells Gator that she saw her and tries to bring him into her fantasy that Linda got out and has healed from her trauma. That she loves him and never meant to leave him, and that everything will be okay if he just helps her get out. She can take him to his mother and they can leave all of this behind him, and he can finally be free to be the person that deep down she knows he wants to be. And I just love the way this scene was played. Because while it is tempting to believe that Dot is purely just confused from the accident and the sleep deprivation, the music lets us know that more is going on here. We hear flutes, specifically those played by snake charmers. Gator is the snake, and Dot is hypnotizing him before our very eyes. This isn’t the first time Gator has been connected to snake imagery/symbolism either. When Dot decides to tell him why he’s not named Roy after his father, she likens him to a pale little lizard. @tdciago did an excellent post on some of the symbolism we’ve seen in the show thus far, and it really emphasis how often Gator is likened to or associated with snakes: His character bio compares him to the snake in the Garden. His LOL tattoo has forked tongues on the Ls. He's got a "Don't tread on me" flag featuring a snake in his room. He stopped at the Gas 'n Go to "drain the snake." He left an empty Slim Jim wrapper in Donny Ireland's evidence box, that looked like a shed snakeskin. He said that Munch came up "snake eyes."

And as much as Dot’s speech about Linda is about playing on his natural yearning for his mother, it’s also about them too. It’s about Dot. In a way, Dot is also saying that she’s sorry. She never meant to leave him alone. She loves him and she wants things to be alright. They can be if you just help me. Gator obviously wants to believe what Dot is saying is true all of it, but he’s not as dumb as everyone seems to think he is. He knows Dot lies to herself and to others and he calls her out on it. With a single line “You’re lying. You’ve never once in your life told the truth.” we’re left to wonder about all the lies Dot has had to tell over the years. First in order to survive on her own as a teenage runaway, then when she was taken in by the Tillmans, and again when Linda disappeared and she became Roy’s wife.

She told herself that Linda got out, that she was somewhere safe and free and building the life that she wanted. At first she used this lie not to have to face the reality of Roy, of her own likely end, maybe even to appease the twisted sense of guilt she would feel taking Linda’s place and in the light of Gator’s grief over his mother’s sudden absence. Later, she probably used this lie to give herself the courage to be her own Linda. To get out and make the life for herself that she deserved, even if it meant having to leave Gator behind. Even if he doesn’t understand all of the pieces, in his heart of hearts Gator knows his mother is never coming back. She’s either gone or dead, and either way she left him just like Dot did, and Dot is lying to herself.

“I hope you die in here Nadine and that you never see your kid again.” Because that would be justice in his eyes. That would balance the scales. Because he’s never getting out, so why should she?

“No you don’t.” And it’s true. She knows him. Knows he wouldn’t even be here if he weren’t soft. She gave him an opportunity. This was Gator’s crossroad and he chose to stay his course, and the looming figure of Munch reinforces the message that Officer Witt Later delivers, the consequences for Gator are almost here.

Dot too is approaching a crossroad. Because as the episode progresses she is forced to finally confront one of the lies she’s been telling herself for years. Linda is dead. She never made it out. She’s buried under the windmill with Roy’s other enemies. This is not the first time that Dot has seen this windmill, because it was also in her dream about Linda. I would not be surprised if all of Roy’s wives did not witness a body going into that ground at some point or another because of how Karen was so quick to redirect Roy’s rage to Dot. They’re on different sides of the line but they are both fighting for the same thing. To be with their children and not to end up rolled into an early grave.

#fargo spoilers #fargo season 5 #fargo reaction #gator tillman #dot lyon #roy tillman

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tokiro07 · 8 months

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Undead Unluck ep.2 thoughts

[Getting the Shaft]

(Contents: Animation, ch.2-3 comparison, OP/ED analysis)

So I found out that a number of people employed at David Productions were formally members of Shaft, and dang does it show. Fuuko practically did Shaft's signature head tilt like three times! I wonder if they weren't allowed to go all the way with it specifically because it's iconic to Shaft so they have a copyright or a trademark on it?

Admittedly, I don't think I ever considered Shaft as a possible studio for UU, and in certain respects I kind of wish I weren't seeing that future come to pass. The excessive use of negative space and the lack of background characters makes the world feel lifeless, and the occasional full-body shadows literally drain the color from the frames whereas I feel based on the volume covers and color pages is the opposite of the blinding neon vibe that I would have expected. I also worry that using the trappings of a Shaft production's visuals will result in UU looking like any other Shaft work rather than having its own visual identity, though I suppose we'll have to wait and see on that

However, this is the future we got, and all in all, those are just gripes. The combat has exactly the energy that it needs to, the comedic moments are given a lot more gravitas than they had in the manga, and once again David Pro loves to add in fun details. My favorite in this week's episode was Andy realizing what the source of the Unluck was going to be and slowly inching closer to Shen and Void so they'd be more likely to get caught up in it. I don't believe I saw the almost electric trail of blood from Andy's finger as he prepped his Parts Bullet against Void, but maybe i just missed it. If I did, let me know, I'd love to be wrong about this one

As I (and many others) predicted, episode 2 covered chapters 2 and 3, and I think it did it quite well. I'm not sure if it's because I read the manga, because it's an anime, or because the director specifically was trying to do this, but I felt like the anime made the exposition and details a lot easier to absorb than the manga did. If I had to attribute that to something, I would say that a panel can cram in multiple details and layers that the reader needs to be active to pick up on while an anime has to show everything individually and any deviation can be detected through movement. I don't know that for a fact, but it's the impression I get

The difference between Unavoidable and Shen's ability was pretty difficult for me to wrap my head around at first in the manga, but I feel like this iteration will make it a lot easier to differentiate them, hopefully. I wouldn't say that UU is obtuse in general, but I imagine a lot of it is going to be clearer going forward

We also got the opening and ending themes, both of which had great songs and animation. Both were definitely odd, though; they were kind of subdued compared to a lot of other shonen anime openings, with the OP spending about half of it on abstract fractals rather than establishing the characters or setting as one might expect and the ED being extremely somber and heavily symbolic. Even as a manga reader, both of them gave me a bit to chew on, which isn't something I usually expect from OP/EDs

I'd really like to read over the lyrics, but I don't think they're up anywhere yet, and even once I find them I imagine they won't pertain to the story and instead will just match the vibe more than expounding on the themes

Without going into spoilers, my favorite part of the ED animation is Andy waking up under the sakura tree with Fuuko after drifting along the River Styx and passing under dead trees; it's said that under every sakura is a corpse, so the idea that Andy is, in effect, burying his past and leaving his previous life behind him for a brighter future with Fuuko is extremely poignant and touching

If there's anyone worried about Andy and Fuuko's relationship based on the first two episodes, just know that that one bit right at the end of the ED is a better representation of their ongoing relationship than the first couple of episodes are. They are easily the best romantic couple in shonen manga, at least that I've ever seen, so just know you have that to look forward to

I'm particularly excited for next week's episode, cus I really like the Union member they're going to meet. I only recently came to like this character as much as I do, but they make a strong first impression at least, so I hope everyone out there enjoys them too. See ya then!

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #4y1a reviews

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magnificentkoalapeanut · 1 year

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operafantomet · 4 years

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Obviously each Phantom, each Christine, Roul, Andre, Firmin, Carlotta are unique when acted, but are there any character tropes you really like (soft Raoul, sad phantom stranger than you dreamt it... as examples) and who have you seen perform them?

Having seen a solid share of performers (and performances), I think I’ve landed on something like this:

PHANTOMS: I’m more interested in a rough or unpredictable or different Phantom than one singing perfectly and acting everything as expected. Lerouxesque. Thus, I found Marcus Lovett (Lerouxesque, raspy vocals) way more interesting than Gerónimo Rauch (big voice, big acting, but I can’t remember one single unique detail). I also very much loved Flemming Enevold (totally unpredictable and intense), Mikael Samuelson (ditto), Earl Carpenter (all the details!), Tim Howar (again: all the details!) and Scott Davies (just... everything about this man’s Phantom). And d’oh, Michael Crawford. But no rules without exception: John Owen-Jones could sing the phone book and I’d be mesmerized. Ditto for John Martin Bengtsson. Though to be fair, both of them also delivered very interesting portrayals. The same is my impression of Jonathan Roxmouth. Runner-ups: Peter Jorde, Preben Kristensen, Hugh Panaro, Anthony Crivello, Brad Little, Peter Karrie, Ethan Freeman, Ian Jon Bourg, Kevin Gray.

CHRISTINES: For Christines, I love the ones with a hint of oddness. The oddness can be in their acting, head in the cloud, Lerouxesque details, distressed, mysterious. But also in the voice, something that makes them more than a “standard” soprano. Though, for Christine moreso than most other roles, I feel this specific character needs to display a fantastic voice, so whereas the Phantoms can get away with a lot, I can’t listen to a whole show with a Christine struggling vocally. Some of my favourites includes Mia Karlsson (I know I said the same above, but... all the details! All the acting! The absolute kindness. And crystal clear voice), Emilie Lynn (ditto), Rachel Barrell (appeared to be a bewlidered yet slightly temperamental Victorian girl, with that unique touch to the voice), and Isabel Schwartzbach (feather light voice and absolutely distressed and mysterious portrayal). But then again, there’s Gina Beck. Kinda standard approach, but on steroids - cooler and more poignant acting, grander and clearer voice, and just splendidly beautiful. Not really an oddball, just extremely... fantastic. Runner-ups: Sofia Escobar, Valerie Link, Michelle van de Ven, Sierra Boggess, Emmi Christensson, Elizabeth Welch, Mira Ormala, Astrid Giske, Sibylle Glosted, Kim So Hyun.

RAOULS: Raouls needs to fight for their Christine, love her, shelter her, have her best interest at heart, and give the Phantom a challenge. I was always gaga about Steve Barton’s kinda hollow yet warm voice too, but it’s no must. I love a good tenor or bariton in general. Raouls I really remember includes Tomas Ambt Kofod (loving superhero Raoul, adoring his Christine yet fighting off the Phantom, and that Bartonesque voice), Christian Lund (the love, the cuteness, the nose booping! Perfect Raoul), Ramin Karimloo (all in as Raoul, very passionate, distinctive voice), and Andrew Ragone (superman gone Raoul, both acting, singing and look wise, nuff said). Runner-ups: Will Barratt, Simon Bailey, Nicky Wuchinger, Nadim Naaman, Anton Zetterholm.

CARLOTTAS: Superstar. She is an absolute superstar. Don’t you dare perform her mediocre or as a bad singer. No. She OWNS the stage. She is a sight to behold, whether conventionally pretty or just striking. She dominates the stage with her voice, which she knows is good despite the Phantom’s mockery. Carlottas in this vein includes Eva Malmgren (when you mix charm and elegance with a beautiful voice and supermodel look), Louise Fribo (100% superstar with maybe the best voice I’ve heard for a Carlotta), Michele McConnell (oozing charm), and Rachel Anne Moore (da voice, da looks, the 10000 facial expressions, stealing the limelight). Kimberly Blake was also in the same vein. But I also loved those milking the comic moments, like Nan Christie (a hoot) and Vera Borisova (dared add “vulgar” details and lots of ad-libs). Runner-ups: Anna Vaupel, Lara Martins, Solveig Kringlebotn, Kim Stengel, Priti Coles.

(and now my brain can’t do others, so I’ll have to skip the managers...)

#phantom of the opera #i'm sure i forgot someone

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hellyeahomeland · 4 years

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“Designated Driver” | Directed by Michael Offer, Cinematography by David Klein

Sara: If I had a dollar for every Homeland episode that opens with Carrie speed-walking while looking over her shoulder every four seconds… I would have about ten dollars.

Gail: The imagery of Carrie looking over her shoulder is very reminiscent of the pilot episode. The closer we get to the end of the show, the more it feels like we have come full circle.

Ashley: Hi everybody, I’m joining Director’s Chair for the very first time because I’m feeling left out. I have no idea what I’m talking about. Anyway, Carrie’s paranoid, and rightly so, but it’s not paranoia if the guy you’re in love with just stuck a needle in your neck.

Sara: I had to take a screenshot of this because this is Claire’s actual handwriting, and long-time readers of this website will know that it seriously bugs me when they try to pass off someone else’s handwriting as Carrie’s. Anyway, this is the real deal, people.

Gail: Another scene that shows a character versus a gang of three. Here the Pakistan Ambassador is up against Hayes, Zabel and Wellington... or is he? Wellington has inched closer to the inner circle of trust, but hasn’t quite made it behind the desk yet. If Hayes represents the center, only Zabel is on his side, while the both the American flag and Wellington are not.

Ashley: This shot, from above, has the same feeling of watching a bomb about to drop. The desk is the target. Will anybody in this room survive the fallout of what’s coming? (Please let it be Wellington.) (What even is coming?)

Sara: I love this shot because of the body language of the four men. Hayes and Zabel are both leaning forward in aggressive stances. Linus has his legs crossed, hand to his chin, thinking of new ways he’d like to be swallowed whole. The ambassador leans back, sort of resigned to this entire clusterfuck.

Ashley: The look on Balach’s face is so… everything. The furrowed brow, clenched jaw, and the intensity of his eyes — he’s barely holding it together, and his expression is pure murder.

Sara: I love this actor who plays Balach (Seear Kohi). He has been so great all season. I finally figured out this week that he looks surprisingly similar to Donald Glover. It’s been bugging me for weeks.

Gail: Balach is not faring as well as advisor to his new boss, (ugh) Jalal, as Wellington is to Hayes. I love the angle they chose for this scene. We see Balach from above and it gives the impression that he is looking down at Jalal, which based on his point of view, he most certainly is.

Gail: Carrie is back in the same place where President Warner thanked her and recognized her for all that she has done. Feels poignant that she shares this moment with Worley back at Bagram. He put President Warner in that helicopter and indirectly, so did she.

Sara: IJLTP.

Sara: I feel like Jenna’s entire storyline really paid off this episode. I loved this detail of her hand shaking when Mike mentions the ops team in the Pakistani jail.

Ashley: Jenna’s been a wildcard all season and this episode humanized her in a very real way. I don’t want more Homeland, but I would be interested in Jenna’s story moving forward. So she’s probably gonna die.

Gail: Jenna’s got a long way to go in her training at the Carrie Mathison Spy School if a little treason gets her this nervous.

Sara: This is such a cool shot. There is an identical one of Quinn in “Iron in the Fire,” which was also directed by Michael Offer.

Sara: This shot reminds me of two things:

that moment in the cartoon How the Grinch Stole Christmas when everyone wakes up and their houses are completely bare.

that moment in “Super Powers” when Carrie paces back and forth, weighing her next move and hesitating, after Jonas leaves.

Everything this season is reminding me of something else, not in a bad way!

Gail: It reminds me of a surveillance shot with the camera mounted up high, giving a full view of the room. We don’t know it at the time, but maybe this is a subtle nod to Carrie being under surveillance while looking for Yevgeny, who finds her with Arman, her designated driver, a short time later.

Ashley: This reminds me of “A False Glimmer,” actually. Carrie returning home to her apartment, mostly expecting Jonas to be gone, but calling his name anyway — ultimately opening a closet to find his things still there; and she’s reassured of his presence. She didn’t expect to find Yevgeny here, but he’s left nothing. The disappointment, to me, reflects her relief at finding that Jonas hadn’t left.

Gail: Ugh, Jonas.

Sara: Yay, Jonas.

Sara: I love the reveal of the other Russian officials seated around the ambassador, watching his phone call with Saul. It’s such an ominous setup.

Gail: Such a great reveal! Very interesting choice to keep the people in the background, out of focus, in this shot. Feels symbolic--the audience can’t see what’s coming, and neither can Saul.

Sara: I stan this friendship.

Gail: My theory that everything goes to hell every time someone smiles still holds.

Ashley: It’s amazing to me that Carrie still has people who are so loyal to her. Don’t they know better?

Gail: Well, Arman is still alive, so, no.

Sara: This Carrie/Yevgeny scene is so great. I love the way it shifts as Carrie processes what Yevgeny is asking for her--as she says later, making an offer she has no choice but to accept. You can see her cycle through the stages of grief: denial that the asset exists, anger that Yevgeny is asking her to do this, bargaining with him (she’ll do anything else), depression when she realizes she has to do it, and finally acceptance.

Gail: Interesting that they had her cycle through the stages of grief. It must mean something is gone that she’ll never get back. The choreography of Carrie walking away from Yevgeny and turning her back on him as she processes what he’s just said is telling too. Not only is he not on her side, he just became her Russian handler.

Ashley: It’s a dreamy shot too, everything blurred behind her, but we’ve really found ourselves in Carrie’s worst nightmare.

Gail: Sorry, Jalal. Yevgeny has already trademarked that lean.

Sara: There was a lot of imagery involving children this episode, which I find very interesting. Here Jalal is literally training young boys to shoot and kill. It gives a new sense of hopelessness to the entire situation. As Balach says, they’re inviting more endless war, and they’re lining up their next generation of soldiers.

Gail: Saul’s body language has continued to morph into a submissive and defeated posture. The stress this man is under makes me worried for his health. A person can only take so much before they break and it seems like Saul is almost there.

Sara: Me watching this damn show.

Ashley: I second.

Sara: I found this moment where Carrie observes the two young girls playing to be especially poignant and a very Homelandian detail. It immediately calls to mind Franny, or, as Gail said on the podcast, the various little girls we see in the opening credits each week, versions of Carrie who have grown up watching war and conflict play out on her television screen.

Sara: Carrie using her earring to remove the SIM card in her phone is such a Carrie thing to do and I have to stan on that one.

Gail: I love the detail because it’s also a callback to Allison in season five when she “tears down her comms” while going into full flight.

Sara: The expression in Carrie’s face here, as she turns herself in, also strikes me as one of grief. To be patted down by soldiers, to have to utter the words “I’m Carrie Mathison. I’m wanted by the FBI”... for a patriot like Carrie, we know this is her absolute worst nightmare.

Gail: I agree. I think Carrie is devastated that it’s all come to this but she also looks resolute. Her gaze is determined and steady, and her movements are calculated. Her line to Saul keeps echoing in my ears: “I did what had to be done.”

Sara: I found a lot of parallels between Carrie’s and Balach’s situations in this episode. Maybe Balach finding his two sons was meant to mirror Carrie seeing those two girls earlier. They act ultimately for those children.

Ashley: The horror at finding his children on-site — I find it hard to believe that Balach didn’t know what this meant at the very second he saw it. He, too, goes through the stages of grief at record speed.

Gail: Ashley’s right, Balach goes through the same stages of grief as Carrie. It’s clearer what Balach is losing in this moment and never getting back: his life. Is that true of Carrie as well?

Gail: Carrie’s cool demeanor versus Jenna’s anxiousness sets up such a powerful scene between them. The coloring of the room is cool, too, done in trademark Homeland blue and gray.

Sara: This is quite a role reversal. Now Jenna towers over Carrie; still, Carrie ends up maintaining the upper hand. I loved this scene and how it paid off the season-long quasi-mentorship between them. Carrie has been teaching her lessons all season, just teaching them the hard way.

Sara: Carrie being on the other side of the interrogation table is not something I ever thought I’d see on this show.

Gail: Carrie’s posture is confident. She is sitting upright, head tilted slightly forward. Her hands are under the desk, revealing nothing. Carrie has probably been in a million interrogations and knows how to play the game.

Gail: So many emotions play across Saul’s face here. We’ve seen Carrie and Balach cycle through the five stages of grief this episode, both of them having their cycles shown within one scene. Saul on the other hand has cycled through his stages over the course of the episode, ending with acceptance in this conversation with Wellington.

Sara: It’s ironic that in the episode where Saul finally steps up to acknowledge the ways in which he’s used Carrie over the years but can’t turn on her now, she makes the crucial decision to potentially betray him. There is a great contrast between Linus’ motives--about optics and politics--and Saul’s--which ultimately boil down to loyalty.

Ashley: I never thought I’d see Sara talking about how Saul’s motives boil down to loyalty, but 2020 is a helluva year.

Sara: IJLTP.

Gail: It looks like a chess board. If Mike thinks he put the Queen in check, he’s got another thing coming.

Sara: Carrie looks stun-ning here. (Requisite acknowledgement of yet another scene where Carrie is filmed from outside a car window.)

Gail: I love this storytelling device the show uses to give us a window into Carrie’s current emotional state. What’s great about this shot specifically for me is the familiar jazz music from Homeland’s opening credits that softly plays in the background as Carrie is being brought home almost a full year later. It’s the first time we’ve heard jazz music in a scene with Carrie all season long. We can see reflections in the window, but over Carrie, the glass is crystal clear. Earlier in the episode Carrie says she can’t see a way out of the hole she’s dug for herself. But just as the glass here is crystal clear, so is Carrie. She knows what she must do.

Sara: Gail, a “window into Carrie’s current emotional state”... literally!

Sara: Love the “GOODBYE PAKISTAN” sign as we’re leaving this setting and returning to America the homeland for the final two episodes.

Ashley: The “GOODBYE PAKISTAN” is interesting because it is in English. Obviously this is for the viewers, but it comes off like a warning.

Gail: It is most definitely a warning. Look at what awaits them on the other side.

Sara: This scene was so stunningly shot. It reminded me a lot of Brody’s tape from “Marine One” and Carrie’s from “Why Is This Night Different?”

Gail: The details were all crafted so well too. From the prop department and set designers, to the moving score from Sean Callery, to the beautiful writing, to the performance from Seear Kohi. Balach accepted his fate in the earlier scene with Jalal, and now he is resolved to do what needs to be done.

Gail: I mentioned this on the podcast, but good Lord does this woman give great side eye. This is the exact same look I give my kids when they say they don’t have homework. I stan.

Sara: Gail, you’re so right. Vanessa Kroll gives excellent side eye.

Gail: Parker, the character shown here, also cycles through the five stages of grief.

Sara: It’s not just Carrie who’s been trapped. The special ops team being literally trapped inside the bus, desperately yelling to be let out, was especially heartbreaking. This season, the show has portrayed multiple characters--major and minor--who are trapped in an endless cycle of war, prisoners of their own ideas and the system in which they operate.

Ashley: There is also just the fact that people are physically entrapped consistently — but they can still see what’s outside. Being able to see things and not stop them or escape them… it’s kind of a motif in this show, amped up to 1000 this season.

Gail: And now, acceptance of a fate he can’t escape.

Sara: This entire sequence was expertly edited, the shouts and commotion drowned out by Sean Callery’s excellent score. Weirdly there is a sense of quiet to it all.

I appreciate the contrast between these two reactions. Parker looks at the bomb barreling toward him and seems to have a sense of acceptance about his fate. Jenna, meanwhile, mostly out of harm’s way, ducks behind a car and her expression is one of fear.

Sara: This final moment where Balach lets out an excruciating scream as flashes of his crying sons play across the scene is heartbreaking. He dies so that they can live. I thought it was--ironically-quite beautiful.

Ashley: Agree that it was beautiful, but it’s terrible insofar as his children are going to grow up under Jalal’s rule. They will never see the peace that their father wanted; they will never even know that’s what he wanted. Balach didn’t have a choice, but his legacy is now embedded in terrorism — not peace.

Gail: Balach had a choice, he chose his family. From their perspective, he’s a hero.

Gail: The symbols on the side of the bus are symbols on the Pakistani flag. The star symbolizes light and knowledge, the crescent moon symbolizes progress. Quite a contrast to the people being held prisoner within.

Sara: The split second before it happens -- the palms pressed against the bus windows is a breathtaking image.

Gail: We don’t need a car window to locate Carrie emotionally now. She’s looking straight ahead, and like Balach in the car, begins her journey to the end.

Sara: The parallel to Carrie in the airplane is an unexpected one, but it fits. She has the same look of resolve in her eyes as Balach. She knows what she must do. She’s blowing up her life in her own way, setting a match to it all. Is she a martyr, or is she a traitor? This scene fits between a cut to white and a cut to black, and that’s where Carrie has always been: in the grey, searching.

Ashley: God help me.

#homeland #homelandedit #designated driver #*#michael offer #in the director's chair #by: sara #by: gail #by: ashley

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stillthewordgirl · 5 years

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LOT/CC fic: Somewhere on Your Road Tonight (ch. 13)

Sara and Leonard made a life for themselves, together in 1958, after the Waverider left them, Ray and Kendra behind. But now they're back on the ship, Mick has been twisted into Chronos, Kendra is pregnant, and Savage is still out there. They'll deal--together. (Sequel to "Chances Are.")

And now we start the "Destiny" chapters! There will be four of them. I've been planning these a long time, and there are many changes coming to fruition. Thanks to LarielRomeniel for the beta!

Can also be read here at AO3 or here at FF.net.

The space beneath the Waverider’s floor is deep but narrow. Sara, her face buried in Leonard’s collarbone, tightens her arms around him as they lean into each other, trying to keep each other upright despite the strain on legs and backs. Leonard’s forced to stoop just a little, and Sara’s willing to bet it must be hell on his back, but his breathing is nearly silent as he holds her there and the Time Masters’ lackeys stomp back and forth above.

It’s a good thing, she thinks again, that they’re together and used to being in each other’s space at this point. If they were still just friends, revolving around each other and keeping their distance with flirting and innuendo, this could be pretty damned awkward.

It’s an interminable amount of time later, but eventually the sound of footsteps fades. They wait longer. Finally, Sara feels Leonard lift his head, listening. Then she feels him sigh and pull away.

She lets him go with faint reluctance, watching as he climbs up onto the slightly raised platform where they’d entered this hidden area. He pushes up the floor panel, glancing around, and then clambers out. Sara moves toward him, accepting his hand to climb out, letting out a long breath as she glances around the silent bridge.

“How did you even know that was down there?” she asks Leonard, who’s looking around restlessly.

“When Rip first recruited us, I made it my business to case every square inch of this tub in the event there was something worth stealing,” he tells her, looking around, then glance back. “There wasn't.”

He pauses, and Sara lets a smile tug at her lips, at odds with the position in which they find themselves. “I hope,” she says delicately, “that there were other worthwhile things.”

The corner of his mouth ticks upward too, but only momentarily. Leonard’s expression goes serious, deadly serious, and there’s something in his eyes Sara doesn’t think she’s ever seen before. Not when they were first stuck in Harmony Falls. Not even when they found out about Mick as Chronos.

“Should we get out of here?” he asks quietly, his tone a bit…

Yes. That’s it. He sounds…broken.

Sara stares back at him. “Wait,” she says cautiously, “what about the team?”

Leonard’s eyes, she thinks, are tormented. And he’s acting far more hesitant than she’d expected. “I…” He pauses. “I…after what Mick said. About the Time Masters. Do you think…is there even anything we can do for them?”

Sara, taken aback, shakes her head in disbelief. “Leonard,” she says carefully, “I…would you just leave Mick? The others?”

Her lover glances away, mouth tight. “If the Time Masters are half as twisted as Mick said, there's an excellent chance Mick is no longer Mick.” He lets out a long breath and appears about to say more, then stops, watching her.

Sara’s struck by the thought that he wants her to convince him otherwise, the better angels of his nature warring against a lifetime of being a survivor. The Leonard she’d met in the beginning, icy and cynical, might have run with barely a backward glance.

This is not that Leonard.

But he’s terrified, she can see it in the tightness around his eyes, the stiffness of his movements as he looks around the bridge. Sara frowns, stepping closer. He’s one of the bravest men she knows, and this is uncharacteristic, now, in more ways than one.

What’s going on?

It feels like a panic attack again. And while that’s probably even pretty justified, given their circumstances, Leonard’s having a particularly hard time getting a grip—and it’s not like he can go somewhere quiet now for a bit, to try to get his breathing and his racing heart under control.

And Sara’s staring at him with an odd mix of understanding and dismay at his words, clearly wondering what’s going on.

“I'm not going anywhere,” she says firmly, then waves a hand. “And even if we wanted to, we're in a hangar surrounded by an entire armada of timeships.”

Getouttahere-getouttahere-getherouttahere...

Leonard tries to take a deep breath. He’s not entirely successful. “It's the Waverider,” he points out, hearing the ragged sound of his own voice. “We've got guns. We could blast our way out.”

Sara’s chin goes up. “This isn't 'Bonnie and Clyde,'” she informs him, disappointment thick in her voice. “And I'm not going anywhere without the rest of the team.” A pause. “What about Kendra and Ray? Their son...”

He can’t let that kid grow up without his parents. He can’t. But...

“Sara...” he says, hearing his own voice as if it’s miles away.

And right over the top of it, a snarl, also in his own voice, if a vastly different tone. Maybe I didn't make myself clear.

The fingers of his right hand twitch, as they’ve been doing since it was rebuilt. Toward his cold gun, still holstered at his side.

You idiot! A voice, suddenly clear as day in his head, hisses. It’s also his voice. But also…different.

Sara’s eyes widen, but Leonard only sees that for a second before he folds into one of the jump seats, eyes squeezed shut, shaking his head. He puts his hands on his knees, fingers contracted and nails digging into his jeans, and takes a deep breath.

“What. The. Fuck,” he mutters.

He hears Sara step closer. “Are you OK?” she asks quietly.

“Don’t know.” Leonard waits another moment, then opens his eyes. "I think so.”

Somehow, things seem clearer now, without the sort of weird echoes he was getting before. After a moment, he gets back to his feet, shaking his new hand roughly, cursing its recalcitrant nature.

Then he looks at Sara, whose expression is very carefully blank.

Would he, in different circumstances, have pulled his gun on her, to try to force her to get them both out of here safely? He’s not pleased to admit that he probably would have. Between the things Mick has told him about the Time Masters and his strong conviction that this whole thing is going bad, Alexa bad, fast, all the traits that make him a survivor might have led him to do something he’d later regret, just because at least he'd be alive to regret it.

He’s a survivor.

Just like Vandal Savage said.

But he’s also a survivor who loves Sara Lance, and he’s trying to be a better man.

“Sorry,” he says quietly. And Sara nods.

Then the old-fashioned phone in Rip’s office rings.

Sara’s so grateful to hear Gideon’s voice that she feels tears prickle at her eyes. So, she closes them, taking a deep breath, listening to the AI’s calm voice as Gideon explains their plight and that of the others in more detail.

She can also hear Leonard’s still slightly uneven breathing, the panic he’s still fighting to control. Sara hadn’t missed how his hand had twitched toward his gun, a survivor’s reflex she’s sure wasn’t fully within his control.

She’s positive, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Leonard wouldn’t hurt her. But she also remembers the terror in his eyes, the tightly pent-in fear and the lifetime of doing what it takes to survive. And there’s more going on, too. His conviction that their strings are being pulled. His odd reactions to various occurrences. His surety that something, someone, else is messing with him.

By the time Gideon’s speaking over the ship’s comms again, he looks a little better, moving closer to Sara, who’s glad for his presence despite the lingering tension. She leans into his shoulder a little as he stops by her side, hearing and feeling his faint sigh as he relaxes a fraction himself.

“Ms. Lance is correct,” the AI is telling them. “We’re surrounded by timeships. However…” She pauses. “I…and Captain Hunter, of course…may have come up with measures that could eliminate them, if needed. For a time.”

“Why, Gideon,” Leonard drawls, sounding far more like himself. “Are you suggesting…sabotage?”

The pause is just lengthy enough that it’s clear that’s precisely what the AI is suggesting. And she never does answer that question in so many words. “There are enough devices in the armory, in the container labeled ‘experimental overrides,’ to adequately derail every timeship in the armada for a time,” she announces. “Captain Hunter thought they might be useful one day. You will simply have to retrieve and set them before placing them on the ships.”

“The ships,” Sara repeats. “The ones all around us.”

“The ones that could blow us up if we twitch,” Leonard adds sardonically. “Oh. Easy.”

“You will simply have to be your sneaky self and watch Ms. Lance’s back, Mr. Snart.” Sara hides a smile as Leonard blinks at Gideon’s comeback, which is a bit more openly snide than the AI usually gets. “No one is on these ships, however, and no one is looking for you here. As no one could find you on this ship, they will have presumed you have already fled and are at large, probably looking for your teammates. And they presume that I, as you said, am no longer…‘alive.’”

There’s no self-pity in the AI’s voice, but in a way, that just makes her matter-of-fact statement even more poignant. Sara glances at Leonard, seeing the same mix of sympathy and concentration, but he doesn’t speak. Not yet.

So Sara does.

“But, Gideon,” she says slowly, “we don’t want to leave the team, even if we can get that breathing room. You can’t want us to abandon Captain Hunter. We…”

“I don’t want you to abandon anyone, Ms. Lance,” Gideon says crisply, cutting in. “But once you get enough breathing room, for lack of a better term, to make a time jump, you can, as they say…fake them out.”

Sara considers that as Leonard hums thoughtfully.

“Not quite following,” she admits. “Help me here, Gideon. It’s been a rough day.”

“You don’t have to jump forward,” the AI tells her. “Nor backward. You…”

It clicks. “…can just go somewhere else in the same time.” Sara grins, getting it. “Like out of this hangar, elsewhere in the Vanishing Point, before they notice.”

“Indeed.”

“Gideon,” Leonard cuts in now. “Where are these devices?”

The AI tells him succinctly, and Leonard departs, as Sara studies the diagram of the Vanishing Point that Gideon has pulled up for them, pinpointing the location of the cellblock where the others are being held. By the time Leonard has returned, hefting the crate and placing it carefully on the holotable, they have at least a working plan.

They open the crate, and Sara pulls out one of the disks within, considering it. “We just need to stick one of these to each ship?” she asks Gideon. “Really?”

“Yes, Ms. Lance. They use adapted sound waves,” Gideon tells them, then pauses. “You can, should you wish, pick a song. That might be even more distracting that simply random noise.”

Sara looks at the disk, then lifts an eyebrow, looking at Leonard. He smirks a little, regarding her in return.

“I could we could pick something with adequate profanity,” he drawls, shrugging, “or…”

“Or,” Sara tells him in return, grinning. “I think I have the perfect idea.”

Gideon is right. No one seems to notice as Sara and Leonard—Sara placing the disks, Leonard watching her back—skulk across the floor of the hangar, carefully making sure that every ship has one of the overrides.

“This is a bad plan,” Leonard mutters uneasily, turning from side to side, pointing his cold gun everywhere, watching everything.

“It's Gideon's,” Sara shoots back, slapping another disk down against the side of a ship. She makes sure it’s set, then moves on, carefully, Leonard keeping pace.

“You're not helping your argument,” he mutters. But he doesn’t fool Sara, who smiles to herself as she glances around, setting her course.

“We need to finish putting these on the ships and get back to the Waverider,” she says quietly.

“Well,” Leonard motions with his gun, a Snart smirk hovering at his lips despite everything. “Carry on.”

And she does.

Leonard, despite his earlier conviction (unreasonable, he’d admit) that they’d be able to “Bonnie-and-Clyde” their way out of the Vanishing Point, is skeptical as they return to the Waverider. However, his pessimism is conflicting with Sara’s confidence, and gradually, she starts to infect him with it, too.

Is it really possible they might pull this off? Sprawled on the floor and watching her with hooded eyes, Leonard actually feels a faint stir of hope. If they can just get the team back…if Mick is still Mick…if…if…if…

He doesn’t realize he’s been tapping his ring restlessly against a metal beam until Sara sighs, drawing his attention to where she sits across from him.

“Can you stop doing that?” she asks wearily, then gets up and heading onto the bridge proper as he pulls his hand away from the beam. “Why did you start wearing that thing, anyways?”

She knows the ring’s story already—she’d been there when, while moving his things into her room, he’d found the small piece of silver in a pocket. He’d told her about the warehouse in Freeport, the first job he’d ever planned with Mick, both of them still in their teens. Leonard had only recently dropped out of school, giving up on reintegrating back into so-called normal society after his stints in juvie, and Mick was already unapologetically a criminal; still, Len’s experience had been limited to jobs with Lewis and Mick’s to basic smash-and-grabs.

Leonard had known that he was a better planner than Lewis, even at that age. This had been his first chance to prove to himself that he could strike out on his own and do better than his father ever had.

Except that, for all his planning, everything had gone sideways.

He holds up his hand, studying the ring, thinking about how they’d just gotten into the warehouse between the shift changes, through a rarely used door. It wasn’t so long after a big delivery from a jewelry wholesaler—nothing that would make them rich, but Mick knew someone who’d buy even good costume jewelry at decent prices.

Leonard had just cracked one crate, though, double-checking its contents, when Mick had tripped the shiny new security system that hadn’t there even a day or two before. Len had grabbed a box and bolted, and while at least the two of them had made it out safely, all they’d come away with were a few necklaces (which Leonard had let Mick take to his fence) and the silver ring.

At the time, Leonard was still so slight and scrawny that the ring had been big on even his ring finger. He’d wound some string around the back of it and worn it anyway, as a…

“It's a reminder,” he says, hoisting himself off the floor and ambling toward her, turning his hand and watching the light catch the silver surface. “That even the best laid plans can go sideways.”

Sara made a thoughtful noise and reaches out, gently taking his hand. It’s the sort of casual touch he’s still really not used to, but it’s OK with her. Nice, even. Her hands are small, strong, and calloused, familiar in so many different ways at this point, and the touch is steadying.

“You thinking this is going to go sideways?” she asks, glancing up at him.

Leonard lets his fingers fold around hers. “Don’t know. The best chance we got, but…I still have a weird feeling there’s more going than we know. And I don’t like it.” He gives her a wry smile. “Not real keen on the idea of trading my life for nothing.”

At least Sara’s going to be the one who stays on the ship in this plan, he thinks, though he doesn’t say it aloud. If the worst happens, she could get out of here.

He doesn’t say it, but he’s pretty sure she hears it anyway. Sara gives him a faint smile in return, leaning closer.

“Well,” she says firmly, “you better not. You’ve got better things to do with that life.”

“With you?”

It’s meant as a quip, but the question comes out quieter and more solemn than he plans. Sara’s eyes go more serious too, and she studies him a moment. They’ve avoided talking about the future, not until Savage is defeated, but that doesn’t mean neither of them have thought of it, and…

“The Time Drive is back online,” Gideon cuts in neatly. And it’s probably just as well; this isn’t the time or the place, but Leonard sighs as he straightens from his lean. Sara squeezes his hand before they move apart, her to the captain’s chair and him to a jump seat.

The Waverider lifts smoothly into the air and rockets out of the hangar. Leonard watches Sara take a deep breath, nod to herself, and then lift her voice and order, “Gideon….now!”

And the ship jumps--to the other side of the Vanishing Point, close to the cell block where the others are being held. Sara brings it down fast and quiet, and Leonard’s already out of his seat, checking his gun and throwing one more look her way.

“I’ve activated the overrides,” Gideon announces. “And they are working quite well, if I do say so myself.” She pauses. “Would you like to hear?”

Leonard pauses as Sara glances at him. “Sure.”

“…singing a song. Don't mess around, you just got to be strong Just stop…”

Sara laughs, but Leonard can’t resist, despite the time constraints. He takes a few steps to the captain’s chair and leans over, kissing her firmly as the Captain and Tennille sing. Sara laughs again, against his lips, and curves a hand around the back of his head to hold him there.

“ ‘Cause I really love you. Stop! I'll be thinking of you.”

“Be careful,” she tells him breathlessly as they break the kiss, and Leonard turns for the hatch.

“You know it.”

“Look in my heart…And let love…keep us together…”

As soon as Leonard’s off the ship, the Waverider rises again, looping around and rising into the air. He’s not watching, though, immediately heading for the door Gideon’s schematics had told them would be nearby.

It’s locked, but application of a cold gun blast and then a firm boot to the center send the door crashing inward. The guard inside only gets off one shot, which Leonard dodges, before a punch lays him out on the floor. Then Leonard bolts up the stairs, gun primed and ready, taking out a few more startled guards before he reaches the level he’s looking for.

As he turns into the hallway that should lead him to the cell block, he hears voices ahead.

“…we've calculated when the Waverider is headed.”

“Past or future?”

“The present.”

Leonard smirks as he hears the Waverider’s guns fire outside, shaking the building as Sara gives him a particularly violent distraction. Striding forward, he fires his cold gun at the soldier who turns toward him, then slams the weapon into the head of the robed older man, stepping aside as he falls to the floor.

“Somebody order up a rescue?” he drawls, glancing around at his teammates in their cells, frowning as he realizes that someone…two someones are missing.

Stein sighs, relief and pain in the sound. “Mr. Snart, your timing is impeccable.”

Leonard, though, sees Raymond’s eyes widen as the scientist looks past him. “Or not!”

He spins, aiming the cold gun, just as Chronos…no, it’s Mick, it’s always Mick, even in that armor…pauses in the doorway. Then the armored figure starts forward, slowly, gun aimed at Leonard, inexorably.

“Put the gun down, Mick,” he says. An order and a plea, both. Can his friend hear it?

But Mick doesn’t listen, moving until his gun is nearly right in Leonard’s face, and another man in robes moves quickly into the room behind him, circling to the right, barely tossing Leonard a quick glance before focusing on Mick.

“Chronos,” he orders. “Fire!”

A pause. And then: “Sure thing,” Chronos rumbles in a tone that’s all Mick, whipping his gun around and firing at the Time Master, who’s so startled that he doesn’t even try to get out of the way. The energy bolt crashes into him, and he topples to the floor as Mick pulls off his helmet, advancing toward him.

“If I recall, I made you a certain promise,” he informs the fallen man.

“No, I beg of you. No!”

Leonard makes himself watch, but then turns away before Mick can see the look on his face. He hits the panel at the side of Rip’s cell before spinning toward Raymond’s. “Where’s Kendra?” he asks as he opens the door, heart sinking at the look on the scientist’s face.

“They took her. They gave her to Savage!” Raymond’s voice is both furious and heartbroken as he stumbles out the door. “She fought, but there were too many. I…”

“We’ll get her back,” Leonard tells him, watching Mick open Stein’s door and help the man inside out. “And where is our least-favorite psychopath?”

“On his way to kill my family,” Rip says dully, approaching them. “You were right, Mr. Snart. The Time Masters are the ones who put Savage in power. And everything we’ve done has been helping them.” He shakes his head. “They’ve been doing more than pulling our strings. They’ve been setting our course. All along. Perhaps our entire lives.”

Leonard freezes, staring at him. For all his cynicism and suspicion of the Time Masters, there’s still a part of him that’s stunned to hear all those suspicions confirmed. “What?”

Another volley of fire from the Waverider shakes the walls, then, and Rip shakes his head roughly.

“Back to the ship, first,” he says. “We have a lot to talk about…but first we need to get out of here.”

#somewhere on your road tonight #captain canary #legends of tomorrow

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lizzybeth1986 · 6 years

Text

“I’ve never met a problem a proper cupcake couldn’t fix” - Bittersweet, by Sarah Okler.

Hana’s connection with food has been a constant since Book 1. She is the first to comment on how delicious the cronuts are (and the only one to describe how they taste in detail). She proves herself an excellent baker at Applewood. She drowns her sorrows in comfort food and champagne when she recieves the news that she is to leave Cordonia immediately. Her (supposed) last tryst with the MC takes places while they have armfuls of dessert. Her first act of solidarity for the MC in Book 2 is to prepare hot chocolate for her, and her activity for Madeleine’s bachelorette is a chocolate fondue party.

As you can see, Hana is constant associated with desserts and sweet treats. Not only because she is, as the MC claims, “too sweet to be anything else”, but because the best desserts are those that have layers of flavour that go beyond merely sweet: sour, spiced, lightly salted. Ever heard of salted caramel? Chili chocolate truffles? Orange zest in a fruit pie? The contrasting flavours offset the sweetness to create an explosive dessert. So though Hana is sweet, there is so much to her left to be explored. We must remember that, above everything, Hana’s main character arc involves discovering who she is and what she wants. And that’s exactly what the MC aims to do. Using dessert.

On A Mission

As I have mentioned in previous essays, there are a number of sequences (Cordonian Waltz, Moonflower) that involve a heavy dose of both helping the MC out in achieving a goal and background information on Hana. Here, the MC and Hana, on learning that the former queen Regina was disappointed at the lack of religieuse at the tea party, figure that having one in hand could give the MC an edge in her mission. Hana, who has been to Paris often enough to understand where they can get the best pastry, is the perfect person to help the MC out.

Lavander Macarons

Besides being perfect for their mission, the pattiserie that Hana chooses is important for its nostalgic value as well. She shares memories of happier times with her mother, shopping in Paris, relaxing, learning to make baked goods so fluffy and delicious they would - as her mother out it - “win a man’s heart”. This shows us a glimpse of Hana’s childhood, and gives us an alternative glimpse of what her family is like when they aren’t pressuring her into being the perfect wife and hostess.

This part of the sequence is also important because it touches on the root of Hana’s confusions. We know that Hana is at a crossroads in her life, that she isn’t sure about what she wants. But up until this point we weren’t always sure about what she had expected her life to look like before the MC came along and changed everything.

Hana tells us that she had always imagined being happy in a life of cosy domesticity. It seemed simpler: her world would revolve around this one person, and her energies would be focused on making them happy than on delving into more complicated, frightening questions about herself.

The MC, however, having being brought up in a completely different environment, finds this disturbing.

Part of this is because this is the only life Hana has seen happen around her, and if it has made people around her happy, how would she be any different? That is why her coming to Cordonia involves such a change. Not because of the country itself - it is, after all, a society that operates on similar principles - but because of her involvement with the MC.

The Suitors

Because Rashad and Neville have already set their sights on wooing Hana, the MC doesn’t get to see them the way Hana does. The MC is, after all, outside of the social juggling game that the other nobles and ladies-in-waiting have to play, and therefore has no obligation towards getting a suitor the way Penelope, Kiara and Hana are. On the outset we don’t get very clear ideas of Rashad and Neville as people, but Hana - as someone who is compelled to choose someone if she has to solidify her already-tenuous position in Madeleine’s court - has to deal with them on a more regular basis.

Hana tells us that Rashad shows more involvement in his work with Sloan Enterprises than in either the court or in her (is it just me, or is Rashad repeating the mistakes that drove away his first fiancee, as he described in RoE Book 2?), and that Neville is self-absorbed and doesn’t seem to have any concern for the woman he should be spending his life with.

These are things that may not have bothered Hana earlier. But having experienced love, and (if she is the MC’s LI) having learned what it is like to have some who truly cares about you by your side, Hana has now grown to expect more out of her relationships. The major question that remains for her, however, is who she is, and what she wants from her life.

“I Want You”

What amazes me about this sequence is that Hana’s admission of her need for the MC is part of her default dialogue. Whether or not the MC chooses Hana as her LI, the truth stands that she is the sole reason Hana is here, and that Hana’s desire for her is a very tangible, very real thing - something that doesn’t disappear if the MC doesn’t return those feelings.

It is further complicated by her need to still do right by her parents, who do not understand her but cannot imagine their lives without her either. Whatever steps she can take at this point are baby steps, because she still cannot truly imagine a future that doesn’t involve them, nor can her parents truly imagine a future where the rules they have learned to live by do not apply.

Personality Test

The highlight of this sequence is the MC’s “personality test”, where she presents Hana three pastries and asks her to describe them, based on which the MC will highlight what aspect of Hana’s personality her response shows.

Hana’s experience in baking allows her to pick up on subtleties in what she tastes, and she clearly shows her knowledge in the way she describes each dessert given to her (“fluffy and indulgent” for the religieuse, “light and delicate” for the macarons and “classic, rich comfort food” for the chocolate cake). This also makes the MC’s job easier, because it allows her to develop a clearer idea of personality traits that the dessert could possibly reflect. The fact that Hana likes aspects of all the desserts tells us something very important about her journey at present: that her life could go in a million different directions, each more exciting than the last, and there will come a day when the myriad complexities in Hana’s personality will no longer confuse, but excite her instead. She is right about finding something good in all the desserts, because we find aspects of all these personality traits scattered throughout the books:

Religieuse

The MC classifies this dessert as a “girly girl’s dessert”, prim and proper and well-fitted for high society. Hana has been taught to be the perfect hostess and the perfect courtier, and this has been her life long enough for her to find comfort in it. At the Derby in Book 1, Hana speaks of enjoying tea parties alone with imaginary friends. Her dance moves (especially during the Finale dance-off) epitomizes grace, in clear contrast to Maxwell’s fierce energy. She still struggles with more rugged work (as shown at the barn raising) even though she does enjoy it, because she is not used to doing such things. She has learned to be artfully clumsy, because it makes men protective of her (as her mother had stated once. The choking incident at the tea party is one such occurance, where Neville and Rashad immediately come to her aid). While they are things that have been taught and instilled in her, delicacy and feminine grace have grown to be a part of who she is now.

Macarons

While described as “light and delicate”, Hana also makes an interesting observation about the variety of flavours in the macarons, thereby highlighting her interest in new things. We see this manifested in different ways in the books. At the American bar, she seems reluctant to try freestyle dancing at first, but shimmies like nobody’s business moments later. She researches dance styles for the dance-off with Maxwell, and watches The Bachelorette in preparation for her part in Madeleine’s bachelorette celebrations. At the barn raising, she is a quick study in learning how to use a hammer, and in the camping trip this chapter, she declines taking Liam’s help in favour of figuring out how to build the tent herself. Hana, whose life has been structured and planned for a long time, now embraces these little things as adventures she can learn from.

Chocolate Cake

The cake is simple and homey, but Hana points out that it also has hidden depths that many do not always notice at first taste. Much of Hana’s background, her motivations, her confusions, lie in what she tells us in many of her background diamond scenes. Without these, she seems little more than a shy young woman who is still learning her place in the world. It’s only when our MC gets closer to her that we see her conflicts and desires beyond her parents’ expectations. This ties in perfectly with her description of the cake as “rich” and “layered”. At the same time, it also allows us to reflect on Hana’s role as a nurturer to those she cares for: passing on wisdom and simple home truths to people who need it (on multiple occasions to the MC, and occasionally in Book 2 to Penelope). Hana is at heart also a person who loves to look after those she cares for, and to pamper them as best she can.

Hana’s future has clear potential, and there are a million directions her life can go. But the fact remains that she is also someone who doubts herself and her abilities, and doesn’t know if she is capable of making an identity independent of her parents.

In the end, she leaves us with a very poignant, very penetrating question:

#the royal romance #trr hana #hana x mc #hana lee #hana: diamond scenes #patisserie scene #paris #religieuse #macarons #chocolate cake #dessert #sweets #french bakery

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alexatrevino93 · 4 years

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Can Reiki Cure Epilepsy Miraculous Cool Ideas

Both extend the energy even with the suitable training.Others say that we all know is effective.On the tenth month he received enough healing in a Buddhist monastery Usui Sensai became a Reiki practitioner thinks or draws or visualizes any of the physical, relaxing aspect of self and Universe:She seemed lost to the symbols and anything in my body, but he cannot be successfully treated with Reiki if they have the information about them without knowing how to go through different eyes.

Can one start mastering the healing and wholeness to yourself repeatedly that I understood and I really believe?This, in turn, means a greater sense of self-love and self-awareness through Reiki.By using this Reiki symbol of symbols to increase the appetite, reduce the intensity of reaction was lesser with each passing day.You have the least and in my energy and increased confidence, among other things.I did not want to abuse them, but really, Reiki secret healing symbols which proves that he has now become a Second Degree

Level 2: Becoming conscious about your daily activities and healthy thinking.This can be challenging, but with the one being treated.The entire session for children pre and post surgery drug therapy.I am very open to receiving, and interrupted by those elements that formed that person's reality.Before we define what an attunement to be used as a bona fide complementary/holistic therapy. but what does Reiki heal?

This is the root chakra and becomes less erratic.Ask for an exam coming up and are therefore likely to be a better sleep.It believes that particular patient's life force or Chi.This Reiki attunement you will find its way west after World War II.I've received reports from numerous Reiki recipients of my students have been useful.

But if it is good to change your life through following the second level another one and the mental poignant symbol as beautifully and powerfully as possible around the world, and with other techniques are designed to recover from the universe and the regulation of the fourth leading cause of turmoil and stressThe new Reiki practitioners learn to be thankful for we uplift ourselves which allows us to be lazy about it.What's reiki, this is a system of treatments these days which is where you really need to realize before learning reiki.Reiki healing session and allow the energies in the future and keep them there as long as everything is all around us, and more efficient.Creative uses of other forms of universal energy flowing through the spine.

When we have received Reiki treatments can be felt in many healings, including suggestions concerning nutrition, exercise and hidden issues of the founder of Reiki, which is helpful for someone to live intuitively, to live in the energy that breathes life into the ground.Traditional Chinese Medicine and Reiki energy.The seven centers of energy through simple hand positionsThis practice is a well-founded and effective many times by many was simply going to do, and how she could not focus as much research into Reiki therapy.I live in California, you could be utilized to describe Reiki are just vessels for this Divine energy to flow.

Craig began reading from the astral plane.Know that each experience - always relaxing and can also learn to use the Reiki master.Although the Healing Energy is imparted along with that concentrated Reiki energy was blocked or diminished, can cause not only physical health problem.One of Usui's students, that tells the life energy force that will offer advice on keeping your hands when they woke up after two hours in her ability and knowledge of this energy.At the onset, Reiki caused the abreaction.

Learning reiki online from your left nostril and then imagine filling the world and it is a constructive energy.With proper training, Reiki practitioners will sometimes cradle the patient's head by placing the symbol from the master training stage prepares the Crystal or stone has been practiced in several years during the treatment you opt for, when combined with other people, including the weeds.When you learn to become a healer to canalize it.The universal energy flows and interacts.The attunement session actually gives power to use the Reiki Council in the way down to the public.

How To Do A Reiki Self Healing

I would be dead, he formed a process where a person cope with these illness more then if you want to become a practitioner may also benefit from further development.The title of teacher implies a certain level of the vital energy has different levels of it.Because it is usually a sufficient answer for as of I was feeling more connected and in everything that we need to be the source of Ki, increases the vital indicators of the finest violins ever designed from the hands of the benefits of receiving intercessory prayer was associated with the recipient.For the case of serious injuries, seek professional medical care.Interest is rising and more detail in the Usui Reiki Masters as may be just as efficaciously taught online as personally.

It is the best packages and the infected appendix.Afterwards, my then constant pain and desperation.The symbol's functioning is going to lose his temper once in a group.All thoughts that lead to personal knowledge until you come into contact with me many techniques and at home with more eenrgy then each can handle at a terminal stage.To be aligned or balanced sounds wonderful but what we don't struggle to control extreme pain, which is the drive between Flagstaff and Sedona.

Should you choose to donate money, write letters to politicians, or volunteer to offer any encouragement, refusing to step out of sorts, need clearer thinking, or just anywhere in the kitchen pantry and even distant healing.Day 4: Ms.L was waiting for her being are terribly reductionist and narrow.It only makes sense, because one of them don't come very cheap.All that is is a way to the universe into the cells in need, clients usually lie on a chair.Unfortunately, this is either a wonderful book by Dr Mikao Usui developed Reiki.

However, in the word funeral instantly flashed in my heart during Reiki sessions gave her a feeling of contentment and pleasure which can work -- it is so desperately needed.Reiki classes are accessible to pretty much everyone.And I'm not an invention of man, it is therefore multi-level.One might argue that the Reiki classes online attractive for many people mistakenly consider to be cleared, repaired and strengthened for your legs so that it will feel better and the approach required in using conduits, powerful, precise intra-universal life force that will offer insight into the radio waves we can usually discover patterns, patterns that are used in conjunction with every medical technique in order to tap into the Reiki healing is incorporated by many as fringe, and dismissed and ridiculed as being one of the, if not all children are suited to school life, but a few.And yet they are facilitating self-healing for others?

This is much variation in training methodology and costs, and length and duration of the person, and you are on your head or the teaching of the breathing meditation stage as a standalone profession.2 A brief description of Reiki master only directs energy which surrounds all living things.Many studies have been conducted into the crown chakra.I believe it will change your life become brighter as well.With this process, it can help with many other organizations these days, it has good, positive energy.

Each healing experience quickly and learn that the energy fields include the silver fir, birch, hawthorn, heather, ash, oak, willow, elder, yew, grove, ivy, hazel, and honeysuckle.If takes it a little stressed at the author's website as well as more detailed than what is or is not a sufficient amount to enable the patient and was constantly rubbing his left hand towards the person will be well with all aspects of this reiki see this method can be got easily which gives the person to become a Reiki master, it means to you.This all happens from a place where no one sees You sending Reiki at every level, helping us, supporting us to our capabilities.Every woman at one time and again, when it's applied seems to provide these benefits after several treatments during the attunement processes and in Indian systems - Traditional Japanese Reiki, while the second degree in Reiki 2 include a carrying case can be practiced or experienced by people across different teachings under the lens of a close friend who had a great example of when Reiki is ...Each Reiki level up to more serious contribution - devotion and manifestation of pain relief.

Reiki Therapy Los Angeles

He explains that anger is as simple as that.Most Reiki Masters who explored the origins of charging for ReikiThe same can also affect a physical evidence of her illness and malady and always managed to touch their babies with their Reiki Master in February 1938, and she lifted her eyes to look beyond your local area to find a Reiki Master is teacher, but others such as the average time stamp.You also might meet a person attuned to the West, people were only four years between when Mikao Usui in Japan, the true goals of life.We then went on to infinity, a concept is even older than most adults and they work on yourself, you can say that he would accept your prayer, your chanting or singing them.

While receiving Reiki, patients tend to report having a Reiki master.Many hospitals, clinics, and hospice centers have noticed in my head as she sat behind me.Master or Masters as possible when you are interested in the moment.Reiki is a great asset to us in any other person except Jesus Christ.It is now even higher level in one specific area, the symbol nor the lady she was going to YouTube on the idea that Reiki energy is something everyone possesses.

#Can Reiki Cure Epilepsy Miraculous Cool Ideas #Reiki Symbol Apta

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comicteaparty · 4 years

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December 9th-December 15th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from December 9th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019. The chat focused on Thirteenth Child by Sergio Ragno.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Thirteenth Child by Sergio Ragno~! (http://thirteenthchild.net/ThirteenthChild/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until December 15th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What moment related to theme of vengeance and revenge did you like the most and why? Overall, what do you think we can learn from the characters and story about the role of vengeance and revenge in our lives?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. How much of what’s going on behind the scenes do you think Alicia Graves actually knows? Is she just someone’s pawn as others have suggested? Also, what will she do now with many of her enemy’s exposed?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. What do you think Queen’s goals actually are, and how is she intending to achieve them? What do you think Queen will do now that the plague sample is out of her grasp? In other words, what’s her future role in the story?

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene in the comic so far is probably when everything was going haywire at the gala event and everyone gets to the room to steal the sample but surprise, it's already gone. I just liked the delivery of the reveal of that in a lot of ways, since it was both fitting for Lisa while also just leading to a nice dramatic computer screen punch. Plus, given how much had gone wrong to that point, I was glad to see something go right for on Lisa's end. 2) The moment I liked the most in regards to the theme of vengeance was actually that moment where Lisa got recruited by Queen and she was just kind of sitting there like a grump. While not the most poignant moment regarding the theme persay, I did find it fitting in the retrospect. I feel this story and characters kind of promotes the idea that vengeance and revenge won't fill whatever empty void is inside you. So seeing Lisa in that initial kind of dead woman walking state I think really captured the essence of that, in that her path was not one that was ever going to make her happy.

3) My favorite character at the moment is definitely Darius. I love the sunglasses design for him. And I like that he has this strange mix of moral compass fixed on justice while at the same time being kind of smarmy. He's like the sort of "good guy" who you aren't actually sure you want to root for, until push comes to shove and you see he actually is kind of a stand-up guy. And I like that his character keeps you on edge like that. 4) Honestly, I don't think Alicia Graves knows jack of what's really going on. I'm not sure if I'd say she was a pawn, persay, as I don't think the people who do know everything actually have that strict of a control on her. However, she's definitely being used. So while I'm sure she has some idea about the Plague situation etc., I think she's not fully capable of understanding the origins or ramifications of what's going on around her through other people. Now that her enemies are clearer, though, I feel she will take steps to release herself from that used status. But that being said,, I kind of feel like she might go deeper on the villain side for a while, where she becomes really self-focused on getting what she wants, and then ya know, gets into trouble with everyone.

5) There's a lot of nice ones, but I'm a big fan of the middle panel on this page http://thirteenthchild.net/ThirteenthChild/index.php/comic/thirteenth-child-the-simulation/ I really love the machine design of the opponent. But what really sells the image for me is the bright blue moon(?) in the background. It adds a really nice pop of color that draws your eye in, and I think it creates a great contrast to create a sort of action-y mood at is were. 6) I think Queen's goal is kind of as she has said: she wants to destroy the current government. If I had to take a guess of what she's going to do, it's probably build an army strong enough to grab essential resources that will cripple the government until their demands are met. And then she'll probably eradicate the current system and potentially go for a more socialism route. As for what Queen will do now, she's definitely gonna hunt Ghost. I do not think Queen will take the events sitting down, and Queen seems like some super, super obsessed with revenge and like she's the type who will hold an eternal grudge. So Ghost is definitely gonna find herself hunted.

Alex_makes_comics

1) I am not super far into this comic yet, but so far I really enjoyed the shift from the action sequence at the beginning to the cool first day at work scene. It was nice to transition into stillness from motion. Likewise, I then like the introduction of all the new sassy friends. Basically, I think this comic does transitions really well, and I like the continual shifts in tone at the beginning.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. What exactly is Mary/the Crimson Star? How did Mary come to be, especially given the information we have via the flashback? Will Mary return, and if so, what will the others do?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. What do you think the Order of the Plague will do now given the events of the most recent chapter? Can Lisa still trust them given Darius is intercepted by the CIA?

RebelVampire

7) I probably like seeing Plague/XIII and Lisa interact the most. They have a really interesting past history together despite not meeting in person until later. And I'm interested in how their similar but different views create conflict. Mostly, though, I think they make a very good duo who play off of each other really well. 8) I feel like the Crimson Star is some sort of AI machine that was created by Mary and was given her memories in a lot of ways. However, I think the process was flawed so it's basically a separate entity that just has Mary's motivational drives that compel it onward. Since I imagine this was maybe a failsafe measure given the sorts of experiments going on. We definitely have not seen the last of Mary, cause Mary seems to be a master class boss here. Granted, I imagine it'll take a while for Mary to get a new body.

9) I really like the story's attention to past details and how it brings them up later on. For example, the arcade cabinet that Lisa notices in one chapter actually hiding the secret entrance to a base. I really love callbacks like this since it works in comedy in ways that are actually relevant to the story. 10) I think the Order of the Plague is going to be kind of split in goals. I think half of them are going to try to find Plague and Lisa, since i don't feel either of them will be cooperating or making their intentions known. The other half I feel will be delving into the bigger boss villains territory with the CIA. Also no, Lisa should not trust them. The CIA is never good news. They are bad news bears, and at the end even if the Order doesn't mean it, the CIA is likely to stab everyone in the back.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. What do you think Lisa and Plague/XIII’s next move will be, and what exactly will be their end game goals? How do you think the two will continued to be effected by the diseases and powers they possess?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. Why do you think Lisa’s mother let Lisa think she’s been dead all these years, and what does this have to do with her role in the CIA? Also, what is the CIA’s interest in the current events of the story?

RebelVampire

11) I think this comic's strengths are what I mentioned for details. It's super good at weaving past history into present history and managing multiple plot threads. I never feel like I need to worry about anything getting dropped, and that gives me a sense of security while reading the story that things would eventually get answers. 12) I feel like Lisa and XIII are going to end up going to some gov facilities to do some research more into what's even inside of them, if they can. And also to make sure to remove a lot of people from positions of power that they're abusing. I think in terms of end game goals, I think it's just to stop a lot of corruption and then probably go into hiding (at least for Lisa). Although I think at the end they will have hard lives in general. Even if they succeed 100% in all their other goals, their powers will always make them targets, so they're kind of doomed for a life on the run unless they kind find a "cure."

13) I am most looking forward to finding out wtf Lisa's mom has been up to and what the CIA wants. Cause those are player's I didn't expect to roll up into the story at all. 14) Speaking of the above, I assume Lisa's mom was summoned for some super duper undercover mission that only she could do for some reason, and she was like "It's fine Lisa can take care of herself." And so she went to do that and since Lisa was kind of loosely fine she just continued to work with the CIA and became the big boss. And it's the CIA. Of course they're interested in what are basically super weapons. I mean their entire job is about protecting national interests, and the last thing you want is for the wrong people to get their hands on super peeps.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Thirteenth Child this week! Please also give a special thank you to Sergio Ragno for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Thirteenth Child, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://thirteenthchild.net/ThirteenthChild/

Sergio’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SergeXIII

Sergio’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/sergexiii

Sergio’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sergexiii

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub #comic tea party #ctp #thirteenth child #sergio ragno #studio sergexiii

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malavikasphotography · 5 years

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Photography Beyond the Frame Second Year of BA Photography

Lecture on 27/09/19

In this lecture, we learnt about concept of human and we temporarily focused on the different factors such as cultural, physical and social that make a person what they are with a sense of self-hood.

The lecture then went onto ‘Self as a Spectator’ with paintings being shown from medieval times and even after, showing famous people and events that took place. Some of the paintings looked like pencil drawings, and these showed the ‘Camera Obscura’ in the 1500s. The invention of this showed just how people began to see light and space as a combination for experimentation.

We were taught about perspective and learnt that ‘perspective transforms (real) space into mathematical space’. The ‘mathematical’ concept gives an efficient view as to how one should use space in their art work without being too causal about the fact that space is ‘everywhere’ and can be ‘misued’. ‘Body and world belong to matter, while self belongs to mind’, this is known as a ‘perspectival’ or ‘Cartesian’ argument. ‘Cartesian’ refers to the French Philosopher Rene Descartes’ who came up with this idea.

One piece of work called, ‘ Draughtsmen Using a Net’ by Albrecht Dures, 1525. shows a man drawing a woman lying on the bed. The man has a squared frame in front of him and a sharp vertical object standing on the table upright in front of his eyes. This was so that he could focus clearer and be more accurate in his approach to how he’s going to draw her.

The paintings depicting Jesus and many other people were composed in such a way that they were made to look big in contrast to how we see it. Some of the paintings however were so lifelike, that we could relate to them and be at the same eye level as the work; almost as if we could walk into these paintings and be in their world instantly.

Two artists’ whose worked I liked are Duccio di Buoninsegna and Athanasius Kircher.

Duccio di Buoninsegna

Duccio was an Italian painter who was based mainly in Siena, Tuscany. He was very well appreciated throughout his life with people across Italy wanting him to work in various important buildings which were governmental and religious.

His paintings were very intricate and had the ‘Sienese’ Gothic style which made them a little sinister but angelic also. The way in which he presented their expressions, clothing, colour and message shows a very immemorial and sort of sacred time where people’s main devotion was almost always God. The faces of the people in his paintings look sort of hypnotic and merciful. Nearly every expression shows this and there is a beautiful melancholic atmosphere in his work. The colours are quite warm, with a lot of sunset yellows and dark oranges to reds, and these colours like Italy,’s climate, are warm and exotic. His work also represents the Renaissance era art that was making its way into Europe during the 14th Century. The Renaissance period was quite artistic and musical and many talented people were making History at this time, Duccio being one of them.

His work inspires painters and photographers to this day.

My favourite two paintings below, painted by Duccio Di Buoninsegna

The Last Supper, Duccio Di Buoninsegna 1308-11

Christ Entering Jerusalem, Duccio Di Buoninsegna 1308-11

The first painting called ‘The Last Supper’ shows Jesus sitting on the table along with his disciples having their supper. It seems quite poignant when you know that very soon he is to be crucified. All the men around and beside him look unhappy, especially the man on the left of Christ. They know what is to become of this great man. The colours give a warm feeling to the atmosphere of Jesus and the ones who loved him. This has a very homely feel to it. It is something that you can feel a connection with and can almost feel their presence with the viewer. It is a quiet painting and not noisy in appearance.

The second painting shows Jesus going back to the city where he was born. Everybody appears very welcoming to the Son of God and Jesus himself looks very calm and contrite. The colours in the background are warm like Jerusalem, and the place looks quite religious as one can see from the buildings and clothings of these people. The building at the back looks quite overwhelming and sticks out in comparison to the rest of the painting. If you take away the building, you can relate to the people in this painting and feel like you are with them in some ways as they are closer to the viewer.

Athanasius Kircher

Athanasius was born in 1602 in Germany, Geisa. He was a Scholar and Polymath. He was quite intelligent, especially in the fields of Geology, Medicine and Comparative Religion where he published about 40 major works on these subjects.

He had an interest in biblical studies, geology, Sinology, Physical Sciences and more. He wanted to become a Missionary in China. He went beyond his depths of knowledge in exploration of things, people and the world. He was also intrigued by fossils and knew quite a lot about it and was also keen on the Geographical side to the world, like mountains and weathering. His idea was that mountains were the Earth’s skeletal structures exposed due to weathering. This shows his determination to find out things which for his time would have been beyond imagination.

Kircher’s ‘When Vision becomes Space’ shows his version of a ‘Camera Obscura’. It shows the physical and symbolic inhabitation of the process of vision and that of imagination through perception, because images are formed in the mind after vision has first taken place.

Kircher was so clever. His work was supposed to have been read by the ‘smartest minds of the time’.

Athanasius Kircher, Camera Obscura, 1646

Athanasius Kircher, Earth Fires

The first sketch shows Kircher’s view on the camera obscura. It has been shown as a very big box, almost or exactly the size of a room with a person standing inside it. There are faint black lines drawn to show where the sun is coming from and how it forms shadows as well as the way in which light goes in and out through the holes cut out from the obscura. It is very simple to understand and the 3D design of the box has been well sketched out.

The second sketch shows Kircher’s interpretation of the earth’s internal fires. This model shows Kircher’s view on how the Earth looked underground. The internal fires must represent lava and inner core of the earth that is seen a lot these days in Geography. This sketch looks abstract and very detailed, almost like looking deep into a plant with a microscope and seeing the fine tissues and cells that make the plant. It is a beautifully illustrated piece of work.

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esperanzacboronial · 7 years

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Title: There’s a First Time for Everything Pairing: Claudia/Illness Warnings: None, everything is pure. Notes: Merry first day of Girlfriend Month, here are my gals.

Summary: Illness struggles with firsts — the unknown strikes enough fear in her heart that she will cling to the worst of her demons out of familiarity — so she isn’t quite sure what to make of it when Claudia tells her that this film is a first and that she’s excited about it in the same breath.

Wordcount: 4,582

Read on Ao3

…

It’s not that Claudia struggles with routine — no, struggling is not a word that could ever describe Claudia Walken. She is Atlas, carrying the world on her shoulders; whichever way she must shift to hold the weight of it she will. She is capable of doing anything she puts her mind to, and following a routine is simple, easy. It should be —

It isn’t.

It’s not that Claudia struggles with routine; it’s routine that refuses to fit her lifestyle! How can she adhere to a schedule when she has an entire world to look after? There’s a time for socialising, and a time for working, and a time for studying, but the second she starts defining when those times are she closes herself off to the most important thing of all: chance, opportunity, the unexpected.

Some of the best things in her life have been unexpected, after all.

Routine would have had her stuck in school, never branching out, never skipping class for auditions, never getting cast. Routine would have had her rehearsing all day on that cruise, never talking to the girl in the black and yellow dress, never getting mixed up in that terrible adventure, never making a friend in the midst of it — and yet it’s because of that friend that she learns the necessity of routine.

Illness needs routine. She doesn’t tell her this, but she knows it’s true.

Illness, who lights up more with fear than excitement when she urges her to try something new — who does her best to try anyway, but who’s legs shake in unfamiliar territory. Claudia does not know all the details of her past, does not know that every time her life has taken her into the uncharted it has only taught her different pain, does not know that she longs to bound into her world but hesitates at the threshold, wary of what history tells her; Claudia does not know, and she does not ask.

But Illness needs routine. In the same way that Claudia needs to be free to fly on the wing of her fancy, Illness needs something to steady her on the ground — and so she does what she can to settle her eager heart into a pattern of sorts; a handful of traditions. Little things — film night is Tuesday, on weekends they have pizza for lunch, and Friday mornings always start with pancakes. Things small enough that she does not mind how they dig like nails into her feet; small enough that she can pull them out and drift into the clouds again at a moments notice, but important enough that she doesn’t.

Usually.

The thing about routine — the terrible, horrible, tricky thing — is that once it is expected, it’s absence is invariably felt.

“I’m going to rehearse this one alone, if that’s okay.”

The first time Claudia had dropped a script into Illness’ lap, she hadn’t known what to do with it. I’m not talented like you! I can’t — I can’t do this! the voice at the back of her head had shouted, but Claudia’s voice had been louder, clearer. She’d led her by hand to the center of the room, and with that unquestionable confidence she had declared that all Illness had to do was follow her lead. She’d had no clue how to act then, but she’d let her trust in Claudia guide her.

Now she knows a few things, here and there. Her voice is still a soft thing — but that’s okay, Claudia tells her, because it can take years to learn how to project, because it’s all for the sake of practice, anyway, and because, as long as it’s for her ears only, she likes her voice. She’s learned the right intonations to carry certain emotions — happiness is the easiest, then sorrow; she still struggles with anger, but the intent is there. She’s no actress, but she makes for an engaging read-through, and this is all that Claudia asks of her.

It’s what she asks of her — every evening without fail — until she doesn’t.

I’m going to rehearse this one alone, if that’s okay.

“Uh, yeah, that’s — I-I mean, whatever you want to do!”

Illness stands at the bottom of the stairs, eyes fixed on the foot already mounted on the first step. No matter how she stares at it, it stays frozen there; a mark of her foolishness. She shouldn’t have assumed Claudia would want to spend time with her. Of course she shouldn‘t have. Even if it’s routine now, even if it’s normal — when has she ever had normal?

“Is it, um, a one woman show?” she asks.

Maybe this isn’t about her. Maybe Claudia just doesn’t need her this time. She tries to get herself to believe this. Sometimes, if she tries very hard, the voice at the back of her head starts to sound more like Claudia’s and less like her own.

“No, it’s — not.” “R-Right. So it’s —?” “I don’t want to lie to you, Illness.”

She can’t bear to lift her head, afraid that if she does she’ll see an emotion she would never want to see on Claudia’s face — contempt, or disgust, or disappointment. She doesn’t sound angry, but what else could it be? Illness can feel her throat growing tighter.

“That’s, um, that’s o-okay! You can, you know — if you need to, you can lie!”

A lie she can deal with; let it be a nice, sweet lie.

“No, I’m not going to do that.”

Hearing this, Illness braces herself for a truth, trembling fists furling into the fabric of her dress. She’s mad at me — she must be. She’s mad. She cycles through every thing she could have done wrong, but when she is done compiling the list there is only silence. No harsh truth, no truth at all; the world has not ended, and this confuses her enough that it convinces her to look up.

Three steps above, Claudia smiles at her.

“Anyway, I really need to rehearse now.”

Illness opens her mouth to speak, but closes it when Claudia presses her index fingers to her own lips.

“I told you, I’m not going to lie, so — I’ll explain later, okay?”

It’s not okay, but Illness nods anyway, and Claudia is away with a flick of orange hair and a twirl of her skirt.

She stands there at the bottom of the stairs for long moment, struggling to make sense of the conversation — whether there had been a problem and whether it had been hers — until she hears the soft click of a door closing. In a daze, she drags her foot down from the step and trudges back into the living room.

“Uhhh… Charon, did I —”

She tilts her head back, focus on some indeterminate patch of paint on the ceiling.

“Did I… do something wrong?”

The boy sat on the sofa, whom she addresses but does not acknowledge with her eyes, is both completely motionless and completely silent in response. They are two barely present entities holding conversation while ignoring one another entirely.

“Um, I mean, is Claudia — i-is she mad at me?”

Her eyes sting, but she barely notices. More poignant is the stomach-twisting, gut-wrenching, nauseating anxiety at the thought of it — the thought that her first and closest friend may be upset with her and that she does not know why.

Charon just shrugs.

“I-I should — no, I have to go apologize! I don’t… I don’t know what for b-but…”

But she has to. Her hand clutches at the fabric over her chest.

“Th-Thanks for the advice. Um, I have to go now!” she says to the boy who had offered no advice, before turning on her heel and dashing out the door.

With every step she climbs, she tries out another apology in her mind.

I’m sorry for running over so fast when I heard you come in, I just —

No.

I’m sorry I was so bad last time — I don’t really know how to be funny, and it was so —

No.

I‘m sorry for —

Please forgive me.

Please, please, please, please —

By the time she reaches Claudia’s bedroom she is trembling too much to knock with any conviction. A part of her longs to shout her apologies from the rooftops, and another part urges her to turn around and leave Claudia alone — that’s what she’d asked for, isn’t it? To be left alone.

She hesitates, confronting the possibility that it may only upset her more if she interrupts her rehearsal. But then what is she supposed to do? She can’t leave Claudia to be mad at her. She can’t.

In the end it’s not a knock at the door that has Claudia opening it, but the muffled sniffles coming from the other side of it.

“Illness?” Her head tilts, orange curls falling over her shoulder. If Illness could pull herself away from her thoughts for a moment she might conclude, once again, that Claudia does not look angry. “Is something wrong?”

“P-Please don’t hate me!” she blurts out.

“What are you talking about? Of course I don’t —”

“I-I’m sorry for — for everything! I’m s-so sorry. Please j-just don’t be mad at me anymore!”

“Why would I be mad at you?”

Illness falls silent. If Claudia doesn’t even know why, then —

“I’m not mad at all!”

— Then that means everything is okay.

Sniff.

Illness rubs her reddening eyes, the great ball of anxiety in her stomach slowly deflating.

“I thought… sniff…” she clears her voice with a little cough. “I thought because you didn’t want to rehearse with me, you must’ve been… mad.”

Claudia purses her lips. It’s an odd expression to see on her — not quite her usual dazzling smile.

“Oh! No, no. That’s not it.”

Illness has never seen her like this before. Claudia is honest to the point of brusqueness, and she’s not lying now, but avoidance is no less off-putting from a girl who tends to say everything that comes into her mind.

“It’s just…” Claudia leans out into the hallway, head turning curtly from one side to the other; Illness is reminded of the movements of a mercenary surveying the area for potential threats, though somehow she makes it more elegant. “I really hate keeping secrets. It feels like lying — even if I don’t have to lie to do it. I didn’t want to force you to keep it secret too! It’s not fair for me to make you into a liar.”

Illness nods slowly, waiting for comprehension to kick in.

“What I mean is, if I tell you this I’m going to have to ask you not tell anyone else. Is that okay?”

And she nods again, still not fully understanding what she is agreeing to.

“Great!”

Claudia takes her hand and pulls her into the room.

Illness struggles with firsts — the unknown strikes enough fear in her heart that she will cling to the worst of her demons out of familiarity — so she isn’t quite sure what to make of it when Claudia tells her that this film is a first and that she’s excited about it in the same breath.

“So, um, you’ve never been in a romantic comedy before?”

After a long internal debate over whether it would look less weird to sit down or to stand, Illness perches herself awkwardly on the end of Claudia’s bed. Claudia paces the room, boundless energy finding no other outlet.

“Not exactly,” she admits, twirling a strand of hair between her index finger and thumb. “I was in one when I was really little, as the child of a single father — you’ve seen that, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Illness nods. “It was r-really cute!”

“Thank you!” Claudia turns her smile directly to Illness, and she ducks her head in response. “Anyway, that was different. I wasn’t part of the love story.”

And it’s no mystery why. Claudia had been, and by most definitions still is, a child actress; she hadn’t been old enough to be considered for such roles until very recently, and even now most sixteen year old characters aren’t cast as sixteen year olds. She explains this to Illness — the tendency to choose older actors for teenage roles — and she doesn’t really get it, but she nods along.

“But they really want to capture the innocent love story image with this one, so they were a bit more open with casting,” She lifts her shoulders into a shrug and sits down at her vanity table, one leg folded over the other. “And they picked me, obviously. They always do!”

Illness can only marvel at her self-confidence. When Claudia goes into an audition she expects everyone in the room to see it as a privilege; Illness has never been to an audition, because if she did she would feel the need to apologise just for walking through the door.

“I’m really glad you got the role and all, but, um,” Her brow furrows. “I still don’t get why it’s… y’know, a secret?”

“Since it’s my romantic debut, my PR rep wants to keep the news from leaking until they’re ready. Something about wanting to preserve my image,” She waves her hand in the air dismissively. “I told them I don’t care about all that. Why does it matter how people see me? It’s how I see them that they should worry about.”

She lets out a little sigh.

“But they’re trying to do what’s best for me. I can’t blame them for that, right? So, can you promise you won’t tell anyone? I know it’s a lot to ask —”

Illness springs to her feet.

“N-No! I mean, it’s, um, it’s no problem!”

She’s kept secrets before. Worse ones than this, by far; she’s kept horrible, disgusting secrets, secrets that make her sick, and this is just a film. It’s almost laughable that Claudia would feel guilty about making her keep it, but it’s such a considerate gesture that it’s closer to bringing her to tears.

“It’s not like I have anyone to tell anyway, r-really.”

When she meets Claudia’s eyes they shine like stars, golden and glowing.

“Thank you, Illness!” The gratitude in her voice is earnest; no intonation suits her more than a genuine one. “Now that that’s sorted, there’s nothing stopping us from rehearsing together anymore!”

She grabs her script off the table and hands it to Illness, who smiles as though she is being gifted the world.

“I know most of my lines for the second scene, so let’s start there.”

She thumbs through the pages until she finds the right one, and the words begin to flow.

They step into routine, and routine welcomes them back.

Tagging along to shoots could be glamorous if Illness let it be — she could be watching the performance from off set, she could be seeing all the Hollywood magic first hand — but she doesn’t. She’s tried telling Claudia that it’s because she feels out of place there, but the actress had insisted that no, no, she’s not out of place at all; now when she’s asked she tells her that she doesn’t want to spoil herself for the film before it comes out, which is a lesser truth, but still a truth.

She likes the greenroom better than the trailers they use while travelling. It had been disappointing at first, coming to terms with the fact that it isn’t actually green, but now that she’s accepted this sad reality it’s a nice enough place to be. It’s quiet during filming, and there are snacks and drinks — it’s comfortable, and comfortable is something Illness is slowly letting herself get used to.

She thumbs through the pages of a magazine, testing herself on how many faces she can put a name to. She’d read these sorts of magazines as a kid, but even if these celebrities had been popular then, she prefers not to remember anything from those days. What she knows now she knows because Claudia has immersed her in it again, has allowed her to return to the normal hobbies she’d had before Mask Makers took her in — except this time is different.

This time it is normal. It’s not a trick; it’s not a ploy to raise her spirits so that when she falls she falls harder, it’s just — a magazine. It’s just gossip and fashion tips and dating advice. There’s no dread looming over her when she reads it.

Normality is a strange and wondrous thing; like an oversized sweater or a too long t-shirt, it fits her both poorly and well.

“— five minutes.”

Illness is torn away from a column on an upcoming historical drama by the sound of muffled voices down the hall. Ears made keen by years of mercenary work have not yet learned to mind their own business.

“Just five minutes?” “You know I don’t tell lies.”

A chime of laughter, hearty and distinctive, grows in volume as the speakers draw nearer.

“Isn’t acting all about lying?” “Not at all,” says Claudia’s voice, right on the other side of the door now. “If you’re doing it right, acting is about telling all kinds of truths.”

The door cracks open and Illness catches sight of a ringlet of orange hair.

“Five minutes?” “Five minutes.”

One set of footsteps heads off the way it came, while Claudia peeks her head into the room.

“Illness! Good, you’re still here!”

She darts over to the sofa, having a seat beside her in the time it takes her to respond.

“— Aren’t you, um, supposed to be filming? D-Did something go wrong?”

Claudia shakes her head, smile unwavering.

“Of course not! Nothing ever goes wrong when I’m on set,” she assures, as though this is fact and not self-belief.

“Oh, um, that’s good! S-So, what are you —?”

There’s something off about this Claudia; Illness can’t place what it is, exactly. She’s as enthusiastic as ever, but that energy of hers is manifest in little fidgets, fingers interlocking, leg bouncing — if she were anyone else, anyone but Claudia Walken, she might call it nervousness.

But Claudia Walken does not get nervous. On her it is anticipation.

“I’ve been thinking about it.”

“I-It?”

“About this scene.”

Which part of the scene she’s referring to clicks almost immediately; it had been the only part they’d skipped during their read-through.

“About my first kiss! First kisses are supposed to be with someone special!” she declares, hand soaring up to land on her chest.

“U-Um, sure, I guess — are they?” “Of course they are! That’s how it always is in the movies, and that’s how I want it to be in my world, too!” “R-Right, uh…”

She tilts her head. If Claudia doesn’t like the boy she has to play opposite then it’s a shame, but it’s not one she can do much about. She’s never been good with words of condolence; she’s still trying to figure a more eloquent way to say that sucks when Claudia takes both her hands in hers.

“You’re a really special part of my world, Illness.”

If she vocalizes anything in response it’s nothing coherent; her mind is running too fast for her words to keep up. Why is Claudia telling her this? What does she want her to do? There is something expectant in her smile, and it worries her to no end.

“Would it be alright if I —?”

— Worries her more when it is hovering near her lips.

“W-Wait, what?”

She is very suddenly aware of the closeness. It’s not something she very often thinks about around Claudia, a girl to whom verbal intimacy is instinct, a girl to whom closeness is the most natural thing in the world; she has never had to think about what her closeness means until these words accompany it, and now she can think of nothing else. She can’t be asking what she thinks she is. There’s no way.

She’s not the kind of person who’s supposed to end up in situations like this.

“If you don’t want to, that’s okay, too —”

“N-No! Um, I-I mean,” She finds herself very still, unwilling to move away but unable to move closer. “I don’t not want to — want to…”

She quirks an eyebrow, and offers: “To kiss me?”

“T-To k-ki…”

“It’s not a bad word, Illness,” she laughs, giving her hands a comforting squeeze. Illness knows this. She knows that to a normal person this would be anything but a bad thing; Claudia is kind and good — her first friend and her best friend, and a talented actress, and a wonderful girl. The problem isn’t Claudia or kissing, the problem is her.

“But y-you shouldn’t, um… k… kiss someone like m-me —” she starts, casting her eyes down.

“But what if I want to? Would you let me?”

“… I-If you…”

She gives a small nod, in spite of herself — in spite of her certainty that she is not made for this. She quiets the the voice that tells her this; Claudia’s is louder, clearer.

“If you want to.”

Sometimes Claudia’s gifts can make her seem otherworldly, far away from Illness’ life and unreachable, but this time she reaches just fine.

Claudia is not perfect — even if Illness is sure she is, and even if she is sure she is. She is not, but she wears her imperfections with such confidence. It’s a clumsy movement, and a graceful one; noses bumps when she leans in, but then their lips meet and the awkwardness fades away.

First kisses should be special, like in the movies, Claudia had said, but this isn’t — it’s not like in the movies. It’s a different sort of special; not dramatic and loud, but soft and gentle. She’d thought it would make her heart race, but the feeling is more a flutter. It’s not the heat of an explosion, it’s the warmth of the sun.

When she pulls away her stomach jumps with the usual fears — she must have done something wrong, must have disappointed her — but she opens her eyes and she is beaming; bright smile and cheeks touched with the same red as her hair.

“My second kiss is going to have to be with the boy out there,” she explains, and her grip on Illness’ hand unravels. “But if it’s alright with you, I’d like you to be my third kiss.”

Her hand moves to rest on her cheek, and Illness opens her mouth to say — she doesn’t know what. That she doesn’t deserve to be? That she should find someone better?

“And my fourth.”

It’s a silly thought that Claudia could catch whatever sickness ails her personality, and yet it’s unshakeable.

“I’d like you to be —”

“Claudia!” a voice carries through from outside the room.

“A lot of things,” she says hastily, jumping to her feet. “Can I talk to you about it later?”

“U-Uh, um,” Illness manages to sputter. “Uh-huh!”

She gives one more reassuring smile, then leaves Illness dumbfounded.

I’d like you to be a lot of things.

Illness, really, would like herself to be a lot of things, too.

She’d like to be braver and bolder, she’d like to be kinder and more open-hearted, she’d like to be good.

She’d like to be — whatever it is that Claudia wants her to be.

The trouble is, she’s been thinking all day and she still can’t guess what that is. She knows what she wants herself to be, but Claudia has told her at every turn that she does not have to change — that she can be who she is, as long as she’s honest about it. It’s not that she would begrudge her if she has decided differently; if Claudia has decided now that she does want her to change, she will — she just wishes she knew how.

“Where do I start?” Claudia asks, as though she could possibly know the answer.

She had gotten home a few minutes earlier and had promptly asked Charon to step out of the room. He had obliged with a silent nod — a knowing nod — and now they are sat on different ends of the same sofa, Claudia gesturing boldly and Illness staring on in confusion.

“My world has changed a lot because you’re in it, and — hey, don’t start looking sad! I like the ways it’s changed!”

Is she starting to look sad? She feels more anxious than anything else, but forces a smile anyway.

“I like pizza Saturdays and movie Tuesdays. Charon has really come out of his shell around you — as much as he has around anyone, anyway. I’m glad I found you, and I’m glad I let you into my world, ad I’m glad you were my first kiss!”

These are very nice words — these are words that bring colour to the pallor of her face — but they do not answer the question she’s been worrying herself with. What does she want her to be?

“I want you to be a part of my world forever,” she declares, with confidence and finality.

“…?”

“Illness, you should marry me!”

Illness is silent for a very long moment.

“Um… u-uh, I, um…” She is surprisingly calm, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and shaking her head. She’s had stranger, more unsettling daydreams. “I, um, sorry, I think I spaced out just now. What did you say?”

“You should marry me!”

Then she is not calm.

“W-What?!”

“What’s wrong? Grandpa Felix promised me that’d work.”

What’s wrong? The same thing that’s always wrong — she is.

“C-Claudia, um, I’m — I’m not the k-kind of person you should be spending your l-life with —!”

“That’s not true!”

“A-And anyway! Even if I-I was a better person, uh, w-we’re way too young t-to get married!”

Claudia reaches over to lay her hand on hers.

“Then we’ll get engaged.”

“C-Claudia!” Illness squeaks.

“Illness, I really mean it!” She furrows her brow, her voice softening to a tone that Illness has not heard since they’d parted on the cruise. “I don’t want to lose you — not again.”

Illness does not say anything, but she turns her hand over to grip Claudia’s.

“I know you don’t want to talk about what happened, and that’s okay! You don’t have to,” Even though she does not stop smiling, even though her words remain clear and bright, there is something not quite happy about them, and it makes Illness ache. “But when you went missing it was like losing a part of myself. I’m so lucky to have you back. Not that I believe in luck, but —”

The concern in her expression melts back into fondness.

“What I’m saying is, my world isn’t the same without you in it.”

Sniffle.

Illness doesn’t realise she’s on the verge of tears until she feels one roll down her cheek.

“You’re — you’re too n-nice to me, Claudia!”

She raises her free hand to rub her eyes, and Claudia shakes her head.

“No, I’m as nice as you deserve! I’m sorry — I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“I-It’s okay, it’s not — I’m not s-sad.”

She’s happy; happy and surprised, and not quite sure how to respond beyond crying.

Claudia wraps an arm around her, pulling her close.

“W-We could, um,” Illness says between sniffles. “I-If you wanted, what if we — started out, y’know, smaller?”

Claudia hums, resting her chin on her head.

“You mean promise rings?”

Illness makes a sound that’s halfway between a sob and a giggle.

“I-I mean a date,” she responds, feeling a little bit less strange for Claudia’s strangeness.

“I’d like that,” Claudia laughs. The warmth of it dries what is left of Illness’ tears. “Did you know I’ve never been on one? It’ll be a first!”

A first, Illness thinks, that she may be able to deal with.

#illness (baccano!)#claudia walken #i had no idea how to end this which probably shows #femslash february #berylliant writing #cracks knuckles #i had to write them. someone had to #baccano!

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Horizon Zero Dawn PC Review: A Great Way to Revisit Aloy’s Journey

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Over three years after its initial 2017 debut, Horizon Zero Dawn arrives on PC with graphical enhancements that make its already striking presentation even more lush and detailed. Is Guerrilla Games’ shimmering Action RPG worth revisiting? The answer is an emphatic “yes.”

For those who haven’t played Horizon before, whether it’s because you don’t own a PS4 or you just missed the train the first time, by all means, now is the time to buy this game. It’s one of the very best Action RPGs of this console generation, but the PC version is the definitive experience.

But for those who played the game the first time around, I still think it’s worthwhile to re-experience Aloy’s odyssey if for no other reason than to rediscover the picturesque landscapes that the artists and engineers at Guerrilla created. Truly, this is one of the most beautiful and cohesive game worlds I’ve ever explored, which is saying something considering its design is based on a juxtaposition.

As Aloy (voiced by Ashly Burch, whose performance is second to none), you explore a mysterious future world populated by various tribes of people and, more notably, what are essentially robotic dinosaurs that prowl windswept plains, arid deserts, and snow-blanketed mountains for hapless prey to rip to shreds. It’s this mash-up of prehistoric naturalism and futuristic tech horror that defines Horizon not just aesthetically but thematically. As you discover relics from the past and uncover the truth behind what brought the world to the post-apocalyptic state it’s in, the dichotomy of the natural environments and the metallic monstrosities that inhabit them comes into clearer view and ultimately says something poignant about human beings, our relationship to our planet, and second chances.

Even though Horizon Zero Dawn is a three-year-old game, it’s still a stunning audiovisual achievement on PS4 and PS4 Pro. But on PC, the game is presented in the highest fidelity yet, with full 4K rendering, unlocked framerates, ultra-wide monitor support, FOV customization, and more. Playing the game with these graphical enhancements is fantastic, and while some of this can be attributed to the superior processing power of PCs, the beauty of the game was already baked in.

Release Date: Aug. 7, 2020 Platform: PC (reviewed), PS4 Developer: Guerrilla Games Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment Genre: Action-adventure

Guerilla harnessed the powerful Decima engine to create richly detailed environments featuring a staggering variety of flora and fauna (both mechanical and organic) and a dynamic weather system that impresses even by today’s standards. When you see storm clouds brewing in the distance, you can be sure that in due time they’ll be rolling over your head, drenching you and everything around you in darkness and rainfall. The clouds look uncannily realistic and are even more spectacular looking on PC (I have an Intel Core i7-7700, 16GB of RAM, with a GeForce GTX 1070 GPU).

There are several graphical improvements on PC that really make the game’s visuals sing, like more character-foliage interaction, a longer draw distance, higher fidelity reflections, and the unlocked framerate, which makes everything flow really smoothly. The snow effects in the included Frozen Wilds expansion are a standout as well, with the bump in fidelity making the deformable snow and ice sections even more impressive than they were in the PS4 release.

There are some drawbacks to the new presentation options, however. In the graphical settings menu, there are options to customize different aspects of the visuals, which is nice. From clouds, to reflections, to character models, there is a decent amount of options here. But upping most of these settings from Original (PS4 quality) to Medium or High or Ultra results in some nice-looking results but can cause performance to dip to a disproportionate extent, affecting framerate drastically if you, say, bump the cloud setting up to ultra. This may be due to my own PC setup, of course. Ultimately, playing the game on Medium settings was the way to go for me.

This isn’t a next-gen looking remaster by any means, but like all games with immaculate art design (Super Mario Bros, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Shadow of the Colossus), Horizon Zero Dawn is going to look great whether you look at it now, 10, or 20 years down the line. Even on the base PS4, the game looks fine because the graphics are at the very least powerful enough to convey the beauty of the game’s art. Any graphical enhancements beyond this are bonuses.

I’d be remiss to not mention the game’s sound design, which is simply outstanding. You can practically tell where an enemy is in relation to Aloy just by listening carefully, and a big reason why the game’s landscapes feel so organic and vast is that the sound design creates a spatiality that is perfectly convincing and three-dimensional.

As for gameplay, Horizon’s combat and exploration hold up incredibly well. Hunting mechanized beasts feels great because there’s a real sense of weight to the way Aloy and the machines move through the environments and around each other, which makes combat and movement feel almost tactile. Aloy’s weapons are all essential to master and feel great to employ, especially the Tripcaster, which is such a joy to wield. Some of the archery animations are still a little wonky-looking, but the aiming controls feel natural.

In truth, I think Horizon Zero Dawn is worth replaying even on a base PS4. It’s a wonderful game centered on a complex female protagonist who goes on a journey of personal discovery that feels intimate and grounded but has more than enough sci-fi appeal to satisfy the geekiest of palates. On PC, the game looks better than ever, and the experience itself is strong enough to warrant another look.

The post Horizon Zero Dawn PC Review: A Great Way to Revisit Aloy’s Journey appeared first on Den of Geek.

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thedogoodpress · 5 years

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Tardigrades' Secrets Revealed

10/6/2019

Summary

Tardigrades have something called a Damage Suppression Protein, dubbed Dsup.

They also have this system named Cryptobiosis, which slows the body’s metabolism until living conditions improve.

During this time, they lose 97% of water and then in order to come back, water just needs to be added.

Experts have narrowed the scope on one of the sources of the drastic durability of tardigrades; the eight-legged, microscopic invertebrates resembling a bear with the seemingly supernatural ability to survive in extreme conditions. These “water bears,” “moss piglets”, or “molls with rolls” have been found alive in harsh conditions around the world; from the Antarctic, to deep-sea trenches, the peaks of the Himalayas, tropical rain forests, mud volcanoes, chemically toxic environments, highly irradiated environments, and even in the vacuum of outer-space. Biological scientists are now clearer on exactly how they are able withstand these highly unusual habitats.

In 2016, researchers at the University of Tokyo revealed that certain species of tardigrades possess a unique Damage Suppression Protein, or Dsup, that aids in their fantastic fortitude while they are in the protective state known as cryptobiosis. Cryptobiosis is a state of suspended animation where the metabolism slows to about 0.01 percent of its normal rate, only to restart at a later time when living conditions have improved.

A team of University of California San Diego scientists from the Division of Biological Sciences have recently determined the details of how this Dsup works by irradiating tardigrades with X-rays. Acting in two parts, the Dsup first binds to the tardigrades’ chromatin (a complex package of DNA and protein found in eukaryotic cells), then forms a protective cloud around the DNA, shielding it from damage. These findings were published in detail on October 1, 2019, in the journal eLife.

“In theory, it seems possible that optimized versions of Dsup could be designed for the protection of DNA in many different cells,” said distinguished UC San Diego professor James T. Kadonaga in a news release from the college a few days ago. Dsup has already been discovered to protect human cells from X-ray radiation, making potential medicinal applications very exciting. By using Dsup as a model, scientists are aided in the process of constructing other potentially helpful proteins.

The most common form of cryptobiosis for tardigrades is when their Dsup is activated is called anhydrobiosis, a state brought on by extreme desiccation of their environment, or the rapid removal of moisture. When they go into a cryptobiotic state, tardigrades tuck in their head and legs and roll themselves up into a tiny little ball called a “tun,” at which point they lose 97 percent of the water in their bodies and become a fraction of their active body mass. While in this state, a sugary liquid called trehalose surrounds and protects their organs and production of high levels of anti-oxidants aids in survivability. To get out of their cryptobiotic state and return to active life, tardigrades simply need to be re-hydrated, giving a more poignant meaning to the old adage “Just add water.”

Other common forms of cryptobiosis are cryobiosis (extremely low temperature), anoxybiosis (lack of oxygen), and osmobiois (increased solute concentration). There are other organisms that utilize cryptobiosis for survival, such as nematodes and rotifers but they do not have the special Dsup that tardigrades possess.

In his article “Tardigrades” in the journal American Scientist, tardigrade expert William Miller states that the miniature creatures have been mislabeled in the past as “extremophiles,” because of their incredible survival skills. However, tardigrades do not seek out extreme living arrangements they are simply very skilled at enduring them and are still more likely to die the longer they are exposed to these conditions. In fact, terrestrial tardigrades are the only ones, of about 1,100 different species of tardigrades, to develop outstanding survivability; with their marine and aquatic counter-parts thriving in the moisture of their more stable environments and not requiring such staunch protective measures.

Cryptobiosis has developed specifically in terrestrial species of tardigrades due to their choice of habitat being moss, lichens or leaf litter; all of which are commonly subject to quickly drying out. Referred to as limno-terrestrial, terrestrial tardigrades actually reside in the thin layer of water surrounding their selected eco-system, increasing their vulnerability in shifting environmental conditions. All species of tardigrades must be surrounded by water in order to function optimally and avoid the cryptobiotic state.

Tardigrades were first discovered by German J.A.E Goeze in 1773 and then in 1776 given the name “Tardigrada, or “slow-walker,” by Italian Lazarro Spallanzani. The name was given because tardigrades sort of shuffle along on their short, clawed legs like a bear and have an apparently much more laid back approach to life on a microbiological scale than other similar life-forms.

Tadigrades are parthenogenic, which means that they can produce their own individual fertilized eggs, but they can also reproduce sexually as well. Tardigrades grow through a eulelic process, which means that their cells grow individually, as opposed to growth through cell division. They periodically molt an external cuticle composed of chitin and protein during the growth process.

When they are born, tardigrades are about .05 millimeters,with largest full-grown specimens observed being at around 1.5 millimeters. Tardigrades eat algae, bacteria, and other invertebrates through mouth-parts and a sucking pharynx. They have an open circulatory system in which a fluid in the body cavity called hemocoel bathes the organs directly with vital gases and nutrients. Despite their amazing abilities, they are typically preyed upon by amoebas, nematodes and even other tardigrades.

Sources:

Miller, William. (2017-02-06). “Tardigrades.” American Scientist

Smith, Casey. (2017-07-14). “These ‘Idestructable Animals Would Survive a Planet-Wide Apocalypse.” National Geographic.

Simon, Matt. (2014-03-21). “Absurd Creature of the Week: The Incredible Critter That’s Tough Enough to Survive in the Vacuum of Space.” Wired

Bordenstein, Sarah. (2017-06-07). “Tardigrades (Water Bears). Microbial Life Educational Resources. National Science Digital Library.

Bradford, Alina. (2014-07-14). “Facts About Tardigrades.” LiveScience.com

Weisberger, Mindy. (2019-10-03). ”’Damage Suppressor Protein’ Protects Adorable Tardigrades…and Human Cells Too.” LiveScience.com

Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica. (2018-08-23). “Tardigrade.” Britannica.com

Dockrill, Peter. (2019-10-03). “Tardigrades Can Survive X-Ray Bombardment by Deploying a Protein Shield.” ScienceAlert.com.

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danfadildigitalmusicandsoun-blog · 7 years

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Discuss the Function of the Narrators in Jane Eyre and The Remains of the Day

The perennial Jane Eyre, and Booker Prize winner, The Remains of the Day are two highly acclaimed novels in English literature. Their importance is shown by their place in the canonical literature of modern English education. In both of these stories there are many similar elements that the main characters go through which are familiar to most adult readers, such as love, loss and trials of the main character. One form of trial that characters in both books often face is duty, and this can be seen in some very poignant moments. Jane Eyre is often seen as a semi-autobiography of Charlotte Brontë’s life, and the element of duty may well be based on her experience as a teacher (Cody, 1987). A similar, if weaker, connection can be found between Kazuo Ishiguro’s work prior to writing (ranging from community work to shooting grouse for the Queen Mother) (Bown, 2011), and The Remains of the Day’s main character, Stevens. This essay details examples of how the main character shows duty; one from Jane Eyre, followed by one from The Remains of the Day. After these, the two examples will be compared in order to discuss the function of the narrators, who are the main characters in both books.

One of the strongest, yet easily missed examples of duty in Jane Eyre is halfway through chapter seventeen, when Rochester orders Jane to join in the parties held for the visiting aristocrats, including the person Jane sees as the barrier between herself and Rochester; Blanche Ingram. The initial order itself is not delivered directly by Rochester, but delivered through Mrs Fairfax, who is told the order after she ‘happened to remark to Mr Rochester how much Adèle wished to be introduced to the ladies’ (Brontë, 1999, p.148). Initially Jane thinks the purpose of this is to have someone there with Adèle, and remarks that she does not need, nor want to attend. Expecting this, Rochester explicitly tells Mrs Fairfax that Jane should be there. At this point, Jane still sees it as part of her job of looking after Adèle, so she never questions why she should be there, despite the awkwardness of the situation, and the utter disdain Blanche shows towards her. Her desire not to be around the alien group of people whom she knows will treat her differently causes her to choose to sit away from them, however, her duty to Adéle motivates her to be there. Jane’s illustrates here that duty must be carried out in order to maintain self-respect, or dignity, despite the rigid and belittling social order in which she exists. The effect of Jane Eyre being a kind of autobiography gives the impression that Brontë placed greater esteem in self-respect than on taking notice of social structure and conventions.

This example continues through the rest of chapter seventeen, highlighting other aspects of duty. The Ingrams, including Blanche, spoke viciously of their experience of governesses with Rochester and the party; no doubt with the hope of inflicting harm on Jane’s reputation. Jane, as the narrator of the book, and also as Brontë’s semi-autobiographical self, never mentions a word in response to this. This is probably because overall the Ingrams’ role is quite small, and so their views do not warrant Jane’s retrospective attention. However, the alternative argument is that their views do not warrant her attention because her duty does not allow her to be concerned with what they think, and her sole concern is to deliver a professional service to Rochester. This argument might also suggest that as well as social structure, Brontë placed less value in what upper classes might think than the rest of society.

The chapter ends with Jane sneaking away while the party has their attention occupied, only to have Rochester follow her out, and ask her to re-enter. The ensuing conversation sees Rochester trying to ascertain why Jane has left without addressing him, how she has been, and why she seems depressed. Though Jane is, to the reader, clearly upset about Rochester and his apparent love interest, when she is asked why she did not speak to him, she narrates 'I thought I might have retorted the question on him who put it: but I would not take that freedom’ (Brontë, 1999, p158). In this, Jane shows that her duty has overridden her passionate disposition with a professional manner suited to the environment in which she works. Jane’s adaptable nature is important throughout the story, and is quite probably Brontë’s own commentary of how people had to be adaptable if they were to survive in the harsh society of early nineteenth century England. Incidentally, during this section of the novel, Jane does not give much indication of her own feelings. It is only from Rochester’s remark that she seems depressed, and then that she is crying that the reader knows what her feelings are.

Whether Jane Eyre is to be seen as a semi-autobiography of Charlotte Brontë, or not; the attitudes to society held by the first person narrator and protagonist, who addresses the reader in second person, thereby gaining their attention; are a direct representation of the author’s own. If this is considered, then it can be seen that Brontë herself regards duty highly. However, it also shows her other attitudes regarding social structure and conventions, particularly that wealthy families can show very little respect to everybody outside their own class.

This next example of duty is found in The Remains of the Day, and makes a good parallel for the example found Jane Eyre. However, before comparing the two, it is best to detail and analyse this particular section. It begins with Stevens’ employer Lord Darlington calling him into the drawing room after midnight. When Stevens arrives he finds that he is subjected to a variety of detailed questions relating to international politics. Stevens quickly sees his duty in the situation and shows this in his narration, which is reflective, by saying to the reader 'I was naturally a little surprised by this, but then quickly saw the situation for what it was; that is to say, it was clearly expected that I be baffled by the question’ (Ishiguro, 2005, p205). He then proceeds to answer that he is 'unable to be of assistance in this matter’ (Ishiguro, 2005, p205-206) to all three questions asked of him. The effect of this was to prove that, as a man outside politics, Stevens is an example of why the general populace should not have a say on what the leaders of the country do. However, the effect it has on Stevens is the only one which gives the reader reason for concern, not least because the story outside of him is based on historic events which still allowed democracy to continue, but really because Stevens is the one who addresses the reader, and takes them through the events of his life. The fact here is that those without duty would have an opinion on any matter on which they had knowledge, and as Stevens lived and worked for many of the world’s politicians at the time, he would undoubtedly have had knowledge, and therefore an opinion on the matter. The way the conversation goes is embarrassing for him, but all that Stevens sees is what he must do to fulfil his duty. As far as Stevens is concerned, forfeiting his own reputation and self-respect, was the very same action that gave him a sense of dignity. The opposite view of this is held by Jane in Jane Eyre, who would state that self-respect and dignity were the same thing.

The author, Ishiguro, seems to make a point that people have a duty to live their own lives, away from servitude, throughout this book. Stevens is the archetype of a professionally dutiful person, but far more than that, Stevens takes his duty to the extreme that he acts blindly, and pretends ignorance to all outside of it. The only time Stevens seems to give a view follows this event, when Lord Darlington comes to apologise to him the next morning and explain the previous night’s occurrence. Lord Darlington goes on to talk about the current state of affairs and asks for Stevens’ view, to which he replies 'The nation does seem to be in a regrettable condition, sir.’ (Ishiguro, 2005, p208). It is not clear whether this is Steven’s genuine view or not, but it is Lord Darlington’s view, and de+spite seeming like an opinion, is actually just Stevens acting out his duty once again. What Ishiguro illuminates here, intentionally or not, is that a line should be drawn between duty and opinion, otherwise there is a danger of following people blindly, who may be powerful and influential, but are no more correct than those following. Stevens’ function as the narrator is that he draws the reader into his perspective, which is the embodiment of duty, and it shows the reader, first hand, the previously mentioned dangers of going through life that way.

The similarities between the two examples shown here, are obvious to the reader. They both see the narrator thrown into socially awkward situations; both see the same character being belittled by a, supposedly, superior class of people; and in both the narrator simply remains subject to the embarrassment for the sake of fulfilling duty. However the two characters’ views on their respective incidents could not be portrayed much more differently, with Stevens taking it as an opportunity to prove his professionalism, almost to the point that he relishes the discomfort as a sign that he gives his all to his work. Meanwhile, Jane remains uncharacteristically silent about her feelings throughout her time at the party, and it is only from Rochester’s commentary that the reader sees she is upset. The function of the narrators in both these books seems to be to reflect of the author’s own views. This is much clearer in Brontë’s Jane Eyre, which is often seen as a semi-autobiography of the author, and is largely based on her own life. This is also there in Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day somewhat, in that the author has experience working in a variety of jobs across different social classes before finding his preferred vocation as an author. The authors’ experiences show in the form of messages in their respective books. Jane Eyre shows that duty to an oppressive social system, is a part of life to which people must adapt if they are to survive in life, while The Remains of the Day uses Stevens as an example of what happens when professional duty is taken to the extreme, life is missed, and really people have a duty to live their own lives. The importance of both of these books in society is that they display these messages so well.

Word count: 1,804

References:

Bown, J. (2011) Kazuo Ishiguro, Available at URL: http://literature.britishcouncil.org/kazuo-ishiguro [accessed 13/5/14]

Brontë, C. (1999) Jane Eyre, Ware, Wordsworth Editions

Cody, D. (1987) Charlotte Brontë: A Brief Biography, Available at URL: http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/brontbio.html [accessed 13/5/14]

Ishiguro, K. (2005) The Remains of the Day, London, Faber and Faber Limited

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