#⤷ seth solo. // threads

[mnolith]

"You knew my grandfather," Anakin told him while he spent time in the World Between Worlds while in his coma. "He misses you." Sometimes the Chosen One would come to him at night. He would try to guide him the best way he could. As a Force ghost, he would tell him about his life and how much pain he caused. Seth guessed it was a warning. A warning of what could happen if he chose the Dark side.

@valorums

#valorums #⤷ seth solo. // prove yourself and rise #⤷ seth solo. // threads #; thread

[unwaivering]

"I thought you were sleeping." (to Seth from Obi-Wan).

"I COULDN'T SLEEP." Seth had another nightmare so he padded into the living room at one a.m. to find his uncle still awake. "Why are you awake? Aeron yelling at another game?" He didn't hear anything. Solo had figured that his other uncle had passed out by now.

#shadowedlights #⤷ seth solo. // can you hear me now #⤷ seth solo. // threads #; thread

[david-talks-sw]

Do you think the Star Wars universe could handle a story with gray morality, where good and evil aren't easily defined?

If the story doesn't have Force users?

Easily.

Solo, Book of Boba Fett, Rogue One, these are all stories where I think there was an opportunity to really make the characters morally "gray".

If you want my opinion, in Solo & Fett, they barely scratched the surface. In Rogue One, they explored it with Cassian Andor, but also offset it by changing Jyn Erso from this kick-ass rebel into this starry-eyed girl who says "hope" every other scene.

But in each of the above-mentioned movies, there's a danger about it not feeling like Star Wars anymore.

Solo is "Star Wars meets the heist subgenre",

Fett might've been "Star Wars meets the crime show subgenre",

Rogue One is "Star Wars meets the war movie subgenre".

So it's Star Wars... with something else that - some would argue - dilutes it. At it's core, Star Wars is fundamentally about Good vs Evil. As a result, these various genres are never explored quite to my personal satisfaction.

I'm part of the crowd that thinks the Star Wars movie franchise should expand it's genres exponentially.

I wanna see a romcom that starts in the Jedi Temple and ends with a passionate speech in Cloud City,

I wanna see a buddy-cop movie between Quinlan Vos and Vilmar Grarhk/Mace and Anakin/Yoda and Maz Kanata,

I wanna see a horror film where the monster is a Sith Lord,

I wanna see a zombie movie with Doctor Evazan as the mastermind villain,

a detective noir film set between Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 featuring Rael Averross investigating the disappearance of some Kaleesh warlord and eventually finding out about Dooku's turn to the Dark Side

and a slice-of-life comedy about the entire disaster lineage. Seriously I just need this whole thread to be canon.

But I'm not holding my breath because I know that there'd be a big chunk of people who'd go "this doesn't feel like Star Wars" and "you're hurting the brand".

It's why George Lucas & Seth Green's Star Wars Detours was cancelled.

It's why Lord and Miller left Solo.

The brand can't change too much, apparently. As cheesy as it is, it has to be about Good vs Evil, it has to be about hope, etc.

So it gets relegated to other mediums. Qira and the Crimson Reign comic come to mind. She’s awesome, the whole Crimson Reign series is amazing... but I don’t think we’re gonna see anything like that in a movie.

If the story does have Force users?

On the one hand...

I think we already got it, and it's the majority of the Star Wars fandom who just couldn't handle it.

The Jedi in the Clone War are caught between a rock and a hard place. There's no morally right choices, there's only "less morally wrong" choices. They've been drafted into a war where they have to choose between the minor of two evils every day.

They're usually the guys who'll be the closest thing to perfection, but now they're gradually being sullied by the Republic's exploitation of their own compassion and sense of duty. Every morally right choice they make also comes with a morally wrong consequence stuck to it. The more they fight, the more these servants of the Light Side make the Dark Side stronger... but if they don't fight, the Dark Side gets stronger even more rapidly. And they can't help it because, again, they're being forced to do this. So all they can do is keep moving forward and hope for the best.

They're not the villains, but they're sure as hell not perfect. There's a nuance there.

But a very, very large part of the audience reacted to this as "the Jedi were evil hypocrites who sent child soldiers/slaves to their deaths and had Order 66 coming!"

On the other hand...

If you mean a story with "gray" morality in which the Force-sensitive characters themselves are "gray"... I dunno.

The way the Force works is that if you are "gray", you won't stay that way for long. At some point you either choose the Light or (much likelier) fall to the Dark Side.

In Legends, we've had Quinlan Vos and Cade Skywalker's stories echoing this.

These are both stories with morally "grey" protagonists who vacillate between the Light Side and the Dark Side, who use the Dark Side as a tool and think they can get away with it only to get dragged deeper down by it... but both stories end with the protagonist choosing the Light Side.

So those might be what you're looking for?

But the morality in those stories isn't gray, there's a very clear definition of what's good and what's evil... it's just the protagonist who is gray and their journey is about finally choosing and fully embracing the side of good.

Still, both Quin and Cade's stories are goddamn masterpieces.

For more info on "Gray Jedi", I talk more about it here.

In Canon, we have Bendu whose morals are very evidently “gray”... but he’s so neutral and passive that I don’t think you can center a story around him.

But yeah, beyond that... I don't know.

I don't think so, I'll tell you that. When a Force user is involved, I think that that's when Star Wars should be about good vs evil.

#rambled again #long post #my bad #QnA #meta

[dutyled]

Highly Selective & Private Original Character - Hidden Brother of Henry Fox, Nicholas Williams for the red white and royal blue and fellow travelers universe with verses in merlin bbc and other fantasy fandoms. (medium - low activity) ⤷ Remembered by Emrys, 30+ They / Them

𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐈𝐓 ⠀⠀𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐎

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐏𝐒𝐀: this blog will contain dark, mature and nsfw themes. this blog will only RP with anyone ages 21+ due to triggering themes. Minors, Non Mutuals & Non RP Blogs DNI. this blog uses beta & xkit rewritten.

BLOG ROLL: @forcenexus (anakin skywalker), @unwaivering (multimuse) @magicnerd (quentin xavier, @destincd (seth solo) & @mnolith (violet skywalker)

AFFILIATED WITH : isleprince, legeandary, waehles, lcvb1tes & damagedward

info & rules. starter call.      threads.     memes.      promo.  

#; pinned post

[kylo-wrecked]

"Kylo." Seth said unsure of himself in that moment. As he stood there, he knew what everyone expected of him. To bring him to justice, but lately Solo had been fighting his own darkness and it was winning. He didn't reach for his saber. Instead, he just fell on his knees. The burden on purpose on his shoulders, he just wanted to be accepted as is. The only one the thought would understand him was his brother, Ren.

Rumors fled like rivers in the time that followed the fallen Praxeum. A rumor of nine. Standing before Seth Solo now, but one, with a face of threaded alloys, a visor bolted over with smooth, black durasteel. A behemoth inlaid on an upright iron pyre. Kylo Ren. 

His shadow approached ahead of him. His movements were gradual; they tasted the air, the atoms. In the twinkling of an eye, he'd not need tactility or speech, yet some rent voice emerged, modulated and murky as a half-remembered dream. 

"Brother." When Ren placed the hand on Solo's shoulder, it felt rage leave him the way warmth and light would exit a failing body. The helm tipped, the beakless, battered totem poised in its ragged stole, humming and rattling the pocked notches and shards of vertebral bodies in its cowl. "You came all this way only to fall? I would have you rise."

Grasping Solo in mechno-digits, Ren urged him erect, nearly crushing the sturdy, flat, triangular bone in his upper back. 

"Get up."  

Whether or not there was anything left of the man that might call Seth his brother, Ren would not have wasted breath on a sentient creature if he didn't know its black blood coursing under its armor, culled from the same petty starting fiber as he. 

@magikborn

#magikborn #sw au | dark!ren: renegade knight #mini thread

[magicnerd-archived]

Highly Selective & Private Original Character Quentin Xavier for the Marvel, X-Men & Arthurian Legends Universe. (high to low activity) ⤷ Remembered by Emrys, 30+ They / Them

... 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐀𝐘, ⠀⠀𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐗𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐑, 𝐘𝐎��� 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐏𝐒𝐀: this blog will contain dark themes. this blog will only RP with anyone ages 21+ due to triggering themes. Minors, Non Mutuals & Non RP Blogs DNI. this blog uses beta & xkit rewritten.

BLOG ROLL: @unwaivering (multimuse), @dutyled (nicholas williams), @forcenexus (anakin skywalker) , @destincd (seth solo) & @mnolith (violet skywalker)

AFFILIATED WITH : @legeandary & @lcve0n

info & rules.  starter call. threads. memes.      promo.  

#; pinned post

[forcenexus]

LIGHTSIDE AU! / ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSES. Highly Selective & Private Anakin Skywalker for the Star Wars Universe, Modern / Marvel, Arthurian Legends & More. Heavily Headcanon Based. Sequel and EU-friendly. (medium to low activity) ⤷ Remembered by Emrys, 30+ They / Them

𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐈 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 ⠀⠀𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐄

           𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖                        𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍

𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐏𝐒𝐀: this blog will contain dark themes. this blog will only RP with anyone ages 21+ due to triggering themes. Minors, Non Mutuals & Non RP Blogs DNI. this blog uses beta & xkit rewritten.

BLOG ROLL: @dutyled (nicholas williams), @unwaivering (multimuse) @magicnerd (quentin xavier), @destincd (seth solo) & @mnolith (violet skywalker)

AFFILIATED WITH : valorums

info & rules.   starter call. threads.     memes.      promo.  

#; pinned post

[moatwomen05]

Five Trendy Methods To enhance On Best Budget Cubes

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#3d metal

[mnolith]

“you've forgotten what you're fighting for.” { dark!ren for seth }

He hated when anyone doubted him, especially his own brother. His blood boiled at thinking of it. Vader came to him while he laid in his coma. Said like Ren was saying, he lacked conviction. That just made him attack the Sith Lord head-on and wail on him until he was satisfied enough to let him wake up. Now his grandfather came to him every night to guide him in the ways of the Dark Side. "I think it's you brother that forget yourself. You left me to die in the stocks. You didn't care about me as I slowly died." His saber was in his head. One he built with Vader's instructions. Hitting the button, the lightsaber came to life. A crimson blade.

#kylo wrecked #⤷ seth solo. // feeling that burns inside my mind #⤷ seth solo. // threads #; thread

[unwaivering]

SETH COULDN'T HELP SHOWING OFF HIS NEW GEAR. He wore military black boots, black pants with a red line going down on the left side, his tunic opened partly to reveal a dark crimson under tunic underneath and his cloak had a hood on it, also lined with dark crimson. Much like Sith Lords before them. He was proud of his new look.

His brother's remark had him smirking. Though he couldn't see Kylo wearing color like he had on. It was a compliment if he could see himself wearing it. "I didn't think you would be so bold, brother." Half laughing, he rolled his eyes. He knew Kylo was trying his best to be affectionate towards him. Seth was just thankful he took him under his wing and didn't turn him away. "You should have seen how Hux looked at me." He snorted. The red head had grown red in the face and then turned sharply away from him. At least he noticed. Not that Seth wanted his attention. / @godstrayed

#godstrayed #⤷ seth solo. // feeling that burns inside my mind #⤷ seth solo. // threads #; thread

[a-force-dyad-in-space]

I was tagged by the lovely @yumingyesfairy thank you! ♥️

Rules: answer 30 questions and tag however many blogs you want

Name: Jen

Gender: female

Star sign: Leo

Height: 172cm/5'8"

Time: 10:49

Birthday: August 7

Favorite Bands: VIXX, Monsta X, (G)I-dle, f(x), Seventeen, Nu'est, Imagine Dragons, EXID, BTS and others (yes, I listen to a loooot of K-Pop)

Favorite Solo artists: Halsey, Taylor Swift, Dove Cameron, Ruelle, Fleurie, Taemin, Hyuna, Wonho, Leo and others

Last Movie: Uhhhhh.... I think Frozen II? I watched it on the side while drawing last week, I don't think I've watched anything else since then 🤔

Last Show: The Untamed Special Edition (making my way through that rn)

When did I create this blog: somewhere in 2019 I think, I used it very infrequently at first

What I post: When it comes to original posts, mostly random thoughts about my fandoms, some watch-threads about shows I watch, some Untamed fanart, some fanfics for several fandoms, I reblog a lot of The Untamed + its cast, Star Wars (most frequently Reylo and The Mandalorian), Marvel, Star Trek Discovery, Pride and Prejudice and other shows and movies

Last thing I googled: some of the cast members of Star Trek Discovery

Other blogs: none at the moment, perhaps in the future

Do I get asks: rarely

Why I chose my url: I love Reylo and they're a Force Dyad in space, sooooo

Following: 329

Followers: 91 (slowly growing 💪🏻)

Instruments: none now, but I learned the piano from 10-13 and the flute in elementary school

What I am wearing: a Jack Skellington onesie (yes really)

Dreamjob(s): as a child I always wanted to be an author, and I still do, but I also like to do other creative things; maybe I can cut myself a career path for that sometime

Dream trip: since I was a kid, I've wanted to see Japan, now I'd also love to see South Korea, Scotland, New Zealand and many other places

Favorite foods: Pasta, Ramen, Poke bowls, sushi, pie, chocolate, mochi and a lot of other stuff 😋

Nationality: German & American (I have dual citizenship)

Favorite song: you want me to choose ONE??? impossible

Last book I read: last one I read, as in in-progress, is MDZS/The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by MXTX; if we're talking last book I finished, that would be Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Top 3 Fictional Universes: the world from One Piece, Middle Earth, the world from Howl's Moving Castle

I tag: @domhnallhux

[ionlycareaboutyou]

2019 fic writing roundup!

thank you to @quinnmorgendorffer for tagging me!!!

Total 2019 Word Count:  172,106 (a lot of this is probably “Meet the Parents”) Total 2019 Hits: 21,055 Other 2019 AO3 Stats: Kudos: 2013; Comment threads: 190; Bookmarks: 387; Subscriptions: 86.

Total 2018 Word Count: 21,840 Total 2018 Hits: 5,899 Other 2018 AO3 Stats: Kudos: 567; Comment threads: 71; Bookmarks: 70; Subscriptions: 22.

links and titles to 2019 works

for Arrested Development, in alphabetical order:

“it’s been ages since we were really honest” - a oneshot i wrote for the Netflix Originals Fic Exchange for dreamkist on ao3! it was my first time doing a fic exchange and i’m really glad i took that leap and did something like it, because it was a challenge in a fun way, and i really like how it turned out. it’s about gob and tony’s first times as a couple (not just their First Time because we all know about that), and i’m proud of it.

“I Want to Break Free” - my biggest solo project to date, my gob bluth figure skater AU. i’ve said so much about this fic and agonized about it and joked about it, and at the end of the day i am so proud of it, and i’m glad that i wrote it.

“Let’s Start the New Year Right” - blunder smut where they fuck on lucille’s bed, that’s the long and short of that.

“Meet the Parents” - co-written with @gobbluthbisexual. gob meets tony’s family and him and tony fuck a LOT. rebecca and i fell in love over the course of writing this summer 2018! 

“My Sweetheart When a Boy” - blunder victorian AU...currently unfinished. i had big ambitions for this fic and i really hope one day i gain the motivation to finish it.

“The Pianist and the Magician” - birthday fic for @quinnmorgendorffer, pianist!gob meets struggling magician!tony and they share a night together (not smutty despite the description lol). i’m soooo proud of this one, my goal was to make it very atmospheric, almost movie-like, and i think i achieved that, in a sense.

daria:

“you are the bearer of unconditional things” - short conversation between trent and daria i wrote when feeling introspective. 

IT:

“Everything He Needs” - my very first reddie fic, written shortly after seeing chapter 2 and having my heart ripped out, lmao. it’s a stereotypical fix-it where richie stays with eddie in the hospital as he recovers. i do really like how it turned out, though.

“New York’s Hottest Talk Show Guest: Richie Tozier” - this is a crossover fic with SNL, but i’m putting it here because richie and eddie are the main focus. basically, richie goes on late night with seth meyers, brings eddie along, and they meet seth and his husband, stefon as well. it’s very silly and self indulgent, but was inspired by ADORABLE fanart which i adored.

“Want You in my Room” - richie and eddie have morning sex, nothing more, nothing less.

“who’s gonna drive you home tonight” - cowritten with my friend robin. eddie had a “fuck you mom!” phase once he got out of derry and that resulted in him getting a motorcycle and a few tattoos. he comes back to derry and him and richie meet. this is currently unfinished, but i hope we can finish it in 2020!

SNL:

“'cause living like this is risking all that i know, and if it kills me, that's how i wanna go” - seth meyers/stefon 5+1 times fic. i love how this turned out and all the love that it received was totally unexpected.

Favorite Fic: honestly not sure. i’m going to go with “‘cause living like this...” because it was probably the most fun to write, and i’m really glad that i stopped being too embarrassed to share all my sethon thoughts with others, because i got so many nice comments. “everything he needs” is probably a close runner up, though.

Hardest Fic: hoooooo....probably “i want to break free” because i’ve always been hesitant to do multichapters because i’ve abandoned them before, but i needed to finish that one (and i did!). also, even though i’m a huge figure skating fan, that fic required a lot of research on the scoring system and rules of the sport during the time that i set the fic in.

Do You Plan to Take Prompts in 2020?: i really want to!! i love taking prompts, even if i don’t always fulfill them (SORRY!)

What was the best thing about 2019?: writing for new fandoms like IT and SNL!!!! holy shit, i did NOT expect to be completely consumed by the Clown Movie this year, but i definitely was, and now reddie is one of my favorite pairings i’ve ever been invested in. because of that, i read sooo much good reddie fic, i seriously cannot overstate how amazing the writers for reddie are.

What was the worst thing about 2019?: the writer’s block that went through this winter, ugh

Any last thoughts for 2019?: this was my best year for fic writing by far, and i’m so thankful for all the suppor i’ve received

Goals for 2020

reddie old hollywood au is first and foremost my priority, since it’s my bigbang project

write more fics for my friends (i NEED to write a quinn/jane thing for alex i just MUST)

finish my fic with robin

i tag anyone who wants to do this!

#my writing #this was fun! thank you alex!

[gaysparklepires]

27. Travel Plans

Read on AO3 - Links up Top!

I took mythology a lot more seriously since I’d entered my new life.

Often, when I looked back over my first three months as… whatever I was, I imagined how the thread of my life might look in the Fates’ loom—who knew but that it actually existed? I was sure my thread must have changed color; I thought it had probably started out as a nice brown, something supportive and non-confrontational, something that would look good in the background. Now it felt like it must be bright crimson, or maybe glistening silver.

The tapestry of family and friends that wove together around me was a beautiful, glowing thing, full of their bright, complementary colors.

I was pleasantly surprised by some of the threads I got to include in my life. The werewolves, with their deep, woodsy colors, were not something I’d expected; Jacob of course, and Seth, too. But my old friends Quil and Embry became part of the fabric as they joined Jacob’s pack, and even Sam and Emily were cordial. The tensions between are families eased. Sam explained that the wolves felt a kinship towards me they couldn’t quite explain, and I wasn’t going to question it too deeply.

Sue and Liam Clearwater were interlaced into our life, too—two more I had no anticipated.

Sue seemed to have taken it on herself to smooth Charlie’s transition into the world of make-believe. She came with him to the Cullens’ most days, though she never seemed truly comfortable here the way her younger son and most of Jake’s pack did. She did not speak often; she just hovered protectively near Charlie. As I watched their interactions, I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I began to recognize the little gestures and actions that belied deeper feelings hidden beneath the surface. I hoped Charlie could see and understand Sue’s motivations as well as I could.

Liam was even less comfortable than Sue and was the only part of our recently extended family was openly hostile to the merger. However, he and Jacob had a new camaraderie that kept him close to us all. I asked Jacob about it once—hesitantly; I didn’t want to pry, but the relationship was so different from the way it used to be, and when I had been able to comb back through my human memories leading up to my change I found myself replaying the conversation between Liam and myself the day he had confronted me. What Liam had said, the passion with which he had defended Jacob had gotten me thinking, coupled with the little nuances I had noticed in how Liam acted around and responded to Jacob. Surely, when they were in their wolf forms, Liam’s thoughts and feelings would have been obvious to Jacob given their telepathy, but Jacob didn’t seem to quite catch on the way I thought he would so my curiosity won out. He had shrugged and told me it was a just a pack thing. Liam was Jacob’s second-in-command now, his “beta,” as I’d called it once long ago.

“I figured as long as I was going to do this Alpha thing for real,” Jacob explained, “I’d better nail down the formalities.”

“Mm,” I had responded, raising my eyebrow. “How does Liam feel about it? Like, truly feel about it?”

“What do you mean?” Jacob asked, puzzled.

“I mean, the whole wolf-telepathy thing,” I waved my fingers around my head to emphasize my words. “You probably know better than he lets on?”

Jacob had frowned at that, “Not really. Liam’s gotten really good at only sharing the thoughts he wants me to hear, which is weird. I don’t get why he’s being so careful.”

“Why indeed.” I stifled a laugh. Jacob would figure it out eventually.

Liam’s new responsibility as Jacob’s second, coupled with what my intuition informed me was a deeper desire, made Liam feel the need to check in with Jacob often, and since Jacob was often at the house…

Liam was not happy to be near us, but he was the exception. Happiness was the main component in my life now, the dominant pattern in the tapestry. So much so that my relationship with Jasper was now much closer than I’d ever dreamed it would be.

At first I was rather annoyed, though.

“Yeesh!” I complained to Edward one night as we were undressing. “If I haven’t killed Charlie or Sue yet, it’s probably not going to happen. I wish Jasper would stop hovering all the time!”

“No one doubts you, Beau, not in the slightest,” he assured me. “You know how Jasper is—he can’t resist a good emotional climate. You’re so happy all the time, love, he gravitates toward you without thinking.”

And then Edward hugged me tightly, because nothing pleased him more than my overwhelming ecstasy in this new life.

And I was euphoric the vast majority of the time. The days were not long enough for me to get my fill of my family and my friends—long phone conversations with Jessica and Angela included; the nights did not have enough hours to satisfy my need for Edward.

There was a flipside to the joy, though. If you turned the fabric of our lives over, I imagined the design on the backside would be woven in the bleak grays of doubt and fear.

We still weren’t entirely sure what I was. The best we could decide was that I was a half-vampire, though there was no precedent for such a thing. Jacob occasionally teased that I was one-fourth vampire, one-fourth werewolf, and two-fourths human. This, despite the fact that he meant it as a joke, didn’t seem out of the question.

For one thing, there was the strange connection I felt to the wolves—different from when I was human—it was something beyond friendship or caring. I had noticed it first when Sam and his pack had come to confront us when I had first changed. It was like I could almost hear their thoughts when they were in wolf form. It wasn’t mind-reading like Edward, though. It was like I could sense the feelof their thoughts. There was the one moment that stuck out in my mind with particular importance.

When we had been waiting for Sam’s decision, I had wished I could know what he was thinking—what the pack was thinking—and for the briefest, fleeting moment I could have sworn I had gotten that wish. It had truly been a millisecond, but I remembered the feeling with crystalline clarity; first, I had felt the sensation of something shifting in my mind, followed by a sudden burst of feelings that weren’t my own. It had ended as soon as it had started. But something else had happened in that moment; Alice had reacted to something at the same time I had felt that shift. So much had happened that I hadn’t thought about it much. It would be wrong to say I had forgotten; I forgot nothing now, I merely moved thoughts out of the forefront of my mind until I was ready to address them again.

When I had asked Alice what had happened from her perspective, she was hesitant to answer me at first. After some prying, she finally admitted what had happened.

“I didn’t want to mention it, and Edward agreed,” she began, “but there was a moment where… Well, where…”

“Where what, Alice?”

“I could see the wolves.” She said, barely above a whisper.

I stared at her, dumbstruck for half a second. Alice’s visions were blocked by the wolves, it had been an interesting dilemma to work around when they were involved in any of our decision making. “You mean you could see the wolves?”

“Yes, that’s why I knew everything would be alright,” her eyes became distant, like she was focusing on something. “It was just the one time, though. I could see their future. It was just a flash, and then it went dark again. It hasn’t happened since then.”

“What changed?” I asked.

She looked at me for what felt like a long second. “I’m not sure, Beau. But something tells me it had to do with you. What you are.”

“Me?”

“I see vampires because I am one, I see humans because I was one,” she had told me this before, “I can’t see the pack because I have no connection to them, but maybe you do. And maybe because I have a connection to you, and maybe you have a connection to them…” She trailed off.

“I could feel their thoughts, for just a second, that day.” I said quietly. “It was weird.”

She contemplated this for a moment, before shrugging. “Well, it hasn’t happened again. All dark when they’re involved.”

“All dark…” I repeated.

She watched me for a second, then sighed dramatically. “I swear, if you don’t let me teach you how to use your closet soon, I’m going to lose my mind.”

When I had discussed the matter with Carlisle and Edward, they had explained that they had already discussed it privately, to my mild annoyance. Edward told me they hadn’t wanted to worry me too much, perhaps it was a strange fluke, perhaps it was signs of some sort of extra power my vampire nature had given me. Either way, there were more pressing matters to attend to. Matters that had undercut my happiness.

The source of my chagrin was a journey that had to be made, a very important and potentially dangerous journey that I felt had to be a solo trip.

This was the only argument that Edward and I had gotten in since I’d changed. The main point of the contention was the “solo” part. But the facts were what they were, and my plan was the only one that made rational sense. I had to go see the Volturi, and I had to do it absolutely alone.

Even freed from my old nightmares, from any dreams at all, it was impossible to forget the Volturi. Nor did they leave us without reminders.

Until the day that Aro’s present showed up, I didn’t know that Alice had sent a wedding announcement to the Volturi leaders; we’d been far away on Esme’s island when she’d seen a vision of Volturi soldiers—Jane and Alec, the devastatingly powerful twins, among them. Caius was planning to send a hunting party to see if I was still human, against their edict (because I knew about the secret vampire world, I either must join it or be silenced… permanently). So Alice mailed the announcement, seeing that this would delay them as they deciphered the meaning behind it. But they would come eventually. That was certain.

The present itself was not overtly threatening. Extravagant, yes, almost frightening in that very extravagance. The treat was in the parting line of Aro’s congratulatory note, written in black ink on a square of heavy, plain white paper in Aro’s own hand:

I so look forward to seeing the new Mr. Cullen in person.

The gift was presented in an ornately carved, ancient wooden box inlaid with gold and mother-of-pearl, ornamented with a rainbow of gemstones. Alice said the box itself was a priceless treasure, that it would have outshone just about any piece of jewelry besides the one inside it.

“I always wondered where the crown jewels disappeared to after John of England pawned them in the thirteenth century,” Carlisle said. “I suppose it doesn’t surprise me that the Volturi have their share.”

The necklace was simple—gold woven into a rope of a chain, almost scaled, like a smooth snake that would curl close around the throat. One jewel hung suspended from the rope: a white diamond the size of a golf ball.

The unsubtle reminder in Aro’s note interested me more than the jewel. The Volturi needed to see that I was immortal, that the Cullens had been obedient to the Volturi’s orders, and they needed to see this soon. They could not be allowed near Forks. There was only one way to keep our life here safe.

“You’re not going alone,” Edward had insisted through his teeth, his hands clenching into fists.

“They won’t hurt me,” I’d said as soothingly as I could manage, forcing my voice to sound sure. “They have no reason to. I’m a not human anymore. Case closed.”

“No. Absolutely no. You may not be human but you’re not a true vampire, Beau.”

“Edward, it’s the only way to protect everything. If Aro reads your mind, he’ll know how close we are to the wolves. If Aro sees that we’ve made alliances with the pack we could put them—and us—in danger. I’m the only one that Aro can’t read.”

And he hadn’t been able to argue with that. My logic was watertight.

Given my new connection to the wolves, I had dedicated myself to learning as much as I could about them. Billy Black obliged with more of the Quileute history than I had previously known, and Carlisle had told me everything he knew about werewolves. Most distressingly, was the history the Volturi had with werewolves.

The Volturi had never, to any of our combined knowledge, met the Quileute, but they had met werewolves in the past. Met them, hated them, and hunted them. The Volturi had tried to wipe them out in the past—a particular passion of Caius, destroying werewolves. I knew that if the Volturi found out about our alliance with the Pack, they wouldn’t be happy.

My status as a half-vampire was a concern, but the Volturi didn’t need to know it was Jacob’s involvement that had made me a half-vampire. We’d just have to come up with as good of a story as we could, and Aro wouldn’t be able to see the lie in my protected thoughts. Theoretically, a half-vampire was better than no vampire at all, right?

One of Edward’s concerns lay in something that even I knew about Aro in the short time that I’d known him. He was a collector—and his most prized treasures were his living pieces. He coveted beauty, talent, and rarity in his immortal followers more than any jewel locked in his vaults. It was unfortunate enough that he’d begun to covet Alice’s and Edward’s abilities. If the Volturi accepted my half-vampire status, Edward feared I would give Aro more reason to be jealous of Carlie’s family. By Edward’s appraisal, I was beautiful and gifted and unique—I was one of a kind.

But Alice saw no trouble with my trip, though she was worried by the indistinct quality of her visions. She said they were sometimes similarly hazy when there were outside decisions that might conflict but that had not been solidly resolved. This uncertainty made Edward, already hesitant, extremely opposed to what I had to do. He wanted to come with me as far as my connection to London, but I worried having Edward anywhere near the Volturi. Carlisle was coming instead. It made both Edward and me a little more relaxed, knowing that Carlisle would only be a few hours away from me.

Alice kept searching for the future, but the things she found were unrelated to what she was looking for. A new trend in the stock market; a possible visit of reconciliation from Ivan, though his decision was not firm; a snowstorm that wouldn’t hit for another six weeks; a call from Renée (I was practicing my “rough” voice, and getting better at it every day—to Renée’s knowledge, I was still sick, but mending).

We bought the tickets for Italy the day after the three month anniversary of my changing. I planned for it to be a short trip, so I hadn’t told Charlie about it. Jacob knew, and he took Edward’s view on things. He wanted to discuss it with me in private.

Jacob and I had gone out to the woods for our talk, and to get away from the business of the house for a little bit. He offered to change into his wolf form and hunt with me for a bit.

Hunting wasn’t as strictly necessary for me as it was for Edward and the other Cullens. I could still eat human food and it satisfied me very well, though I still needed blood. I had experimented with my diet for a few weeks. I found a lack of blood made me feel more sluggish. It dulled my more supernatural senses. I had gone the last three weeks without hunting and my thirst was much stronger, though still not unmanageable. Physically, we had discovered that a lack of blood almost seemed to lessen my vampire nature. I was slower and not as strong as I would have otherwise been. Looking at me, my skin was still pale and free of imperfections, but my eyes looked less luminous and more like they had when I was human. My heart was beating faster than it had before, closer to a human meter. It was ironic, abstaining from blood made it easier to pass for a true human, but the increased strain the thirst caused made it more dangerous.

“A hunt wouldn’t be the worst thing,” I mused. “I’m getting tired of being so slow.”

“You’re getting tired of it?” Jacob snorted. “I feel like I’m walking with a snail.”

“Ha, ha.” I rolled my eyes. “Before we hunt, let’s get it over with. Tell me all the reasons why you think I shouldn’t be going to Italy.”

Jacob tensed, he shifted uncomfortably, and I strange look passed over his face. “Well, about that…”

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t think you should be going alone, for the record.” He said quickly. “I don’t like it. I get why you’re doing it, but I don’t like it.”

“Okay, well, you’re taking it better than Edward.” I chuckled. “But I thought you wanted to come out here so you could convince me not to go?”

He didn’t answer, shifting his weight again. I raised my eyebrow expectantly.

The narrow meadow we were standing in was very still, very empty. The fluttering snow was thinning above me, almost gone. Alice had seen that it wouldn’t stick for many weeks.

“Here’s the thing, Beau,” Jacob began slowly, “You’re my best friend. And we’ve been through a lot together…”

“Yes,” I said slowly, confused.

“And I’m happy for you, Beau. I’m really happy for you and Edward. You guys are great together, and I’m sorry it took me so long to see that.”

I blinked, watching him struggle through his speech.

“I hate that it took you almost dying for me to realize having you as my best friend was more than enough.”

“Be fair to yourself, Jake.” I sighed, “things were complicated and it wasn’t all your fault.”

“Sure, sure.” He said, then he paused for a long second. “Beau?”

“Yes?”

“You want me to be happy, right?”

A dim memory of a conversation between Jacob and myself came to the forefront of my mind; “I hope, beyond anything, that you find someone who makes you happy because you deserve to be happy, Jake. You deserve to find someone who loves you.”

The memory was dim, because it was a human one. Back when Jacob first found out I was dying, and I had tried to say goodbye to him. I had meant the words, and I still did. Nothing would make me happier than to know Jacob was truly happy.

“Of course I do, Jake,” I smiled. “You know I do.”

“Okay, right,” Jacob shifted again, “because, well, here’s the thing—”

“Liam told you how he feels about you?” I guessed, fighting a wide grin.

Jacob’s eyes grew wide with disbelief, his mouth went slack. “What?”

I furrowed my brows, “Liam! He finally told you how he feels about you, right?”

Jacob blinked a few times, “Liam… feels about me?”

Now I was confused, “Yeah, didn’t he…” Jacob’s surprised expression told me what his words did not. “Liam… didn’t tell you.”

“Liam hasn’t said anything to me,” Jacob swallowed, “But I… I mean, I don’t know, the last few weeks I just… I’ve been thinking about him a lot and, well, I don’t know. We’ve just been connecting and—Does Liam like me?”

“Oh, god, Liam’s going to rip me apart.” I groaned.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Jacob grabbed my shoulders. “Did Liam tell youhe likes me?”

“Not exactly,” I winced. “But when he came to yell at me that day, the way he talked about you, Jake. I mean, if he doesn’t like you then he thinks the world of you.”

“So you’re basing this off of a rant from almost four months ago?” Jacob’s face fell.

“No, it’s not just that. It’s the way Liam is around you. The way he looks at you when you’re not looking. The way he gets… I guess it would be jealous when you tell me you love me or we’re spending a lot of time together.”

“Really?” a spark lit up Jacob’s eyes.

“That’s why I asked you a the other week how Liam feels about everything, if you heard anything when you were connected. I figured he would have let it slip in his thoughts—”

Jacob clapped his hand to his forehead. “That’s why he’s been so careful when we’re phased…”

I grinned. “Well, looks like you’re going to have to be the one to tell him how you feel.”

Jacob nodded slowly, then he stopped, and his eyes met mine. “Beau, are you… okay with that?”

I furrowed my brows again, confused. “Why wouldn’t I be, Jake?”

“Well, after everything that’s happened… After me being so, uh, stubborn about us being a thing… You don’t think I’m the worst because I like Liam, do you?”

I burst out laughing. “Jacob Black, you’re ridiculous.”

“Hey, come on, I’m trying to be honest and open here.”

I reached up to hold his face in my hands, “Jacob Black. You are my best friend in the whole world, I want nothing but happiness for you. If you like Liam I think you should tell him and see where things go because you deserve to be happy.” I laughed, “I mean, I got everything I wanted, didn’t I? I have Edward, the Cullens, I still have all my human friends and family. It’s about time you got some happiness, too.”

Jacob smiled and pulled me into a tight hug. “Thanks, Beau. I’m sorry about everything that went wrong. But I’m glad I’ve got you for a best friend now.”

“Now and forever, Jake.”

“Sure, sure.” He chuckled.

“Just don’t tell Liam I said he liked you.” I warned, pulling away from the hug.

Jacob laughed, “Yeah, that’s probably for the—” His voice cut off with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes went wild as he scanned the area.

“Jake, what is it?” I asked, sniffing the air. My senses really were dulled, I couldn’t sense anything.

“Vampire.” He growled, “I don’t recognize the scent.” He leapt back from me, and by the time he hit the ground again he was in his wolf form, the shreds of his clothes fluttering to the ground.

My eyes swept the area, searching for danger. First the trees, then the mountainside. As my eyes flitted across the edge of a distant cliff, standing out starkly blue-gray against the green-black forest, a glint of silver—or was it gold?—gripped my attention.

My gaze zeroed in on the color that shouldn’t have been there, so far away in the haze that an eagle wouldn’t have been able to make it out. I stared.

He stared back.

That he was a vampire was obvious. His skin was marble white, the texture a million times smoother than human skin. Even under the clouds, he glistened every so slightly. If his skin had not given him away, his stillness would have. Only vampires and statues could be so perfectly motionless.

His hair was pale, pale blond, almost silver. This was the gleam that had caught my eye. It hung straight as a ruler down to his chin.

He was a stranger to me. I was absolutely certain I’d never seen him before, even as a human. None of the faces in my muddy memory were the same as this one. But I knew him at once from his dark golden eyes.

Ivan had decided to come after all.

For one moment I stared at him, and he stared back. I wondered if he would guess immediately who I was as well. I half-raised my hand, about to wave, but his lip twisted the tiniest bit, making his face suddenly hostile.

Jacob growled at my side, his enormous body wrought with tension. Ivan’s eyes jerked reflexively to the sound when it echoed to him a few seconds later. His eyes narrowed, and I imagined what it must look like from his perspective. An enormous russet werewolf, perhaps the very one who had killed his Laurent. How long had Ivan been watching us? Long enough to see our affectionate exchange, I was sure.

Ivan’s face spasmed in pain.

Instinctually, I opened my hands in front of me in an apologetic gesture. He turned back to me, and his lip curled back over his teeth, his jaw unlocked as he growled.

When the faint sound reached me, he had already turned and disappeared into the forest.

“Crap!” I groaned.

I pulled out my cell phone and hit the speed dial. Edward answered on the first ring. Jacob remained tense at my side.

“Come, bring Carlisle,” I trilled so fast I wondered if Jacob could keep up. “I saw Ivan and he saw me, but he also saw Jacob phase and Ivan got mad and ran away, I think. He hasn’t shown up here—yet, anyway—but he looked pretty upset so maybe he will. If he doesn’t, you and Carlisle have to go after him and talk to him. I feel so bad.”

Jacob rumbled.

“Oh,” I added, “and bring some clothes for Jacob.”

“We’ll be there in half a minute,” Edward assured me, and I could hear the whoosh of the wind his running made.

We waited silently, listening carefully for the sound of an approach we did not recognize.

When the sound came, though, it was very familiar. And then Edward was at my side, Carlisle a few seconds behind holding a bundle of clothing. I was surprised to hear the heavy pad of big paws following behind Carlisle. I supposed I shouldn’t have been shocked.  With the threat of a strange vampire, of course Jacob would call in reinforcements.

“Ivan was up on that ridge,” I told them at once, pointing out the spot. If Ivan was fleeing, he already had quite a head start. Would he stop and listen to Carlisle? His expression before made me think not. “Maybe you should call Emmett and Jasper and have them come with you. Ivan looked... really upset. He growled at me.”

“What?” Edward said angrily.

Carlisle put a hand on his arm. “He’s grieving. I’ll go after him.”

“I’m coming with you,” Edward insisted.

They exchanged a long glance—perhaps Carlisle was measuring Edward’s irritation with Ivan against his helpfulness as a mind reader. Finally, Carlisle nodded, he handed me the clothes, and they took off to find the trail without calling for Jasper or Emmett.

Jacob huffed impatiently and poked my back with his nose.

“Oh, sorry, Jake.” I held the clothes out and he gingerly took them with his teeth, he turned to run back to the trees but not before giving me a pointed glance and nodding his head toward Seth and Liam.

I turned to face them. Seth had an odd, wolfish grin on his big face. Liam, however, looked like he wanted to snap my head off.

“Crap.” I said again.

I was wondering if I’d be able to outrun Liam, but then he let out a huffing sound like a laugh, shook his head, and winked at me.

“I’m sorry, Liam. I thought he knew.”

Liam rolled his eyes before turning to run back toward the house, Seth followed, still grinning.

Jacob joined me a second later. “How bad is it?” He asked, adjusting the waistband of his new pants.

“Liam? Or Ivan?” I asked darkly.

He didn’t clarify as we sprinted after Liam and Seth.

#Breaking Dawn #Breaking Dawn Revamped #Breaking Dawn Rewrite #Twilight #The Twilight Saga #The Twilight Saga Revamped #The Twilight Saga Rewrite #Edward Cullen #Beau Cullen #Beau Swan #Jacob Black

[projectalbum]

177. “Hail to the Thief,” 178. “In Rainbows,” 179. “King of Limbs,” 180. “A Moon Shaped Pool” by Radiohead

Here we are. At that point where I have to defend my previous assertion that Hail to the Thief (#177) is closer to my heart than the widely-beloved Kid A. And here we go…

There are 14 tracks, far more than any other Radiohead album, and I only dislike one of them. And it’s not “We Suck Young Blood” (it’s “The Gloaming”). Like, “Blood” is a creepy, chain-rattling chiller with deliberately cracked vocals and that cool little jazzy breakdown between the verses. “The Gloaming” is like a ghost taking a nap.

Even stranger, my favorite songs are all in a little clump in the last third. Right after the aforementioned downers, this suite of winners begins with “There, There,” the lead single. Featuring one of the loveliest, slightly gritty guitar lines in the catalogue and a chorus lyric (“Just ‘cause you feel it, doesn’t mean it’s there”) that stings, if not like a knife in the heart, than maybe like a sharpened icicle in the lower abdomen. “I Will” is one second shy of 2 minutes, but there is beauty in the utter simplicity of gently-strummed electric guitar and three-part Yorke harmony. It’s the soundtrack to staring into a dying fire. And it transitions right into “A Punchup At a Wedding,” slinky and pissed-off at once, sitting next to “You and Whose Army?” as the straight-up coolest piano numbers. One of these days, mark my words, I will master it, because it’s just fairly repetitive chords. But the distinct rhythm of the pounding on the keys has always slightly eluded me.

The escalating tension of this killer suite boils over in crunchy, foreboding synth and aggressive drums on “Myxomatosis.” “I— don’t— know— why I— feel so— tongue… tied” is, I believe, the exact cadence of the chorus, and I can identify with those moments when the churning chemical processes make articulate expression impossible.

15 years on, Thief remains hard for people to pin down. Though there are a few “angry” songs, the material is not explicitly about political leaders or Blair or Bush. That title pun was read as a pissy, middle finger salute as on-the-nose as a Banksy, despite any statements made by the band members to downplay that interpretation. Unlike the albums that made their name, this collection of songs lacks an over-arching thematic focus, which may still hurt its legacy. But I will continue to argue passionately for the music’s inherent strength. The follow-up, released four years later, requires no such defense.

In Rainbows (#178) was my introduction to Radiohead. It has and will probably fulfill that same purpose for a lot of others. From 2007-2010, I was in college, majoring in film production and spending a lot of time in a windowless room filled with iMacs. I give you the range of years, because I’m not positive just how fresh the surprise late-’07 digital release of that album was when my friend Seth handed me the thumb drive in that iMac editing lab. College is a time to experiment with new experiences, you see, and I really only followed that credo when it came to dadaist TV comedies and ponderous rock bands. So in that sterile environment, when I should have been working, I put in earbuds instead.

“15 Step” began with clapboard beats played through a glitchy hard drive. Thom lamented another repeat of the vicious cycle. Then Jonny’s guitar came in, soft and inviting as your pillow, bolstered by Colin Greenwood’s nimble bass. A sample of schoolyard cheers, and then we stepped off the sheer drop. The rest of the album was what I saw as I fell and hit the ocean’s surface, a sort of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” if the man dreamt of the noose tightening anyway. “Nude” is the haughty confirmation of the protagonist’s fear in “There, There”— “Don’t get any big ideas, they’re not gonna happen” is the lilting, falsetto admonishment. It shares DNA with R.E.M.’s “Tongue” from 1994’s Monster, to the point of sibling rivalry. But Michael Stipe’s feminine protagonist on that tune feels like an amusing pose in comparison.

To continue both the R.E.M. connection and the falling man’s dilemma, the split title of “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi” acknowledges the rapid, repeating guitar technique that that band’s Peter Buck made a staple, but here it sounds like water rushing overhead. I’m sinking deeper, but I’ve determined that the way out is through. By the time the clacking boneyard beat and flickering piano of “Videotape” laid the album to rest back in that college computer lab, I felt like I’d been through something. That some synaptic pathways had been rewired by a piece of art in that way that becomes neurologically harder and harder to achieve again as the years go by. The hypnotic draw of this series of songs is impossible to shake even after an ensuing near-decade of revisitation.

By the time The King of Limbs (#179) leaked onto the web in 2011, Radiohead had been taking over my brain one used CD purchase at a time. As I collected the discography, marveling at OK Computer and puzzling at Pablo Honey, the security blanket melodies and instrumentation of In Rainbows wriggled in ever deeper. So the murky production, polyrhythmic grooves, and murmured vocals of Limbs were not immediately arresting. “It’s a grower,” I gently warned people when handing them a burned CD-R. Meaning over multiple listens, not over the course of the album: at 8 tracks and 37 minutes, it’s as fleet as a couple of their EPs.

Opener “Bloom” is like the score to a Biblical epic as listened to through a glass pressed to a hotel room wall, all muted horns and a vocal that sweeps like sun rays. “Morning Mr. Magpie” and “Little by Little” are statements of Limbs’ groove-focused identity, and melody-wise tend to blend into each other with little resistance. Where the guitar on Rainbows was a hand to guide you, here it’s another rhythm component, along with the doubled-up drum kit: as the band took the songs on the road, they enlisted Clive Deamer to join long-time drummer Philip Selway. Four hands were better than two to create the beds these compositions required.

“Feral” jettisons pop song structure completely as a cut-up chord collage dashed against unstoppable train drums.  “Lotus Flower” is 2/3rds floor-rattling bass, 2/3rds hand-claps, and 2/3rds crystalline falsetto: as mathematically impossible as Yorke’s dance moves in the video. The album closes out with three pastorally pretty and almost terminally mellow numbers: the deep embedded roots of “Codex,” the treetop birdsong of “Give Up the Ghost,” the late Sunday morning wakeup of “Separator.” The melodies are sweet invitations, but I can understand if they sound, in their final produced form, like rock n’roll Ambien. The live arrangements, like those recorded for the “From The Basement” special, are generally thought to breathe extra life into the tunes. The recent Hans Zimmer/Radiohead reimagining of “Bloom” for “Blue Planet 2” makes that song’s cinematic ambitions more readily apparent, as well. But I’ve got a soft spot for any and all versions, and don’t feel any sting of disappointment that TKOL wasn’t In Rainbows Part 2.

The 4-5 year gaps between records has proven an energizing practice for the band’s members as they explore their own projects. Jonny Greenwood created an impressive body of work as Paul Thomas Anderson’s film composer of choice, Yorke (with producer Nigel Godrich in tow) collaborated with Flea on Atoms For Peace and indulged DJ-focused electronica on the self-released Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes. Where Rainbows had drawn inspiration for its sonic approach from the close-miked intimacy of Yorke’s solo record The Eraser (more on that next time), 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool (#180) has Greenwood’s stellar orchestral composition work threaded throughout. 

Any hazy production cobwebs from TKOL are swept aside by the Bernard Hermann stabbing strings and depth charge bass line of “Burn the Witch,” the true paranoid opus of our surveillance state age. “Red crosses on wooden doors, and if you float, you burn,” Yorke hums and coos, deliberately juxtaposing his trademark vibrating falsetto against the dire warnings. “We Know Where You Live,” stated the cryptic postcards sent to fans, and it was true, because we’ve offered our whereabouts freely to whoever will listen. “Daydreaming” follows its own somnambulant trajectory, with piano that ambles along until periodically the notes catch a long wind, to paraphrase the Feist song, swirling like cel-painted animated leaves. The video closes the gap between Jonny’s prestige film work and his longest-running gig with P.T. Anderson helming a low-key gorgeous M.C. Escher puzzle of Thom moving purposefully through an endless series of doors, spaces, environments.

Before the album dropped, I saw a live clip of Yorke debuting “Desert Island Disk,” just he and his acoustic guitar. The studio version does little to distract from that simple backbone: it’s a sweet, dexterous garden party riff bolstered with gentle drumming and subtle synth washes. “Glass Eyes,” the shortest, most melancholy track, has taken hold like an itch in the mind. Watery electric piano and Yorke’s murmured phone message verses slip through like a dream you struggle to remember the details of, until suddenly the exact angle of a cold gray street corner sparks a complete deja vu, and the heart-rending string section swells.

I’ve taken to playing “The Numbers” at inappropriate volumes, lately. Symphonic rock is nothing new, but it’s rare to hear such a mid-tempo acoustic groove be so suddenly opened up by falling stomach cello courtesy of London Contemporary Orchestra. “We call upon the people / The people have this power / The numbers don’t decide / The system is a lie” is the undeniable political exhortation, and the strings are the wielded tools of revolution: if “Burn The Witch” was a warning against mob rule, “The Numbers” is a rallying cry for positive upheaval.

“True Love Waits,” and there’s no better evidence for that sentiment than the official release of this song from the era of “The Bends.” Live performances and bootlegs through the years featured variations on acoustic guitar or Rhodes piano. Repeated attempts in the studio every few years yielded nothing wholly satisfying. In its final version, closing the album, reverb-laden grand piano and Yorke’s ghostly yearning is joined by glittering ice crystal notes that steadily accumulate. In my head I see the scene from A.I. in which the artificial boy, David, patiently and gratefully beholds the Blue Fairy, as his systems freeze into a thousand years of sleep. Melancholy become manifest.

In the next entry, I’ll jump out of alphabetical order to revisit two of Thom Yorke’s extracurricular activities.

#Radiohead #album art #Thom Yorke #Jonny Greenwood #cdcollection #in rainbows #a moon shaped pool #lotus flower #king of limbs

[ozpirincci]

dj cotrona, eiza gonzalez, zane holtz, madison davenport

meme

mis bebes preciosos !!!! creo que es mejor separarlos entre canon y oc ya que estoy en la fandom.

DJ

FDTD - Debo decir que me intimidan demasiado los duplicados, y que particularmente no rolee contra ningún Seth, pero hay algunos que sigo o stalkeo en la distancia, y de los que ví activos, en especial el de una amiga (con la que basicamente tenemos headcanons muy similares en cuanto a él), lo interpretan practicamente canon que puedo imaginarlo a él actuando o diciendo esas cosas.

OC - No tuve la posibilidad de rolear con muchos (salvo tu Darcy lol y probablemente uno más), pero fueron muy buenas ambas, y me alegro de que no hayan arriudano uno de mis fcs favoritos. En tu caso, amé y sigo amando al sheriff idiota ese xD y mis personajes también lo hicieron

Eiza

FDTD - Lamentablemente desde que me uní al fandom, los blogs de Kisa son pocos y la gran mayoria no tenian actividad consistente, pero hubieron dos players con las que tuve unos threads super entretenidos y dramáticos al mismo tiempo. Amo que también tuvieran headcanons consistentes y hayan hecho una buena investigación sobre la cultura Maya (de la cual no conozco mucho, pero me refieron a que no inventaron cosas)

OC - En este caso, en el mundo del contenido original, si me he topado con varios personajes con su fc. No todas las experiencias fueron buenas (pet peeve: que se cuelguen de mi pj desesperadamente para tene run ship),  pero rescato las que si me aportaron e hicieron mi estadia en esos rps placentera.

Zane (my son)

FDTD - *Llora* Al igual que con Kisa, los blogs de Richie escaseaban cuando me uní, y hoy día la mayoria de esos estan inactivos. Rescato dos: Con el que primero interactué que hicimos click de immediato y en pocos días teniamos un montón de threads en paralelo. Y después el de un amigo, que si bien no roleamos entre nosotros oficialmente (un thread a medias si se quiere), me encantaba leer lo que hacia porque tenia su interpretación bien aceitada y era Richie posta.

OC - *Llora de nuevo* Es bastante underused, y en grupos sólo tuve el agrado de rolear con uno solo, y aunque fue muy breve, like SUPER breve porque le dieron unfollow a los pocos días, fue el mejor thread de la historia.

Madison

FDTD - *clears throat* Bueeeeno, solo nombraré las esperiencias agradables y no las que quisieron shovear sethkate por mi garganta de entrada (y claramente no leyeron mis reglas). Extraño a la primer Kate con la que interactué porque fue distinta a todas, ella le daba una interpretación más centrada en el ptsd que le generó todo lo que le pasó, y basicamente tenia mucho odio escondido por Seth. Lo que hacia nuestros threads super angsty y se peleaban a cada rato, y recuerdo el último que nunca terminamos en el que mabos se estaban sacando los trapitos al sol y diciendo las cosas más horribles del mundo. Actualmente, alguien a quien ya considero amiga, también tiene una interpretación particular, diferente al anterior prto explorando otro lado de ella que también es completamente válido, y es muy entretenido leerla.

OC - Curiosamente, los únicos dos personajes con los que roleé con su FC eran de esta última persona que nombre arriba lol aunque del primero no lo supe hasta meses después cuando ella encontró este blog y me preguntó si habia estado en tal rp con tal pj y yo ni enterada que era ella jajaja

#pctricor #se volvió una biblia jajajja #gracias por enviar bb <3 #answered

[jeremystrele]

11 Affordable, Emerging Painters To Start Collecting Now!

11 Affordable, Emerging Painters To Start Collecting Now!

Art

by Sally Tabart

‘Sunday Morning’ by Lucy Roleff.

‘Satin and Blueberries’ by Lucy Roleff.

Artist and musician Lucy Roleff in the studio. Photo – Kim Landy.

‘Heirloom’ by Lucy Roleff.

Left: A Window. Right: Gemini by Lucy Roleff.

Lucy Roleff

Inspired by objects and arrangements in her daily life, Melbourne based Lucy Roleff taught herself how to paint from YouTube videos! Describing her style as ‘painterly realism’, Lucy likes to paint simple, domestic spaces that straddle the worlds of familiarity and grandeur. ‘I really enjoy the meditative practice of mixing colour and laying down brushstrokes’, she says. ‘There’s also a particular pleasure that comes when a painting starts to work – it’s very special!’

As if being a supremely talented painter wasn’t enough, Lucy is also a classically trained folk musician and composer! There’s a melodic feeling to her still life scenes as well – you can almost hear music drifting through an open window just out of frame. Dreamy.

Price point

Ranging from $780– $2,400

Where to find it

A TDF Collect solo show later this year… stay tuned!

Artwork by Bronte Leighton Dore.

Artwork by Bronte Leighton Dore.

Artwork by Bronte Leighton Dore. Right: Portrait of artist Bronte Leighton Dore. Photo – Robin Hearfield.

Artwork by Bronte Leighton Dore.

Artwork by Bronte Leighton Dore.

Bronte Leighton Dore

Bronte Leighton Dore paints landscapes, still life and portraits.  Her works are spontaneous and gestural, with an intuitive use of colour. Citing nature as her primary inspiration, Bronte’s work captures the ‘immersion of being in a moment’.

As a shortlisted artist in the prestigious 2019 Wynne Prize (the Archibald Prize’s cousin for landscape painting), Bronte is certainly on the rise!

Price point

Smaller pieces are $1,100 while the large scale works are around $4,800.

Where to find it

A solo show at Martin Browne Contemporary in April and Edwina Corlette Gallery in November.

Artist Charlotte Alldis in her Brunswick studio. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Artwork by Charlotte Alldis.

Artwork by Charlotte Alldis.

Charlotte at work in the studio. Photo – Henry King.

Charlotte Alldis

Young Melbourne-based artist Charlotte Alldis likes to make a mess. ‘My work is playful, silly and imaginative’, she describes. ‘It involves storytelling of characters and feelings’. Wobbly flowers, sunbeams and rainbows in wonderfully bright colours are frequent guests in her paintings, murals and textiles, bouncing into each other and welcoming the viewer with big grins and sleepy, starry eyes. 

Look out for a more in-depth profile on Charlotte and her work on TDF in next few weeks!

Price point

Varying depending on size and medium.

Where to find it

Charlotte and two of her best friends recently started their ‘Making A Mess’ workshop series for people to come together and explore mark making, constructing and creative expression, all free of judgement. Keep up with them via their Instagram.

Artwork by Charlie Ingemar Harding.

Artwork by Charlie Ingemar Harding.

Portrait of Charlie Ingemar Harding. Photo – Tim Hardy.

Charlie Ingemar Harding

Charlie Ingemar Harding’s artwork feels both casual and serious at the same time. There is a sincerity in his paintings – these are works that don’t immediately announce themselves, but draw you in the more time you spend with them. Like a comfortable conversation, without many words exchanged.

Working across a variety of different mediums, from oil paintings to raw textile compositions, It’s hard to pigeon hole Charlie’s style into a specific genre, because it changes all the time. At the moment, he’s found himself consumed by textile works. ‘The works are large and immersive, whereby the viewer can traverse freely across vast areas of material until reaching a loose thread or seam solidified in composition,’ he explains. ‘They sit in space, unobtrusive, quiet, breathing in and out contemplative air.’

Price point

Varying dependent on the work.

Where to find it

Charlie is building a body of textile works that he plans to show in the near future. In the meantime, keep up with him on Instagram. 

Artwork – Elynor Smithwick.

Artwork – Elynor Smithwick.

Artwork – Elynor Smithwick.

Artwork – Elynor Smithwick.

Elynor Smithwick

It’s hard to believe that Elynor Smithwick only graduated from her Honours year at the Victoria College of the Arts in 2019!

Her quiet, intimate oil paintings have a nostalgic quality about them – places that you might have been before, or scenes that feel a bit familiar. ‘The settings are usually in a time and place you can’t quite put your finger on’, Elynor tells. In her last two bodies of work, she’s looked to old family photographs as her anchor. ‘Usually I find my inspiration in small things, looking out windows, going on walks, returning somewhere, closing my eyes’, she says. 

Price point

Around $400 – $800

Where to find it

A group show of 12 painters at George Ponton Gallery, opening on May 20th. A joint exhibition in Mount Buller showing works created on a six-week residency from the Mount Buller Residency award, opening July 18th. And, a group show at Stockroom Gallery showing works created in Kyneton under the Macfarlane Fund residency, opening November 14th

Emma Currie working on a large piece in the studio. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Artwork by Emma Currie.

Artwork by Emma Currie.

Artwork by Emma Currie.

Emma painting in the studio. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Emma Currie

We first profiled Melbourne-based artist Emma Currie’s work in late 2019, ahead of her inclusion in our end of year show, ‘Art and Artefact’, where her painting was one of the first to be sold! Emma makes abstract figurative oil paintings, using bold, geometric shapes and colours to depict the female form. Dynamic and soft at the same time, Emma’s work is a beautiful balance of hard edges, and feminine fluidity.

‘I’m inspired by the geometric lines found in Picasso’s cubist work, and I often reference Matisse cut-outs’, Emma says of her key references. ‘I also love contemporary Spanish photographer Carlota Guerrero‘s work and find myself drawn to her Instagram feed when I’m feeling creatively blocked.’

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – Emma Currie is one to watch!

Price point

Anywhere between $800 and $4000 depending on size.

Where to find it

A TDF Collect solo show… just around the corner!

Artwork by Gabrielle Penfold.

Artwork by Gabrielle Penfold.

Left: Portrait of artist Gab Penfold. Right: Artwork by Gabrielle Penfold.

Artwork by Gabrielle Penfold.

Artwork by Gabrielle Penfold.

Gabrielle Penfold

Gabrielle Penfold’s joyful work feels just like drinking a cocktail at sunset on a beach in Italy – bright, carefree and full of potential! Bouncing between still life and landscapes, and sometimes dabbling in abstraction, Gabrielle’s sweet scenes are inspired by traveling to places rich in history and culture. ‘It’s in those places ideas are fed to me’, she says. ‘I will always refer back to my photographs, sketches and books when in the studio.’

Price point

Smaller works start at $800

Where to find it

Contact Gab via her website.

‘Horse-tail sheoak beneath clouds’ by Ileigh Hellier.

’24 hours at Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve’ by Ileigh Hellier.

‘Small Trees’ by Ileigh Hellier.

‘Sky Trees Pool’ by Ileigh Hellier.

Ileigh Hellier

‘I’d describe my work as playful, colourful representations of the Australian landscape’, says Newcastle-based artist Ileigh Hellier. Her smudgy, colourful paintings depict loose representations of the natural world – not just what she sees in front of her, but what’s up in the sky and below the ground. Layers of topography are laid flat in a brilliantly fresh and elegant, yet childlike way.

There’s a little bit of abstract Ken Done present in Ileigh’s paintings – and as it happens, Ken is at the top of the list of artists she admires. Ileigh is a finalist in the 2020 Glover Prize, an annual art prize for landscape paintings of Tasmania.

Price point

Around $300 – $850 (and varied depending on gallery commissions)

Where to find it

You can see Ileigh’s work in the Glover Prize finalist exhibition, opening March 6th at the Falls Park Hall in Evandale, Tasmania.

An abstract group show at Allison Kate Bellinger Gallery in Inverell, NSW.

A show Purple Noon Gallery on the Hawkesbury River, NSW, opening on April 4th. A show at Back to Back Galleries in Newcastle, NSW, opening July 10th.

Artwork by Niah Mcleod.

Artwork by Niah Mcleod.

Niah McLeod

From a distance, Niah Mcleod’s paintings look like broad patterns in subtle gradient hues. Look closer and you’ll notice each tiny dot or line painstakingly pressed to canvas, to form incredibly powerful rippling movements. Inspired by the sky and the stars, water and the earth, Niah’s works are meticulous and moving.

As a mum of two kids, painting is what gives Niah a sense of belonging. ‘I feel like I can show the world just a tiny, beautiful piece of Aboriginal culture’, she describes. ‘I’m also very lucky to learn my native Language (dhurga) and to teach it to my children through painting, and that to me is everything.’

Price point

Between $550 – $14,500

Where to find it

A group show at Kate Owen Gallery in Sydney opening on May 9th.

Artwork by Seth Searle.

Artwork by Seth Searle.

Artwork by Seth Searle.

Artwork by Seth Searle.

Seth Searle

Seth Searle’s oil paintings including portraits, still life and interiors demonstrate excellent control of her medium. Her moody, quiet works elegantly highlight hand gestures, distortions through glass and pattern with apparent ease!

Seth finds inspiration in writers who explore the confines of gender roles, like Maggie Nelson and Virginia Woolf.

Price point

$900 – $1400

Where to find it

Seth will be in a joint exhibition with her good friend Lucy Roleff (see above on this list!) at BOOM Gallery in September.

Photo by Thea Anamara Perkins.

Photo by Thea Anamara Perkins.

Photo by Thea Anamara Perkins.

Photo by Thea Anamara Perkins.

Thea Anamara Perkins

Thea Anamara Perkins explores her identity as an Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman, but her practice also forms an investigation into art-making itself.

Thea brilliantly captures light and a surprising level of detail in the thick, broad brush strokes of her landscapes and portraits. Inspired by the art of Central Australia, she has worked with Tangentyere Artists including Sally M Nangala Mulda over the last couple of years.

‘I think of art as a forum of ideas, and creativity is a way of grappling with the vast abstract world’, says Thea.

Thea was listed for the Archibald Prize in 2019 for her portrait of contemporary artist and family friend Christian Thompson. An incredible feat for an artist still in her 20s!

Price point

Around $2,000 – $3,000

Where to find it

My Imagination group show on NOW until March 14th at Edwina Corlette Gallery.

**Please note that the price-guides quoted here are representative of the time of publication, and may be subject to change.