#I teach extended techniques and new music from the start

[floralhippie22]

Why “Plastic Beach” is a Masterpiece

I think something lost in a lot of music is an understanding of story. Music stemmed from the need to tell stories through verbalized communication that extended beyond speech. Morals, teachings, beliefs, were all told through stories, and then translated into song. Music is not music without the element of story. Even the simplest chord, can make one feel a thousand things.

It’s 2010 and I had recently moved into a new house. My parents played an album that I didn’t recognize while we are moving furniture into our new home. It had a very different sound from the normal Lumineers, Radiohead, Mumford and Sons, and Neil Diamond I was used to hearing played prevalently in my youth. “The revolution will be televised” ringing in my ears and I remember feeling a beat, very casual yet meaningful play that, even then, I knew was something deeper than one would think at first glance.

Even then, I knew something of a masterpiece was at work. See, what makes “Plastic Beach” by Gorillaz work is its asymmetrical narrative. The album starts with a fully orchestrated “overture” (if you will) that’s very rare in a predominately hip-hop album. This is what I liked to call “natural” music. All the notes are played like by instrumentalists through natural means. Yet, the album ends with completely electronic music. “Pirate Jet”, the finale, has very few real instruments playing in the song.

But, why is this important? Well, because “Plastic Beach” tells the story of a world where our beaches are filled with plastic, water pollution makes a man a giant, and the industry music is synthetic and fake. While a man, Russel (the drummer for the band), becoming huge cannot happen in the real world, a lot of the ideas and concepts mentioned within “Plastic Beach” are a perfect representation of the dangers of the modern day. The asymmetrical sound of this album represents the natural world (non-electronic music) and the polluted fake world (all electronic music). And slowly but surly, the entire album end’s completely electronic.

However, this is not a testament against certain genres of music. Gorillaz is very well known for a beautiful blend of electronic and traditional instruments within their music. So why choose this as an allegory? Well I liked to use my favorite song ever, that just so happens to be in this album, Melancholy Hill, to explain why.

Melancholy Hill explores the fake and synthetic world of the modern day music industry. While it’s gotten better over the last decade, when the album came out it was near impossible to do well within the industry if you weren’t conventionally attractive, used certain styles, and branded yourself a certain way. Obviously, there were outliers in this statement, however, I would argue that they had to work three times as hard to get where other big names at the time were. And many of these big names… didn’t make what Damon Albarn, co-creator of Gorillaz, saw as music. The lyrics were seen as nonsensical and two-dimensional and the music hardly used any music theory let alone skill within its works. It sounded fake. So, instead of bashing all electronic or pop music, he created a masterpiece that blended everything. Melancholy Hill uses both electronic and traditional music within the song, showing that neither music style should be ignored. A blend of both truly is perfect, in a certain way. Many of the best songs: Empire Ants, Rhinestone Eyes, Stylo, Broken, etc. on the album use this technique of mixing styles, and I think that was very intentional.

Everything above comes together to tell us this story: Technology and the modern world can be used to be create amazing and beautiful things. But, representing naturalistic ideas and our Earth which gives us life, is key to prosperity. We must protect it at all costs… and “Plastic Beach” by Gorillaz is the masterpiece that says it best.

#gorillaz #plastic beach #murdoc gorillaz #2d gorillaz #noodle gorillaz #russel gorillaz #electronic music #music #hip hiop #personal essay

[lookcrook83]

Get This Report about Piano For All Review (Complete 2023 Look)

What you'll find out Pianoforall are going to take full amateurs to an intermediate level in a quite quick room of opportunity You get to sound like a expert right coming from the begin You will definitely find out the outright basic essential approaches that will definitely allow you to participate in any type of track in any design - through ear! What you'll know Pianoforall will take a quite experienced teacher to a level that will guarantee you a good instruction course! It will definitely be quick and easy to exercise a couple of chords by hand! You will certainly know to went through piece music AS you discover to play-by-ear Requirements You don't require any kind of previous expertise or take in Pianoforall works every bit as well on Piano or Keyboard You simply require to practice 20 moments a day to help make swift improvement Description Pianoforall is one of the most well-liked on the web piano programs with over 400,000 pupils worldwide Right now ANYONE Can easily Know Piano or Keyboard Imagine being able to sit down at a piano and merely PLAY - Ballads, Pop, Blues, Jazz, Ragtime, also impressive Classical pieces? Now you can easily. and you may perform it in months not years without wasting cash, time and effort on traditional Piano Lessons. The absolute best method to learn Piano Lessons is to buy a instructor, or a personal coach that's taught performers in piano lessons you such as but not those that don't in fact teach. I such as Paul Stanley. I also just like a couple of other instructors I've found that receive their start in the video game of finding out by offering instruction and finding out by giving you wonderful suggestions you can begin thinking concerning.

An Incredible Set of Videos and ebooks (25 hours of video, 10 very carefully structured ebooks) Pianoforall is specially made to take full novices to an advanced beginner degree a lot faster than any sort of other approach. It's like a terrific amateur's schoolbook as you are equipped to know everything. Simply download pianoforall.exe to open it up for download in your browser or take the measure under before you acquire a new home. Your property only got upgraded to a total brand-new display screen. You begin along with well-liked rhythm design piano (believe of musicians like Lennon & McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel, Barry Mannilow, Lionel Ritchie, Coldplay and thus on) which means you get to seem like a pro right coming from the start. The piano parts at that point alter to an all new, original, special style utilizing an entirely different method which provides you a new "voice". This permits you to produce brand new tunes and after that recreate it with your fingers and piano. You at that point extend step-by-step right into Ballad design, Blues, Jazz, Ragtime, Improvisation and making your very own melodies. The upcoming step is to offer everyone who performs, and those who listen, an possibility to come together in passion along with one one more and generate a terrific brand-new tune. You will definitely be welcomed to play with your close friends and family, and at that point welcome them into your living area. You are going to also discover how to read through songs AS you discover how to ‘play-by-ear’ and eventually you will definitely be capable to play some amazing Timeless pieces. ‘therefore much even more exciting and challenging than discovering the exact same chords over and over.‘ And you'll additionally find out how to use the exact same technique to numerous additional genres.and also learn some great brand-new musical styles.‘ Therefore, at that point, you will devote the weekend break knowing classical popular music. The training program is broken down right into 10 extremely effortless to observe parts: Party Time - Play-By-Ear - Rhythm Style Piano Basic Blues & Rock ’n’ Roll Incredible Inversions Chord Magic Advanced Chords Made Easy Ballad Style & Improvisation Jazz Piano Made Easy Sophisticated Blues, Fake Stride & The Entertainer Taming The Classics Speed Learning Bonus Book - 'The Miracle of Mindfulness' Pianoforall is one of the only piano programs on Udemy that comes with exceptional additional component - each video has an following PDF that you can easily publish out and established on your key-board. There is a full PDF ebook at the end of each part. For other techniques to went through an short article, it's a excellent concept to look into it after the initial paragraph. One more wonderful example of this approach is to look for an article that talks about the usage of blockchain modern technology in the actual world. But what if we were even more specific? When using blockchain technology, think about the following measures. You will certainly need a wallet to carry out the deal. It's incredibly vital to know coming from published direction as effectively as video so that you can look into a lot more written material after you end up the training course. Program Objectives I take a semester-long student-led writing course at a singular university. In each course I function towards a student-led writing course at one-third of the university's undergraduate level. Nevertheless, Keep Checking Back Here perform some study on the problems of teaching products and training materials that aren't written through faculty.

#Pianoforall #Pianoforall Review #Pianoforall Online Piano Course #online piano lessons

[rofilmmediamodular]

Teaching Generative Music With Modular Synths – Part 8

We find a special kind of triggering random events in so called “Krell patches”. Here is an excerpt of Volume 2 of my trilogy of e-books about making generative music with modular synths:

If I want the rate of generating random events and the character of these events to lose their independence I have to find another way of triggering these random goings on. The most famous and most flexible way to do so is using envelopes (looping or not looping) to modulate the generated event and the END-OF-CYCLE (or END-OF-STAGE) impulses of these envelopes to trigger the next event. If the rise of (e.g.) pitch shall be longer (= the ATTACK of the envelope is longer), then the EOC (END-OF-CYCLE) impulse will come later, the rate of generating random events is automatically lower.

And there is even another chance for our compositional will to be applied to the generative patch: By using the EOC impulse as well as the individual EOS (END-OF-STAGE) impulses of the envelope I can determine if and when (and in what shape) additional (random) voices shall appear. Using envelopes this way is a great help in introducing polyphony to generative patches.

This patching technique, the whole thing, has a name: “Krell” patch! It goes back to Todd Barton, who used this way of using envelopes with his Buchla synth systems. But for now some looks at the principle shall be sufficient. In its most simple form such a patch loos like the following graphic shows.

The envelope generator doesn´t take influence on the random event so far. The shape of the envelope doesn´t matter, only it´s duration is of importance. No real progress so far. The following video and the preset “chapter_3_preset_1” show this patch.

But things get hot when I use the envelope´s output (= the envelope CV) to modulate the result of the random generator, e.g. by mixing them together, as the following graphic shows. The preset “chapter_3_preset_2” shows it as well as the following video:

Don´t worry if you don´t understand all of the functionality of the two BOOSTER STAGE modules, that make the envelope. I´m going to explain them in detail in chapter 7. So far only this: the BOOSTER STAGE module takes the level of the CV at its input (= zero Volt at the left module) and changes the level at its output from there up or down to the level, that is adjusted with the LEVEL knob (= which is then the level, which the right module starts at). Having reached the adjusted level each module falls back to initial level. More in chapter 7.

Let me go only one step further here in chapter 3 (in chapter 6 I´m going to take the following patch and extend it quite a lot though). Let´s insert just one more envelope stage ( = using 3 BOOSTER STAGE modules), and then use the EOC impulse of the module in the middle (= the second stage of 3) to generate a second voice. The graphic shows the principle, preset “chapter_3_preset_3” helps you experimenting with the patch, and the following video shows me messing around with the patch a bit. The blue peaks at the SCOPE show the EOS pulses of the BOOSTER STAGE module in the middle, which triggers the second (new) voice produced by BASAL.

By modulating the DURATION parameters of the individual stages of the envelope (randomly or pseudo randomly by LFO networks) I would apply randomness even to the rate (and “rhythm”) of the occurring sonic events. But as I said: Chapter 6!

… to be continued

Stay creative and enjoy your day!

Rolf

or what about visiting our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rofilmmedia

#generative #generativemusic #modularsynths #musicproduction #sounddesign #sequencer #sequencers #makinggenerativemusic #modulargenerative #generativemodular #learninggenerative #learningmodular #Youtube

[shieldskirkegaard31]

Kids' Guitar - Buying That First Guitar

Some artists might think that the whole idea is ridiculous and unachievable. Other people might think that if their heroes are able it easily, so would they. Don't fret (no pun intended). I have been playing guitar professionally for over 30 years and spent the part of this particular time teaching guitar material. Now that a person thinking to obtain yourself fresh new guitar or have already bought one I know you are pondering how an individual ever in order to learn to play it. Here are hard disk sentinel full crack do. So start practicing a piece of writing you need to know very slowly in a relaxed form. Use a metronome to keep steady timing or use TAB software like Guitar Pro or Power Tab possess built in functions to play a bit of music for just a slow velocity. This is the time for you to do any serious looking into your technique, how you own the pick, using the most beneficial energy conserving movements and hand locations. So take hard disk sentinel crack download at first and you'll be playing lightning fast guitar in too busy. Usually, a 3-and-a- hard disk sentinel crack + serial key can be recorded once you. The song usually will have an intro, 2 verses, 3 choruses, pre-choruses, bridge, and an outro. The instruments used in it typically be: drums, bass, 2 rhythm guitars, 1 lead guitar, keyboards, and words of the tune. But it all take into consideration the complexity of the parts, the playing ability of the musicians, and some tips long the various are. PRO: 100% satisfaction guarantee comes with all of the top rated programs as a result can basically try versus each other for free (with a no questions asked 2 month refund timeframe.) Try getting a refund from the local guitar teacher, it's not going to take place! But persons can master the guitar without taking courses. The classes taught by an instructor in a person music school is possibly the most conventional way to learn to play this investment. The teachers will teach first you how to tune a guitar. Using a fork, foods high in protein have an absolutely tuned any guitar. Note that funds key of Mi is necessary for tuning a beginning guitar. Stay updated. Next article will be about how to keep your strings from breaking unnecessarily! (Another obviously great way to extend the life of your strings!).

#HARD DISK SENTINEL

[libramc]

❤️ How to predict WHERE you're going to meet your future spouse through Astrology ❤️

hi guys! in today's post I'm going to show you how to find out where you'll meet your future spouse through your birth chart. this technique was discovered by the astrologer Kapiel Raaj, and it's based on vedic astrology. hence, you're going to need your sidereal birth chart to calculate this. if you already know how to do that, you can skip this part.

✨

first of all, go to astro.com > horoscope and then click on extended chart selection.

add your birth data by clicking on the 'add a new person' button. it's necessary to have your accurate birth time for this, as it's based on your ascendant.

then scroll down and click on options for zodiac and houses. choose the whole signs house system and then click on sidereal. after that, choose 'hindu/lahiri' on the ayanamsha button.

after you've calculated your chart, it will be something like this (this is angelina jolie's sidereal birth chart):

to calculate where you're going to meet your spouse, we need to first of all take a look at the 7th house lord, which is the planet that rules your 7th house. in this chart it is saturn, as she has capricorn in her 7th house. now that you know what is your 7th house lord, look at where it's placed in your chart. also, keep in mind that since this is a sidereal technique, we're only going to take in consideration traditional rulers, therefore aquarius is ruled by uranus, pisces by jupiter and scorpio by mars. angelina has her saturn in gemini in the 12th house. the opposite sign indicates the circumstances or directly the place where you're going to meet your spouse. in this chart, it is sagittarius. keep reading for an explanation of each sign!!

✨

♈️ aries opposite 7th house lord ♈️

you're going to meet your spouse when doing some sort of physical activity. you may meet them at the gym, or maybe at a sport event like a football match. you could even meet them just by taking a casual walk, and it could be love at first sight. you two may also meet in a place where there's lots of noise and action, maybe even danger, probably not in a quiet place. places that are ruled by aries are palestine, england, hong kong, germany, poland, syria, israel, lithuania, senegal, sierra leone and zimbabwe. as for cities, we have birmingham, cape town, leicester, florence, krakow, naples, utrecht, marseilles and georgia.

♉️ taurus opposite 7th house lord ♉️

taurus loves the finer things in life, so if you have this sign opposite your 7th house lord you may meet your spouse during your chill time. for instance, you may meet them at a spa, at the mall, at the beach... anything that symbolizes relax for you. in addition, taurus also rules finances, therefore you could meet them in a bank or in any place or circumstance where you have to deal with finances, even in a shop for example. also, since taurus rules over the throat and the voice, you may meet at a place where there's singing for instance, or at least there's music playing in the background. last but not least, being an earth sign, taurus opposing your 7th house lord may also indicate that you're going to meet your future spouse in a place where there's lots of green, maybe at the park or in a forest. places that are ruled by taurus are cyprus, tasmania, ireland, capri, rhodes, the greek iIslands, cuba, east timor, serbia, tanzania, south africa and yemen. as for cities, we have lucerne, eastbound, eastbourne, hastings, palermo, leipzig, st. louis and dublin.

♊️ gemini opposite 7th house lord ♊️

with gemini opposing your 7th house lord, you may meet your future spouse through socializing. you could meet them through your friends or through your siblings, maybe they're a sibling of a friend of yours. you could also meet them during short-distance trips, so maybe in a city near you or even on a train, on a bus, etc. communication is going to be involved, and hence you could even meet them at an event where there's the need to talk and / or write. possibly, you may as well meet him online or in school. places that are ruled by gemini include iceland, sardinia, morocco, belgium, wales, eritrea, guyana, kuwait, norway, montenegro, sweden and tonga. as for cities, we have nuremberg, tripoli, san francisco, london, melbourne, plymouth and cardiff.

♋️ cancer opposite 7th house lord ♋️

if cancer is opposing your 7th house lord, then you could have possibly known your future spouse since your childhood. you could have met a school, or to talk in a more general way you may be from the same city. possibly, you could as well meet in a place where there are children, or where there's food. in addition, since cancer is ruled by the moon, you could meet in a place where there's moon symbolism. maybe during a full or new moon. perhaps, you're going to meet near water as well, as cancer is a water sign. places that are ruled by cancer include usa, paraguay, scotland, holland, the bahamas bahrain belize, burundi, cape verde, columbia, comoros, democratic republic of the congo croatia djibouti, kiribati laos, liberia, madagascar, malawi mozambique, rwanda, slovenia solomon islands, algeria, somalia, and south korea. as for cities, we have manchester, new york, stockholm, tokyo, venice, york, amsterdam and milan.

♌️ leo opposite 7th house lord ♌️

with the sign of leo opposing your 7th house lord, you’re likely to meet your future spouse in a place where there’s fun. it could be at a party, during a vacation, at a bar, a restaurant... certainly not at work, that’s for sure. you’ll  meet your spouse in a situation of relax, not of stress. since leo also rules celebrities, you may even meet them in a place where there are famous people, like a concert for instance. countries ruled by leo are afghanistan, india, italy, macedonia, romania, sicily, ecuador, zanzibar, bhutan, bolivia, central african republic chad, the ivory coast, gabon, indonesia, north korea, south korea, kyrgyzstan, malaysia, maldives, nicaragua, pakistan, mongolia, seychelles, singapore, ukraine and madagascar. as for cities, we have bristol, bombay, chicago, madrid, los angeles, philadelphia, rome and bath.

♍️ virgo opposite 7th house lord ♍️

virgo rules over health, and hence you may meet your future spouse in a health-related place. it could be at the doctor’s, at the dentist’s, in a hospital, etc. virgo is also routine, so you may meet your future spouse in a typical day of yours. it could be at the supermarket, at work, while you’re walking your dog, at the gym, and so on. basically, it could be that your future spouse is going to casually approach you in the streets. countries ruled by virgo include crete, brazil, greece, switzerland, turkey, uruguay, west indies, armenia, azerbaijan, belarus, brazil, costa rica, el salvador estonia guatemala, honduras, mali, moldova, qatar and tajikistan. as for cities we have athens, paris, toulouse, corinth, lyons, boston and mexico city.

♎️ libra opposite 7th house lord ♎️

if you have libra opposing your 7th house lord, you may get to meet your spouse in a place that has to do with beauty, so maybe in a clothes shop or at a salon. you may also meet them in a place where there are many people, or even at some sort of event like a marriage. libra also rules over politics and justice, so maybe you could meet them at the courthouse or during election time. countries that are ruled by libra include france, tibet, argentina, austria, burma, canada, china, japan, siberia, botswana, equatorial guinea, fiji, iraq, israel, lesotho, nigeria, palau, saint lucia, saudi arabia, tuvalu and uganda. as for cities that are ruled by libra we have lisbon, frankfurt, copenhagen, johannesburg, nottingham and antwerp.

♏️ scorpio opposite 7th house lord ♐️

scorpio is the sign of darkness, hence if you have it opposing your 7th house lord you may get to meet your spouse during nighttime. scorpio is also about sex, so this relationship could start off as a one night stand, or maybe you may meet in a place where sex is involved. you could also meet them in a place that has to do with death or where there's death symbolism, such as a graveyard (I hope not tho lol💀). you two may also be transforming yourselves when you meet, you could be starting a new chapter of your life to leave toxicity behind your shoulders. you could also meet at a place where you need to be naked, such as a beach or at the spa, or again in a place related to finances and money. countries that are ruled by scorpio include angola, morocco, queensland, korea, syria, norway, the transvaal, bavaria, antigua, barbuda, cambodia, dominica, latvia, lebanon, micronesia, panama, turkey, turkmenistan and zambia. cities that are ruled by scorpio include cincinnati, liverpool, newcastle, washington, vienna, baltimore and new orleans.

♐️ sagittarius opposite 7th house lord ♐️

sagittarius rules over foreign lands, so if you have it opposite your 7th house lord you're most likely going to meet your future spouse abroad. or perhaps, they are foreign and they travel to your country. you may also meet them in a place related to foreign culture, so maybe in a place filled with tourists, or perhaps in an exotic restaurant, perhaps at a sushi bar if you're not japanese for example. it may also be time for you for new experiences, perhaps you're doing something for the first time, such as trying a new sport or taking a plane. you may also meet your future spouse in college or in university, or in general in a place where there's teaching of any kind. last but not least, sagittarius is also a very spiritual sign, so you could meet them in a church, or maybe at an event related to religion such as a marriage, a baptism, etc. countries that are ruled by sagittarius include spain, australia, chile, hungary, saudi arabia, bangladesh, barbados, cameroon, kazakhstan, kenya, libya and mauritania. cities that are ruled by sagittarius include budapest, johannesburg, naples, nottingham, sheffield, sunderland, stuttgart and toronto.

♑️ capricorn opposite 7th house lord ♑️

capricorn is ruled by saturn, the planet of responsibilities, therefore if you have this sign opposing your 7th house lord you'll most likely meet your spouse on your workplace. perhaps they're your boss or a co-worker of yours, or maybe they may even be a customer of yours. you'll surely meet them later in life, when you're at least 27/28 years old, or perhaps when you manage to accomplish something really big in your life, not necessarily career-related. countries that are ruled by capricorn include india, bulgaria, mexico, great britain, albania, afghanistan, lithuania, bosnia, brunei, czech republic, haiti, nauru, slovakia and sudan. as for cities that are ruled by capricorn we have brandenburg, brussel, delhi, mexico city, port said, oxford and ghent.

♒️ aquarius opposite 7th house lord ♒️

you may meet your spouse in any place that has to do with electricity, for instance at a movie theater, at a theme park, at an apparel store, and so on. perhaps even on a public transport, such as a train, a taxi or a plane. also, since we're talking about electricity we can also count on internet, therefore if you have aquarius opposing your 7th house lord you have high chances of meeting your future spouse on social media, such as twitter, instagram, etc. or even through dating apps, such as tinder. last but not least, you may also be introduced to your spouse by your friends, or perhaps they could be a part of your group of friends. you may be both best friends and lovers, you would have a very playful and youthful relationship. countries that are ruled by aquarius include iran, finland, new zealand, russia, sweden, syria, ethiopia, the holy vatican city and sri lanka. cities that are ruled by aquarius include brighton, hamburg, helsinki, moscow, salzburg, st. petersburg and bremen.

♓️ pisces opposite 7th house lord ♓️

if you have pisces opposite your 7th house lord, you may first of all meet your future spouse near water. therefore you could meet them at the beach, at an aquarium, at the lake, at the pool, etc. perhaps even at a restaurant that serves seafood and fish, such as a sushi bar. pisces is also about alcohol, therefore you may also meet them in a bar or at a party where there's alcohol. pisces also rules over art and images, therefore you could meet them in a place where there are lots of pictures and paintings, such as a museum, or perhaps even at the movie theater, at a concert, etc. the club would be an option too, as it combines both alcohol and dancing, two pisces related things. also, it could be very late at night, when you're supposed to be sleeping, or perhaps, you're just sleepy or even drunk. last but not least, this placement usually indicates a soulmate or twinflame connection, therefore you may even meet your spouse first in the 5D than in the 3D, perhaps you feel spiritually connected to them even if you haven't met them yet. you could very likely dream of them as well. lastly, pisces is also about healing, so your future spouse may either work in the medicine field or maybe they're some sort of spiritual healer. you could possibly also meet them at the church or in a temple. countries that are ruled by pisces include normandy, north africa, portugal, samoa, egypt, Scandinavia, mauritius, morocco, namibia and tunisia. cities that are ruled by pisces include warsaw, alexandria, grimsby, jerusalem, bournemouth, seville and cowes.

and this is it! let me know in the comments where you're going to meet your spouse, and if you've already met them feel free to say if this post resonated with your experience!

follow me for more,

libramc xx

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[himitsu-luna]

Reaction

*ﾟ—☆ Nct 127 reaction to ice skating for the first time with their s/o *⋆

❉ Taeil

Taeil is super excited, even though he doesn't show it. He is always up to do anything with his s/o, and ice skating sounds so much fun.

But as soon as you two step on the icerink, he realizes there's a little problem in all of this: actually, neither of you know how to properly skate yet.

He wants to give you a security sense though, so he stands firmly on the ice, and his brain starts working. After skating a bit, he finds the perfect balance and learns how the dynamics on ice work.

He now perfectly and smoothly leads you by your waist with one of his hands.

He says you're doing great a million of times

When you two are already skating much better than when you entered the rink, he lets his hand go from your waist and gets away from you a little bit. You wonder why, but soon you give a big laugh, looking at him making a full heart at you with his arms, right in the middle of the rink, not ashamed of showing his love for you to everyone.

❉ Johnny

Johnny waited for this moment since you started dating. It's one of the topics of what he calls "The infinite list of things I want to do with Y/N"

But you arrive the rink, and he decides he wants to play with you a bit.

At first he pretends he doesn't know how to skate. And there you go, teaching him what you know, while supporting his giant heavy body

He pretends he is falling, making you squeal. But he doesn't make It to the ground. Instead, he straights his body and graciously skates around you, laughing, making you realize it was all a joke

You don't know if you want to yell at him or laugh at his mischivious yet cute smiling face

He surprises you even more, when he lifts you from the ice and twirl around with you in his arms.

When he puts you down, he gives you a little peck on the lips. You're blush not only because of the sudden kiss, but also because now everyone in the rink is looking at you

❉ Taeyong

Taeyong gets super excited because he knows you're also super excited

He would have everything prepared: extra coats, his camera (because he definitely will record you skating), maybe some medicament in case you two fall too much, his money, so he can take you to a cozy café after spending the day skating

You start skating holding hands. He wants to be sure you won't fall. After he sees you're really good at skating, he lets your hands go.

He really admires you, and he is impressed by how well you skate. He feels so warm and happy, because he is getting to know a new thing about you.

There's music playing, and he can't contain himself. You see him pulling some dance moves in the rink, and you laugh at how excited and cute he is.

He grabs your hands so you can dance together. You twirl around, roam the entire rink, and even if there's dozens of people around you, you're in your own universe, completely lost in happy and soft feelings

❉ Yuta

Yuta gets genuinely happy and opens his famous healing smile when he sees you all excited on your way to the icerink

He takes sooo much care of you. He makes sure your skates are firmly tied and that you're with lots of layers of warm clothes

He is attentive to the surroundings and watches the people who are skating around you, because he fears someone bump into you and you end up hurt.

He pulls you to him everytime someone gets too close, and when he does that, he doesn't lose the opportunity to steal a little kiss from you.

But he also enjoys your time together so much. He makes you laugh, plays with you, he wants to race with you. You feel your connection growing even more just by sharing this new moment together.

At the end of the date, he says he definitely want to do this with you until you get old, and you can't help feeling delighted by the thought of a whole life beside him.

❉ Doyoung

Doyoung looked forward your ice skating dating since the day you proposed it to him. He knows you're recently getting into ice skating, so he is excited

He wants everything to go smooth and perfect, so he even researches some cool techniques to use in the rink and impress you

At the rink, he skates a little bit while you're getting ready, to make sure he will do everything correctly

He rushes to you when he sees you entering the rink, and helps you until you get used to the slippery ice

Them he excitedly shows you everything he learned, his gummy smile never leaving his face

You tell him you're impressed by how much he knows, and he shyly confesses he made an extra effort to learn everything, because he knew you really liked skating and that it was important to you

You get very touched by his consideration, and give him a big hug. He gets startled yet happy, and doesn't hesitate in returning the hug, 100x warmer

❉ Jaehyun

Jaehyun's romantic side is activeated

He loves the idea of reenact these cute movie scenes he watched, in which the couples are all lovey dovey skating on ice

You enter the rink, and he can't stop smiling shyly, lost a bit in his own romantic fantasy

At first he doesn't speak much, but firmly holds your hand, while you two skate around the whole ring

Then you talk about a lot of things while skating: about your days, about life, about love. He also tells you some cute infame jokes from time to time, and he gets really proud of himself when he sees he can make you laugh so easily

At some point, he stops and puts himself in front of you. You look curious at him, as he adjusts the long scarf you have around your neck. You don't realize that he is slowly pulling you closer to him, until your faces are very close and you feel his lips on yours.

You're still flustered with this sudden cute action, as he grabs your hands and you start moving again, his dimples showing on the sides of his face.

❉ Winwin

Winwin and you step on the ring holding hands. Winwin conducts you through your waist, giving you some stability and a comforting touch

You tell him you want to try to skate by yourself, and he lets your hand go

He cannot stop smiling looking at you having fun. He is taking his time to engrave this sweet memory into his mind

His elegant figure sliding gracefully on the ice grabs the attention of everyone around him

But Winwin doesn't realize all the eyes on him. All he can see is you, only you, smiling cutely at him, all proud of your skating ability

For a second you turn your back to him, and when you turn around to face him again, you see him extending his arms in your direction, inviting you for a hug

You quickly go to him, landing onto his warm embrace, as he compliments you on how good at skating you are, and gives you a peck on your forehead.

❉ Jungwoo

The funniest and heartwarming date ever

Jungwoo enters the rink first, and starts to play immediately

Jungwoo is like "Look, look y/n!! Look at what I can do! Try to do it too! Try it!!", smiling widely at you

He is all cute and playful like a puppy, but you need to ask him to calm down, because he is so hyped up that you fear he can stumble and fall

He dares you to come and try to catch him, and you accept the challenge right away. You go to him, but he is faster than you. He dodges you and, you don't know how, he gets behind you.

You feel his arms wrapping around you, and he giving you a quick peck on the cheek

He calms down a bit after this, and just calmly enjoy your time together, talking and laughing while skating.

❉ Mark

The first thing you notice when you start skating is that Mark is really good at it, much better than you, you need to admit.

But you don't know he is actually thinking the same about you. He looks at you with proud eyes, complimenting you nonstop, and encouraging you to show everything you know

Feels like squishing you into a hug everytime you show him a trick, or when you cling on him trying to be more stable

Looking fondly at you, he casually says he really wants to take you to skate with his family and friends, and he doesn't realize how much this sentence makes you blush

He eventually gets distracted, stumbles on his own feet, grabs you and you end up falling together.

He is super worried, says sorry a billion of times, but gets relieved when but you start laughing, still laying on the ice. He starts giggling like crazy too, and you stay like this for a while. You stop laughing when he bends over you and steal a kiss from you, standing up quickly, smiling amazed by his own courage of doing that.

❉ Haechan

Haechan loves to see you all happy. It's the cutest thing ever to him

You expect him to tease you everytime you slip weirdly on the ice, but Haechan acts sweeter than normal

Everytime you stumble, he gets the opportunity to hold you tightly and say you're cute.

He does say things like "What would become of you without me?", but you don't even have time to reply, because he immediately say afterwards "Don't worry, I'll always be here by your side", getting you flustered and speechless

He genuinely takes care of you, and never lets you go. You skate with your arms linked for a long time, just enjoying the presence of each other

He thinks of how either chaotic and calm moments are so enjoyable when he lives them with you, and how you accept every side of him, as he brings your hand up so he can kiss it sweetly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

°• @najatheangel I'm so sorry it took me so long to write this for you, but here it's, finally hahaha I really hope you like it, and thank you so much for requesting <3

°• Masterlist

...

#nct reactions #nct 127 reactions #nct 127 #nct scenarios #nct drabbles #nct imagines #nct 127 scenarios #taeil #johnny suh #nct johnny #Taeyong #yuta #jaehyun #Doyoung #Jungwoo #winwin #mark lee #nct mark #Haechan #queue

[ageofevermore]

can you write a luke patterson x reader fluff where luke teaches y/n how to play guitar

───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ﾟ: *. ☽ .* : ☆ﾟ. ─────

Sweet dripped from his brow,  dancing angelically down the side of his face and curving around his chiseled jawline. She grinned up at him from the pit, light eyes catching the colored LEDs and turning purple for his viewing pleasure. He grinned at her, sending a wink in her direction before the band jumped back to Julie’s, further alluding to the efforts of the Molina’s hologram band. 

Pushing through the crowd, heart still hammering with adrenaline, limbs extended and pulled closer with a sweaty embrace. Julie laughed into her shoulder, happy to have someone physical to hug in victory. Flynn came over to the duo in seconds, having worked unfocused fingers on the projector to encourage the belief that everything when technical -- not that Julie was playing with a band of three ghosts. The girls giggled in celebration before abandoning the small town club and making their way back to Julie’s for a round of pizza. 

Her heart was warm with admiration for the three boys who never got the chance to bask in the celebration yet weren’t deterred by their circumstantial visibility. 

-

“I want to learn.” She broke the silence Luke was working in, startling the ghost whose attention was solely devoted to the enchanted six string. She recognized the melody he was playing, a little tune by The Beatles, and the beautiful acoustics serenading the space spurred that same flicker of  jealousy she felt the other night after embracing a sweaty and boasting Julie.  

The blank expression in Luke’s wide eyes had deterred her initial readiness to be vulnerable with learning a new skill, but the smile of excitement that broke his features stilled the pit of uncertainty beginning to open in her stomach. “Come on!” He encouraged gleefully, eyeing her as she grabbed Julie’s abandoned acoustic and moved to his left. 

Her hands fell unto the neck easily, surprising Luke with how at home she seemed to be with the instrument. A while back when playing wasn’t so second nature to him, he struggled finding a comfortable hold on the neck and body simultaneously. She didn’t look to be sharing any of those beginner level struggles. 

“This is good, right?” She second-guessed, looking up at look with crescent moons in her eyes. She wanted to impress him, not demean the craft he had quite literally died for. If she wasn’t any good at playing yet, she figured technique was at least a few points in her corner. 

“Perfect.” Luke smiled, blue eyes glistening with what might have been ghost charm, but it made her heart hammer harder in  her ribcage and a kaleidoscope of monarchs were released in her stomach. “This is E.” Luke said softly, not wanting to break the soft focus she held. He motioned to the neck of his own guitar, smiling widely when she mimicked his actions and strummed the same note. 

From their on he did everything he could to see the same joyful smile on her lips in between stretches of thought and concentration. Seeing her tongue poke out from between her strawberry lemonade lips when she focused and the crinkle of her nose every time she smiled up at him in delight made his ghostly heart jump. 

They had started working on the melody of a sweet music classic, yet every time they came around to the middle of a chord, her focus shifted to hyperdrive and she pulled back in uncertainty. Luke frowned when she froze for the fourth time, hating the negative pull of her lips as she pouted.

“What happened?” He asked her softly, stopping his own playing to encourage her eyes to drift towards him. He should have known that was an unwavering factor to her stubborn factor, but he had faltered for a minute and forgot that this wasn’t Julie he was with. “Look at me, Mia.” He begged, lifting a hand from the neck of his guitar and raising it to the soft curve of her cherry cheeks. 

His breath hitched when remembrance struck him of the half-wordly state he possessed, and his hand fell through her cheek despite his efforts. She raised her eyes to look upon him like the stars had fallen at her feet, and it was only then that beside the crescent moons in her eyes he could see the tears. 

“I want to feel you.” She admitted softly into the occupied air beside herself, sniffling back the sobs she wanted to unleash. “I want to hold your hand, and give you a hug after a show. I want to braid your hair so maybe it wouldn’t always be in your eyes--” Luke chortles gently, though his own eyes glisten at her painful revelation. “I want you to grab my hands and show me the right chords, and pull me into your lap when you mess around on Alex’s drums when you know he’s with Willie. But, we can’t have that.” 

Blood had filled Luke’s mouth from the tight clasp his teeth held on the skin of his cheek. His eyes were wet with understandable distaste for their situation. He had felt the same way as her for weeks, getting impatient with himself every time the tips of his fingers tingled with desire when she drew close. He wanted to hold her hand, wipe away her tears, take her bottom lip between his teeth, warm her cheeks with his hands when she looked away from him in embarrassment. He wanted everything a ghost could never acquire. 

His eyes trailed down to his six string, fingertips plucking the strings until a vibration of gentle sound traveled to her ears. She looked him over gently, taking in everything his pale expression had to offer. She wished she could manage a smile when she noticed the glistening in his endless eyes, but she was still riddled with reality. 

“What’s the first song you learned to play?” She asked him, not wanting to face a conversation about what they could never be. She would postpone that unpostponable date for as long as Luke allowed her to run. 

“This one.” He smiled softly at her innocent stare, wishing he could just meet the tip of her nose with his. Her features melted at his statement, and a wobbly grin ate at the corners of her lemonade lips. 

“This is the first song you learned?” She wasn’t sure why it touched her heart so closely to know that he had chosen a song that meant so much to him to be her first, but it did, and she couldn’t fight the grin that twisted her lips up entirely. “Play it for me.” She decided sweetly, watching as Luke’s fingers found their place on the neck and he picked up from the beginning of the sweet tune. 

When Luke smiled up at her, she smiled back before beginning, “Here comes the sun…” 

#julie and the phantoms #julie molina #julie and the phantoms luke #netflix julie and the phantoms #jatp luke #luke jatp #luke patterson #luke patterson blurb #luke patterson x reader #julie and the phantoms imagine #julie and the phantoms fluff #luke patterson fluff

[cheesydoesitstevie]

Unlikely Trio

Summary: Reader ends up on an Elevator with Bucky and Sam. 

Warnings: none really. Maybe a little violence. Not sure what I was going for with this. Was inspired by an Asian ad. 

Something inside you was dying for some excitement, anything to break up this mundane routine you had fallen into. The bell dinged as the elevator stopped prematurely a few floors before the lobby. Calm classical sounding music played softly throughout the gold decorated elevator. The doors slides open and two large men stepped in. Both of them were dressed pretty casually yet they looked as if they were headed somewhere important. They seemed familiar, you weren’t quite sure where you had seen them before. They definitely weren’t movie stars. You needed a better look but didn’t want to be caught staring.

One quick glance wouldn’t hurt, study as much as you could within a few seconds. Your eyes lit up and something snapped in your brain. They were the Avengers. Well what was left. You remembered something about Sam Wilson aka the Falcon taking over as Captain America and his partner was Bucky more well known as The winter soldier. Sam nods at you and smiles awkwardly. You bit your lip turning to look down at the floor before a crazy thought pops into your head. You pull your hood up over your hair. Unsure of why this was essential to your idea. Timidly you turn towards Bucky, he looks you up and down while Sam’s face contorts displaying his confusion in his eyebrows.

“Can I join you guys?”

“Sure. Just follow my lead.” Bucky replied facing back towards the doors.

“Wait. No! Absolutely not!” Sam looks at Bucky like a parent silently scolding a child.

“What?” Bucky asks with a shrug his tone indicating that he doesn’t see what the big deal is.

“C’mon man. She’s a civilian.”

“I have pepper spray and a knife.” You hold out the knife as the pepper spray dangles from a keychain that’s wrapped around your wrist.

“See Sam, she has a knife.” Bucky holds his gloved hands out as if he’s showing off the knife in a showcase.

Sam quickly becomes more annoyed, not sure why Bucky is humoring this clearly insane young woman. He looks her over before shaking his head and trying to ignore his idiot partner. Through gritted teeth Sam tries to speak so that only Bucky hears him.

“Dude, we’re after Zemo right now. It’s not the time to play adopt a civilian.” Bucky pretended to ignore everything Sam said.

You hold the knife and various ways that you had seen on Tv, Bucky only encourages you more. He pulls out his own knife and begins to twirl it around. You watch in awe as he flips it up with his right hand before catching it in his left.

A gruff sigh of disapproval leaves Sam’s mouth as you and Bucky compare knives. He tries to teach the same twirling technique he just showed you. You drop the knife a few times, each time Bucky caught it mid air just before it hit the ground. The elevator slows and the number lights up. This is where the guys are getting off. Sam shoots Bucky one last warning glare before moving to exit the lift.

“It was nice to meet you...”

“Y/N.” You say extending your hand to Sam. He shakes it politely and then turns to leave.

You feel little pang of sadness strike your heart as you watch Bucky’s frame move through the doorway. Soon the doors will close and the most exciting moment in your life will be over. Bucky looks back and nods his head towards the hallway. The feeling of butterflies shoot through you. You struggle to contain the excitement that is surging through your veins.

“Stay behind me.” Bucky whispers pushing you gently behind him.

Sam walks a few feet a head. They’re closing in on the target. The hallway is long and with cheaply painted white walls. A few large windows cast a natural light on the eerily silent and empty hall. Its the middle of the day but suddenly the feeling of a dark and creepy abandoned building starts to creep up over skin. Pebbling it in goosebumps as the hair on the back of your neck starts to stand. You weren’t sure when Bucky had grabbed your hand, now that you were aware of it made you feel a little better. Your fingers lightly squeezed his hand feeling your own heart beat thump in your chest as the sound of blood rushed through your ears.

Bucky turned to side slightly glancing at you through his peripherals. He nodded and pulled you closer to his back. He used his other hand to put one finger over his lips. You understood the message and nodded. Swallowing quietly in anticipation about what was going to unravel here.

Sam paused outside of a door that read 201. He looked up signaling for Bucky to take the same position on the other side of the door. Sam made eye contact with you and his face flushed with anger. He cursed Bucky under his breath. Bucky seemed to be un-phased by anything going on with Sam.

Everyone grew quiet listening for life on the other side of the door. The news could be heard softly playing in the background. A mans voice muffled through the television murmured on about events going on in New York City. A clanking of dishes let Bucky know that Zemo was definitely home.

He nodded to Sam, letting go of your hand and slipping his gun from the back of his pants. Sam turned like he was about to kick the door in. You drastically yet silently shook your head no and both men paused to see what the problem was. Bucky was curious while Sam grew more and more impatient with whole charade.

Pulling yourself up on Tiptoes you whispered into Bucky’s ear. Bucky nodded agreeing that was a better idea. He waved the gun towards Sam indicating he wanted Sam to go back to his previous position. To everyone’s surprise Sam did and waited for his cue.

Bang. Bang.

The room behind the door fell silent and everyone seemed to hold their breath listening waiting for a response.

“Maintenance.” Bucky yelled through the door. There was a moment of silence everyone seemed to be holding their breath. 

“I didn’t call for anything.” A mans voice echoed from the other side of the door. He was close enough to be heard but not close enough to touch the door. Sam considered he might be armed and waiting for them to kick the door down.

“We’re checking all the units. Some of the pipes burst.” Bucky called out again. They were met with another long silence before the door lock clicked and slid out of place. Zemo peeked out behind the chain lock of the door.

Bucky gave minimal effort in kicking the door in. The chain snapped as if it were made of paper, pieces exploded everywhere as the door slammed Zemo backwards into the wall. His nose and head were bleeding now. He still tried to run but Sam was on him quickly knocking him to the ground.

You watched from the busted door frame as Sam pinned the man down. Bucky slapped some high tech looking cuffs on the man and pulled him to his feet. As they passed by Zemo gave you a quizzical look. It wasn’t out of place. You were the one in a situation you should of never been in. Unsure of what to do you followed them as they moved Zemo down the stairs.

They went down past the lobby and headed towards the floor that led to the parking garage. The car was red and fast, leaving minimal space in the back seat. Bucky stood holding onto Zemo looking at you and then at the back seat. Sam rolled his eyes gesturing that the obvious answer was to ditch you. Bucky figured out his own plan and unlocked the car. clicking the trunk open. Zemo tried to resist but Bucky easily shoved him into the trunk. 

Zemo’s complaints were muffled through the car yet the still echoed in the concrete garage. Bucky escorted you to the back seat while Sam gave him the death glare. 

“What the hell are you doing?” 

“Waiting to leave.” Bucky shrugged tossing Sam the keys before ducking into the drivers seat. 

“Where do you live?” Sam asked being done with the whole situation he was eager to get rid of you, so he could go home and be alone. 

“Oh, I live-” 

“She’s coming with us.” Bucky intervened knowing that you lived in the building that they had just plucked Zemo from. Sam let out a big sigh pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“You live on the upper floor of this apartment complex don’t you?” You said nothing and remained seated in the back.

“Fuck it!” Sam said throwing his hands in the air before he started the car and slid into reverse. 

“She’s your responsibility.” Sam warned Bucky he was not going to be liable for anything that happened to you. 

“She’s not a cat.” 

“Well you sure are treating her like one.”

“It’s just us at the Avengers complex we could use another person there.” 

“I kind of wish I was the only one there.” Sam and Bucky continued to fight like a married couple. You watched amused from the back having more fun than you thought you would going on this little adventure. 

The drive was long as you went from one side of New York out to the more rural part of New York. At some point you had dozed off in the back seat. You woke to Bucky gently shaking you awake from the open door. 

“We’re here doll.” You clumsily stepped out of the car, taking the hand that Bucky had offered you. 

The place was more stunning than you could have ever imagined. Never in your life had you seen such a high tech and expensive place. The design of the whole building was unique with the large Avengers symbol in front and a huge helicopter pad to your right. 

“We have to take Zemo somewhere. we will be back.” Bucky lead you into the building.

Bucky started to head back out. Thats when you realized you were standing in the middle of the Avenger’s living room. You sat down on the couch taking a deep breath in. How many times had they all sat here, laughing and talking. Did they watch movies or shows together? What is a show they would of all agreed on?

Silence filled the air and the place seemed unbelievably large. It would definitely be easy to get lost. You thought about how sad it might be for Bucky and Sam. Everyone they used to live with her was now gone. You heard the stories about Captain America, Ironman and Black widow. The thought of them all not being here now set a deepness in your heart.

You wondered where Wanda was, it would of made sense if she stayed here with them. Either way you wanted to take full advantage of being a guest here while it lasted. You decided to explore respectfully. Setting up simple rules for yourself. No searching any bedrooms and don’t touch anything in the labs, just look. That is if you could get in most places.

You had so many questions yet you didn’t want to bring up anything that would be a sensitive subject for Bucky or Sam.

#Bucky Barnes #sam wilson #Falcon and Winter soldier. #Sebastian Stan #anthony mackie #The Avengers #bucky barnes x reader #sam wilson x reader

[paradife-loft]

Worth

Well, this intended to start out being for a prompt, but then.... I guess my brain decided that “Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangyao” was the actual real prompt and it didn’t have to incorporate any of the material from any of the days of the prompt lists. Whatever, I’m still gonna include it in my October fic series. I wrote it in October, after all... D: Also hey, it’s my first time writing Jiang Cheng! Hopefully he didn’t come out too poorly /o/

-----

When a-Ling had been checked over once more for injuries; the Jin servants disappeared upstairs to help put him to bed, and the innkeep paid for the meal and rooms, Jin Guangyao found himself unusually alone, in the waning candlelight, with Jiang Wanyin.

Despite the shock of more, wilier, and more unusual, elementals lurking around the mountain village than any of their information had prepared them for, he had no substantive signs of damage on him. The hardest blow he had presumably taken was the one to his pride, having to send a flare up for reinforcements when it turned out that a-Ling staying back in a secured area while Jiang Wanyin dealt with the ambush wasn’t going to work if their assumptions on what counted as safe couldn’t be fully trusted.

Even so, he seemed to have recovered admirably well by now, wiping down his sword from the sticky, hallucinogenic sap expelled as he carved a swathe through the engorged plant monsters, and no displeasure besides the usual evident in his face.

As the last of the Jin disciples filtered out of the room, Jiang Wanyin glanced up to Jin Guangyao, still waiting. His expression flickered, and then he sheathed Sandu and stood. Jin Guangyao smiled slightly.

“Please excuse this one borrowing another moment of Jiang-zongzhu’s time. I simply wished to impress explicitly once more, the Jin sect’s apologies for the unexpected encounter you and a-Ling had to suffer. We will of course not bear any fault from his care in mind, going forward.”

Jiang Wanyin’s brow furrowed, before he nodded, with a short “thank you.” His gaze flickered over Jin Guangyao’s comportment, lingering for a fraction longer on the sleeve where he’d drawn a hidden qin string from during the earlier battle, before piercing it through one of the elementals and using the vibrations from his hand to disrupt the creature’s spiritual energy, until it had practically dissolved into the earth.

“I was wondering where all that steel I saw in you at Qinghe went, once you put those Jin robes on,” Jiang Wanyin said a moment later. “Doesn’t seem like Jin-zongzhu makes as much use of you as he could, just having you greet guests and arrange banquet tables.”

Of all the things he’d expected him to say, that had not made the list. Jin Guangyao felt his stomach tense, and his face broke out into a brief flare of a smile, before he slid his gaze down and scraped the shape of his expression back from the cliff it felt like falling off of with the skin of his fingers. When he looked back up, he’d managed to return it, he hoped, to something more unremarkably thoughtful.

“I’m sure my father would appreciate any advice a fellow clan leader would have to give, next time you visit Koi Tower,” Jin Guangyao replied.

The look that emerged from Jiang Wanyin’s face after a few moments was, if nothing else, distinctly privately gratifying.

“Did a-Ling have any difficulties during the night-hunt, other than the unexpected numbers?” Jin Guangyao asked, after a few moments where neither of them spoke. Drawing his hands up in front of him, he set them together beneath the long drape of his sleeves. Jiang Wanyin shook his head at the new question, the furrow in his brow melting away slightly - until he’d returned to his ordinary level of prickliness - when he glanced up toward the stairs.

“No, he did well. I guess you Jins have been teaching him more than just fine manners and the history of all the cultivation lineages?”

Jin Guangyao inclined his head, letting the derisive implication slide past him. “We do take him and the other junior disciples on educational outings to our clan’s hunting grounds,” he said, patient and unruffled. It would do no harm to offer a few more drips of information to him, so clearly parched for any involvement in his young nephew’s education. “It allows them to observe the behavior of a wide variety of monsters, and the strategies our cultivators have developed to subdue them, all in relative safety - appropriate to each disciple’s age cohort, of course. If Sandu Shengshou has concerns, I could arrange a tour for him?”

Jiang Wanyin looked briefly surprised, and not for the first time, Jin Guangyao’s thoughts flashed to how much better he would do to learn to hide at least a fraction of his expressions. “Well, I mean, we’re all busy, I don’t want to get in the way for something trivial -”

“The satisfaction of a-Ling’s jiujiu in his education is of course not a trivial matter! It would be no trouble.”

(Or rather, it would; it would be yet another task added to his neverending list of them; but his father, he was quite sure, would have instructed him to extend the invitation if he were here, perhaps have him note a few minor suggestions Jiang Wanyin would wish them to make that wouldn’t have much true impact on the actual administration of the sect… Jin Guangyao found his own gaze wandering up toward the stairs to the inn’s second floor this time, and his emotions drifting in tandem toward envy of the small child now assuredly tucked into bed and, if his attendants were lucky, fast asleep - before he caught himself and fixed his eyes back onto Jiang-zongzhu’s face.)

Jiang Wanyin didn’t answer right away, looking at him consideringly for a few moments first. And then said, “Is that where you learned that trick with the elementals?”

“From the Jin sect hunting excursions?”

“Yeah.”

Jin Guangyao’s eyes flicked away from Jiang Wanyin’s, and he held his face still against the urge to bite at his bottom lip. The last time he’d been to the private hunting grounds outside Lanling, it had been to oversee and resolve a stock discrepancy. “Ah - not that one.”

“Oh? It’s pretty impressive, anyway. Not something I’ve seen.”

Jin Guangyao regarded him for a moment, contemplating what he knew of Jiang Wanyin’s own special techniques. His swordplay was widely-praised, of course, honed and matured on the bloody butcher’s floor of the Sunshot campaign; but his Zidian was an heirloom passed from Meishan Yu, rather than a relic directly chosen from the (now mostly-recovered) treasure chambers ensconced in Lotus Pier.

He smiled again. “Well, Yunmeng Jiang isn’t known for its musical cultivation techniques, if my experience hasn’t given a misrepresentative impression? Aside from your silver bells.”

And those were a rudimentary assay into the use of sound as a spiritual focus, certainly; but as far as making sound itself the instrument rather than a conductor alone, they didn’t approach the subtlety of even the children’s exercises taught by Gusu Lan. No, the Jiang sect’s unique strengths, aside from its once-head disciple, were sure to lie elsewhere.

But Jiang Wanyin looked back, his brows drawing up as if surprised, or not sure whether to be offended. “Most sects aren’t,” he replied. “Mostly, we focus on a strong grounding in the traditional disciplines, and plenty of practical experience - not so much specialisation in just one style.”

Which fit well with the easy popularity of the sect, allowing them to so effectively rebuild thus far, Jin Guangyao agreed. If what they wanted was for people to put in the work, and what they offered was more practical to the lives of the area’s villages than just the status that came with the prestigious possibility of secret techniques - not surprising that even now, they would do well.

And Jiang Wanyin, for all that the advantages of delicate political trades shirked him at a wide berth, was nonetheless dedicated to his work, and did not make frivolous demands of others while refusing to see them done himself.

“It’s a worthy philosophy,” Jin Guangyao finally returned - expression genial, even if his mood was no better. “A solid foundation is of course the most important basis for all later cultivation techniques.”

He paused, as if considering something, then added, “A-Ling would surely benefit from a longer period of time immersed in Lotus Pier’s training style, for that matter. Perhaps in a month or two, you might discuss it with my father? It would surely help maintain the strength of the bond between our sects.”

If Jiang-zongzhu had looked surprised before, it paled before the hopeful delight that spread, almost disbelieving, across his face this time. “Really? You think so?”

“Not immediately; it may be difficult for him to agree too soon after tonight. But with time and caution…” Jin Guangyao trailed off. An invitation for Jiang Wanyin, into the closed realm of private understanding and accordance created between them in doing so. Not that they were on any same side in truth; not with Jin Guangyao’s own responsibilities, which would be served just as well by Jiang Wanyin’s openness to being strung along even further in search of scraps. But everyone was flattered to think himself half of a closed mutual agreement - and it would not surprise him for Jiang Wanyin to be even moreso than others.

And indeed, he nodded, taking Jin Guangyao’s meaning well. He sobered, then, drawing himself up and letting one hand settle on the pommel of his sword, as if to reinforce in Jin Guangyao’s eyes the image of him as a capable, responsible leader of one of the four great sects.

But a moment after, he seemed to soften, handing over an expression nearly of gratitude with surprising ease. “Lianfang-zun,” he said. “Thank you for taking care of Jin Ling.”

The words settled over him like dust before sinking in, and Jin Guangyao’s eyes widened, just a fraction, despite himself. They were said with all apparent seriousness, and even so, he couldn’t help but look, instinctively, for the cutting implication the sentiment must have encased.

But he maintained his smile, empty, in the meantime; polished it with an almost demurring acceptance given only half of his attention. And at the end - he didn’t, or couldn’t, find anything truly objectionable about the gratitude to shred against the sharp skin of his soul. Jiang Wanyin, likewise ever sharp with his tongue on all other occasions, apparently meant it.

Jin Guangyao took a slow breath in, wavering in his lungs, and looked away.

#that time James wrote fic #Jin Guangyao #Jiang Cheng #no good things for the poor sad cultivators #yes Jin Ling is being taken out to watch a night hunt when he's like 5 #yes I decided I would justify that bc I wanted to set this in the period before JGS is dead #*waves hands* ehhhhh timelines

[dissmal]

2021 in Review

Highlights & Memories for 2021: 

Began the year with lots of chess and Queen’s Gambit

Making a snowman with Jon in Prospect Park- coziest day ever. 

Ordering tons of Ki Sushi with Jon at 158 15th. I miss the tofu cream cheese bagel place, the almond croissants and Reyes burritos

Talking to John Park on Clubhouse while waiting for Domino’s pizza

Spontaneously deciding to stay a night in a hotel, getting Jewish breakfast at Barney Greengrass and then walking down to Lincoln Center for the best halal

Met cloisters in Harlem, sitting under the cherry blossoms and then eating Dominican food and going to the Botanic Gardens

Taking a spontaneous trip back to Chicago, staying with Hayoung and revisiting my old neighborhood around Rush

Getaway excursion for Jon’s birthday. Celebrating with lychee and green tea roll, and roasting food on the fire pit (burnt pizza)

Taking a surfing class and being really afraid of the waves 

Trying the fried rice ball in North Boston while Jon was away for the bachelor party

Driving up to Dartmouth for Connor’s birthday

Moving into my parent’s apartment and cleaning for like 2 days straight. 

Going to the US Opens in Queens and getting dim sum really late at night in Flushing

My graduation! Driving all the way up to Ithaca right after Mid Autumn Morgan team event- going to meet Jon Olin, seeing Medium friends at CTB, taking a tour of the new Humec building and chatting with So-Yeon

Dressing up as Ash and partying at Good Room with Ami and Maya on my birthday

Going to Tiffany’s on my birthday and getting my first really expensive piece of jewelry with my mom

A lot of good times at Cindy’s apartment with Emily, Brian, and more

Thanksgiving dinner with my extended family, lots of crab, some karaoke and 

Hosting my own dinner party and getting 2 more chairs from Harlem the morning of. burning pasta lol

Ended the year in Boston, getting closer with Miso and teaching him how to climb the stairs, and staying in an airstream for the first time and having really good seafood chowder

Highlights of 2021: 

Learned how to 3D print, debug my printer, and solder prototypes

Actually have hobbies for the first time outside of work and career Building upper body strength- can finally do push-ups!

Got into the habit of running: running down to prospect park or across the Brooklyn Bridge

First time trying golf, tennis, surfing, and glamping 

Converted to EY employee

Talked to my first Angel investor and VC Dealt with legal issues

Developed better relationship with my parents

Became friends with a lot of people!

Moved out of my first apartment & learning to live by myself

Went to concerts and raves by myself

2022 Goals: 

Fitness: I would like to get to the peak of my fitness when I turn 25. This means shredding fat and getting to 110lb. This also means actually sleeping at least 7 hours a night

Career: Get promoted... and then quit. To work at a startup maybe or for Soulo to truly take flight.

Running: Run my first 5k and 10k Climbing: Start climbing v3 and v4s, and try outdoor climbing and ice climbing

Music: Learn basic jazz piano, compose my own piece, and learn basic guitar technique (strumming)

Improve my apartment: fixing the ceiling, adding lights and fixing the floor

Upgrading my life: Get better at makeup, and upgrade my style to be more sophisticated

Financial security: 

Adopting a cat and learning to care for an animal!

Read 1 book

Looking back at 2021, I’m proud of the person I’ve become and also astonished as to how transformative this year has been. I’m a much more independent person, and live by myself now. I have more responsibility taking care of the apt by myself but living alone has allowed me to enjoy New York City to its fullest. I’ve been able to connect with so many more people by meeting friends of friends, go out late at night to drink at a bar or go to a concert. And I’m able to be spontaneous which is something I was working towards for this year- I can choose to go wherever I want whenever I want and the freedom to do that is so refreshing.

This year, I’ve forged my own identity and I have a clear understanding myself for the first time. I know what I’m good at (blue sky thinking, leadership, teaming and community) and what I want in my career (something related to startups). The affirmation that I received while working on Soulo was life changing and I miss that energy. I’m fearless because after talking to investors, I feel like there’s really nothing too complicated or too difficult to figure out. I’m more blunt, saying what I want and what I think directly simply because that’s how they communicate and not waste time. I feel grateful for all the experiences this past year and how it’s shaped me. 

Looking ahead at 2022, I’m nervous to spend the entire year doing long distance and it feels uncertain as to where everything will end up. But at the same time, I know it’ll challenge me and give me space to grow myself in other ways. I’m looking forward to traveling to Europe, adopting a cat, growing my hobbies, and challenging myself in my career, and being reunited with Jon at the end of the year (and seeing how he’s challenging himself in his career). Hoping for a god year, here’s to 2022.

#p #year in review

[tmnt-brave-new-world]

Good evening gentlemen, and welcome. My name is Blossom. I hope y'all, and your Mun, are well, and hope this hasn't been asked of the others, If you have a spare time in your day, how do you enjoy passing it? And if you don't mind my asking one more question...Leo, I heard you've studied and enjoy music, art. Do you have a preferred medium in either? Thank you kindly.

Good evening Ms. Blossom,

 its a pleasure to meet you. Myself and Raph have already answered this, however Mikey and Donnie have not been asked this of yet.

Donnie flicked his eyes from his older brother back to the small brunette before giving a small nod of his head. “Right. I’m afraid my down time is limited. Even with our extended life spans, there never seems to be enough time for all of the projects I have planned. I do however make it a point to pull myself away from work so that I rest properly, eat three times a day and groom myself as needed. I have also learned that stopping when I’m starting to feel fatigued is necessary if I plan to continue in a productive fashion.”

“I enjoy gardening, and studying the different needed variables within the contained ecosystems in which I create. There is something to be said about being able to take the time and learn such a rudimentary art. It also reminds me of the days in the resistance when the time needed to grow nutritional food was almost no existent. I take great pride in what I create, and the resistant strains of certain species of fruit and vegetable I have managed to create with my knowledge of genetics and field observations. I also enjoy dabbling in each of my brothers hobbies. they would be loathe to admit it, but they become so excited over their favorite topics and the knowledge they can share. Its nice to see that sense of peace on each of their collective faces.”

“Another area of interest is archeology, from collecting fossils to ancient jewelry, a tie to the past has always been of significant interest. I believe my bothers enjoy playing in the dirt when I go to a dig site, or harvest a crop as a type of trade off for time spent with each of them.”

“Raph and I work on different mechanics and converting both classic cars and the newest toy into something that works better than originally planned, or is better suited for one of use to use. I’ve had to make a special booster seat insert for when someone drives them as a result however.”

“I have attended many a gala and charity event with Leo, He has a sizable art, and artifacts collections that can be observed in many rooms of the house. Albeit he does have me research each event to make sure the big ticket items aren’t stolen or haven’t been reported as missing since the fall of Earth.” 

“Mikey is always looking for someone to attend the opening of new restaurants or to assess some type of new technique related to a style of art he’s suddenly become interested in. I’ll allow his to explain in further detail, however.”

Mikey shot her a big grin before he started in, “I guess I’m next?” 

“Man I don’t think I really have a job so its always down time for me!” The turtle laughed good naturedly. I enjoy bringing people happiness and the best way I have found to do that is with my ability to create. I love being able to have the freedom to create in a wide array of formats. I can use multiple techniques to paint in a multitude of styles. I can sculpt. I can weave. I am actually certified to create and Tattoo. I can blow glass sculptures and pieces. I can carve objects from wood, stone or just about any other medium reasonably well. I can cook, and have actually been featured on a few cooking shows and competitions. I can also sew, which has lead me to creating and collaborating with a lot of other artist.”

 “Time in the resistance let we with a jack of all trades kind of mentality. If its something I think I might be able to learn or understand, I go all in and learn it. I actually learned how to perform professional level autobody work for Raph and Donnie, for when they wanted to be able to do customizations on cars but neither could explain to a body shop what exactly it was they wanted. I even spent several months in the mountains of Tibet and Morocco learning about the different techniques related to ancient dyes and leather tanning techniques.”

“I tend to take contracts and commissions from people when I feel like it. Its awesome because a lot of the time I never know what exactly someone is going to ask for and because of my skills I can combine things in ways that no one has ever thought about before!”

“One of my favorite things to do with my down time though is that I actually teach several classes online and through zoom regarding basic techniques such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, and basic adulting. I found it really shocking how many kids and adults didn’t have these skills after we took back Earth and that their lives seemed to suffer for it. So I did what I do best and I started youtube videos on how to do it and then started offering free classes that are coordinated with local community centers and libraries to help those who need it but may not be able to try it due to lack of resources. I of course send all the needed supplies to the sites that sponsor these classes, so that they aren’t anything for offering to help!”

“For the second part of your question Miss Blossom,” Leo gave an unusually shy smile, “I’m no where near as talented as my brother, but I enjoy painting still life and landscapes. I can use acrylics, oils and watercolor with varying degrees of success. There is something cathartic about slowly transforming a canvas or trying new techniques. As for Music I can play the piano and a few classic songs to completion. I have attempted to learn the violin and the guitar but am no where near sufficient for anyone to hear, except for Mikey who acts as my instructor most evenings.”

[anetherealsoul]

Flip and Roll: A Rhythmic Gymnastics Blog

A Rio Olympics 2016: Individual Women's Rhythmic Gymnastics

By Dana Esabelle I. Catingub

A Sports Blog

Russia reigned again in the rhythmic gymnastics competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but that does not mean that the other athletes failed to impress us with their skills. From all over the world, athletes have dazzled all of us with their mastery of the hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon.

  Kudryavtseva looked primed for another victory at the Rio Olympics, but in the last moments of her clubs routine she dropped the apparatus. Mamun was nearly perfect in her own routines, allowing her to win the Olympic gold. With their precise and complex routines, the two women of Russia's rhythmic gymnastics team showed us that they are worthy of their titles. Meanwhile the U.S. group didn't advance to the final, they recovered from a shaky ribbons routine to cleanly execute their hoops and clubs routine.

  Rhythmic gymnasts, are allowed to use music with lyrics for one of their routines. While classical music was still a popular choice, other gymnasts opted to perform to songs by Queen, the Rolling Stones, Fergie and even Madonna.

In-Depth Details:

Court Dimensions

12m x 12m

The standard performance area for both men and women is 12m x 12m. The border is 100cm minimum and where there is a delimitation strip between the performance area and the border, the strip is 5cm wide and included as part of the performance area (Murray, 2019).

Equipment

Leotards

They extend from the shoulders to the mid-thigh region and are generally made out of a breathable, sweat-wicking polyester fabric. Most leotards are sleeveless, although many female gymnasts prefer to have sleeves included to keep their arms insulated throughout the course of a long competition. 

Beam Shoes

Mirror the design of a traditional slipper. Experienced gymnasts tend to view gymnastics shoes as a must-have, since the shoes prevent them from slipping and protect their feet against pounding caused by abrupt contact with each landing surface. Moreover, the insoles are well-cushioned to maximize comfort and make the feet less vulnerable to pain and bruising that can occur over long periods of time.

Hoop

Common movements with the hoop include swings, rolls, tosses and catches, spins, passes through and over the hoop, rotations of the hoop on the floor and rotations of the hoop around the hand and other parts of the body. Most impressive here are the high throws and complex techniques for catching the hoop in a different fashion each time.

Ball

Waves, circles, throws and catches, movement with the ball balanced on the hand, bouncing and rolling the ball on the floor and along parts of the body are all key movements.

Clubs

Swings, large circles, small circles, mills, throws and catches and rhythmical tapping are common tricks.

Ribbon

Ribbon routines are comprised of snakes, spirals, swings, circles, throws and catches and figure-eight movements. The ribbon must remain constantly in motion.

(Gymnastics Equipment List, n.d.) and (USA Gymnastics | Rhythmic Gymnastics Events & Equipment Descriptions, n.d.)

Basic Skills

Statics

Statics are all the “held” or “still” positions in gymnastics and should be the starting point for any gymnastics program. Statics can be sub-divided into three categories:

• Supports: where the shoulders are above the apparatus

• Hangs: where the shoulders are below the apparatus

• Balances: with a small base of support. Once basic statics have been learnt they can be extended and varied to help develop skills, physical attributes and correct posture

Spring

The spring involves students projecting themselves into the air. It can involve springing from both legs,

one leg or even from two hands and two feet. Landing techniques must also be proficient before students

perform any springing activities. Springing activities can be sub-divided into two categories:

• unassisted (e.g. off the floor or bench)

• assisted (e.g. off a springboard or beatboard).

Landings

Body control on landing is an important skill because it enables students to control the movement of their

body. It is used in all jumping activities and in a range of games and sports. Remember for landings:

• initial contact with the mat is on the balls of the feet, followed by bending of the ankles, knees, and hip

• feet should be about shoulder-width apart

• the heels should not spring back up but should remain on the floor

Rotations

A rotation is any turn or spin around an internal axis. These include:

• turns left or right

• rolls, forward and backward

• cartwheels.

Locomotions

Locomotor activities occur frequently in gymnastics and some are unique to gymnastics, e.g. moving along an apparatus. Others, such as running, skipping, jumping, and landing, are generic to many games and sports. Locomotions can be broken down into three subcategories:

• on the feet

• supported

• hanging.

• Practise different ways of travelling, such as different directions or speeds and changes in body positions, e.g. high, low, medium.

• Investigate ways of changing body position.

• Design travel sequences that combine changes of shape and level.

It is important to reinforce the elements of movement, such as spatial awareness and dynamics (hard and soft) when teaching the skills in gymnastics. This enables students to understand levels, force, time and rhythm, while working within set boundaries and in set formations.

Gymnastics also provides students with an opportunity to work in pairs and groups. Including activities such as task cards and problem-solving activities in the gymnastics unit allows students to develop such skills as interacting, communicating, decision-making, moving and problem-solving

(Gymnastics – it’s not that scary, n.d.)

Technical and Tactical Skills of Margarita Mamun

Margarita Mamun of Team Russia mastered her signature skill, the illusion she made with the hoop, which was both unique and creative. Her highly elevated leaps were a good addition to the routine. The intricate handling of the apparatus and using various parts of her body to keep it moving, evidently showed us how experienced she was. I loved how the ball flowed very freely and seemed like it was an extension of her body because she works with it so well. During the clubs event she did a lot of spins and intricate handling and mastery. Lastly, her ribbon performance was very clean and her positions were always stable.  The Black Swan theme she had going on was brilliant. Overall, I think her main skill is the split leap, I always thought it was very elegant and perfectly executed. 

Technical and Tactical Skills of Marina Durunda

Marina Durunda of Team Azerbaijan’s hoop movements were nimble, small but quick, which made her performance entertaining because the flow was quick and every second there was a new surprise. The same goes for the ball performance, she showcased a strong balance shape as she dribbled the ball. She also inserted a surprise element when she threw the ball very high up and caught it with her hands in an unexpected way which was both smart and risky. During the clubs event, she did multiple full turns on one foot and executed it perfectly. The element of surprise was used again during the ribbon event, as she threw the ribbon using her foot and caught it just in time. Overall, I think her main priority in all her routines is to keep it fun and energetic, it shows in the music she chose and her facial expressions.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Yana Kudryavsteva

Yana Kudryavsteva of Team Russia made rhythmic gymnastics look so easy as she moved across the floor so lightly. She made illusions as the hoop moved across her body and she was moving in and out of it. She caught the hoop after a big throw in the most unusual manner, it was very high risk. Every element she does shows mastery. Her back seemed like there was no spine supporting it because she was very flexible and it bended so seamlessly. Her transitions in the clubs event moved from one position to another which allowed flow and continuity in her routines. Lastly, the ribbon event, I don’t exactly have much to say, other than it was ethereal and the way she always catches the ribbon even in the most complex times is mindblowing. Overall, I think her specialty is catching the apparatuses in the most unexpected way possible, her flexibility with her back that travels up to her head, and the smooth transitions.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Katsiaryna Halkina

Katsiaryna Halkina of Team Belarus started off her routine with various combination rotations that connect one part of her routine to another. When she spun as the hoop went down from her head to her legs it was very graceful and unique. Moving on, the ball event was probably my favorite among all the other performances, it was very engaging and I enjoyed how she spins, how her legs move with so much flexibility, and how the ball moved from one place to another. The clubs event didn't have much of the element of surprise, I think she played it safe this time, but it was still a decent performance. Lastly, the ribbon performance was really well done, she had a nice control with the front walkover and the color of the ribbon gave a beautiful illusion. Overall, I think Halkina’s priority is to always have a powerful start to give the audience and judges a good first impression.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Kséniya Moustafaeva

Kséniya Moustafaeva from Team France opened her performance with a nice leap with just the right amount of elevation. She also showed her emotions throughout the routine which is inline with the music she chose. Followed by the ball event which she chose dynamic music and abstract choreography to match it with. The clubs event was very refreshing to watch because it was very energetic, too bad she wasn’t able to catch it after the throw. Lastly, the ribbon dance was very beautiful to watch, I was speechless the whole time, although she chose to lean on more simpler steps, she did those very perfectly. Overall, I think that Moustafaeva is a dynamic gymnast who carefully chooses her music to match her style and the personality she wants to show to the audience.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Melitina Staniouta

Melitina Staniouta of Team Belarus showed us a very difficult step as she did the turning leaps while the hoop passed through in between her legs. Her hoop performance was more on to quicker movements to match it with the music. During her ball routine, she beautifully executed her pivots and the catchfoot while holding the ball was brilliant. Moving on to the clubs event where she chose a piano piece and spun around as she went higher and higher which added depth to her performance. Lastly, her ribbon dance had a theme of like a carnival which was very bubbly. Overall, I think her specialty is her signature turn where she slowly elevates her body from the ground to a standle standing position.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Carolina Rodríguez

Carolina Rodríguez from Team Spain already presented a unique aura from the very beginning of her routine. She had a very definite style in her hoop performance. She handled the hoop impressively well even during those series of turns. The kicks she did during the ball event as she executed a semi handstand was a nice touch to that slow tempo of the music. Her control over the ball was very impressive; you could hardly even notice how the ball moved from one place to another. Both clubs and her moves were perfectly synchronized and satisfying to watch. Lastly, her ribbon performance was flawless, whenever she threw the ribbon high up, she was always able to catch it effortlessly. Overall, I think the key point of her performances is accuracy because her step seemed to be perfectly timed and she was always at the right spot.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Son Yeon-jae

Son Yeon-jae from Team South Korea had a lovely and fresh look. The way she handled the hoop looked very complicated and complex as she moved from one place to another. She had amazing balance and when she threw the hoop very high up and caught it using her legs and did a small spin it was amazing. Her moves were always very clean and every step was very precise all throughout the ball event. The clubs were handled very well even with the fast tempo of the music. When she threw them they were perfectly aligned even up in the air. Her ribbon dance was probably my favorite among all the other performances. The solid classic color of red looked very neat together with her leaps. I loved it when she pivoted and made perfect and accurate circles with the ribbon. Overall, I think her main focus is to keep her performances clean, its very evident how she pays attention to detail and the lines are so perfectly measured.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Ganna Rizatdinova

Ganna Rizatdinova of Team Ukraine had a very explosive start as she pivoted around while holding the hoop matching it well with the music. I think her performance was the one that used the most hand movements with the hoop. During the ball event she had seamless transitions and a powerful ending that matched perfectly with the music. During the clubs event she did a lot of spins and pivots that were done very well. I applaud her for not getting distracted even though the claps of the audience weren’t even on beat with the music she was performing to. Lastly, during the ribbon event she had a precise start and even though she seemed like she was doing a semi handstand she managed to keep the ribbon moving and flowing. Overall, I think her performances were decent, she didn’t make a lot of mistakes but the level of difficulty for her performances was just the right amount to keep her safe.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Neviana Vladinova

Neviana Vladinova of Team Bulgaria started off her performance really well using her foot to spin the hoop around as she did a spin. The classical music blended perfectly with the type of dance she wanted to portray to all of us and I think that is a very important factor to consider in choosing the music. During the ball event I was very astonished when she caught the ball even without looking at it. The experience and amount of time practicing is very evident here. During the clubs event she caught both of them perfectly as well and landed in her hands just in time for her to move on to the next step. Lastly, for the ribbon dance, I loved how she chose an energetic song to end the events. Overall, Vladinova seemed to be the one who always had precise throws with the apparatuses and it was landed effortlessly at the palm of her hands. 

Rules

Rhythmic gymnastics combines ballet, dance and acrobatics with expressive movement and the manipulation of apparatuses. This sport is ideal for developing flexibility, strength, as well as body coordination. It stems from various dance styles and exercise regimes that share the common idea of expressive movement as a tool for exercise.

Individual programme 

During the individual programme, an athlete will manipulate only one of these five apparatuses at a time - rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon. One apparatus is rotated out of contention every two years, with the gymnast required to compete on the remaining four events. Until 2013, gymnasts could also perform with rope. However, this apparatus has been phased out, leaving just four to choose from. Whichever equipment the gymnast uses, the principle remains the same: they must keep the apparatus moving at all times, creating a flowing routine to music.

Music and Choreography 

All routines must be performed with music, with only short pauses of music allowed. The choreography must centre around a theme that is developed from beginning to end using a variety of body movements and the handling of apparatuses.

Leaps and jumps

● All leaps and jumps must be of a good height, have a clear shape and good amplitude.

● All leaps with the back arched must have the head in contact with the leg.

Balances

● All balances must be performed on the toes or the knee. These must be held clearly and have a good, fixed shape.

Pivots 

● All pivot combinations must be performed entirely on the toes without heel support.

Scoring

As with artistic gymnastics, performances in rhythmic gymnastics are given a maximum score of 20, comprising difficulty (D) and execution (E) scores.

· D score is based on each element of the performance including leaps, jumps, and use of apparatus. These D scores are averaged to give a score out of 10.

· E score is based on how well the routine was executed either by the individual or the group. The final number is an average of the middle three scores awarded by the judges.

· The D and E scores are combined at this stage, giving a mark out of 20. Then, any deductions are taken away. The list of instant deductions is incredibly long and complex in rhythmic gymnastics. Competitors can be penalized for anything from breaking the apparatus to landing heavily on their feet.

(Rhythmic gymnastics apparatuses and rules, n.d.) and (Rhythmic and artistic gymnastics explained | Olympic Channel, n.d.)

How to Officiate the Game

Meet Referee 

a. Serves as liaison between coaches and judges. Must attend the coaches meeting (or designate a proxy).

b. Reviews rule changes

c. Reviews equipment issues

d. Professional protocol reminders

e. Assigns the Chief and Panel Judges to their respective events

f. Corrects and signs the official score sheets after any change of score.

g. Acts as the final authority in all technical matters involving judges, timers, line judges, individual events, and AA tabulators, as well as equipment.

Chief Judge

a. Prepares the judges for the correct evaluation of the exercises at the judges’ meeting prior to the competition.

b. Checks that the apparatus and mats correspond to the USA Gymnastics regulations and that all materials necessary are available and functioning properly. This could include: light or time signals and stopwatches

c. Instructs judging assistants to assure their knowledge of the proper reporting procedures for the following violations: exceeding the time allowed and stepping out of the floor exercise area

d. Uses a green flag or hand signal to acknowledge the presentation of the gymnast.

e. Must evaluate the exercises accurately without bias and must frst write (or enter into the electronic scoring system) her/his own score before reviewing scores from other judges.

Panel Judges

a. Must record the Value Parts, Bonus, Special Requirements and Start Value, as well as record deductions for execution/amplitude, artistry, and compositional errors.

b.   Attempt to signal any such violation by raising a hand.

c. When changing a score, the judge must cross out the first score, initial the change, and write in new score. Do not erase.

Judging Assistants

a. Do not evaluate or score the exercise.

b. Signal and record specific faults and penalties to assist the Chief Judge.

Types of Judging Assistants:

Line judges for Floor Exercise- Signal by raising a hand or flag when gymnast steps (or touches some part of body) beyond the boundary line and inform the Chief Judge in writing of such violation.

Vault Fall Timer- The Chief Judge must monitor the Vault Fall time. The watch: Starts when the evaluation of the first vault is completed. Stops when gymnast leaves the landing area. After 40 seconds have passed, announces “20 seconds remaining”. After 50 seconds have passed, announces “10 seconds remaining.” At 60 seconds, announces “time”.

Uneven Bars Timer- is responsible for the correct timing of falls. The watch: Starts when a gymnast lands on the mat after a fall. Stops when gymnast leaves the floor to re-mount.

Balance Beam Routine Timer- is responsible for the correct timing of the exercise. The watch: Starts when the gymnast leaves the floor. Stops when a gymnast lands on the mat after a fall. Re-starts with frst movement to continue the routine. Stops when the gymnast arrives on the mat on the dismount.

Balance Beam Fall Timer- is responsible for the correct timing of falls. The watch: Starts when a gymnast lands on the mat after a fall. Stops when gymnast leaves the floor to re-mount.

Floor Exercise Timer- is responsible for the correct timing of the exercise. The watch: Starts with the first movement of the gymnast. Stops with the final movement of the gymnast.

(CLARIFICATIONS OF UNUSUAL JUDGING SITUATIONS, 2016)

Bibliography

CLARIFICATIONS OF UNUSUAL JUDGING SITUATIONS. (2016, October). Usagym.org. https://usagym.org/PDFs/Women/Rules/J.O.%20Code%20of%20Points/13repl_general.pdf

Gymnastics – it’s not that scary. (n.d.). Retrieved from Health.nsw.gov.au: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/heal/schools/Documents/Itsnotscary.pdf

Gymnastics Equipment List. (n.d.). Retrieved from Rookieroad.com: https://www.rookieroad.com/gymnastics/equipment-list/

Murray, K. (2019, July 12). Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Retrieved from

Photo Credits

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Rhythmic_gymnastics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics%2C_Marina_Durunda_30.jpg/1200px-Rhythmic_gymnastics_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics%2C_Marina_Durunda_30.jpg

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Video Reference

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[saeyoungs606]

Quarantine with the Dangerous Fellows

This is one I wrote when the COVID-19 first started, and it’s reposted from Wattpad and AO3. Obviously situations have worsened greatly, and I hope that all of you are being safe and smart. This is just my take on how I thought the boys would comfort you/interact with you during these difficult times. Make sure to keep updated with the latest info on the virus by using verified sources, such as the official CDC website. 

Also, the irony of this because this is a zombie apocalypse game 

~~~~

Eugene

Originally, he was extremely nervous about staying with you during the virus. He didn’t want to catch it nor give it you, and staying in the confined space seemed to be a sure way to pass it between you two.

However, as time passed, he realized that he couldn’t just hide away in the spare room in your apartment for however many weeks you would have to be together. (Plus, you may or may not have bribed him with some of his favorite snacks ;) )

Speaking of food, the two of you would eat all day, every day, leading a month’s supply of food to be eaten in about two weeks. Oops?

Anyone who knows Eugene can tell that he gets bored very easily and must be entertained at all times. Thus being said, your daily activities varied greatly. You binge-watched your favorite shows and anime, played board games, listened to music, played video games, and did anything that would satisfy your boredom.

A small incident where a certain blondie had a nightmare about his family and friends may or may not have resulted in the two of you sharing a bed. 0-0

Luckily, he had somehow thought to have brought his piano with him, so you often were blessed with seeing him perform something for you. He even had time to write a few songs in your dedication, and they absolutely melted your heart.

Awestruck from his performance for you, you immediately forced, ahem, influenced him to teach you how to play piano so that you could write him a song as well.

Eugene would be fairly well off during quarantine. He never liked to leave the house much anyway, unless he was visiting friends--which, by the way, you two video-called nearly every day--so the quarantine life was pretty similar to his normal one. 

Harry

This precious little bean would have absolutely insisted that you stay at his house after he heard that there was a virus outbreak. Plus, he knew that you lived alone and wanted to make sure that you were safe. 

He was not at all worried about the virus, but knew that you would be. Whenever you would begin fretting about things, he would immediately notice and take you into his arms, whispering little reassurances until you were more stable.

The two of you spent most of your time tending to a small, indoor garden that Harry had in his bedroom window. You always smiled when you saw Harry’s ecstatic face as he watched the sunlight glow on the little sprouts. (What an absolute sweetie T-T)

This boy would practice all of the safety precautions recommended by the health departments at! all!! times!!! He didn’t want you getting sick, of course, but he was also a very clean person normally, so it came as second nature to him.

He also had a complete surplus of medical supplies and medicines, so if you ever needed anything of that nature, you were sure to get the proper ailment and several cuddles to go along with it. 

Harry was honestly okay with living alone with you for a while, but he also missed physically going outside. He found himself missing the sun and the stars, so you always left the curtains open and often liked to lay on his living room floor, imagining that the two of you were lying in the soft grass.

Lawrence

When you asked if you could stay with him in self quarantine, this brunet was absolutely d e l i g h t e d . Lawrence adored the thought of being able to take care of you for an extended amount of time, and it would also eliminate the chances of you hanging out with anyone other than him. (Two birds with one stone, am I right?)

You both usually read your favorite books together, with some of his favorite authors being Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

He was very skilled in the cooking area, so you would often find yourself learning new techniques and recipes by watching him. After a while, he noticed your interest in his cuisine and insisted upon physically teaching you how to prepare your favorite dishes.

Lawrence also made a habit of baking sweets for you. When you woke up each morning, he had prepared some new pastry or tart for you to try, and you were sure to have a very delicious dessert after every meal.

Every time the two of you retired for the night or woke up to the sun in your eyes, expect a very, VERY long cuddle session. Being as possessive as he is, Lawrence finds himself wanting to hold and kiss you all the time. He just wants to feel that it’s you right next to him, and to assure himself that he isn’t living in part of his imagination.

One of Lawrence’s biggest fears during this time is that you will decide to leave him. Of course, the quarantine must be over at some point, but he resent the thought of that day arriving. When you leave, you will no longer be under his watchful yet caring eye, and that might mean that you will fall for someone else.

The latter being said, you can expect to have several issues trying to return home when the virus has finally run it’s course. (Y i k e s . Jumin bad ending 2, anyone??)

Zion

Out of everyone in the group, Zion would definitely be the most reluctant to allow you to stay with him. Not because he doesn’t like you, but because he’s... well, Zion. (lol, you get me?)

He would tease you for asking to stay with him constantly, making fun of how you were “afraid of something that wasn’t even living.” (We all know he really wants you to be there, though-)

Actually, scratch that, he would tease you for pretty much everything. You didn’t want to stay in your room because you were lonely? Scaredy-cat. You freaked out because you saw a bug on the bathroom counter? Wimp.

However, Zion knew when to stop with his nonsense. If he ever saw that you just weren’t in the mood, he would definitely ask about it. And if you ever told him that “it’s nothing” or “don’t worry, I’m fine”, he would get pretty angry and insist that you “stop with that lying bullshit”.

When together, the two of you were typically extremely competitive, so you usually played various games with one another. However, you could also find you two having a competition over who can do the most push-ups or laps around the house.

Despite his demeanor, Zion would actually be very worried about the chances of you both getting sick. He only tires to hide it with his “tough-guy” routine, but his nerves are fairly obvious to you.

Ethan

Despite being a man of few words, Ethan quickly agreed to take you in as the virus progressed. He really enjoys being around you and was very happy to spend a few weeks with you.

You both loved to do puzzles together. It was a very calming activity, and you were luckily able to do so since your grandparents had always given you a plethora of puzzles for every holiday known to man. Not that you were complaining, it became a shared hobby of the two of you.

He would also occasionally teach you how to repair certain objects and adored creating little knick-knacks for you out of random things he found throughout the house. For instance, he made a small cat out of a block of wood and some thread, and you thought it was the cutest thing ever. (Isn’t it, though?)

Ethan, being the sleepy fellow he is, also took several long naps through the course of a day. Although you found how long he slept a bit concerning at first, you were quick to join him on his midday slumbers on the couch.

Something he greatly enjoyed was when you talked. When you told him about your day, or about what your favorite things were. He loved getting to know you and hearing your voice, despite his own silence. He would often sit on the couch with your head in his lap, twirling his fingers through your hair as you reminisced about past events.

Honestly, Ethan would not be that concerned about the raging pandemic. He had you right there with him, and that’s all he had to worry about. Plus, he was typically a very chill person, so being distraught over something such as a sickness as not very characteristic of him. 

#dangerous fellows headcanon #dangerous fellows #dangerous fellows eugene #dangerous fellows ethan #dangerous fellows lawrence #dangerous fellows harry #dangerous fellows zion #headcanon #headcanons

[asckj1]

WangXian Fanfic - I would do the same

       I would do the same

                Wei Wuxian had just started teaching along with his dear husband Lan Wangji in the cultivation school at the Cloud Recesses. He had always complained that the Gusu sect’s teachings had too much syllabus on etiquettes, family histories and theoretical studies of different cultivation techniques. So he had taken up the task of giving practical lessons to the students by taking them to night hunts of varying degrees of difficulties. His students were also quite happy going on these mini missions once every 3 days. After they finished the night hunt, in the class on the next day, they had to explain all the details of which spells were effective on which types of hunts and situations, to suppress the ghosts and demons and which of them weren’t and why? Wei Wuxian would give them hints here and there if anyone got stuck while explaining something. His students were enjoying this method of teaching quite a bit and many had started showing a huge improvement in their cultivation after learning in Wei Wuxian’s classes.

                “Lan Zhan! See? Those kids really like my method of teaching. It’s so boring to just sit in class listening to long lectures from your Uncle! You should teach them some practical stuff too! You have an excellent cultivation base and know so many good techniques to fight so many types of monsters. I bet all your students will fall in love with you all the more if you do that!”, Wei Wuxian starting giggling saying that to his Lan Wangji. In return, Lan Wangji just gave a soft “Mm” and smiled softly at him.

                Lan Wangji was very happy that Wei Wuxian was settling in nicely in the Cloud Recesses and he made every single tiniest effort to make sure that Wei Wuxian didn’t feel inconvenienced in any way in his new home. But he was just being a worrywart. Wei Wuxian actually really liked the Cloud Recesses. And why wouldn’t he? He could go hunting animals and go fishing and he had mastered his ways well enough in breaking the now 4000+ rules of the Gusu sect without Lan Qiren finding it out. But the truth was, even though Lan Qiren was still really grumpy when he saw Wei Wuxian, he knew that Wei Wuxian had a very strong cultivation base since he was young and was a highly skilled cultivator. He had also secretly supervised a few of Wei Wuxian’s discussion sessions with his students and the way Wei Wuxian taught them key points of spells and how they work had already long impressed him. So once in a while, even if he caught Wei Wuxian breaking any rules, he would act as if he hadn’t noticed it. And Lan Wangji? He would just cave in almost always and let Wei Wuxian do whatever he wanted, except the times when he thought that it could cause Wei Wuxian any sort of harm.

                After Lan Wangji finished his classes and other duties, he used to prepare some spicy and some sweet dishes for his Wei Wuxian, keep the bath prepared for him and used to sit by the window and keep waiting for him to return every night. It was actually an obvious fact that Wei Wuxian would return to him after they finished the night hunt. But for Lan Wangji, losing Wei Wuxian once before in his life had given him such a mental shock that his heart still wouldn’t settle down until he saw his love with his own eyes in front of him. Tonight was yet another long night for Wei Wuxian and his students. All of them were pretty exhausted from this night hunt. After they returned to the Cloud Recesses, most of the students just dropped on their beds from exhaustion. No one even bothered go to eat dinner. Though they knew that Lan Qiren would be severely scolding them the next day for doing so, they still didn’t turn up. Maybe some sort of confidence in defying the Gusu sect’s rules had also rubbed onto them because of a certain teacher of theirs. Wei Wuxian too dragged his feet and finally reached near his and Lan Wangji’s Jingshi. As soon as he saw Lan Wangji waiting for him by the window as usual, a warm smile came up on his face and he picked up his pace.

“Lan Zhan! I’m back!”, called out Wei Wuxian, waving his hand.

There was a sudden sparkle in his eyes and warmth gathered in his heart the moment Lan Wangji heard his love call out to him. He got up in an instant and rushed to the door.

“Lan Zhan, tell me first. Did you eat anything?”, asked Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji was just warmly staring at him with a soft smile. He didn’t answer.

“You can’t dodge the question with a sweet smile like that! How many times must I tell you? Don’t wait for me like this! You’re going to fall sick like this one day. I’d hate it if that happened!”, Wei Wuxian scolded Lan Wangji as he pulled his ear a little.

Lan Wangji chuckled softly, saying, “I won’t” and caressed Wei Wuxian’s cheek gently. “The bath is ready. Let’s eat dinner together after you freshen up”, he said softly.

Wei Wuxian always hated it when people were inconvenienced because of him. But he hated it the most to see Lan Wangji just waiting for him every day without even drinking a drop of water or having a single bite of food for hours.

“You—! I told you so many times that I do grab a bite somewhere every time we get late in returning home!”, Wei Wuxian sighed deeply. This wasn’t the truth, because Wei Wuxian knew that his love waited for him. And Lan Wangji also knew very well that Wei Wuxian was lying every single time he said that.

“All right, all right… I’ll be there in a minute”, Wei Wuxian hurriedly walked, while grumbling, to fetch a change of clothes from the closet. Lan Wangji just warmly looked at his every move and it warmed his heart further.

“This Lan Zhan! How many times must I argue with him about this?! He’s so stubborn!! He only eats when I’m with him , he cooks all my favourite dishes still full of nutrition for me, takes care of my health, mends my clothes, does my hair, arranges my closet and study desk every day, arranges all papers for me so that I can mark easily without any sorting, helps me break Gusu sect’s rules…”, Wei Wuxian stopped suddenly and went into a deep thought, “He loves me so much… so unconditionally… even though I cause so much trouble for him all the time…” his heart squeezed tightly for a bit when he thought of it all. He snapped out of his though after a moment and finished taking his bath quickly and rushed out. In the meantime, Lan Wangji had also warmed up their dinner.

“Lan Zhan, let’s eat!”, Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji’s hand and dragged him to the table while Lan Wangji gave another “Mm” and let his love do whatever he wanted as usual.

Wei Wuxian opened the lids one by one and literally had sparkles in his eyes as a batch of his favourite dishes was decorated in front of him. Wei Wuxian’s broad smile was something Lan Wangji waited to see every day when they ate dinner.

“Lan Zhan, you’re really too good to me! I’m determined to also make your favourite dishes for you! Just you wait!”, exclaimed Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian’s cooking was too spicy and so he was secretly learning to make specifically less spicy yet nutritious dishes for his Lan Wangji. He waited for Lan Wangji to take the first bite of the dinner always.

“Go on! Go on!”, urged Wei Wuxian to which Lan Wangji chuckled softly saying, “Okay”. Wei Wuxian would feel happy and relaxed after Lan Wangji had finished eating at least one full dish and he would start eating only after that.

                They both happily ate their dinner and then went for a walk. There was a gentle breeze and the two walked slowly under the sky full of little twinkling stars and along a quiet, narrow path within the Cloud Recesses just enough to fit two people walking side by side. Bamboo trees lined both sides of this path and Wei Wuxian particularly loved walking along this route, because the rustling of the leaves gave a sound effect of rain falling lightly on the ground. Throughout their walk, Wei Wuxian happily told him about how some of his students goofed up some spells during the night hunt. Wei Wuxian’s voice was like music to Lan Wangji’s ears and he heard him very attentively while admiring his love as he excitedly chatted away. However, tonight, he had particularly noticed that Wei Wuxian would go silent every now and then, as if he was momentarily in deep thought and then stared at Lan Wangji for a bit before he snapped back and started chatting again. They returned to their Jingshi after the walk and changed into their sleeping clothes. Lan Wangji sat by the window and lit a candle to read a book before sleeping. Wei Wuxian had just finished changing his clothes and came out.

The moment Lan Wangji saw him, he kept his book aside and called out to him, “Wei Ying, come here. I’ll do your hair”.

Wei Wuxian obediently followed and sat in front of him. Lan Wangji massaged his head and then brushed his slightly curly hair carefully making sure that some strand doesn’t accidentally get strained causing Wei Wuxian any pain. Wei Wuxian was in deep thought once again. Lan Wangji noticed it and called out softly to him, “Wei Ying”. No answer. “Wei Ying”. Wei Wuxian snapped out from his thoughts once again and turned around, “Ah… ahh... Lan Zhan… what were you saying?”

Lan Wangji had finished brushing his hair already. He extended his hand to Wei Wuxian and urged him softly to come sit with him by the window. Wei Wuxian took his hand just as softly and sat on Lan Wangji’s lap. He loved sitting like this because he would be able to cuddle with Lan Wangji like this. Lan Wangji carefully wrapped a blanket around Wei Wuxian so that he doesn’t get cold and pulled him closer in a warm embrace from the side. He caressed Wei Wuxian’s back and shoulder gently and asked him softly, “What happened today? Is something bothering you? You’ve been suddenly going silent while talking tonight.”

Wei Wuxian felt bad once again that he caused Lan Wangji to worry about him once again. He took out his hand out from the blanket and gently stroked Lan Wangji’s left cheek. Lan Wangji held Wei Wuxian’s hand that was on his cheek gently and gave him sweet kisses on his forehead. He asked softly, “What’s the matter? Please tell me”.

Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji’s hand gently and kissed it a few times. He looked lovingly at Lan Wangji again and kissed his cheek softly. Their fingers entangled as they joined their hands and Wei Wuxian finally made up his mind to tell him.

“Lan Zhan… actually after solving today’s case, we rested a little in that village before starting back to return home. Jingyi and Sizhui overheard a few ladies from the village while speaking. They were apparently talking about a young couple who had recently died. When we had asked around for any deaths or accidents, none of the villagers said anything. It was because this couple didn’t have their home in the village perimeter, but rather they stayed at the foot of a mountain near the village. Sizhui came to tell me about this since he felt that it might be related to the ghosts suddenly showing up in this otherwise calm village which also had a good Feng Shui. I went over and we asked those ladies about what happened to them.”

                Wei Wuxian narrated everything to Lan Wangji exactly as the ladies narrated the whole thing to them. The young couple, Luo Ying and Chang Le, were actually childhood sweethearts. Both of them were from farmer families and they used to live in that village where Wei Wuxian and his students had gone for the night hunt tonight. They were madly in love with each other and had long promised each other that they would spend their lives till their last breath with each other. They had a very modest but a very happy wedding ceremony. After their marriage, Chang Le got a piece of land from one of the landlords for farming near the foot of the mountain near their village and so they built their house and starting farming there. They used to get good crops from the land and they fetched a good price for it. Luo Ying used to research growing different crops, one after the other, on the same section of soil to see which combination of crops still kept the soil’s composition rich enough to yield good crops even after repeated use. Chang Le developed composts made from dried fruits and leaves of different plants in the forest to improve the crop yields. They had slowly started educating other farmers in the village about all these findings. They were both leading a blissful happy life together. Because they never ever went anywhere without each other, ever since their childhood, villagers would sometimes tease them saying their souls must have been stuck to each other when they were born. And anyone would most likely believe that too. They were born just a few seconds apart, just in two different families!

****

                Luo Ying was preparing a patch of land that day when she suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed. Chang Le, who was working nearby in the shed, rushed out to her and immediately carried her inside their house. After resting her softly on the bed and covering her with a blanket, he ran out to the village to get the village doctor. The doctor examined Luo Ying and said that she had contracted some disease, but he couldn’t recognize its symptoms. Luo Ying was blurrily conscious at this point after the doctor had given her a medicine. A few days passed and Luo Ying’s hand and legs started to go limp because of her illness. So Chang Le used to do almost every single thing right from helping Luo Ying to get up from her bed and help her with her daily chores to cooking, cleaning, tending to the land and prepare medicines for his beloved. The village doctor advised Chang Le to go to the town, three villages to the north, to seek medical assistance from one of the doctors there. Chang Le started preparing for the journey.

“Please don’t go. You’re already so exhausted!”, Luo Ying pleaded and squeezed Chang Le’s hand a little. It was going to take him 4 days to go and come back bringing the town’s doctor with him. “You’ve being doing so much for the past few days”, Luo Ying said with a pained voice.

“Please don’t say that”, Chang Le’s heart had already sunk seeing Luo Ying pleading like this. “It’s too painful to see you like this. If the town’s doctor examines you, he can surely cure your illness”, he said as he stroked her hair gently and kissed her forehead a few times.

This really was the first time that they would be apart from each other and they both felt a lot of pain in their heart because of this. On the night just before Chang Le would depart, Luo Ying tried her best to get up and sat besides Chang Le. She hugged him as tightly as she could and kissed him repeatedly as she cried. Chang Le was also crying and he kissed her back and they sat in each other’s embrace for a long time without uttering a word. The next day, Chang Le parted with his Luo Ying for the first time with a heavy heart saying, “Your aunt will be here in a few minutes. Please stay well. I’ll come back really fast.” They both cried as they hugged once again and Chang Le kissed his love and stroked her cheek softly before going out the door.

****

                The town doctor examined her and came to the conclusion that there was some problem with Luo Ying’s blood circulation. He gave some more medicines to Chang Le and told him to administer those to her at some set intervals. Chang Le attentively listened to everything the doctor spoke. The doctor went out the door and stood near the entrance gate and Change Le followed. Just before leaving, the doctor patted sympathetically on Chang Le’s back without saying a word to him. One look at the doctor’s face and Chang Le had already understood what the pat on his back was about. His body had gone cold and numb for a few seconds and he felt as if he would collapse any moment now. He somehow snapped back from this shock and went inside to be with his Luo Ying.  A few more days went by and Luo Ying’s condition kept deteriorating. Even though she didn’t know what the doctor had hinted to her husband, she knew that she wouldn’t be living much longer. Chang Le’s heart broke a little every day seeing his love suffering like this and Luo Ying could see her love exhausted and in pain like this.

****

                That day, he was helping her to sit up in her bed for breakfast. This was one of the few times when Chang Le’s smile would feel genuinely happy as he feed breakfast to his love every morning. The other times, Luo Ying could make out that he was only smiling in front of her to hide his pain and to not present his sad face in front of her because of her condition. After finishing breakfast, Luo Ying suddenly said while trying to hold back her tears very strongly, “Please… leave me, Chang Le…”

It was as if a sword had been stabbed right in the middle of his heart. Tears came down instantly from his eyes as he choked on his words “……. Luo Ying ……!”

“Please leave me, my love. I can’t have you live in pain like this! I won’t survive for long—“. Chang Le pulled her softly in his embrace and kissed her. He finally managed to not choke on his words and tried very hard to hold back his tears for a moment and spoke, “If you were to live only for the next 10 seconds, I’d rather live only for 9, so that I don’t have to live without you for even 1 second”. Chang Le looked at her through his tears and kissed her eyes to wipe away her tears. “This life… this breath… has only been for you and it will go on only till you are there”. Luo Ying choked on her words once again hearing Chang Le’s words but still tried to talk to him. But every time she did, he would kiss her again and silence her. In his heart, he knew well about what she might try to tell him. But he already had his own answers for the situation.

****

                A few more days went by and as the people from their nearby village got the news about Luo Ying’s health, they all came in to visit her to wish her a speedy recovery. In these days, they would help out Chang Le take care of Luo Ying and also help him with house work as well as farming work.

                Luo Ying’s aunt was coming to visit her that day. Luo Ying had become too weak to even sit in her bed and wasn’t eating anything since the last three days. The same was the case with Chang Le. He just sat by her bed and held her hand the whole time without eating, drinking or sleeping. When Luo Ying’s aunt came inside the door, she saw Chang Le still sitting by Luo Ying’s bed and gently stroking her forehead with one hand while he held her hand tightly in his other. Luo Ying’s aunt felt very hurt looking at this sad scene. She had always seen the both of them full of enthusiasm and smiling happily at each other and at others. But right now, she felt completely helpless and broke into tears immediately. She called out their names, but there was no response. She came near Luo Ying’s bed to take a look at her. Her breath was very weak. She didn’t even dare to look properly at Chang Le right now because she knew how devastated he might be looking right now. A gust of wind made the house door bang, so Luo Ying’s aunt rushed to shut the door immediately. When she shut the door and turned around, she was frozen shocked. Both Luo Ying and Chang Le had passed away, Luo Ying lying lifeless in her bed and Chang Le, still holding her hand tightly, but his head was resting on her bedside facing Luo Ying. Luo Ying’s aunt rushed to check once again for their breaths, but it was all in vain.

****

                Wei Wuxian explained to Lan Wangji that this couple’s feelings for each other were so strong, that when Luo Ying contracted her illness, the pain and grief in her and her husband’s heart that developed over that duration, attracted lots of low level ghosts in the area. And the negative energy caused by their pained feelings fed these ghosts quite a bit and they mutated and started causing havoc in the village from which this couple was originally from. Lan Wangji listened to Wei Wuxian attentively. After Wei Wuxian finished telling everything, he fell silent once again. But Lan Wangji knew exactly what was going on in Wei Wuxian’s mind this time. They both spend a few silent moments frozen in their positions. Then, Lan Wangji stroke Wei Wuxian’s hair gently and kissed his forehead once again. Wei Wuxian squeezed Lan Wangji’s hand and snuggled in his chest. “Lan Zhan……”, he said and kissed Lan Wangji’s chest. Lan Wangji felt really happy and just hugged him tighter. He loved it when Wei Wuxian did these things to him.

While they were in each other’s warm embrace, Wei Wuxian was thinking about what Chang Le had said to Luo Ying. “If you were to live only for the next 10 seconds…”. Those words kept looping in his mind again and again. He kept thinking again and again about how Chang Le really died the instant his Luo Ying died and never parted with her till his last breath. Wei Wuxian said in his mind,“I would do the same, Lan Zhan. To live in a world that doesn’t have you in it, I won’t live in such a world for even one second.”

Lan Wangji was stroking Wei Wuxian’s hair gently and lovingly gazing at his love while still embracing him. He could see that Wei Wuxian was finally relaxed and had come out of his thought process. His eyelids were becoming heavier unable to keep his eyes open. Lan Wangji spoke in a soft low voice near Wei Wuxian’s ear, “Wei Ying, are you sleepy?” Wei Wuxian gave out a soft “Mm”. Lan Wangji kissed Wei Wuxian’s hair, gently lifted him in his arms and took him to bed. He tucked Wei Wuxian nicely in bed first and then got in himself. Every night when they went to bed, Lan Wangji would lie down on his side facing Wei Wuxian and stroke his hair and cheek softly. He used to gaze warmly at him for quite some time while he observed how Wei Wuxian breathed in and out softly as he slowly fell asleep and how once in a while his eyelashes fluttered a little. After a few moments, Wei Wuxian would unconsciously grab onto Lan Wangji and snuggle into his chest. Lan Wangji loved sleeping like this the most. The moment Wei Wuxian snuggled like this, Lan Wangji would pull him close and hug him tightly and finally sleep after kissing Wei Wuxian’s head a few times.

Tonight was also a blissful and happy night for them both. The only difference was that tonight, in Lan Wangji’s mind also, Chang Le’s words and the way he had died had stuck. Just before Lan Wangji closed his eyes to finally sleep, he softly called out, “Wei Ying…….”. The rest of the words, he said in his mind, “I would do the same. To live in this world that doesn’t have you in it, I won’t live in such a world for even one second.”

Wei Wuxian smiled a little after hearing his love calling out his name, even though he was half asleep. He felt as if he heard a beautiful tune just now.

— asckj1

**********

After having a loooong patch of blank for many years, I suddenly got inspiration to write a fanfic. This is actually the first time I could finish writing any fanfic at all. WangXian’s love is just that strong and that beautiful. I don’t really have any experience in writing in a proper format for fanfic, so my apologies in advance if it gets a bit confusing or difficult to read sometimes. Also I thank @love-me-some-alex for kindly suggesting the names Luo Ying and Chang Le for the married couple in this fanfic.In case anyone wants a bit more details of these names, I quote zhiyen again,

"Luò Yīng" for the girl, from 落英缤纷 which means sth about fallen flowers scattering.

"Cháng Lè" for the guy, from 知足常乐 which means being satisfied with what one has. ”

Now that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are finally together for life, I wanted to showcase a change in their thought process. I like to interpret as them really being not able to live without each other now that they have got a taste of each other’s intense love. And so this story.

Please feel free to leave any comments, just about anything you feel at all after reading this short story :) Thank you so much for reading~

#wangxian #fanfic #wei wuxian #lan wangji

[jenner-benjamin]

Practice in a Professional Context Report

Left to right: ‘Him, Her’ - linocut relief print on paper (Collaborative COVID-19 poem), ‘Ben Jenner: In Conversation’ exhibition poster.

Over the course of the last academic year I can see that my practice has matured into a coherent body of work that serves as a springboard for further study. I have explored processes and techniques and have identified lithography as a process that lends itself to my approach as a practitioner. There is an acute richness in lithography that I find difficult to attain in other print methodologies. The process, whose history is rooted in printed publications, reinforces my ideas of the printed word, literature and poetry. This module has given me the opportunity to consider where my practice fits contextually, I have noticeably grown in confidence with who I am as a practitioner this last semester in particular. I have found a creative approach that I am passionate about exploring further and intend to continue my research in to asemic writing and narrative for the Extended Practice module in the next academic year. 

Artist in Residence

When considering the idea of artistic practice in a professional setting it was a big morale boost to have my application selected to be artist in residence at Bower Ashton Library. From a professional standing it instilled me with assurance that my area of study was worthwhile exploring. I was encouraged that my enthusiasm towards asemic writing was not too niche and that there was intrigue by others to see what I could make using library resources as a starting point. Though I was still working full-time this unique opportunity enabled me to be fully immersed in researching and creating work, allowing my practice to take precedence.  

I soon discovered that the brief I had set myself left me feeling underwhelmed. I had hoped to respond to library texts that I was unfamiliar with but this unfamiliarity left me feeling indifferent and uninterested. After appropriating my brief to use these texts to form Dadaist-inspired poetry the project really flourished. I discovered that the poems I was composing became autobiographical poems about past romances and when coupled with asemic transcriptions they became an anthology entitled ‘Library Love Poems’. This development became an amalgamation of several areas of interest that included; poetry, abstraction, book arts and narrative. The collection of poems were printed lithographically, utilising its proficiency with printing text as well as its dexterity at recording direct mark making. Lithography continues to be a process that I aim to refine in future projects. 

With the coming of the coronavirus pandemic brought with it disruptions to the module. In line with social distancing measures the university closed its doors until further notice. Fortunately I have been advised by the library staff that I can continue my project as artist in residence upon my return to university, whenever that day arises. In the meantime I carried out a project that utilises the ethos of the found poetry idea I had actioned in the library. My response to the global pandemic was an attempt to overcome the disconnect we are all feeling in isolation. I proposed an open call whereby contributors would offer a word that was found on their bookshelves using the date of the lockdown as a methodology. Therefore March 23rd 2020 became a system to locate the third book on the book shelf, open it to the twenty third page and select the twentieth word. 

It was important to me that the message of this project be transferred through social media. In a time where we are all detached and unable to physically interact we are relying on social media as a constant throughout this potentially lonely time. I have found it personally uplifting how much people are sharing and connecting in an attempt to keep each other motivated in the last few months. This highlights how powerful social media can be when it is used in a positive way. Though the poem itself ended up being a slightly confusing nonsense poem, I enjoyed the trial and error learning process of trying to make the words fit what I deemed to be a logical narrative before allowing them to exist as they are. This in itself is reflective of the current global situation; attempting to understand the confusion. After I made an edition of asemic transcriptions of the poem, the act of paying it forward followed this when I posted a print to every word contributor. I was touched and overwhelmed at the response I got from everyone and was pleased to have had a positive impact on their time in lockdown, even if was just for a fleeting moment.

Solo Exhibition

The aspect of this module that I was the most apprehensive about was exhibiting as a solo artist. I envisaged hosting my first solo exhibition as something that would help with my self confidence as well as exploring my practice in a professional setting. It was my goal for this module to overcome my diffidence and assert myself as an artist in this context, exhibiting on my own meant that I would have no one else to hide behind. I found an exhibition space relatively easily. I had one rejection email from The Forge but this was because the space they offer would not be suitable for an exhibition, it is more tailored to a teaching space. I was not disheartened as I understood why exhibiting at The Forge was not feasible and very soon had provisional confirmation from The Vestibules. The exhibition was finalised after a site visit to ensure that my memory of the venue was true to what it was in reality. 

I felt that the challenge of this project was that I was collaborating with four other creatives. I aimed to exhibit the other artists’ works alongside my own, the idea being that their creative outputs were inspired by my prints (which were in turn inspired by literature and music) in a bid to portray a conversational exhibit. I would have liked to have the more performative creatives present their responses on the evening of the private view. 

After receiving an email from The Vestibules advising the exhibition be postponed until it is safe to open the doors again I chose to combat this by exhibiting my work online. The opportunity to exhibit virtually enabled me to learn new skills in the basics of building a website, skills that I can make use of in the future to build an online portfolio. This new direction also prompted me to consider what constitutes as an exhibition space. I enjoyed investigating this idea and briefly touched upon the phenomena of the digital age and where the virtual fits in the physical space. I would like to explore this idea further as there is an interesting overlap with my research in to the dying art of handwriting. I approached the layout of my website with a nod to the space in reality at The Vestibules and explored making the website an exchange between the real and the virtual, the representation in the physical and the representation in the diagrammatic. The dialogue between these ideas was also a development of the conversational element of the work in the exhibition itself. 

Exhibiting virtually was encouraged by ideas of making the world accessible in a time where we are unable to leave our homes. Many galleries and museums have opted to make their exhibits available online and in this respect it makes your work more reachable than it would have been in reality. I still plan to exhibit my work alongside collaborators in reality when the government advises it is safe to do so. 

I have placed less emphasis on my creative practice since the government imposed a lockdown. Printmaking reveals the limitations of the resources to hand and consequently I explored processes using homemade methods. This exploration of thinking through the act of making was a necessary part of my daily routine in what could have been an unproductive and stagnant stretch of time. Further to this I used this period as an opportunity to research artists that work asemically, this includes compiling a list of creatives to reach out to. After contacting Rosaire Appel this semester regarding her ideas of asemic narratives I feel it would be beneficial to directly place myself in context with these artists; joining the discussion as opposed to writing about it. 

Having an extended period of time dedicated to my practice is something I have not had the benefit of before and so has given me time to consider my future and the potential my work has for further research. The research that I conducted throughout Practice in a Professional Context as well as the completion of works and the ideas outlined in the Fantasy Project assignment will be used as a basis for investigation in my final year of study.

#practice #conclusion #lithography #linocut #relief printing #exhibition #poster #poetry #poem #vispo #visual poetry #asemic #asemic art #asemic writing #digital #digital age #virtual #virtual gallery #virtual exhibition #instagram #social media #printmaking #masters #mamdp