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bi-hop · 10 months

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HEY. your essay on alien shapeshifters is FANTASTIC and reminded me of a question i've had for a bit. it's about human shapeshifters who aren't Black most of the time, but do shapeshift into being Black. or really any shapeshifter who shapeshifts into a minority that they weren't born as. a lot of debates about "transracial" people like oli london are founded on the belief that race is innate, or at least that the current concept of race is unchanging. i'm white and jewish and i really don't know enough about the structure of race to know how being a shapeshifter would change being "transracial", but it's a question i would be delighted if you could explore, or at least narrow down for me so i could find sources that aren't you.

Hi! Thanks for reading my essay!

My mind definitely went to the concept of 'transracial' when I was writing; while it's predominantly used nowadays to describe people like Rachel Dolezal and Oli London, it's also been used previously to describe adoptees who are raised by people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds than themselves. As what I linked says, how the term is used nowadays has been pretty controversial among this community. In connection to comics though, there are an oddly high number of transracial adoptees who are also aliens. The Clark and Lex graphic novel coming out in early July casts the Kents as a Black couple raising a white child, Naomi McDuffie's adopted parents are white (one being also an alien), and even Augustus Freeman in the absolute loosest sense of the word could be read as a character loosely based on this phenomenon.

But back to the question at hand, which is more focused on human shapeshifters. Honestly, part of why I focused so heavily on alien shapeshifters is because the nature of a human shapeshifter and how that relates to race is a hard thing to tackle. I'm not particularly sure if I could even find the amount of panels I did for Icon and Martian Manhunter if I went looking for 'DC or Marvel human shapeshifter who changes race regularly'. And I think that's because, in today's day and age, we'd conceptualize a white shapeshifter changing to look Black for extended periods of time more as Blackface (or equivalent terms) than the sort of identification I described in what I wrote.

This article about race not being genetic is long, but I think it helps to answer the primary concern that we see race as this constant, permanent thing. It absolutely isn't. But how we define it in specific cultures at certain points in time offers more concrete snapshots while also illuminating fringe cases, such as the one linked in the essay of Ernest Cole and Trevor Noah, who details how he was classified as Coloured despite it being illegal for him to have a white father during apartheid in his autobiography Born a Crime. I haven't read the full thing, full disclaimer, just parts assigned for a college class I was in last month, but his discussion of identity on paper versus identity in the mind stood out a lot to me.

And I suppose that's where I'm at? There are papers out there defending 'transracialism' (not sure if that caught on as a term) and drawing parallels between it and being transgender, and I've never quite enjoyed acting like they're one and the same as a Black trans person, but people wanting to present themselves as other races and genuinely identifying with these racial or ethnic categories isn't exactly new. So that's identity in the mind. But I don't know, it's not like some of the examples I'm giving are utilizing this identity in benign ways. Dolezal's pretty famous for leading a branch of the NAACP, claiming people fraudulently as family members to verify her identity, falsely filing hate crime reports, and also positioning herself as a Black professor of Africana studies, which is pretty unethical to say the least. Like, I can't really control how people identify or present themselves, but I can still be critical of their intentions and if they're actively harming the communities they want to be a part of. In a fictional sense, I would also be examining it that way.

But either way, I don't think there's a big list of writers who I think could handle the idea of a human shapeshifter changing their body to match an incongruent mental racial identity with effective nuance. Hell, I don't think I'd be able to write it too well either, mainly because of my own discomfort (that I happily admit to). I think probably the best example might be Kamala Khan's early comics having her shift to look like Carol Danvers, and how that reflected the sort of insecurity and internalized self-loathing a lot of Black and brown people feel about themselves. But it wouldn't be read the same if a white Inhuman shapeshifter decided to take on Kamala's visage permanently bc they felt Pakistani.

I don't know if any of this is helpful, but I hope the sources give a good jumping off point for discussions surrounding this, and again, thanks for taking the time to read everything!

#dc meta #long post

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Doctor Who Series 13: Jodie Whittaker Leaving Rumours, the Next Doctor, and the Future

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Jodie Whittaker is fast approaching that three-season milestone at which most Doctors pull the inter-dimensional rip-cord and eject themselves from the TARDIS. Speculation has swirled around her, as it does for most Doctors, from the very start of her tenure, and now, more than ever, there’s the strong scent of Regeneration in the wind. So, will Whittaker leave at the close of series 13? And if so, will any of her companions remain to bridge the gap between eras? Might showrunner Chris Chibnall also hang up his sonic-shaped pen? The BBC is playing its cards characteristically close to its chest, so divining the answers to these questions is not unlike trying to unlock the mystery of the Doctor’s real name.

There was an ample reminder of the BBC’s zeal for secrecy when Who-newcomer and beloved Liverpudlian John Bishop – cast last year as companion Dan – was rebuked for revealing during an online Q&A that his character, too, would be Liverpudlian. If the BBC don’t want you to know that a Liverpudlian might be playing a Liverpudlian, then this is going to be a bumpy ride. But let’s strap in, brace for impact, and see what’s (or Who’s) out there…

Jodie Whittaker on leaving

Everyone has their favourite Doctors, and not-so favourite Doctors. Jodie Whittaker is not alone in having had love and scorn heaped upon her in equal measure, a phenomenon that has touched most actors to have taken on the role, with the possible exception of Tom Baker and David Tennant, who stand as almost deified in their respective eras.

It’s clear, though, that Jodie Whittaker has loved every moment of being the Doctor, and of being embraced by the show’s fandom, telling the Telegraph in November 2020: “If you bump into a Whovian, it genuinely makes both of your days. There’s something emotional, poetic and very humbling about being in the show, because you’re a little tiny jigsaw piece of something that is so precious to so many people.” It’s perhaps understandable, then, that her response to the speculation around her departure was to say: “To even question an end point would be too upsetting.”

Or, to parrot one of her predecessors: “I don’t want to go.”

Where’s the evidence?

Over the last eighteen months, rumours that Jodie Whittaker will be leaving after season 13 have been endlessly shared and repeated. These rumours were reported as fact by some media outlets earlier in the year, though the BBC has steadfastly refused either to confirm or deny them. It does, however, seem more likely than not that 13 will be 13’s last; a supposition based upon the ‘Who Rule of Three’ and the unignorable sound of drums gathering pitch and pace across the internet.

In the hunt for ‘evidence’, dead-ends and red-herrings abound. IMDb currently reveals no projects rumoured or in pre-production for Jodie Whittaker beyond her TARDIS tenure, but, then, actors keeping contractual secrets would be fools to release their schedules onto one of the most comprehensive entertainment databases ever to have existed. So no help there.

The Mirror newspaper recently reported that the front-cover of the 2022 Doctor Who annual would be Doctor-less for the first time in its 57-year-history. Could this be a clue? Not likely. The people at Penguin Random House – the annual’s publishers – made it clear that the thirteenth Doctor will feature heavily throughout the publication. So whether the new cover is simply a radical redesign, a yielding to the purchasing power of this era of the show’s vocal detractors; or a shrewd marketing move designed to have the product promoted for free in the press, it doesn’t actually tell us very much about the likelihood of the 13th Doctor’s exit.

Peter Capaldi’s Trouser Clue

We might, however, be looking for clues in all the wrong places. Peter Capaldi deduced that he’d be handing over the TARDIS keys to a woman a few days before the BBC officially broke the news to him: thanks to his tailor.

At a New York Comic Con panel in 2017, Capaldi told the audience: “I went into Paul Smiths, which is a very wonderful clothes shop in London where I buy my suits, and everybody knows me in there. And they said, ‘We just got a call,’ they said, ‘from the Doctor Who office saying, ‘Can we have a pair of [Peter’s] trousers, but with a waist size thirty?’ … And I thought, ‘Well, that can’t really be a man with a thirty-inch waist. That must be a lady then’.”

Staking out Jodie’s tailor probably won’t prove fruitful, though. Knowing the BBC, they’ve probably plugged that potential leak by sub-contracting Jodie’s wardrobe out to a mute grandma living alone in a fortress atop the Himalayas.

Doctor Who: the behind-the-scenes causes of regeneration

By Mark Harrison

Doctor Who: Which New Doctors Are Now Canon?

By Chris Farnell

Will the Doctor Regenerate in 2022?

Series 13 will consist of eight episodes, set to begin airing later this year. The Mirror reports that there will be two specials in 2022, although it isn’t clear whether these will be in addition to this year’s 8, or whether we’ll see a split of 6 episodes in 2021 with the 2 specials being held over for 2022. A special – Christmas Day, New Year’s Day or otherwise – has become the traditional arena for regeneration, so if Whittaker is leaving, it’s likely that her final scene will come at the end of that rumoured second special.

Many think that the greatest evidence for Whittaker remaining as the Doctor until at least 2023 is our proximity to Doctor Who‘s upcoming 60th anniversary. After all, it would seem a shame to bow out before a big milestone, and it could be daunting to saddle a new Doctor with spearheading such a significant celebration. Still, the timey-wimeyness of it all means that even should Whittaker leave in 2022 there’s no reason she couldn’t make an appearance in an anniversary episode, perhaps alongside a few other previous incarnations. And 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the BBC itself, so it’s hard to imagine that the show won’t be doing something extra special to mark that, given that it owes its very existence and longevity to the broadcaster (Michael Grade notwithstanding). Whenever she leaves, 13 could easily have her cake and eat it.

Will Chris Chibnall leave after Series 13?

When Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole left at the end of ‘Revolution of the Daleks‘, Mandip Gill’s Yaz stayed behind. Yaz has been one of the new era’s most underdeveloped characters, so it made sense that she would get her chance to shine and grow in a less crowded environment, sharing companion duties only with John Bishop’s newly teased Dan. But as her character and her story seems so intrinsically linked to the Doctor herself, with the promise of more in-depth exploration to come in series 13, when/if the Doctor leaves, will Yaz’s story also draw to a close? Will only Dan remain with a foot in two TARDISes? All speculation at this point, and it very much hinges on which direction the writers take Yaz in this next clutch of episodes.

Showrunner Chris Chibnall – a lifelong fan of the show and, prior to his appointment as big chief, a long-standing writer for both Doctor Who and Torchwood – has been at least as divisive a figure in Who fandom as 80s helmsman Jonathan Nathan-Turner. Rumours regarding his possible departure have circulated with just as much frequency as those surrounding Whittaker. When asked about series 13, Chris Chibnall told the Radio Times: “I do know I’m coming back for a third season. Yeah, absolutely.” Within those words, if you look hard enough, exists the implied absence of certainty around future seasons, but perhaps that’s getting rather too Da Vinci Code about the whole thing.

While the stewardships of previous showrunners Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat spanned two Doctors each, this doesn’t mean that Chris Chibnall is guaranteed a crack at the 14th Doctor. Should Chibnall leave after season 13, among the writing team perhaps only Pete McTighe – who wrote ‘Kerblam!‘ And co-wrote ‘Praxeus‘ – has the experience to take over as showrunner, given his stint over-seeing the award-winning Australian prison-drama Wentworth.

How might 13’s Regeneration Happen?

Each of the modern Doctors has met their end in the service of some great sacrifice, either to protect a companion or to save if not the universe then at least a world within it. It’s unlikely that 13’s exit will be any different. It’s simply a question of against whom or what she’ll be fighting when her time comes.

Though it may be too soon for the Master to be directly responsible for the undoing of yet another Doctor so soon after 12’s John-Simm-shaped downfall, it’s likely that the Master will at the very least influence the direction of 13’s regeneration. Sacha Dhawan has expressed enthusiasm at the idea of returning, though nothing, as you would expect, has yet been confirmed. Or denied.

The revelations in ‘The Timeless Children‘, controversial though they proved for some fans, are perhaps too epoch-shaking and era-defining not to play a part in 13’s swansong, and it may well be that the shadowy Division – the Time Lord’s very own version of Starfleet’s Section 31 – will be complicit in the Doctor’s fall.

Another question presents itself: now that the Doctor knows she has infinite regenerations, might it make her more reckless? Might she start to see her body more like an easily changeable suit than a thing of flesh and blood? Might she regenerate multiple times before becoming the 14th Doctor, a la The Curse of Fatal Death, and what on earth would we call the 14th Doctor – who wouldn’t really be the 14th Doctor at all – if that happened?

Who’s in the running for the next Doctor?

Many of the same actors tipped as possible replacements near the end of Capaldi’s run have reappeared in the Regeneration rumour mill, including firm favourites Michaela Coel, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Michael Sheen, David Harewood, Richard Ayoade and the indefatigable Kris Marshall. Joining them this time are Line of Duty alumni Kelly MacDonald and Vicky McClure, and It’s a Sin front-man Olly Alexander. It could be that one of them, or none of them get the call. The next Doctor could just as easily be Jo Martin’s fugitive Doctor, who’s been hiding in plain sight all along.

Really though, as with all things connected with the show at this stage of its cycle: Who knows?

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Doctor Who Series 13 will air on BBC One later this year.

The post Doctor Who Series 13: Jodie Whittaker Leaving Rumours, the Next Doctor, and the Future appeared first on Den of Geek.

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go-diane-winchester · 5 years

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Could Travis and Ty's scandals be linked to Misha?

Thank you for the ask. Let me point out that these are merely my theories. Although there is information that is unavailable to the public because in Travis's case, the investigation is still ongoing, my theory is based on the information that is available. I am also a victim of abuse, so I am not being unsympathetic to Ty's victims, because Ty's victims really are victims. Travis's victims are a little suspicious.

Travis Aaron Wade:

I know what predators are generally like. Because of being a victim myself, I was on the side of Travis's victims until I looked into the case. There is more issues to pinpoint, but I am keeping the topic only to Misha here, because I have dedicated a few posts to both Travis and his ''victims''. These are some notable points in the case.:

They were claiming that he was abusing them during breakfast panels and Saturday night concerts, in front of too many people, and yet they had no witnesses.

Two of the victims confessed to lying.

All the victims were destiel shippers and Misha minions.

Misha, Briana, Kim and Matt Cohen know a few of the people involved personally, follow them on SM and leaving voice messages for them. I heard Briana's voice message.

One of the victims, Sara Burnhope, who knows Misha and his parents personally, told Travis on social media, that Misha hates him.

One of them, Lua James aka Theresa Cotter [@Poptivist on Twitter], stabbed a knife into Travis's door and then fled California. She is Kim's friend. They were spending time outside of con.

Why did Misha hate Travis

Misha has two babies as far as his work on SPN went. One is Destiel, and the other is the Wayward daughters. These two babies ensured that he was always employed on a show that kills off every other non lead. One of them, Wayward Daughters, derailed because Misha is wrong.

Destiel

Travis threatened destiel because he was gushing over J2's friendship during his panel saying that he had never met two people more in love. He described their friendship so much, that he was pulled out of the next con by Clif, the resident drama queen. Way to be suspicious, Clif. That is exactly what you do when you don't J2 Tinhats to become alert, blithering idiot. In none of the gushings did Travis say anything regarding Jensen and Misha or Destiel. Misha didn't want that. Notice how destiel-positive Osric and gang are. Even Alex is becoming destiel positive now, because when he wasn't, the hellers bashed him on SM. They did the same thing to Samantha Smith. But Travis not only didn't acknowledge Destiel. He was elevating J2's friendship above all the other relationships on SPN. And Misha was getting livid.

Wayward Daughters

Wayward Daughters was something that only Misha and his hellers pushed. I always wondered why he did it, because I consider him to be a liberal poser. He pretends to supports something if it benefits him or his reputation. Crusading for women's rights and then calling them perverts for having a love for shipping, seems hypocritical to me. I think he pushed Wayward to secure a future for himself. There is rumor that's been going on since last year and the Js want to finish of with SPN completely. They want to long hiatus from acting. Nobody knows when. If that happens, Misha doesn't have a job, and we all know that other than the hellers, nobody else is impressed by his acting. He gets laughed at. If there is a spinoff, Castiel is likely to have a home there, because most of the fans will be Misha fans. Misha would have still been able to bait his fans, by 'reminiscing' about Dean in a suggestive manner and if CW was on board, showing scenes between Dean and Cas. He might have even confirmed Destiel because Jensen wouldn't have been around to stop him. The bottom line is he would have used destiel to keep that job as well.

Kim and Briana were on his side, because they had vested interest in the project and are fake militant feminists. Unfortunately, Cole [Travis's character] became so popular that some fans wanted a spin off for him, and when Cole was pitted against Jody and Donna by Geekiary, for best spinoff candidate, Cole won. I can just imagine how angry Misha and gang were. And it now makes sense, for Kim and Brianna to know the accusers and the implicated parties personally. My theory is that they all got together and set Travis up to get him out of the way. Until the case goes to court, and reaches a conclusion, that is all my assumption will be. A theory.

Ty Olsson

In his official response, Ty admitted that what he did was 100% wrong. And he was. Fans had cause to complain and feel violated. I am not taking away from their grief. They really are victims. I think that, just like Travis, this guy is a complete idiot. Travis was causing too many ripples because of his big mouth, and Ty was sipping from other people's drinks. He said it was not enough to get drunk with. He said that he was roofied. Why do I believe him? Because someone who had such habitually bad behavior would have a reputation to match. He would have misbehaved at other cons and set environments. Consequently, he would have not gotten hired for projects. He would be blacklisted because he would cause terrible PR for any studio.

Ty has worked on SPN before. He played a bartender during the earlier seasons. That means, that J2 and co have known Ty for years. There are women on that set too. He has never misbehaved with any of them, but he chooses one event, especially when there are witnesses and victims have cameras and can film his bad behavior, to just go nuts? Does that make sense? Ty has also worked on other projects before and since. In fact, after the scandal, he worked on 14 projects and even won an award in 2017. He's around women on these projects too. How come he isn't misbehaving now? How come he lost total inhibitions and professionalism on one night? And how come nobody is stabbing a knife in his door? How come the fans are all a mixed group of people, and not just Misha's fans. Who would roofie him and why?

There are only two drugs that he could have been roofied with. Rohypnol and GHB. Rohypnol can cause euphoria, reduced inhibitions and reduced ability to make judgments. Users may slur their speech. That is why people thought Ty was drunk. GHB effects begin 15-60 minutes after use [like in the Green room] and typically last up to six hours. Just about enough time to do photo ops. It can be detected in the urine up to 12 hours after ingestion. This is why I agree with Ty, that he is a completely idiot. He only guessed that he might have gotten sick [symptom of both drugs is nausea] because of roofies and only then did he do a urine test. By then the GHB was undetectable.

Ty guessed that one of that one of the fans roofied him. But they were all drinking from their flasks, and none of them exhibited the same symptoms that he did. So it had to be someone who had access to the Green room and Ty's beverage. Time wise that would make sense.

So who would benefit from Ty being out of the way.

Misha, is my guestimation. Why did Ty bother Misha so much? Because of Destiel. Destiel is Misha's floatation device. When Benny came on board, he had a strong connection with Dean. And Jensen enjoyed working with him, according to what he said during his panels. Ty even got to do a panel with Jensen. Misha only gets one panel a year, on average with Jensen. No other person, neither Rob nor Richard, has ever shared the stage with Jensen. Ty got that chance. I think Jensen was missing Jared but then why not get Misha to join him. Why choose this guy? That must have bugged Misha. And no, he doesn't love Jensen. He is not obsessed with Jensen. He just loves riding Jensen's coat tails.

People were even shipping Benny and Dean together, which is baffling because Benny and Dean were on screen while Cas was still there. Purgatory was supposed to be a big moment for Misha and Destiel because Misha would have had Jensen all to himself without Jared being around to take the limelight away from him. Misha probably assumed that this vampire was not going to pose any problems. Misha doesn't know how slash works, does he? At one point during Jibcon, Ty tried to make Jensen laugh, very provocatively. He felt bad about making Jensen feel uncomfortable so he came back awhile later and apologized to Jensen in front of all the fans. Jensen was shocked [as I was] and quickly said: '' You don't have to...are you kidding me? I loved it.'' He sent him off with a butt smack and a ''I love you, man. No worries.''

Misha apologizes for none of the horrible things he has done, no matter how uncomfortable he makes Jensen feel. Watching that footage again, especially Jensen's genuinely shocked and moved reaction, actually made me tear up a little. Whoever roofied Ty, acted alone, did it in the Green room and the effect lasted a solid six hours or so. So who has access to the Green room other than the actors and their handlers? I will leave that up to debate. Roofieing someone is dangerous because it can kill a person if mishandled.

I hope this answers the question.

Below are citations and links

Ty apologizing to Jensen - 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutNcJH4JbA

Citation for roofie drugs

https://www.narconon.org/drug-abuse/signs-symptoms-rohypnol-use.html

Complete investigative report on Travis Aaron Wade

http://www.spntrollsvstravisaaronwade.com/

Ty's official response

http://ty-olsson.com/response.html

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vulptilla · 6 years

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My actual oc page has been under construction since forever, so I promised to make some kind of an introduction post for my canon trio.

Long story short, meet my precious all-mage panel. From left to right, there is a disaster bisexual blood mage Faenel Amell, another disaster bisexual blood mage Katla Hawke & the most purest cinnamon roll Iliana Trevelyan, a former Tranquil who has done nothing wrong in her entire life. Behind the links you will find their own specific tags cluttered with art, screenshots, memes and various other stuff about them.

Katla and Iliana even have their own faux Wiki pages, commissioned from the most awesome @tk-duveraun. <3

Their “short” bios can be found under the cut.

(Oh, and now when I remember, this is probably the best time to mention that I’m also up for all kinds of rp and other oc interaction stuff, too.)

Faenel is a former Circle mage who never particularly enjoyed his life in the tower, but he didn’t hate it either, at least not enough to attempt escape. He was always interested in studying blood magic (purely academically, of course), but nevertheless he was surprised to learn that Jowan, his best friend and occasional lover, had dabbled in it. He knew he should have known better, but still agreed to help He knew he should have known better, but still agreed to help Jowan and Lily with their plan—and as we know, everything went downhill from there.

Under different circumstances he even may have not agreed with being recruited for the Grey Wardens, but in his rather hopeless situation he didn’t even consider refusing Duncan. In retrospect, getting away not only from the tower but also from the Knight-Commander’s wrath was the second best thing that had ever happened to him.

The best was meeting Morrigan. He became fascinated with her intelligence, sharp wit and overall unique way of thinking, but unfortunately he was such a selfish prick back then. When Morrigan asked him to slay Flemeth, he agreed to do it, but when Flemeth offered him a way out of it, he took it and lied Morrigan about it. He didn’t expect it would matter, not until he agreed to perform Morrigan’s ritual with her. He didn’t care anything else than surviving the upcoming battle, and he was mighty fine with knowing that Morrigan would leave afterwards.

After the battle Morrigan was indeed gone and Faenel was the celebrated Hero of Ferelden. He spent a couple of months in Denerim court as a honor guest of newly crowned King Alistair and Queen Anora. For a short period of time he truly enjoyed all those luxuries and privileges he had, but soon he realised that everything tasted like ashes. He felt empty inside and didn’t really like the person he had become during his time in the court. His past deeds and aloofness haunted him, and after carefully planning everything, he left the capital to begin his search for Morrigan. He had realised that he actually wanted to be part of his unborn child’s life.

He found Morrigan and they spent a couple of years together with the baby Kieran, until he finally told the truth about Flemeth. Morrigan wasn’t *that* angry with him (basically meaning that she didn’t murder him at the spot), acknowledging that she might have done the same, but it didn’t change the fact that Flemeth being alive was a threat to Kieran. They agreed that Faenel should leave to find her and finish the job.

His search for Flemeth lasted for years, taking him to foreign countries and uncharted lands, but it all was in vain. He patiently followed her tracks for years only to find out that she had already left way before his arrival—but he never gave up. He wanted to do this one thing right in his life.

After a few years of unsuccesful searching the Mage-Templar conflict forced him to turn back and travel to Skyhold. He didn’t expect to find his family there, and he most definitely didn’t expect to hear that Morrigan had drunk from the Well of Sorrows and thus become bound to Mythal—or in other words, Flemeth.

— — —

Katla was never part of the Circle, due to her parents’ efforts to keep her hidden from templars, but she grew to fear and loathe the Order and its’ ways nevertheless. She grew up praying every day for safe return of her father who used to take various mercenary jobs to keep his family fed.

By the time the Blight forced her family to flee Lothering she had assumed the role of the protector of her family. She blamed herself for Bethany’s death. She swore that she would not let anything bad happen to Carver. She wanted to keep him close, but she also wanted to protect him from harm, and her trying to have control over her brother’s life only drove him more apart. She didn’t take him with her to the Deep Roads expedition only to learn that he had joined the Templar Order during her absence. They fought over it, and in result Katla refused to speak to him anymore, feeling betrayed by her own brother. She later realised that she was wrong about it, but they were never able to fix their relationship during her time in Kirkwall.

She never wanted to resort to blood magic, but it simply seemed to be the only choice for a mage who wanted to survive in Kirkwall. She despised herself for it, but she saw no other way to protect her loved ones from harm.

Soon after meeting Anders she became infatuated with him. They basically made the rest of their friends mad with their constant flirting, but they both happened to have too much on their plates, thus they never took the next step in their relationship. They stayed close friends, and after a few years of loneliness Katla ended up with the templar Thrask. Their relationship was highly inconvenient and they never able to be together openly since it would have given too much leverage to Knight-Commander Meredith who was known to be preying on any opportunity to knock Katla — the Champion of Kirkwall and a fierce defender of mage rights—off her pedestal and drag her into the Gallows.

After Thrask’s unexpected death she became more desperate that she had ever been before. She had always used alcohol to cope with her past failures, but now she didn’t even want to leave her estate anymore. Anders was there for her, comforting her and keeping her from any further self-harming than she had already done to herself. They grew closer, but agreed to not bring any kind of romantic aspect into it, feeling that they would be only taking advantage on each other.

After defeating Meredith they escaped the city together and were never seen again, not until Varric contacted Katla and invited her to Skyhold.

— — —

As the eldest child of two, Iliana was raised to become the heir of her noble family, but instead she was sent to the Circle as soon as her magic manifested. It was a big surprise—and disappointment—to her parents, but they never abandoned their firstborn child. Lord Trevelyan’s money ensured that she was kept safe from harm in the Circle, and she occasionally got to meet with her family. She adjusted to her new life quite well, although she was somewhat afraid of her own powers and never enjoyed her mandatory spellcasting lessons as much as she did enjoy studying magical theory in solitude in the quiet library. She was particularly interested in spirits and the Fade.

She was in her teens when she began to have terrifying nightmares. She told her mentor about her nighttime struggles and the mentor—who was genuinely concerned of her wellbeing but also a firm believer of traditional ways—suggested that she should undergo the Rite of Tranquility. She was afraid of her upcoming Harrowing and ended up agreeing with her mentor.

When the Mage-Templar conflict broke out, most of the Tranquil mages were left to the wolves, but Iliana’s mentor took care of her. They both attended the Conclave, and in result Iliana was cured of her Tranquility by being touched of the Spirit of Justinia. She was brought to Haven to be questioned. No one seemed to care of her highly unstable state of mind, not until she met with Cole, who was the first to truly understand and be able to help her with her struggles.

After some time she realised that she realised that she had fallen in love with Josephine. Her advisor was always gentle and kind and never aggressive or coarse. She felt comfortable in Josephine’s company, which couldn’t have been said of her other advisors. Cullen’s background made her extremely uncomforable, and she also found Leliana intimidating (until she found out their shared fascination with nugs).

As the Inquisitor Iliana did her best to restore peace and help her fellow mages whenever she could. After learning the truth about the Rite of Tranquility and the Seekers of Truth, she became devoted to fight for Tranquil rights.

Iliana ended up preserving the Inquisition as a peacekeeping organization under Divine Victoria (namely, Leliana).

#dragon age #the oc introduction post #my oc: faenel amell #my oc: katla hawke #my oc: iliana trevelyan

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thenightling · 6 years

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Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles Issue 0 (Full Review)

(Cover art for the new Fright Night: the Peter Vincent Chronicles comic issue 0. 2018.)

I was going to wait until a digital copy of this comic was available to write this review but as we are nearing September and there is still no digital option I settled on re-reading the comic and examining the panel art with a magnifying glass. I have to admit that my first read through was more of a skim as I had anticipated savoring the reading if a digital version of the comic was released. I have very poor eyesight so I do better with reading comics in digital format though there is nothing quite like the smell and touch of a brand new, real, tactile, comic book.

Now on with the review....

Now to begin. First, the plot. The story is actually short and fairly straight forward. These comics ignore Fright Night: Part 2 and the 1989 / 1990 comics but that’s all right. Just consider it a different continuity but retaining the same base storyline told in the first Fright Night movie from 1985.

(Peter Vincent in Fright Night, 1985.)

The story begins with Peter Vincent filming the episode of Fright Night Theatre that you see Charley and Amy watching in the final scene of the first Fright Night movie. He is not broadcasting live the way he was in the Fright Night movie sequel.

It is here where I want to address an apology to the movie, Fright Night: Part 2. I used to dislike Fright Night: Part 2, specifically because it never dealt with the fact that poor Peter Vincent was now without his show and on the run from a psychiatric hospital. I figure he probably embraced his role as real freelance (and probably payless) vampire hunter but I used to dislike Fright Night Part 2. It was only after I saw the terrible 2011 remake and it’s direct-to-video “sequel” (which was actually yet another remake) that I came to appreciate Fright Night: Part 2 (1988).

Another thing I criticized about Fright Night Part 2 was how Peter Vincent’s show was apparently broadcast live as Peter was caught on camera trying to kill Regine. I once mocked this scene (and secretly loved it too). But then this past week I was watching Svengoolie (a real Horror Host, whose show airs every Saturday Night at eight PM on MeTV here in the US) and after a commercial break he corrected himself on having repeatedly mispronouncing a real medical disorder suffered by an actor who was in the movie they were showing. He had been corrected via Twitter, by a fan. This revealed to me that, though, yes, often tamed, yes, horror hosts sometimes (not always though) do their shows practically live. I had not realized this until last Saturday night, thanks to Svengoolie.

(Svengoolie)

I should never have criticized Fright Night: Part 2 for the scene where Peter Vincent tried to stake Regine on live TV. I had always (deep down inside) liked that scene and now my suspension of disbelief is more at ease with it, thanks to Svengoolie.

(Peter Vincent in Fright Night: Part 2, 1988.)

Anyway, in this comic the show is actually taped (as I had originally thought it was / should be; before last week’s episode of Svengoolie.) And Peter is finishing up the episode that aired at the end of the first Fright Night movie.

(Page 1 of Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles, issue 0. 2018.)

After they finish filming the episode, there is a brief and funny dig at Child’s play where Peter Vincent talks about the ridiculous “Killer doll movie.”

(Scene from Child’s Play. 1988. Andy’s mother, Mrs. Barkley, and Chucky.)

This is especially funny as the original Fright Night was written and directed by Tom Holland, who also directed the original Child’s Play in 1988. Child’s Play was the first in a long horror franchise about a doll possessed by the soul of a dead serial killer, Charles “Chucky” Lee Ray. Also the actor who played Jerry Dandridge in the original Fright Night was a major character in Child’s Play.

(Scene from Child’s Play. 1988. Chucky and Mike.)

Peter goes backstage to his dressing room, where he is beginning to feel sorry for himself. He has stacks of overdue bills to pay and Charley has sent him a very sweet friend-fan letter and Peter thinks that if he were to go and see them (Charley and Amy) it would just remind them of their traumatic ordeal with Jerry Dandridge. That and he is embarrassed that he’s broke and can’t afford to treat them to a nice meal. He is embarrassed that he can’t hide behind the mask and persona of heroic vampire killer and is ashamed of the reality that he is barely earning enough to live and is neck deep in debt.

He deliberately plans on keeping his distance and ostracizing himself from his new friends, feeling that he would just be a disruption in their happy lives together. And this is sad because I can’t help but feel that Peter Vincent is very lonely.

This embarrassment Peter Vincent feels is irrational and silly since Charley has already seen him at his most frightened and vulnerable. It would not matter to Charley or Amy if he is financially broke. He’s their friend, but I think (hope) that this is something Peter Vincent will come to terms with in the course of the comics as they continue / if they continue.

(Peter Vincent and Charley in Fright Night, 1985.)

Peter Vincent (much like Harry Dresden in Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files) is heroic when innocent lives are threatened by the forces of darkness, but he is perpetually broke and simply not all that good with money. He has overdue bills. Peter might have his TV show back but it’s not enough to pay his debts.

(Peter Vincent.)

The comic also reveals a detail that Fright Night, Fright Night Part 2, and the 1989 and 1990 Fright Night comics never addressed. Peter Vincent had been very abruptly divorced years earlier and that had wiped him out, financially. (Note: There is a high chance Peter Vincent is bisexual, as he is partly modeled after Vincent Price and had been portrayed on film by Roddy McDowall. Both men had been bisexual in real life.)

(Roddy McDowall and Vincent Price.)

Peter had never quite recovered from that divorce. And when he was younger, and his movie roles were more plentiful, he had been careless with his finances and never really learned how to save money.

The creation of his TV show (Fright Night Theatre) had been a means to stay afloat when movie roles were no longer common for him. And during the events of the original Fright night film, when he had been fired from his own show, he had been devastated.

Helping to defeat and kill the real vampire, Jerry Dandridge, had given him a short injection of confidence so that he had been able to get his show back. Unfortunately this invigoration had been short lived and there were bills to pay and Peter is feeling sorry for himself...

(Image from Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles issue 0. 2018)

It is while Peter Vincent is wallowing in this melancholy and self-pity that he realizes something is very wrong.

(Image from Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles issue 0. 2018)

He quickly discovers that most of his crew (His film crew) has been slaughtered or newly turned into vampires.

Evil Ed is here and he wants revenge!

(Evil Ed in Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles, issue 0. 2018.)

Now, Peter Vincent had a recent, semi-failed, attempt to rekindle fan interest in himself (and boost his own income) by starting a fan club dedicated to himself. And the token for members is a small silver coin with Peter Vincent’s official insignia or sigil (I prefer the word sigil, myself, it makes it sound more magical) engraved upon it. And yes, silver, often IS a weakness for vampires. Silver was a weakness for vampires in Satanic Rites of Dracula, Dark Shadows (nearly all incarnations of the lore), Dracula 2000, Dracula 2 (2003), and in the TV series True Blood (2010) as well as many other works of vampire fiction. There is a considerable overlap in with vampire and werewolf weaknesses, dating back to the nineteenth century.

One thing that I am very fond of about the original Fright Night and things tied to its continuity, is the use of older vampire lore, such as the bat and wolf transformations from the novel Dracula (which you don’t see much anymore), the use of roses as a ward against vampires in Fright Night: Part 2 (which is directly from the Dracula novel), the obsessive counting which got used in the Fright Night 1989 / 1990 comics and has its origin in Eastern European folklore and comes up in Dracula 2 (2003).

(Jerry Dandridge and his compulsive need to count in the Fright Night comics from 1989 / 1990.)

And here in Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles, the use of silver as a weakness against vampires.

Peter has not sold a single fanclub membership and the only person who seems even remotely interested in it is Charley. Peter has an entire box of unused Peter Vincent Fanclub membership coins, made of silver, and bearing his personal sigil / emblem.

(Peter Vincent’s symbol / sigil from Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles, issue 0, 2018.)

So, desperate to save himself from this vampire attack on the TV studio, Peter starts tossing coins, weaponizing his own fanclub membership token. (“Made of genuine vampire killing silver!”)

One thing I noticed about Peter Vincent in the original Fright Night, Fright Night: Part 2, the 1989 / 1990 Fright Night comics, and this new Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles issue 0 comic, is that Peter Vincent, despite being up there in age, and not trained for real combat, is actually a very good shot.

(Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent in Fright Night, 1985.)

In the original Fright Night he was able to shoot Billy Cole right in the forehead. In the sequel he squirted several vampires with holy water.

(Peter Vincent in Fright Night: Part 2, 1988.)

And Peter was able to aim a beam of daylight, reflected off a broken piece of mirror, directly down onto Regine Dandridge (Jerry Dandridge’s sister).

Now here, in the Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles issue 0 comic, he has an incredibly lucky shot, and (possibly by accidental fortune) hits Evil Ed right in the tongue with one of silver Peter Vincent fanclub coins, seering his sigil into the tender flesh, the same way the cross scarred Ed’s forehead.

This is a slightly bothersome point for me, by the way. Though I love this comic and think it’s very well illustrated, it does bug me a little that Ed somehow still has the cross-forehead-scar, when we saw it fade from his forehead after he was staked in Fright Night.

(Evil Ed during his death scene in Fright Night, 1985.)

It makes sense that Ed survived the staking, as Peter made the mistake of pulling the stake out later. (This is how Dracula is revived in Universal Studios’ House of Frankenstein, by the way.)

(Dracula waking up after his resurrection in House of Frankenstein, 1944.)

We are also told that this was how Evil Ed survived in the 1989 / 1990 Fright Night comics.

I had heard that this was the original plan- to have Evil Ed as the villain in Fright Night Part 2, but Jerry Dandridge’s sister, Regine, was used as the villain instead.

Peter Vincent pulling the stake out after Ed’s death had always been a deliberately written act, to be a mistake of the character, who was not yet used to dealing with real vampires, to enable Ed’s eventual return.

(Peter Vincent recalling removing the stake from Evil Ed’s chest in issue 8 of The Fright Night comics from 1989 / 1990.)

I understand and accept Ed surviving the original Fright Night film but the old cross scar probably should have remained faded. It’s one thing for a character to still be alive, it’s another for a wound to reappear when it had disappeared. Still, it does present an iconic and familiar visual so I get why the artist chose for it to be there.

Peter also successfully uses a prop foam cross gravestone as a weapon and also floods the TV studio set with daylight, by ripping down the blackout curtains. (Much like what Peter Cushing does as Doctor Van Helsing in Horror of Dracula. I love these Hammer Horror homages.)

(Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing in Horror of Dracula, 1958.)

Note: Peter Cushing is who Peter Vincent’s first name and film career are based on, with the surname Vincent being a reference to Vincent Price, from whom many of Peter Vincent’s other character traits are derived from.

Evil Ed should really stop trying to take on Peter Vincent. He keeps getting scarred and mutilated. Now his speech is at least temporarily impaired, and Peter’s symbol (sigil) is burned into his tongue. Vowing revenge- though very slurred- Ed escapes and Peter is left to explain the situation to the head of the localized public access TV station. His crew has “disappeared” and the set is ruined. This does not go very well. (“Would you believe vampires?”) Peter is fired...

He is told he will never work in TV again. His career is over.

Peter is on his way home to his apartment when he encounters a Count Orlock (Nosferatu movie from 1922) style vampire.

(Count Orlock in the film, Nosferatu, 1922.)

There is a short struggle and the vampire bests Peter before forcing him to sit down for a polite conversation.

This vampire, who calls himself Nicolae Demonov, (punny) tells Peter that vampires have become impure. Here, we see a panel indicates that this is actually Jerry Dandridge’s own vampiric maker, which also makes (from the visual) Jerry apparently much younger than the claim in the Fright Night novelization (that makes him at least four-hundred-years-old and possibly Dracula) or Fright Night Part 2, which claimed Jerry Dandridge was over a thousand when he was killed.

However, a Count Orlock style vampire IS Dracula’s maker in the film Dracula: Untold, so this doesn’t entirely destroy the possibility that Jerry Dandridge was Dracula, per se, but the background of the panel suggested a contemporary (or at least nineteenth century) scene when he had been bitten by Nicolae.

(The Master Vampire in Dracula: Untold. 2014.)

Nicolae offers Peter one hundred thousand dollars for every impure vampire he kills. As the vampire bloodline has been diluted from making too many vampires, this has apparently lead to genetic mutations; Vampires with more weaknesses, vampires that burn from a cross even when the weider has no faith.

(Peter Vincent in the 1989 / 1990 Fright Night Comics.)

And there are vampires that shapeshift without meaning to, involuntarily. This results in man-bats, and man-wolf transformations without intent. These mutations also account for different breeds of vampire with differing weaknesses and lesser or unstable powers, a topic which also came up in the 1989 / 1990 Fright Night comics- that there are different varieties of vampire out there, different breeds of vampire to contend with, that have different powers and weaknesses. It has a logic to it.

The vampires that end up in half-animal-form also resemble the man-bat and man-wolf forms Dracula took in the 1992 film, Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

(Images from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1992.)

And the humanoid bat form the brides took in the movie Van Helsing.

(One of the Brides in humanoid-bat form in the film Van Helsing, 2004.)

Nicolae refers to Jerry Dandridge and vampires like him as decadent, which is a paraphrased quote from The Vampire Armand, in the film adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with The Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, when discussing his own coven of Theatre vampires under The Theatre des Vampires, that he has come to resent.

(Armand in the film Interview with the vampire. 1994.)

Nicolae is especially bothered by how reckless and indiscrete these newer vampires are and how they risk exposing all vampires and their society to the human world, which could be disaster for humans and vampires alike- setting the world back into The Dark Ages with fear and panic. Nicolae also believes a new mutation of vampire has sprung up that could be a threat to vampires and human beings. This indicates that the vampires and vampire hunters ultimately might have to join forces for the sake of both their survival, like when Blade went up against the “uber vamps” in the movie Blade II.

(An Uber Vampire from Blade II, 2002.)

The end scene in the comic is Peter accepting the offer to kill these other vampires for money and regaining a boost of confidence in the process. He is Peter Vincent The Great Vampire Killer!

(Peter Vincent in Fright Night, 1985.)

I thought this comic was good, old-fashioned, fun. Where too many comics now are politicized today and lack charm or likable characters, this was a breath of fresh air and Peter Vincent is a very sympathetic and very realistic protagonist for all of his human faults and flaws. The artwork is highly detailed and atmospheric.

I give the comic an 8 out of 10. My only complaints being Evil Ed’s scar even though I know, aesthetically, why they chose for it to be there, and the fact that there is no digital option for reading this comic on the computer.

I liked Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles very much and sincerely hope it continues.

I hope that a certain character trait carries over from Fright Night Part 2 and the 1989 / 1990 Fright Night Comics.

(Peter Vincent from issue 10 of Fright Night, 1989 / 1990 comic books.)

I sincerely hope that Peter Vincent continues to do battle in his nineteenth century style Doctor Van Helsing-esque costume with the Sherlock Holmes style jacket with mantle, and velvet Victorian suit, with white shirt and crunched-lace sleeve cuffs, wearing a waistcoat, and cravat. I love the idea of a silver-fox, dandy, neo-Victorian (a subcategory of Goth culture) vampire hunter walking around 1980s (or even present day) America. So far it appears that he will and I am glad of this.

I love Peter Vincent and it’s good to see the original version of the character live again, even if it is only in comic book form. I hope the comic book series continues and gets a more mainstream distribution. This deserves more attention than it is getting.

(Peter Vincent from the poster art for Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles. 2018.)

Long live the original Peter Vincent, The Great Vampire Killer!

Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles issue 0 can currently be purchased for $9.99 at Tom Holland’s Terror Time online store.

There was a more expensive collector’s version of issue 0 of Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles, with a poster signed by Tom Holland (the original director and writer of Fright Night), a replica of the Peter Vincent fan club coin, and a wooden stake, but I think those sold out.

https://terrortime.shop/product/fright-night-the-peter-vincent-chronicles-issue-0-comic/

#Fright Night: The Peter Vincent Chronicles #Peter Vincent #Fright Night Comics #Tom Holland #Evil Ed #Horror Comic books #Charley Brewster #Horror Comics #Vampire comics

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charlessxaviers · 6 years

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You were training down in NXT when you met Finn a little over a year ago. You both hit it off immediately, for a few different reasons. One being that you actually did his body paint a couple of times when he was Prince Devitt. Another being that you both shared the same passion for wrestling, which he said he could see in your eyes whenever you were in the ring. You two were also both from Ireland and loved a good pint, something you would later get the chance to share when you moved up to RAW about 8 months ago.

At the time, you were in a relationship with Adam Cole, which quickly blew up in your face about 2 months into you being at RAW. Finn was there for you, lending an ear whenever you needed it. One day, you were looking up into his green eyes and it just clicked for you. You took a risk that you knew you wouldn’t be able to come back from when you leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Your cheeks burned when you pulled away and you cursed yourself for doing it, but when he whispered, “I’ve been waitin’ fer ya to do tat fer a long time…”

And the rest was history.

You two have been dating for 6 months and were still going strong.

For the most part, you both kept your relationship underwraps in the beginning. It took a couple of months for word to get out backstage that the two of you had a thing, you were just that good at hiding it.

Since then, there have been many implications spreading throughout the press and WWE universe of your relationship, but you both agreed that it was something for both of you to share privately. Secretly, though, you had wanted to scream it from the rooftop that you were dating and spread it to the world, that’s just how happy you were about it.

It wasn’t until you were standing backstage at a PPV, watching on the monitor as Finn was on the kickoff show panel. They were talking about your match with Alexa Bliss later on in the night, you finally had your championship match that you’d been working so hard for.

“These two ladies have been having quite the feud lately, (y/n) seems to be holding her own pretty well, even after that beat down she had last week from Nia and Alexa,”

“Yeah… she’s incredible. Resilient.” Finn chimed in.

“That’s so cute,” Bayley said from beside you. You couldn’t help the smile that crossed your lips.

Peter Rosenburg and David Otunga put in their two-cents about the match, then Renee reeled them back in and got to business.

“Alright now, Finn, who are you pulling for with this match?”

“Well, ma girlfriend, of course. (y/n), she’s gonna kill it,” Finn said with a genuine smile. Your eyes widened and your jaw dropped slightly.

Did he really just say that?

“Girlfriend?” Renee asked, even though she already knew about it, she was just surprised that Finn admitted it live. Finn nodded. “Finn, that’s great. I wish your girlfriend the best of luck in tonight's match.” Renee said, moving onto the next topic. They were on a time crunch.

You stood there in awe, surprised that he said that, but extremely excited.

It was finally out there, in the open. For the world to know.

Taglist: @clinicalkayla @eshia16 @thirstiswet @castielscamander @finnbalorsbabygirl @dasexydevitt13@devitts-girl @i-ship-it-okay @kanupps06 @impractical-bettas @rebelfleur22 @jboofanpage @nickie-amore @iamcaptainhydra @lilyruelas @gingertalksshit @annnabellls @neeadinghugs @unabashedwwesmut @riottruby @imawriterdamnit @myfergaliciouslife @moonchildcorbin @lauren-novak @dolphinpink310

#Finn balor #finn balor imagine #wwe #wwe imagine

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whitedental-au · 3 years

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What’s in Chatswood Chase?

Chatswood Chase Sydney is a four-level major regional shopping center situated around 10 kilometers north of the Sydney CBD. The shopping mall is anchored by David James, Kmart, and Coles Supermarket and has more than 135 specialized stores most of which are upmarket and fashion-oriented. The Chatswood Chase Sydney features renowned international and Australian brands including Apple, Hugo Boss, Max & Co, Aje, Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren, West Elm, and Pottery Barn. It likewise includes Sandro, Tommy Hilfiger, Williams-Sonoma and Zimmerman, MECCA in addition to Furla.

It is among the largest upscale mall in Sydney's North Coast suburbs, and the shopping center is located at the eastern edge of the main enterprise zone on Victoria Avenue. It is also house to the Westfield Chatswood Shopping Center.

The shopping mall holds lots of events consisting of business expos, classes and workshops, food and wine-tasting occasions, sporting occasions, exhibits and programs, and celebrations amongst many others. All this makes the shopping mall the greatest mall in the whole region of Sydney. The shopping center is always open from 9:30 am to 5: 30 pm every Wednesday, 9 am to 9 pm on Thursdays, 9 am to 5:30 pm on Fridays, 9 am-5 pm on Saturdays and 10 am-- 5 pm on Sundays.

Things to do in Chatswood

To start with, Chatswood is a significant service and property district in the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales. Therefore, there is so much to do in this local shopping center that anybody would want to go to the location. Significantly, although the shopping center is thought about among Sydney's most significant business districts, there is a lot of fun stuff one would see and do within the area. At first, you need to not be tricked by the lots of skyscrapers and countless commuters, the business center is also among the liveliest suburbs on Sydney's leafy North Coast. The business suburban area has a lot fun from breakfast and yum cha to live music and public art. Some of the leading things to see and do in this shopping mall include:

- Food and Red wines - As soon as you show up and hop off the train at the big, contemporary train station, the first thing that will strike you is the appealing fragrance of Asian Cuisine. It is nearly as if the fragrance invites your indulgence, and you can experience fantastic Asian food given that the neighborhood is home to numerous dining establishments from every corner of the continent- Kam Fook and Fook Yuen serves some of the very best yum cha, the smell of Vietnamese pastry shops wafts down the Victoria Avenue, thoroughfare. There is a genuine smorgasbord of first-rate Southeast Asian restaurants, consisting of fashionable Thai joint Khao Pla. Delighting in a food experience is one of the very best things to do in Chatswood as a visitor and even for residents.

Arguably, Sydney's multicultural heritage, a local passion for food, fresh fruit and vegetables along seafood on its doorsteps makes the region one finest places to dine and wine. You find a selection of terrific food experiences, from gourmet restaurants to alley coffee shops, dynamic markets, attractive cocktail bars, and classic neighborhood pubs.

- Arts & Culture - Sydney is a melting pot of arts and cultural heritage. While checking out the region, it would be easy to stroll around Chatswood Chase Sydney without noticing all the public sculptures on screen.

Nevertheless, watching out, you will identify lots of intriguing art pieces. Sydney's abundant and existing art scene takes influence from its multicultural heritage and diverse culture.

You will find lovely theatres, galleries, public artworks, and great yearly occasions in addition to ancient Aboriginal sites in the NSW capital. While getting here, there is a yellow tower made of recycled bar panels at the gates of the train station, a series of roses close by, colorful railings lining Victoria Avenue, and the slabs of granite that form Ripples at the top of railway stairs.

- Shopping and fashion - From the name itself "The Shopping center," it is really tough to miss out on style and shopping in this area. There is a series of shopping mall dotted within Sydney's neighborhood. Westfield Chatswood Mall is a one-stop center for shopping fun and relaxation within the area. It is a trendy shopping center of numerous upmarket retailers, and Mandarin Center is house to lots of Asian outlets.

Especially, Sydney is thought about among the world's excellent design capitals and the perfect place to stock up on designer fashion, local labels, handcrafted jewelry, and stylish homewares. The area has many multi-store shopping stores, small stores, bustling markets, and historical arcades all making the location really beautiful and considerable for shopping and fashion.

- Nature and National Parks - Nature is right on the doorstep of downtown Sydney. The glittering Harbor city is bordered by magnificent national parks, sandstone cliffs, and sandy beaches. The edges of the bustling metropolis are softened by huge vistas of ocean and untouched wilderness at every turn. On the other hand, the northern side has a reputation for being leafy.

The Oval hosts cricket and football year-round, and Beauchamp Park has the dubious Hammond Playground, while Bales Park includes well-maintained centers and a golf club sitting on the banks of the Lane River.

- Sydney Tours - Sydney is surrounded by numerous tourist spots. For those who like to visit on foot, the area has incredible landscapes. The incredible city is well-structured for those who are keen to bounce and glide over the glittering water in a boat or pedal through the city. One may wish to get a bird's eye view by overlooking the treetops on a helicopter trip. Whatever the case may be, there are numerous incredible Sydney trips for you to indulge.

- Household holidays - Chatswood Chase Sydney is one of those locations to take your family for fun, to find out, and for leisure time. Here one can find out about the history of Willoughby under which there is Boronia, a central Federation-style brick home. Boronia is a museum that concentrates on the domestic, working, and cultural life of the local location over the past 100 years. The museum is open every Sunday between 1 pm and 4 pm, an area that is best for household checkouts.

Sydney is one of the world's finest locations to check out due to the functions that you get to experience. These features vary from national forests, best foods, shopping and styles, tourist spots among lots of others. It is certainly among the coolest regions, seeing Sydney is a fantastic way to get a point of view on a city you thought you understood.

The location is not just blessed with incredible beaches and beautiful bushlands that beat any playground, but it is also a home of museums and attractions that will engage your mind and create lasting memories. Chatswood is among the best places you have to visit in New South Wales if you start a trip to Sydney.

How to Get There?

Going to Chatswood Chase from White Dental Clinic is just a four minute drive. Just head north-west on Anderson St towards Endeavour St then continue straight to stay on Anderson St, at 160m turn right onto Daisy St. After that, make a right turn onto Archer St and finally make a left turn at 240m.

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heartslogos · 6 years

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newfragile yellows [287]

Evelyn finds the Iron Bull sitting by himself at the bar of the Herald’s rest, large form leaning against the well tended wood as he drinks from a very large tankard of ale.

“If you’re looking for Wolf she isn’t here,” he says when she tries to subtly look around him for a sign of the mage, “We aren’t actually attached at the hip. She doesn’t like it when I drink during the day. I think she’s probably poking around the merchant caravans by the main gates.”

“I know you aren’t,” Evelyn says, taking a seat next to him. “Oh, no - I don’t - “

Evelyn is about to say that she doesn’t want a drink at this particular moment but the Flyssa has already put a much more moderate sized goblet in front of her.

“You look like you need it, ma’am,” Flyssa says and then walks away before Evelyn can protest.

“If she’s saying it then it must be true,” Bull says, nudging her goblet with his tankard, “Bottoms up.”

“Right then,” Evelyn says, “She doesn’t like it when you drink?”

“During the day,” The Iron Bull stresses, “She doesn’t like a lot of shit that I do. Wolf doesn’t like it when I drink during the day, she doesn’t like me walking around shirtless, she doesn’t like me flirting with other people…”

Evelyn turns the words over in her mind because it wouldn’t make sense for the two of them to be so close if one of them was constantly picking at what seems to make up vast portions of the other’s character.

“Why?” Evelyn asks and the Iron Bull grins around the lip of his tankard. “Why doesn’t she like those things?”

Evelyn knows that if there is something Ellana doesn’t like, the Iron Bull doesn’t do it. Ellana asked the Iron Bull to stop trying to rip Dorian open like a hang-nail to the root and he did. Ellana asked the Iron Bull to attempt patience with Cole even though he’s unnerved by demons and he did it. Ellana probably asked the Iron Bull to join the Inquisition - Qun and all aside, Evelyn is pretty sure that the Iron Bull would have come just for her.

“Knew there was a reason why Wolf liked you aside from all that magic theory stuff,” the Iron Bull says. “She doesn’t like me flirting with other people in front of her because she thinks it’s unfair to the person I’m flirting with. It puts them in an awkward position. Even if they know that she doesn’t care if I’m sleeping with other people. She doesn’t like me walking around shirtless during the winter because usually she ends up being the one taking care of me if I get sick and in her words I turn into a philosophical nightmare that’s best avoided at all costs.”

Evelyn can’t really imagine the Iron Bull as a philosophical nightmare, but then again Evelyn doesn’t really talk to the Iron Bull that much regarding anything like philosophy or figurative matters.

“And the drinking?”

“Well, she usually has stuff to do during the day that she can’t do if she’s got a buzz going. Alcohol and magic don’t mix, right?” Bull shrugs a shoulder. “You know, I’m going to tell her you asked and she’s going to like you even more. Wolf likes people who dig deep.”

“About that,” Evelyn leans closer to him and lowers her voice, “Is there a reason why you call her Wolf? Isn’t that…sacrilege?”

Bull blinks at her and then laughs, body pushing back from the bar table as he throws his head back. “Relax, Inquisitor. Everyone on my team’s got nicknames. Stitches stitches people up, Grim’s quieter than dirt, you know? And Dalish was taken, so she gets Wolf. No article in front. We’re good.”

Evelyn turns the words over in her head. Because she’s found that things are rarely so topical when you’re dealing with a Qunari spy.

“There are other things to call her,” Evelyn prods, “Aside from the obvious reasons, why Wolf?”

“You mean aside from the many wolf skins she wears?” The Iron Bull responds dryly.

“Aside from those.” Though they are very impressive and intimidating. As is the staff.

The Iron Bull hums, turning his tankard on the bar with slow steady movements of his fingers.

“She’s Wolf because if I called her Ataashi then she would have run and I’d have never gotten her back,” He says with a gentleness that Evelyn didn’t know he ever really chose to use. “And it’s just stuck since then.”

“Oh,” Evelyn says. “You like her.”

“Yeah, I mean. I hired her.”

“No, I mean. You like her.”

The Iron Bull actually turns around in his stool to look at her, “Are you asking me if I like, like her like we’re eleven year olds? Yes, Trevelyan, I like-like her the same way you like-like your Commander, except neither of us wants to go at it like the two of you do.”

Evelyn sputters and the Iron Bull’s smile is a touch sharp but also genuinely amused as he roughly pats her shoulder and stands up. “You should finish that. Take some time to relax. Breathe. I think Pentaghast was looking for you to complain about Varric.”

“So there’s a elf underneath all that wolf after all,” The Iron Bull muses, standing over Ellana and Dalish as they hurriedly rip apart fabric and start arranging things to be re-sewn together. Ellana ignores him as he sits down next to her, watching her work.

It’s summer and Ellana has just gotten back from visiting her clan. Ellana’s normally kept herself to the North during the summer - Orlesian summers are wretched and wet and muggy and the heat is a tangible weight on her chest that makes her feel sluggish and tired.

She’s shed her furs and thrown them into the back of one of the caravans along with the rest of her belongings. She’s also changed out of her normal traveling attire and into a light cotton dress that her cousin had given her when she was up with them. Dalish is wearing one similar and the two of them are working on sewing together pants and tunics with light padding to fight in.

Ellana is not going to be wasting mana on constant cooling and temperature regulating spells in the middle of a fight. That’s ridiculous.

“You seriously do this every year?” Ellana says to Dalish as the woman arranges panels of leather that she had Ellana bring back. No one tans leather like the Dalish masters do.

“I’m not carrying summer gear around all year when we spend most of our time in the mountains or Ferelden,” Dalish replies, “Besides, by the end of the summer this will all be worn down anyway. Watch, you��ll be having to patch something after the next fight and it’ll only go downhill from there.”

“You wanna make me some?” Krem asks.

Ellana and Dalish cast annoyed looks at him.

“You’re the actual professional tailor,” Dalish says, waspish as she turns back to the work in front of her, “You could help us.”

“Nah,” Even Krem’s switched to a short-sleeved shirt and light trousers.

Ellana shoves her hair out of her face and there’s a light tap on her shoulder. Ellana turns her head to see Skinner handing her a leather thong to tie her hair as the other woman presents Dalish with the measurements from the others.

“Not much change since last summer,” Skinner says, “Thank June. A few of our other Dalish members also got materials back from their clan. I think we’ll be able to make it with what we have. We just can’t make mistakes. I’ll start cutting. I’ve got some of the others ready to go.”

“You actually sew a summer set for every single person?” Ellana asks, baffled. “Ridiculous. What happens after summer?”

“After summer we scrap it to pad our winter gear. You know we need it. Besides, we wear them into the ground, summer is a big season for us. No bad weather so everyone wants to go to war and shit or adventuring or doing dumb stunts in stupid dangerous places,” Krem says, “I’ll consider helping if you make the Chief’s out of plaid weave.”

“We don’t have plaid weave,” Ellana says.

“Thank fuck,” the Iron Bull says under his breath. The Iron Bull is the only one among them who doesn’t seem to suffer from the oppressive heat. Ellana’s envious.

She tugs at the collar of her dress, trying to get some air as she scans the measurements with Dalish. This would be the perfect time for the Wolf to show up and drag her on some sort of quest to inspect a rock or dig up some ancient scrap. Which of course means he won’t show up. Though she feels that she’s due for a visit soon, she hasn’t seen the Wolf since before she left the Chargers to visit her clan.

“Here,” the Iron Bull touches her arm with something and Ellana turns, accepting the water skin gratefully. “Can’t have you passing out before the actual work starts.”

“I regret ever letting anyone see me mending my leggings,” Ellana says.

“You’re Dalish, you’d be dead if you can’t sew,” Skinner replies, “It’s part of the package. Sewing, hunting, trapping, dancing, doing stupid stunts with animals.”

“I feel like I ought to be offended but it’s all very true.”

#heartsfic #gather your party and venture forth

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superkickingit · 7 years

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Meeting The Young Bucks and Finn Balor; New Orleans Wizard World Comic Con; WildKat Wrestling Show; ROH TV Taping!

These past few weeks have been INSANELY busy for me. Right before Christmas I had officially launched my YouTube channel SuperKicking It With Kelsi. I had released one promo-style video, but I had planned on going to Wizard World Comic Con in New Orleans to get my first real content filmed. My plans for content included: interviewing Jason David Frank about CM Punk and other things (but that fell through unfortunately), getting some interviews with artists selling wrestling-themed artwork, and I was hoping to stand in front of Finn Balor’s table and shoot a funny bit with Fake Nick about the Bullet Club defecting to Balor Club or something along those lines.

Things were going okay as I was walking around the Con with my friend Steve who was filming for me that day.

I quickly realized we were late for Finn Balor’s Q&A panel, and I wanted to get b-roll of that to use in my comic con compilation video. So we headed upstairs...little did I know what would happen next!

We walked in a little late unfortunately, and I saw people waiting in line in a not very crowded room to ask him questions. I debated getting in line for a minute or two, but I decided to just go for it even though I was a little nervous to go up there in my costume. As soon as I stepped up to the mic, Finn began to realize what I was holding: A Fake Nick Jackson. He really seemed to laugh and enjoy it. He asked if I could bring it up there, but the doll was attached to me by a belt so I asked if it was okay if I went up because it was physically connected to me, literally. He said yes. So I got to sit down and talk to Finn...he was laughing, and I was laughing. And really the feeling was indescribable.

And it’s surreal, but I wasn’t nervous somehow. I felt and still feel like I am made to do that sort of thing: Interacting and talking with people in the profession that I respect and love more than anything in this world: wrestling. It feels like it was a dream, but it felt very comfortable in the moment. And it’s a memory I will never, ever forget! I feel so lucky and grateful to have had that interaction with him.

Finn couldn’t have been a nicer person. He didn’t have to let me on stage. He didn’t have to interact with me for what felt like a good bit of time. He also had a really cute interaction with a little boy who was overwhelmed when he asked Balor a question later in the panel. Finn went down and picked up the little boy, and it was a very sweet moment. The story was even picked up by Bleacher Report and some other sites. Very cool!

Nick Jackson also posted a picture of me on stage with Finn. I guess someone sent that to him. That was really nice/funny of Nick to post that. And as I was about to find out first hand just one week after meeting Finn, the Young Bucks are also nice, cool, and genuine people just like Finn!

At Wizard World, I also met and talked with Luke Hawx of WildKat Wrestling which is a New Orleans-based wrestling promotion. We discussed setting up a future interview(s) for my YouTube channel! I had just attended their local show the night before our meeting. I had a lot of fun at the show and also got to meet Stevie Richards who is the current champion of the promotion. He couldn’t have been any more of a sweetheart!!

I also met and talked with Rhett Titus at Wizard World. He wrestles for ROH and had also wrestled at the WildKat show the night before. He was funny and very nice to talk with! He even asked to take my picture with Fake Nick so he could text it to real Nick Jackson, haha! That really was one of the things that helped make my day so special and memorable!

I had so much fun at Wizard World Comic Con, and I even made some new friends while there!

Shortly after too sweeting Finn Balor, Fake Nick deflated - he popped him (literally!) Luckily my mom and I were able to patch Fake Nick and restore him to perfect health later in the week (hahah!)

Monday I went to RAW in New Orleans. I saw Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. And marked out to see Jericho win the US title belt. I had a really fun time! Of course I had to sport my two Young Bucks pins on my shirt even while at RAW because I will always represent my boys [my bois--hahaha] You can buy these pins and a Kenny Omega pin at Patti Lapel’s website

Fast forward a few days to Friday, January 13th which is my birthday. Coincidentally it fell on a Friday this year, and I was actually born on Friday the 13th as well (some people say that explains a lot about my personality, haha!). Sometimes I feel like I’m unlucky, but these past few weeks have been like a dream, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world! On my birthday, I flew to Atlanta with someone I really like and think is very cool and fun, Paul. We had lunch with awesome people, went to my first basketball game (The Celtics vs The Hawks--I’m happy that the Celtics won since that’s who we were rooting for!), had a great time at Torched Hop Brewing Company, and went to a bar and listened to some live music after the game.

The next day was the ROH TV tapings at Center Stage Theater in Atlanta. I was going to participate in the meet and greet to meet The Young Bucks.

The Bucks requested I bring Fake Nick and wear my costume. Haha, it was really weird having to pack Fake Nick in my luggage...I can only imagine what the TSA guys thought when my bag went through the X-RAY machine!!! I also made a new element for my costume: a Matt mask (I printed out a picture of Matt Jackson’s face and pasted it on some cardboard, cut it out, and attached it to a Popsicle stick so I could hold it in front of my face if I wanted to). I think it came out really funny!

Getting out of the Uber and arriving at the show early, everyone stared at my costume. I felt really nervous but excited. It was funny but I saw a sweet boy and his dad who actually saw me at comic con in New Orleans at that Finn Balor panel. They told me they remembered me from the weekend before, and I talked to them for a good while. They couldn’t have been nicer. The boy loved my costume, we took a picture, and he was so sweet and cute!

Then we filed in for the meet and greet and got in the official line. It was the moment of truth (they say never meet your idols or someone you look up to because you could be disappointed or they could wind up being mean and you’d never think of them the same way again), BUT I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case with the Bucks!!! They were so cool, friendly, and down to earth. They seemed genuinely amused to see my costume. They took pictures to send to their wives, and told me to tweet the picture we all took together which they both ended up retweeting. I’ll never forget how nice they were. But again, it was so weird that I didn’t feel very nervous at all while talking with them. It just felt fun and natural.

Somehow, I managed to slip in between the cracks and meet Cody Rhodes without officially buying a ticket to get a picture with him. I went up to him and asked him how much it was for a picture, to which he responded, “You know what...screw the ticket, let’s take a picture.” Since I had a Bullet Club shirt on and had fake Nick, I said “Bullet Club 4 life” haha. I also said how much I enjoyed his matches at Final Battle as well as his debut at WK 11 (wish I would have remembered to tell him how much I enjoyed his Bullet Club vignette/video package. That was one of my favorite vignettes of all time--that’s the way you hype someone’s debut!). He thanked me and said he was very happy with his performance at WK. He also asked me if I wanted to see “something cool.” I said yes, and he pulled up his jacket sleeve to reveal the cuff links he was wearing...gold bullets! I said “Wow, that’s spiffy!” I really liked meeting him, and it was totally unexpected.

I had a few interactions with some other people as well. Larry Legend asked to take my picture for the ROH Facebook Page (which they posted later!). I was very honored and happy they enjoyed my costume. Legend tweeted about it just the other day, which also flattered me greatly.

I also met The Addiction! And Cheeseburger, haha. That was fun too! The people running the show and who work for ROH were so nice and accommodating. They came up to me and asked if I would like to store Fake Nick behind the merch table, which really helped because he was so difficult to carry around.

The seats were GREAT. The value of the tickets were GREAT. You go to a WWE show and you sit through a ton of commercials and watered down matches for a very high price usually, but the ROH tapings were worth every penny. It was very long; The show lasted about 5 hours, which did kind of hurt my back to sit for that long, but I think I got a great value for the price I paid for those tickets. And most important of all: the wrestling was PHENOMENAL. There were quite a few great matches throughout the night (they taped four episodes worth of content).

Seeing the Bucks and Cole wrestle live for the first time was really amazing and it lived up to my expectations. It created an energy and buzz in the room that gave me legit goosebumps (yeah, I know I am very corny...I don’t care!)

Lethal, Bobby Fish, and Christopher Daniels all had some cool moments throughout the show (I don’t want to say any spoilers so I won’t go into detail). There was a funny crowd interaction having to do with a broom that was ridiculous but a lot of fun at the same time. Rhett Titus was in a match so it was neat to see him again as well!

There were so many good quality matches. It’s going to be hard to attend other WWE events again and have it feel as exciting as this was to me.

I had an amazing time at the show and in Atlanta, and it’s truly a time I will never forget!

People doubted me along the way on this journey, but I think I am exceeding even my own expectations in what I am doing with my show so far. (and it’s only the beginning!) All I know is that making wrestling my life’s work is looking more and more like it’s in the realm of possibility (I hope!).

In this world, nothing has captivated me the way that wrestling has, and I am forever grateful for discovering it. It truly is the love of my life. Passion is contagious! And if I can spread this passion for wrestling to even one person through my excitement and passion for the “business that I love” and for the wrestlers who put their bodies on the line to entertain the fans, then all the hard work will have been worth it. I have never been so fulfilled and satisfied with the work that I have been doing in my entire life.

I can’t wait to see what the future will hold in this next year, and 2017 certainly has gotten off to an amazing start so far. #LUCKY

Support wrestlers, support wrestling, support each other! And thank you to everyone who always supports me - It’s always noticed, appreciated, and I truly am forever grateful.

<3 Kelsi - SuperKicking It With Kelsi

@theyoungbucks @ringofhonor

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lodelss · 4 years

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Soraya Roberts | Longreads | December 2019 | 12 minutes (2,912 words)

I wouldn’t call Canada racist. I’m not being nice when I say that, I’m being polite. Canadians are like that. That kind of polite where you hear a racial slur and pretend it didn’t happen. Or you see some bro get too close to a woman and you walk right by because it’s not your affair. This is not a confrontational country. I remember one recent Toronto subway ride where a white workman fresh off some job site, boots muddy, reflector bib on, interrupted two men — one brown, one white — who were about to brawl. You could feel the entire car getting progressively more tense as their voices escalated. But the workman got between them. “Come on guys, we’re all tired. Chill,” he said. And they did. And when it was my turn to get off, I thanked him. “It’s just what you do,” he said. I assume he was from out of town.

With all the free health care, the gun control, the less-extreme wealth disparity, Canadians can convince themselves that they’re superior to Americans. But none of that makes them any less racist, it just makes the racism easier to overlook; with a country that does so many things right, how can they be wrong? Our media is a microcosm of this denial, a lesson in what happens when your industry contracts to a handful of major newspapers and magazines, one major national broadcasting corporation, a smattering of websites, and one watchdog — and is only getting smaller. More than one fifth of Canada’s population is made up of people of color, but the popular press acknowledges that about as much as it acknowledges that the industry itself is overpoweringly white. The result is a media landscape that is overwhelmingly conservative — politically, and in every other way — and overwhelmingly lacking in perspective about it.

Outside of broadcasting, our newsrooms are supposed to self-regulate and yet there are no — zero — updated reports on their demographics. But a new study published by The Conversation last month analyzed two decades of the country’s three biggest newspapers, looking specifically at news and politics op-ed pages where journalists’ identities are clear. “Over the 21 years, as the proportion of white people in Canada’s population declined, the representation of white columnists increased,” Asmaa Malik and Sonya Fatah reported. Since 2016, whites have been overrepresented by 11 percent in these newsrooms. As Maclean’s Andray Domise, long one of the few black columnists in the country, writes, “Too many of my white colleagues in journalism still seem to believe their profession and the assumed stance of objectivity places them at a distance from white supremacy.” That these journalists can’t see their own means they can’t see anyone else’s. This is why I don’t work in Canadian media. It doesn’t really see me or anyone else who isn’t white.

* * *

I was genuinely shocked to get this job. I had written one story for Longreads — fittingly, a reported feature about Justin Bieber’s vacillation between Canada and America — and a few months later, the site’s editor called me from New York and offered me a weekly column. For most of the phone call I was confused. I think I literally said, “So this is an actual job?” I didn’t understand how this could happen. Thirteen years into a journalism career and I had never once been handed anything. Not even one story. I was inured to 13 more years of proving myself over and over and over again, even with the same editors at the same publications. And yet this guy had decided, after I had only written once for his site, that I deserved an actual job. That would NEVER happen to me in Canada. It HAS never happened to me in Canada.

In a now 14-year media career, I’ve landed 14 job interviews in Canada (that I can remember) and only once secured a position. I was repeatedly told not to take it personally, but from my first internship on, it’s been Sisyphean. I was recently told by an old journalism professor, unprompted, that I was one of my graduating year’s most promising, but the industry kept insinuating the opposite. I just assumed the white guys in my class, and a good number of the white girls, were getting jobs because they were exponentially better than me. I wrote for white editor after white editor, met with white exec after white exec, and nothing seemed to stick. Not too long ago, a friend of mine at the CBC — an older white guy — helped me get a job interview, which went well … until it veered into the details of my Pakistani history. Another (white) editor asked me to coffee, invited me to pitch, and never took anything I did, while their (white) spouse continued to appear prominently in their pages. Yet another group of editors, all white, declined to give me a job (which went to a white journalist), then offered me a short series of articles — about race, obviously — one of which they mismanaged so badly that we never worked together again. One major newspaper commissioned so many features from me in a row that I asked my editor to be made a permanent employee; they tried to lower my rate instead. As the years passed, I watched white woman after white woman, younger, less experienced, get staff job after staff job and thought: Oh, shit, do I just suck?

Canadian media is designed so that journalists of color give up. In 2017, black columnist Desmond Cole loudly resigned from The Toronto Star, having had his space reduced and his activism questioned. “My contributions to the Star are in sharp contrast with the lack of tenure, exposure, support, and compensation I have received in return,” he wrote on his blog. (Cole’s first book, The Skin We’re In, is out next year). Also in 2017, freelance journalist Septembre Anderson revealed she had given up journalism and was turning to web development after hitting her head against a walled-off industry for seven years. “Racialized voices just aren’t being heard,” she wrote in Torontoist. “They aren’t making decisions nor are they carrying them out.” In 2018, The Globe and Mail reporter Sunny Dhillon also resigned, despite having nothing else lined up. “I have worked as a journalist in this country for the last decade and with the solutions as obvious as they are unacted upon — hire more people of color, hear their voices, elevate them to positions of power or prominence — I cannot say I am particularly optimistic,” he wrote on Medium. Shriveling newsrooms usually shed their newest, usually more-marginalized staffers first, but a 2017 Public Policy Forum report on Canadian media questioned “exactly how many jobs have been lost in journalism — and how much frustrated talent has fled.”

I’m still in journalism not because of Canadian media but in spite of it. It was the editors outside of the country who hired me for their newsrooms: as a film and art editor at Time Out Dubai, as an entertainment editor at The New York Daily News. In Canada, it was the women who threw me a bone, mostly freelance assignments (though one woman actually hired me as an editor for AOL Canada). To fill in the blanks — too many to count — there was my mother. Because as much as this is about media with a dearth of opportunities for nonwhite journalists, it is about which journalists have the financial support to keep going anyway. Early last month, an Excel sheet circulated in which a number of American journalists anonymously revealed their salaries. Most of the journalists were white, and many of them reported wages too meager to survive on in the big cities where they were living. A number of people noted the discrepancy and wondered what kind of financial support these journalists were getting from their families that so many people of color were not.

So here it is: I am a woman of color and my mother is the reason I could do an unpaid internship in California, which got me my first job, which got me my second job, which got me my third — and, in between, she floated me when I couldn’t quite make ends meet. I wasn’t living off of her, but she was keeping me alive. On the one hand you could call her a patron, on the other hand she’s a vexing reminder to a number of journalists who are probably better than me that they do not have this extra support — a disproportionate number of whom are people of color like me. An extreme version of this leg up, of course, is nepotism, something I have not experienced but that so many white journalists in Canada have. Highly positioned media people whose families are also highly positioned in media, include: Toronto Life editor in chief Sarah Fulford, whose father, journalist Robert Fulford, has the order of Canada; former Walrus editor in chief Jonathan Kay, whose mother is National Post columnist Barbara kay; not to mention all those CBC staffers’ spouses who secured CBC contracts.

In September, the publicly funded Canadian educational channel TVO aired an episode of current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin, asking, “Is Canadian Media Losing Its Touch?” The panel was made up of Paikin, who is white, and two other journalists, a man and a woman, both also white. All three of them focused on the shrinking industry, never once mentioning its racism. But just three months prior, several mainstream media organizations were excoriated for belittling the landmark National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Final Report, the more-than-1,000-page document of 2,000+ testimonials outlining how colonialism in Canada has systematically destroyed First Nations communities. Instead of white Canadians grappling with the country’s long-awaited admission that they not only live on stolen land but have also helped decimate the people to whom Canada actually belongs, they diverted attention to the term “genocide.” Canada’s two largest newspapers, the Globe and the Star, published board-wide editorials denying those three syllables, while the Post had a Catholic priest doing the same. As journalist Justin Brake tweeted: “Colonialism is ubiquitous. Even in journalism.”

That was already clear two years ago when the (now ex-)editor of the Writers’ Union of Canada magazine, in an issue meant to celebrate Indigenous writing, called for white journalists to aspire to a nonexistent “cultural appropriation prize” in order to enrich their work. In response, high-ranking members of the country’s leading media companies — the Post, Maclean’s, CBC, Rogers — offered cash for its coffers. More recently, there have been several incidences in which newsroom photographs have circulated on social media showing a sea of white faces. In October, the Globe was side–eyed for hiring a white woman, Robyn Urback, from the CBC to add to its prodigiously white team — reporter Robyn Doolittle quipped, “Robyn, I look forward to everyone confusing us in the years to come.” — which only got whiter once South Asian columnist Denise Balkissoon left earlier this month for a higher-ranking position at Chatelaine magazine.

“Since working my first paid jobs as a journalist in 2007, I have been constantly told, explicitly and implicitly, that nobody will care about stories about people who are elderly, Aboriginal, racialized, queer, living with a disability or chronic health condition, or living with an active addiction or mental health concern,” University of British Colombia writing instructor and former magazine editor Jackie Wong told rabble.ca in 2016. This irresponsible coverage is being predominantly identified by journalists of color, who are also the ones principally assigned to write racialized articles. The Star’s Tanya Talaga has named the requirement to constantly advocate for and be a workplace’s symbol of diversity “the invisible workload.” Journalists of color are often siloed into multicultural media spaces like the Aboriginal People’s Television Network or smaller publications. Vicky Mochama, now the culture, society, and critical race editor for The Conversation, had a column for Metro until 2018, while Sarah Hagi wrote for Vice until she didn’t, then a site called Freshdaily, until it unceremoniously dumped its entire editorial staff after two weeks. Meanwhile, Kyrell Grant, the freelance writer and Twitter deity who coined the term “big dick energy,” occasionally publishes in places like Hazlitt. “Black women are consistently thought leaders whose uncited ideas regularly appear in mainstream media,” Anderson wrote in Torontoist, “but it’s increasingly apparent that our bylines don’t.”

White journalists, meanwhile, are increasingly insulated from critique. Maclean’s’ Domise apologized for being a gatekeeper, for instance, while those who actually created the gate to keep the likes of him out remain silent. It’s virtually impossible to fix the problem in mainstream Canadian media because it won’t even acknowledge that there is one. What it will do is apologize for suggesting that white people could be at fault for anything. Last month, correspondent Jessica Allen of The Social (Canada’s The View) was forced to apologize for saying hockey players tended to be white and tended to be bullies, both of which are true. “We would like to apologize to everyone who was offended by the remarks,” CTV announced in a statement. In a recent interview with the newsletter Study Hall, BuzzFeed’s Scaachi Koul admitted she was professionally ostracized after she tweeted in 2016 that BuzzFeed Canada was looking for pitches, particularly from “not white and not male” writers: “I cannot tell you how many conversations I’ve had with executive-level editors in Canada who wouldn’t work with me because they thought I was racist against white people.” Koul now works in New York.

* * *

I suppose it follows that my favorite place to work in Canada is not in fact a media company. Hazlitt is an online literary magazine run by a publishing company, Penguin Random House, and its long-form nonfiction skews experimental. It’s probably no coincidence that Hazlitt is where Koul got her start and where plenty of other people of color like me can write long, rambling essays on the nature of everything, something a media landscape as homogenous as Canada’s has no appetite for. Both of the editors I worked with — the editor in chief and senior editor — are white, but they’re what you might call allies if you’re so inclined, and they understand writing at a molecular level. Hazlitt is equivalent to a magazine like The Believer or a site like Grantland. It’s there that I got my only National Magazine Award nomination in 2016. But the site is small, and you can’t live off it. My job search to supplement my work there included a failed interview to write news for an elevator screen and naming 500 color swatches for a marketing company. Then Longreads called. Did I mention the guy who hired me is not white?

I’m not really sure what to say to Canadian journalists of color who don’t have that opportunity or the support to create it. Because it’s not really about them. It’s about the white Canadians who are hogging all the power positions and refusing to admit that, let alone step aside. It’s about their refusal to make it a priority to hire people of color from top to bottom because they refuse to see these journalists’ absence as an issue. Domise has credited his column at Maclean’s to a “handful of editors” who recognized the magazine’s lack of diversity. But the columnists around him are still majority white. Our media seems to have a really hard time reflecting 20 percent of our population, of not overrepresenting whiteness to the point of implying its supremacy.

In June, the CBC and Radio-Canada announced that by 2025, they would have at least one non-white person working as a key creative — producer, director, writer, showrunner, lead performer — on each of their programs. One. More recently, a friend who works at one of the bigger media companies in Toronto mentioned that they were hiring but that all of the applications “sucked.” Knowing the number of journalists who have lost their jobs over the past 10 years, I was baffled. Considering the same white people are often shuffled around the industry over and over again, I asked if they had gone beyond submitted applications to ask peers, to check social media, to look into other publications that have recently closed down. My friend looked at me in embarrassment. That’s the look that I think every white journalist in this country is missing.

Canada is racist: there I said it. My country is racist and its media is racist and its journalists are racist. Not saying it doesn’t make it any less true. Canada is multicultural, yes, that doesn’t mean its media is; the industry that is supposed to inform this country is whitewashed, and its information is whitewashed too. Politically, socially, economically — in every way — Canada misrepresents itself. What results is an entirely misinformed public but, more than that, a public represented by an industry that cloaks itself in white and believes that saying nothing will make it invisible. You’re not invisible. You may not see us, but we see you.

* * *

Soraya Roberts is a culture columnist at Longreads.

#IFTTT #Blogger

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aion-rsa · 3 years

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Doctor Who Holiday Gift Guide: A Holiday in Who-ville

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The Doctor is in, and it’s about time. Although, it should be noted that the Doctor is also in a maximum-security prison, and time is running short for Earth with the return of the Daleks. Thankfully the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, has her Companions, as well as the newly returned Captain Jack Harkness, on hero duty on our little planet.

That is all happening on New Year’s Day in the Doctor Who holiday special, “Revolution of the Daleks.” Debuting on BBC-America at 8 p.m. ET, the January 1 episode picks up from the action following the twelfth season of the revived 56-year-old series, which aired this year from January to March.

Just to recap, that canon-shaking season brought The Master back, regenerated once more as a male human; traveled to Gallifrey, reduced to ruins (again); introduced Time Lord Cybermen, aka CyberMasters. The season ended with the whopper that the Doctor is the Timeless Child from another realm – with a lot more regenerations than previously confirmed — and that she is a being from whence all Time Lords emerged, thanks to DNA splicing. And all that happened before the cliffhanger of the Doctor being imprisoned for life by those intergalactic rent-a-cops the Judoon.

So yeah, a lot happened, and that doesn’t even cover the epic decade in the making surprise return of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, who is back again for the holiday special.

With so much happening in the world of Doctor Who, it seems like a great time for a themed holiday gift guide, a season in Who-ville, if you will. The items that follow are perfect goodies to wrap up, and stuff in a TARDIS-sized gift bag (bigger on the inside, of course) for all the Whovians in your life. And if you shop for something for yourself, that’s ok; just say you got it for one of your other regenerations.

David Tennant Does A Podcast With … Jodie Whittaker (Free)

You don’t need to spend money to let the Whovian in your life know you’re thinking of them this holiday season. And trust me, if they don’t already know about David Tennant’s podcast, they’ll be thanking you. Tennant, aka the Tenth Doctor, is a delightful human being, and a genuinely engaging conversationalist. And in his podcast – which just wrapped a second season – he converses with famous friends, costars, and newsmakers, such as Neil Gaiman, Ian McKellen, Billie Piper, and Stacey Abrams. His episode with Jodie Whittaker in February 2019, following her first full season as the Doctor, is a special treat. The two discuss getting to know one another on Broadchurch, but also discuss the unique role on Doctor Who – and what it was like for her to be the first woman to step into the part.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Thirteenth Doctor Mug ($8.95)

Blue shirt, rainbow stripes, and suspenders. If the Whovian in your life is like me, occasionally you want your fandom served up simple along with a cup of coffee. This orb-like mug captures the essence of the Thirteenth Doctor’s outfit with a few basic elements immediately recognizable to other fans. And it looks like it holds a lot of coffee, which is a perk.

Buy the Thirteenth Doctor Mug on Amazon.

Big Finish Audio Plays ($9+)

“I don’t want to go.” These last words of the Tenth Doctor are relatable for most Who fans when they see a character depart from the show, but thankfully there is Big Finish Productions. For more than 20 years, the company has produced Doctor Who audio plays starring cast from the show, including six of the nine living actors to have played the Doctor (with Christopher Eccleston set to reprise his role as the Ninth Doctor in stories to be released in 2021). In addition getting more adventures from favorite characters, Big Finish also has characters collide who never met on screen — such as Missy and River Song, played again by Michelle Gomez and Alex Kingston, in The Diary of River Song. And while Captain Jack Harkness may only be returning to Doctor Who for the holiday special, John Barrowman voices the character in more than two dozen Big Finish dramas.

Listen to the audio plays here.

Doctor Who Face Mask ($12)

Bowties, fezzes, Stetsons; the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) was especially known for his pursuit of the cool fashion – and a lot of hats — and 13 seems to be keeping the pattern going (see the tuxedo and ear cuff listings below). But if it’s one thing that’s cool in 2020, it’s face coverings, and it would not at all be a surprise for the Doctor to exclaim, “I wear a mask now. Masks are cool.” So this item from Liesl Schulz of Sewn by Liesl on Etsy is a timely entry for the Whovian on your gift list. They can also feel like a Time Lord out to protect humanity and can do so with the most minimal of effort by sporting a TARDIS-blue mask emblazoned with 12’s quote.

Buy the Doctor Who Face Mask here.

Thirteenth Doctor Action Figure with Red Top ($13)

I remember the moment we were all treated to the first look of Jodie Whittaker as the doctor in her cool coat, and that blue shirt with rainbow stripes. But by the third episode of Season 11, “Rosa,” the Doctor had switched things up with a red shirt. Even though this wardrobe change is a bold choice — considering red shirts are just bad luck in other sci-fi universes – I’m more partial to Jodie’s crimson shade. As such, this 5.5-inch Doctor action figure with bum bag and sonic screwdriver is a cool collectible for Whovian fans who like a different color on 13. (Although you can get the figure in blue as well, and a TARDIS playset she can fit in.)

Buy the Thirteenth Doctor action figure on Amazon.

Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box ($15)

What makes an ancient time-and-space traveler tick? How does an immortal deal with death? And why did he once say she “got on very well” with Freud? This book edited by Travis Langley, Ph.D., the fifth in the psychology professor’s “Popular Culture Psychology” series, explores the minds of the Doctor, her Companions, and villains. And while you may not think the Whovian in your life has a lot in common with a Time Lord, Madman delves into what Doctor Who says about human nature, and humanity. Full disclosure: I am a contributor to the book, which contains my interviews with Matt Smith, and David Tennant.

Buy Doctor Who Psychology on Amazon.

Thirteenth Doctor TARDIS Distressed Rainbow T-Shirt ($16+)

Combine the Thirteenth Doctor’s TARDIS, her signature rainbow (which doubles as a symbol for pride and acceptance), with a distressed design, and you have this happy, colorful shirt from Hot Topic. It feels like a retro design out of the 1970s (back when some older Whovians were watching the show on PBS) but celebrates the new Who. Just looking at it puts me in a better mood.

Buy the TARDIS Distressed Rainbow T-Shirt here.

Doctor Who 13th Doctor 3 Piece Gift Set – Journal, Mug & Superbitz Plush ($16.99)

This officially licensed trio of goodies packs a lot of holiday cheer for less than $20. The Thirteenth Doctor Superbitz plushy collectible is incredibly cute, while the 16-page lined journal features a rainbow striped hard cover with the phrase “The Future Is Not Written.” Meanwhile the “13 Is My Lucky Number” sporting a golden TARDIS graphic rounds out this happy little set.

Buy the 13th Doctor 3-Piece Gift Set on Amazon.

Doctor Who Friends and Foes of the 13th Doctor Set B ($25)

Nearly as soon as the Doctor regenerated into 13, she began gathering a family of four with Bradley Walsh’s Graham, Tosin Cole’s Ryan, and Mandip Gill’s Yaz. Yet, in a November interview with the BBC, Jodie Whittaker revealed “the fam as a four is no more,” and that Walsh and Cole would be leaving Doctor Who after the holiday special. But just because Graham and Ryan’s adventure on the show is coming to an end doesn’t mean their characters have to leave the world of your Doctor Who fan. Instead, if you picked up the Doctor 5.5-inch action figure above, you might as well couple it with this “Friends and Foes” set with all three of 13’s original companions.

Buy the Friends and Foes of the 13th Doctor Set B on Amazon.

Ian Leino Doctor Whoville T-shirt ($25)

Artist Ian Leino’s Doctor Whoville tee has been an evolving work for several years now. His Seussian design of all the regenerations of our favorite Time Lord gathered around a holiday TARDIS initially ended with Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. But over time, he has included John Hurt’s War Doctor, Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, and now Jodie Whittaker joins the Whos for a snowy celebration. Full disclosure: Ian has become a friend because I love this nerdy mash-up design so much, printed on a high-quality Bella + Canvas shirt. The design is likewise available on a hoodie, and holiday greeting cards.

Buy the Doctor Whoville T-Shirt here.

Hero Within TARDIS Woven Shirt ($45)

Across the globe, the TARDIS is more recognizable as the Doctor’s ultimate companion more than the police call box it’s disguised as. It is iconic and serves as a great inspiration for creative fans. Enter Hero Within, the apparel company that has been killing it with officially licensed, and well-made, nerdy fashion. Currently celebrating its new Doctor Who license, Hero Within has recently unveiled this woven TARDIS button-up shirt that calls to mind a work shirt while unmistakably inspired by the best ship in the universe.

Buy the Hero Within TARDIS Shirt here.

John Barrowman Cameo ($125)

There are few entertainment spectacles quite like a John Barrowman panel at a comic con. The man is a showman, and truly one of the funniest people to encounter at an event. Unfortunately comic cons are on hold at the moment, and the Doctor Who fan in your life might be craving the con experience — and jonesing for John. Thankfully, Barrowman is on Cameo, where he delivers pep talks, sends well wishes, and even sings a tune. And a custom message from Captain Jack Harkness himself is a great way to prepare for the New Year’s Day Special.

Subscribe to John Barrowman on Cameo.

Doctor Who Galaxy Single Ear Cuff ($150)

Jodie Whittaker is not only the first woman to play the Doctor, she is also the first to wear an earring. And what a great earring she debuted with! Designed by Alex Monroe, and available for purchase, the Galaxy Single Ear Cuff is a sterling silver piece that begins on top with a cluster of shooting stars, connected to a 22ct gold plated hand grasping another in harmony. The elegant design conveys much about the Doctor’s philosophy, but this jewelry is striking even absent any knowledge of the show. Monroe likewise created a Doctor Who Companion single stud earring of clasping hands, and a Galaxy necklace to complement the other pieces.

Buy the Doctor Who Galaxy Single Ear Cuff here.

The Thirteenth Doctor’s Tuxedo ($247+)

When Doctor Who returned for its twelfth season earlier this year, the Doctor sported a tuxedo that evoked the wardrobe of her previous generations, and basically had fandom freaking out with excitement. The outfit was likewise a nod to James Bond for the “Spyfall” espionage episodes. Well, Tamsin Hartnell of the “The Ultimate Guide to the Fashion of Doctor Who” has done an impressive job assembling the items for the Doctor’s tux for those who might want to recreate it. The Doctor’s double-breasted opera coat by Paul Smith runs for about $1450 alone (if you can find it). However, Tamsin helpfully suggests alternatives to creating an everyday cosplay of the outfit starting around $160, with the official black and gold bowtie by Blue Eyes Bowtie costing about $87. This will take some work to put the look together, but it’s time well spent. Also, take a look around the Ultimate Guide blog as it is chockful of interesting Doctor Who fashion info.

Assemble the Thirteenth Doctor’s look with this guide.

GeekOrthodoxArt TARDIS Stained Glass ($750)

For a thousand years the art medium of stained glass has been used to honor iconic figures and commemorate grand moments of historic and religious significance. And in the 21st Century, pop culture institutions can hold near religious importance, and are worthy of representation in this art form. So why not take your giftee’s Doctor Who fandom to the next level? This custom-made TARDIS stained glass artwork uses the medium’s traditional copper foil method and is composed from over 75 pieces of hand-cut glass. Crafted by GeekOrthodoxArt, the piece measures 12″ x 24″. The stained-glass design is likewise available as a $20 high-resolution professional grade vinyl window cling. (Also, if you want to make this gift even cooler for your Who fan, you can let them know that John Barrowman loved it so much, he bought one at the Pensacon event in 2018.)

Buy the TARDIS Stained Glass here.

TARDIS ($5800+)

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Much to this writer’s dismay, there is no pre-owned time machine lot to buy a working TARDIS for the Whovian on your gift list. But you can get pretty close. Iconic Studio Creations can build a custom, officially licensed, full-size TARDIS replica (well, technically, it’s a replica of the TARDIS in the guise of a police call box, thanks to the craft’s chameleon circuit). While not bigger on the inside, this is as close to the real deal as you can get, and ISC has worked with the BBC in building these babies. Sure, it’s a little expensive, but you can’t put a price tag on love – or time traveling ships. Iconic also creates replicas of Daleks, and a remote-controlled K-9, who would fit nicely in a new TARDIS. And if you prefer your time machine to have more practical applications, you can always get a DeLorean for your giftee.

Visit Iconic Studio Creations here.

The post Doctor Who Holiday Gift Guide: A Holiday in Who-ville appeared first on Den of Geek.

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5lazarus · 4 years

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vague dai fic meta

notes on solas & solasmance, for fic purposes -really really doubt solas would date someone bubbly or immature, he’s looking desperately for kindred, and opposites really don’t actually attract -talks to a romanced!blackwall about how it’s good to find peace where one can find it. doubt he monologues to a love interest, more about discussion and debate and wonder -his relationship with the spirit of Wisdom was searching for lost wonder, some of that must come through in how he treats all his close relationships: finding shared beauty and joy in the world -genuinely friends with blackwall & cassandra, and something close to it with iron bull. amicable academic relationship w/ dorian -closest to blackwall & iron bull. most equal relationship is with blackwall, iron bull is a little bit of him cultivating his “ar lasa mala revas” comrades. he def fantasizes a little bit of “saving” iron bull from the Qun. cassandra maybe is like what he was when he was young, when he was first in mythal’s service -strong parallels to leliana--no doubt mythal used him as badly as justinia did to her; likewise I hope they weren’t fucking, despite what tevinter nights implies. -with imladris ashallin lavellan, the appeal is in her devotion to the People, he likes that she says she will help him escape the Chantry if need be, he likes how she takes care of the widow & widower in the Hinterlands, and then the added compassion to the refugees -where does love come in? in leadership. in her pride, her refusal to bend the knee. trying to figure this out makes me realize how the romances in DA2 are so much better developed that the ones in DAI. esp bc you can establish immediate sexual interest v quickly in haven, and the romance kicks off as soon as you get to skyhold; for me, I had high enough approval to immediately get Fade Kiss, Wisdom, and Balcony as soon as we arrived -so love develops slowly as the Inquisition stabilizes the Hinterlands, in the compassion & courage & pride the Inquisitor shows, her ability to take challenges in stride and surmount them. -there really should’ve been a subtle romance moment for In Hushed Whispers, where if you’ve flirted enough with a companion they can have a slightly different reaction based on that. -now, my lavellan has two daughters--a five yr old & a 12 year old. how the hell does he navigate that? they’re both cautious after the Fade, bc they understand the intensity of their feelings, and how others can be swept away in it--and Solas feels intense shame, bc he knows this is one of those “once in a lifetime” love affairs and he likes her kids and as Cole says, “he wants to give wisdom, not orders” and I’m just saying, he’d be a good dad, he’s definitely exasperated father of a teenaged son with Cole -mirwen’s a somniari so he’s very careful to help her navigate the Fade, keeping her mother in the loop for everything, children were rare in Elvhenan (seriously, how does reproduction work with immortality? bioware you did not think this out). mirwen more or less latches on to him, bc she’s hungry for knowledge and control and has attachment issues bc her dad got horrifically murdered and her mother was hyper-dissociative and then more or less stolen by the inquisition -mathalin, the preteen, worries over her mother frantically like any child who’s been raised by a traumatized parent, though imladris does her best to make sure she’s not parentified. (but when imladris escapes prison, she can’t quite cope with everyday life, and mathalin did have to take care of mirwen, and try and cheer up her mother and keep her attention focused) she misses her father horribly, she misses Wycombe horribly. imladris has her training with the other mage children but she doesn’t trust human teachers, goes looking for her mom and finds her with solas, asks for help bc dalish have a much less technical and more flexible & practical approach to magic -solas ends up drawing out the theory behind imladris’ “pull at the veil until it feels right, use your breathing to modulate the intensity” approach, which helps her more. mathalin asks about the paintings, he talks about how in arlathan they would use magic to fix in sensation into pigment, why he’s got a goddamn veilfire torch there and why the demon of regret takes over when he fucks up the last panel in canon. mathalin talks about her father, how mahanon used music to tell stories, how revas uses music as part of his craft, and solas tells a “fade story” that is really about watching his father and grieving that none of his sculptures survive, but how echoes remain impressed in the fade, and mathalin can hear the music her father dreamed as a mage, and work it into new spells -I like the idea of inner circle members floating around imladris’ quarters, though it’s not a regular thing--the mages coming together to argue about magic, varric & cole checking in on the inquisitor, vivienne coming in to argue politics and scope out her quarters and generally spy. dorian is canon best friend, dorian spends the most time being ornamental on imladris’ couch and drinking her good wine she gets from her family’s caravans. dorian’s relationship with the kids is more entertaining; he tells them stories about his and maevaris’ antics shaking up tevinter and working with the resistance (no slave apologism here, fuck bioware), imladris is the most honest with him about her “extracurricular” work, partly because he knows her brother and fenris, he already knows -dorian really really really wants solas to like him, is frustrated by solas’ constant tests of his virtue bc it’s not like he can actually tell him “actually when I got kicked out by my family I joined in with this solidarity network helping slaves escape to seheron and from seheron to nevarra & antiva” without risking the entire enterprise. solas doesn’t understand why the Lavellan kids love him, dorian doesn’t quite understand why imladris is falling deeply in love with someone so cynical. -the ones most often at the inquisitor’s table are solas and dorian and occasionally varric--varric goes back and forth from wanting to motherhen and also give her plenty of space. she’s not hawke, she’s meaner and pricklier than hawke, older and more somber than hawke ever is, and he can’t get a mother-of-two shitfaced as a coping strategy. inquisition forces him to grow up too. -sera is horribly jealous over the kids, gets weird about seeing them and imladris and solas together. she’s the one who says something shitty about mahanon and stepfathers and elvhen glory, and malika straightup strikes her for what she says, samahl has to deescalate while azadi watches coolly and reports back to imladris, because solas appears unphased but distances himself for a few days, and mathalin gets very upset -vivienne at her core respects the inquisitor. she disagrees with her profoundly. she knows the most about imladris’ involvement with briala. she knows the most about the true challenges celene faces--she’ll be fun to play with, for Wicked Eyes & Wicked Hearts, shame the dev team didn’t have enough time to give her a real role in that quest

#fen'harel's teeth #fanfic #notes #solavellan hell

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lodelss · 4 years

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The Great White Nope

Soraya Roberts | Longreads | December 2019 | 12 minutes (2,912 words)

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Soraya Roberts is a culture columnist at Longreads.

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