#Patho lab near me | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

castlehead · 6 years

Text

makeshift feels from the opinion lab

kafka wrote in a journal urhmherm of being limited to prague, then his room, then his bed, then nothing at all. to be limited at last to nothing at all. well. turns out i guess the most kafkaesque sentiment came from franz kafka.

enjoi ya rickety gethsemane while it is still to be dreamed, young writers, young writers of youth.

after a job on a hot day back in april or may or something i started listening to this while walking out of the truck towards the gas station convenience store and abruptly pivoted away from the sliding doors to sneak around the side and weep near the green fencing around some boilers. it occurred to me how little i could ever forgive myself for doing.

the shit ive done, all of it, i havent forgiven myself. if i did it and it was bad, or even meagre, dumb, really no big deal, bet yr ass it still keeps me from thinking i deserve happiness. i do not forgive myself for anything ive ever done. no deed is too temporal to etch itself cleanly into my head as something unforgivable, if only it makes a small point.

i know this is true because no joy i ever feel is felt fully, because i do not think it is deserved; and because i allow myself to be joyous only when i think of the truth of my unforgiven, unforgivable state. never to be. Never will.

and that is what is depression.

There must be something here, in me. Here where the jackals caterwAul Like streetcats Mewing their gizzard After this night’s heat, What’ll it be Jackals, Buzz off, shit man

i feel like the key to life is knowing that 90 percent of anxiety & depression, either in degree or in its truth, and at least somewhere not wracked by war, is unsubstantiated (the ten percent being actual crises, like fear of violence, a death in the family, etc). The problem is how persuasive these feelings can be that lead to the fulfillment of the very fear or solidifying the reason for being depressed. But with positive feelings, the least thing, whether true or no, can always be rewarding. A bit of happiness must be allowed to be felt, indiscriminately, because it is more useful to us than a bit of sadness. Take the fierce dialectic u use to establish a depressing ‘truth’ and persuade yourself of something good. If one is far fetched, let it be the something bad. Until it happens, after all, all of it remains in your head, to do with what u will.

You don’t get to lower taxes on the rich and gut social services at the same time. The reason social services are in place is to provide a fair shake for john q public. Mostly investors are feeling the benefits of the corporate tax cut. They’re not giving the money towards a better product that would help the people. but one day there will be no sesame seeds on the bun of yr Big Mac and you’ll wonder how that’s possible with an entire sesame seed dept that just got a pay raise.

tax reform should be done to help a free market, so that the rich can be poor and the poor rich. Taxation helps the people so that social services become less necessary. Social services were developed because the percentage of taxation was unequal between higher and lower class. Poor folks felt the pain while rich folks shrugged it off.

Thats why I say you can’t do both: social services are a protection against the world being entirely controlled, if it’s not already, by those from the very swamp this president wants to drain. T**** hasn’t drained shit.

i feel like writing takes over for your thought process. You can’t think and write at the same time, or something. something turns off or it switches where it’s doing the shit it’s doing to a different place, like yr hands. I don’t think you can write down one linear thought with another thought being thought in your head. This is why people say their mind goes blank in extended periods of inspiration. The functioning has gone from being untethered and temporal, ie wandering thoughts, notions, speculating, to being possessed in a focused place, ie yr hands, which usually leads to a more focused expression of perhaps a thought of particular value, enough in the first place to require writing down. But tho this can be easy for some talented people, who might, as Joyce said, polish their nails while writing some genius thing, what does not come easy for anybody, because it is imposssible, is thinking two disparate things, of the everyday and of some behemoth philosophic concept, for example, without either one taken place after or before; or, one of them being intermittently disturbed, tho linearly, by the other, like a notification on yr phone- until at last one of the two breaks down, and the foxus superseded by the one left. This is especially novel. One thinks; one does not think and also think. That would make it two people in one head. Therefore we can presume that ones identity is found in the unity, or internal focus, of their story in thoughts down one narrow wire: thought can cross many paths and examine everything under and beyond th sun, but per person it is still in the singular. It cannot divide into two simultaneous paths of equal focus. there can be multilayered thoughts with a similar core concept behind them, and these can be thought simultaneously as much as one can ante up and dole out shades of emotion and shades of thought, and so on. But I cannot think of a teleological explanation for all creation and with the same focus Apply myself to letters in the mail. There is a dominant voice, and the rest, the mundane voice, is seen thru that lens.

ya cant say yr colorblind then gripe about people hatin ya cuz u r white. contradiction of terms no? if you really didnt see color, ud say people hated yr ass because yr a damnfool entrylevel, grunt-ass lowbrow. not because of the color of ya skin, which ya recognized and put to the forefront in making that very statement.

feel like uh, a priori is not intuition alone. Intuition is a function of the mind, while a priori is, if I understand Kant correctly, a representation synthesized before there is an object of focus available for the senses to interpret, ie an essentially true conclusion drawn, that has no need for a combined manifold, as, Kant tells us, is offered by merely living in space and time: time to extend and progress from cause to effect to cause, and space to do it in. In other words, intuition is cognitive- psychological, and a priori, theoretical- logical.

Pathos is the one thing most divine about people, for i see that in my worst state I can still grieve for the savaging of life’s last hope, and be uplifted, feel tears, at least for a little blessed while. There is no state so low that does not inspire one to at least pity themselves, and feel the comfort of passions, however mistaken or wretched the person.

i feel that / Some subjects do not even allow to be proved through the scientific method, yet they are still issues of a scientific nature and not just mysticism. the line is very thin however, since usually these subjects devolve into mysticism. In fact, if science only worked with that which could be proven, from the outset or otherwise, we’d have a pretty limited roster of discoveries. Sometimes discoveries can be made along the way towards proving; sometimes, discoveries can be made, scientifically, thru means that for lack of anything better, are entirely theoretical. And sometimes the search is not to prove something true but to clarify something. Science is not out to be incontrovertible.

The man in mismatched sox inhaled not as deeply as he would have liked at such a crescendo, even if on the third listen in a row, then, looked up at the massive pure blue upwards, cloudless, felt likely to cry for joy, but in the end simply mouthed the words:

“I’m gonna die of loneliness, fo sho.”

So often doth trespass our intuition upon realms and pathways of a more intimate enumeration of cause and effect than could be available to any witness, and that is available only to the actioning of objects involved in the event seen and analyzed by what and who were no player.

The crisis paid goodbyes in the form of telling your ass off, is what he said. But we all knew he thought he was merely a parable often enough already. We didn’t listen to the crisis, deliberately shut our ears like boxing them very slowly ourselves before anyone else could. Later in the year many terrible events would occur that were the direct result of ignoring his words. But nobody came around to believing he did it. The crisis was way off teaching prophecies someplace probably foreign. But if I refuse to be confined to learning from my own folly I should at least give the follies of others a chance. Fatass karma, and more hell than handbasket.

What the crisis he said was

HEY YOU DONT WANT TO FACE JACK, FACE? TELL ME ABOUT HOW CRUELTY CAN BE ELEGANT AGAIN. YOU ARE FACING NO SUCH BURDEN OF SIMPLY LIVING. TELL ME WHAT HALLUCINATIONS ARE, YOU SWOLLEN, DYSPEPTIC SHIT.

And to this day All I remember is him Looking slain already Like he’d be on the slab In days Or even hundreds of years from then And it’d be how, uh, how He looked then Slamming the door While my sister and things Was gatherin they buckets for weeping later In that queer disease of spite where You grieve for the vanquished enemy.

all triumph is in some sense humorous, for in itself triumph is the opposite of tragedy. that is why the soldier laughs as he shoots at a retreating enemy. there is an element of rowdiness that is somewhat comedic, taken in itself.

Numbers are the only symbols that stand for what they are. In this way they are more like hieroglyphs

is bed porn a thing? it should definitely be a thing.

THIS LIFE IS FILLED WITH DARKNESS THIS DARKNESS IS SO LIGHT GOD IN HEAVEN QUA SKY MUST BEAT WINGS TO KEEP ON GROUND NOTHING MUCH IS EVER FOUND NOTHING MUCH IS EVER FOUND. No symbols where none intended etc etc

No art is permanent, in that its aims in being created do not last, do not translate between epochs. I will never experience Homer as one living in Ancient Greece. Have not closely read Homer, but when I do it will be as myself in my time, with all the sullying context of those years from then to now only left to unguide me.

Kierkegaard tricks you into thinking he knows his insanity is illogical, the side effect of writing his labyrinths. The frightening moment comes when you realize how fiercely logical his insanity seems to him, and how insane the World actually is, and you wonder if it is that you do not understand it or just do not accept it.

#prose #powtry #prowse #poetry #collage #social media

1 note · View note

comic-watch · 6 years

Text

In Case You Missed It: The Quest of Ewilan gets a gorgeous adaption! Image and Top Cow Present Aphrodite V! Shannon Wheeler reveals the MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS! IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog and Scout’s Stabbity Bunny Sell Out! WIN a Trip to San Diego Comic Con! and Lion Forge continues to make a difference!

News from the World of Indie Comics you might have missed this week!

IDW EuroComics Begins a new Quest

The Bestselling Pierre Bottero Novels THE QUEST OF EWILAN are being adapted to Gorgeous Graphic Novels, Providing First Visuals of the World of Gwendalavir Before Feature Film

IDW EuroComics proudly presents the English-language debut of The Quest of Ewilan, Vol. 1: From One World to Another, the first chapter in the sequential adaption of Pierre Bottero’s bestselling novel series and a whimsical adventure featuring strong female characters, in the tradition of Lewis’ Narnia and L’Engle’s Time Quartet. Scripted by Lylian and illustrated by Laurence Baldetti, The Quest of Ewilan, Vol. 1 will be available in stores in September.

Image Comics and TopCow’s APHRODITE V—A NEW ENTRY IN THE APHRODITE MYTHOS—ARRIVES THIS JULY

Writer Bryan Hill (POSTAL, BONEHEAD) and artist Jeff Spokes will launch APHRODITE V this July from Image/Top Cow.

In the near future, Los Angeles is a city on the brink of evolution, struggling with a new wave of terror fueled by black-market technology. Enter Aphrodite V: a fugitive from her masters, seeking individuality and purpose. She is the bleeding edge of biomechanics and L.A.’s best hope against a new enemy—one that seeks to become a god among machines.

“This is a great way for people unfamiliar with this side of the Top Cow universe to jump into a story about the intersection of technology, humanity, and justice,” said Hill.

One machine wants to destroy the city. Another has come to save it. Only one will survive. APHRODITE V #1 hits comic book shops Wednesday, July 18th.

Image Comics MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS—an irreverent and entertaining new book from the creator of Sh*t My President Says

New Yorker cartoonist and multiple Eisner Award-winner Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man, Sh*t My President Says, God is Disappointed in You) debuts MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS this July from Image/Shadowline Comics.

MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS is an irreverent book of personal short stories and gags featuring Shannon Wheeler’s critically acclaimed humor, pathos, and honesty—including a 40-page full-color section!

“Books are like children. It’s with pride I send this one out into the world to fend for itself, have its heart broken, take a job that will slowly erode all self-respect,” said Wheeler. “That said, this is the best book I’ve ever done.”

MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS TP hits comic book stores Wednesday, July 11th and bookstores Tuesday, July 17th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, June 4th and it can be pre-ordered via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, Indigo, and Books-A-Million.

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG COMIC BOOKS CONTINUE TO SELL OUT

IDW Publishing is proud to announce that the first three issues of the new Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series has sold out at the Distributor level and will receive further printings. In addition to the complete sell-out of issue #2 and #3, each within a week of their release, issue #1’s second printing sold out only six days after its announcement. To satisfy fans and retailers, IDW will make Sonic the Hedgehog #1 Third Printing and Sonic the Hedgehog #2 Second Printing available in stores on Wednesday, May 16th, with Sonic the Hedgehog #3 Second Printing slated for release on May 23rd.

The heat on Sonic the Hedgehog marks a huge success for IDW Publishing, who is launching their first-ever Sonic series with weekly releases throughout the month of April. Each of the first four issues of Sonic the Hedgehog — written by longtime Sonic scribe Ian Flynn and illustrated by rotating artists Tracy Yardley, Adam Bryce Thomas, Jennifer Hernandez, and Evan Stanley — focuses on a different guest star (Tails in issue #1, Amy Rose in #2, and Knuckles in #3, leading into the debut of the hotly anticipated new character Tangle in issue #4).

STABBITY BUNNY #3 FROM SCOUT COMICS GOES BACK FOR SECOND PRINTING!

SCOUT COMICS AND ENTERTAINMENT announces that Scout’s break-out hit for 2018, STABBIY BUNNY by Richard Rivera and Dwayne Biddix, has continued its trend of selling out and issue #3 has gone back to a second printing.

STABBITY BUNNY could take place at the intersection of Sesame Street and Nightmare on Elm Street, where a 100-year-old plush bunny and seven-year-old Grace must combat evil in all its forms. Horror and mystery combine in this captivating series. Stabbity Bunny is published monthly by Scout Comics. Please visit us at  www.ScoutComics.com!

Traveling Stories & IDW Present the Ultimate San Diego Comic-Con® Sweepstakes

Traveling Stories and IDW are proud to launch the annual San Diego Comic-Con® sweepstakes, a contest which will last through June 13th at 3:00pm PT.

Those who enter have a chance of winning the following ultimate experience package: ● Two 4-day passes to sold-out Comic-Con® ● Airfare for 2 within the continental U.S. ● Four nights stay at the Wyndham Bayside in San Diego Gaslamp district ● An exclusive tour of the San Diego Comic Art Gallery with Ted Adams, CEO of IDW ● Airport pickup and shuttle to the gallery, and then to the hotel

Anyone in the world can enter! $10 gives you 10 chances to win. Each additional $1 is another chance – the math is simple. Every dollar is a donation to Traveling Stories, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers kid to outsmart poverty by helping them fall in love with reading by the 4th grade.

“I’ve always been an avid reader, even when I was little. I’m excited that through this sweepstakes we’re able to raise the funds needed to give kids in underprivileged areas the same literary experience I was lucky enough to have,” said Ted Adams, Founder & CEO of IDW Publishing.

How to snag entries in the sweepstakes is easy, fast, and secure via: bit.ly/comic-con-sweeps. Just follow the steps from there!

“Anyone who does not have tickets to San Diego Comic-Con® would be crazy to not enter this sweepstakes! It’s a full and complete package including a cool tour of the Comic Art Gallery with me,” said Emily Moberly, Founder, and CEO of Traveling Stories.

To learn more about Traveling Stories and its programs, please visit travelingstories.org.

LION FORGE JOINS THE CBLDF AS A CORPORATE MEMBER

Lion Forge is proud to join the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund as the organization’s newest Corporate Member! Lion Forge is a trans-media studio with a focus on comics publishing across all age groups. A company committed to “Comics for Everyone,” Lion Forge strives to publish titles that reflect the diversity of our world in the characters, the creators, and the Lion Forge team, creating content that is just as original.

Lion Forge founder and CEO, David Steward II says, “We truly believe we are bringing the brightest and most diverse talent in the industry into the conversation, while creating the most awesome new comics and graphic novels that we — as fans — want to see in the world.”

CBLDF provides legal and educational resources to protect the freedom to read comics. The organization is a partner in Banned Books Week, the Kids’ Right to Read Project, Free Comic Book Day, and other national institutions that support intellectual freedom and literacy. CBLDF’s work extends from courtrooms to classrooms to conventions, where CBLDF defends the freedom to read by providing legal aid, letters of support in book challenges, challenges to unconstitutional legislation, and a robust schedule of programs about current and historical censorship to audiences all over the world.

Lion Forge stands beside Abrams, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, BOOM! Studios, comiXology, Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, DCBS, Diamond Comic Distributors, Fakku!, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Lion Forge, Oni Press, Neverwear, Penguin Random House, Rebellion, ReedPOP, Scholastic, SPX, TFAW.com, Valiant, Viz Media, and the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation as a corporate member supporting CBLDF’s important work.

Until the next installment of ICYMI, WE’LL BE WATCHING!

Ross Hutchinson was a contributing editor to ICYMI this week. Thanks, Ross!

Join our Age of Social Media Network consisting of X-Men, Marvel, DC, Superhero and Action Movies, Anime, Indie Comics, and numerous fan pages. Interested in becoming a member? Join us by clicking here and pick your favorite group!

ICYMI: INDIE NEWS ROUNDUP for the WEEK ENDING 4-22-2018 #comicwatch #iamawatcher #ICYMI In Case You Missed It: The Quest of Ewilan gets a gorgeous adaption! Image and Top Cow Present…

#Aphrodite V #CBLDF #Comic Book Legal Defense Fund #MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS #San Diego Comic Con #Sonic The Hedgehog #Stabbity Bunny #The Quest of Ewilan #Traveling Stories

2 notes · View notes

getoffthesoapbox · 7 years

Text

[VKM Spec] Snail Crawling With VKM 12

Well, well, well. Color me surprised. Hino managed to right the ship’s course to avoid the iceberg after all. It seems we’re back in business, if at a snail’s pace, and a wide variety of options have opened up for us.

This chapter isn’t perfect, and it’s nowhere near the caliber of VKM 7 or 8, but it’s a good deal better than the previous three chapters, which were a nightmare. Depending on where Hino goes from here, VKM 9-11 may be reframed in a way that they become bearable upon a reread. Or they may not. Who knows.

(Raws and translations can be found here thanks to @alldempretties.)

A New Voice Speaks

A new point of interest jumps out immediately on the first page of the chapter. A mysterious new narrator, speaking in the past tense, describes for us a summary of Kaname’s early time with Ren and Ai. This new narrator makes a few assertions that seem to foreshadow future events:

Ai’s and Ren’s stories are filtered, out of consideration for Kaname.

The reality of their lives was surely much harsher than they let on.

What’s interesting about this is that we know Yuuki filtered stories for Ai, and now here is Ai filtering stories for Kaname. And as we know from Ai, filtered stories lead to hurt and revelation. This is foreshadowing for Kaname to begin searching for his memories, despite it perhaps not being in his best interests (much as Yuuki and Ai before him).

We yet again see that taking people’s memories from them and not giving them the full benefit of their experience is ultimately wrong for them, and that it leads to a lot of trouble.

This new narrator seems to be a person outside of Kaname, Yuuki, Zero, Ren or Ai. This person describes Kaname as “him” and Ren and Ai as “her children,” as if the narrator is telling a story about them to someone. What’s interesting is that this narrator disappears from the initial scene only to reappear at the end of the chapter when the new war is foreshadowed.

This new narrator is likely a character we haven’t met yet, one from the future after Kaname has gotten his life together. My bet is on either his future wife or his future child, who is recounting to her children the story of her father. This is intriguing, because it means the fates of Ai and Ren are now up in the air as much as all the other characters.

All in all, it’s a very interesting device Hino’s making use of here to both remind us where we were with RenAi and Kaname(it’s been 8 months since we’ve seen the three of them in real time), as well as hint that there may be someone new appearing in Kaname’s future.

Mounting Consternation

The first scene with Kaname and the kids is remarkably sparse on detail or new information. What it does have is promising, however.

First, this is the first scene we’ve seen where Hino hasn’t written the characters and the scenario to be cloying and sentimental. We’re moving forward from pandering to the pathos of Kaname’s return and his pining for a woman he doesn’t know and allowing him to broaden his horizons and see the world anew.

This leads to some very interesting events. First, this fresh Kaname is actually interested in the people and life around him, and is capable of being moved by the happiness of others. He’s also helpful with no ulterior motives, and he clearly wants to make himself useful in this new world. This new Kaname, as a blank slate, is free of all the pathologies of his former two lives. As a human, he carries no dark secrets any longer that would harm the people around him, and thus now he can at last begin forming true attachments to people in a healthy way.

But the sight of all this cheerful bustle is dampened by Ren’s revelation that this is one of the few countries where coexistence is possible. Kaname begins to sense there is a deeper, darker story at play that the kids are carefully filtering for him. Ren, of course, seems the most likely to want Kaname to face the reality, but Ai and Yuuki wanted him to live free of care. It will be Ren who likely is Kaname’s guide toward regaining what he lost.

Ren’s words nag at Kaname throughout the scene, and ultimately cause it to end where it does: in Kaname at last admitting the first strain of frustration with Yuuki for what she has done to him, and what she has taken from him. This is the first moment when Kaname is, at last, beginning to separate from Yuuki, and likely this momentum will pick up until he begins breaking into his memories and discovering the truth. This is honestly a great way to begin the process of Kaname becoming his own person and recovering from the unhealthy attachment he had to Yuuki--thus giving him, at last, the ability to move forward and find his own happiness like Yuuki wanted for him, and as she found with the love of her life, Zero.

The fact that Kaname is now beginning to be openly frustrated with Yuuki’s decision rather than merely idealizing her as he was in previous chapters is a great parallel to Yuuki’s own frustration with Kaname back in arc 1 of the original series. Kaname’s at last going to find out how hard it is to live without memories, and with the shoe on the other foot, he may at last begin to understand why he could never connect with Yuuki, and why he was wrong to do what he did during the original series. Perhaps this will at last lead to him feeling some regret for the lessons he didn’t learn, and vowing to do better this time with the gift she (and many others) gave him.

On top of all this, there is a new theme of “sacrifice” that was hinted at in VKM 10 and now is in full force. Candles represent the sacrifices countless people make in order to ensure a better future--and Kaname was not part of that. Likely the greatest sacrifices of all will come from the man who is so mysteriously “absent” from the future chapters--Kiryuu Zero, the very one who had to clean up Kaname’s mess in all the areas of his life to begin with. The fact that Kaname’s wish to know about the sacrifices cuts right to Aidou’s cure failing is clear foreshadowing that the person who makes the “sacrifice” is someone Yuuki has hidden from Kaname. All signs point toward Zero, especially with Yuuki’s wish for his smile to continue on from VKM 10. We shall see as it unfolds.

Fledgling Despair Spiral

As I anticipated previously, Aidou’s attempts at the cure are failing. This chapter isn’t clear as to whether or not he has access to Kaien’s gene samples, but given that Kaien is off running around the world, it ultimately doesn’t matter. If he has the genes, they’re not working in the tests. If he doesn’t have the genes, then it makes it more likely that he’ll have to move on to another subject if Kaien doesn’t get back soon enough--leaving us open for the Zero cure.

Aidou’s scene rides on the back of Kaname’s foreshadowing (or backshadowing in this case fufu) of the sacrifices and effort made in the past to make the happier future possible. Aidou’s one of the people whose effort and sacrifice is part of that future, but he surely will not be the only one, and the one to make the bigger sacrifice is likely whoever it is who ultimately will be the source of the cure.

Interestingly, Aidou intended to do his experiments on convicted criminals. It’s a bit shady to say the least, but hey, at least he’s not using animals. ;) Fortunately old man Muraki steps up to the plate to take on the challenge, only to have his arthritis cured instead of becoming human, fufu. At least the cure was a failure in a marketable way? ;) The lab can keep running if they sell that variant!

While ruminating on his failure, Aidou is drawn into a memory of an earlier time with Yori. Their interactions when Yori is older were too cute for words. He calls her “Madame” and picks on her, it’s so adorable. I’m not this pairing’s biggest fan, but even I found this scene endearing.

Yori gets Aidou to talk about his worries and asks him why he started his research in the first place. Aidou reveals some rather telling things: he’s afraid of what even he might do should there ever come a day when the anti-vampire weapons are directed toward him. He wants to give vampires and humans more options than merely killing each other.

Yori reassures him that humans are no different from vampires (she’s very like Ichiru sometimes) and that there are always going to be bad apples, but he’s not one of them. The reverie leaves him thinking that she’s the one who brings out his good sides.

As he awakens, a dark thought slips out of his mouth--why not hurry it all up and just eradicate humanity instead by turning them all into vampires? Although he quickly cancels the thought, this does much to establish where his mindset is right now--he’s beginning the fall to despair that Kaname had after he lost the Hooded Woman. We’re in the very early stages of that fall for Aidou. It starts with small thoughts, it starts with exhaustion, it starts with grief, it starts with loneliness, and soon it snowballs into a raging furnace of despair.

Aidou’s likely suicidal too. If he wants to “hurry things up,” that means he doesn’t want to live anymore. His research is his main goal in life--if he loses that, he’ll have nothing. This puts him in a dark place, and it’s a nice parallel to Kaname, which I’ll explore more in the next section. For now I leave you in momentary suspense. =P

Heartfelt Wish

I cannot believe how much Hino packed into this scene between Zero and Aidou. Goodness. But first, I must say how delighted my Zedou heart is by Zero and Aidou’s interactions this chapter! Zero’s reaction to Aidou’s heartfelt declaration was stunning, and it’s wonderful to see how deeply Aidou cares about Zero, despite his protests. But more on that in a minute.

An interesting parallel is set up by the first scene, yet again contrasting the difference between Zero and Kaname. Zero’s being heckled by the vampires--they call him demon and say he’s a murderer (despite the vampire on his shoulder being alive and well) as he marches through the street to deliver this particular prisoner body bag to Aidou’s door. The scene parallels Kaname’s past where the humans kicked him out of town. The difference, of course, is that Zero doesn’t give two shits for what those vampires think of him, while Kaname wanted to be liked. Zero’s an independent person whose sense of self worth doesn’t depend on other people, where as Kaname has a drive to be admired and appreciated by others. This gives Zero an edge in withstanding pressure that Kaname never had.

Aidou’s shocked by the state Zero’s in, but Zero just matter-of-factly listens to him and starts to move on. Aidou can’t let Zero go like that, and he begs him to come talk to him (OMG seriously these two are so cute, my shipper heart is full; Aidou’s totally a male Yuuki).

The first thing Zero does when he sits down with Aidou is check in on Aidou like the wonderful, endearing person he is. Zero is always so interested in the welfare of others, and he patiently invites Aidou to complain to him, which Aidou immediately does until he realizes he’s getting caught up in Zero’s pace, haha! Aidou shakes himself out and asks Zero if he’s getting into more trouble than usual. Zero nonchalantly says things have gotten better actually, but it’s just a bit harder to deal with the vampires now because they have a new rule of catching perpetrators alive and allowing them to stand trial.

What’s interesting about this scene is that Aidou clearly is just not having any of Zero’s shit. He even goes so far as to indulge in a melodramatic sigh, lol. Zero’s a little perplexed by the theatrics, but Aidou soon reveals what he’s really thinking: he asks Zero if he’s properly looking after himself.

These two panels just slay me. The subtext. First of all, the last person to have demanded Zero take care of himself was Yuuki back in Night 73! So Aidou’s phrasing probably really hits home for Zero, because it’s nearly identical to Yuuki’s. Moreover, Zero’s astounded reaction implies that no one has been concerned for his safety in years. This means it’s likely even Yuuki is no longer asking him to look after himself, nor is Ai. Everyone takes his strength for granted now, and yet here is Aidou, offering him all this care and concern, and it moves Zero.

Zero is so confounded that his first reaction is to pretend to be grossed out, because he’s just so unused to people worrying about him. Aidou immediately gets defensive and tries to cover up how much he actually cares by saying Yuuki and Yori would be sad (yet another slip up on his part and a sign he’s falling into despair because he has forgotten for a second time that Yori’s dead).

Aidou then reminds Zero that he’s more likely to die than Yuuki, and that he should stay by her side for a long time. Zero, touched by Aidou’s sincerity, clams up. This section is interesting, because it potentially hints at a few things:

Zero may be worried that he won’t be able to stay with Yuuki forever because their relationship isn’t going so well right now in general and he’s beginning to fear she really doesn’t love him and that the person she loves is actually Kaname instead.

Zero may not be intending to stay near Yuuki forever by this point (more on this later).

Zero may have other worries about something that’s going on in the past or present that we don’t yet know (I know this is vague, but it’s part of a theory I have that I want to deal with in a separate post since it’s a mammoth in its own right).

Instead of responding directly to Aidou, Zero thanks him for his concern with the sweetest, kindest smile because regardless of his relationship with Yuuki, Aidou reaching out to him and wishing him well moves him to appreciation. The other mysteries of Zero’s heart will remain locked for now, until future chapters.

Aidou’s wish for Zero to live a long life by Yuuki’s side has some potentially explosive implications for the future, given his own potential fall toward despair. If I’m right about the Zero cure theory, then Aidou will basically be placed in the same position Kaname was during the original series--here is a young man who is potentially the key to the cure. If Aidou (and Kaname before him) sacrifices this one person, they can save so many more people. Not only that, Aidou, like Kaname, has an ulterior motive for wanting the cure completed--both of them wanted to die to be with their beloveds and end their loneliness. The parallel is going to be striking when it appears, and it’s going to give Aidou a legitimate conflict of interest, especially given his own personal wish for Zero to live on with Yuuki. Aidou will likely be torn between his own wish of completing the cure as soon as possible and returning to his beloved and his other wish of wanting Yuuki to at last find her happiness with Zero. Who knows what fun things could come out of such a decision?

The best part of it is that unlike with Kaname, Aidou actually does care about Zero as a person and so his conflict of interest will be much more compelling should it take place.

Stagnation and Regression

We transition from the Zedou scene to Yuuki via Yuuki’s butterfly. The implication here is that Yuuki is spying on Zero, for unknown reasons which the chapter only illuminates via subtext. For now, it’s simply interesting that Zero is under surveillance, and much like Kaname before her, this is not for Zero’s protection--this is legitimate spying. The reasons for the spying we’ll get into during the last section.

Yuuki’s so busy spying on Zero that she’s not paying attention to the conversation she’s supposed to be having with Rima and Ruka. Rima, being the adorable pushy thing she is, goes after Yuuki for spacing out. Ruka tries to mitigate the damage, but Rima won’t be swayed. Rima asks Yuuki what’s going on with her and Zero.

Interestingly, Yuuki pretends not to know what Rima means and talks about Kaien and Ai. She confirms Ai’s back in bed (likely because what’s about to go down with Zeki would traumatize Ai, so Hino wants her safely tucked away), and she mentions that Kaien left a strange message after recovering (though his disease seems terminal, probably a slow terminal like a cancer or something). Kaien seems to be on the hunt for something, though whether it really is related to Juri or if that’s just what he’s saying to throw Yuuki off the scent, only future chapters will reveal (it may potentially be he’s looking for something at Zero’s request, who knows).

Yuuki then tries to cut the conversation about herself off, but Rima is determined to get her love gossip and she specifically asks about Zero. Yuuki deflects again, saying they’ve gone back to their original arrangement of living in separate houses, implying that they’ve gone back to before the “official” declaration from VKM 9. (Fufu, I feel vindicated--I knew they weren’t going to last after VKM 10. Likely Zero gave some variant of my Let’s Be Friends route theory, though perhaps not formally. Clearly he left the door open for things to change in the future. This also makes it more likely that he didn’t go through with biting her in VKM 10.) She also throws out a distraction tactic of Zero being weaker to alcohol than she is (likely ‘cause she’s a pureblood, lol, can’t imagine they get drunk easily otherwise they’d probably all be drunks since their lives are so miserable).

Rima’s not amused by this and insists on getting the scoop on why things aren’t progressing. Ruka steps in to mitigate some of the damage, and she asks if Zeki are intending to eventually go official. Yuuki looks down and says that whether they do or not, she’s not sure much will change about their relationship.

Rather than pursuing Yuuki on what she means here, Ruka offers Yuuki an easy way out of talking further--she says it’s hard to move forward with someone you’ve known for a long time. However, if you look at the expressions she and Yuuki make after this statement, it’s clear they’re not on the same page. Ruka’s little smile and soft sigh as she looks into the distance with lightly glazed eyes indicate she’s thinking of a person she’s fond of (Kain) who she’s happily considering moving forward with. Yuuki, on the other hand, looks down, her brows drawn in, a small, sad smile on her face. Yuuki’s reaction implies that for her there’s actual fear about her situation with Zero, and that she’s not nearly as confident that their relationship will remain unchanged as her words might imply.

She closes the conversation out with an interesting line. She says Zero’s her family and her partner, and that them being together is so natural no one can change it. This line calls back directly to Kaname’s own words in Night 93, that they’re meant to be together. It also is a callback to Kaname’s entire trajectory in VK, and to Yuuki’s own guilt over that trajectory. Kaname tried to change the outcome of Zeki and he failed. He could not separate them, no matter how hard he tried. And if he couldn’t separate them, there is no one who can other than one person: Zero himself. The very person Yuuki seems to fear is planning to leave at last.

The girls accept her statement and offer a little solidarity before the three part ways. Yuuki’s reaction once she leaves them is quite telling--she has a small downcast smile, clearly appreciative of the girls’ support, but still struggling with her own own worries and concerns.

Catastrophe Strikes

I won’t dwell too much on the Ruka/Kain section. But basically, the gist of it is that Ruka goes to meet Kain, and wherever they were meeting gets blown up (probably a restaurant). The explosion makes Ruka realize she needs to get moving with Kain, and she gets him to swear to marry her.

Now I’m probably going against the grain here, but I don’t think Yuuki saw this scene--she seems to arrive right after it ends and just as the paperboy type is beginning to scream about the vampire king. So I don’t think the Ruka confession has anything to do with Yuuki’s actions this chapter. What I do think the scene is intended to do is to be yet another parallel to Zeki--all the “true” couples get married first, then have sex and kids. So this is more reassurance for the readers that Zeki will be getting married in the future, as all the side couples do, as well as telling us the proper order of the relationships, which makes it less likely Zeki will be having sex before marriage (proper order).

Other than that, I don’t think the Ruka/Kain scene is much more than fanservice for that couple. The big component is the arrival of a new antagonist, who is hiding behind the nom de plume of “Vampire King” (Kaname’s title). Our friendly unknown narrator from the future seems to be under the impression that it was some shit disturber trying to rile up sentiment against the vampires, using the name as a scapegoat. The new villain may actually be a human (as foreshadowed by Yori’s comment during Aidou’s memory). Interesting implications for the future, that’s for sure!

More than Friends, Less than Lovers

The highlight of this chapter is, of course, the final scene, as Hino fully intended. The best part of this scene is that it is the first Zero and Yuuki scene since VKM began that has nothing to do with anyone’s feelings for Kaname. We’re finally moving toward Zero and Yuuki dealing with their issues, which I always suspected were far more numerous than just boo-hooing over a man Yuuki doesn’t even love romantically.

There is a lot packed into these few pages, and a lot of implication for previous and future chapters. I’ll break it down as best I can, but some of it will have to be saved for a future post.

First the scene in general, and then we’ll get into Zero and Yuuki’s respective potential head spaces.

The scene starts out with Yuuki telling Zero about her day, and then Zero gets ready to leave (likely to go home). Yuuki stops him and asks him to sleep with her every now and then. The two of them hold hands awkwardly in bed. Zero then says an interesting line about how it’s not that he doesn’t want to do this exactly, but.... and Yuuki agrees. This appears to be a snippet or continuation from a previous conversation.

Their body language here is quite interesting. Yuuki is neutral, with her eyes closed, facing the ceiling, a faint blush on her cheeks (I don’t think she’s having maidenly shyness--the blush indicates some kind of repressed emotion). Zero, on the other hand, is clearly uncomfortable, and his head is turned away from her in an awkward way that stretches his neck.

Some time passes, and Yuuki starts a conversation with Zero. The scene then transitions to parallel two previous chapters: the train scene from Night 87 and the post-coital scene with Kaname from Night 90. Yuuki turns in bed and looks at Zero. Interestingly, in sleep, Zero naturally turns toward Yuuki and his body language becomes more open and relaxed. So whatever is going on during his waking moments leaves when he sleeps.

As in Night 90, Yuuki looks at Zero’s sleeping face as she did Kaname’s before. And as before, she touches his face tenderly (only in the Kaname scenario she was considering turning him but stops when he wakes up). Zero doesn’t wake to her touch, and she looks at him with concern. Her expression here is quite interesting, as it is asking him a question of some kind.

The scene switches to parallel Night 87 and, just as before, Yuuki finds Zero sleeping peacefully next to her as he did on the train. And this time, instead of just attacking Zero and offering her throat, she bites herself, drinks her own blood, and forcefeeds it to him while he’s asleep.

Of course, he wakes, because someone’s shoving liquid down his throat, lol.

As to what this scene will lead to, who knows. But here’re my thoughts on each of the characters’ head spaces, and where I think the the scene will go from here:

Yuuki’s insecurities

Yuuki’s behavior in this chapter is full of anxiety, which implies quite a few things about Zeki’s relationship. We can be sure from her conversation with Ruka and Rima that Zero is the one responsible for the current halt in their progress, because Yuuki seems uncomfortable with it, despite her assertions to the contrary. We can also assume that whatever Zero said to halt the relationship, it was enough to get Yuuki to go along with it but not enough to help her understand. She doesn’t know what Zero’s thinking, and that makes her anxious and activates her abandonment fears.

We can also assume that Zero hasn’t been drinking from Yuuki since they got together, if not before (I suspect he hasn’t been drinking from her for years at this point, but for now we’ll just assume that it’s only been since they went official). The reason we can assume this is because Yuuki’s spying on him and is bothered by what she hears at Aidou’s place. Now, Aidou doesn’t say anything that should be particularly bothersome--he just tells Zero to take care of himself. What he does say, though, is that Zero’s been getting into trouble. So this means Zero’s likely been losing blood, which means he should be needing replacements from Yuuki. Yuuki may have been consoling herself with thinking that Zero didn’t need her blood simply because he hadn’t been getting injured lately, but now she has it confirmed that he does need it but for some reason isn’t taking it from her. This also will contribute to heightening her insecurities.

On top of this, we then have the scene where they sleep together. Zero falls asleep quickly and seems relatively unconcerned about Yuuki’s presence. If she’s already concerned about him not needing her blood, this will only add to those concerns because as with the train station scene in Night 87, he’s “unmoved” by her and doesn’t seem to want her. (For some reason she’s never understood that Zero has self-control of steel lol.)

All this leads to an inevitable conclusion: maybe Zero doesn’t really love her. Maybe he’s tired of her. Maybe he’s thinking of leaving her. But for some reason she can’t bring herself to ask him why he won’t drink from her, so instead she resorts to her old train station tactic of forcing him to move. I suspect her blood kiss here at the end of the chapter is a test for him--what will he do.

The good thing about all this is that Yuuki’s finally being proactive and starting to show us, the readers, that she is actually serious about moving forward with Zero and she does want him as a man in her life. Given her behavior in VKM 9-10, that was in question for the reader, but now we have it confirmed that more must have been going on and that, whatever she’s going through, her desire for Zero has not diminished. She also seems to want more passion from Zero, and so come hell or high water she’s going to get it one way or another lol.

Zero’s reticence

On the other hand, Zero’s side of the story is much more nuanced I think. I do believe we will now be shut out of Zero’s head as far as his thoughts (I think VKM 9 was the end of Zero-the-narrator and now he will become the mystery man, the goal to obtain for Yuuki and Kaname’s narratives). However, VKM 9 sets the stage for the reader to guess what’s going on in Zero’s head.

Given what we get this chapter, we can assume a few things:

Zero didn’t bite Yuuki in VKM 10.

Zero came up with some excuse to call off their moving forward that didn’t require them officially breaking up, but rather just resetting to before their official status.

Zero may be using work as an excuse to spend less time with Yuuki.

Zero may not be intending to live with Yuuki forever, as Aidou wishes, given that his response to Aidou is rather vague.

Zero clearly is the one holding back on them sleeping together, for reasons he hasn’t stated.

Yuuki doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on in his head.

It’s possible too that Zero wasn’t actually asleep at the end of the chapter, but given how his body language works, I think he did fall asleep (he’s probably legitimately exhausted from chasing criminals all day). Regardless, there’s a clear parallel between him in this chapter and Kaname from Night 90. Like Kaname in Night 91, next chapter Zero will likely put the kibosh on Yuuki’s activity and maybe give us more insight into why their relationship is where it is right now.

The nice thing about this scenario is now Zero’s back to being the unattainable one for Yuuki. He’s a mystery she has to unravel, rather than a doormat she can step on. Yuuki is always at her best when she’s actively pursuing Zero. If Zero has begun looking for a new way to revive Kaname without requiring the loss of the forge, he’s definitely going to want to keep that from Yuuki for now. But the way Zero reacted to Aidou makes me think he’s already lost hope in his own life with Yuuki and that he may feel the only way to really make things right is to get Kaname back for her. This also makes it more likely that Zero will be open to the cure, or alternatively to giving his heart to Kaname when they test the cure and it fails.

Marching Forward

From here, I see Hino beginning to ramp up the angst between Zero and Yuuki. Likely Yuuki’s new journey to figure out what Zero’s hiding from her will parallel Kaname’s journey to find out what Yuuki’s hidden from him. What they both find will likely change their perspectives entirely. I do believe we’ll now be able to see into Yuuki’s and Kaname’s heads, while we’ll be locked out from Zero’s. This allows Zero to become the narrative goal for Yuuki--obtaining him and her happy ending becomes the end goal of her story, rather than dying with Kaname (as has been implied by previous chapters).

The simplest trajectory I see for now (there is a more complicated, interesting potential one which I’ll detail in a different post), is that Yuuki and Zero just have a simple misunderstanding--due to the M/S bond, Zero is under the impression Yuuki will never be happy without Kaname, and Yuuki, due to her fears of potentially Zero falling out of love with her, thinks she’s losing him because he never truly loved her in the first place. The climax point for this trajectory will be likely around the Zero cure and Yuuki potentially losing Zero in order to regain Kaname, forcing her to finally fess up about all her true feelings she has trapped in her little box from VKM 7.

All in all, though, I’m glad to see Hino finally acknowledging Zeki’s got problems outside of Yuuki’s feelings for Kaname. Plus the Zero cure is more likely now with Aidou continuing to fail. ;) I’m looking forward to next issue’s chapter now, and although my love for this story isn’t completely recovered, I now feel more hopeful that I’ll be able to love these characters again once more in the future. =)

Until next time!

#vampire knight #vampire knight memories #vkm spec #vkm speculation #zeki criticism #zeki crit #vkm chapter review

78 notes · View notes

heartslogos · 5 years

Text

the declassified texts of the inquisition’s elite [33]

(443): I really want to stop getting this drunk. I've got the Sunday scaries and it's only Saturday

(636):Dude I cant right now. Were talking about pickles.

“I am too old to be this drunk. I can’t keep up with you youngsters.”

“You’re only a year older than Bull. And look at him go,” Herah gestures to where the older Qunari is doing shots with his crew. “I mean, sure he’s going to be hurting in the morning. But you wouldn’t guess it from the way he insist on pissing everyone off by rubbing their faces into their own hangovers. I think he cures hang overs by making other peoples’ worse.”

“That’s different,” Edric says. “Also he’s on slightly more emotionally stable ground than me.”

“That’s…Edric, that’s fucking awful, you know that right?” Herah goes from entertained by Edric’s drunken dramatics to deeply concerned in no time flat. Josephine is rubbing off on her in very many ways. She’s not so sure if she likes this particular way. Herah would prefer to leave the kindness to Josephine’s more capable hands. Herah’s are blunt instruments that are best tooled for mockery, acts of wit and scathing retort, and on the rare occasion when there’s someone worth it, flirtation. “What’s up, you’re being more…you than usual.”

“I’m a terrible uncle and I don’t know why my sister put me in charge of her one and only child,” Edric says. “My anxiety has anxiety. It’s Saturday and I’m already dreading Monday. We literally just got off of work a little over twenty four hours ago. I’ve spent all of Saturday dreading Monday. I haven’t even gotten past Saturday.”

Herah glances at her phone. “Well. Good news? If you’re awake for another two hours you’ll definitely get to Sunday and then you can have the Sunday…what was it?”

“Sunday scaries.”

“Sunday scares for real. Man, you are definitely Malika’s blood. Sunday scaries. Only a Cadaash. What are you going on about, being a terrible uncle? You’re a great uncle. You’re here! You don’t give up on her or on any one of the other knuckleheads around you. You support her and whenever she gets too close to something truly stupid you reel her back in and make sure she’s level.”

“She got a her arm dislocated.”

“And because you’re helping to raise her well, like a complete champion, she didn’t throw a tantrum or a fuss when we had to pop it back in. Sure she threw up a little, but she powered through. There are some cadets here who I couldn’t trust to do that. Malika’s an impressive young woman, Edric. Cut yourself some credit.”

“If I were a good uncle she’d be in college right now,” Edric says.

“You know, a lot of people we know are actual college professors,” Herah points out. “I know my younger brother doesn’t act it, but he was a professor. First year professor, sure, but he has the degrees and shit to back it up. Evelyn and de Fer were also professors. Legit ones, too. Pretty sure Dorian had to do some teaching while doing his masters. You got her into the most prestigious school of life, Edric. Congratulations.”

“I don’t feel better about this. She knows how to hi-jack a car.”

“Alright, now that isn’t fair.” Herah stops him before he can down another drink. “Malika would’ve learned that anyway. One, no offense but you guys are Carta. Two, Malika’s curious enough to try and figure this stuff out just because it seems interesting. Three, she’s Malika. She’s got the brain to back it up. A brain like yours, Edric. I know you’ve tinkered in the past and present and you aren’t as flashy as Sera is about the results, but I’ve seen some of it at work and it’s impressive. I also know that you have a few patents floating around.”

Edric groans, “She couldn’t have gotten my stupid genes instead? She’d be so much safer.”

Herah rolls her eyes. “There��s no winning with you when you’re like this. Come on, come play cards instead of drinking. Josephine’s not coming, Leliana’s busy swindling Max and Kaaras at pool, Bull’s drinking, and the Lavellans are preoccupied. It’s a casual night. No worries about being caught in a high stakes game.”

“Then what’s the point?” Edric sighs as he follows her to the card table where Evelyn, Dorian, Cullen, and Blackwall are in the middle of a hand.

“The point is to relax, Edric,” Herah claps him on the shoulder. “Surely you’ve done that at least once.”

“Playing cards with Leliana, Bull, Josephine, and the Lavellans is relaxing. Compared to what I normally have to deal with losing a hand of cards to them is nothing.”

“Your cousin — “

“I disavow him,” Evelyn interrupts immediately. “Whatever it is I want no part of it. I’m not culpable for his…whatever he’s done to whomever. I am not party to it, Mahanon.”

“Your cousin,” Mahanon continues, undaunted as he slides one of his work phones to her over her table before dramatically collapsing into one of the chairs in front of her desk. “Cut me off for pickles.”

Evelyn is hesitant to look at the text.

“Is that a euphemism?”

“If it was I might be a little less annoyed.” Mahanon sneers at her ceiling. “I do not text your cousin for the sake of experiencing his wit in real time. I text him for business and only when mandated to by others and under extreme duress. And he has the gall to tell me that he doesn’t have the time of day because he’s discussing pickles.”

“Are you sure it isn’t a euphemism?”

“Evelyn.”

“Okay, okay!” Evelyn scrolls through the chat history. It’s very succinct. Most of it on Max’s side attempting to get Mahanon to talk to him. Most of Mahanon’s texts are work related, and not a single one is a response to any fo the more personal conversations Maxwell’s tried to start.

And then there’s the last text about pickles, to which Mahanon has not responded.

“Maybe…it’s for a mission?”

Mahanon slowly brings his gaze onto her.

“Do you recall assigning your cousin on a mission involving…pickles?”

Honestly? Evelyn’s not sure what she’s assigning people to anymore. She could’ve sworn she had Kaaras put on a project studying the continued effects of red lyrium post mortem but whenever she goes to check on the assigned laboratory space he’s never there and she’s told that he’s in the engineering labs working on some kind of alternative fuel. Which she thought she had Sera on, but whenever she goes there Sera’s in the chem labs working on some kind of anti-lyrium coating. Which Evelyn swears, hand to Andraste, she had Dagna on, but Dagna’s doing something in the fucking smithy involving melted down silverite.

But Evelyn’s not going to say any of this out loud.

“Sure,” Evelyn says instead. Mahanon has the grace to not call her out on the extremely long pause between his question and her answer. Instead he closes his eyes.

“Convince me why I shouldn’t instill a fear of pickles in your cousin so profound that he becomes conditioned to hearing the crunch of one and feeling it in his guts.”

“Because I love him.”

“Appeals to pathos will do nothing for you with me. I’m vaguely disappointed.”

“Yeah, so am I. I don’t have anything for you other than that he’s my cousin, I love him, and if you ruin pickles for him you might end up in a situation where he inconveniently has to deal with a pickle while you’re near him and not the direct cause of it.”

#heartsfic #gather your party and venture forth

0 notes

coldtomyflash · 7 years

Text

Another Len-has-a-kid AU idea...

After seeing Logan last night, I just couldn’t stop thinking about Len having a kid. In particular, about him finding out he had a kid he didn’t know about.

I was thinking about this kid (we’ll call him Lincoln) being somewhere around the age of 10. And he’s a meta. With cold powers.

It hits up the metahuman taskforce’s radar when Linc’s mom dies and the kid is found having basically encased himself in a wall of ice. The mom died violently but Linc is safe. Joe ends up getting Barry to help coax the kid out at the scene, because Barry has some experience with traumatized kids, having been one himself, but he does it in the Flash suit because kids love the Flash, and Linc’s no exception.

Then Joe is processing him at the station and trying to talk to him and calm him down and get him to a relaxed and okay-enough place to get a statement, and Barry helps with that too (as himself this time, not as the Flash) and he feels so much pathos for this scared metahuman kid, one who tells him he was scared that the Flash was going to arrest him because the Flash arrests all bad metas and wow is Barry’s heart just shattering, okay?

And an actual child psychologist gets there and that’s when Joe hands over Linc’s file they’re gathering and points at the name of the father on the birth certificate.

And oh shit.

Barry is super conflicted but he... ends up filling out the paperwork to be Lincoln’s legal guardian for the intermediary. (In this AU, let’s pretend he’s got a nice apartment but that Flashpoint brought Eddie back to life and he and Iris are happy together, yeah? Also no Legends of Tomorrow).

And he does his best to help Lincoln and get him settled and after a day... he tracks down Snart. Asks him questions. Snart is an asshole about the whole thing because Barry doesn’t tell him what he’s there for right off the bat, but Barry ends up kind of pissed and ready to leave and is more or less like “I was just checking if you even knew you had a son but if that’s how you feel then never mind.” because he didn’t take on Lincoln for Snart’s sake and he sure as hell isn’t gonna let Snart near him if he doesn’t care.

But of course, Len is just fucking floored by that information. Follows Barry out of S’n’S kind of pissed and probably panicking except his panic reaction here is to react and get angry and accuse Barry of both lying and then of taking Lincoln on just to have something to use against him, which totally almost gets him punched because Barry is having none of that.

Len calms the frig down after a day and actually drops by STAR labs, but Barry’s not in, because Barry is, y’know, making food for Len’s kid and looking after him. Len gets a very unimpressed Cisco to call him and Barry is similarly unimpressed but agrees to meet Len the next day and answer his questions.

Which happens, with an exhausted and exacerbated Barry, whose guard is still super-raised, trying to determine if Len actually cares about Lincoln or just about the fact that Lincoln can be used against him. They part ways without much information shared, really.

So Len is coping in his own way, which means showing up at Barry’s apartment the next night less than sober and Barry comes out into the hall like “what the fuck buddy, nooooo this is not how this happens” and Lincoln hears them arguing out there, catches the notion that Len is his father and panics, ices over the whole place, including the door, and that’s how Len finds out his son is a meta.

Barry just leans his forehead against the door with a bitter laugh, “Cisco’s already calling him Kid Cold.”

Len has sobered up a bit by this point and, listening to Barry call through the door to Lincoln to relax and reign his powers back in, realizes he’s a royal ass. He’s been caught between terrified he’ll fuck this kid up and terrified of being his father and terrified of the kid having no one and him not being in the kid’s life and totally paralyzed by it.

But now he’s confronted with the reality of paternal Barry Allen calming down a kid he’s never even seen but already loves and he sort of hates himself in that moment because it should be him and not Barry there, doing that. So he leaves, and he thinks that’ll be it -- he might see his kid or meet him, but obviously Barry’s going to be so much better for him than Len could ever be.

But now there’s a wedge between Barry and Lincoln when all Linc needs is stability, because he’s hurt and confused by the fact that Barry apparently knows his father (and he didn’t even know his father’s own name, like nothing) and feels betrayed like that’s the only reason Barry took him in (like father like son) so he’s afraid of being abandoned and wonders if Barry’s just a stepping stone to his father or if his father even wants him and why he’s never met him etc etc.

Barry still wants to punch Len, probably more than ever. Sigh. But he also saw how scared Len was and he also knows what it’s like to grow up wondering about things in his life so he wants to provide a bridge between Linc and Len if he can. He knows he’s the only person in the city who could take Lincoln on and track down Leonard and make it work and he knows that’s part of why he did agree to be Lincoln’s guardian and he feels conflicted about it.

So, he decides to try and do this right. Agrees he’ll introduce Linc to his father and explain things. And decides to track down Snart and make damn sure he’s going to be in Linc’s life and make this work, supervillain criminal or not.

And...

That’s as far as I got in my daydreaming about this.

That much material would probably cover me 2-4 chapters depending on how much I fleshed it out with details and plot. All of these scenes were fully fleshed out in my head with dialogue and gestures etc., and I was thinking the mother was a sex worker (Len was a regular) who left the business to raise her son, and Len had to skip town before she’d been able to tell him she was pregnant. She left to Gotham with Linc but they were in town to visit family when the particle accelerator blew, and after getting back to Gotham, him having powers put a target on his back and she came back to Central to find Len for protection for Linc. So that’s a plot that would come in at some point too.

#au's #coldflash #because it would totally be coldflash #their first time getting together would probably be midday angry not-quite-hatesex because they're both so exhausted #and lol the only time they have to talk about shit is when linc is at school so...#but yes basically dad!coldflash #and their ice powered son with his own troubles #i have so many AUs on the go i doubt i'll ever get to writing this one #but i'm trying to get more in the habit of sharing my ideas #since people seemed to dig it when i shared that folder of ideas i've jotted down #this one seems like it might be angsty idk #lincoln snart #aka my au kid for him always #instead of #michael snart

104 notes · View notes

lemonvampire · 7 years

Text

Logan Review (spoiler-free)

There’s a lot to be said about what Fox Studios have gotten wrong with the X-Men film franchise over the years, particular in comparison to their counterpart in the Disney/Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe. Once a pioneering film series that helped pave the way for the more colorful and comic-accurate portrayals in the MCU, the X-Men films began in the much more cynical landscape of Hollywood in the late 90s/early 2000s, when the idea of colorful heroes in “yellow spandex” was something to be sneered at and even derisively mocked in the first film by a po-faced James Marsden grimacing inside a restrictive but oh-so-serious black leather jumpsuit as he quips to the fresh-faced visage of a young Hugh Jackman in his star-making first appearance as Wolverine. The one thing that these films have gotten absolutely right in adapting their source material however, in a way that the MCU hopefully never will, is the comic series’ complete lack of consistency and continuity, and tendency to lean heavily on retcons. After the disappointing third entry and abysmal first spinoff for Jackman’s Wolverine, the series was “rebooted” with the much more colorful and well-received (by everyone but me anyway) X-Men First Class, which marketed itself as both a reboot and a prequel and didn’t really achieve either particularly well, keeping itself completely tied to the characterizations set up in the first three and even including cameos from Jackman and Rebecca Romijn. Following off the success of First Class, Hugh Jackman got another chance for a solo project with The Wolverine, before returning along with the rest of the series veterans to star in series highlight, Days of Future Past, which served to wrap up all the continuity snags of the franchise and give the original cast a proper and heartfelt sendoff. But Hugh Jackman, who by all accounts loves this particular role with a genuine affection that has shown through in even the worst entries, had jus one more left in him, and has returned to cinemas to give the character of Wolverine a final, heartfelt farewell before hanging up the claws for good, and has brought the equally talented and passionate Patrick Stewart along to do the same for Professor Charles Xavier. Loosely inspired by the Mark Millar comic, “Old Man Logan,” Logan tells the story of a near future where most of the mutants, along with all of the X-Men, have been killed and there are no new mutants being born. The surviving mutants have found themselves growing steadily weaker, their powers somehow degrading, including a now-aging Logan and a decrepit Charles Xavier, who Logan is caring for while he’s fighting off dementia and seizures that cause his still immensely powerful telepathy to be a danger to those around him. The situation is incredibly bleak for the two of them, with Logan working as a limousine driver to try to save up enough money to buy a boat for the two of them, presumably in the hopes of taking them both out to the middle of the ocean where Charles’ deteriorating condition will finally claim the lives of both men without hurting anyone else. But this plan is changed when a desperate woman brings a little girl, Laura, into their lives. Laura is a new mutant, born in a lab and experimented on to be developed into a weapon, exactly as Wolverine had been experimented on. In fact she’s Logan’s daughter, a clone made from his DNA, with the same healing powers and with adamantium claws grafted into her arms and her feet. Despite his initial refusal, Logan is persuaded/forced to take Laura, along with Xavier, to a location in North Dakota, where they can escape the mercenaries that are hunting her. As the final outing for Hugh Jackman in the role that made him famous, this was the perfect film to go out on. Not only does it’s R rating allow Jackman to finally “cut” loose and deliver the kind of violent action that Wolverine is famous for (seriously we’ve had eight other movies featuring a guy whose entire gimmick is having knives come out of his hands that were severely restricted in the amount of blood and violence they could show), but it also closes out the character’s story arc with a genuinely somber, reflective tale of loss, hope, and redemption. Wolverine is a character that people love for his gritty, tough-guy persona, but it’s a persona that only really works because it’s steeped in tragedy. Wolverine doesn’t work without proper pathos, and can easily fall victim to that pathos straying into desperate melodrama, as evidenced by his first solo film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, where he spends much of the film screaming comically to the heavens over the bodies of characters we never have reason to care about, before tearing through villains we also have no emotional connection to. It’s a tight rope to walk, and this film, directed by James Mangold, finally walks it like a professional. The tragedy in this film is thick and genuine, as presented in the soulful, regret-filled performances of Jackman and Stewart as well as the surprising newcomer performance of Dafne Keen as Laura, AKA X-23. As child actors go Keen is a revelation. She’s called upon to give a wide-ranging performance which she delivers on a level that has her slipping into this particular character even more perfectly than Hugh Jackman originally fit into his role as Wolverine. Despite her age she looks perfect for the part, like a younger version of Josh Middleton’s artwork from NYX brought to life, and she nails the quiet, fuming rage and tragedy of the character in a way that informs the character even better than the writing in the comics. For a film meant to be a final solo outing for both Hugh Jackman and Wolverine, the strength is in its ensemble cast, which is firing on all cylinders. Patrick Stewart gives the most human performance he’s ever delivered in the role of Charles Xavier, and one of the best performances of his stellar career. Boyd Holbrook delivers an electrifyingly charismatic performance as the main villain of the piece, along with Richard E. Grant and Stephen Merchant in their supporting roles. And of course, Jackman himself gives the kind of performance in the lead that we’ve been waiting to see since he first appeared in 2000’s X-Men. He’s more ferocious, more troubled and more sympathetic than we’ve ever seen. This film is, without a doubt, the best Wolverine movie, the best X-Men movie, and one of the best superhero movies ever made. It belongs right alongside the likes of The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Spider-Man 2, The Dark Knight, and Deadpool. This is a must-see film for anyone that is a fan of comic book movies or has ever enjoyed even one of the X-Men films featuring Jackman’s Wolverine. Don’t miss it.

#logan #wolverine #x-men #movie review #hugh jackman

2 notes · View notes

dweemeister · 6 years

Photo

The Walking Dead (1936)

By the mid-1930s, the major Hollywood studios had carved out a niche, an inhouse style or specialization which fueled public perception of that studio. Universal Pictures, established in 1912, was considered along with Columbia to be a “major minor”/“minor major” studio, never owning theater chains to the extent of the undisputed major studios – including Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), and 20th Century Fox. In these early years, Universal specialized in horror movies, with Boris Karloff (the monster in 1931′s Frankenstein, 1935′s Bride of Frankenstein, and 1939′s Son of Frankenstein) among their most popular contracted actors. In the middle of the 1930s, Karloff – dealing with Frankenstein fatigue – took a sabbatical from Universal to make movies with the other major studios. One of those films included The Walking Dead, produced at Warner Bros., the home of the best gangster movies and the most willing studio to tackle darker subject matter instead of prestige period pieces.

Interesting title, I have to admit. The Walking Dead sounds like a brilliant title for a television show on an unscrupulous cable network that abandoned its origins! But I digress.

In this flawed feature, The Walking Dead resembles an interesting combination of a Universal horror movie and a Warner Bros. gangster picture. It is a natural fit for Karloff, and The Walking Dead becomes a Karloff vehicle playing to the actor’s strengths – drawing the audience’s sympathy to a man’s creation, beings turned into monsters because of human cruelty.

John Ellman (Karloff) has just been released from prison and is serving his parole. While attempting to adjust life beyond the prison walls and shortly after his release, Ellman attempts to find work as a pianist with “Trigger” Smith (Joe Sawyer). Unbeknownst to the parolee, Trigger is the head of a racketeering gang, and he will frame Ellman for a murder the gang has committed. Ellman is sentenced to death by electric chair. Meanwhile, engaged laboratory assistants Nancy (Marguerite Churchill) and Jimmy (Warren Hull) have cold feet, as they are eyewitnesses to the fact that Ellman is not the murderer. Their consciences admit the truth minutes too late, and the innocent man is executed. Ellman’s corpse is brought to their boss’ lab. Dr. Evan Beaumont (Edmund Gwenn) is a modern-day Victor Frankenstein as he attempts to reanimate Ellman. It is successful through use of an artificial heart (based on the Lindbergh Heart, developed in 1935), but Ellman’s recollections are incomplete. However, he possesses some knowledge of who framed him for murder, and sets out to exact revenge.

The Walking Dead was an obvious attempt by Warner Bros. to capitalize on Karloff’s reputation as Frankenstein’s monster at Universal. The narratives share numerous parallels: scientific technobabble only serving to highlight the dangers of science fiddling with life’s natural cycle; an undead monster who does not begin their existence as a monster, but becomes a monster because of ingrained human fears; and a repentant creator harboring mixed feelings of their creation. The creation scene is pulled from the mythos of James Whale’s Frankenstein – bubbling scientific instruments filled with dark unknowable liquids, electricity providing the reanimating spark, and an allusion to one of cinema’s immortal lines – “He’s alive!” – are proclaimed by Dr. Beaumont (the quote does not appear in the original Mary Shelley novel, which the 1931 Universal movie took significant narrative liberties from).

But to arrive here, the viewers are initially subjected to the machinations of the gangsters. The Walking Dead can be divided into two parts, with the first part ending and the second part beginning when Ellman has been executed and his remains carted into Dr. Beaumont’s lab. In the film’s efficient sixty-six minutes (in the early sound era, it was not uncommon for Hollywood to release movies just over or under an hour in length), the opening half-hour is dedicated to being a typical Warner Bros. gangster picture (with a healthy sampling of a legal drama where we already know the outcome) and the closing half-hour a “light” horror. I write “light” horror because The Walking Dead never entirely surrenders its gangster movie premise. There is a lack of the fantastical, the fictitious science is portrayed as realistically as possible, Ellman’s reanimated body undergoes no significant physical alterations except for a constant limping stride and a band of whitened hair that might remind other viewers of romantic skunks or Frankenstein’s monster’s bride. Perhaps to the film’s detriment, there is no 1930s horror atmosphere to the film. The definitive horror movies from the 1930s and earlier decades no longer frighten most adult audiences, yet their contemporary power is derived from their aural or visual style: the low-volume hissing of early sound mixes in movies without film scores, cinematography and lighting that manipulate chiaroscuro (there is one understated moment where, shortly upon one gangster’s entrance into a seemingly empty room, that Hal Mohr’s cinematography makes excellent use of this), and moments of gruesome implied violence.

The screenplay by Ewart Adamson, Peter Milne, Robert Andrews, and Lillie Hayward might only work because of The Walking Dead’s short runtime. Where it departs from narrative conventions is that Ellman is an intelligent zombie, retaining much of his intelligence and many of his skills as he did before his execution. Though he retains only the slightest memories of how he was framed – how he can do this makes little sense, as he was not in the rooms where this decision was made – Ellman remains an accomplished pianist. That is musical badassery taken to extremes! Sometimes, Ellman’s beyond-the-grave retention feels too overpowered, as he is often shown knowing where certain people involved with his framing are without any investigation beforehand, finding these individuals at inexplicable speeds.

With a largely forgettable cast, two actors stand out: Edmund Gwenn and Boris Karloff. Gwenn, whom most know as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), plays a rarity in horror cinema: a benevolent doctor who wants to conduct his life humanely. Those motivations collide with renewing life in a dead man, unleashing forces that he had negligible comprehension before and after hearing about Ellman. Gwenn’s Dr. Beaumont, after reawakening Ellman and realizing the extent of his patient’s vengeful methods, becomes entranced with the sensations of being on death’s precipice – what does the dying person see, what do they feel, what are they thinking. These questions consume the good doctor, whose inquisitiveness about the experiences of near-death and death forms a psychological distance him from his frightened laboratory assistants. The Walking Dead is not meant to be a tragedy for Dr. Beaumont, however, as the resolving scenes assures that he will not discover the answer.

For Karloff, his performance is defined by a single intonation delivered to those responsible for his death: “Why did you have me killed?” In those lines, in his pained stare, lies an ocean of pathos. Sadness, betrayal, maybe even a search for empathy towards his killers lie within. Nevertheless, The Walking Dead is partly a tale of vengeance, and the film leaves ambiguous whether Ellman’s murderous rampage is a fully conscious act. Despite the retention of some higher cognitive functions, Ellman’s speech patterns are imperfect, suggesting that he is unable to distinguish right from wrong. His understanding of basic social expectations, too, seems suspect. And as those who viewed him with their callous regard for his life are slaughtered, Karloff looks on in terror, at times gazing at his hands, petrified that he can no longer mediate them with his head or heart. It should be noted not every death in the film’s second half is directly caused by Ellman – serving only to deepen what could be described as his remorse.

This would be the first (and, by historical consensus, the best – but don’t quote me on this as I haven’t seen the others) of seven films Karloff appeared in between 1936-1941 in which he played a crazed scientist experimenting with the dead or playing a zombie himself. If Karloff temporarily departed Universal to avoid being typecast into these specific horror roles, those personal goals would not be met. Karloff, like his contemporary Bela Lugosi, would be typecast for the entirety of his career.

Warner Bros., housing none of the technical expertise (in production design, primarily) that Universal and, to a lesser extent, MGM had in creating in quasi-medieval to nineteenth century locales appropriate for a horror setting, leaned upon its strengths in gangster films to produce The Walking Dead. It is indicative of the few times the 1930s Warner Bros. movies attempted horror: the exposition-heavy supernatural features found at Universal and MGM bore a closer resemblance to science-fiction at Warners, and Warners’ horror movies look and feel similar to the studio’s other releases.

In 1935, the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) expressed concern in the popularity of Hollywood horror movies to the major studios due to the genre’s violence and occasional strong sexual themes; a few years earlier, the releases of Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein precipitated the introduction of the “H” certificate – a BBFC rating that forbade the admission of anyone under the age of sixteen. After this threat from the BBFC, years of “H” certificates draining profits (Britain being a major source of revenue), the major Hollywood studios began to shutter production on horror movies for the next few years. The Walking Dead was released to British theaters before this de facto ban’s imposition, making it one of the last horror films released in the nation before World War II.

Those calls for thinly-coded Christian decency meant that horror cinema never truly recovered from this blow. By the time Hollywood began producing horror films again in the late 1930s and early ‘40s, the films were given B-picture budgets, relying heavily on sequels made on short timetables. These decisions limited the job opportunities for Boris Karloff and others typecast into horror roles, and viewers are disserviced as a result. The Walking Dead is an inelegant, but fascinating endpoint to the most formative chapter in the history of cinematic horror. That chapter set in stone characters and ideas that conjure highly specific images in the heads of anyone who has enjoyed visual narratives – no matter their age, no matter if they have seen these films or not. Acknowledging this, even for the most seasoned classic horror fans, The Walking Dead has plenty of surprises despite its basic premise.

My rating: 6.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

#The Walking Dead #Michael Curtiz #Boris Karloff #Ricardo Cortez #Edmund Gwenn #Marguerite Churchill #Warren Hull #Joe Sawyer #Ewart Adamson #Peter Milne #Robert Andrews #Lillie Hayward #TCM #My Movie Odyssey

0 notes

tribelamag-blog · 7 years

Text

ART TODAY 10.7.17: The entire TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview with fine-art photographer Aline Smithson TribeLA Magazine • Los Angeles #Lenscratch #Alinesmithston #Arttoday

New Post has been published on http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-7-17-entire-tribela-magazine-acrostic-interview-fine-art-photographer-aline-smithson/

ART TODAY 10.7.17: The entire TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview with fine-art photographer Aline Smithson

Thank you Aline for sharing your most precious and legendary photographs with us!

TribeLA Magazine Acrostic Interview with fine art photographer Aline Smithson

[hoot_dropcap]Tagline: Give yourself and your work a tagline.[/hoot_dropcap]

My glass is totally full, but I won’t say with what.

[hoot_dropcap]Rest: How do you spend your time off?[/hoot_dropcap]

In my ideal scenario, I would be relaxing in a villa near a coast in Italy. I would have a chef to make amazing pasta and I would nap and read and swim and photograph. In reality, when I’m tired, I lie on the couch, catch up on a myriad of shows, many admittedly on Bravo, while surfing Ebay for some treasure. Oddly, surfing Ebay makes me relax. A vodka tonic is close at hand, and the ubiquitous guacamole.

[hoot_dropcap]Influence: What effect do you hope to have on us?[/hoot_dropcap]

I am all about building community and supporting each other. The life of an artist is not a race—some of your peers will have more success, some less, but that coming together with a common interest makes everything richer. If I can pass on the spirit sharing information, sharing support, and showing up for each other, then I’m happy.

[hoot_dropcap]Back: If you could choose a past literary/art/music movement to be a part of, which would you choose?[/hoot_dropcap]

I have always been drawn to the Dadaist movement and the rejection of normalcy. I definitely have a rebellious spirit of pushing back on traditional paths. Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray’s influence runs deep.

[hoot_dropcap]Energy: What fires you up?[/hoot_dropcap]

I love to dance. I take hip-hop and Zumba classes as many days of the week that I can fit in. I prefer the music of hip-hop and any Michael Jackson song makes me into an immediate Soul Train dancer. I also love listening to the music of my son, RL Grime.

[hoot_dropcap]Los Angeles: Where is your favorite place in Los Angeles? Where would you take visitors? If you could defend the city in one sentence to someone who doubts it, what would you say?[/hoot_dropcap]

I grew up in Silverlake (in my day, it was all one word), so my go-to place is the Planetarium. We used to drive up to the observatory in high school, bring some cheap wine and lay on the grass under the stars imagining our futures. I always tell people that Los Angeles is the most beautiful city once the sun goes down. There is something magical about driving from downtown to the beach with the cool night air offering up possibilities. If I had to sum up Los Angeles in one sentence: It’s where Korean BBQ meets a shredded beef taco, meeting Persian rice, and a Chinese dumpling that sits atop a crispy samosa dipped in all the incredible flavors of the globe.

[hoot_dropcap]Advice: What is the best advice you’ve received? What is the best advice you can give?[/hoot_dropcap]

Take chances. Embrace fear as a friend and learn to live with it. It’s what propels you forward. Be kind. The world gets richer when you open your heart. Be grateful. Acknowledge who helps you along your journey. Give Back. Reach out and pull the person behind you into the spotlight.

[hoot_dropcap]Aura: How would you describe your energy, style, etc.?[/hoot_dropcap]

I have a lot of energy. My husband would state that I’m a tireless worker and I have to admit, it’s true. I am always multi-tasking. I am a very open person and have a curiosity about everyone and everything around me. I think that everyone has a story and everyone has value. One of my greatest joys as a mother and educator is to have those around me rise up and feel whole.

My personal and home aesthetic is more Zen—I’m drawn to clean surfaces, mid century architecture and furniture, and I always wear black. I do, however, find myself drawn to the odd and quirky, so you can find taxidermy, mannequin parts, and things that are off kilter all through my house—elegant taxidermy, mind you, not in a hoarder-cat lady way. I do have a great sense of humor.

[hoot_dropcap]Room: Where in your home do you work? If not in your home, where do you feel most compelled to create?[/hoot_dropcap]

I make almost all of my photographs close to home, with the exception of a few series. I shoot against my garage and throughout my house. I have a pink office where I surround myself with inspiration. But most of my creativity comes from inside my head, not in a room, pulled from a deep well of influences.

[hoot_dropcap]Tools: What do you prefer to work with, physically and otherwise?[/hoot_dropcap]

80% of all my photographs are made with a 1960 twin lens Rolleiflex. For a few series, I use a Hasselblad or a toy camera. I find that my Rolleiflex has a soul and also harbors magic. I still only shoot with film.

[hoot_dropcap]Indulgence: What is your favorite indulgence? Do you cook? What is your specialty meal? What is your favorite restaurant in LA where you indulge yourself?[/hoot_dropcap]

If I could eat guacamole three times a day, I would. I make excellent guac and Iâ€™m best known for my salads. My favorite restaurant is Gjelina, in Venice. I always look forward to an incredible meal there.

[hoot_dropcap]Special: Who or what holds a special place in your heart? How does this factor into your creative process?[/hoot_dropcap]

My children hold the most special place (as does my husband) in my heart. In terms of photography, my daughter has been a profound partner in my journey, allowing me to photograph her over the years and knowing instinctively what I want for the photograph. We used to have the best dog in the world—even my friends and neighbors have confirmed this—a beautiful yellow lab named Riley. When I would hang a backdrop, she would promptly go sit in the middle of it, ready to work. She passed away a couple of years ago and I still miss her every day.

[hoot_dropcap]Time: What is your all-time favorite piece of writing/art/music you’ve created?[/hoot_dropcap]

The series with my mother, Arrangement in Green and Black, has been my favorite work as a photographer. It launched my career and continues to be exhibited and published around the world for well over a decade. She would be amazed where her photographs have been featured: Russia, China, Korea, France, Spain, Poland, Germany and all over the US. As for writing, I’m most proud of the daily journal on photography, LENSCRATCH, that I founded and for the last ten years, have written about a different photographer every day.

Aline Smithson is a Los Angeles based artist best known for her conceptual portraiture and a practice that uses humor and pathos to explore ideas of childhood, aging, and the humanity that connects us. She received a BA from the University of California at Santa Barbara and was accepted into the College of Creative Studies, studying under artists such as William Wegman, Alan Ruppersburg, and Charles Garabian. After a career as a New York Fashion Editor, Aline returned to Los Angeles and to her own artistic practice.

She has exhibited widely including over 40 solo shows at institutions such as the Griffin Museum of Photography, the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, the Shanghai, Lishui, and Pingyqo Festivals in China, The Rayko Photo Center in San Francisco, the Center of Fine Art Photography in Colorado, the Tagomago Gallery in Barcelona and Paris, and the Verve Gallery in Santa Fe. In addition, her work is held in a number of public collections and her photographs have been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, PDN, Communication Arts, Eyemazing, Real Simple, Soura, Visura, Shots, Pozytyw, and Silvershotz magazines.

Here’s how to stay in touch with Aline: http://alinesmithson.com http://lenscratch.com http://facebook.com/alinesmithson http://instagram.com/alinesmithson

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-01-17-getting-to-know-photographer-aline-smithson-whose-work-has-been-featured-in-ny-times-the-new-yorker-et-al-and-now-tla-mag/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-2-17-photographer-aline-smithsons-new-childrens-book-releases-smithsonian-air-space-museum/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-3-17-aline-smithson-creator-of-lenscratch-com-describes-l-a-as-where-korean-bbq-meets-a-shredded-beef-taco-meeting-persian-rice-and-a-chinese/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-05-17-energetic-style-of-aline-smithson/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today-10-5-17-self-and-others-portrait-autobiography-aline-smithson/

http://tribelamagazine.com/art-today10-06-17-aline-smithsons-inspiration-gives-advice-photographers-via-podcast/

#Lenscratch #Alinesmithston #Arttoday

#lenscratch #alinesmithston #arttoday

0 notes