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nanaminsonyfans · 4 years

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Between Worlds; Chapter Six

Previous, Next, Masterlist

A/N: Thank you all for being to patient with me while I took a break. I hope you enjoy this chapter, I am actually very proud about this one. Thank you to my editor @imagine-yourself-happy

Gif is not mine

!!TW!! Swearing, injuries, mentions of blood

The statue’s eyes began to glow a light blue color, then a silhouette formed, stepping out into view. “Roku?” You asked softly upon seeing him. “I-I have a question for you…I understand you brought me here for something else but I’m just so confused. I don’t belong here. Why am I here and not Aang?” You walked forward, trembling slightly with each step. “Y/N, this was always your destiny. No matter how you look at it, this is yours. Aang may have had it first but this is yours.” Roku put his hand on your shoulder, squeezing it softly. “But...I don’t know how to do any of this. I mean, Air comes naturally to me but I can’t control it. I almost hurt Katara and Sokka.” You said as you started to cry.

Roku shook his head and lifted your chin up so you’d look at him. “You are a strong woman. You can do anything you set your mind to. Look how far you have already come. Y/N, you protected two villages even after you were burned, you saved another one.” He spoke in a comforting tone and wiped away your tears. It was the reassurance of an adult that made you feel safe. You sniffled and nodded as you peered up at him. “How do I control my bending? When I get emotional, it just takes over. I don’t want to hurt anyone by being blinded like that.”

“You can control it. It’s okay to have a few slip-ups. I wish I could give you more time and not rush you, but…you have to master all four elements by the end of the summer.” He explained with an even tone. “I know…I’m just scared. What if I can’t do it? What if I’m not strong enough?” Your eyes began to water again, your throat became dry as you tried to hold back a sob. “You are. As I said, you’ve made it this far. You also have the past Avatars to help you.” You looked back behind Roku, seeing the light slowly start to fade. He had noticed as well. “By the end of this summer, another comet will come. It will give the Fire Nation the rest of the power that they need to fully need to take over the rest of the nations. You must stop them.”

“Y/N? Y/N!” Katara’s voice snapped you out of your trance as you mindlessly were applying a cold cloth to Sokka’s forehead. “Oh…sorry.” You whispered and stood up. “Is Sokka feeling any better?” You asked softly and stood up, looking at him with concern. “Not very well. That storm really did a number on him.”

“Well, I found a map. There’s a herbalist, I’ll go see if they have anything for tea. That might help.” You explained, but turned to Katara when she started coughing. “Oh no, not you too?” You went over to her and laid her down on Appa next to Sokka. “Just rest here and I’ll be back with medicine.” You wrapped her in a blanket and grabbed your glider, running out of the small shelter you had.

The rain made a small pitter-patter against your skin and gilder. It was soothing, considering everything preoccupying your mind - what Roku had said, your encounter with Zuko, Jet, that horrible storm, and now taking care of the two Water Tribe siblings. You sighed softly as you walked up a trail to a greenhouse or terrarium-looking thing. When you entered, you were greeted with the scent of roses, lavender, and...cats? You looked down and saw a cat rubbing against your ankle. It was a beautiful white cat, fluffy too. You bent down and scratched it’s head softly, the small gesture made you feel ten times better.

You noticed an old woman tending to her plants and herbs. “Umm…ma’am? I’m very sorry to barge in like this, but my friends are sick and I need medicine for them or even a little ginger for tea?” You spoke fast and with urgency. “Calm down, young lady. Your friends are fine. I’ve been up here for forty years you know, there used to be others but they all left years ago.” The old woman pet the cat that was now on the table, “Now it’s just me and Miyuki.” You stared at her, growing a bit impatient. “Ummm, that’s nice. Could you tell me what I need to do to cure my friends?” You noticed her starting to pick herbs and such. “One moment, I am doing something…” She muttered to herself and walked around the garden.

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Ten, fifteen minutes passed of her trying to find a herb and it still wasn’t even to help you! That was irritating. It was only food for her cat. “Ma’am, could you please tell me what a cure for my friends is?” You asked for maybe, the fifth time. “Oh yes, about that. You must go to the swamp for frozen wood frogs and then have your friends suck on them! They must be frozen though!” She grinned crazily. “You’re insane aren't you?” You snored. “Go on now! You don’t have time to sit around and talk!” The woman ushered you out of her greenhouse.

You rolled up your pants as you stepped into the murky swamp, gagging softly at the smell. Eventually, you found four and stuck them in your pockets. Just as you were about to grab a fifth, three arrows pinned your shirt sleeve to a log. You yelped in surprise and used your Airbending to shield yourself as more arrows were sent your way. “Uh, do you want your arrows back?” You called out as about four people jumped out of the trees. You gulped and looked at them as your heart started to pound. You waterbended an ice wall but it was quickly shattered by an arrow. “Shit-” You mumbled to yourself as your shirt collar was pinned to another log. You winced feeling the sting of the arrowhead grazing your collarbone. You were shot with a tranquilizer then a net, resulting in you losing consciousness.

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Your eyes opened. Everything became a blur. There was an attempt to move your feet but you quickly realized they were tied together by a rope and your arms were chained behind you. The chains jiggled as you tried to struggle but it was no use. “Well, this is the Avatar? Master of all the elements? I have no idea how you eluded the Fire Nation, but your game of hide and seek is over.” You recognized that voice, Admiral Zhao. “I wasn’t hiding from you, Zhao. Untie me and I’ll fight you right now!” You yelled fighting with the restraints. “Uhh, no. Tell me, how does it feel to be the last Airbender? Do you miss your weak people?” You teared up at the thought, but you were quick to blink back any visible tears. “Don’t worry, you won’t be killed like they were.” You dug your nails into your palms and gritted your teeth. “Shut up.” You growled, glaring up at Zhao.

He only smirked at you. “If we kill you, the next Avatar will just be reborn again and the Fire Nation will have to search all over again.” He bent over and grabbed your chin, forcing you to look up at him. “I’ll keep you alive, but just barely.” You glared and spat in his face. He backed away in disgust. “You little bit-” You blew a gust of wind at him, knowing him off his feet. “Blow all the wind you want. No one is coming to save you.” He hissed and walked out, his aggressive footsteps fading off in the distance. You screamed in anger and started to thrash around, only giving yourself rope burn and bruises around your wrists. You started to cry softly, from anger and pain. “Fuh-Fuck you Zhao.” You mumbled to yourself through the tears.

After thirty minutes, you gave up trying to break free. You were sweaty and bloody, the palms of your hands were bleeding, ankles burned, and wrists were bruised. You heard a soft ribbit and croak. Oh, no! Frogs started to jump out of your clothes, still half frozen. “No, no, no, no! Get back here! I need you to cure Katara and Sokka!” The frogs obviously didn’t give a shit about your feelings, and honestly, that kinda hurt. “Please, come back.” You cried and leaned forward in defeat, your tears now hitting the metal floor. You were snapped out of your pity party hearing metal and something heavy dropping to the floor.

You looked up and saw someone dressed in all black, but a blue dragon-like mask. You furrowed your eyebrows and felt a familiarity with the person. “Wh-Who are you?” Your voice cracked. It made sense since you’ve been crying for the past twenty minutes it seemed. “Ar-Are you here to rescue me?” There was a hint of hopefulness in your voice. The person didn’t say anything. They just opened the door after freeing you from the restraints. “I-I’ll take that as a yes.” You mumbled and followed the other out. Then it struck you. The Blue Spirit…Zuko. Joy filled your body as you followed him. You turned your head to croaking, your frogs! You ran to find them, they were thawing out.

“Please don’t thaw out! I need you!” You tried to grab one but was pulled back by your collar. You winced in pain as the fabric rubbed against the cut you received earlier. The Blue Spirit let out of you immediately after hearing your reaction. “I-I’m fine. Just sensitive, there is all.” You mumbled as you adjusted your clothing. “But, thanks for coming for me, whoever you are.” You smiled softly and kissed the mask. “My hero~” You giggled and was dragged off by the Spirit.

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“I want a full transcription written down and sent to the Fire Lord. I only want glowing testimonials from the soldiers and generals.” Zhao said as he walked down the dimly lit halls with a scribe. He was snapped out of his trance with ordering when he heard moans and croaks from frogs. “What the-” He turned, seeing guards tied up and gagged. He gritted his teeth and kicked open the door that you were supposed to be held in. “The Avatar has escaped!” He yelled, running down the halls.

“There, on the wall!” A soldier yelled pointing to where you and the Spirit were climbing. “Shit.” You grumbled, trying to climb the rope on the wall faster. One of the soldiers cut your rope, forcing you and the Spirit to fall to the ground. You screamed in your way down but quickly hopped up. The Spirit unsheathed his swords and started to run. “Stay close to me.” You said and ran in front of him, blasting all the soldiers in your way with wind.

The third gate was close, but then it closed before you got there. “Fuck.” You hissed and turned to the spirit. All the soldiers took aim at the two of you. “Wait! The Avatar must be kept alive!” Zhao yelled, causing the soldiers to step back. The Blue Spirit moved and out his swords to your neck, close to cutting your head off. “What the hell?” You hissed in shock and he started to back away. To avoid being cut you pressed your body against his, you heard his breath hitch slightly as you did that.

“Open the gates.” Zhao grumbled. “But sir-” A guard interjected before being cut off. “I said, open the gates! He’ll kill her if we don’t.” He hissed, the soldiers nodded and opened it. The Blue Spirit and you backed up slowly, exiting the yard. You shuffled backward, following the Spirits lead. You got halfway down the trail but an arrow was shot, cutting your earlobe and knocking the mask off of your savior. Everything happened in slow motion it seemed, you acted fast. Using your Airbending, you brought the Spirit and yourself to safety in the woods.

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You chewed on your lip as you sat on the root of a tree. You saw him, now that you knew for sure was Zuko, wake up. “Thank you for saving me…but I know you didn’t do it out of kindness, but rather for your own gain.” You took a deep breath, “I may not remember much but I know I had friends a hundred years ago. Now, I have a family - Sokka and Katara. I wonder, if things were different, do you think we could ever be friends, Zuko?” Your voice was soft and calm as you stood up. He glared at you and unsheathed his swords in a threatening manner. “I’ll be here...if you ever do decide to make things different.” You sighed and used your glider to take off, leaving Zuko.

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“Suck on these. You’ll feel better.” You mumbled giving Sokka and Katara a frozen frog. The sister took notice of your distraught and frowned. “How was your trip, Y/N? Did you make any new friends or meet new people?” You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear and sighed.

“No…I don’t think I did.”

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#between worlds #zuko x reader #avatar zuko #atla zuko #blue spirit #atla x reader #atla #katara atla #sokka atla #sokka and katara #katara and sokka #avatar the legend of aang #avatar the last airbender #avatar x reader #avatar zhao

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beneaththetangles · 3 years

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Shoujo and the Bride of Christ (II)

FRIAR LAURENCE I’ll give thee armour to keep off that word: Adversity’s sweet milk, philosophy, To comfort thee, though thou art banished. ROMEO Yet ‘banished’? Hang up philosophy! Unless philosophy can make a Juliet…

Well, yeah, that’s how it usually goes. Were I Fr. Laurence, I’d probably have gone for something more like, “Go play some Renaissance baseball analogue to exhaustion, sleep well, and let’s speak of this again tomorrow.” And yet, I think the poor friar has a point here. Because romantic love between man and woman is not only a life-changing discovery and a call to fight the good fight, but also, unavoidably, something of a comedy of errors, misunderstandings, and absurdities, some of that would benefit from some reflection and wisdom, especially taking into account that, given the centrality of love and its signs in human life, the errors may very well turn the comedy into a tragedy (which, as a matter of fact… but no spoilers).

I fondly remember my first date of sorts, during my Freshman year at university. It was a great time, I deeply cared about the girl, and I´ll always pray for her, wherever she is. But, you may have noticed the “of sorts” part. Man, it is amazing how two human beings can interpret the same set of facts so differently. You miss the signs, and in retrospect, suddenly, it is obvious. Not everything is as meant to be as it seemed. Ahem. Where was I. My point was that hope, self-deception, wild assumptions, strikingly different understandings of what is happening, rose-colored or black-colored glasses, dubious rationalizations or whirlwind rides from the summit to the pits of desperation are part of the experience of being in love, and may take us to absurd, or dangerous, or hurtful, or simply unhelpful paths. And there are some things we can prevent, too, if, without losing the hopeful, fiery, courageous impulse, we learn from our experiences, and try to discern carefully.

In the fallen world, we need this kind of armor, even if we also need to avoid become trapped in them. It may not be sweet milk, but we may need some of adversity’s Georgia MAX Coffee. To set our hearts ablaze, and yet think and decide carefully, soberly, set of being kind and just. We need a sense of humor, and a willingness to correct course. We need patience, to interpret what is happening rightly, to differentiate between truth and hope without rejecting either, to accept the less glamorous aspects of loving someone. Reflection certainly cannot make a Juliet, but may help me, well, knowing, courting and loving the real Juliet, and not just the one in my head.

In my last article, I mentioned how anime has a gift for vivid personal worlds which leads to great depictions of the discovery of romantic love. It also has a natural tendency towards introspection and flashbacks (slow motion means there is less drawing to do, while flashbacks sometimes mean that you can reuse some takes, or so I have heard). But from these technical conveniences, it has gone far beyond, and developed a remarkable artistic tradition of adding layers to the past and the present.

And so, you have many great stories in which you see again what you once saw, and everything falls into place. Tragedies and comedies alike rely on this tools, and so we have tricky stories of love, heroism, mysteries and fate like Madoka and Erased, Oregairu, Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works and Mawaru Penguindrum, Haruhi (like the protagonist, I just can’t escape Haruhi) or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Teasing Master Takagi-san and Princess Tutu.

In the shoujo genre, this tradition is just as strong. Reminiscence, interpretation, doubt, memories, hopes, the past, are often put to great use. So, let’s go on with my crazy (but St. Paul-sponsored) idea that the depiction of human love between man and woman, as well as a profound mystery, illustrates the relationship between Christ and the Church. What if I were to say that the illusions of love and their comical and tragic consequences are also helpful there? Once again, please bear with me.

Tohru Honda, and the Ugliness in the House of the Twelve

Just as compelling, super-strong warrior maidens, childhood friends in love since forever and ice queens who happen to be all interested in the same regular-looking, not-especially-popular guy are far more common in anime than the average high school, shoujo has its own wishful tropes. Rose-colored ambiences, Cinderella stories, roses framing the scenes, golden bubbles, and legions of strikingly good-looking characters with secret pains that only the protagonist can heal are among them. Fruits Basket (2001) takes some of this approach to the extreme. As a child, Tohru Honda would weep when the cat of a fable her mother told her was excluded by the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. She was the same, as other kids at school excluded her, telling her that she was the onigiri (rice ball) in their fruits basket game, and letting her wait in vain to be called like the rest.

Since then, she has grown into an ever-optimistic, hard-working, generous, and extremely kind girl. Her mother has recently died, and, not wanting to bother anyone, she now lives…in a tent near a river. She cooks for herself, goes to school everyday, and works part-time in the evenings. But, when her place collapses during a storm, the elegant but distant school ice prince, Yuki Sohma, who lives with his older (yet also good-looking) cousin Shigure, takes her to his home. Soon, a loud, messy, athletic, troubled (and… yeah) cousin of Yuki and Tohru’s age called Kyo comes to live with them. As it happens, the family is cursed: They are the incarnations of animals of the Chinese Zodiac, and transform into animals when they are hold by someone (non-cursed) of the opposite sex. Learning of Tohru’s extraordinary circumstances, they offer her the job of housekeeper. And so it begins.

So, as you can see, not so much MAX Coffee so far. In the episodes that follow, Tohru increasingly becomes the loving, beating heart of the cursed Sohma family, able to help healing their wounds with her kindness, honesty and simple commitment. Everyone, or almost, is enchanted. It is a bit excessive. Honestly, I had to endure some parts of the story. And yet, why do I like it so? The answer is that, despite all the sometimes far-fetched circumstances, Tohru’s kindness is genuine. And I will never disdain genuine kindness, or laugh at it. And it did pay off. I won’t be too specific, but it did. “I have described it” says our Sensei of the entire Fruits Basket manga “as a giant wave of blessing, crashing on and overtaking one person after another after another in ever widening circles, all thanks to an unseen and unacknowledged God who also breaks real curses in real human lives.”

The Church of Christ, the prophesied new Covenant, is also like that. It’s the ultimate Cinderella story. Each of us Christians has been chosen by Christ. He has brought us home to a love like no other, to words of eternal life, to true communion, to forgiveness, to the Bread of Life, to miracles and wonders. To the key truths that the truly simple and the truly wise perceive. To true hope, to a love our deepest being is thirsty for, that transforms and solidifies us, that makes us ourselves. Open to those we love, too, and to everyone in this world. The joys in my life in Christ are unlike any others I have experienced. And that light, that goodness, are very real. But from there, precisely because it is so powerful, it’s easy to get things wrong. The Apostles imagined themselves reigning in a political Kingdom of Israel. St. Joan D’Arc thought she would return home to Domrémy. Lovers say that everything will be Eden now that they have each other. I may conclude that something is a date.

Tohru is a very optimistic character, and a very hopeful girl. But those are not always the same. While she feels blessed and fights her daily battles, both the evil and the good around her are beyond her understanding. When Israel, freely chosen by God, became a powerful nation free from its slavery in Egypt, completed its Exodus, sealed its alliance with God, conquered the Promised Land promised to Abraham and eventually became a great kingdom with a temple, everything seemed right. God walked with them, fought for them, was present. The Law described true goodness, in opposition to the idolatry, ignorance and self-enclosement of the Pagan world. There were miracles. But the real, deeper danger was there, mostly unbeknownst to them. So the Lord sent them inspired prophets, to awake them, to make them able to discern, to provide them with the right interpretation.

And then, He sent them His own Son, and He gave testimony to the truth, and was rejected and killed. And so the true darkness of Israel and the entire human race, the true enemy, came into light in all its ugliness. God tortured. God killed. But He is risen, and He has shown us a way: Himself. This is the story St. John tells us at the beginning of his Gospel. There is a moment (again, I won’t be very explicit) when Tohru’s previous love and kindness are not enough. When her commitment is tested and no one can help. When everything she has experienced, everything she has achieved, is put into question, and she has to acknowledge that she was wrong. When there are no easy answers. When she is forced to confront the genuine ugliness at the heart of the house of Sohma, the cursed monstrosity, the law of this world, without assurance that all will be well. It is the time to listen with faith. To embrace Christ in the Cross, and walk beyond anything we can see.

You may have heard the story of Emmaus. After the Crucifixion, two disciples walked away. Everything had collapsed. They had seen miracles and walked with Christ, but now their hope was dead. That is our Tohru, too. But a stranger walked with them, and asked them what had happened. They explained. And the stranger said: “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?” It was. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was written in all the Scriptures about Himself.” “Were not our hearts burning within us as He spoke with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Tohru’s Gethsemane experience was also necessary, and, for me, it was also the high point of the series. The character invested with a prophetic role also pointed her the way. And what happens in that place of darkness is believable, human, moving. Helpful.

From there, Tohru will be fruitful in a new world, because she can love in a way that can truly break the unmoving iron structure of her world. New possibilities of love are open. Being in the dream house of Sohma was not enough. For the Israelites, reaching the Promised Land was not enough. For a man and a woman in love, the moment of confession and corresponded feelings is not enough. For us, entering the Church, a personal bond with Christ, is not enough. We have also to experience, to witness, that whatever is born of God overcomes the world. That is our hope. From Pentecost to our days, Christ’s Church is prophetic, partaking in His mission as the teacher of true hope and true love. “He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” She teaches us, warns us, reveals us the true meaning of what is happening, if we continue to listen, if we are humble, if we remain disciples.

How may this discipleship look in our lives? Tohru has many teachers. As the disciples of the first hour, we have the Gospel. In Emmaus, Christ pointed us to all the Scriptures. Also, the Catholic understanding is that, just as in Pentecost the inspired Apostle Peter stood up with the Eleven and proclaimed to the crowd the true meaning of what has happened, he being the spokesman, so their respective successors are invested with the charism in their announce and teaching, the Bishops in union with Peter. To them, it was said, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.” I do believe that, from Pentecost and on, it has continued to be so. Also, Tohru had Saki, and Paul and the Acts tell us about prophets in the Church, and of ways to distinguish the true from the false. As the Spirit also lives in us, we have the signs, inspirations, even miracles, we may come to receive in our own prayer life. And lastly, we have a mind, created by God. We can reflect, taking all the above into account. And, as Tohru, the Bride of Christ, ears open, will learn how to be the Bride of Christ. I will. So I hope.

Only God knows what will happen in our lives, or why. Loving makes us both strong and vulnerable. We can be tempted, scandalized and hurt, sometimes terribly, even in the Church, by our teachers, brothers and sisters. We may discover we have hurt them terribly. In the course of life, we may suffer blows we didn’t expect. Our sins, our wounds, may overcome us. We may enter periods of spiritual darkness, or of depression. Signs may disappear. Everything may seem to collapse. But it is not over. The fight to truly love, to be ourselves in Christ, goes on. We will need to be vigilant, to check our assumptions, to be open to be corrected by God through the teachings of His Church. Because we need an armor.

“Finally,” St. Paul says to the Church, “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Fight with courage, Honda-san, and remain open. A deeper love, a new world, a path of salvation, lie ahead.

Yeah, I know I should watch the 2019 remake and read the manga. I will, eventually. No Divine Comedy for now, but it is near. And, as you may or may not know, the lady at the top is Mademoiselle de Jarjeyes, protagonist of another iconic shoujo, which is… not coincidental! Until the next time, stay strong, and Happy Easter.

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Fruits Basket (2001) can be streamed at Funimation, Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video.

#Anime #Christianity #Fruits Basket #Fruits Basket 2001 #Shojo #Shoujo #Articles #Author: Gaheret

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anangelicday-mrwolf · 4 years

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Wolfsbane : Noblesse Fanfic (post-ending)

(previous chapter)

Chapter 6 – Frankenstein’s Secret

“Goddamn it.”

Frankenstein spat out a contemptuous grumble, stowing away his Dark Spear. His goal was to keep the monster in his grip for 3 minutes, but the stopwatch in his pocket was marked with digits 1 and 13, a record 30 seconds shorter than the previous one.

Despite the shortness of time lapse, the chamber looked utterly disastrous, plastered with dark purple on every corner of its floor, walls, and ceiling. Frankenstein could not help marveling how he was standing on pieces of tiles instead of their particles.

“This is gonna cost me another series of days and nights,” said Frankenstein in a biting tone, looking around the calamity he brought upon the chamber once again.

Ever since the nuclear missile launch by Crombell, there had been several changes Frankenstein met.

First, for example, the number of vacancies in his house at Seoul increased. Second, the name engraved on the nameplate in the Ye Ran chairman’s office is no longer his. Third, the diplomatic relation between Lukedonia and wolfkind is now completely and literally on the bright side.

Yes, quite a lot has changed, but what Frankenstein just forced himself to encounter was the biggest and most noteworthy change. And a bad change.

Unlike before, Frankenstein’s power turned unimaginably unstable. The degree of instability was nothing like before. Now a mere act of summoning the Dark Spear has become, metaphorically, trying to make an ice cube stay perfectly unscathed while slamming down a gigantic hammer onto it in full power.

And the missile launch was the genesis of such catastrophic change. Or rather, it all began the minute Frankenstein felt his bond to his master shattered.

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Fifteen days ago, when the bond from his contract with Raizel was destroyed, Frankenstein was tortured by the aftermath of his loss. He felt as if the most fundamental root of his soul was broken down. He felt as if he were a prisoner to the extinction of his entire time and existence. Most of all, he felt as if every biological molecule of his body was detonated, and oh-good-heavens, how it hurt.

It was more than a loss. A mother would have deemed it the death of her child. A patriot would have dubbed it the day his country was eternally conquered. Juliet would have identified it the moment she saw Romeo fallen about her. And it hurt.

His pain burned his entity even when he with the rest of his fellow fighters returned to his home. Which is why the first thing he did upon stepping through his door was to make everyone promise that they will leave him alone for a while, so that he could let his powers screech and shriek and scream in mourning annihilation, in a special chamber under the ground.

His control was totally lost as he roared in the center of a storm of black and purple. The last bit of his sense of responsibility forbid him of pulling out his weapon, but he brandished his dark power so viciously even Gradeus would grovel, begging for his mentorship.

The only time in the past he had ever unleashed his power without restraint was when he lost the tug-of-war against his own power and forfeited his mind.

And he had rather wished he would lose his mind, for the pain was unendurable to handle with his sanity intact. Much to his dismay and heartbreak, his mind was at full function, incising his foundational essence with psychological, emotional, and spiritual trauma.

After whipping up a tempest of maddening woe, he fell asleep into a nightmare.

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

‘...What?’

... .... r.. s.. F....

‘...What’s that noise?’

..F.. f... n....

‘What...? I can’t hear you...’

...Fr... ...tei... n....

‘I said I can’t hear you... It hurts.’

Frankenstein groaned, enveloped by mysterious noises echoing from eerie darkness.

...s.. s...

‘Shut up. I don’t wanna hear you... Just leave me alone.’

...ss... B...

‘Shut. Up. Just leave me alone...’

..ss. Bo...ss...

‘Please!!!!!’

“Boss!!!!!”

Noises resembling cacophony from unfocused radio were outdistanced by a familiar voice, and Frankenstein’s eyes frantically flashed open as if he were electrocuted.

Almost at the same time, his upper body slashed through the air in elevation, only to shrivel due to bone-wrecking pain that hit his whole body like a lightning.

Forcing himself to ignore his joints writhing in complaint as the result of his rampage, Frankenstein turned his eyes towards the source of the voice and ended up staring directly into the eyes of a man with black-hair-studded-with-white-locks. His eyes were trembling in uneasiness as he was kneeled by Frankenstein’s side.

“...What are you doing here, Tao?”

“W-what do you mean, what am I doing here? I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m bushed, not brainless. And I know same could be said of you. I’m asking how you got in here, ‘cause I do remember sealing the chamber before... Before all this.”

“Uh... Well...”

Tao, instead of answering, directed his gaze beyond his shoulder, onto the door that was nearly dissipated into debris.

That was a cue for Frankenstein to take in the status of the special chamber designed to cloak and stand against Dark Spear’s power. The door was the least damaged component of the chamber, he noticed. Wherever he locked his eyes upon was marred by dark-purple blurs, as if the apocalypse itself dawned upon the room while Frankenstein was in dark frenzy.

“I could feel your power from up there, so I had to come down. What on earth happened here?”

“...I couldn’t help it.”

Frankenstein hoped he would not have to waste his energy talking, but Tao mouthed something incoherent, hinting that he needed to hear more.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Uh... Actually, I’ve been watching you for roughly a minute.”

“...And?”

“That is, I’ve been watching you asleep. Or I think you were asleep. But when you were on the floor... I could see the Dark Spear’s aura rippling from your body.”

Tao then pointed towards the ceiling behind Frankenstein. There was a crevasse huge enough to hold the Eiffel Tower, dripping with purple aura that Frankenstein could identify anywhere, anytime.

“When I walked up to you, you started to mumble something. And that made the Dark Spear’s aura surge and do that. I would’ve thought you were showing off how strong you can be while on your back, if only I hadn’t seen how your eyes were closed, and your breathing was stable.”

Showing off how strong I am on my back? I don’t recollect beating your head that hard during our past trainings. In normal circumstances, Frankenstein would have jokingly retorted as so.

‘I emitted Dark Spear’s power during sleep?’

This was not the first time his control over the Dark Spear slipped during sleep. His past is an archive of numerous attempts and failures in governing the damned weapon.

However, now his failures are history, a record of his efforts in making friends with the Dark Spear. Ever since he honed his mastery of the Spear, he has never lost grip of his reins, regardless of the intensity or numeral degree of souls the Spear has absorbed.

He was aware that this time, out of his loss and pain, he deliberately bombarded the chamber with his power. He even considered throwing away his reasons to turn into a mad dog. Nevertheless, he did not plan at all to actually lose his control. And the level of damage was way beyond his calculation or expectation.

This chamber was repaired and improved at the time when he made a mimicry of Raizel’s seal with the power of the Dark Spear. In consideration of the chances that the Dark Spear will absorb increasingly stronger souls in the course of struggle against the Union, Frankenstein compounded the chamber’s cloaking integration and defense against Dark Spear’s power. Yet the chamber’s door was nearly unhinged, and Tao even picked up his power from dozens of meters above.

“Boss?”

Tao nervously called Frankenstein’s name, his voice now thicker with concern. Frankenstein had to intentionally change the subject, as he detected fear unparallel in Tao’s eyes.

“...What’s keeping the rest of the team?”

“...For some reason, Takio and M-21 suddenly left for school.”

“And Seira? Regis? Rael?”

“T-they left after they told me they’ll be away for a bit. So did Sir Karious. Since they asked me not to look for them for a while, unless it is absolutely necessary, I doubt they’ll be back by the end of the day.”

“Really...? Good.”

“No, it’s not good! Nothing is good! How can you say it’s good when something is obviously wrong with...”

“Yes, it is. Because I have just one person to silence on this matter.”

Tao gaped at him, quietly questioning his words. Frankenstein straightened his face, serious and devoid of fatigue from days of combat.

“I need a favor, Tao.”

Certain that his house will be empty, the next day, with Tao’s assistance, Frankenstein fixed his chamber as his time and resources allowed for an experiment: using a sample of rapidly-working sleep inducer to see if he loses his control over his weapon whenever he falls asleep.

The results from multiple rounds of experiments that therefore took place were neither helpful nor hopeful, for the Dark Spear’s aura leaked every time he was in slumber.

He wished he was mistaken. Or too imaginative. Or too tired and thus delirious. However, the fact that he always woke up to find Tao (who was in charge of injecting him with rapidly-working awakening drug before things got out of hand) wearing apprehension matching his own killed his hope.

“Maybe... Maybe this is because the Dark Spear absorbed the Blood Stone Crombell was using, at the end of your last battle with Crombell.”

And a hypothesis Tao offered to bring about a change in the atmosphere slaughtered his hope.

Frankenstein cursed the Blood Stone and its copies, as they were the direct or indirect cause of pain and damage for his master and those he held in his heart. But now the abominable stone was part of the Dark Spear – part of him.

The second the terrible realization swept through him, Frankenstein was urged to rip his own skin off his body out of self-abhorrence that exploded like a volcano.

And that was the reason why Frankenstein decided to leave Korea after Raizel’s return. The main reason, of course, was to discover the secret behind Raizel’s return as well as reinvigoration: to find out how in the world the Noblesse managed to not only rise from death but also become healthier than before.

On the other hand, he wanted to secretly resolve his secret. He wanted to separate pieces of the Blood Stone from Dark Spear in one way or another. And in the meantime, he wanted to somehow stabilize his power back to normal.

Hence he had to stay awake with his wolfsbane tonic, in order to prevent himself from discharging Dark Spear’s aura in sleep and to find command over the Blood Stone stuck in his weapon.

‘And here I am, not making progress at all. God, this thing would trash harder and harder whenever I pull it out.’

Sighing heavily, Frankenstein fell to the floor as he was engrossed in thoughts, speculating for how long would he be able to keep his secret a secret when he is now entrusted with Muzaka’s favor.

Until very recently, he has been wary only of his master. Although there is a link between their minds based on their contract, Raizel respected him. He would never inspect his loyal servant’s mind even if he wants to. In other words, his master would be unaware of his distress as long as he is careful. And since he happens to be away from Raizel, technically there is not a chance of getting caught in action by the Noblesse.

In fact, the greatest threat for him as of now is the secret agent Muzaka dispatched for him.

So far Lunark has noted nothing. But there is no guarantee he can keep it that way, especially when that afternoon he could see how attentive and observant she is. And much more interested in him than he had wanted.

‘Hang on. Want? Want what?’

Startled by his own thought, he soon reprimanded himself.

‘What could you possibly want from her, Frankenstein? She may not be an enemy any longer, but she is still the one to be most wary of.’

Pushing back the bitter ache somewhere in his body that rose out of unknown reason, Frankenstein calmed his breathing.

He was already plagued with tons of worries, but he knew what he had to do – get rid of his secret as fast as he can, without letting Lunark learn what is occupying his mind and soul.

‘I should borrow Tao’s hand if I have to. He is the only one who shares my secret.’

As soon as he recalled Tao’s name for once, the three initial members of the RK whom Frankenstein had left behind in Korea popped up in his mind.

‘Which reminds me, I wonder how they are doing with their duties.’

(next chapter)

Yes, this is the reason why Frankenstein had to leave Korea (at least in my fic) in addition to his new quest in discovering the secret behind Rai’s miraculous return to life, which will surely be discussed in this fic later on.

I figured it wouldn’t be so bad to decide that Frankenstein’s Dark Spear (hence his power) got unstable because of the Blood Stone that Crombell used before his demise. In fact, in the last episode of Noblesse Frankie did mention that Dark Spear will be unstable for a while because it absorbed Crombell and his Blood Stone.

Next up, we’ll be revisiting Korea to take a look at a couple familiar faces, one of whom will be an unexpected character long forgotten. :)

#fanfic #korean webcomic #korean webtoon #noblesse #frankenstein #lunark #frankensteinxlunark #wolfsbane

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nuclearblastuk · 5 years

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AVANTASIA, the all-star rock opera spaceship piloted by EDGUY singer, songwriter and producer Tobias Sammet, release their eighth full-length album, Moonglow, via Nuclear Blast Records on February 15th. The new 11 track album sees Sammet reunited with some familiar faces from previous AVANTASIA albums. Guests include original QUEENSRYCHE lead singer Geoff Tate, PRETTY MAIDS frontman Ronnie Atkins, Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN, Jørn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN), Eric Martin (MR BIG) and MAGNUM’s Bob Catley. Moonglow also introduces new collaborators Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN, KREATOR’s Mille Petrozza and BLACKMORE’S NIGHT frontwoman Candice Night in a truly spectacular fashion. Today, AVANTASIA release the second (of three) interview trailers, in which Tobias Sammet talks about the guest musicians on »Moonglow« and explains why he chose each of them for his songs. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy-gyWoKPTQ In case you missed the first trailer, watch it here: https://youtu.be/CVSU5VP_U2o Recently, AVANTASIA also released the epic new single 'Moonglow', featuring guest singer Candice Night. Watch the lyric video for the song here: https://youtu.be/vZGQ1LsdCUM Get the song digitally here: nblast.de/AvaMoonglowSingle Listen in the NB Novelties Playlists: nblast.de/SpotifyNovelties | nblast.de/AppleMusicNovelties Tobias Sammet comments: "Yes, we’ve found a song on the new album that is below the 4 minutes benchmark and it would work as a single. And despite being rather short it’s also representative for the world of AVANTASIA. Somehow in hindsight I think that my admiration for Mike Oldfield shines through here, which wasn’t intentional but you can’t really control that. And by and large I find the song to be a typical AVANTASIA song nevertheless. The enchanting Candice Night did an amazing vocal job, and in all modesty, I think so did I, ha! 'Moonglow' is a declaration of love to the moon, the night; it’s about entering a different world and the sacred experiences that go along with it." Moonglow can be pre-ordered in the following formats: CD Digibook (36 pages) 2CD-Artbook (64 pages) 2LP (different colours) in gatefold BOX (Digibook + CD in sleeve + 2LP (ice blue + dark blue marble) in gatefold + bonus 10" (black) in sleeve + signed photo card + certificate + poster) *NB Mailorder-exclusive Pre-order the album here: nblast.de/AvantasiaMoonglow 'The Raven Child' lyric video: youtu.be/CTN2ZzpQRh4 Purchase the track here: nblast.de/AvantasiaTheRavenChild Listen in the U.K. Nukebox Playlist over on Spotify: nblast.de/SpotifyUKNukeBox Moonglow tracklist: 01. Ghost In The Moon 02. Book Of Shallows 03. Moonglow 04. The Raven Child 05. Starlight 06. Invincible 07. Alchemy 08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 09. Lavender 10. Requiem For A Dream 11. Maniac Bonus Track 12. Heart

Tobias Sammet, hailing from Fulda, created the rock event AVANTASIA in 1999 and celebrated its live premiere in 2008. With over 3,5 million records sold, he is one of the most successful musicians from Germany, having worked with Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (THE SCORPIONS), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR. BIG) as well as many other stars from the international music business. For a long time Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA has been considered an insider tip. But after countless headline performances at some of the world's largest rock festivals (Sweden Rock Festival, Québec Music Festival, Barcelona Rock Fest etc.), gold awards and several top 10 positions in the world charts, the upcoming AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 can only be considered the biggest rock event of the year! AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 27.03. SK Presov - Tatran Handball Aréna 28.03. SK Bratislava - Hant Aréna 30.03. DE Kaufbeuren - All-Karthalle 31.03. IT Milan - Alcatraz 02.04. CZ Prague - Forum Karlín *SOLD OUT* 03.04. DE Berlin - Huxleys Neue Welt 05.04. DE Ludwigsburg - MHP Arena 06.04. DE Bamberg - Brose Arena 08.04. DE Fulda - Esperantohalle 09.04. DE Saarbrücken - Saarlandhalle 10.04. FR Paris - Olympia 12.04. DE Osnabrück - Osnabrück Halle 13.04. DE Hamburg - Mehr! Theater *SOLD OUT* 14.04. DE Oberhausen - König-Pilsener-Arena 16.04. UK London - The Forum 18.04. DE Offenbach - Stadthalle 19.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 20.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 24.04. ES Bilbao - Santana 27 26.04. ES Barcelona - Razzmatazz 1 27.04. ES Madrid - Palacio Vistalegre 02.05. SE Stockholm - Arenan 04.05. RU Moscow - Glavclub Green Concert 06.05. HU Budapest - Barba Negra Track 09.05. JP Tokyo - Blitz Akasaka 12.05. AU Sydney - Metro Theatre 14.05. AU Melbourne - The Forum 17.05. US San Jose, CA - City National Civic of San Jose 19.05. US Anaheim, CA - City National Grove 21.05. US Chicago, IL - Patio Theater 23.05. CA Montreal, QUE - Metropolis 24.05. US Worcester, MA - The Palladium 26.05. MEX Mexico City - Auditorio BlackBerry 29.05. RCH Santiago - Teatro Caupolican 31.05. RA Buenos Aires - El Teatro Flores 02.06. BR São Paulo - Espaço das Américas Festivals: 11. - 13.07. D Balingen - Bang Your Head!!! 11. - 14.07. CZ Vizovice - Masters of Rock 14. - 17.08. D Dinkelsbühl - Summer Breeze More dates to be announced soon...! ICYMI: Check out the Moonglow snippet trailer: youtu.be/bHPpUbImZ5M Avantasia is: Tobias Sammet | additional keys & bass Sascha Paeth | guitars & bass Michael Rodenberg | keyboards, piano & orchestration Felix Bohne | drums Oliver Hartmann | additional lead guitars More info: tobiassammet.com facebook.com/avantasia nuclearblast.de/avantasia

#avantasia #tobias sammet #moonglow #nuclear blast #rock opera

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panda-noosh · 6 years

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ser•en•dip•it•y {part 1}{Matt Holt x Reader}

Words: 4885

Summary: You and Matt used to be childhood best friends, but that hadn’t been the case for nearly four years now. Whenever your parents insist on going to the Holt family country home for the summer, you may be forced to face old feelings as Matt makes an appearance.

Pairing: Matt Holt x Reader

Notes: p2 - p3 - p4 - p5 - p6 - FINAL; :) :) :) please give me feedback :) :) :)

Chapter 1

It had been nearly four years since you and Matt had last spoken to each other.

Matthew Holt. Best friend from before you could even remember; he was just always there. A part of your life for as long as you could remember. Your parents were friends, always around at each others houses, spending the summer together, getting along.

Until that was no longer the case.

You didn’t like to dwell on the past. You were older now – eighteen years old, to be exact. You had an entire lifetime ahead of you, meaning there was no point in looking back at past mistakes, if you could even call what happened a mistake.

The word seemed harsh for the context it was in. Though the breaking up of your friendship wasn’t necessarily a mutual and clean decision, it had happened for the best. It had happened so you could move on, live a happier life than the one promised to you with Matt in it.

Even as the thought crossed you on the hot summers day in July, you knew it was just you trying to persuade yourself of a lie.

Matt and you had been inseparable at one point. Attached to the hip, as your mother used to say. He stayed over at your house most days, and on the days when he couldn’t, you stayed over at his. You two took the same classes as you progressed into high school, and you hadn’t left each other’s side in fear of the big kids getting to you. The teasing from your classmates about you two being a couple had been something that the two of you had gotten used to at a very young age – it was like water off a ducks back at this point.

You remembered those days well. Giggling together in the lunch room as you shared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, you jokingly scolding him if his mother decided to pack him anything other than PB&J for that day.

“You know PB&J is my favourite!” your seven year old self used to wail, even as you took a largw bite out of the ham and cheese sandwich he was presenting to you.

Matt would always roll his eyes, never one to feed into your faux teasing. “Just eat, you idiot. Lunch only lasts half an hour.”

He used to treat you like such a person. He used to make you laugh with his immature jokes that anybody else would have found stupid, possibly even cringed at. You remembered the way he used to crinkle up his nose whenever even he thought one of his jokes was bad, but you would always swing your head back and laugh as if it was the funniest thing you had ever heard.

That was what made you miss it most of all, miss the friendship; you hadn’t laughed quite like that in ages. Not since Matt and you decided to abruptly part ways for a reason you still find yourself regretting to this day.

You let out a guttural groan as you push open the door of your home and step inside, school done for another nine weeks as summer slowly impended upon you. Despite it only being early July, the sun was glowering, making a thin crest of sweat coat your exposed collar bones – a fashion choice that had your history teacher sending you glares throughout the entire lesson, though even he couldn’t blame you for your choice of top.

“Y/N?” your mothers voice called from the kitchen. “Is that you?”

“Who has the heating on?” you asked in way of response, tossing your school bag onto the bottom step for later.

“The heating isn’t on,” said your mother. You stepped into the kitchen, immediately feeling your eyes dry up with the unnecessary heat which blasted your face. “I’m making cookies.”

“Of course you are.” You sighed as you settled down at the table, feeling your bones immediately relax with the new position. Your mum stood by the oven, looking in through the fogged up door with her usual, overly-giddy grin on her face. “Mum, I don’t think we particularly need cookies today. Maybe, like, ice lollies or something.”

She frowned, turning to look at you over her shoulder. “Who on earth would choose ice lollies over cookies? That’s blasphemous.”

“It’s thirty degrees Celcius outside today,” you pointed out, swiping your thumb over your top lip where sweat had begun to form. “I think it’s best we lay low on the hot foods for now. Just until it cools down.”

“You say that, but you’re always the first to suggest a barbeque whenever the sun comes out.”

You narrowed your eyes. “Don’t call me out like that in my own home.”

Your mother chuckled as she finally stood up straight, grabbing a towel from the counter and holding it in that strange way mothers often held towels – for no reason at all. It was merely a play thing between her fingers as she started up yet another conversation.

This one much more interesting than the previous.

“So, I have some news.”

“Oh great.”

“I know this might make you a little bit anxious, given your past history and everything, but me and your father recently got back in touch with a couple of old friends, had a nice little conversation in one of the new coffee shops in the town quarter.” She looked up at you, testing the waters, waiting to see your reaction.

You simply stared back at her, chewing on your bottom lip, waiting for the news to drop.

“We got talking about old times, and we’ve all decided to head down to their old country home for the summer.”

You knew the answer. The nervous glint in your mums eyes as she spoke, the way she looked down at the floor as if your own gaze was going to eliminate her completely. You knew the answer in the way her voice wavered with nerves, knowing you wouldn’t like the mysterious they she was talking about.

Even though you knew the answer, you asked anyway: “Who are they, mum?”

She inhaled sharply, gave you a sheepish smile. “The Holt family.”

You felt your insides begin to reel with a type of intensity you had never felt before. Nerves, confusion, mild anger all mixed into one big pile was slowly grabbing for you, taking a hold of your heart and squeezing it.

But you didn’t freak out – you were beyond that now. You had matured in the last four years without Matt, learned to put past grudges behind you. Learned to deal with past regrets as well, though you weren’t too sure you had mastered that just yet.

You closed your eyes and let out a shaky breath. Your mother sighed and sat down in front of you, and you felt her warm hands place themselves on top of yours; it disappointed you that she didn’t take your horrified reaction and cancel the entire thing then and there.

“I’m sorry, baby,” she said. “I really am. But the Holts were some of our closest friends back in the day, and it was difficult to say no. We don’t even know if Matt is going to be there or not – he was meant to be off for the Garrison this year-“

“It’s summer, mum,” you mumbled. “He’ll be home. So will Pidge.”

“Pidge,” your mum chuckled. “Katie.”

You sighed and ran your hands through your hair, letting your mum’s own pair slide to the table, stick against the table cloth with how warm it was. Your heartbeat was racing, and it took everything in your power not to throw the tantrum of a seven year old.

There was no point, you were aware. Nothing could change the plans already formed, and you knew it was selfish of you to think that you could get your parents to cancel a trip that clearly meant a lot to them. They weren’t lying when they said they hadn’t seen the Holt family in ages – nearly two years. Colleen and Sam Holt had once meant the world to your parents. You should have been happy for them that they were finally reconciling after so long.

But there was still that pit of dread that had settled in your stomach – the idea of seeing his face again, of seeing that wide grin and those eyes that seemed to bend and mould with his emotions. They turned into tight crescents whenever he was excited. They seemed to almost droop whenever he was upset.

You didn’t understand why you remembered these details – you just did. And they did nothing to help your nerves.

You managed a small smile at long last, letting your hands fall from your hair to land on the table. “I’m – This is exciting. Yeah. We’ll have a great time.”

Your mothers face softened. “You’re not mad?”

“Of course I’m not,” you said, and you meant it. You weren’t mad. You were terrified. “Contrary to popular belief, mother, I have matured since I was fourteen years old. I can handle coming face-to-face with an old friend.”

Your mothers face lit up like a beam. She pulled away from the table and clapped her hands, letting out a squeal of excitement as she whirled back towards the oven where the cookies were still rising.

“That’s amazing!” she exclaimed. “I’ll tell your dad right away. We’ll be on the road to Mooresville by Saturday morning!”

It was not the first time you had been to Mooresville, North Carolina.

In fact, the countryside of Mooresville was a place you had once visited almost every summer with your family and the Holts. It had become a tradition to set up camp there for nine weeks, enjoy each other’s presence, be subdued for a little while to let the stress that school had piled onto you, go.

Now, as you pulled up to the all-too familiar country house that you had once called a second-home, a shudder ran down your spine. You found yourself clenching your hands in the blanket you had draped over your bare legs, wearing only denim shorts to fight against the heat that was still clashing down on you in this moment.

The house was big. Big enough to fit eight people within it and still have room for a few more guests. The roof came up in a point, tiled and old fashioned, rickety looking now though it still had that safe feel to it, even from the outside. The walls were made of hard, glittering stone and the front door still held the ‘WELCOME’ sign that you and Matt had designed when you were six years old.

Your little brother, Jamie, took great pleasure in pointing at said sign and commenting on how he remembered you and Matt hanging it up. You didn’t understand how he remembered; he had only been four at the time.

“Here we are,” your dad said as he drove into the driveway and parked. You could already see the Holt’s minivan at the side of yours, almost the exact same as the last time you had seen it. You looked at it for a moment before being forced to avert your gaze, act as if you didn’t care as Colleen and Sam Holt scattered out from behind it.

Your mother and father wailed, throwing themselves out of the car and into the Holts arms. Pidge stumbled out behind them – you nearly lost balance at the sight of her.

Last time you had seen Pidge, she had been eleven years old. Her hair had been long, her features child like and round. She had worn dresses back then of frilly pink fabrics with bows to keep her long, light brown hair out of her face.

Clearly, tying it up had gotten too much for her and she had opted to cutting it all completely.

She looked so grown up now, caught in the body of a fifteen year old. She had on a pair of large, round glasses, and her light brown hair was cut up past her shoulders, flicking out around her head in the way Matt’s used to. She now wore a green and white jacket, a bracelet of the Garrison strapped to her wrist, barely hidden beneath the coat.

It hurt your chest to see her. You remembered looking after her with Matt, being almost as protective over her as you were with Jamie. Looking at her now, so like her older brother, made you realise that she had grown up in the past four years, and your protectiveness was no longer needed.

Jamie was wrapping his arms around Pidge in a matter of seconds, the two of them jumping up and down in the excitement of seeing each other again.

You had barely even noticed that your family had left you in the car on your own.

You sighed shakily as you opened the door and slid out of the vehicle. The warm air hit off of your skin, sweat immediately forming on any and all flesh that was visible. The eyes of the Holt family snapped to you and you gave them a small smile-

Before Colleen’s arms were wrapped around your neck and you were being pulled into her overexcited and extremely tight embrace.

You forced yourself to chuckle at the feel of her skinny arms around your neck. The laugh was muffled by her sharp shoulder which was uncovered due to the spaghetti strap tank top she had decided to wear.

“Nice to see you again too, Colleen,” you grumbled.

Colleen wailed. “Oh, Y/N! You’re so grown up now! Where has the time gone?” She pulled away, cupped your cheeks and gazed longingly at you, as if she had never seen you before. You forced an awkward smile on your face, not wanting to come off as rude but finding yourself immeasurably uncomfortable with being inspected so closely. “God, you look just like your father. You really have shaped into a fine, young woman.”

“Mom,” Pidge groaned, one arm still wrapped around Jamie’s shoulder. “Please don’t be like this. We said we wouldn’t freak out whenever we saw them.”

Colleen let her hands drop to her sides. “Right. My fault. I get overexcited sometimes.”

“It’s fine,” you assured.

“Matthew should be round in a few minutes to greet you all,” Colleen continued, and the air in your lungs suddenly seemed to have been extracted, leaving behind nothing but a shell of wheezes. You swallowed thickly and turned away, pretending like you were merely looking at the afternoon sun that was shining down on you. “He wanted to call his bedroom before anyone else got the chance to. Something about a ‘great view of the forest?’”

Sam sighed, shaking his head. “Honestly, for a boy that managed to get into the most prestigious piloting school in the world, he can be very airheaded sometimes.”

Your mother chuckled, slapping Sam’s arm only lightly. “We all want a decent room to sleep in. Now, how about we go inside and heat up some soup or something?”

“Mum, soup might not be the best food for a time like this,” Jamie pointed out. Your mother glanced at you. You raised a brow, a gesture that said told you.

Your mum rolled her eyes, didn’t respond to your little brother before she, your dad, Jamie and the Holt family were heading up the front porch and disappearing into the house.

As soon as the door closed behind them, you let yourself fall back against the car. Your breathing was ragged now, uneven as you tried to catch it, tried to steady it but there was truly no point any more. You were nervous. Your hands were trembling.

There was no point in trying to deny the nerves any more. They were there. You hadn’t gotten over the friendship-break-up that you and Matt had went through. You hadn’t gotten over Matt, which was most likely the reason as to why you were currently trembling against your car.

It had been nice seeing Colleen and Sam and Pidge; you truly had missed them in your years of separation. They had been nice to have around at one time, and had been like a second family to you. Seeing them again had made you feel happy.

But seeing Matt again may very well be a different story, you knew. You weren’t sure what you were meant to say, how you were meant to approach him. Did eighteen year olds who hadn’t seen each other in four years give each other hugs? A handshake? Should you just ignore him completely and hope the next nine weeks go by quickly?

It was all up in the clouds. You couldn’t imagine yourself leaning in to give him a hug – not for a long while. In this moment, you couldn’t even imagine yourself speaking to him, forming a coherent sentence. Not after the things you had said to each other before your dreaded split.

The door to the house opened as if on cue, as if the culprit had heard your thoughts, seen your memories through the window and had come out to join you.

Your breath left your lungs. Your mind whirled. You looked up at him, could barely keep the shock and the dread from flashing across your features as Matthew Holt stepped out onto the front porch, let his eyes graze over your family car that you were leaning against. Before he saw you, you noticed the hint of his own dread winding itself onto his features – the crinkle of his eyebrows, the way he pursed his lips as if he was silently saying a prayer to some higher being to give him mercy.

And then he spotted you, leaning against the bumper as if somebody had slammed a hand into your chest and winded you. You stared back at him, mouth slightly agape. Words were there. They were balanced on the end of your tongue, but you couldn’t say them. You could barely find the strength to stand up straight.

He looked the same as he always had – just taller. And more rugged. Much, much more taller and much, much more rugged.

His light brown hair was in it’s usual flicks. He wore a yellow jacket over a white top, a pair of blue jeans hanging low on his hips. Even in the scolding heat that North Carolina was being doused with, he still managed to keep the sweat from dripping down his face, even with the coat he had decided to wear today.

He took a step down off of the porch. “Y/N?”

You forced a smile on your face, trying not to come off as too awkward, trying to pretend like you barely even remembered the petty fight you two had gotten into the last time you had seen each other.

“Hi,” you squeaked out, and the plan was destroyed. You sounded like a frightened child cowering away from a raised hand. “Sorry. I didn’t – uh – Is my mum looking for me?”

Matt was silent for a moment, letting his eyes trail over you before he was dumbly shaking his head. “No. She wasn’t looking for you.”

You nodded, finally pushing yourself off of the car. “Oh, great then. I guess I’ll go explore.” You started towards the back of the house, wanting to hide behind the trees that were settled there. Before you could go any further than the corner, you turned. “Nice seeing you again, by the way.”

Matt smiled shyly, still staring at you in mild shock before you turned on your heel and walked away. As soon as you knew you were out of eye and ear shot, you picked your pace up to a run, disappearing amongst the trees of the forest.

Dinner time whirled around far too fast for your liking.

Jamie had been sent out to come and find you after you had fled into the forest for a few hours – you hadn’t gone far, knowing your parents would be looking for you at some point. You still needed to choose your room, still needed to unpack your stuff and take your luggage into the house.

You had followed your little brother into the house, searched for a seat, but of course, the pairings had been made. Colleen and your mother sat beside one another, your father and Sam beside one another, Pidge and Jamie beside one another – leaving only one available seat.

Next to Matt.

You hadn’t made any visible exclamations of annoyance or terror at the seating plan. You had expected this. It was what always happened; you and Matt got stuck with each other, and back in the day, that hadn’t been an issue.

You were determined not to make it seem like it was now.

You slowly took a seat next to your old best friend and poked at the bowl of soup in front of you. Matt sat rigid, immediately tensing at the feel of your presence beside him. You could smell the faint scent of freshly-mown grass coming off of him. You were surprised by the broadness of his shoulders, a direct clash to the lanky fourteen-year-old you used to know.

Oh God, what am I doing?

Sam and Colleen wasted no time in catching up with your parents. They spoke about everything and anything, updated each other on what they had missed in the past two years, how much they had missed one another and how they needed to do this again!

You nearly spit out your soup – not even one day into the current holiday and they were already planning next years. You weren’t entirely sure if you could handle such a thing.

Matt and you barely even acknowledged each other throughout the dinner. His shoulder sometimes brushed against yours as he ate, or his elbow hit yours and you would merely nod to let him know that it didn’t bother you – words were a no-go area, apparently. Though you had believed you had been making a decent attempt at civil conversation whenever you had told him it was nice to see him again, all of that confidence had drained now that you were seated beside him with no place else to escape to.

You laughed when laughter was due. You nodded to the things people said, sometimes humming in agreement, even though you had no idea what you were agreeing to most of the time. You continued to shovel spoonfuls of soup into your mouth, ignoring the sweat that was glistening at your forehead, until-

“So, Y/N.”

You looked up through the tops of your eyelids, spoon still dangling between your lips. “Hm?”

“How have things been with you?” Sam asked. He leaned over his empty bowl, clasping his fingers in front of him. “How’s school been treating you? Any boyfriends?”

Matt went rigid. “Dad.”

You shot Matt a careful glance before turning back to Sam. The question hadn’t affected you. It was one you had expected to come from them after so long of not seeing you.

“No, no boyfriends,” you said. “And schools been good. I’ve been studying psychology and biology for the last year – finished up my first year on Wednesday, actually.”

Sams eyes popped open. “Oh, really? I always thought you would want to go to the Garrison after high school.”

“Oh my God,” Matt grumbled. He ducked his head into his hand, shook it before he stood up. “I’ll get a start on the dishes.”

You frowned as you watched him go. It was clear he was distressed, the way he picked up the bowls as if they had been tacked down and he needed to use some kind of force. He took a glance at your bowl for only a second before he left it sitting in front of you, the spoon in your hand a clear indication you weren’t finished yet.

Nobody else seemed to notice the very clear frustration that had suddenly seemed to spew out of Matt.

You turned back to Sam. “No, sir. The Garrison was a little bit too intimidating for me.”

“Intimidating,” Jamie scoffed. “You couldn’t fly a jet if you tried.”

“Actually, Y/N was quite good at piloting back in high school,” your mother began, and the conversation adjusted all over again. You fell silent as they spoke your praises, talking about how you and Matt used to go up in the jets together, enjoy the view – you remembered those days vividly, as well, though they hurt to think about now. It hurt to think about all of the times you had thrown away, all the times you would never get to experience again.

Eventually, though, the day turned to evening, and everyone was retreating to their bedrooms. Your parents, along with Colleen and Sam, had not refused the drink that Sam had brought to the country home, thus meaning you and Matt had to help the drunken adults clamber upstairs into their assigned chambers. You had one arm looped around your mothers waist, one arm gripping your fathers wrist as you dragged them both upstairs. Matt trampled behind you, dealing with his own parents in a much more swift and easy manner – he just dragged them up.

You couldn’t help but notice the new strength he seemed to have developed over the years – never before would he have been able to haul both of his drunken parents up the stairs on his own. Back when he was younger, he could barely carry multiple cups at the same time. Now, the weight he was carrying seemed almost natural, as if he was used to carrying things that weighed the same as two human beings.

Neither of you spoke as you turned the corner and kicked open the door to your parents bedrooms – Colleen and Sam’s were directly across from your parents.

Your parents stumbled out of your grip at the first sight of the bed before them and landed in a pile amongst the covers. You sighed and shook your head, folding your arms over your chest.

“Just this once, I’ll let you off with it,” you said. “Only because it’s the first night and I know you’re going to regret this in the morning.”

“Stop staring at Matt,” your mother hissed. You blinked. “I’m extremely tired. Extremely, extremely tired.”

Your dad nodded in agreement. Their heads clashed together as the two of them both went out like a light, no explanation to the first four words that had come out of your mothers mouth.

You hollowed out your cheeks, refused to dwell on them more than needed. Instead, you turned on your heel and headed back out into the hallway, silently cursing your own timing as Matt seemed to do the exact same thing.

You stood by your parents door, waiting for him to turn around. When he finally did, his eyes widened, brown irises tracing over you in the same way they had done on the front porch only hours before.

“Oh,” was all he said.

You smiled softly. “Hello.”

“Hi.”

You looked away, folded your arms over your chest. Now that the sun was setting, the chill of night was beginning to sift through the house, nipping at your exposed arms. You wrapped them around yourself, tried to pretend like you weren’t feeling the tension between the two of you right now.

“They’re going to be extremely hungover in the morning,” said Matt. “We should – uh – probably get some sleep so we can take care of them when they wake up.”

“Mine will be out until at least midday,” you replied. Matt cracked a smile – not the laughter you were so used to, but it was something. A middle ground you two could meet. “But I agree. I’m getting kind of tired myself.”

He nodded. “Is Pidge and Jamie in bed?”

“I think they crashed on the sofa. I’ll probably end up falling asleep in the living room, too – I’ve yet to decide where I’m sleeping.”

“Well, there’s a spare room across from mine that has a pretty decent view of the front garden.” You fought the urge to widen your eyes, to splutter out in shock at his offer – could you even call it an offer? He had simply informed you of the empty room across from his. It didn’t mean anything – not to him, anyway.

“I’ll look at it tomorrow,” you responded, cursing how hoarse your voice suddenly sounded. “Thank you. Have a good sleep.”

He smiled softly. You wanted to stick around, to ask him how he felt, if he was feeling the tension just as much as you, but you turned on your heel and fled towards the living room before you could give yourself the chance. The thought of him responding with yes, that he did feel the tension, that he did feel awkward around you now, was enough to make you decide against even asking in the first place. You could wait to have your heart crushed for another day.

You would just have to get through the first week, at least. The first week would be the most difficult, and then things were bound to flatten out.

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #voltron scenarios #voltron headcanons #voltron fics #voltron fanfics #matt holt x reader #matthew holt #matt holt #matt holt imagine #matt holt scenarios #matt holt voltron

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aalensharp · 3 years

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amanabroad · 7 years

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Wednesday 25th January 2017 "in which I sample a perfect iced coffee"

After a short photo walk before breakfast it was time to board our transport to visit Banteay Prieb, The Center of the Dove.

"Banteay Prieb is a training center and home for young people with disabilities. Here, men and women disabled by land mines, war, accidents and polio, come here to live, learn, tell their stories, and draw strength from one another. The Center’s programs impart skills and values that enhance their sense of dignity and self esteem, and provide possibilities for income generation and self support.” (sic)

A nice touch were the student statements on the corridor walls, for all to see. Make sure to read the statement pictured above, it tells you more about the students than I ever could.

After checking out the work being done in the vegetable gardens we adjourned for a refreshing iced coffee in the kitchen, pictured above, made and served by the students. To us the act of making coffee is a simple everyday task we give no thought to. Not so here. Making an iced coffee is an achievement, with a set of skills that for some has to be mastered. And master it they did.

This visit also gave us the opportunity to catch up with Christina, who on my previous visits had been employed by the NGO New Humanity. Following their decision to withdraw from Cambodia she has now taken on a role at Banteay Prieb.

Fr Mark lead a moving mass for us, where we had the opportunity to offer our thoughts on a person, or persons, we had seen that had, in some way, had an effect on us. My choice was the lady drying the rice I featured in a previous post.

The evening was spent at the Herb Cafe, where cocktails were enjoyed by all, nearly all.

And so to bed.

#Cambodia #Banteay Prieb #Sony RX100V

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recentnews18-blog · 6 years

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New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/everything-you-need-to-know-to-master-japanese-food-infographic/

Everything You Need To Know To Master Japanese Food – Infographic

Noodles are a staple part of Japanese cuisine, but there is so much more to Japanese food than Ramen! If you’re planning a trip to Japan, the variety of Japanese food to try is a literal feast of gastronomical delights! From hand-prepared sushi to hot food on a stick, there’s a wealth of culturally rich and delicious cuisine to sample. Now, you’re probably thinking “but where to start”? With this handy infographic and introduction into Japanese cuisine, you’ll soon be able to order delicious Japanese food like a professional traveller!

Noodles

Although there is so much more to Japanese food than noodles, this humble food staple needs a mention! Noodles have been eaten in Japan for thousands of years, and I don’t mean instant ramen, although the average Japanese person eats around 45 packets of instant ramen a year!

There are many types of noodles, but the most popular are: Ramen, Soba, Shirataki, Udon, Sōmen, Harusame and Tokoroten. The oldest noodle is thought to be the Tokoroten, a white and jelly-like noodle. Most noodles are made from flour (either buckwheat or wheat flour) and water. But some like Tokoroten or Harusame are made from ingredients such as seaweed, potato or mung bean starch.

Sushi

Sushi is a delicious dish made of seasoned rice topped with seafood or vegetables.

TAKEAWAY: Do you know where the word “sushi” comes from? Thousands of years ago, fish was kept in fermented rice to stop it from spoiling. The rice in this preparation called narezushi was originally discarded, but the Japanese discovered that using vinegar negated the need for fermentation. However, the vinegar left a “sour taste”, which translated to Japanese becomes “sushi”.

Service rice and fish together as sushi became popular in Japan in the 17th Century. But it wasn’t until the 20th Century that sushi’s popularity exploded around the world thanks to the California Roll. There are many types of sushi, but the most popular are: Nigiri, Maki, Chirashi and Oshi.

Insider’s tip: In general, you are supposed to consume a piece of sushi in one bite so as not to destroy the chef’s beautiful work!

Japanese Snacks & Street Food

When wandering around Japan’s cities, there will be plenty of stalls and food vans where you can sample some of the tastiest street food in the world. The Japanese love food on a stick, so make sure to try some tasty Yakitori (similar to a kebab but on a stick of bamboo). Or if you fancy something a little different, you must try my personal favourite: Takoyaki. These are delicious deep-fried balls of seasoned octopus and veggies that are served piping hot with a drizzle of Japanese mayo on top. They are seriously good!

Japanese Desserts

For some, dessert is the highlight of a meal, and the Japanese definitely know how to do desserts. If you’re eating in a fancy restaurant, make sure to sample anmitsu. It’s kind of like jelly and ice cream but is served beautifully with pieces of fruit and agar jelly.

If you’re on the go or fancy a sweet snack, try mochi. These delicious balls of sweet sticky rice come in so many flavours, you’ll want to try them all! Another popular sweet treat is dorayaki. These are two squishy sponge pancakes with sweet bean paste sandwiched in between. You might recognise them from the anime Doraemon (whose name came from this dessert) or the viral internet bunny Oolong, as he balanced a dorayaki on his head!

Japanese Drinks

Finally, let’s talk drinks. The green tea in Japan is delicious, much better than any instant bag versions you’ll try outside of the country! Japanese green tea is produced by steaming rather than firing the leaves, which gives it a beautiful subtle taste. For those who fancy something a little stronger, there’s nihonshu, or what we Westerners call “sake”. This is a Japanese rice wine and is made in a similar way to beer.

Insider’s tip: It’s very rude to start drinking before everyone at your table also has a drink and is ready to raise their glasses for a toast, which is usually “Kampai!”

Well, now that you know everything there is to know to master Japanese food, ready for a trip to Japan? You will look like a professional traveller when ordering and eating the most representative Japanese dishes. And if you love what you are tasting, remember to show it to the chef by eating up until the last grain of rice and making some satisfactory noises. Sluuuuuurrrrp!

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katestubbs61-blog · 6 years

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Sound Reward Payer, But This 4% Yielding Microcap Sell May Be A Lot Better.

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houstonlocalus-blog · 7 years

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Visual Vernacular: Adela Andea

Adela Andea, “A.57,” 2016 (detail)

Twists in technology, variance in visual velocity, lengthening light, and capturing natural conundrums are all intertwined into Adela Andea’s work. Transitioning from her work on canvas to elaborate sculptures and installations, Andea has been illuminating spaces and captivating audiences here in Houston and beyond for years. The spark seen in her eye is seen in the glow of her sculptures, otherworldly and effervescent in nature. In her latest exhibition at Anya Tish Gallery, Glacial Parallax, the artist grapples with the advancements of technology while the natural world rapidly declines, such as in the glaciers in Alaska and elsewhere.

Anya Tish has hosted Andea’s work on multiple occasions, each show luminous in its own right, but this show overwhelmingly brings together multiple concepts and materials to make for a mammoth of visual delight. This sensory experience goes beyond the materials to gracefully pin point important topics racking our society. Andea was gracious enough to elaborate on her current exhibition along with her story on how she came to make such momentous work.

Free Press Houston: What particular part of your childhood unveiled visual art as an interest for you?

Adela Andea: As I was growing up in Romania, I had a close connection with the old orthodox churches. The beautifully painted icons and frescos were the only reason my grandmother was able to drag me to the church on Sundays. I remember staring at all the details of the paintings; some were more than 300 years old. I did not have artists in the family, but I found books that inspired me to draw and paint. Before I was in the first grade, before I could read and write I was already attempting to imitate artworks by Goya. These are the earliest memories I have about art.

FPH: How did you make the shift into artistic studies?

Andea: After spending some time working as a paralegal in California, I realized that my calling was art so I moved to Houston and graduated Valedictorian and Summa Cum Laude from the Painting program at the University of Houston. I continued my higher education in Studio Arts and I received my Master of Fine Arts in New Media, with a minor in Sculpture from University of North Texas, Denton, Texas.

While I was working on my degrees I was introduced to contemporary concepts, trends and theories, which influenced overall my transformation as an artist. It was a difficult experience, as I was constantly trying to better myself, absorb all the information I can possibly can and be the best at what I am doing. It was an opportunity and a luxury I did not have before in my life and I appreciate it every moment.

Adela Andea, “Ice Flare,” 2016.

FPH: What are some experiences that helped shape your artistic concept, drawing from nature and technology?

Andea: My art education has the biggest influence over my artistic life. It was during that period when my affinity to contemporary art currents crystalized and gave shape to my endeavors into installations using light.

Outside academia, there are periodical events that weight heavier in my artistic carrier. Such events can be recreational in nature – my cruise trip to Alaska a few years ago brought new awareness in me on the ecological issues – or professional – my residency in France last year immersed me in a new culture from where I drew inspiration for my art.

FPH: How did one of your first major shows at Lawndale Art Center help shape your visual voice into creating work of technology and light?

Andea: After I finished my BFA in painting at University of Houston I applied for my first solo show at Lawndale, The Green Cyber Web. I majored in painting for the love of painting. While I was in the studio program, I realized that paint or color is a perception of the eye, and it can be achieved with different materials, besides colors from a tube. When I projected the green cathode light on one of my painted objects I was startled by the effect, it was exactly what I was looking for in my art. I knew I made a leap in what I was doing. I was finished with my previous work and I moved on from painting and traditional sculpture into this new medium.

I started to research the new technologies on the market. These latest technological advancements inspired me to create the artworks I wanted. None of my works contain neon lights, it is all LED or CCFL. While I was already thinking about big installation, the show at Lawndale offered me the opportunity to create a full room installation. Environments, according to Allen Kaprow, are an extension of painting when referring to the issue of space. The spaces I am working with are a major consideration for how the installation will work and I took in consideration the architecture of the room as a component of the artwork. My proposal at Lawndale was specifically for the gallery that it was displayed in.

Also during that time, conceptually my work started to take shape and focus meaning of nature, natural vs. artificial concepts, environmental issues and technological advances. By applying the dichotomy of the concept natural vs artificial and it contemplates positively on the necessity of progress and technological advances, blending artistically the romantic notion of nature with the manmade esthetic.

Adela Andea, “A.57,” 2016.

FPH: Recently you participated in a residency in France. What was that experience like for you?

Andea: I had the honor at the end of last year to be invited by Zebra 3 Foundation with funds provided by the city of Bordeaux for a residency and show at the Crystal Palace in the old downtown of Bordeaux. It was a great experience that will stay with me for a long time. The materials were procured by the organization upon my specification upon arriving and I worked with an assistant for almost a month to finish an installation from scratch on the site. While I was working hard to finish the work, I also had the chance to experience the food, the culture and visit historic locations. My assistant there deserves all the credit for being a great liaison.

FPH: Tell me about your evolution of some of your current work on display at Anya Tish Gallery. What are some of the highlights of the show visually and conceptually that you are now expanding upon?

Andea: The new concept I wanted to discuss with this show is the technical notion of “parallax” when it becomes a metaphor of the different points of view on the environmental issues. Just like real life parallax produces different views depending of the line of sight, my arts is addressing the different positions taken in the society that vary based on the position and situation of the observer. The environmental movement became a political movement, the new religion of the popular culture, mostly supported by the mass media influence. The whole discussion gravitates around the notion that man-made pollution is the cause of environmental decay. Some of the scientific arguments are contaminated by economic and political agendas.

Formally there are three types of work that I developed simultaneously while preparing for the fourth solo show at Anya Tish. While they are all connected conceptually, my continuous concern with the destruction of the environment, formally they differ.

The large sphere, titled “A.57,” is representing an imaginary asteroid or planet where the energies of various materials translate into a plasmatic eruption of colors. The work incorporates various previous materials and experiments wrapped into a sphere that encompasses the essence of my work in the past decade. To paraphrase Otto Piene, “Light is the incarnation of visible energy.” For me this piece has a variety of energies that emulate the existence of a live planet.

The triangular shaped mirror plexiglass pieces, like “Glacial Fracture,” “Glacial Onyx,” and “Ice Flare,” maintain the simplicity of geometric shapes while allowing through multiplicity to create organic shapes for the pieces. This play between organic and geometric insists on the visual transformation of inorganic into organic matter. The aesthetic aspects of this work comment on the antithetic perception of real vs. artificial or organic vs. geometric, deconstructing the structure of nature into geometric forms.

Multiplicity is another formal element that I embrace with my work. Either it is a large installation or a small wall dependent piece. The “Ice Grain” series and “Sun Draft” focus on one type of material that I repeat a million times. They become mini universes, obsessive detailed work that takes months to finalize. However, I enjoy the process as it also allows my mind to develop new ideas.

Adela Andea, “Glacial Fracture,” 2016.

FPH: How has your interaction with the community here in Houston and beyond with large site-specific instillations affected you as an artist?

Andea: I like to interact with artists who are unique and confident on their work. I think Houston attracts these independent type of artists. To be original and different from everybody else seems to characterize what artists have in common in this area. This lack of a cohesive art scene is what I appreciate the most and I consider it an asset to this community. It is a very vibrant and diverse group of people, also very warm and welcoming.

FPH: In a time where technology is put on such a pedestal, how does art/how does your art manage to strike a balance between the digital and the visual?

Andea: My art offers opportunities to investigate the visual significance of the contemporary technologies. It provides a commentary on the individual interaction, theoretical discussion of the post-traditional self and how certain technologies are embedded in our culture. The infusion of my art with the new technologies relies on recent technological advances, which are also well received through consumer perspective.

FPH: Any upcoming projects you would like to mention?

Andea: The upcoming show from May through September at the Total Plaza in downtown Houston is curated by Sally Reynolds and will display a large installation, as well free standing and wall dependent sculptures. Also, I am working on an outdoor sculpture project that I prefer to keep it secret until the details are finalized.

Adela Andea’s exhibition “Glacial Parallax” is on view at Anya Tish Gallery (4411 Montrose) through February 4.

Visual Vernacular: Adela Andea this is a repost

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nuclearblastuk · 5 years

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AVANTASIA | TOBIAS CELEBRATES WORLDWIDE CHART SUCCESS BY RELEASING THE OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO FOR NEW TRACK, 'STARLIGHT'

Having reached #2 a total of three times now, #AVANTASIA frontman #TobiasSammet can finally say he has conquered the official German album charts by landing a #1 with his sensational new album #Moonglow. The album stormed the charts in the UK too, reaching #38 in the National Charts, #1 in the Rock Charts and #2 in the Indie Charts. To celebrate this triumphant success, the elated band leader has released a lyric video for new track, 'Starlight'. Watch and listen, here: youtu.be/woEF06SOc_A "It's a really extraordinary feeling, to reach the very top after being only second for such a long time", says Tobias. "It's beautiful to see how this worked out for me with a sound, for which - according to the opinion of some experts - there is no place in this generic mainstream world. And the best thing is: Fans all around the world love the record and we can kick off our world tour knowing of their support and have lots of fun!" Order Moonglow: nblast.de/AvantasiaMoonglow Order tickets for the London show: seetickets.com/event/avantasia/o2-forum-kentish-town/1224620 The new 11 track album sees Sammet reunited with some familiar faces from previous AVANTASIA albums. Guests include original QUEENSRYCHE lead singer Geoff Tate, PRETTY MAIDS frontman Ronnie Atkins, Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN, Jørn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN), Eric Martin (MR BIG) and MAGNUM’s Bob Catley. Moonglow also introduces new collaborators Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN, KREATOR’s Mille Petrozza and BLACKMORE’S NIGHT frontwoman Candice Night in a truly spectacular fashion. Moonglow can be ordered in the following formats: CD Digibook (36 pages) 2CD-Artbook (64 pages) 2LP (different colours) in gatefold BOX (Digibook + CD in sleeve + 2LP (ice blue + dark blue marble) in gatefold + bonus 10" (black) in sleeve + signed photo card + certificate + poster) *NB Mailorder-exclusive Watch Tobias and Candice duel it out in the official Moonglow video, here: youtu.be/Mk0FTHqmO9o Watch and listen to 'The Raven Child' lyric video: youtu.be/CTN2ZzpQRh4 Moonglow tracklist: 01. Ghost In The Moon 02. Book Of Shallows 03. Moonglow 04. The Raven Child 05. Starlight 06. Invincible 07. Alchemy 08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 09. Lavender 10. Requiem For A Dream 11. Maniac Bonus Track 12. Heart

Tobias Sammet, hailing from Fulda, created the rock event AVANTASIA in 1999 and celebrated its live premiere in 2008. With over 3,5 million records sold, he is one of the most successful musicians from Germany, having worked with Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (THE SCORPIONS), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR. BIG) as well as many other stars from the international music business. For a long time Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA has been considered an insider tip. But after countless headline performances at some of the world's largest rock festivals (Sweden Rock Festival, Québec Music Festival, Barcelona Rock Fest etc.), gold awards and several top 10 positions in the world charts, the upcoming AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 can only be considered the biggest rock event of the year! AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 27.03. SK Presov - Tatran Handball Aréna 28.03. SK Bratislava - Hant Aréna 30.03. DE Kaufbeuren - All-Karthalle *SOLD OUT* 31.03. IT Milan - Alcatraz 02.04. CZ Prague - Forum Karlín *SOLD OUT* 03.04. DE Berlin - Huxleys Neue Welt 05.04. DE Ludwigsburg - MHP Arena 06.04. DE Bamberg - Brose Arena 08.04. DE Fulda - Esperantohalle 09.04. DE Saarbrücken - Saarlandhalle 10.04. FR Paris - Olympia 12.04. DE Osnabrück - Osnabrück Halle 13.04. DE Hamburg - Mehr! Theater *SOLD OUT* 14.04. DE Oberhausen - König-Pilsener-Arena 16.04. UK London - The Forum 18.04. DE Offenbach - Stadthalle 19.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 20.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 24.04. ES Bilbao - Santana 27 26.04. ES Barcelona - Razzmatazz 1 27.04. ES Madrid - Palacio Vistalegre 02.05. SE Stockholm - Arenan 04.05. RU Moscow - Glavclub Green Concert 06.05. HU Budapest - Barba Negra Track 09.05. JP Tokyo - Blitz Akasaka 12.05. AU Sydney - Metro Theatre 14.05. AU Melbourne - The Forum 17.05. US San Jose, CA - City National Civic of San Jose 19.05. US Anaheim, CA - City National Grove 21.05. US Chicago, IL - Patio Theater 23.05. CA Montreal, QUE - Metropolis 24.05. US Worcester, MA - The Palladium 26.05. MEX Mexico City - Auditorio BlackBerry 29.05. RCH Santiago - Teatro Caupolican 31.05. RA Buenos Aires - El Teatro Flores 02.06. BR São Paulo - Espaço das Américas Festivals: 11. - 13.07. D Balingen - Bang Your Head!!! 11. - 14.07. CZ Vizovice - Masters of Rock 14. - 17.08. D Dinkelsbühl - Summer Breeze More dates to be announced soon...! ICYMI: Check out the Moonglow snippet trailer: youtu.be/bHPpUbImZ5M Trailer #1: youtu.be/CVSU5VP_U2o Trailer #2: youtube.com/watch?v=Dy-gyWoKPTQ Trailer #3: youtu.be/9cicqsmk8-4 Avantasia is: Tobias Sammet | additional keys & bass Sascha Paeth | guitars & bass Michael Rodenberg | keyboards, piano & orchestration Felix Bohne | drums Oliver Hartmann | additional lead guitars More info: tobiassammet.com facebook.com/avantasia nuclearblast.de/avantasia

#AVANTASIA #tobiassammet #moonglow #starlight

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nuclearblastuk · 5 years

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AVANTASIA, the all-star rock opera spaceship piloted by EDGUY singer, songwriter and producer Tobias Sammet, release their eighth full-length album, Moonglow, via Nuclear Blast Records TODAY! To celebrate the release, Tobias has unleashed the official video for the title track of the album, featuring Candice Night. Watch Tobias and Candice duel it out in the official Moonglow video, here: youtu.be/Mk0FTHqmO9o Order Moonglow: nblast.de/AvantasiaMoonglow The new 11 track album sees Sammet reunited with some familiar faces from previous AVANTASIA albums. Guests include original QUEENSRYCHE lead singer Geoff Tate, PRETTY MAIDS frontman Ronnie Atkins, Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN, Jørn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN), Eric Martin (MR BIG) and MAGNUM’s Bob Catley. Moonglow also introduces new collaborators Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN, KREATOR’s Mille Petrozza and BLACKMORE’S NIGHT frontwoman Candice Night in a truly spectacular fashion. Moonglow can be ordered in the following formats: CD Digibook (36 pages) 2CD-Artbook (64 pages) 2LP (different colours) in gatefold BOX (Digibook + CD in sleeve + 2LP (ice blue + dark blue marble) in gatefold + bonus 10" (black) in sleeve + signed photo card + certificate + poster) *NB Mailorder-exclusive 'The Raven Child' lyric video: youtu.be/CTN2ZzpQRh4 Purchase the track here: nblast.de/AvantasiaTheRavenChild Listen in the U.K. Nukebox Playlist over on Spotify: nblast.de/SpotifyUKNukeBox Moonglow tracklist: 01. Ghost In The Moon 02. Book Of Shallows 03. Moonglow 04. The Raven Child 05. Starlight 06. Invincible 07. Alchemy 08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 09. Lavender 10. Requiem For A Dream 11. Maniac Bonus Track 12. Heart

Tobias Sammet, hailing from Fulda, created the rock event AVANTASIA in 1999 and celebrated its live premiere in 2008. With over 3,5 million records sold, he is one of the most successful musicians from Germany, having worked with Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (THE SCORPIONS), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR. BIG) as well as many other stars from the international music business. For a long time Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA has been considered an insider tip. But after countless headline performances at some of the world's largest rock festivals (Sweden Rock Festival, Québec Music Festival, Barcelona Rock Fest etc.), gold awards and several top 10 positions in the world charts, the upcoming AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 can only be considered the biggest rock event of the year! AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 27.03. SK Presov - Tatran Handball Aréna 28.03. SK Bratislava - Hant Aréna 30.03. DE Kaufbeuren - All-Karthalle *SOLD OUT* 31.03. IT Milan - Alcatraz 02.04. CZ Prague - Forum Karlín *SOLD OUT* 03.04. DE Berlin - Huxleys Neue Welt 05.04. DE Ludwigsburg - MHP Arena 06.04. DE Bamberg - Brose Arena 08.04. DE Fulda - Esperantohalle 09.04. DE Saarbrücken - Saarlandhalle 10.04. FR Paris - Olympia 12.04. DE Osnabrück - Osnabrück Halle 13.04. DE Hamburg - Mehr! Theater *SOLD OUT* 14.04. DE Oberhausen - König-Pilsener-Arena 16.04. UK London - The Forum 18.04. DE Offenbach - Stadthalle 19.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 20.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 24.04. ES Bilbao - Santana 27 26.04. ES Barcelona - Razzmatazz 1 27.04. ES Madrid - Palacio Vistalegre 02.05. SE Stockholm - Arenan 04.05. RU Moscow - Glavclub Green Concert 06.05. HU Budapest - Barba Negra Track 09.05. JP Tokyo - Blitz Akasaka 12.05. AU Sydney - Metro Theatre 14.05. AU Melbourne - The Forum 17.05. US San Jose, CA - City National Civic of San Jose 19.05. US Anaheim, CA - City National Grove 21.05. US Chicago, IL - Patio Theater 23.05. CA Montreal, QUE - Metropolis 24.05. US Worcester, MA - The Palladium 26.05. MEX Mexico City - Auditorio BlackBerry 29.05. RCH Santiago - Teatro Caupolican 31.05. RA Buenos Aires - El Teatro Flores 02.06. BR São Paulo - Espaço das Américas Festivals: 11. - 13.07. D Balingen - Bang Your Head!!! 11. - 14.07. CZ Vizovice - Masters of Rock 14. - 17.08. D Dinkelsbühl - Summer Breeze More dates to be announced soon...! ICYMI: Check out the Moonglow snippet trailer: youtu.be/bHPpUbImZ5M Trailer #1: youtu.be/CVSU5VP_U2o Trailer #2: youtube.com/watch?v=Dy-gyWoKPTQ Trailer #3: youtu.be/9cicqsmk8-4 Avantasia is: Tobias Sammet | additional keys & bass Sascha Paeth | guitars & bass Michael Rodenberg | keyboards, piano & orchestration Felix Bohne | drums Oliver Hartmann | additional lead guitars More info: tobiassammet.com facebook.com/avantasia nuclearblast.de/avantasia

#avantasia #tobias sammet #moonglow #nuclear blast #symphonic rock

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nuclearblastuk · 5 years

Photo

AVANTASIA, the all-star rock opera spaceship piloted by EDGUY singer, songwriter and producer Tobias Sammet, release their eighth full-length album, Moonglow, via Nuclear Blast Records on February 15th. The new 11 track album sees Sammet reunited with some familiar faces from previous AVANTASIA albums. Guests include original QUEENSRYCHE lead singer Geoff Tate, PRETTY MAIDS frontman Ronnie Atkins, Michael Kiske of HELLOWEEN, Jørn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN), Eric Martin (MR BIG) and MAGNUM’s Bob Catley. Moonglow also introduces new collaborators Hansi Kürsch of BLIND GUARDIAN, KREATOR’s Mille Petrozza and BLACKMORE’S NIGHT frontwoman Candice Night in a truly spectacular fashion. Today, AVANTASIA release the last one of three interview trailers, in which Tobias Sammet talks about what inspired him when writing 'Moonglow'. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/9cicqsmk8-4 In case you missed the first two trailers, watch them here: Trailer #1:https://youtu.be/CVSU5VP_U2o Trailer #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy-gyWoKPTQ Recently, AVANTASIA also released the epic new single 'Moonglow', featuring guest singer Candice Night. Watch the lyric video for the song here: https://youtu.be/vZGQ1LsdCUM Get the song digitally here: nblast.de/AvaMoonglowSingle Listen in the NB Novelties Playlists: nblast.de/SpotifyNovelties | nblast.de/AppleMusicNovelties Tobias Sammet comments: "Yes, we’ve found a song on the new album that is below the 4 minutes benchmark and it would work as a single. And despite being rather short it’s also representative for the world of AVANTASIA. Somehow in hindsight I think that my admiration for Mike Oldfield shines through here, which wasn’t intentional but you can’t really control that. And by and large I find the song to be a typical AVANTASIA song nevertheless. The enchanting Candice Night did an amazing vocal job, and in all modesty, I think so did I, ha! 'Moonglow' is a declaration of love to the moon, the night; it’s about entering a different world and the sacred experiences that go along with it." Moonglow can be pre-ordered in the following formats: CD Digibook (36 pages) 2CD-Artbook (64 pages) 2LP (different colours) in gatefold BOX (Digibook + CD in sleeve + 2LP (ice blue + dark blue marble) in gatefold + bonus 10" (black) in sleeve + signed photo card + certificate + poster) *NB Mailorder-exclusive Pre-order the album here: nblast.de/AvantasiaMoonglow 'The Raven Child' lyric video: youtu.be/CTN2ZzpQRh4 Purchase the track here: nblast.de/AvantasiaTheRavenChild Listen in the U.K. Nukebox Playlist over on Spotify: nblast.de/SpotifyUKNukeBox Moonglow tracklist: 01. Ghost In The Moon 02. Book Of Shallows 03. Moonglow 04. The Raven Child 05. Starlight 06. Invincible 07. Alchemy 08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn 09. Lavender 10. Requiem For A Dream 11. Maniac Bonus Track 12. Heart

Tobias Sammet, hailing from Fulda, created the rock event AVANTASIA in 1999 and celebrated its live premiere in 2008. With over 3,5 million records sold, he is one of the most successful musicians from Germany, having worked with Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (THE SCORPIONS), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (MR. BIG) as well as many other stars from the international music business. For a long time Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA has been considered an insider tip. But after countless headline performances at some of the world's largest rock festivals (Sweden Rock Festival, Québec Music Festival, Barcelona Rock Fest etc.), gold awards and several top 10 positions in the world charts, the upcoming AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 can only be considered the biggest rock event of the year! AVANTASIA - Moonglow World Tour 2019 27.03. SK Presov - Tatran Handball Aréna 28.03. SK Bratislava - Hant Aréna 30.03. DE Kaufbeuren - All-Karthalle *SOLD OUT* 31.03. IT Milan - Alcatraz 02.04. CZ Prague - Forum Karlín *SOLD OUT* 03.04. DE Berlin - Huxleys Neue Welt 05.04. DE Ludwigsburg - MHP Arena 06.04. DE Bamberg - Brose Arena 08.04. DE Fulda - Esperantohalle 09.04. DE Saarbrücken - Saarlandhalle 10.04. FR Paris - Olympia 12.04. DE Osnabrück - Osnabrück Halle 13.04. DE Hamburg - Mehr! Theater *SOLD OUT* 14.04. DE Oberhausen - König-Pilsener-Arena 16.04. UK London - The Forum 18.04. DE Offenbach - Stadthalle 19.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 20.04. CH Pratteln - Z7 24.04. ES Bilbao - Santana 27 26.04. ES Barcelona - Razzmatazz 1 27.04. ES Madrid - Palacio Vistalegre 02.05. SE Stockholm - Arenan 04.05. RU Moscow - Glavclub Green Concert 06.05. HU Budapest - Barba Negra Track 09.05. JP Tokyo - Blitz Akasaka 12.05. AU Sydney - Metro Theatre 14.05. AU Melbourne - The Forum 17.05. US San Jose, CA - City National Civic of San Jose 19.05. US Anaheim, CA - City National Grove 21.05. US Chicago, IL - Patio Theater 23.05. CA Montreal, QUE - Metropolis 24.05. US Worcester, MA - The Palladium 26.05. MEX Mexico City - Auditorio BlackBerry 29.05. RCH Santiago - Teatro Caupolican 31.05. RA Buenos Aires - El Teatro Flores 02.06. BR São Paulo - Espaço das Américas Festivals: 11. - 13.07. D Balingen - Bang Your Head!!! 11. - 14.07. CZ Vizovice - Masters of Rock 14. - 17.08. D Dinkelsbühl - Summer Breeze More dates to be announced soon...! ICYMI: Check out the Moonglow snippet trailer: youtu.be/bHPpUbImZ5M Avantasia is: Tobias Sammet | additional keys & bass Sascha Paeth | guitars & bass Michael Rodenberg | keyboards, piano & orchestration Felix Bohne | drums Oliver Hartmann | additional lead guitars More info: tobiassammet.com facebook.com/avantasia nuclearblast.de/avantasia

#avantasia #tobias sammet #moonglow #nuclear blast #rock opera

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